  Hardyreels
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Last Activity: Today 12:17 PM
About Me
- About Hardyreels
- Biography
- My real name is Ard Stetts, because it's a small world you may either know me or we've fished the same rivers & creeks at some time in our lives.
I was born in 1954 at Williamsport Pennsylvania. I began fishing in the sixties and was fascinated by the television program “The American Sportsman”. This program often featured Lee Wulff and Curt Gowdy fly fishing all over North America. My young mind was indelibly etched with images of Pacific Silver salmon cartwheeling through the air when they were hooked by a fly. At my young age I could not really conceive of exactly how far I was from Alaska where that show had been taped but I knew I wanted to go. Fishing was a fascination, a dream and I had rather humble beginnings at it. I started fishing when I was eight years old in the West Branch of The Susquehanna River with a throw line and used stones as sinkers with red worms for bait. A throw line (if you’ve never seen one used) works along the same principal as the sling that David used on Goliath. The difference is that the axis of the spinning rock is on a vertical plane and the stone has a fishing line attached. By the time I was twelve I owned a spin casting rod and reel. My father was an amateur naturalist and a Geology buff but not a fisherman. After I was confirmed by our local YMCA as a 'Shark' in the swimming classes I was permitted to join my neighborhood friend and his Father on a trip to a trout stream. I caught a stocked Rainbow on my first cast, and like that fish I was hooked.
By the time I turned fourteen I had a fly tying kit and a 1968 entry level Ike Walton solid fiberglass rod & South Bend #1200 reel with level line. My Father had passed away and fishing time had become even more important for me. My sister’s employer, C.W. ‘Bill’ O’Connor, a prominent angler, and the owner of “E. Hillie’s Angler’s Supply House” of Williamsport Pa. became my fly tying mentor. It is to him that I owe my tying skills. Bill taught me how to create a good wing whether it were quill for a dry fly, saddle feathers for a streamer, or marrying swan, turkey, and pheasant for the wing of a classic Salmon fly. He always had time for me. It was from him that I learned how to select the best when I was shopping for materials for tying. I enjoyed tying feather wing streamers because they set me apart from anyone I knew. Other fishermen I came to know avoided them as being too difficult to tie. They acknowledged that streamers were said to be quite effective but most didn’t tie any. I eventually adopted the streamer as more than a “default fly” to use when other means of catching fish failed. I made streamer fishing my primary plan and only changed strategy when the rising fish made it obvious that dry fly fishing was certainly at hand. My success with the “Big Wets” has been great and I continue tying and fishing them even here in Alaska where I catch Trout, Char, Grayling and Pacific Silver Salmon on them.
Like my childhood inspiration the late Mr. Wulff, I have traveled and fished from the far northwest shores of Newfoundland to the Gulf of Mexico, from the Great Lakes to the Rocky Mountains and finally here to Alaska. I have spent a lifetime fishing, floating, and walking beside the waters of this continent. I don't quote many people but John Denver could have been talking about being alone on a river when he wrote; "You can talk to God and listen to the casual reply". - Location
- Wasilla / Skwentna, Alaska
- Interests
- Outdoor Activities; fly tying, photography, cross country sking, snowshoing, motor cycling, etc.
- Occupation
- Licenced professional fly / Spey fishing guide and outfitter.
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Signature
Anywhere can be the land of great expectations, broken dreams, or paradise found, it's all up to you.
The Alaska Fishing & Outdoors Blog; http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/fo...gs/hardyreels/
Life On The Line Alaskan Fly Fishing http://akflyfishingguide.com/
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If you read the story about my 2012 encounter with a brown bear you know that it came down to spraying the bear with Counter Assault Bear Spray and I am alive and well.
I heard this on the radio and looked it up this evening; Moose shot near Denali National Park visitor center | Alaska Dispatch
Sorry, but I would never shoot a momma moose with 2 babies, period. I think the legalization of carrying guns in Denali is a mistake. It is a National Park, one of the only places...
I heard this on the radio and looked it up this evening; Moose shot near Denali National Park visitor center | Alaska Dispatch
Sorry, but I would never shoot a momma moose with 2 babies, period. I think the legalization of carrying guns in Denali is a mistake. It is a National Park, one of the only places...
Posted in Uncategorized
It took until March 18th at 2:30 AM before I saw a display of the Aurora but I was dressed and outside by 3:00 and then took the snowmachine out to the back field to get some shots.
The show lasted for hours and I made many changes of lens's and settings as I enjoyed the -14* morning air.
...
The show lasted for hours and I made many changes of lens's and settings as I enjoyed the -14* morning air.
...
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In early January Nancy got herself a new Ski Doo Skandic Super Widetrack snowmachine. After riding it out she took my Tundra LT back when she went home and left me this to test out.
I was amazed at how these things will crawl through the thick woods over 4 - 5 feet of powder snow. They have a 156" long by 24" wide track under them that is like a giant snowshoe. The skies are 10.5"...
I was amazed at how these things will crawl through the thick woods over 4 - 5 feet of powder snow. They have a 156" long by 24" wide track under them that is like a giant snowshoe. The skies are 10.5"...
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Like many of the entries here this will be a multiple part story. I'll identify the pages; Part Two, and etc. until we reach the current time.
The story starts back on December 22, 2012 and I stayed out there until March 27, 2013. Over this time I did a lot of work but somehow it seems there is still so much to do that I'm not sure I'll live long enough to finish it all. I do intend to try.
Getting ready to leave home for a long trip into the Bush country is stressful, at...
The story starts back on December 22, 2012 and I stayed out there until March 27, 2013. Over this time I did a lot of work but somehow it seems there is still so much to do that I'm not sure I'll live long enough to finish it all. I do intend to try.
Getting ready to leave home for a long trip into the Bush country is stressful, at...
Posted in Uncategorized
With the difficulties of my arrival behind me it then became clear that the insulation under the cabin floor has needed work for years. I spent 2 days remedying this during which time the temps never passed negative readings. Finding the offending areas was tough because the insulation had been installed by someone other than myself................ The bottom of the floor joists were covered by heavy plastic stapled in place and then a sort of wire mesh also stapled up to hold the rolled fiberglass...
Recent Comments
Ard, that's an unfortunate...
Wow, that was a sad...
Maybe I'm a hard a-s-s...
I agree 100% with your...
Sad story Ard. And wasn't...
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