Bill Marts
Posts by Bill Marts:
I like my reels to click
If you have read any of my previous posts to Epic Waters you know that I am a little “old School” when it comes to my equipment. Especially, my reels. For all of my freshwater fishing I use a click/pawl-drag reel. My favorites are the old Orvis CFO reels (made by Hardy in the 70’s […]
A Dog’s Best Friend
Gawwwwwwwwwd!!!!! I have writer’s block. I have stared at this computer for three nights in a row without laying down a word. Not even a letter. This has happened before but not as severe as this. It is like a palsy. My hands are frozen in the “start” position over the keys. I know what […]
EXPLORATIONS
Ex-plo-ra-tion – To travel (in a little-known region) for discovery. To examine (something) carefully; investigate. Doesn’t it just send chills up and down your body to relate that word to your flyfishing adventures. It does for me. I can’t help it. I once conducted an experiment. I would ask fishers if they were given a […]
Anticipation
I try not to have expectations about a fishing destination to which I am about to travel. But I do get major attacks of anticipation. Especially when tying flies for new fishing waters. Even with excellent advice about what to tie, I still try to out-think the target fish about what they might put into […]
SILVER AND GOLD – SOUTH OF THE BORDER
I try not to build high expectations for any trip. But sometimes it is impossible for me not to attach some goals to another adventure. This trip had been 50 years in the making and 5 years of saving for it. My wife, Judy, and I planned to celebrate our 50th (Gold) wedding anniversary at […]
OLD FRIEND AND NEW WATERS
A few weeks ago, I had a chance to meet up with an old (actually he’s pretty young) friend to fish new waters. Our plan A was to go to the Thompson, but it closed after the first of November. We planned to leave on the 18th. What to do?? I called a friend (Jeff […]
FIRST DAY BLUES
Whenever I take a steelheading or any other fishing trip, I get the First Day Blues. I can prepare all I want and I will have a major fuck-up on my first day. I don’t know why this happens. I can get to my destination camp or room or lodge with all of my equipment […]
IT’S IN THE AIR
It is the 5th of September and we have a cold front moving through Seattle with a bit of rain. It feels like fall. Yesterday when there were a few hours of sunshine making its way through the trees, I recognized the angle of the shadows as a forecast of autumn a few days or […]
STICK ‘EM UP!
I have chosen to never take up golf. I know I would like it and I don’t need any other activity to take away my limited time on the river. My hat goes off to those who can combine golf and flyfishing. I just get too obsessive when starting a new activity or sport. And […]
HITCHIN’ A RIDE
I was lucky enough to be one of the first fly fishers in Los Roques, Venezuela. There were no guides ; only local fishermen who would take us out to fish for raton (bonefish). I was with a video production company shooting a video of this up and coming bonefish destination. It was actually unbelievable […]
