There’s nothing quite like yanking on the laces of your wading boots in anticipation of a full day on the water when.. Snap! They finally give way. Broken laces are a bummer, but whether or not you’ve got a spare pair of laces in your boat bag, they don’t have to sour your day. Take…
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universal tips
The Finer Points of Finer Points – How to Sharpen Hooks
A while back we told you about our favorite method for testing whether the hook on your fly is sharp enough or whether it’s in desperate need of a touch-up. After all, it doesn’t take much to dull a sharp hook, which is why we think a simple hook file is one of the most…
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Is Your Hook Sharp Enough?
It goes without saying; sharp hooks catch more fish than dull hooks. Not only do they allow for better penetration into the hard mouths of tough fish, sticky-sharp hooks also allow for a greater margin of error for poor hook-sets as well. Regardless, we find many anglers still regularly fish hooks that are not nearly…
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Chill Out, Use Sunscreen
Sun exposure is no joke, and if you spend a lot of time on the water, protecting yourself against harmful UV rays is extremely important, particularly on the flats. Trust us on this one, please. The majority of sunburns occur during the afternoons, when the sun is high and the sunscreen most often applied at…
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Rinse Your Gear
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again; when it comes to fly fishing gear, salt is the enemy. Saltwater can wreak havoc on rods, reels, fly lines, flies, wading boots, zippers, and virtually anything else it comes in contact with. A common misconception amongst anglers is that gear designed specifically for the salt…
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Make Space for More Flies
When fishing for steelhead and salmon, we fish a lot of articulated style flies tied with a ‘stinger hook‘ attached to the body of the fly using a loop of stiff wire or braid. However, many of these flies tend to be fairly large and often take up a lot of space in the fly…
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Timeless Tips: DIY Sunglasses Retainers
Call them what you want – retainers, chums, croakies, whatever – but that simple strap on the back of your sunglasses is invaluable in making sure your shades don’t end up in the drink. Whether you’re sporting some gas-station budget shades or a pair of 250 dollar Costas, the fact is, losing your sunglasses stinks….
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Steam Your Flies Back to Life
In our opinion, there’s no such thing as too many flies. In fact, your fearless editor has a reputation for carrying far more flies on the water than could ever be fished in a day, a week, or even an entire season for that matter. Just ask anyone who has pawed through his boat bag…
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Timeless Tips: Making the Most Out of the Off-Season
Got a case of the winter blues? Anxiously waiting for fishing season to roll around? We figured some of you might be snowed in and/or looking for a way to scratch that fishing itch before your next trip, so we thought we’d offer a few ideas to help make the most out of this off-season….
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Unsticking Fly Rod Ferrules – The Ice Method
We’re in the process of taking down our camp on the Kanektok for the winter, and as you might expect, we have our work cut out for us when it comes to breaking down rods, reels, lines, and a whole bunch of other gear for the off-season. While breaking down literally dozens of fly rods,…
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