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My Kayak Guys column in the March 2018 Northwest Sportsman.  The magazine is available in stores across the region as well as  online through the digital subscriptions . Late last year, one of the local kayak fishing pioneers, Mark Veary, requested story ideas for the regional publication, Northwest Sportsman . The ideas needed to focus on kayak fishing and would either be columns or feature stories. I jumped at the chance and suggested an article on kayak fly fishing, telling Mark, I would base the story on my fishing presentation. He liked the idea and we settled on the March issue. The issue would be perfect to talk about trout fishing from the kayak since March typically marks the lake opening of trout season in Oregon.  In late January, I sent my first draft which came back with the basic edits. I updated the story and it was sent to the NWS editor. I was concerned about photos because I focus on video rather than stills while kayak fly fishing. In...

I am excited about teaching the class and talking with fellow anglers. A note to my readers, the fish in the photo was killed and grilled. On Saturday, March 9, I return to the Northwest Fly Tyer and Fly Fishing Expo to teach my kayak fly fishing class. The sport continues to grow and interest is higher this year than when I offered the class in 2016. The class is an introduction to kayak fishing as well as focusing on fly fishing. At my classes and seminars, I always discover anglers who have kayaks but are not using them for fly fishing. This is primarily because the kayaks are typically small sit-in recreation kayaks that the anglers feel aren't stable enough to fly fish in. The stability issue is the primary reason many kayaks end up on the side of the garage unused or rarely used. What I often tell those attending my seminars is to either think about getting a different kayak or use their kayak more often and become comfortable in it.   In many c...

A beautiful wild winter steelhead kept wet. The modern fishing photo is of a smiling angler looking at the camera and holding a large wild fish he or she just caught and will likely release. This photo is the evolution of the angler struggling to hoist a large fish by the gills, which in turn, is the evolution of the string of fish held by two anglers or displayed behind a group of anglers. The main difference, of course, is that the last two examples of killin' and grillin', rather than the practice of catch and release. In many ways, displaying a dead fish is more respectful of the fish than hoisting it out of the water and posing with it as the fish gasps for air. I say this because hoisting a fish out of the water after a long fight is like dunking your head in a bucket of water after running a mile. This one was headed to the grill. Unfortunately, I too have been guilty of this and I have several photos of me displaying a beautiful fish I just lan...