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Articles by Neil Waugh

Articles by Neil Waugh

Neil Waugh is an award-winning outdoor writer and photographer based in Edmonton, Alberta who grew up fly fishing for Athabasca rainbow trout and mountain whitefish on Alberta’s historic Coal Branch.
As a long time columnist with the Edmonton Sun newspaper, Neil’s angling adventures have taken him around the world pursuing trout, salmon and other species of game fish.
Including Scotland, Italy, Argentina, Belize, Mexico, Cuba, Bahamas, New Zealand, South Africa, Zambia plus numerous American states and Canadian provinces and territories.
Neil has had his works published in many outdoors magazines and web-sites and writes a monthly article for the popular Alberta Outdoorsmen Magazine as well as being a regular contributor to the Fishin’ Hole’s on-line content.
The University of Alberta history and English graduate and Trout Unlimited Canada volunteer also had a long career as a political and business writer with the Sun newspaper chain and as a member of the Alberta legislature press gallery.
Whether it’s sight-fishing for red fish on Texas’ Gulf Coast or swinging a two-handed salmon rod on Scotland’s legendary Spey River, Neil’s first love is working up an Alberta foothills trout stream or northern Boreal Arctic grayling creek with a light-weight fly-rod on a sunny summer afternoon.
man standing in the water with dog in river stream
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Fishing the Seam

Successful flyfishing is all about delusion, confusion and deception.

Fooling the fish is the key element to success.

clear river stream in alberta coniferous trees line the horizon
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White Knight of the Alberta Rockies (and Beyond)

When it comes to handing out the angling hardware hereabouts, it’s not a very crowded podium.

Cold-water trout, and rainbows in particular, perennially share the laurel wreath with their warmer-water cousins the walleye.

fisherman straight coil-free line forest river stream rocks
dog pound greenery trees brown trout creek alberta
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A Beautiful Deception

For the entry-level, first-timer flyfisher, dipping the toe of his/her wading boot tentatively into the water, the learning curve can be steep and intimidating. Gear, knots, casting, where to go, how to read the water when you arrive streamside, the challenges seem endless at times. And nothing is more bewildering when you arrive at the well-stocked fly shop and are confronted with dozens in not hundreds of bins on the fly table.

Getting There Is Half the Battle
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Getting There Is Half the Battle

Every travelling angler – especially when they cast their fate to an airline – has experienced that sinking feeling in their gut when they place their rod cases on the oversized luggage rack.

No Fun in the Sun – a Survivor’s Guide to Fishing the Flats
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No Fun in the Sun – a Survivor’s Guide to Fishing the Flats

As the snow months arrive, sadly, the angler’s window of opportunity closes to little more than a crack.

Fishing through the ice, getting out on the few open-water situations available, tying flies, or dreaming of sunny ways or yesterdays...

Joes Hopper dry fly
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Best of Both Worlds-Fly fishing the Hopper-Dropper

One sublime sunny afternoon a few years back I was fishing a classic northern Alberta grayling stream that tumbled over ...

Alberta walleye take up to five years to achieve a catchable size
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Low and Slow

Western Canadian fisheries biologists, when confronting the problem of declining walleye populations, must come to terms with our most popular game fish.

A Clear Boat is a Happy Boat
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A Clear Boat is a Happy Boat

When fly casting for pike and other apex predator game fish from a boat, the length of your line in many cases spells the secret for your success.
A lengthy, free-flowing cast gives your fly the maximum amount of exposure to the fish...

Post Spawn Pike Action
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Post Spawn Pike Action

In the pecking order of prairie fishes, the general consensus is that the walleye if our king of the waters.
Maybe more because of Old Walter’s eating qualities than his sporting abilities. Beauty contests are always subject to debate and controversy.
But it hard not to agree that pike are our most versatile fish...

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