Friends called up earlier this summer with a proposition. Come down to Quebec City for a day and test side-by-side several 8weight rods.

Well, I never to pass up an opportunity to cast a line, so I readily accepted! Up and early on the last Saturday of August, I drove over to the Montmorency Falls about 5 minutes from downtown Quebec City.

This is my version of an ALL SYNTHETIC MATERIAL MUDDLER to avoid having to Spin Deer Hair for the head

I'm not much on fishing. I like catching. I like catching a lot. I really don't like hiring a guide who gets excited about seeing a permit or tarpon or bonefish. I want to catch one. If trout are rising, I want to catch them. If they're not, I still want to catch them. I don't want to admire bluegill or bass on their beds; I want to catch the biggest meanest orange belly or hawg in the pond. If I wanted to watch fish, I'd put on a DVD. I'm not in this sport to be a spectator.

I truly hope that someone out there that really wants to try fly fishing will read this story and then be willing to take the plunge and give it a shot. After all, if I can do it anyone can.

We took our vacation time to see some family, and I had a very good time visiting and seeing some new country. One day I got a chance to fish Kentucky Lake and as I headed to the lake I crossed the bridge on Johnson Creek.

My wife and I planned a two week holiday in the Cook Islands, we had been before so we knew how great the place is for a relaxing break in the sun. The fishing can be great and the Rarotongan lagoon is fantastic for swimming, snorkeling and kayaking. The people are very friendly and kind and there is lots to do and see.

Hi….My names Ralph….and I'm addicted to fly tying hackle….

In fly fishing, so much of our pastime and application lies within the attributes of our equipment. From the expenses of a rod & reel, to the countless accoutrements and trappings adorning the walls of every fly shop, many of us are constantly in the hunt for the next 'best' rod and precision reel to be found.

Most outdoor activities are driven by the seasons, and fly fishing is especially oriented by seasonal changes. Two seasonal changes, from winter to spring and summer to fall; have the most marked effect on the fly fisher, and while there are changes between spring to summer and fall to winter they are not as significant.

I know that most, if not all of us, pray that we will be able to "die with our waders on," perhaps not literally, but the idea being that we will be able to continue to chasing our favorite fish with a fly until the day that our maker calls us home. Such a prayer is not without merit but it is not always answered in the affirmative.

And it doesn't get any easier either.

A year ago after my husband Trav had produced an inventory of all the fishing books we brought from my home in Washington, and we sent the list to Montana State University Library in hopes they would be able to use some to fill in their very nice fishing library. Indeed they send us a list of which ones they would like, Trav sorted and boxed them us and we delivered them to the library.

Looking back I am amazed how quickly that winter disappeared, but as I marked the days off my calendar until the opening day of trout season it seemed like it would never come. Letters between Joe and I and the occasional phone call just heightened the excitement and anticipation of that magical day.

This pattern was inspired by the Muddler Minnow and the Spruce Fly, and was one of the first western flies to simulate the sculpin minnow. Originally it was created by Red Monical and Don Williams who both worked for Dan Bailey in Livingston, Montana. The fly gained prominence when its creators, avid fishermen themselves, and others used it to catch brown trout from the Yellowstone River.