The other day I met Certified Casting Instructor Susan Thrasher at a Nashville park to test for my Gold Fly Casting Skills Challenge. About halfway through the challenge, I noticed a man had stopped to watch us. When we decided to take a short break and get out of the
Growing up with a lot of adventurous people in my life has made me realize how much we can explore in our world. If I didn’t have an adventurous family, I wouldn’t have as many opportunities like surfing, fly fishing, jumping off cliffs, riding rapids, and many other
One of the oddest exchanges I had when my baby bump appeared was when an older person would touch my stomach and ask: will you stay home or keep working? A year into # 3's life (#1 and #2 being our pups) and I still find it odd to
Three days before I walked into my first 12-step meeting, I had a fly rod in hand. Little did I know that day that I was about to embark on a lifelong journey of recovery and discovery. Fly fishing (and the help of my program) would soon guide me through
Years ago, during the process of a divorce, I rented a brand new and very expensive home intending to purchase it in the aftermath. It was five bedrooms, four bathrooms, and had all the top of the line bells and whistles you would expect with a higher market home. By
It's a bright Florida day as Captain Gabrielle Mercado reverses her Lady Luck Adventure charter boat out of the slip and motors towards the Choctawhatchee Bay. The emerald green waters of the Gulf of Mexico are just over the dunes in the intracoastal waterway, and she keeps a
Images of frozen fingertips and iced-over rod holders run through my mind like the frames of an old-school movie projector as we snake our way over the historically high mighty Mississippi. Rain pelts the windshield so hard we have to slow almost to a stop, and I can’t help
Last month I had the opportunity to attend the 2019 International Fly Tackle Dealer (IFTD) show at the Denver Convention Center with DUN Magazine for the first time. The sheer volume of people to talk to and things to see was overwhelming, but I had the chance to speak with
16 Days – 5 States – 2600 Miles – Florida & Louisiana This is the Fly Fishing Roadtrip of the year! Our GOAL is simple. We want to meet you as we fish our way through the saltwater seeking Redfish on the Rip and Hopper’s Adventure REDFISH ROADIE 2019! Our plan is
You have probably heard of Euro-Nymphing by now; and if so, you have probably also heard people talking about French, Czech, and maybe even Polish nymphing. What’s the difference between all these different styles? Let me break it down for you. Euro Nymphing is a blanket term that covers
Ah, Redfish — red drum, channel bass, puppy drum, spottail bass, or simply red, by whatever name you know them, this species has become a sought after game fish for fly anglers in the past few years. Known for that beautiful red hue, the flash of gold in the sunlight, and
Forget the gym, the spin classes, and the yoga studio. There’s a new practice in town, and it’s called fly fishing. Formerly thought of as an old, white, rich man’s sport, the fly-fishing generation of today is as diverse as the species they target. The sport that