Winter Ritual

The desk lamp illuminates tiny hooks, wisps of fur, and delicate feathers scattered across the tying desk. Each material holds the promise of solved riddles come lighter days when the ancient wisdom of wild trout will be tested. Though modern materials like synthetic dubbing and genetic hackle fill the drawers, the fundamental puzzle is as old as the pursuit: how to fool a fish's discerning eye? As snow falls outside, careful hands work through patterns that might unlock specific moments—subtle sips, violent attacks, and everything in between. It’s time well spent. These dark days of quiet concentration are where we shape answers for the coming questions of spring.  

In this week’s edition:

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Image by Dan Favato

IN THE RIFFLES

Image by Kubie Brown

We all remember those early days of childhood when we’d sit on boat docks and muddy banks of farm ponds, staring at a worm-baited bobber waiting for it to move. There was an element of mystery that plucked at our natural curiosity about what was swimming beneath that bobber, eventually making us all fall in love with fishing.


Indicator nymphing at Pyramid restores that feeling of wonder.

The fish are so big that when they take the fly, your indicator rarely twitches or tentatively dunks—it straight up disappears—leaving you with no idea what’s on the other end. With strikes often being few and far between, there’s a satisfaction and excitement that comes from gazing around the beautiful shores of Pyramid and then turning back to see your indicator has vanished that simply makes you feel like a kid again…

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