Due to the largesse of a wealthy, anonymous benefactor, the Trout Underground’s Crack Writing Staff (me) and the Stunning L&T Nancy will be looming up the truck and heading to San Francisco for this Friday’s CalTrout Fundraiser:

You could say that San Francisco in general — and high-end Galas in particular — aren’t exactly my natural […]

Baja has become a popular fly fishing destination, though it wasn’t always that way. Dan Blanton recalls what it was like before Baja was cool…

Seasoned Underground readers know that I travel about as well as your average fresh-caught trout. I’m lively for a little while, then I become glassy-eyed, my color fades, and finally, brain function ceases entirely.
As far as this trip goes, I’m well past the glassy-eyed stage (and starting to smell a little), and while Boston isn’t […]

Vacationing fly fishermen often agonize over concepts like the balance of big fish to numbers of fish, or time spent on the water versus time spent with the family.
Frankly, I’ve moved far beyond those pedestrian concerns, and over the last two days, I’ve wholly abandoned any pretense about fishing, focusing instead on what has […]

If I’m not keeping up with the fishing reports, it’s because I’m fishing. (No, I don’t feel bad about it.) And while the fishing is slowing a bit, the stream of experiences hasn’t.

A fleet of Grand Lakers wait while eat our shore lunch.
Saturday was a Big Day Out for the family members that were piling […]

Combining fly fishing and a vacation can force choices on you that perhaps you’d rather not make. Fly fish for landlocked Atlantic salmon? Smallmouth? Or just relax with the L&T Nancy?

I’m pretty sure my wife cheats at cards.
Sure, I was going to start this report with a line like “Travel sucks” — and after a 32 hour travel “odyssey” I might be entitled — but once I started that rant, I’d end up punching out a quick 18,000 words on the subject, and the next […]

The gear is packed, the house sitter is coming, and in a few hours, the 22 hour door-to-door trip to Grand Lake Stream begins.
Am I looking forward to it? Here’s your answer:

Life is hard on the mean streets of Grand Lake Stream.
Expect a few reports about the fishing, though the weather back there has been […]

I’m about to leave for the Knoxville airport, starting what is sure to be another Quality Travel Experience.
I owe my loyal Undergrounders reports on two more days of fishing (including a last-day surprise location and a never-before-seen fish on the Underground), plus a trip wrap up.
Don’t miss a word. In the meantime, thanks for all […]

This will be short (I’m writing instead of fishing, a tough sell to most fly fishers), but I had a chance to see the 7′ 3wt Diamondglass rod (wrapped by Rich) in the morning light.

Rich Margiotta’s Emerald wraps on a 7′ 3wt Diamondglass (fiberglass).
Pretty job, and while we’ve still got to test-cast the thing, it […]

Travel being the dismal exercise that it is, it’s hard to label today anything but a success.
I wasn’t cavity searched, waited in line no longer than usual (which is still a lot), didn’t avail myself of any airsickness bags, met up with Rich Margiotta — a classy guy and one of my favorite people — […]

Working largely day and night, I managed to get my projects written and shipped, threw a bunch of gear — which may or may not have been the right stuff — into a couple duffles, and headed out of town.
It’s pretty apparent I’ve forgotten some vital piece of gear, but waiting for that “special” moment […]