By John Merwin

After I posted a while ago about a very simple reel-drag test you can do at home, some readers asked about how to set a drag in the first place. Here are a few tips that will help. The general rule for freshwater reels spooled with nylon mono is to set your drag tension at one-third to one-half of your line’s breaking strength.

By John Merwin

By John Merwin

A report by the Reuters news service that I found courtesy of MidCurrent last week indicates that people tend to fish more when economic times get tough. Fishing--at least fishing locally--it turns out can be less expensive than going to the movies or playing a round of golf. At a time when many families are pinching pennies, fishing can also put food on the table.

By Joe Cermele

Come on. Get your mind out of the gutter. I'm not talking about that kind of leather. I'm talking about the hand-made leather fly gear produced by Joe Goertzen of Missoula, Montana. I met Joe back in January at the Somerset Fly Fishing Show in NJ. It was his first year working the winter show circuit, and I found his booth by happenstance when his fly bag (above) caught my eye in a sea of Sage, Orvis, and Simms wares.