There’s a peculiar kind of intimacy that comes with returning to the same place — the same water, the same fairway, the same bend in the river you’ve fished a hundred times. Standing in that familiar current, you’re not just casting into water; you’re casting against every version of yourself who stood there before. It’s…
March 17 through April 3. – There are trips you take… and then there are trips that take something out of you—in the best possible way. The kind where you come home a little sunburned, a few pounds heavier, slightly sleep-deprived, and completely convinced you’ve been doing life wrong the rest of the year. The…
March 8 – 12 2026. What would the perfect four-day fly-fishing getaway look like? It might look a lot like these last four days at Henderson Springs. Four straight days of perfect spring weather in March is a rare thing. Last March I spent most of the week fishing through snow, hail, and rain. And…
Next week I’m joining a group of dear friends for one of our most cherished rituals of the year—time at Henderson Springs to rest, recharge, and reconnect. We all lead busy lives and rarely see each other, but once a year we gather there with rods in hand and the quiet understanding that the real…
Last year Gina and I embarked on what felt like a bold new chapter for us — a full-scale family invasion of Cancun with both families and the grandkids at the Fairmont Mayakoba. Honestly, we packed emotional body armor expecting tactical grandchild wrangling in a foreign country far from home. When Mark and Mia were…
Every year right about the time I start reorganizing my fly boxes like it’s going to make me a better fisherman, the Pleasanton Fly Fishing Show shows up and reminds me of one simple truth: I don’t need more gear… I just need better excuses. Walk in and it’s the same story—coffee in one hand,…
One more round on the Simulator before the real thing…
My neighbor — who is far more traveled, seasoned, and legitimately qualified to be on nice golf courses than I am — played Spyglass Hill with his buddies last week. Naturally, we decided to fire up the simulator and play the front 9 so he could “analyze” what went wrong. For him it was a serious…
Now before you picture dramatic drone footage over the Canadian Rockies, a hushed gallery, and me tipping my cap on the 18th green at the Fairmont Banff Springs… let’s get one thing straight: I was in my backyard.Wearing sneakers.On a golf simulator.With a beverage within arm’s reach. But still. An eagle is an eagle.…
There’s a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from being a fan of teams that don’t just lose at the end of the year—but unravel. I know this because I willingly, enthusiastically, and repeatedly give my heart to the Oregon Ducks and the San Francisco 49ers, two organizations that have perfected the art of the…
December 28, 2025. 49ers vs Bears Tailgates, Parlays, and a Half-Point Miracle I’ve watched a lifetime of football. From frozen bleachers at Soldier’s Field, to packed bars in Europe and on cruise ships at 3AM , living rooms full of noise, decades of Sundays. I thought I’d seen every version of a great game. Then last…
Twas the night before Fishmas, when all through the lodge, Not a creature was stirring, not even a sculpin or dodge. The waders were hung by the woodstove with care, In hopes that big rainbows soon would be there. The anglers were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of 10-pounders danced…
November 11 -15 2025 – Wildhorse Reservoir, an hour north of Elko at 6,200 feet, sits quietly in the high desert, but this unassuming 3,000-acre lake grows some of the fattest, most powerful trout in Nevada. The Nevada Department of Wildlife stocks it aggressively with rainbows, cutbows, tigers, and browns, and the lake’s thriving yellow…
Yesterday I decided to give the Forebay another shot after hearing some promising reports from Lee Haskins and Vaughn. Sure, most of the chatter was about the “fun-sized” fish, but sprinkled in were those dangerous rumors of the occasional big one. Last week Wayman pulled an 8-pounder, and Lee stuck a couple of 28-inchers on…
Halloween Fishing and Fall Nostalgia at Bidwell Coming off an incredible week of tarpon fishing, I came home to a mountain of catch-up chores at both the office and house. I kept trying to sneak in a Forebay day, but every time I checked the forecast, the wind looked like something out of The Perfect…
I’ve known of Lee Haskins since my Millpond days—back when dinosaurs roamed, fly shops smelled like mothballs and head cement, and if you owned a vise you were halfway to being famous. Somehow, though, we’d never actually fished together or even had a proper conversation. The guy’s a legend in the foam-fly world and still…
Millpond Fly Shop – 1972-1989 Remembering Howard McKinney I got a text from my cousin Wayne today with some tough news — our good friend and fellow Millpond Fly Shop alum Howard McKinney passed away after a long fight with cancer. Most people in the fly-fishing world know Howard as the co-founder of Fishabout, the…
Sunday September 21, 2025 Switching Gears: From Spey to Tarpon Prep With Coho season behind me, I finally put the Spey rods away and turned my attention to fly tying for tarpon — just three weeks away now. The reports coming in from Alaska sound all too familiar: big flows, low numbers, tough weather. Mike…
If there’s one thing I’ve learned after years of making the pilgrimage to the Sapsuk, it’s this: don’t ever expect smooth sailing — literally or figuratively. Alaska weather has a twisted sense of humor. The forecasts change faster than a TikTok trend — sunny one minute, sideways rain the next — and my weather apps…
This year it feels like I’m sneaking fewer chances to fish the local water, so every good day feels like stolen treasure. August is a roll of the dice—if the heat doesn’t roast you, the wind will try to fling you into Fresno. To top it off, I actually got kicked off the dam today…
August 9, 2025 – Steph texted me some Facebook clips this week of striper blitzes in the Forebay. Blitzes. In August. I’ve never seen them this time of year, so my first thought was they had to be small fish but Steph said they’d caught a pile of 17–18 inchers. That sealed it—I had to…
August 6, 2025 Lean Green and Mean Today had all the makings of a banner day on the water—perfect wind, cool temps, and high hopes—but the fishing didn’t quite live up to the forecast. It’s been a couple weeks since I last hit the lake, and things have definitely changed. The water’s way down, and…
I honestly have never been anywhere near Destin Florida unitl this last week when we decided to do a last minute Vacation with Mia’s Florida Family. We spent the week with Mia, Ryan and River, Wayne and Carol (the other grandparents). Ross and Kaitlyn (mias brother in law and girlfriend), and Aunt Beth (Carol’s Sister). …
What a day. I was chasing a repeat of last week’s fishing magic, but the forecast said, “Hold my beer.” Still, I spotted a small window of opportunity and figured I could squeeze in a half-day trip before packing for Destin, Florida. A last hurrah before beach fun with my grandson River and some serious…
Sunday – July 13, 2025 I’ve been glued to Windfinder like a teenage boy on TikTok since getting back from Montana, waiting for any sign of a calm day on San Luis. Today, finally, the stars aligned—well, sort of. Windfinder optimistically forecasted a “light breeze” of 5 to 8 mph from 9 AM to 3…
