Two words come to mind when I open the flexible waterproof case that holds a 5-6 wt, Avail fly reel: classic and elegant. Precision forged from high-grade aluminum, the reel’s single-piece design exudes performance and longevity. Its fully-sealed, carbon fiber drag system starts slow and evenly applies the brakes to control tension on […]
“Fishing will be slow but bass are large this time of year,” Wayne said, as incentive for me to join him in early March when a cruel northeast breeze ruffled the surface of the Columbia River. The only evidence of spring was a flock of sandhill cranes that chortled as they circled overhead. An empty […]
Any text message that begins with “Let’s go fishing!” should lead to quick resolution. However, most of us retirees have definite opinion about where, when, and how to fish. Three days, 29 text messages, and 13 e-mails later, we three long-time friends decide to haul our pontoon boats to Quincy Lake. Quincy Lake is located […]
“There’s not enough antifreeze in my blood to stay on the water for another pass,” I say to my fishing partner. It is the last week in January. Our rod guides are iced up after trolling in dense fog for three hours without success. “Suits me,” he replies. “I never figured you for a good […]
“Toss a spinner over by that rock pile,” my supervisor said. “Big bass move into this backwater slough to spawn.” As his subordinate, I felt obligated to obey. The 3½-pound smallmouth bass hooked on my first cast served as a rousing introduction to a fish whose fighting prowess has destroyed more than one cheap spinning […]
The first rule of fishing with youngsters is you must catch fish or they get bored. And if there’s one thing I have learned over the years, it’s that bored youngsters are dangerous. However, nothing gives me more satisfaction than watching the smile on a young child’s face when they reel in a fish. First […]