Hatch Magazine - Fly Fishing, etc.

When we were kids, my generation was dutifully warned about the evils of substance abuse. We were warned of complete strangers wandering oh-so-purposely into our paths with the sole intent of giving out free dope so as to perpetuate life-altering addiction among our crop. Far be it from me to discourage those who discourage drug and alcohol abuse, but I’ll also be the first t...

Before the time of electronic navigation tools—when the hallowed hideaways were discoverable only by map and compass or through careful direction of someone who trusted you—this was an enchanted place.

The morning had started off well. I was helping one of my fishermen attach a new leader to his fly line, and before the drone of the departing floatplane had drifted away, the other had hooked a bright salmon.

“I’m almost into my backing!” he shouted above the scream of the reel as the ocean-fresh fish ran toward the estuary it had left just an hour before.

“Don...

No matter where you might roam across the United States (this one’s for you World Cup visitors who might have toted along a fly rod in addition to your football kit), you’re going to be within reach of an excellent fly rod target. Carp might be America’s least-appreciated game fish, but the hardy Asian imports can and do live just about anywhere in the US.

Until quite recently, my main money-making gig was “content director” — an ambiguous job title that, by design, leaves itself open to all manner of obligations and responsibilities — at a pretty major fly-fishing media outlet. Vague title aside, it wasn’t a bad gig. I’ve had infinitely worse. A large portion of my work for this fly-fishing outlet involved curating fly-fishing...