By John Merwin

Once in a while I run across a fly or lure that surprises me. It doesn’t look as if it would work, but turns out it works very well. Sometimes, extremely well. Such a trout fly is the GT Triple Double dry pictured here.

I first encountered this pattern while fishing with its originator, guide Gordon Tharrett on Utah’s Green River tailwater some years back. The first eight miles of river below Flaming Gorge dam, the so-called “A” section, is chock full of trout in extremely clear water. This section is hugely popular, is pounded hard by skilled anglers all year long, and most of the trout here have PhDs in being selective as to fly pattern.

By Joe Cermele

Today's entry into our ongoing vintage tackle contest hits close to home for me. Whenever I'm on a beach or trout stream, one of my favorite things to do (especially if the fishing's slow) is kick through piles of shells looking for washed up old lures, or wade along the tree line, hunting for flies stuck in the low branchs. Reading the note below from Kevin Quackenbush, who sent in this week's photo, I had to laugh, because I understand that sometimes a treasure hunt can be more fun than the casting. Kevin wrote:

I found these lures about 20 years ago while exploring a pond that was a bit difficult to access. I was strictly a wade fisherman back then, and the water was extremely low due to drought conditions. The pond was thick with stumps and downed trunks that protruded above the surface. Those trunks and stumps yielded a treasure trove. In fact, after the first couple of lures I found wedged in the cracks of the wood, I began fishing less and hunting more. It was treacherous wading, with ankle buster snags and precarious crossing of downed trunks, but, it was a fun and fruitful afternoon. I went back a few times that summer and each time found a few more. I covered very little of the timber! The water has been well up since then, until this past late fall when there was a draw down. Spring will see me once again scouting that wood!

By Joe Cermele

Last week I spent a few days on the Salmon River in Pulaski, NY, doing a little steelhead fishing and testing some new gear (more on that later). I was fishing with 31-year veteran guide Gary Edwards, who is the godfather of flyfishing for Pulaski steel. In my opinion, what makes steelhead such a challenge is not finding or hooking them, but landing them. Gary had some great tips for upping the chances of a successful end game, whether you have a net man or not. So we shot a little how-to video that I hope is helpful to all my fellow steelhead junkies.

By Joe Cermele

I'd like to start by mentioning that last week marked the 1-year anniversary of our vintage tackle contest. In case you're curious, Dr. Todd took the liberty of getting some stats together. In the last year, he's appraised 49 pieces of tackle, with a total value of about $5,000. So far, I've given away $2,900 worth of prizes. So both the Doc and I would just like to say thank you to everyone who submitted this year, and we hope you guys still enjoy the vintage tackle posts and will keep on sending them in. Likewise, a special thanks to all the great manufacturers that provided killer prizes this year. We'll be giving away some really cool gear in year 2. Now, back to the tackle...

The strange hook (or perhaps torture device) below belongs to Derek Fraser, who wrote:

While going through one of our local antique stores I came across an old tackle box filled with old fishing lures that I paid $16 for. I was familiar with most of the lures and tackle that was in the box but not with this Greer lever hook. Ive looked online and found some mail order advertisements in Popular Mechanics from the late 1930's and some pictures from lure collectors but little else. Its not a priceless cane rod or elaborate lure but I was hoping that you might be able to help me shed some light on this old piece of tackle.