Unity with the Universe

Every once in a while a piece comes along that teaches us some meaningful life lessons through the lens of fly fishing. Written by Wright Thompson, and beautifully photographed by Ross Dettman, this ESPN profile of fly rod makers Tom Morgan and Gerri Carlson more than qualifies.

Can a fly rod really hold the secret of life? In the central Montana mountains, a paralyzed man and his wife are proving the answer just might be yes.

LINK (via: ESPN)

The Gray Ghost Murders

Montana’s favorite fly fisherman detective is back on the case in this compelling follow-up to The Royal Wulff Murders.

When the graves of two men are discovered on Sphinx Mountain, Sheriff Martha Ettinger suspects murder.  But with the only evidence a hole in a skull that might or might not have been caused by a bullet, she once more finds herself turning to private investigator Sean Stranahan for help. Stranahan already has a case, having been hired by a group of eccentric fly fishermen called The Madison River Liars and Fly Tiers Club to find a valuable fly that they suspect has been stolen. Could the disappearance of a vintage Gray Ghost from a riverside cabin in the Madison Valley be connected to the gray ghosts who haunt Sphinx Mountain?

LINK

An Upstream Journey

What made legislative aide Paul Moinester decide to exchange life on the Hill for the life of a wandering fly fisherman?

The fish, of course.

LINK (via: Outside)

The Royal Wulff Murders

In McCafferty's compelling debut, a young man is found dead with a Royal Wulff trout fly stuck through his lip. Sheriff Martha Ettinger's investigation leads her to cross paths with fly fisher, painter, and has-been private detective Sean Stranahan. As the water temperature rises, the clues point them both toward Montana's big business: fly fishing. Where there's money, there's bound to be crime.

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Sissy Stick

Bill Wetzel with a humorous riff on fly rods vs."real" rods.

The quiet serene sanctity of the Back Bay drained its ebbing tide along the spring cord grass, as the arc of the rod and the draw of the line put the fly in position for dorsal fins to rise and bring the morning to its completion. Give me a break. I just can’t take the sissy wand and all the bologna that goes with it. I know some of you are already thinking that I am a snobby prick that does not know his ass from his elbow. I will not confirm or deny, but I will have some fun here.

LINK (via: Surfcaster's Journal)

April Showers

The latest from K8 and Crump.

April belongs to us.  It’s our month; escaping the Northwest rains, diving head on into the sunshine of Baja, and burning our pale white skin.  Together we fish, devour tacos, and wash it all down with ice cold micheladas.  For the unitiated, micheladas are the drink of choice here in Baja.  A fresh key lime squeezed into a frosty glass filled with ice, clamato, spices, and topped with Pacifico beer….refreshing AND good for you.

LINK (via: Frigate Adventure Travel)