Opening Day

I live in a state that does not have a closed trout season.  Why this is exactly, I do not know.  Suspicion tells me it is due to the loss of wild, native brook trout. Acid rain, human pollution and development all being the culprits. Thus, there is simply no closed season because there are no native wild trout left to protect.

So I have my own Opening Day.  Although it may vary slightly from year to year, it is always mid May and always begins in Vermont.  Typically  the waters are still a bit cold, water levels are a tad high and cloudy from spring runoff and the air is cool. But it is always without doubt, my Opening Day.  The experience I have this day is never like another throughout the season as I find those longed-for peaceful moments where only the sounds of  nature bursting from its winter hibernation are  heard.  I feel the soft warmth of spring sun on my face and I  smell the fresh dampened earth beneath me. And behind  all this, the mesmerizing rush of moving water. After months of being trapped in my home, it brings the comforting thought in knowing there is a fresh new season ahead. One full of hope and promise.

I look forward to my Opening Day.  I hope yours is equally as exciting.

-ASM

The Waiting Game

The months of  February and March can be daunting.  A glint of sun here, a hint of spring there.  And all in between just plain old cold, cloudy, snowy weather.  I call this time of year "The Waiting Game".

For fly fishermen it's a time best spent tying flies. As a tier I  believer in simplicity. I believe trout are opportunistic by nature and that given the chance will invariably eat a well presented fly.   I tie six to eight patterns each spring in an assortment of hook sizes and colors.  Based on water conditions, I fish them with weight or without weight. Sometimes  I fish them as a single fly, other times  in tandem or even  in a brace.  They are simple patterns to tie that simply work.
-ASM

Paint & Pen in Fly Fishing

Brett Smith is without a doubt my favorite painter and artist of outdoor hunting and fishing.  The realism and care to detail he brings to his paintings  is unequaled in my opinion. A gift from God.  I can only imagine what his flies would have looked like if he had been a fly tier..  Preview his art here, I am sure you will agree;  http://www.brettsmith.com

Bill Tapply is my  favorite all time outdoor writer (both fly fishing stories & mystery novels). Some of you may recall his Dad "Tap" Tapply of "Taps Tips" from the old Outdoor Life Magazines.  Although there are others that I enjoy reading and admire, Bill was able to bring a simple, directness and eloquence to his fly fishing stories that made the pages simply melt away chapter by chapter.  Bill was a a true New Englander,  and I've always connected with his settings and descriptive moments on a local river or pond.
Several years ago I met Bill on two occasions.  We spoke of hatches, trout and the great scenery around us. He was an avid fisherman, a true gentleman and everything I would have expected from his reading.
You can find more on Bill at http://williamgtapply.com
-ASM

First Entry

I began trout fishing at the age of eight. When I turned thirteen I purchased my first fly rod.  Now some forty years later,  I still get as excited about  fishing as I did back then.  I am passionate about fly fishing.  It not only plays a pivotal role in my life, but defines who I am.

I was born and raised in New England and love this part of the country.  I love it's history and change of seasons.  And I love it's lore of fly fishing traditions.

This blog will be my journal as I describe each  fly fishing experience with stated facts and simple reflection.

I hope you enjoy following my reports in the coming months ahead.
-ASM