With the Upper Sacramento River at perfectly fishable levels, you’d think I’d be itching to drop a fly on my favorite dry fly water.
Yet for some reason — even after ten days in Tennessee and a day on the Upper McCloud — I can’t kick the small stream habit.
OK. One more day on thin water. […]

When the weather’s nice (it’s perfect right now), I like to fire up the laptop and pretend I’m not working for the man, instead writing the next great fly fishing essay book.
It’s not true (today anyway), but spring days like this should provoke a little daydreaming, if only to prove to yourself winter didn’t kill […]

That “wild” salmon you paid upwards of $35 a pound for? It could have come from a hatchery.
You see, when the Underground’s not advocating the use of salmon as hats, we’re all for grilling the things (I make a mean maple-glazed salmon with a black pepper crust) — provided it’s being done sustainably of course.
Still, […]

Finally — the last installment of my series on Phillipson Bamboo Fly Rods.
Missed the earlier installments? Click to read Part I and Part II. Otherwise, feel free to add Phillipson-related comments at the bottom.
Due to the length, you’ll have to click the “Read More” link below to read the whole thing.
Enjoy!
Bury Me With My Phillipson […]

From Opax (our Finnish finny blogger friend) comes this photograph without comment:

Well damnit, we’ll comment. Drying or cleaning a fly line on the toilet roll is sheer genius.
And imagine how nicely it might work in a hotel room (assuming you stay in a hotel offering indoor plumping — never a sure thing on a fishing […]

Via the Piton we stumbled on this beauty — a Coyote fur hat from Cabelas.

Even better than the hat is the catalog copy:

From reenactments of famed mountain man triumphs along the frontier, to displays and decor befitting America’s pioneers and settlers, the classic styling and authentic coyote hide make this hat a conversation starter at […]

Via Moldy Chum (who we swear makes this stuff up) we learn a cautionary tale of fish farm workers trapped in a huge vat of… fish feces.
Say it again with me Undergrounders: trapped in a huge vat of fish feces.
The Boston Herald reported:
Rescuers cut through a filtration tank of dense fish feces to reach four […]

It’s temping to say I’ve fished “enough” over the last couple weeks, but in truth, it’s rare that I get to fish nearly as much I’d like.
Even if I won the lottery I’d probably still bitch about the demands of managing my vast wealth and how it kept me from fishing.
Still, I’d like to try […]

Ha! I fished yesterday, so expect a report soon. A great time indeed, especially if you’re into wild fish, dry flies, and stunning views (and who isn’t, damnit).
Still, before too much time slips away, I wanted to do a “catchup” post of all the interesting little tidbits that I haven’t had time to mention before.
Important […]

Fly fishing is a series of decisions; what do you fish, and where do you fish for them?
It’s a decision not made any easier when you’ve got the Smokies at your doorstep, not to mention a series of top-flight tailwaters and even some long, narrow lakes I hadn’t seen until my “barf on my own […]

I’ve been putting this story off for a couple days, but I can’t any longer. Here it is (from the Mount Shasta Herald):

Without comment, the California Supreme Court declined to review a January 2007 Third Appellate Court decision that reinstated the contract between Nestle and the McCloud Community Services District for Nestle to build a […]

The Winehiker blog reminded me that it’s tick season again.
I haven’t had many problems with them up here, but fly fishermen are seriously at risk for the little bloodsucking critters like Nestle who burrow into your skin and transmit pretty debilitating diseases.

Blood suckers of the worst order. Remind you of Nestle anyone?
He’s posted a short […]