The Best Fly Fishing is Everywhere - 06.06.2025
Ramblings & Readings, Creativity & Conservation, Happenings & Hope
My Fishy Friends,
I have spent so much time in fly shops over the years and decades that, I admit, the thought of entering them does not get me as excited as it once did. That said, last weekend, when I went into a whitewater boating store, I felt that same sense of wonder that I used to feel when walking into any fly shop; a nice reminder. I later went into my local fly shop and soon found myself in deep conversation with the shop crew about our nearby rivers, bugs, fish runs, flies, hooks, and all that other good stuff. I walked out feeling refreshed and energized. So I guess the moral is, going into a fly shop is always better than not going into a fly shop.
Cheers,
Jesse
Banner photo: I can’t remember if this photo was taken in the morning or in the afternoon or if I caught a fish in that pool or not, but I still like it.
The Best Fly Fishing is Everywhere Playlist, Volume 3
Here’s the third installment of The Best Fly Fishing is Everywhere Playlist, a baker’s dozen of fishing-, river-, and/or water-related tracks for your next trip to the fishing grounds!
About Damn Time
Yesterday, OARS released a new film called “About Damn Time — The Dory Women of Grand Canyon.” I loved every minute of it from the scenery, to the actual river-running clips, to the camaraderie, history, stories, and more. It’s full of one-liner gems too: Of the wooden dories they’re rowing: “They are the ballerinas of the whitewater world.” Of the relationship to the Colorado River: “I’m married to the river and don’t plan to divorce.” And, of rowing: “Put the boat in the right place at the right time with the right momentum, and hang on tight and enjoy the ride!” Enjoy!
From Monte
Writer-across-genres Monte Burke recently released a new collection of angling stories called Rivers Always Reach The Sea and, while I haven’t procured a copy, I’m betting there are stories included from various publications that I’ve read before and enjoyed. If his last fly fishing-related title, Lords of the Fly, is any indicator of this new book, then I’m also betting that I will enjoy this book. Read more about Monte and find links to a handful of his essays on his website.
Dumbphones
Here’s a fun and thoughtful essay shared by The Flyfish Journal last week — “One Fish, Two Fish, Smartphone, Dumbphone,” written by author and angler Christopher Schaberg. Schaberg reviews and makes a case for the LightPhone III, a low-tech cell phone specifically designed to disconnect from the distractions that iPhones and other smartphones bombard us with. Instead, the phone only comes with “utility-oriented tools,” which does include a camera and note-taking application.
Near-Perfect
…I give thanks for river edges and the light that sparks off the ripples and a row of near-perfect river cobbles that the river once carried in its pocket.
~ From Ann Haymond Zwinger’s essay “Tanner Trail and Mesquite Thickets” in The River Reader
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© Jesse Lance Robbins, 2025
