The 20 foot Maverick was immense. If I were a track and field official, I would have demanded a urine sample. Hanging off its back was a 200 horsepower Yamaha framed by twin trolling motors. “They do the work,” said my guide earlier. “The push pole is just for course corrections.” Nevertheless, I had signed [...]
About Dale
Dale is a high school physics teacher who loves watching his daughter play volleyball. And visiting the places where fish hang out...Author Archive | Dale
Better than Cutting Holes in Ice – New Year’s Trout!
After some skiing at Red Lodge, Montana over the holidays, we stopped in at the Bighorn River, which is not too far south of Billings. A couple years ago, we heard rumors of great Christmas fishing and wanted to check it out. It was January 2, the sun was shining, and the air temperature [...]
Fly Fishing, Teenagers, and Cruise Ships
A cruise ship is an excellent way to get teenagers into the outdoors and also fly fishing! This past summer, my 15 year old daughter and I boarded the Norwegian Sky for a 3 day/4 night Bahamas cruise. We swam with dolphins in Nassau, kayaked through mangroves on Grand Bahama Island, and snorkeled with reef [...]
Simple (Puffy?) Sculpins
When I look at a sculpin, I see a bottom dweller with a huge head, big pectoral fins, and a long, skinny body. I always wondered about an easy way to incorporate these characteristics into my sculpin imitations. One day, while looking at a pink Puff bonefish fly, I had my answer… Use brass or [...]
Yucatan Baby Tarpon
Baby tarpon react to a hook like their oversized parents; they try to put as much air as possible between themselves and the water. However, they are far more accommodating. When fishing for adults, a great day is 5 fish jumped and 1 landed. With babies, jumping 15 and landing 5 is definitely not out [...]
Carp Invading the Back Forty
When the spring is wet and prairie rivers are high, I’ll stop my car where they spill over their banks. If I’m lucky, I’ll spot some carp. Flooded fields and ditches are usually the best. Carp can be tough to catch but the ones cruising these places seem particularly ravenous. It’s all sight fishing – [...]
Jump Starting Someone at Flyfishing
(Notice I didn’t say flycasting…) My girlfriend loves the look of a trout stream and flyfishing intrigues her. Although a talented half-marathoner, she freely admits her athletic ability does not extend to false casts and shooting line. She is busy with 4 teenage kids and has no desire to spend a lot of time lawn [...]
Catching the Spring Creeks Off Guard
Should a Woolly Bugger kind-of-guy celebrate March Madness in Paradise Valley at a BWO hatch? I used to look forward to a week of skiing in Montana at the end of every March. And somewhere along the line, probably as I passed through Livingston - with the sun shining and the Yellowstone River underneath the [...]
Fly Fishing and the Teenage Adrenaline Junkie
My teenage daughter, Kerri, likes to fish. Once a year, we catch a few crappie on spinning gear and she’s happy. Especially if I bring along her favorite junk food. However, she LOVES big, scary roller coasters. Or anything that sends her equilibrium for a loop – quite literally. Last summer, I suggested a trip [...]
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