Extra long fly rod catching on
Josh Linn casts with his two-handed 13ยข-foot Spey rod on the bank of the Sandy River at Oxbow Park near Sandy, Ore., May. Some anglers in the Northwest are turning to Spey rods, a rod so long they require two hands to cast. They are also finding their way into the hands of Midwest anglers who fish larger trout streams. (AP photo)
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Spey’s the way.
Tired of traditional one-handed flyfishing — in itself a difficult, delicate art — some anglers in the Northwest are turning to Spey rods, rods so long they require two hands to cast.
Others are trying the “switch rod,” a cross between a two-handed and single-handed rod.
“It’s just gone bonkers,” said John Smeraglio of the Deschutes Canyon Fly Shop in Maupin, Ore., a short cast from the famed Deschutes River where he estimates 70 percent of steelhead anglers now use two-handed rods. “There’s certainly a huge variety of product out there. It’s almost too much. It’s getting confusing.”
Typical fly rods are 7 to 9 feet long and require one hand to cast, using the weight of the line to propel a near weightless fly to a desired spot.
Buck changes
It was interesting to see the new buck harvest proposal that popped up late last week.
» Full StoryWeather influencing big-lake fishing
The walleye, northern pike and muskellunge opener for Upper Peninsula inland waters is on Thursday, the Michigan Department of Resources said in its weekly fishing report.
» Full StoryTrout opener a spring ritual
Jim Duncan’s sacred space each Sunday morning is a rushing river in Vermont.
‘‘Trout fishing is my church,’’ said the 42-year-old contractor.
Cold, wind slow fishing
Cold temperatures along with strong winds put a damper on fishing conditions, but the fish are there and as soon as it warms up and stays that way, fishing will improve, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources says.
» Full StoryCookbook covers history of hunting
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — You can find exotic recipes from roasted raccoon with sweet potato sausage and cornbread stuffing to ‘‘Lost in the Marsh Venison Pie’’ in Chef John Folse’s new cookbook.
» Full Story
Landscape pics
My Gallery
Welcome Summer
Charles M. Beeghly freighter
Manitowoc & Kaye E. Barker
The Shrine Circus
Westwood-IM tennis
Winter