One of the great things about fly-fishing is the amazing amount of information there is about fish, the fisheries, and casting. There is always something more to learn. Books, magazine articles, videos, and knowledgeable friends can provide a good deal…

Most anglers looking for a fly rod for Puget Sound saltwater fishing typically start with a six-weight. The thinking is that it’s a good all-purpose line weight to handle most of the year’s fishing: from Sea Run Cutthroat Trout to…

Blake Merwin, owner of Gig Harbor Fly Shop, had a conversation with George Cook – the outstanding Pacific Northwest representative for Sage – about Spey rods. Any discussion about Spey rods and Spey casting can soon sound like a foreign…

I’ve been out in my backyard over the last few days to do some practice casting and continue my evaluation of a few fly lines. It’s been sunny and relatively warm (high 50s), something that’s not going to last, with…

After I took an introductory class on fly tying at the Gig Harbor Fly Shop, purchasing fly tying materials and tools became the obsession. It became almost immediately clear there would be a need to find someplace to put “stuff”,…

A year ago I got a small fly tying kit as a 2012 Christmas gift. That should have been the impetus to take a class. But other events, the decision to move to Gig Harbor, and all that came after…

When starting something new, one of the first questions to be considered is how to begin? The choice at the extremes comes down to plunging in or taking a class. In my case, I’ve always believed one can never know…

Gig Harbor Fly Shop just reported the results of their recent shootout on beach rods used for sea-run cutthroat trout. Similar to river fishing when the wind and water are bigger or when sinking lines are used, the rod weight…