Whether you’re a bluewater afficionado, a Northeast surfman, or a hardcore flats junkie, the ability to consistently find fish is unquestionably your most important fishing skill. For flats anglers who…
Category: Alans Articles
Gangstas
After decades of fascination with tarpon, I finally headed to the Florida Keys in 1996 to take a swing at them. Captain Michael Bednar, a top guide there at that…
A Portrait of the Angler as a Young Man
I’ve chatted with a lot of folks about fishing over the last three decades. This became part of life when I began writing about the sport and making appearances at…
Flats Fishing – Beyond the Basics
(This article previously appeared in American Angler magazine in 2012) 1 – Know your quarry and observe its behavior closely Flats fishing is arguably the toughest saltwater fly fishing there…
A Fair and Decent Return (an investment story)
I have fished for a long time. As with many of us, it began with outings with my dad and brother – pumpkinseeds were what we were after. This drill…
Tide Basics
Understanding Tides and the Factors That Influence Them Will Make You a Sharp Saltwater Angler and Unquestionably Improve Your Success Tides are the pulse of the sea. Their infinite cycle…
The Shore Game – Pursuing Albacore on Foot
(This article previously appeared in the August/September 2019 issue of Fly Fisherman) The false albacore run is one of the most annually anticipated events along the Atlantic seaboard from Cape…
Florida Bonefish
Anyone who’s pursued bonefish in the Florida Keys long enough has great stories to tell of these extraordinary fish, famous for their size and the extreme challenge they present. All…
East Wind
There is an old saying among Fisherman: East brings the least, west is the best. Its wording may vary depending on the teller, but its meaning is always the same and most times it’s the truth – game fish activity and catch noticeably decline during an easterly breeze.
The Bendback
A Miracle Pattern for Fresh and Salt Water Fly-rodders have scads of choice when selecting flies – there are literally thousands of fly patterns for both fresh and…