John Gierach’s 16th book–Fool’s Paradise–hits the shelves this month, much to the delight of his legion of fans. Here’s a profile of John that first ran in The Drake magazine:

YOU’RE A CAB DRIVER in New York City in 1971, trying to make a right hand turn at a busy Manhattan intersection but there’s some cocky bike messenger in your way and he won’t move…

…so you nudge him. Not hard, just enough to let him know that you’re in a cab and he’s on a bike and if he doesn’t move and soon you might run his ass over. But the bike messenger does a strange thing. He doesn’t move out of your way. …

From Kaufmann Streamborn fly shop in Tigard, Oregon.

It’s finally here! The highly anticipated trout opener on the Lower Deschutes will kick-off this weekend. It’s one of the most anticipated weekends of the year on the Big D’.

The “upper reaches” of the Lower Deschutes, between Pelton Dam and the Northern Boundary of the Warm Springs Reservation will be open for fishing April 26th, until October 31st.

The resident “footballs” have lost some intellect as of late, this section of the river has been closed for nearly 6 months! The trout are now gorging themselves on fat 3-year old Stonefly Nymphs as well as other aquatic morsels.

f you are planning on going out to the desert to …

1 - Campeche, Yucatan, Mexico
The fish are close. The city is safe, friendly, and everything Cancun isn’t. But the biggest reason Campeche rules is that the stretch of mangrove creeks running north to Isla Arena might be the finest stretch of baby tarpon water on earth. It’s hard to believe it was only five years ago that the first outfitters began running trips here. The mix of Mayan ruins, affordable restaurants and hotels, Cathedral Plaza, snook, and endless shots at tarpon—both in the mangroves and out on the flats—makes Campeche tough to beat.

2 - Key West, Florida
If you can only pick one place…  There’s the history, the nightlife on Duval Street, the mix of large bones and …

See them coming, swimming toward you like ducks across the sky at dawn. It’s hard for a Northern Rockies trout-chaser to fathom: no hatch to match, no current seam to aim for, just you and a couple dozen bonefish headed your direction. Throw it too late and you’ll spook ‘em. Too early, and your fly might get caught in the coral or the turtlegrass. But time it just right and suddenly there you are—light breeze, palm trees, and a fish headed straight for Honduras.

Standing thigh-high in the waters of Belize will teach a dedicated Western river angler more about flyfishing’s diversity than a thousand bonefish books could ever hope to. Because the tropics …

Everybody knows how great the trout fishing can be out West in July and August. But many people miss that magic window of opportunity that

opens each April after the snow and ice come off the water but before the milky runoff happens in May and June. Not only can this be some of the clearest water to fish all season, but many trout are bigger and hungrier than those you’re casting to at the end of June. And if you’re lucky enough to hit it just right, and the weather cooperates, there are usually at least a few days of truly spectacular early-season fishing, when it’s warm enough to get some bugs hatching–usually blue wing olives …

One of the most common questions for flyfishers this time of year is whether or not it’s too early to hit the local lake for largemouth. Sure, some of you Southern boys have already been getting after it, but for those of us living north of the Mason-Dixon line, March still means near-frozen surface temps and super-sluggish fish.

Nevertheless, there are some ways to increase your odds of finding a few hungry ones.

Temperature is everything.

In the winter, the bottom of most bass lakes hovers around 39 degrees, while the surface–just below the ice–is around 33. But as the ice melts, winds start mixing the warmer water below with the colder water up top, and a magical sort …

Opening day of trout season often falls on the first Saturday of April for many states. And even if you are lucky enough to live in an area where trout fishing is available year-round, April often marks the symbolic beginning to trout-chasing, that glorious seven-month stretch from now til October, when you learn or re-learn the joys and frustrations of tossing tiny flies to feeding browns, rainbows or brookies.

If you’re new to the sport, or if your skill set became a little rusty over the winter, here’s five trouty tips for the opening-day onslaught.

1) Fish upstream, not downstream, to feeding trout.

Early April remains pre-runoff for most major trout fishing rivers, so the water is often …

Ahhh… March in the Florida Keys. When permit come up onto the flats before heading offshore to spawn. Spring is one of the best times to chase this most sought-after species, and March is traditionally one of the hottest months to catch them. Do your research before heading down, book a reputable guide, have the kinks in your cast worked out, pray for your shot at a tailing 20-pounder, don’t screw up the presentation or the strip or the hook-set, and maybe, just maybe, you’re day will end up like this:

If there’s a better tailwater fishery in the country during February and March than Northern Utah’s Green River, I sure don’t know what it would be. Sure it can be cold. And windy. And snowy. But hey, isn’t that part of the fun?

Located in Northeastern Utah, near the intersection with Colorado and Wyoming at the tiny trout town of Dutch John, the Green River flows from beneath Flaming Gorge Dame at a near perfect 45- to 55-degrees. This provides great conditions for going after the Green’s many rainbows and browns swimming in the 8-mile “A section” just below the dam, from the put-in down to Little Hole.

There is …

Forget the flowers, the chocolates, or that mango-colored thong. Before Thursday rolls around, get you and your girl a trip someplace warm. So she can lounge in the sun, go kayaking or snorkling, or take a surf lesson with some guy considerably hotter than her husband. In return, you get to do this:

And she gets to do this:

And everyone is happy. Here is a list of three great places to start:

Turneffe Flats, Belize

For one of the best combinations of excellent flats-fishing and great food, accommodations, and alternative activities, head to Turneffe Flats off the northern coast of Belize. This place offers probably the …