The Moonshine Journal

In our Field Guide series, we’re offering quick tips you can use on the water to catch more fish on the fly, species-by-species. In this edition: We’re defending the often-overlooked panfish. On the Mount Rushmore of fly fishing you’ll find species like the rainbow trout, tarpon, bonefish, and maybe even a smallmouth bass etched into the stone. These fish represent challenge, excitement, and aesthetic beauty that’s unmatched. But, if we had our figurative chisel in-hand, we’d tap-tap-tap a panfish right into the face of that monument. There we said it. Hear us out for just a second. This is an...

As fly anglers, there’s nothing more exciting than planning a backcountry trip. It’s full of potential, with opportunities for far-away rivers, hungry trout, and nights spent under the stars. But, there’s also the logistical challenge of planning a backcountry trip. How do you know what to bring if you don’t really know what to expect?You certainly can’t bring everything that’s been piling up in your closet. The essence of backcountry travel is packing light and the lighter your backpack is the farther you’ll be able to travel to get to those hungry trout. For the sake of saving weight and...

Being a fishing guide is a hard job. Just like any other service industry, you have to put up with all sorts of things—inclement weather, a slow bite, mechanical issues with the boat. But, as it turns out, those aren’t really the hardest part of the job; the hardest part of any guide’s job is the client side of things. They want to make sure it’s a great experience, but sometimes their client simply won’t let them. In last week’s blog article, we talked about how to find a great fishing guide. This week, though, we thought it’d be interesting...

How to Find a Great Fly-Fishing Guide We could write a whole blog about why fishing guides are great. They’re one of the fastest ways for you to learn how to be a more effective angler. They can help you learn a new area, or simply make the most out of a quick trip. They can also just be a great time on the water. But, there’s also the other side of the coin—the bad fishing guide. It’s sad but true. There are simply some people who should not be fishing guides. Just ask a good fishing guide, and they’ll...