Before we were able to wet a line in India, we spent four days touring this amazing country.  With 1.2 billion people occupying India, it was a site to behold.  Watching the way that people interact in the densely populated cities was mind blowing, but equaled by the incredible food and the historical architecture.  I have never been so impressed with a man made monument as I was with the Taj Mahal.

The fishing surpassed my expectations.  We were lucky enough to fish in two very different settings.  The first was the Ramganga River located in the Jim Corbett Tiger Preserve.   It was a smaller river with fair gradient but did have some slow pools where we were able to sight fish the cruising Mahseer.  Although the fishing was tough, the solitude, wildlife and incredible scenery made it a wonderful place to fish.  The second fishery was the Saryu River which boarders neighboring Nepal.  We floated this river and fished it for six days.  The Saryu did not offer the sight fishing that the Jim Corbett Tiger Preserve did but it was a far more productive fishery.  Since the Saryu is not in a Preserve it meanders through villages, terraced fields, Temples, and Ghats.

Getting the Mahseer profile shot we wanted was not easy.  I was dealing with a new camera and not a lot of fish.  In addition, the biggest fish of the trip was caught when I was a few miles upriver.  However, we have some great pictures to share and we hope you enjoy them.

By the way special thanks to Tim Phillips, Greg Strimple, Misty Dillon, and the Himalayan Outback; they are great travel companions, anglers and buddies.

Gotta love Montana Spring fishing! The weather can sometimes make you doubt your sanity. But the fishing doesn’t always suffer as much as your hands and feet do.

Braving the Elements

Best caption wins 12 crappy flies.

I had a few flashbacks to my summer camp days. Awkward conversations with your roomie. Uncertain relations with the camp counselors (instructors). The exchanges of contact information and promises to keep in touch. The pang of loss when it’s all over. We didn’t make any God’s Eyes, nor did we go horseback riding, but a snowman was constructed.

More to come, and hopefully some pictures…

Congratulations to Timm Rosenbach, formerly guide extraordinaire for Sweetwater Fly Shop, on being named the new offensive coordinator for the University of Montana Grizzlies. We’re gonna miss you buddy!

We try to keep things on the light side here at Sweaty Waders. But every once in a while an issue comes along that warrants serious discussion. In this case, it’s a significant threat to your friendly local fly shop. Not just ours, but all of them. Over recent years, big box stores (think Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops) have been taking away substantial market share from specialty fly shops. On top of that, the market is shrinking. Fewer people are fly fishing every year, and those who are tend to be older. The issue has come to a head with Simms’ recent announcement that, beginning August 1, they will begin selling directly to customers from their web site. They will also forbid sales on Ebay and Amazon, where many shops sell their discontinued products and closeout items. Jerry Lappier of the Trout Shop in Craig, Montana, an industry veteran, can discuss the issue more intelligently than I can; read his blog post here.

What can you do if, like me, you’d like to see the local fly shop survive? The answer is pretty simple. Frequent, and purchase your gear from, your favorite local shop. Preferably ours, of course, but if not, someone else’s. If you’re buying online, buy from the web site of a specialty shop. Yes, you may end up spending a few extra dollars. But that’s a small price to pay for the advice and local knowledge that you’ve received from your shop visits over the years.

The longer term solution? Getting more people involved in our glorious sport. Take someone fly fishing for the first time, especially a youngster. Infect them with your enthusiasm. And when it comes time that they want to “gear up,” you know where to steer them. And not just so they’ll lay down some cash. But also because there they’ll find a community of like minded individuals who will share that enthusiasm and help them develop as fly fishers. Just like you have. And like you always will, if we can collectively turn around this troubling trend.

Any thoughts? Leave us a comment.

May your New Year be filled with feisty fish and happy surprises!