Search Results for ‘fly fishing’

by Bob Jensen The 2014 thirteen-week run of Fishing the Midwest television concluded recently in most Midwest markets. There are still some markets where Fishing the Midwest will continue to run through the rest of the year, but in most of our markets, 2014 is over and we're starting to make...

by Bob Jensen It's fifteen below zero outside, the wind is gusty, and the sidewalk needs to be shoveled. What am I thinking about? Open water fishing. You know, that thing we do from a boat while wearing a tee-shirt and shorts and maybe sweating a little bit. I am convinced that we will...

By Nick Simonson What was planned out to be a two week course in fly tying, jig making and lure crafting was extended into a month-long lesson in how to dodge the weather and cope with an unpredictable spring that postponed class sessions and cancelled fishing days altogether. But my class...

By Nick Simonson Each turn of thread, each wrap of chenille, each tiny strand of flashabou and hackle fiber was as much an act of defiance at what was going on outside as it was an attempt to block it from my mind. A foot of fresh snow, on top of ice, on top of rain prevented the Minnesota...

By Nick Simonson Bounding over the hip-high waves, I flailed my eight-weight fly rod wildly against the wind coming in off the Gulf of Mexico along the southwest shores of the Sunshine State. Alongside me, Darby, a mom from central Florida, and the three boys from her vacation group fired...

By Nick Simonson The recently stocked trout in the stream near my house were quick learners this year. With a winter short on snow and a spring that only just recently made up a couple of inches against the lingering drought, water levels were low and the fish were instantly wary after the DNR...

By Nick Simonson On Friday night, my fly fishing gear was in a sorry state. It had been almost 8 months since I had last used it on some sunny day in Detroit Lakes, Minn. for the dock-patrolling bluegills at my family's cabin. In addition to updating the twisted leaders with no tippet and...

By Nick Simonson This year, it seemed that every pheasant was a trophy. Whether it was those early birds on opening weekend with half-colored feathers, or that lone rooster coming late in the season, each one provided a welcome warm meal and a new crop of pheasant feathers for fly fishing...

Our Outdoors: Downstream Mentality By Nick Simonson Each spring, the banks of area lakes and rivers are littered with pop bottles, chip bags, Styrofoam cups, plastic containers, beer cans, and my personal pet peeve, spent fishing line. The snow that lines the gutters of city streets and...

By Nick Simonson As my offering drifted around in the pool eddy, I hoped that my brother would see a fish caught - if not by me, then by another angler, or maybe himself - and he would experience the finned allure of the north shore of Lake Superior beyond the lichen-covered bluffs and...

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson Of all the game birds sportsmen pursue, none is more colorful than the ringneck pheasant. Which makes it a pretty odd fact that the most popular fly used by outdoorsmen is the generally drab looking pheasant tail nymph - or simply, the PTN. Of course, trout...

By Nick Simonson With all the hunting opportunities around us, it's tough to set the shotgun or the bow down for an evening and pick up the fishing rod. However, fall provides an excellent chance at some fast trout fishing, particularly in those deeper pits and ponds where agencies have...

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson Fall not only represents a time to return to the field, but also a time to restock fly tying and lure making materials for the winter. From partridge and grouse in the early season, to ducks, pheasants and deer as cold air sets in, the bounty of nature on the wing...

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson Though the weather is an element that is always out of my control, I try not to let it dampen the spirits of a fishing trip; particularly when that trip is my first of the season and my first to a new place. Despite highs in the forties, rain and cold swollen...

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson In my quest for steelhead knowledge, I have found some interesting patterns, from complex streamers to simple nymphs. Stocking the fly box has been both rewarding and exciting as my arsenal takes shape for my trip to the shores of Lake Superior this spring. The...

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson In my journeys into fly fishing and fly tying, I have not found a more enjoyable fly to put together on the vise and put under the water's surface than the woolly bugger. The beauty of this streamer comes from its simplicity, both in how it is tied and how it is...

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson As hunting season hits full stride and the first few birds are placed in the pouches of my upland vest, I can't help but plan for two things - dinner, of course, and the number of patterns I will tie with the feathers attached to the birds I harvest. With the first...

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson The Fourth is behind us, and summer is in full swing. If swarms of mosquitoes weren't a sure sign, the vast numbers and array of other insects present during the day and at dusk is a definite reminder. The table is set for summer's great binge, and every fly fisherman...

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson Quilters have their bees and bakers have their cookie exchanges. At these events, the artists in their respective hobbies get together to exchange patterns and recipes, adding a little more to each other's experience, each taking away something new to try. The...

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson The exciting thing about tying flies and fly fishing is trying out new patterns. Questioning whether a fly looks edible, how, when and where it should be fished and more are part of figuring out the grand puzzle. The trial for every tied fly comes in two...