It seems that filmmaker RA Beattie has taken to poaching one of "my" favorite carp holes on the Dirty South Platte here in Denver, or DSP as we affectionally call it around here.

Watch out RA, I know where you live...

Enjoy the short film,

TR [ Read Full Post ]

Fresh, hot biscuits, anyone? It’s hard for me to imagine a meal in any fishing or hunting camp without some of these tender, flaky morsels soaking up melted butter or swabbing a plate clean of that last bit of gravy. There have been days--and this might be one--when I’d kill for a good biscuit.

Biscuits are easy to make, yet require a deft touch so they don’t get tough and lumpy. Lard or shortening must be cold as it is crumbled through the flour so things don’t get mushy. When milk is added, don’t beat the dough to death or you’ll toughen it. And the oven must be very hot when the biscuits go in or they won’t rise properly.

The kind of flour makes a difference, too. So-called “soft” flours common in the South such as White Lily or Martha  White have fewer gluten-forming proteins than Northern flours and thus rise better in the oven and become flakier. The distinction is so noticeable that I buy southern White Lily flour by mail order for our own use here at home. That company’s website also includes some excellent recipes in case... [ Read Full Post ]

From a Southwick Associates Press Release:
In an October 2009 survey, Southwick Associates asked anglers and hunters which type of organization they trust the most for accurate information regarding fish and wildlife conservation. The results of the monthly AnglerSurvey.com and HunterSurvey.com poll show that state fish and wildlife agencies are considered the most trustworthy source of conservation information among hunters and anglers.

Of the 2,771 anglers surveyed, 54.4 percent reported state fish and wildlife agencies were their most trusted source. Of the 3,378 hunters surveyed, 50.7 percent agreed.  The second most trusted source, with 25.1 percent of anglers and 29.5 percent of hunters, was sport-fishing and hunting non-profit conservation groups.

Other options included federal agencies, outdoor television, and outdoor print media. Who do you trust most? [ Read Full Post ]

Let's start the week by sprinkling some hot sauce... Simple question: Is it fair game or dirty pool to take a grip-'n-grin photograph with a fish you landed, but was foul-hooked?

I ask because it actually came up as an issue on a guide trip this summer. "Joe" was guiding "Bob" when Bob hooked into the biggest rainbow trout he could remember.  Problem was, he hooked it in the pectoral fin.  He did a nice job and landed the fish quickly (perhaps even a more impressive fighting and landing job than if the fish were mouth-hooked)... Good work, Bob.  Next thing I noticed, Joe was grabbing for the camera... "let's get a photo of this!"

I'm thinking whoa, whoa, whoa... get a photo of what, an accident?  If you hit a buck with your car, do you jump out and mug for the camera then also? Let's call it like it is... Bob didn't catch that fish, Joe.  He snagged that fish.  It happens to everyone (good fly fishers less than bad ones)... but that doesn't count.  Does it? And besides, that exhausted fish (more tired than if it were mouth-hooked) should be put in the water, now. Photographing a snagged, whipped, beat-up fish... [ Read Full Post ]

Our friend Marshall Cutchin broaches an interesting topic over at midcurrent.com today regarding the state of the nationwide drought that has devastated both farming and fisheries over the last decade. One that I hadn't thought of in quite some time.

A USAToday piece quoted in his report states that, "Last week, about 75% of the country showed no drought, the largest since the U.S. Drought Monitor was created in 1999. At the drought's peak in July 2002, about 72% of the country was in drought, according to the Drought Monitor."

Here in Colorado, 2002 was horrendous with the hayman fire and many rivers feeling the effects of multiple years of low water. This continued on and off until about three years ago, when things got back to normal and in most cases way above normal.

Curious, what's it like in your part of the country? Is the drought over for you or are you still feeling the effects today? 

Speaking of fish and drought, I thought this video by RA Beattie was...

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Thought I'd update the slide show roster from the last couple weeks of fishing. The weather here has gone from cool to blizzard conditions, back to unseasonably warm. 

Just last weekend we fished at 8000 feet in t-shirts all day. In November. Who'd have thought it...? Enjoy the images and take a peak... [ Read Full Post ]

Now about those sex ads. You know, the ads in the back of our print edition that tout various male-enhancement products. Some people complain about them. Others just smirk. But what if some of those things turned out to be great fishing products?

Here’s an example. Suppose you’re fishing a headwater creek for little brook trout and keep a few for dinner. The minimum legal size is 6 inches, but you’ve inadvertently kept a 5-incher. Uh-oh, here comes the game warden. Quick! Slip that little brookie into the pocket-size vacuum device and with a few fast pumps you’ve turned that trout into a legal fish!

The potential here is just wonderful. Need some bigger plastic worms or maybe a few larger dry flies? No problem. There are some pills that supposedly increase the size of certain things. So maybe you could dissolve a couple of tablets in water and then soak your size 14 Light Cahills overnight. By morning, they’d be size 12s or maybe even 10s!
Other products have a different application. There’s an aftershave lotion that  supposedly will make females more affectionate. Well, hey....my steelhead flies could use a little more love. There are lots of female steelhead in the river,... [ Read Full Post ]

I think the Field & Stream website has reached its traffic-driving zenith with their photo essay, led by an attractive, topless Euro chick hugging a giant catfish ...  Realizing that I simply cannot crash through that ceiling, I bring you the next best thing... one of the world's most notable pro bass anglers happily engaged with a fly rod...

You know the drill... write the caption, win a prize.  This time the winner gets...

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Another video tip from Mr. Kirk Deeter explaining the perfect hook set for trout. We're all guilty of it at one time or another... Getting excited, and ripping the fly out of a fish's mouth or on the other side not setting hard enough. Deeter's latest tip gives us...

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Admittedly it's not for everyone, but I'm guessing most of you have dreamt up your dream rod. You know, the one you've sketched out on a napkin waiting for your buddies at the bar... The one with high tech corrosion free components, nickel silver options, burled hardwoods, and agate stripping guides.

Or perhaps you like a certain model but would rather remove the hook keeper, or just switch the size of your grip. Scott Rods new custom shop offers you choices on tons of their blanks and gives you options on grips, reel seat, spacers, fighting butt, winding check, hook keepers, stripping guide, snake guides, wrap, trim, inscription, measuring wraps, cases, etc... You can even view your rod as you're building it.

I recently had them build me a fiberglass one weight for my wife to my specifications. It was our first anniversary in September and I thought a glass 1 - wt. with a personalized inscription would be perfect for the occasion. She loved it. Now I just have to hope she isn't expecting a rod size up every year... 

What's even cooler...

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Every now and then I dabble in the dangerous editorial waters of trying to write about subjective topics like the Best Fishing Towns in America... which usually makes me a temporary chamber of commerce hero in a few places, and a full-blown idiot in others (I'm not bringing this up to remind the good folks of Cody, Wyoming, to re-start the E-mail campaign)...

So now I'm going to share the heat.  I'm interested in how the Fly Talk Nation would rank the best fly fishing STATES in America.

Oh, I have some opinions, but don't let them sway you.  Feel free to agree or disagree and mix in a few of your own (as if that's ever been an issue).

Highlighting my list would be:

Florida. Pros: Think about all the myriad species to be caught on the fly in Florida, from tarpon and snook, to bass and panfish.  Fly fishing isn't, after all, only about trout.  Cons: You cannot catch trout on a fly in Florida, and despite what I just said, the best fly fishing state should at least offer some trout fishing, yes?

Montana.  Pros: Wild, brawling rivers, beautiful fish, a strong fly-cultural tradition, and wide-open spaces made available by enlightened stream... [ Read Full Post ]

Sometimes you read something that - to be perfectly honest - leaves you feeling hopeless and doomed. Something so depressing it makes you want to throw up your hands, shout "to hell with it all!" and head straight to the nearest bar. Something like this, from the LA Times.
 
The latest figures from Nielsen have children's TV usage at an eight-year high. Children's health advocates warn of adverse effects.
 
More than an entire day -- that's how long children sit in front of the television in an average week, according to new findings released Monday by Nielsen.

The amount of television usage by children reached an eight-year high, with kids ages 2 to 5 watching the screen for more than 32 hours a week on average and those ages 6 to 11 watching more than 28 hours. The analysis, based on the fourth quarter of 2008, measured children's consumption of live and recorded TV, as well as VCR and game console usage.

"They're using all the technology available in their households," said Patricia McDonough, Nielsen's senior vice president of insights, analysis and policy. "They're using the DVD, they're on the Internet. They're not giving up any media --... [ Read Full Post ]