Tag Archives: Surfcasters Journal Online Magazine

And, we’re back! (Plus some odds and ends.)

Hopefully, you noticed I didn’t post last week. Maybe you even missed me a little. I was way out west — Montana, Idaho, Wyoming — on a family vacation. Oh, you betcha there was fishing. I’ll get to that in greater detail later this week, but for now, I fished the Kootenay in NW Montana, Hebgen Lake in southern Montana, and the Madison and Henry’s Fork rivers in Montana and Idaho. We drove around Yellowstone and Grand Teton for a couple days, but (sadly) no fishing in either location for me.

I’ve never been to this part of the country, let alone fished it, so it was all new and wondrous. The water I fished was unlike anything we have back here.

You’re kidding, right? We stayed in a private cabin on the banks — really, as this is the view just a few feet from the back porch — of the Kootenay River in northwestern Montana, a ‘way up near Canada. That far north, and at the western edge of the Mountain Time Zone, it gets dark late. This photo was taken at 9:24PM!

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Before I left, I finished a piece for Surfcaster’s Journal on fishing small flies for striped bass. This will be essential reading for anyone who’s interested in fishing a three-fly team in marshes with small bait-imitating flies, or sight fishing with smaller patterns on beach fronts or flats. I’ll let you know when it comes out.

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I just received the first pass on rendered maps for the Farmington River book, and I think they look great! My goal was to have a graphically simple, eye-to-brain-friendly design for you, dear reader, and the artist hit it out of the park. There’s a large overview map, and then five detail maps that focus on the 22-mile stretch from Hogback to Farmington.

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On the home front, the Farmington is running at a fantastic, cool, trout-friendly summer level, reminiscent of yesteryear when the MDC wasn’t toying with the flows. Tricos are the big little hatch right now, which horrifies night owls like me. Get on it, early birds, while you can.

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Finally, I have some availability the rest of this month and through September for guide trips/lessons. If you’ve been hemming and hawing about getting out with me, this is best time to do it for the rest of the year. I used guides on my trip out west, and even I learned a ton — I’m a better angler than before I left. You know where to find me.

Sorry, sorry, sorry, or: Book duties keep calling

By now, I’d hoped to be back to my normal routine on these pages. But every time I think I’m in the clear, the book comes a callin’. So that’s why posts have been so spotty. All I can tell you is that when things do return to normal, you’ll be the first to know.

I just finished an article for Surcasters’ Journal. I’ll letcha know when it comes out.

It’s getting steamy out there. Time for the summer under-waders kit.

Fishing in brief: Block Island stunk again this year: slow, slower, slowest. Then there was last week on the Farmington. I gave Andrew a wet fly lesson, and it was likewise a non-action fest. We fished three marks, and it wasn’t until the last one that we found some fish. But Andrew was enthusiastic and persistent, and we ended up with two in the hoop for the win. Great job Andrew! I stayed to fish the evening rise. The location was above the PTMA, and the hatch and rise activity was one of the worst I’ve experienced in a decade. Very little hatching (mostly dorothea) and, almost impossibly, nothing on it except for a few small fish. Highly disappointing. I managed two small wild browns on wet flies and one stocker rainbow on the way out after I could no longer see my fly. Blech!

Of course, we hav the blank canvas of this week, upon which we may paint spectacular fishing images. Yeah. Let’s go with that.

Currentseams Best of 2024 #4-#2

#4: The Edison Fly Fishing Show. I love being a part of all of the Fly Fishing Shows, but there was something about this year’s Edison show that particularly struck my fancy. I think it’s because I reconnected with so many old friends, strengthened some newer friendships, and had some really good first-time meetings. I gave away and traded a bunch of flies. My classes drew well, and I had some impressive crowds for my talks. Oh. I also bought stuff — some I wanted, some I needed, all of it putting a smile on my face. If you came to see me speak or if you took one of my classes, thank you again. And did I mention the wine party and my take-out run to Shanghai Dumpling? See you next month!

If we were kids in school, the teacher might have to separate us…

#3: The Best Striper of the Year an Hour Into my First Trip. After I caught and released her, I considered staying to fish some more. But I knew that it wasn’t going to get any better than this wonderful 25-pound fish. The experience made such an impact that I ended up writing a story about it, “At the Intersection of Lucky and Good” for Surfcaster’s Journal. You can read it in issue #86.

I almost didn’t go that night in March. I’ve written before that while I believe that fish aren’t intelligent, the eyes of a striped bass like this one communicate a different story to me. I hope she’s still swimming.

#2: Bill’s First Steelhead. I have three sons, and they’ve all caught steelhead. Except for Bill. Number One Son went with me once about ten years ago, but the neither the weather nor the steelheading gods smiled upon us. Time went on, year after year, until it came to pass that Bill and I found ourselves standing on the banks of North Sandy Creek in the pre-dawn hours of the Monday before Thanksgiving. As I have done with my other sons, I placed Bill in the skilled hands of guide extraordinaire Row Jimmy. For over an hour, nothing. And then it happened.

Happiness is hooking and landing your first steelhead. Well done, Bill!

But first, a new article in Surfcaster’s Journal

Hot off the e-presses comes issue 86 of Surfcaster’s Journal. Within, you’ll find the latest from yours truly. It’s about a big striper I landed this year and the skill? — or luck? — maybe both? — that went into it from hook to landing. Surfcaster’s Journal is an e-zine that is worthy of your support. It’s only 20 bucks a year, and for that you get to read stuff written by some of the best striper anglers on the east coast. You can subscribe here.

The article is called “Fishing at the Intersection of Lucky and Good.” I think it’s one of the better things I’ve written.

“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Ocean” in Surfcaster’s Journal 83

Fly fishing for striped bass isn’t all steely eyes, fierce focus, and grim countenance. Sometimes the jester shows up, and hilarity ensues. You can read all about it in the newest issue of Surfcaster’s Journal, number 83 to be exact. SJ is an e-zine and you need a subscription, but it’s only 20 bucks for a year. This one’s a good one, folks — cue the laugh track!

TGIF Edition: Speaking at Yale, new Surfcasters Journal article, and exciting news teaser

Happy Friday, and and it’s a TGIF kind of day around currenseams HQ. It was a busier than normal week, what with two road hockey weekday games for #3 son Gordo and all the other stuff I’ve got going on.

On Tuesday night, I spoke and taught to the Yale Fishing Club. The Club is run by my good friend and paddle board angler extraordinaire Sean Callinan, and I’m always stoked to be able to teach the next generation of fly anglers. The subject matter was small streams, something near and dear to me, and we devoted plenty of time to preserving and protecting the resource. We finished by tying the Squirmy Worm Jig, which is both easy and highly effective. Many thanks again to the group for hosting me, and the pizza was swell, too!

Class is now in session!

I’m putting the finishing touches on a new article for Surfcasters Journal. It will be a little different in that it is story oriented, rather than how-to. It’s going to put a smile on your face when you read it. Of course, I’ll let you know when it comes out.

Finally, I just received some very exciting news that’s so big, it deserves its own post. My apologies for the teaser. I’m hoping to be able to share next week. I hope some of you are getting out to fish!

“Should I Stay or Should I Go?” in Surfcasters Journal 81

I don’t know if The Clash ever fished for striped bass, but they might as well have been singing about it in their early 80s hit. So, when do you admit defeat and leave a mark? When do you stick it out? These questions and more are addressed in “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” written by yours truly. You can read it in the current issue #81 of Surfcasters Journal. This e-zine is available by online subscription only, and its written by some of the best surf anglers in the Northeast. Oh! it’s only 20 bucks a year! You can subscribe here.

If you’re not reading Surfcasters Journal, you should be. Even if you’re a fly-only angler like me, there is an insane amount of useful intel contained within. $20 for one year.

“Deadly Elegance” in the current issue of Surfcasters Journal

If you live in southern New England, right now is one of the better times to try to catch a large striper. Herring are coming in to spawn, and the stripers know it. I’ve already taken three slot bass this year, one of them 15 pounds. My implements of destruction are a long rod, a floating line, and large flatwings fished on the greased line swing. You can read about how I’m getting it done in this new piece, “Deadly Elegance or: How I learned to stop stripping and love the greased line swing.” You’ll find it in the current issue of Surfcasters Journal. Issue #72 to be exact.

Surfcasters Journal is an e-zine, and the current periodical bible for serious striper anglers. Whether you’re a surfcaster or a fly angler, it’s loaded with information you can use to catch more bass — and bigger bass. Some of the best striper anglers I know are contributors.
The opening spread of Deadly Elegance, sans copy. You need a subscription to read the article, and you can get one on the Surfcasters Journal homepage. Those are my Bombardiers, a nine-feather flatwing of my creation and a darn good fly for tempting bass that are feeding on herring.

Writing about stripers, the contest, still no fishing, and other amusing Saturday diversions

Hello, all. I haven’t posted in a while, but here I am. Part of it was wanting to leave the contest post up to maximize exposure. I see we’re now a quarter of the way to the magic 1K followers mark — won’t that be exciting? In the meantime, you can still enter the 900 followers contest — but you’ve got to be a follower, and you need to leave a comment on the original post. Thanks to everyone who’s entered — I appreciate your feedback! I may do a Zoom around some of the questions and topics you’re interested in, kind of a currentseams potpourri. Stay tuned.

I’ve also been busy writing a piece for Surfcaster’s Journal where I’ll be the guest columnist for their fly fishing section. It’s about using floating lines and greased line swings and large flatwings to wreak havoc during the spring herring run. SJ is an online ‘zine, so subscribing or buying that issue will be the only way to read it.

And can you believe it? I still haven’t gone fishing this year. Ten lashes unless I find a remedy. In the meantime, I hope you’re getting out, having fun, or preferably both.

Pondering the question of the day, very likely “When the heck am I going to get my sorry butt out on a river again?”

“Sensei Elmer & The 50-Fish Nights” in the current issue of Surfcaster’s Journal

Surfcaster’s Journal 68 is live right now — it’s an online-only ‘zine — and within its fantastic digital walls you can find my latest story, “Sensei Elmer & The 50-Fish Nights.” This is a piece I wrote a long time ago, revisited, rewrote, re-edited — and now, instead of hiding on my hard drive, it can be yours to read and enjoy. You get to see some decent photos taken by me, and some extraordinary shots from my immensely talented brother David . (You can see more of David’s work on Instagram @theplayoflight.) “Sensei Elmer” is about two memorable fly fishing nights I had one October. Or is it about something far deeper than catching fish?

Most of what I write eventually ends up here, but this piece won’t — so if you want to read it, you’ll have to subscribe to the Surfcaster’s Journal. It’s only $20 a year and you get six issues. Tell ’em Steve sent ya.

Get your Elmers here!