Monday Links: Catching Up and Cutting Back

For the last half of 2010, I was pretty burned out, even on the things I loved. I got in this rut of coming home from work and crashing on the sofa in front of the television. It took me a few months, but I finally managed to pull myself out of that. One day I walked into the work room where I keep all my fly tying, rod-building and backpacking gear, and I realized I had been trying to do too much. I wasn’t actually getting to fish much, and I didn’t feel like going when I had the time. I hadn’t updated the blog in months, and I wasn’t keeping up with very many fly fishing sites any more. I resolved that in the new year, I’d begin to cut back and focus on what’s really important, not just in fishing but life in general. Over the last few days, I’ve been trying to get around and check out some of the sites I enjoyed in the past. A few good links for your Monday:

Fly Fishing Life Magazine – One of the flip-book online fly fishing magazines. This one has some great articles (New Zealand, guide interviews, etc.) and photography (Louis Cahill). I’m still not sure about the format (I think a blog magazine format that’s updated often would be more profitable), but this one has good content.

Catch Magazine – I love Catch (yet another of the online flip-book magazines). The photography and video work is unparalleled among fly fishing sites. This latest edition has a definite salty flavor with lots of bonefish and tarpon.

The Trout Zone takes his first float trip of the year – I love reading David Knapp’s blog. He’s a great fisherman, and it seems like he always lands some nice fish wherever he happens to be wetting a fly.

Carp on the Fly – There’s always something interesting going on here, and I’m all for anyone who goes after the less pretty fish. I plan to target my first carp on the fly this year.

Blue Ribbon Flies – It’s no secret that my favorite fly fishing destination is the area in and around Yellowstone NP. I’m hoping to make it out there for a week this summer. I read the blog at Blue Ribbon Flies almost daily. It’s one of the few I kept up with even during my six month burnout. Tune in now to read about all the snow on the ground and their attempts to fish anyway.

Trout Underground on Possible Banning of Felt Soles – I’ll probably always read Trout Underground as long as Tom Chandler continues to post fresh content. This is the other blog I kept up with regularly during my burnout phase. This article talks about the possible banning of felt soles out west, which could point to a required purchase and dramatic wading situations.

Take care,
Nathan