This past weekend, Tara and I decided to go camping at Tennessee's Land Between the Lakes. We bought back country camping passes at the park entrance, packed up our boat, picked a spot on the map and started paddling.We managed to pack the gear without any trouble and after a a few hours we reached … Continue reading Land Between The Lakes
Author: Adam
Adam has a master’s degree in mathematics, a black belt in aikido, and has worked enough jobs to fill a book—sushi chef, Peace Corps volunteer, and police detective among them. His writing and photos have shown up in The Drake, Tenkara USA, Hawaii Fishing News, and Sporting Classics Magazine. In 2023 he traded a badge in Honolulu for a skiff on the Columbia, where he now spends his days chasing carp with a fly rod and pretending it’s a retirement plan.
Dry Flies, Wet nymphs
Tara and I just returned from a trip to Oregon. It was good to visit with family and friends, and I did get a little bit of fishing done. We met up with one of my childhood friends at the Oregon Country Fair (NOT to be confused with a county fair) where we watched a … Continue reading Dry Flies, Wet nymphs
The Doctor is IN
Among other things, my friend Matt is a whitewater boater - definitely what I would classify as an extreme sport. However, he insists that he enjoys the reflective nature of fly fishing enough that he occasionally joins me on the calm water for an adrenaline-less morning of fishing.Matt is not a "fisherman," that is, not … Continue reading The Doctor is IN
Smoky the Carp
Back from the Smokies. The park is heavily trafficked but so well managed that it's still a pleasure to visit. The weather was pretty good during our visit, but the twice daily thunderstorms had really filled the rivers. When I stopped by Little River Outfitters to pick up some flies, I found out that Little … Continue reading Smoky the Carp
The end of Spring
I went tailwater fishing last week. In the south that usually means fishing for trout, but with the water warming as we near the middle of June I had a feeling there weren't any trout left in this particular spot. Anyway, I had bigger fish to fry. I was trying to find gar, which I … Continue reading The end of Spring
Broken Hooks and Broken Hearts
I've lost a lot of fish this season. Human error, broken tippets, or simply coming unhooked. Breaking a hook, however was the final straw for me:I tie these little worm flies on stainless steel saltwater hooks. The fish that snapped the bottom one wasn't even that big (for a carp anyway,) and not nearly as … Continue reading Broken Hooks and Broken Hearts
Fish in a Bucket
If you fish one place long enough you end up with a pretty intimate knowledge of the bottom. You remember where the stumps and the rocks are, the channels and drop-offs. This is especially true with carp fishing. When the surface is rippling and the water is a little bit cloudy, it's easy to spot … Continue reading Fish in a Bucket
Under the Lights
Night fishing season has started! My secret spot under the lights is a great place to hunt carp on hot summer nights. It's still early in the season so it's mostly the "small" carp that are feeding in the shallows:The stretch of shoreline where I fish is not very long. Each time I hook up, … Continue reading Under the Lights
dapper chap
Tara and I went fishing yesterday. Well, I went fishing. Tara sat on the bow and read celebrity gossip magazines...Anyway, with the water still murky, the best carping strategy at this point is still 'dapping,' that is, trying to wade close enough to the fish that you can drop your fly right on their heads. … Continue reading dapper chap
After the Flood
The flood has receded, but the waters remain murky. After a morning of frustrated sight-fishing, I landed a small female carp. She took my fly and headed straight for the trees. Once I coaxed her through the branches and back out into open water, she swam directly at me. At one point she actually bumped … Continue reading After the Flood
The Fishing Dojo 