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On the surface, the South Platte is one of the most discussed, written about, puzzling, every changing, challenging, rewarding, frustrating, and incredible fisheries in the West.  
As a guide service,...

Most married men who come into the fly shop during the weekends enter with a big smile as they are picking through the fly bins at the latest flies, glaring at the newest reels in the glass display case or just picking up the rods from the racks and giving them a wiggle.  It is usually a short-lived moment that goes from happy to sad when I throw out my signature question..."So... have you done any fishing lately?", I ask enthusiastically, expecting to hear all about a great fishing adventure on the Kenai River or The Madison or some other famous fly-fishing heaven. Instead, the smile becomes a subtle expression of wanton depravation, the head bows down and I sometimes get a response like, "Nah, the wife has too many honey-dos on my list" or "Are you kidding...I'm a married man!".  I can only nod and reply with sincerity "Well, sir, I am sorry to hear that!" 
My heart goes out to these guys because I know there is nothing that refreshes the mind, body and spirit like a great time out on the water fly-fishing for your favourite fish.  
Yet, most married guys who fly-fish are usually professional hard working types who know they are ones who have to have to financially carry the family, handle the honey dos, be part of the kid's school events, etc, and finally figure out how they can squeeze in some that quality alone time that can only be accomplished by fly-fishing.   And for those who do not fly-fish, such as a non-fishing spouse, it is hard for her to understand why you need a 3-weight fly rod for the family summer camping trip to the Great Smokey Montains to fish for Brookies and why you can't just use the 9-weight you bought two years ago to fish for redfish on the flats with Uncle Joe! (Much less why you need the time go in the first place).
I may never be able to tell you why these conversations never seem to occur when it is to your strategic...

Casting tips from the world championSteve Rajeff
Steve won his first ACA tournament in 1972 when he was just fifteen years old and has continually won or tied the All-Around Championship 37 consecutive years including most recently in 2007. This just may be the longest winning streak in amateur competitive sport. For good measure, he also owns the U.S. record in every distance event. Steve Rajeff won his first ACA tournament in 1972 when he was 15 years old and has won or tied the All-Around Championship 34 consecutive years including most recently in August 2004. This gives him possibly the longest winning streak in amateur competitive sport. For good measure, he also owns the U.S. record in every distance event.
Methodology in evaluating Fly Casting TechniquesBy Steve Rajeff:When we go out to practice fly casting accuracy or distance, many of us forget to evaluate important basic techniques. Distance casters often resort to the "hit it harder" method while accuracy casters execute countless, mindless, imperfect false casts. While power and lots of practice are important, effort spent on pure technique may yield even better improvements.Fly casting may be analyzed from four main categories: Loop; Stroke; Tempo; and Trajectory.
The Loop
Face it, without a really good, narrow loop, not much is going to happen. A controlled, tight loop should be priority number one, both on front and back casts. The size of the loop is controlled by the path the tip top takes as it travels back or forth. The closer to a straight path, the narrower the loop. For most casters, the back cast loop needs more attention than the front loop. The key to improved back cast loops is the ability of the caster to stop the rod abruptly. This will transfer the stored energy in the rod bend to the line and help form a narrow loop. Depending on the length of line, the exact stop position shifts between 12 and 2 o'clock. The longer the line, the more bend the rod experiences and the further back it will need to travel to help maintain the straight line path. Also, depending on the length of the cast, a slight drift back on a short cast or a longer drift for longer casts may be needed depending on rod length and stiffness. Longer and stiffer rods allow the caster to power harder during the stroke, resulting in higher line speed and it is possible to shorten the stroke significantly. Softer rods require a longer...

Casting tips from the world champion Steve Rajeff
Steve won his first ACA tournament in 1972 when he was just fifteen years old and has continually won or tied the All-Around Championship 37 consecutive years including most recently in 2007. This just may be the longest winning streak in amateur competitive sport. For good measure, he also owns the U.S. record in every distance event. Steve Rajeff won his first ACA tournament in 1972 when he was 15 years old and has won or tied the All-Around Championship 34 consecutive years including most recently in August 2004. This gives him possibly the longest winning streak in amateur competitive sport. For good measure, he also owns the U.S. record in every distance event.
Methodology in evaluating Fly Casting TechniquesBy Steve Rajeff:When we go out to practice fly casting accuracy or distance, many of us forget to evaluate important basic techniques. Distance casters often resort to the "hit it harder" method while accuracy casters execute countless, mindless, imperfect false casts. While power and lots of practice are important, effort spent on pure technique may yield even better improvements.Fly casting may be analyzed from four main categories: Loop; Stroke; Tempo; and Trajectory.
The Loop
Face it, without a really good, narrow loop, not much is going to happen. A controlled, tight loop should be priority number one, both on front and back casts. The size of the loop is controlled by the path the tip top takes as it travels back or forth. The closer to a straight path, the narrower the loop. For most casters, the back cast loop needs more attention than the front loop. The key to improved back cast loops is the ability of the caster to stop the rod abruptly. This will transfer the stored energy in the rod bend to the line and help form a narrow loop. Depending on the length of line, the exact stop position shifts between 12 and 2 o'clock. The longer the line, the more bend the rod experiences and the further back it will need to travel to help maintain the straight line path. Also, depending on the length of the cast, a slight drift back on a short cast or a longer drift for longer casts may be needed depending on rod length and stiffness. Longer and stiffer rods allow the caster to power harder during the stroke, resulting in higher line speed and it is possible to shorten the stroke significantly. Softer rods...