I started tying flies about 30 years ago, but I still remember the first handful of patterns I learned to tie and fish. Maybe that’s more proof that I’m getting old – things that happened decades again are crystal clear in my memory, but I can’t quite recall what I had for breakfast this morning! […]
Fishing and Tying the Picket Pin: A Classic Fly for Trout and Panfish Read More »
Winter fly fishing has changed since I was a teenager. Thirty years ago, when you fished during the winter months, you could expect to have streams all to yourself. Long sessions on the water might end without ever seeing another soul. These winter experiences were special and provided long hours of solitude and reflection, and
Winter Fly Fishing Tactics for Trout Read More »
The fishing was slow and trout were skittish. I’d caught two rainbows but missed a handful of others, mainly because the bite was so subtle that they shook off before I even realized they were on the hook. I was very new to fly fishing and had only attempted nymphing a couple of times. I
Back to Basics: Indicator Nymphing Read More »
My introduction to the Golden Retriever came in a fly shop in Rangeley, Maine, in early June. A few friends and I had planned a trip to the “land of legends” in hopes of experiencing brook trout fishing the way it should be. And, of course, every good trip starts with a stop by the
Fishing and Tying the Golden Retriever Streamer Read More »
As Yogi Berra once said, “Baseball is ninety-percent mental. The other half is physical.” The same can be said of fly fishing. I’ve seen some excellent anglers have some really bad days on waters where they should have put up good numbers of trout. I’ve seen them struggle even as I was catching one after
Mastering the Mental Game of Fly Fishing Read More »
Walk by the High N Dry Fishing Products booth at a fly fishing show and you’ll like see one of their staff attempting to waterlog a dry fly in a cylindrical tube more reminiscent of the stormy high seas than anything you’d ever encounter on the trout stream. Time and again, the fly gets sucked
Review: High N Dry Fishing Products Read More »
The NorthFork Composite (NFC) LMX 11-foot 2-weight rod arrived from Mr. Ant’s Rods just in time for a quick trip to central Pennsylvania where I planned to explore a small Class A limestone stream. Water was up following Hurricane Debby, and cooler temperatures had the streams quite fishable. It didn’t take long to land my
Review: Mr. Ant’s Rods – The Northfork Composite LMX Read More »
Following the success of our November 2024 group steelhead trip…we’ve decided to do it again! Dark Skies Fly Fishing is teaming up with Mountain Laurel Guide Service and Captain Kurt’s Charters to host a fully guided group trip for steelhead March 2-5, 2025 This is prime time for fishing in the spring steelhead run on Ohio’s
Spring Steelhead Trip 2025 – Don’t Miss It! Read More »
Semperfli’s Dirty Bug Yarn is a specially designed mix of natural and synthetic materials, and in many ways reminds me of a modern version of Chadwick 477, the original material used to tie patterns such as the Utah Killer Bug. In fact, Semperfli also now offers a material called Chadwick 477 Substitute for tying this
Tying with Semperfli Dirty Bug Yarn Read More »
The name Dark Skies Fly Fishing often stirs curiosity. I’ve heard many guesses as to its meaning, its origins, and even some wild tales about who might be our audience. Truth be told, if you’re reading this, you’re our audience, and everything we do is for you. All of our articles, YouTube videos, and even
Why Dark Skies Fly Fishing? What Does the Name Mean? Read More »