By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

The title to this post is the same used by the woman who is selling these flies on craigslist. Tis the season...  $9.99 for a fly!? Just read what this witch has to say below.  Unbelievable.

Fly fishing requires skill and practice, but mostly a lot of luck! Snag
some of these very special flies, put together and blessed by a real
honest-to-goodness licensed Wiccan (white witch). These special flies
will give you the edge you need over your fishing companions. You won't
find these flies at the local sporting goods store. These flies will
make great stocking stuffers for those dedicated fly fishermen (or
women) who live for catching the big ones. Don't believe me? Well, just
try them and let me know when you come home with a full stringer of the
big ones and your buddies come home with the pan-fries.

Flies sell for $9.99 each and come tied to a special card with a charm attached.

Back of the card tells what kind of fly it is and what hook size it is.

The witch is a dedicated Colorado fly fisherwoman herself and fishing advice is free.

By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

It's been a fairly calm fall.  Everyone is hunting elk, deer and ducks.  But can't ignore the fall fishing around here.  Since a couple of years ago, fishing was closed Nov 1 to trout, so people were out fishing for whitefish.  Releasing trout if one got on.  But now fishing is open year round, some of the access landings are close.  After the big flood in September on the Snake, October was great.  Big fish on streamers, October Caddis and on the right day, Blue Wings.  The South Fork is good as well, people fishing streamers, white/black and JJs, of course the un-mentionables are red hot, chartreuse being the color.  The flows are as low as its going to get.  Try the shorter floats or walk/wading in your favorite holes.  I did a memorable day early Oct on the Green, floating through the Seven Mile.  On a cast and blast day, numerable 20 inch browns were caught.  Of course, the biggest fish I have seen on the Green (upper 20's) hooked and broken.

Curt Hamby

By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

Use this frugal Yankee's plan to fish 10 places where the weather's fine, the bite is hot, and the cash stays in your pocket.
by John Merwin
(reprinted from this year's December/January Field & Stream)

In the hard reality of a New England January, I'm scraping ice off my truck or plowing yet another snowfall from my driveway. In my daydreams, though, I'm fishing somewhere warm, wishing I didn't have to wait four months for the spring thaw. Sure, I could book a $5,000 week at a tropical lodge, but one way or another the mortgage and the taxes and the kids' tuition usually manage to intervene.

So I sometimes travel and fish cheaply. I go to places where at the very least I don't have to confront a blizzard, and at best I'm squishing sun-warmed sand between my toes. If you're willing to explore, to paddle a rented kayak or canoe, and to camp out on your own, there's a whole world of low-budget getaways that don't involve high-end lodge fees and $10 pina coladas.

The following 10 trips are among the best values anywhere. Some are cheaper than others, but all are unbeatable deals. To help you compare costs, I've priced recent airfares from Chicago as a central location. You'll generally have to add the price of a rental car, which will run from $125 to $400 or more a week. Most of these trips will involve some work in putting travel details together, but even that is enjoyable anticipation. And it sure beats shoveling snow.

Bass on the Border
The Redfish Remedy
Sunshine Largemouths
Snowbelly Camp
Buenos Beaches
The Bonefish Bargain
Dry Flies in January
The Ozark Escape
The Tarpon Trail
The Cajun Tour

By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

Aransas Pass, Texas
Target species: Redfish, seatrout
January avg. temps: 60 high, 45 low
Round-trip airfare to houston: $250
Accommodations: Camping at $8 per night

Texas redfishing is hot from the Louisiana border all the way west and south through Padre Island National Seashore. The area around Aransas Pass just northeast of Corpus Christi harbors lots of protected shallows for both kayakers and redfish. (From most major cities, it’s cheaper to fly to Houston than to Corpus Christi, and because most rental cars have unlimited mileage, driving the 200 miles from Houston is a better deal.) For kayak rentals and guided fishing, check out the aptly named Slow Ride Guide Service in Aransas Pass (slowrideguide.com). You’ll find the cheapest possible lodging at nearby Mustang Island State Park, where—high-tide levels permitting—beach camping is allowed (tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/mustang_island).