Author: midcurrent

Question: I am trying to learn the double haul and not having much success. Part of the problem is that I can’t seem to get the timing right. Any tips? via email (You can also use the Ask MidCurrent form.) Answer: There are plenty of great resources to help you learn the double haul, including Tom Rosenbauer’s article and Joan Wulff’s video right...

The Bugmeister is a popular summertime dry fly because it floats well, even when you’ve dropped a beadhead nymph off the back of it, and it’s easy to see in rough water. The pattern was created by Missoula, Montana-based outfitter John Perry in the mid-80s and was, for a long time, the “secret weapon” of anglers in the region. But of course...

Fly fishermen have plenty of larger and more glamorous fish to choose from, but arguably none as eager to take a fly as bream and bass. Indeed, these warmwater species seem tailor-made for the fly rod. But there are times when these normally eager fish can frustrate even the most skilled fly angler. On slow days, consider trying a "popper-dropper" rig...

Picture this: You've just experienced an incredible day on the water with your fishing guide. The sun is setting, your arms are pleasantly tired from landing fish, and now comes that slightly awkward moment – figuring out the appropriate tip. If you've ever felt uncertain about tipping etiquette in the fly fishing world, you're not alone. Let's break down...

Mark Taylor tells the story of former Virginia paramedic Beau Beasley, who came to fly fishing through a fascination with popping bugs and went on to found the Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival and the Texas Fly Fishing and Brew Festival. Beasley has also written for MidCurrent and is the author of two books, Fly Fishing Virginia online pharmacy order...

The passing of his father and thoughts about his two young boys inspired Jeff Davis to create rod builder Maine Fly Company.  "'How do I want to raise these boys? Dad coming home late and leaving early with a briefcase? Or Dad living a dream and inspiring these boys to do the same,' he said. 'That was very important to me.'" Peggy Keyser tells the story in...

Have a question you want answered? Email it to us at [email protected]. Question: I understand that you might want a really short rod for small streams and a 10-footer for float-tube fishing or steelheading, but when you’re buying a trout-weight rod (say 4 through 7), how do you decided whether you want an 8-1/2 footer or a 9-footer? Most companies...

Choosing Flies Size Matters When choosing trout flies, the relative importance of fly characteristics in your selection, in order, should be: size, shape, color, and action (for stripped flies). In saltwater, action is often more important than exact size and shape. Dropper Flies or Tandem Rigs Dropper flies are a trout angler's secret weapon. A simple...

Appalachian landscape; Appalachian culture and lives. There is a vastly rich intersection between the two in Todd Davis’s new collection of poems coffin honey, Michigan State University Press, 2022. Not as much a righting of a world gone awry, as a kind of witnessing or coming-to-rites of the world as is, each poem in the collection drips in both death...

"2020 was an impossibly difficult year for most people, but small businesses took the lions share of the fallout. Learn how MFC founder Jeff Davis was able to lean on his community in the beautiful state of Maine to weather the storm."