14 Comments
We sped up to the White Mountains on Friday evening and enjoyed a small campfire before heading to bed. The elk bugling woke us at first light and after a bit of breakfast, we headed down the road to the wash. We bailed into the trail-less canyon and walked several miles to the point of […]
13 Comments
It still is difficult for friends, and especially my wife, to fully grasp the reasons that I get up so early on Saturday mornings to hike my way back into some creek on the off chance I will have a shot at a nice fish. Luckily, I have fishing friends who have the same compulsions […]
9 Comments
It was a slow weekend here at the Smith household and I enjoyed the opportunity to sit and replenish some of the empty spots in my fly boxes. I picked up a really nice Wheatley Box as a souvenir while I was fishing in France and it sits patiently while I try to figure what to fill […]
11 Comments
I had a really unique opportunity last night to speak to the Old Pueblo Chapter of Trout Unlimited down in Tucson. Now, as a junior high teacher, I am used to waxing eloquently on topics of history and government in front of 12 and 13 year olds, but talking to a group of adults is […]
19 Comments
Labor Day weekend in Arizona can be a crazy time in the high country. It seems that everyone packs the tents and campers and head north to get out of the valley heat. Fishing on the Rim can be downright crowded and unproductive with the holiday weekend traffic so my buddy, Antonio, and I looked […]
7 Comments
Rambling Review – Katadyn MyBottle Purifier Why: Staying hydrated is arguably the most important aspect of backcountry fly fishing in Arizona. Carrying enough water to stay hydrated for 12 hours on the stream can be borderline backbreaking, and if you are solely relying on carrying purified water, you run the risk of running out of drinkable […]
3 Comments
What is in my small stream fly fishing pack? It is always interesting to see what other fly fishermen deem as “must haves” in their pack or vest. I have been getting quite a few questions over the past few months about the gear that I pack in to some of the backcountry spots that […]
10 Comments
It’s been raining in the high country and the creeks are in pristine condition. From even a week ago, everything is very green and the water looks healthy. Due to the storms the night before and the sky threatening more of the same, the fishing was very slow in the morning. Antonio and I both […]