Essential Fly Fishing Tips for the Spring

Essential Fly Fishing Tips for the Spring

Many anglers are eager to get back to their favorite rivers and lakes for fly fishing as the weather warms up! Going in the spring presents some unique challenges, whether you’re fly fishing in Florida, Montana, Tennessee, or anywhere else. To help anglers, we put together some essential fly fishing tips for the spring!

Don’t Be Afraid of the Muck

When fly fishing in the spring, you’re almost guaranteed to fish in runoff water. It’s not ideal for fishing since your visibility is zero, but don’t be afraid of the muck. You may not see the fish, but muddy water doesn’t mean they aren’t there.

You can have just as good a day fishing in runoff as you can on a clear summer day. In some ways, the runoff offers an advantage to anglers since the fish won’t get spooked by movement as much as they do in more transparent conditions. Plus, the added runoff changes currents in rivers and lakes, tiring fish and making them more susceptible to capture.

Upgrade in Size and Color

You can still fly fish well in muddy, runoff-filled rivers, but you’ll want to adapt and compensate for the lack of visibility. When choosing your flies for the spring, you’ll likely want to upgrade to more vibrant colors and bigger sizes.

You still want to use flies that resemble the natural species the fish eat, but with the brown water clouding their vision, you’ll need a little more to get their attention. Spring is an excellent time to use those flashy streamers and giant bugs to make sure the fish catch a glimpse in the spring rivers and streams.

Watch the Weather

It’s possible to fish in runoff water—even fish well. But most anglers would rather avoid it altogether. You can anticipate when rivers and lakes will experience runoff by keeping an eye on the weather and planning your fishing around it.

Runoff typically occurs after heavy rainfall or when the weather warms up, melting ice and overflowing the rivers and lakes. Keep an eye on the temperature and rain gauges leading up to your fishing expedition. If the air is dry and moderate, you’re likely to find clear rivers ideal for fly fishing.

Work the Edges

In the spring, when rivers experience runoff, their water levels rise, and their currents speed up. Some fish will struggle in these quicker currents and look for refuge nearer the banks where the waters are shallower and the flow is less pronounced.

If you’re fishing in a river that’s up a couple of inches or feet, your best bet could be to aim near the usually dry banks where tired fish may be stopping to rest.

Spring may not always be ideal for fly fishing anglers, but there’s still plenty of fish to catch! Follow our essential fly fishing tips for the spring, and we’re sure you’ll get a few nibbles and bites on your line!

How To Go Off the Grid in Safety and Comfort

How To Go Off the Grid in Safety and Comfort

If you’re considering going off the grid, take the time to determine if it’s really what you want to do. Going off the grid has a romantic, exciting appeal, but no matter how prepared you may be, cutting all ties to the comforts of society and civilization can be a severe shock. Take the time to read up on how to go off the grid in safety and comfort before making the break. Start here!

Educate Yourself

Going off grid isn’t a learn-as-you-go proposition. It’s wise to bring a library of survival skill books with you, but you should also gain and develop skills through training and practice while you still have the benefits of running water, electricity, and internet access. Enroll in live or virtual classes for finding and purifying water, repairing machinery, growing crops, and so forth. After you’ve learned these skills, practice them. In an emergency, you won’t have the benefit of making mistakes.

Establish a Support System

When you have an idea of where you want to live, don’t confuse off-the-grid living with complete disconnection from a community. Your chances of surviving and thriving increase if you have a local support system. Get to know your neighbors, even if they’re a mile away. If you plan to make regular trips to a local town for supplies, meet the local merchants, mechanics, and repair people. You may need their help someday!

Power Up

Living like a mountain man of old may seem cool, but it’ll get old if you like having heat and electricity. You may be able to equip your off-the-grid home with windmill or solar power. And if you equip the place with a bank of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, you’ll find you have plenty of power, even during windless and sunless days and nights. Going off grid doesn’t have to mean going without power.

Consider Water Woes

The last of our tips on how to go off the grid in safety and comfort is one of the most vital: be sure you have access to clean water. Water access is a nonnegotiable part of going off the grid. If you don’t have it, you’re finished before you start. You may need to drill a well for your water needs, but there’s no guarantee the water supply will be near the surface or even clean. Likewise, living on a lake or pond may seem like a solution, but purification can be an ongoing issue, and dry years can severely cut into your supply.

The Most Common Types of Farming Equipment

The Most Common Types of Farming Equipment

If you run a farm, having the right equipment is essential. You want to make sure you have everything you need before you start farming. Here are some of the most common types of farming equipment and what they do.

The Combine

If you grow wheat or grains of any variety, a combine is one of the most critical pieces of equipment. Combines perform three essential tasks as you work:

  • They reap, or cut the plants from the ground.
  • They thresh, or separate the edible parts of the plant from the inedible ones.
  • They winnow, or remove the dry, flaky chaff (outer skin) of the grain.

The Plow

Plowing is one of the most crucial steps in preparing your land for growing crops. It’s also an essential step for keeping your soil healthy and ensuring a bountiful harvest before you plant your seeds. Plows break up the ground, softening it and preventing it from impeding growth. A plow will also shift and destroy any harmful buildup that rests on the top layer of your soil.

The Seeder

The role of the seeder is self-explanatory: it spreads seeds across your soil. However, you’ll want to invest in the proper seeder for the size of your field. For farmers with smaller plots of land, hand seeders are acceptable.

The Fertilizer Spreader

Fertilizing your crops provides them with important nutrients and allows them to grow larger and more quickly. However, nobody wants to handle massive amounts of fertilizer by hand. Fortunately, one of the most common types of farming equipment is the fertilizer spreader, which ensures your planted seeds get an even distribution of fertilizer spread over them.

Knowing the different types of farming equipment and their roles not only keeps everything running smoothly but also reduces the risk of farming accidents. Being aware of the tools necessary to run a farm will result in higher-quality crops in the long run.

Equipment You Need for a Successful Fly-Fishing Trip

Equipment You Need for a Successful Fly-Fishing Trip

If you are looking to get into the popular sport of fly fishing, it’s crucial that you have the right equipment. The right equipment makes the difference between standing in a moving stream and fishing in one.

Planning a fly-fishing trip can be quite an undertaking. Read this list of equipment you need for a successful fly-fishing trip to get off to a great start!

Fly Rods and Fly Rod Combos

A fly rod is the main tool you’ll use while fly fishing. A fly rod is thinner and more flexible than a typical fishing rod. It controls the fly’s direction and distance, and the line allows you to cast the very light fly.

A fly rod combo is a great option for a beginner. They are less expensive and come with everything you need to get started, such as the rod, fly reel, and fly line.

Fly Reels and Fly Lines

The size of the fly reel you need depends on the size of the fish you try to catch. The fly reel helps you hold onto a fish tugging at the fly.

Match the fly line weight with the fly reel weight. The smaller the fly line number, the lighter the weight. Use fly line weights of one to three for small fish, like panfish. At the other end of the spectrum, use fly line weights of eight and higher for very large fish, such as saltwater fish.

Wading Boots and Waders

Wading boots are an essential piece of equipment you need for a successful fly-fishing trip. Since they spend a lot of time in the water, you’ll want to clean your wading boots properly. Clean boots will protect your feet and provide traction while you walk on slippery rocks.

Waders keep you dry and warm while fishing in cold weather or streams. Get waders in a breathable material that allows your perspiration to evaporate while preventing water from soaking you.

Fly Fishing Vests and Fly Boxes

A fly-fishing vest has many pockets and compartments that hold an assortment of little things needed for fishing, such as flies and line cleaners. Choose a vest that will hold all you need but not anything extra that will weigh you down.

A fly box can hold and organize hundreds of flies. The right fly boxes make it easy for you to bring the flies you want for a particular trip. They also help you easily find the right fly.

Flies and Fly Assortments

Fishing flies imitate immature and adult insects; choose the right fly by considering what insect appeals to your fish. Then consider the lifecycle stage of the insect at that time of the year.

You can buy a fly assortment to get yourself started. A fly assortment comes with a variety of popular flies and often a fly box, too.

The Best Ways To Handle a Boating Emergency at Sea

The Best Ways To Handle a Boating Emergency at Sea

Many people love boating, whether it’s just to relax on the water or get some serious fishing done. Unfortunately, relaxation and fishing can come to a tragic end if an emergency occurs and those on board aren’t prepared. Keep reading to learn the best ways to handle a boating emergency at sea so you’ll be ready if something happens.

Step 1: Preparation

The best way to be ready in case of a boating emergency is to prepare. The first step to prepare for a boating trip is to research what types of emergencies can occur and what equipment you need to handle different emergencies.

There are four types of boating emergencies: mechanical issues/failures, health/medical problems, man overboard, and weather conditions. Despite the differences between these emergencies, there is equipment for all of them, which we’ll list below.

Audio indicators such as horns and visual indicators such as flags can help you signal in an emergency if you can’t use your VHF radio.

Flashlights and batteries are helpful at night even if there isn’t an emergency, and you can use them below deck if you lose power.

Knives and ropes can also be handy in multiple circumstances, including emergencies, so keep plenty around.

Step 2: Practice

Once you have proper safety equipment, including floatation devices and a first aid kit, start running safety drills. Before you begin a safety drill, establish who will be in charge. It’s okay to change the leader until you find the right fit. Just make sure that whenever you go out on the water, you have an established leader.

The leader should be willing to lead future safety drills and presentations with other crew members or guests. They should dedicate time to learning the safety plans you put in place for different emergencies.

While the leader is important, you should also assign each crew member or regular guest a task since they will probably be on board during an emergency. Make sure they practice their task individually and during larger safety drills that involve others so they are prepared to perform their task under the leader’s direction during an actual emergency.

Step 3: Perform

The last step for handling an emergency at sea is to perform well when an emergency occurs. If you’re prepared and have practiced, you should be able to take action under pressure and keep everyone on board safe. Have multiple backup plans ready since the actual emergency will often go differently than in practice, and don’t be afraid to call for help. Remember to stay calm and lead or follow well.

Preparation, practice, and performing well under pressure are the best ways to handle a boating emergency at sea. In a perfect world, these emergencies would never occur, but since they sometimes do, you need to be ready to face them.