In a world of rapid change, sometimes it’s reassuring to find a reliable constant. And in a world of marketing hype, sometimes it’s reassuring to find something that doesn’t overpromise, but simply delivers. These were my thoughts this summer as I tried out the Thomas & Thomas DNA Spey 13′ 7# on two Atlantic salmon trips to Canada’s Gaspe peninsula.
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On one of my trips this summer, my friend Jared and I ran into huge bait balls — truly, some of the largest I’ve ever seen. Here’s some video from the day, over which we caught stripers, Albies, and blues. It was an awesome day!
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After the rain cleared early, the sand eels and the bass decided to show. Here are some photos and a video about the day.
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How do you re-energize a trusted brand? How do you regain marketshare in a market that’s not only crowded, but also highly discerning? These are the very questions American rod manufacturer Thomas and Thomas is facing.
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I don’t know if we were hearty or foolish but, faced with some sun and a few days off from work, my friend Ben Brunt and I drove out to the Deerfield River in Western, MA, to see if we could find any willing, if not cold, trout. The weather? Sunny, 27, windy.
Read More >>One of the reasons I love fishing is that it takes you to beautiful places in search of beautiful things. If you’ve ever held a tuna, or a salmon, or a trout, or any number of other fish, you know that these can be beautiful creatures.
New photos from aerial photographer Wayne Davis help make this point. Flying over Cape Cod bay recently, he spotted huge schools of striped bass. So numerous are the stripers, that they remind me of the sight of a large flock of starlings against the sky. They’re awesome, in the true sense of that word.
One of the things I love about these photos is how they elevate bass. In my opinion, striped bass often do not rise to the top of the list of “beautiful” fish. Their stripes are geometric, their color palette more limited, more two-toned, than many of their hard-tailed saltwater companions. This doesn’t diminish my admiration for them, or my love of chasing them. I just don’t think of them as stunning in the same way as opalescence of a false albacore. These photos make a different case.
The water? 52 degrees. The air? A bluebird 65-70. The Hendricksons? Hatching with profligacy. The trout? Unseen and nearly unfelt.
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The Fly Fishing Film Tour (f3t) 2014 is coming to the Bear’s Den fly shop on February 22nd. Well, close — it’s being hosted by the Bear’s Den at the Taunton Inn and Conference Center. The info is not yet on the Bear’s Den website, but follow the link below to buy a ticket today and to watch a bunch of trailers.
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It’s that time of year again — time for the Bear’s Den Fly Fishing Expo. Short of the Marlboro show, it’s one of the best shows available to those north of Somerset. The style of the lads at the Bear’s Den isn’t for everyone, but they’ve got everything, they have great service, and they put on a good show. Who’s going?
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