This week’s picture is brought to you by Brandon.
A very large bow here! Just look at that belly falling out of his hand. Great catch Brandon!

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In writing this I have tried to come up, not with the most expensive pieces of gear, but with those things that every fly fisher can always use.

1. Probably the most popular Holiday Gift for fly fishers is the fly box, especially the box loaded with flies. There’s a reason - it’s straight up AWESOME! I don’t know many anglers that wouldn’t like more boxes and especially more flies.

2. One thing that most of us fly anglers can seriously use at the end of a fishing season is a new fly line. Some fly lines may last multiple years but if you fish very much then one a year is probably a must. Nothing like the zip of a new fly line gliding through the guides.

3. A new gear bag is always awesome. Could be a rod/reel bag, a nice duffel, or a wader bag. I love cool new bags and love to find more stuff to put in them.

4. Leaders and tippets are always useful. You simply can’t go wrong here. They are one of those things like flies that every fly fisher uses and every fly fisher always needs.

5. It sounds a little lame at first but really, what could be better than a gift certificate? You may not know that much about what that fly fisher in your life really needs but I bet they do and you simply can’t miss with a gift certificate.

As the Holidays approach and the year draws to a close, all of us at RiverBum.com would like to thank you for the support and wish everyone Happy Holidays and a Great New Year filled with lots of great times out on the water.

This week’s picture is brought to you by Brandon.
A Golden Trout caught on Ravens Fork River outside Cherokee, NC. Great catch Brandon!

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One of the questions that I get around this time of year is “What kind of flies should I buy ______ for Christmas?” Well, as most seasoned anglers know it depends. It depends on where they fish, what they fish for, when they fish there, etc. However, this is my list of 5 flies that every trout angler can probably use.

1. Parachute Adams - No surprises with this one; this classic dry fly can be adapted to represent nearly every single type of mayfly and works great as an attractor pattern as well. In larger sizes it is buoyant enough to hold up a dropper nymph as well.

2. Carnage Attractor - This high floating and highly visible pattern is relatively new on the scene but has quickly become my very favorite hopper and general terrestrial patten. It is very buoyant for using in a dry/dropper rig.

3. Tungsten Bead, Hot Wire Prince Nymph - This is my favorite attractor nymph. It combines the fish-catching qualities of the Copper John and the Prince Nymph and has a tungsten bead for getting down deep.

4. Tungsten Zebra Midge - This midge imitator is the perfect midge nymph and can be used in any size from 12 to 24 to imitate the tiny midges found in tailwaters all the way up to the large chironomids found in most lakes.

5. Clouser Minnow - This fly, originally tied for saltwater, works everywhere. It is one of the most versatile streamers ever devised; small sizes can catch smaller trout or panfish and large sizes work for everything up to tarpon and roosterfish.

If you are looking at getting something for your favorite fly fisher this Holiday Season these babies truly can’t miss.

This week’s picture is brought to you by Chad.
These are some of my favorite waters to fish in the whole state of Arizona. I caught this gorgeous Rainbow on one of the very Madam X’s I purchased through RiverBum. Thats why I’m proud to send this photo off to you guys!!!

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This one is a week or so late but I still wanted to send it out. With Thanksgiving time just past and the Holidays near, hopefully comes some thought about what we are thankful for and the things that matter to us. Although I, wisely,wouldn’t put fly fishing at the very top of my “Thanks for” list, it is most definitely somewhere near the top.

I am thankful for the chance I have to write about, teach, guide, and frequently participate in a sport that has absolutely captivated me from an early age and one that continually gives more in return than I could ever give to it. Fly fishing happens in the most amazing and beauty-filled places on earth, and the practice thereof graciously increases the angler’s powers of perception such that we learn to truly absorb the essence of these places. I am constantly moved to awe by the both the large and small wonders that I encounter, even on quick trips to the bluegill pond, but especially to those more grand spots where nature outdoes itself hourly.

I’m reminded of a comment from a good friend and colleague spoken a few years back. As we reveled in an evening of almost embarrassingly great fishing for huge browns on dry flies, he said something to this effect: “You know, we are really lucky. Years from now we will look back on this time and this place and it will be among our best memories.” I’m not to that “years from now” spot in my life yet and I already know he was absolutely right. I appreciate the willingness of those brown trout that evening but I appreciate the camaraderie, the setting, and the opportunity more.

I am thankful for the lessons of fly fishing, for its grace, for the friends and acquaintances, and for the many rewards of fly fishing that are uniquely meaningful to each angler. I hope we all can remember that we are truly lucky each time we get the chance to venture out with rod in hand and the hope that a fish will bite.

Thanks to all for the support for RiverBum and for the kind words I hear from readers from time to time. I appreciate the chance to do what I do.