Now is the time for anglers in the Northern Hemisphere to engage in a few yearly rituals. These are not the seasonal rites of the general populace and, though they may involve tinsel, evergreens and reindeer rarely figure into these activities. No, most anglers see the depth of Winter as the perfect time to prepare for the next spring thaw and the seasons to follow when open water and more comfortable temperatures will draw them once more from their dens, TV's and firesides. It pays to apply some...

Finning, gliding silently
Over pebbles, 'neath a tree
Seeking minnows, worms, insects
Holes where rocks the flow bisects

Brightly spotted sides of brown
The slightest sound will put him down
Lurking, hunting as he goes
Still he must beware his foes

The eagle, heron and the fox
Weasel, coon and man who stalks
About his world with hook and fur
Feathers, tinsel, line a blur

Man shoots the line...

Over the past two evenings, I have managed to add another species to my catch card with a fly rod. Last night 6 and tonight 3 white bass succumbed to a nice little streamer I tied myself. They are truly a school fish. The action comes and goes with the school as they chase minnows. On one cast nothing happens and on the next, a white bass nearly rips the rod from you hands. Last night there were two nice frenzy boils when the white bass got the minnows pinned against the surface. Tonight there...

Sometimes the best fishing is right under everybody else’s nose

I must confess that I have a guilty pleasure. I love to catch fish in places other people tell me there are no fish. I’ve done it so many times in so many places that I thought I should share some of my best tips on how to do it.

1. Look for small water
This may seem counter-intuitive but I find it to be the first and best step for finding fish quickly. Put quite simply, my logic is this: the less...