Alans Articles
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 choices when selecting flies – there are literally thousands of fly patterns for both fresh and saltwater fishing. Most of them, however, may be categorized into relatively few distinct pattern classes; by that I mean general classifications by design and intended use. In … Continue reading
2013
AUTHOR’S NOTE: This piece originally appeared November 3, 2013 in the Stripersonline Fly Fishing Forum in response to a request for “theories” as to why Northeast striped bass and false albacore fishing had declined in the fall of 2013. My usual position when sorting out this kind of natural “puzzle” is that we tend … Continue reading
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 of these anecdotes are amazing and as exaggerated as some may seem (I was skeptical when I first heard them, anyway), after nearly 20 … Continue reading
Big Fish
I began exploring the sport of sight-fishing for striped bass circa 1990, when that species staged its miraculous return. The early going was tough, but exhilarating – imagine deciphering their flats behavior and effective fishing techniques when we had nothing to go on, other than what had been written about bonefish and permit. We (me … Continue reading
Latest Story
Watch for my first article to be posted. I plan to present original and topically-diverse stories here. They will range from fly tying, to game fish behavior, to conservation issues, to travel logs that highlight recent adventures near or far . . . any fly fishing-related subject may appear. These articles will run 1000 – 2000 words … Continue reading