There are two ways to tell the experience of an angler: how he holds a fish and how he keeps his secrets. The latter is probably more important. A seasoned angler intuitively understands the vulnerability of a river. Spot burning is a real thing with real...
** Video Appears Below ** Here's a short film celebrating our brewing collaboration with New Trail. It's a great memory of the brew day, the release day and some wonderful friendships. Back in April, the Troutbitten crew got together with our long-time friends over at...
** Come join us for the first pour, on Saturday, June 29th at the New Trail Brewery in Williamsport, PA. Doors open at noon, and the Troutbitten crew will be there from 2:00 to 10:00. ** We made a Troutbitten beer, and it’s ready to drink! We got together with our...
Chris and I knew each other well. Five years in a row, he’d made a trip from the Rockies to the Appalachians, not so much for the wild trout that came to hand but for the conversations and the exchanging of ideas. Chris was one of the most accomplished anglers I’d...
Accomplished and skilled fly fishing requires that you give part of your life to the river. That’s evident in the first few trips, and I think the depth of all this surprises would-be anglers. It intimidates some, and it captivates others . . .
Here are a bunch of Troutbitten terms, words, sayings, phrases and idioms. What do they all mean? Here we go.
If you’re lucky enough to have your own group of long-time fishing friends, then I’m sure you have your own phrases too — your own idioms and ways of talking about things. It’s all a lot of fun . . .
I’m consistently surprised by the lack of river sense that’s missing in so many anglers. I mean that literally and not condescendingly. Just as a city kid marvels at the sight of deep darkness on a moonless night, fifty miles deep into a state forest, the country boy doesn’t give it a second thought. It’s experience. And that’s all it is.
People who are new to fishing just don’t know much about rivers. And I never really get used to that. Because so much of what a river does, and what fish do in response, is organic to me. I grew up fishing and playing in small streams. As a kid, I was drawn to every runoff ditch within walking or biking distance. I couldn’t stay away. And like anything else, you grow into your surroundings. I don’t think that can be changed, whether we’d like it to be or not.
Anyway, those without that same history with rivers see the water differently, and sometimes I have trouble remembering it.
On a cool April morning, Sam and I hit the water with all his new gear . . .
The Fish With Friends series continues with Josh and Trevor on a night fishing trip, a few big wild trout and the Bad Mother Night Fly recipe . . .
Our friends are at the heart of it all. And this episode features the deepest friend to Troutbitten. Because Sloop tied it all together from the beginning . . .
For a couple of years, the Troutbitten guys and I have wanted to put together films that simply show the fishing, the friendships and good times on the water. So begins the Fish With Friends series on the Troutbitten YouTube channel . . .