Month: September 2013
One Backing to Rule Them All II
My last post was an introduction to the topic of fly-line backing. Read here. The primary issue discussed was that backing has to provide both sufficient quantity and strength for the type of fishing to be done. This becomes critical…
One Backing to Rule Them All I
If there is one component of a fly-fishing rig that is given little more than passing thought, it is the fly line backing. Fly fishers obsess over reels and rods; analyze the performance of fly lines and leaders, but backing…
National Geographic Article on Warming Streams
Climate change is claimed by some to be pseudo-science, as if belief in magic, cynicism, and ignorance represent sound scientific thinking; yes, I’m talking about religious conservatives; paid flacks of the fossil fuel industries; and corporations planning revenue streams based…
Floating Fly Line Comparison: Ambush versus Outbound Short
I’m always looking for ways to reduce the amount of gear I have to take beach fishing. I moved from a vest to a sling pack several years ago; take only a few flies in a small case; and carry…
Whither Independently Owned Fly Shops?
There have been a number of announcements through 2013 related to consolidation in fly shop ownership. At first glance, the announcements may be interesting to customers of the different businesses. But I think they say something about the future of…
I’ve Gone Net
I had never used a net while wading in either rivers or saltwater. I thought nets were cumbersome and difficult to keep out of the way – particularly with a sling pack, which I use. However, after my last trip…
