Ben Groppe

Details, Deschutes, and Doritos

Anglers and trout are both masters of efficiency, and have an uncanny skill to survive and thrive on as little as possible.

Summer in Review: New Jersey

This inevitably came with a drastic change of scenery, a great deal of culture shock, and, pertaining to this blog, a considerable decline in world class year round fly fishing waters.

Winging It in the Inland Northwest

Luckily, this dilemma allowed me to develop one of the greatest skills an obsessed fly angler can have— Making a fishing trip appear out of thin air.

How to See Trout

Sight fishing for trout can happen across a range of difficulties, but what remains a constant necessity in all scenarios is seeing fish, and the right one at that.

A Week in Brook Trout Country

After two brookie-less seasons, I was back home and rumor had it the nights were getting chillier up North. It was time to hit the road.

New York City on the Fly

New York City may not be a fishing town, but I’ve found that one of the most overlooked opportunities of our sport is the chance to make the most of it wherever we live.

Brookie Thoughts

I like to think of each start on the river as a question. They’re not always complicated, but they kick start my mind into working on an answer and finding a few fish.

The New Zealand Experience

My career on the water is young enough that I can remember my childhood fascination around exotic fisheries. These were places or species that I felt were so unlikely to end up in front of me anytime soon that they continued to become elevated to a more godlike status every season as I was exposed …

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Into the Past: Desert Lahontans Stand the Tests of Time

These fish had been through it. It was hard to believe anything out here hadn’t been, even without human intervention. The Great Basin is a land of extremes, experiencing massive temperature swings and challenging seasons throughout the year for its wild residents. Throw in the desertification of their home lake and the anthropomorphic uppercuts of …

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