The last two or three weeks have been quite the blur. There’s a lot going on at the moment, yet I’m having trouble focusing on any of it. I’m generally good at multitasking, but there’s just something “off” at the moment, and I can’t quite put my finger on it. Perhaps all that social media induced brain rot that folks talk about has finally set in. I don’t know.

That being said, I figured I’d sit down today, Sunday, and write a new “musings” post. Not totally fishing related, although there are a few fishy themes, just sorting some things out in my head in a way that makes sense to me.

A New Book

I recently picked up a new book that’s a compilation of stories of fly fishing in southern Appalachia, Tight Lines & Tall Tales by Neil Norman. It’s also illustrated by Smokies fishing guide and artist, Ian Rutter. Depending on what circles you travel in, you may have seen some recent publicity around it. As mentioned, I haven’t really made time to read more than the first two chapters so far, but I’m going to see if I can change that. A page turn is better than a scroll any day.

Theatre, Theatre, Theatre

Not for me, but for my two most favorite ladies. As you know, Lilly is spending the summer up in New York working on a show as a dresser. She’s reporting all is going well and she got to meet and talk to the Director (who also directs on Broadway), which was a big thrill. She’s also the only one on the wardrobe team still in college. All the others are professionals, so she’s the baby of the bunch.

Back in Jacksonville, K.C. is working on a local production of Into the Woods. She’s the wardrobe supervisor and has been going non-stop sewing, stitching, and creating some really beautiful costumes for the cast. The show opens on June 18th, so they’re all in crunch time. Between her being at the theater or holed up in her sewing room, I honestly haven’t seen her much the past two weeks, but I know everything is going to turn out great!

A Change in Travel Plans?

I had mentioned that I might have a Catskills meander later this summer in and around fetching Lilly from New York. While that is still planned, it may be cut a little bit short. The reason? I might be using some of those vacation days on a different trip at the very end of the summer. One that involves international travel to a place I never really thought I’d visit. A certain set of favorable circumstances are still being pieced together, but if I were a betting man, I’d be wagering on it happening. More to come there of course…

The Daily Grind

As mentioned in this post’s lede, I’m definitely in a rut. I recently turned 49 and I feel like that mid-life crisis is hitting harder than ever. Despite a generally positive attitude and the desire to find joy in small things, I just feel old and tired, I’m not getting much satisfaction from my job (I only hear Charlie Brown’s teacher in daily meetings). Even during my free time on the weekends, I’m not super motivated to do anything. Hrmph.

I’m going to start small with some physical fitness activities I’ve fallen behind on and see if that helps any. I’m hoping those, combined with less screen time and more intentional creativity will help. Perhaps I’ll tie some flies or take on a household project – something that will create even a minor feeling of achievement. Maybe mix in some local fishing too, although it’s been so damn hot lately.

I don’t know, we’ll see. Any suggestions? I’ll certainly take them.

P.S. – That monkey riding on the back of an African wild dog(?) painting used as the featured image of this post is titled The Arrangement by artist Tracie Harris Thompson. Several of her works are hanging in Moon River, my favorite pizza restaurant in Jacksonville and I thought it was pretty cool.

The post Inefficient Multitasking appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

Now, the brand Native Instinct, who makes some really awesome fishing-themed apparel, have released a limited Apache Trout Recovery Drop to celebrate and further support exactly that effort. The tagline is “Recovered. Not Finished.” which I think is just about perfect. Because while the delisting is worth celebrating, the Apache trout exists wild in exactly one place on earth: the cold headwater streams of Arizona’s White Mountains. Climate change, non-native species pressure, and habitat fragility are still very real concerns.

A guaranteed donation comes from every item sold and directly goes toward supporting Trout Unlimited’s Paradise Creek fish passage project. $30 of each hoodie, $10 of each long sleeve, and $5 of each tee or hat. The artwork was hand-drawn by Tori Horton, a member of the Navajo Nation.

I’ve been following Native Instinct on Instagram for a while. They celebrate native fish and wild places with art-forward designs that don’t feel like the usual fishing apparel. This drop is no different. If you want to support the ongoing efforts of a genuine conservation win, go check out the Apache Trout Recovery Drop. It’s available June 5–14, or until sold out with no guaranteed restock.

The post Native Instinct Drops Apache Trout Recovery Apparel appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

Drove up over the weekend and dropped the kid off at her summer theatre gig in the Hudson Valley. Was supposed to have a work meeting in NYC on Wednesday, so I was going to stay in Hudson, NY for a few days, work remotely on Monday & Tuesday, take the train into the city for the meeting on Wednesday and fly home. The meeting got cancelled, so I cut the trip a little short.

Beautiful region of the country, can’t wait to return once Lilly’s show wraps up…

The post New York Road Trip Photo Dump appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

Exciting times here in the Troutrageous! household. I’m a day away from a road trip with my daughter up to the Hudson Valley of New York where she’ll spend the summer doing theatre related things. This isn’t the potential fishing trip I referenced in an earlier post, but rather the beginning of her summer adventure. But I love a good road trip, so I’m excited. Northward bound! Anyway…

In my ongoing homage to the now discontinued Orvis News blog (R.I.P., most of the old URLs don’t even work anymore) and its Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival posts, here’s this week’s sampling of fly fishing or otherwise fishy films.

“For best results, watch all videos at full-screen and in high definition. Remember, we surf so you don’t have to. But if you do stumble upon something great that you think is worthy of inclusion in a future F5, please post it in the comments below, and we’ll take a look.”

Good ol’ Yvon is back on a podcast. He talks simple fly fishing before hitting meatier topics…

Enjoyed tagging along on this trip to central New York. ‘Twas action packed indeed…

I found this far more interesting than I should of. Who knew Pflueger started in Akron, OH…?

Some good dudes in this video. I really enjoyed their adventure through this canyon…

Epic meadow fishing for cutties? Count me in. This FLY ALL SZN is a must watch…

The process of machining reels is really cool. This Nautilus tour is too…

As it says in the comments, “Truly a cracking doc “…

My friend Chuck suggested I post a video from Bugs of the Underworld. Here’s Mayfly…

I can’t go without posting another fantastic Wild Fly video. This time in Florida, hell yeah…

Last but not least, avocado & trout. Sounds delicious to me…

The post T! Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival 05.29.26 appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

As we were walking back to the car after the meal, I noticed a face staring back at me in the SUV parked directly across from ours. It was dangling on a string from the rear view mirror. Puzzled, I walked closer to get a better look. I couldn’t quite make out the face from where I was standing, so I snapped a photo so I could zoom in.

Is that Paul Walker?

I’m not sure who the young fellow is on the air freshener(?) hanging slightly beneath and in front of him, but it seems like Mr. Fast & Furious (R.I.P.) himself is this SUV driver’s co-pilot. I thought that was mildly amusing for some reason. I mean the photo’s still on my phone a full week later and still not deleted. Maybe I’m totally off base and it’s someone else more current that I’m just not cool enough to recognize.

Anyway, sometimes you see something out in the wild that your mind thinks is so random you just want to jot it down. This is such an occasion.

The post File This Under Fast & Furious, But Not Fishing appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

If you don’t live in the Southeast, you may not have been aware that the Atlanta date was unceremonious cancelled for 2026 due to a bit of a scheduling spat with the prior venue, the GAS South Convention Center in Duluth, GA. The Atlanta Fly Fishing show always served as a fun way to start off the new year’s fishing season, one I looked forward to with anticipation. Having it cancelled was a bummer.

Well, as we visit the recently published 2027 lineup on the The Fly Fishing Show’s website, the most southern stop is back, rebranded the “Georgia” show, with a weekend at the Classic Center in Athens, GA. Let’s Go!

I don’t know much about Athens, the Classic Center, or anything else as most everything is “TBA” on the website, but I’d expect the lineup to be similar to other years. The one thing that is confirmed are the dates and times: Saturday, January 9th from 9AM – 5:30PM and Sunday, January 10th from 9AM to 4:30PM.

Maybe I’ll see you there…

The post The Fly Fishing Show is Returning to Georgia! appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

Tracks on the Driftless 2026 Album:

Track 1 – Ride Like the Wind

Track 2 – Rockin’ Down The Highway

Track 3 – MacArthur Park

Track 4 – Paradise

Track 5 – We’re Not Gonna Take It

Track 6 – Cruisin’

Bonus Track!

The post Driftless 2026: Bonus Track! appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

Track 6. My final day in the Driftless. Some days are so smooth and effortless, just like this Smokey Robinson classic.

The Last Day

The morning started with a series of goodbyes. Dave packed up and left straight from the farmhouse. We all bid the pig adieu. Anthony & I met a few friends for breakfast, but then he departed as well. I was now by myself, which as an only child, is something I’m quite comfortable with. I actually prefer a bit of a decompression day after I spend almost a week’s worth of social currency. But where to fish?

An Audible

As I left the diner, I decided to visit a stream that I had fished a few times before. It always held some nice trout, and a variety as well. Unfortunately, when I arrived to the stretch I wanted to fish, there were early bird anglers already spread out in several roadside pull-offs, visible from the country road. Wasn’t expecting that on a Tuesday morning.

So instead, I audibled, and ended up on another creek I had fished twice before. Up until last year, I had caught my largest Driftless brown there, and it had been a few years since I had last visited. Fortunately, nobody was parked in the gravel by the bridge. I was in the clear.

Umm, Where Are My Rods?

I had fished my tenkara rods all week, but when I reached into the trunk to wader & gear up, the sling with the tenkara rods in it was missing. I had evidently left them back on the dining room table at the farm. No worries, I did bring my Orvis Superfine Carbon 3-weight & Battenkill reel on this trip, and fortunately, it was in the trunk. Rod & reel it was, a nice change of pace to close out this adventure.

Dry / Dropper

As soon as I made it to the stream I could see the fish rising in the first pool I encountered. It was almost too good to be true. After a few minutes of getting my bearings casting a fly rod once again, the first brown came to hand after devouring a Parachute Adams.

From there, I navigated my way upstream, encountering a lot of different types of water. One stretch would be a shallow riffle, the next a pool deep enough to submerge an automobile. I eventually switched to a dry/dropper rig, suspending a small, size 18 nymph beneath the Parachute Adams. It seemed to be the best compromise to handle the varying water types.

Bliss

Sometimes you just get in the zone while you’re casting. I think it’s maybe more pronounced when this happens with a fly rod and reel. The weight of the line, the load of the carbon, the flick of the wrist to perfectly place the fly in a pocket of open water amongst the grass & rocks. And of course, the take. I’m not one to evoke the word “zen” when describing fishing, so let’s say I was cruisin’ instead.

While the day started with brown trout, I eventually encountered a nice patch of brook trout. Soon, my first char of the trip was to hand. This was a great relief considering their absence in Track 4. After admiring its colorful spots and topographic vermiculation, releasing the brook trout back into the stream was almost a perfect ending to the trip. (But I did catch a few more…)

Relaxed & Restored

Before you knew it, it was almost 4PM. I had some packing and tidying of my own to take care of back at the farmhouse, so I reeled in my line and scaled the muddy bank back up to the road for the walk back to the car. That walk allowed time for a bit of reflection on the past few days. While it was tough to accept, my 2026 Driftless trip was now over, but what a wonderful experience it was, and today was a lovely way to close things out. Relaxed and restored, it was now time to head home.

Tracks on the Driftless 2026 Album:

Track 1 – Ride Like the Wind

Track 2 – Rockin’ Down The Highway

Track 3 – MacArthur Park

Track 4 – Paradise

Track 5 – We’re Not Gonna Take It

Track 6 – Cruisin’

Bonus Track!

The post Driftless 2026: Track 6 – Cruisin’ appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

Track 5 ties back to Monday’s adventure in a roundabout way. During the long drive to our destination stream, Anthony was playing the “Hair Nation” satellite radio channel on his Subaru’s stereo pretty much the entire way. That sparked conversations about how Jon Bon Jovi screwed over Sebastian Bach & Skid Row, Cinderella sang a jingle for a local hot dog stand, and how awesome it would have been to see Van Halen live at their early 80s peak, well before “Van Hagar.” Anthony & I enjoyed the flashback, Dave seemed none too impressed.

I could have referenced a Poison, Whitesnake, or even Def Leppard song, but I’m going Twisted Sister. Just because it did play on the drive that day, I like Dee Snider, and fondly remember riding BMX bikes around the neighborhood singing this song as a kid.

The Fishing Blues

Today was going to be the last day Anthony, Dave, & I were going to fish together before the two of them needed to make their exits from the Driftless. We picked a stream Anthony had fished before, but was new to Dave & I. As we packed up the car to head to the stream, a bit of melancholy began setting in knowing it was our finale. Regardless, I was excited to give it a go.

After all the hair bands, and much like the other days, when we arrived at our destination we were greeted by cars already in the little parking area. We could see one group of anglers fishing their way away from us upstream, and one angler right by the bridge fishing a downstream hole. The gentleman downstream seemed to be wrapping up, which Anthony confirmed after a bit of awkward conversation. (If you haven’t figured it out yet, Dave & I send Anthony ahead for these interactions).

Now in the clear, the three of us were going to hike downstream a ways and work our way back up to the car.

Consistently Slow

After trudging back through the woods for about 15-20 minutes, the three of us spaced out on the stream. Dave dropped in first, I dropped in second, and Anthony went back in the furthest.

Being in the woods was nice as it was also the warmest day of the trip. The occasional shade tree kept the sun at bay. That said, those branches also claimed a few more flies than I would have liked. On the whole It was an interesting stream to fish. The banks were high in most places, so you wanted to be down in the water. However, the streambed was quite muddy. The kind of thick mud you can sink into up to your knees if you’re not careful. I may have not been careful enough once or twice.

The fishing was what I’d call consistently slow. I picked up a few, maybe 9 or 10 over the course of the few hours, but none were of any size nor put up any sort of ruckus once hooked. From what I understand, Anthony & Dave had similar experiences.

It was likely that this one deep hole was the best for all of us. It’s where I first caught up to Dave, and where Anthony initially caught up to me. Good fishing usually creates bottlenecks as nobody wants to leave a prime spot. I probably pulled a third of my trout count from this timber filled sanctuary.

Know When to Fold ‘Em

Eventually, we could tell this wasn’t really going anywhere, so despite the length of the drive, we were going to cut our losses. As we headed back to the bridge where we parked, we fished a little bit more in the more meadowy section and picked out one or two more fish each before we just decided to chill out for a bit, grab some water, eat some snacks, and figure out a plan for what was left of our day.

As we were chatting up on the bridge pondering our next move, I was mindlessly casting my line off the side into the water below paying less than half attention. Then my line went tight. Wouldn’t you know it? Likely the best fish of the day. I must have been evoking some Owl Jones powers…

Back To The Farm

I’d pretend like we came up with a good plan from there, but we really didn’t. The plan was to head back towards the farm, grab some food along the way, and give the stream that runs through the property one final farewell. Since Anthony and Dave had to pack up that night, we figured staying a little more local would make things a bit easier on both of them following fishing.

After meeting up with Matt and a few others that remained in the area at a diner, we eventually ended up back at the farm for the evening. So we briefly said hello to the pig and the chickens and then headed to the water. Anthony went upstream, so I went down and fished more or less the same section we had fished the very first night.

My How Things Change

Now, I don’t know what exactly happened, but from then on I found this to be possibly the best fishing of the trip. Some sort of switch turned on just before dusk and the trout were suddenly crazy active. They were not only taking wets and nymphs, but recklessly taking dry flies too. Every little crack and crevice I though there would be a fish, there was. Even in some ridiculously skinny water no more than two feet wide. I only fished for maybe two hours, but they were an absolutely stellar 120 minutes.

Once back at the house Anthony confirmed similar success. I was very happy he was able to wrap up his trip that way. It was more than a little redemption considering the otherwise frustrating day.

The Last Night

The rest of the night was mostly a blur. A mix of watching TV, drinking beer, and a lot of gathering of assorted things and stowing them in bags or suitcases. The finality started to sink in. I had a great time with Anthony and Dave, we were quite the trio for those five days of chasing trout across the Driftless.

Looking ahead to Track 6… Yes, the guys were getting in their cars and leaving first thing in the morning, but I’d have one more day on the water by myself to look forward to. Hopefully, this album ends on a high note…

Tracks on the Driftless 2026 Album:

Track 1 – Ride Like the Wind

Track 2 – Rockin’ Down The Highway

Track 3 – MacArthur Park

Track 4 – Paradise

Track 5 – We’re Not Gonna Take It

Track 6 – Cruisin’

Bonus Track!

The post Driftless 2026: Track 5 – We’re Not Gonna Take It appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

I have a favorite stream in the Driftless. I enjoy all it’s bends and bows, nooks and crannies. Home to browns, brookies, and the occasional chub. While I find it an ideal creek to fish alone, it can easily accommodate two anglers. However, three’s probably a crowd. I only introduce it to close friends. It’s special to me. One might even call it Paradise.

A Tag Team Trip

It was now Sunday, Day 4 of our Driftless adventure. I decided to take Dave to my special stream. Anthony went in a slightly different direction, to fish a creek the local fly shop dares not mention by name, in search of brook trout.

Dave and I took a nice quiet drive northeast from the farm and ended up at the bridge I typically drop in at. Unlike the past two days, nobody was there except us. Perfect.

The Course of Action

The reason I like this stream so much is its variety. As you fish the first few runs and pools, you traditionally encounter brook trout. As you follow it through a nice stretch of wooded section, you can escape the direct sun. That came in handy last year when Anthony & I fished here.

Eventually the brook trout transition into browns. At first, the brown trout are on the smaller side, but as you proceed they get larger and decidedly more feisty. Suddenly the trees recede and you’re fishing in a grassy meadow section that bobs and weaves and forces you up and down its banks. Eventually, the terminus and your exit back to the road runs along farmland that is finely manicured and easily navigable. It also happens to hold the largest fish.

We Started Slow, But Heated Up

The brook trout section wasn’t what I expected. In fact, the brookies didn’t present themselves at all, which was highly disappointing. However we did catch a few of those small brown trout in their place, almost immediately after coming down the bank from the car.

From there Dave and I hopscotched each other upstream navigating casting lanes around the trees from the lightly worn fisherman’s path. I was really having success with a small Khill Pink Squirreltail nymph that my friend Ty ties for me. Dave was struggling a bit, so I gave one to him and he was instantly into fish too. He even may have started outfishing me! I guess sometimes the fly does matter.

And on We Went

As we continued on, the fishing seemed to only get better. The fish were where they were supposed to be, they were actively taking flies, and it was just a great time of slow and steady wading, casting, and laughing. Dave’s a really funny guy, I could stand next to him and listen to him talk while fishing all day.

Mike The Hammer

Nicknames are also funny. You can’t give one to yourself. That’s poor form. And sometimes the names that are given to you by others are a bit silly. Most friends I’ve known for a long time call me “Ags”, a shortened version of my last name.

Dave… well, he started calling me Mike “The Hammer” after I fished a section and caught 2 or 3 fish in rapid succession. I actually thought he was calling me “Mike Hammer“, like the fictional detective made famous in books and 1980’s television. Perhaps I need to grow a moustache like Stacy Keach?

The Prime Cuts

If the brook trout let us down early on, the prime meanders of creek later in our session certainly did not. There was a point where the brown trout were coming to hand fast. I guess it was Hammer Time… LOL.

The Exit Point

The final section of water we fished is out in almost the wide open. Contrary to what you may think, this section also has some very healthy trout. Both Dave & I tried our hands at some of the large fish we saw, but just couldn’t fool them into taking our flies. I guess that’s why they’re big.

Instead, we each caught a few “walk off” fish before collapsing our rods and hiking back to the car. We also received a text from Anthony that he was having a good day as well, and just slaying the brook trout on a Pass Lake fly. (Dave doesn’t like fishing Pass Lakes).

Time For A Cold Beer

After fishing all morning and into the afternoon, Dave & I needed a pick me up. Unlike yesterday, there were no A&Ws nearby. Instead we opted for some cold beer and bar food. It was a wise choice. The ambiance in this place was amazing. Welcoming bartender, comfortable bar stools, the Brewers game on TV, assorted taxidermy on the walls, and some damn good eats. I had a beer brat, Dave enjoyed a burger. It was kind of a perfect way to cap off what was an excellent day of fishing.

Thought this Track was Over?

Nah, not quite. Once back at the farm, we met up with Anthony, but then he went into prime real estate mode. He was in the process of buying a house. I won’t get into the rest of the details of that transaction, but let’s just say he kept quite busy on the phone and laptop.

Dave & I lounged a bit on the sofas while Anthony was virtual house hunting, but as idle anglers do, we got itchy. After a quick huddle, the two of us decided to go out one more time and fish the hour and a half before sunset, and then reconnect with Anthony, along with our friends Matt & Rob (and some of the other holdovers from the campout) for a late dinner at another local bar. Greedy to sneak in another trout session perhaps, but that’s why were in the Driftless, right?

A Cow Country Finale

Let’s just say that hour and a half at dusk was good, but not great. And certainly not as good as the earlier part of the day. We went to a stream that is highly regarded amongst our group of friends and fished through the cow pastures.

I caught a few, Dave caught a few more, and we fortunately escaped without pissing off a momma cow too much. Even though we tried to keep a wide berth, she was none too fond of us walking past her and her calf. You could see the agitation in her face as her eyes locked on to us and she began excessively salivating from the mouth. However, despite that brief moment of tension, we survived to fish again tomorrow. Little victories I suppose.

And with that, yet another day of fishing was complete. More beers and food were consumed that night at the bar, but nothing much more to report here.

A sneak peek to Track 5 coming up tomorrow – it finds Dave & I reunited with Anthony again on the water, on the last day the three of us would fish together on this trip…

Tracks on the Driftless 2026 Album:

Track 1 – Ride Like the Wind

Track 2 – Rockin’ Down The Highway

Track 3 – MacArthur Park

Track 4 – Paradise

Track 5 – We’re Not Gonna Take It

Track 6 – Cruisin’

Bonus Track!

The post Driftless 2026: Track 4 – Paradise appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.