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The rain was light as Dunk and I sat on the top of a steep and forested bank overlooking the Nonvianuk River. Smoking Camel cigs we lounged in our gore-tex waders on a soft bed of lingonberry bushes, blueberry bushes, and caribou moss. Our location miles above the Nonvianuk River’s confluence with the Kukaklek River to form the Alagnak River — Surrounded by over two million acres of Alaskan wilderness. Dunk is a seasoned hard-working fly fishing guide and river captain on the gnarliest river system in Alaska. And the “fishiest” professional guide I have ever met. An Alaskan local from Anchorage, Dunk has beenRead More →

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Stained and rotting snowbanks. Sideways rain that wants to turn to snow. Grey skies. Roads bleached with salt. Green and brown patches of snowplow scarred lawn start to show beneath the snow on the edges of driveways and parking lots. Mud season is coming fast. Just about here.  And not one of us in “The Real Upstate New York” are immune to the dullness of the local landscape and the ensuing mild depression that results. We are coming to the end of one of the longest ice fishing seasons we have had in years here in Upstate New York. It is not over (in factRead More →

Fly Fishing Guide In Central New York

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In 2018, after entertaining several public forums across New York state, the DEC fisheries managers reversed their inland trout stream management policies. After some 75 years of put-and-take, hatchery-fueled stream management, they abandoned their course. In the management, of anything, a drastic 360 degree turn in procedure, an abrupt change of path, is interpreted as a serious correction. In this case, 75 years of inland trout stream management based upon an in depth stocking program, was deemed no longer suitable. The creeks, streams, and flows that make up the inland trout waters of New York State have changed over the era for the worse. TheRead More →

Professional Guide Service In Upstate New York

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In: Central New York Fishing, Fly Fishing, Professional Guide Service In The Adirondacks, Professional Guide Service in Upstate New York, Trout fishing, Trout Fishing Guide In New York, Trout Fishing In New York, Trout Fishing In The Adirondacks, Upstate New York Fishing Guide

My first fly rod was a two-piece fiberglass Wonderod made by Shakespeare. It had metal ferrules, cheap tin guides, and a chipped cork handle. It was a terrible fly rod. But the only one I had. When I first discovered it (resting on two nails hammered into the floor joists of my fathers workshop) it was wrapped in a musty cloth sock and covered in years of dust. Taking the rod out of the basement shop, I lashed it to the frame of my BMX bike with rubber bands and bread ties. My father watched as I affixed the rod to my bike seeming toRead More →

Sticky
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In: Central New York Fishing, Fly Fishing, Professional Guide Service In The Adirondacks, Professional Guide Service in Upstate New York, Trout fishing, Trout Fishing Guide In New York, Trout Fishing In Central New York, Trout Fishing In New York, Trout Fishing In The Adirondacks, Upstate New York Fishing Guide

Teaching fly fishing and fly casting is a large part of Upstate Guide Service.  Lefty Kreh taught me how to cast on VHS tapes in the 90’s. Mastering the presentation of the fly is a skill I have tried to refine ever since. Teaching fly casting is a satisfying and enjoyable part of professional guiding. On-the-water instruction has allowed me to help hundreds of beginners progress quickly in over two decades of guiding.  Fly fishing has changed in the thirty years since I began. Fly fishing can often be portrayed as a faddish hip fashion show. It will always remain just a challenging and funRead More →

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  The river was a winding, narrow, beautiful vein of water that lead through a massive conifer wilderness far removed from any signs of civilization. The sense of solitude was intense. Brook trout rose in front of us as we paddled, and darted to the safety of giant log jams and undercut banks to escape our intrusion. Leaning back in the stern seat, gently paddling, and guiding the canoe along — while taking in the sights and sounds of the forest on a bright and beautiful day — was what I wanted to do. But it’s not what I did. The river rarely went straight and itsRead More →

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The itinerary of our trip was provided to not only Butch, but also to each of our spouses. A detailed timeline, map of our route, and GPS coordinates of the put-in, take-out, and each nights campsite, was provided for safety purposes. The wilderness is a safe place. But to enter into it without a solid plan, and not sharing that plan with others, would be negligent. Just over a half-mile from the road through the forest to our north was the river. The coordinates to the river landing was on my handheld GPS when I started off into the conifer forest with John close behind.Read More →

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With the rough parameters of John’s wilderness fishing trip defined, and dates in early May selected, I began to think about the many  options. With over six and a half million acres of rugged forest, containing thousands of ponds, lakes, and flows, the Adirondack Park is big. Planning a week of backcountry fishing would require some thought and a difficult decision. As the Winter of 2020 turned into Spring, I began to narrow my field and began to get excited in anticipation of this unique trip. Then came Covid. John’s trip became insignificant. All my trips became insignificant. With life on hold, guiding was shelved. In mid May, however, the governorRead More →

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In the late Autumn of 2019, sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I received a phone call from a gentleman named John from Washington, DC. We had a long conversation that included many topics. Most important to John was my ability to explain why he should hire me as his guide for an extensive week-long trout fishing trip into the Adirondack backcountry. I provided the in-depth information pertinent to my experience and listened as he explained what were his goals for this trip. Over the winter phone conversations between John and I continued. More questions and more answers. Then John agreed, in early March of 2020Read More →

Fly Fishing Guide In Central New York

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In: Central New York Fishing, Fly Fishing, Professional Guide Service in Upstate New York, Trout fishing, Trout Fishing Guide In New York, Trout Fishing In New York

Fly Fishing, I was once told by a veteran fly shop owner, is the most written about outdoor sporting topic in the world. There has been and continues to be volumes written and published about the sport, both technical and philosophical in nature. Presentation of the fly is a common theme that stands out in most all the technical literature. This is for good reason. The ability of the fly caster to present the fly properly determines their success as a fly fisher. Presentation of the fly is a multi-faceted topic. It is a most important skill for fly fishing rivers, small stream, lakes, oceans…Everywhere.Read More →