I’m the fellow that leaped off the couch signaling a “wave off” … frantically gesticulating while your diatribe continues unabated … “Yea, it’s great I showed the shop some of my flies and they want me to tie for them it’s great I get a big discount on all my stuff 40% off on rods [...]

I’m one of those skeptical fellows that grows more so with each article on invasive species and the proposed felt sole ban. We’ve all seen plenty of “trust me” science and the rise of the conclusive inconclusive finding, and I’m beginning to doubt that the facts support a ban. It started innocently enough, with New [...]

I was gazing fondly at the salmon report for 2009, wherein the Pacific Fisheries Management Council claims, “… the ocean’s are what done it!” There’s a passing reference to the continued decline of freshwater assets throughout California, and how the entire salmon run has the biodiversity of Velveeta cheese – wild fish essentially extinct and [...]

Tom Chandler published a short piece on the struggles of some of our older, venerable rod companies, how the downturn in the economy was forcing layoffs and depressing sales. Tom asked for comments.   Dear Rod Company Executive, Recently I’ve learned of the downturn in the economy and the Hard Times that will surely follow. [...]

Anglers may be able to fix the economy their ownselves, all that’s needed is minor modifications in their conduct to save Wall Street and get Congress off the hook. Economic Recovery via original thought – from outside the Beltway.

The Top 10 items that transformed fishing forever would have to include the pop top beer can. I can’t fathom what the Wall Street Journal or the American Sportsfishing Association were thinking. A list of the Top 10 fly fishing breakthroughs would have to include instant coffee or divorce, or both.

We ate all the big stuff, most of the medium sized stuff, and we’re working on the small stuff now. Next comes the really small stuff, those critters so important to the food chain that their absence upsets the entire apple cart. West coast salmon virtually collapsed this year despite our best lip service, we [...]

It’s editorial prerogative to have “moments” – a fit of pique that prompts you to hurl a magazine across the room,  vowing never to buy another. It wasn’t the magazines fault, it was the vendor advertisement that was the source of my ire. Two fellows in a drift boat with the appropriate wading ensemble: WHAT [...]

Quoting PETA to generate controversy is as tired as Britney Spears minus undergarments, a quick blip of interest followed by an unpleasant aftertaste, knowing you’ve been played. Bad taste was what I was left with after reading another nebulous, fluffy article about “Catch and Release” in the Sacramento Bee; grab a couple facts, quote the [...]

“Halving my gruel ration” is pretty sacred stuff for us portly types. It’s like hearing the “Defcon 4″ klaxon echoing through Cheyenne Mountain, requiring instantaneous response.  …that’s OK, this was what TC was going to unwrap for Christmas, a genuine bamboo monitor, with matching bamboo mouse. Now I’m thinking the rubber dogdoo or the inflatable [...]