Get TO Know Misha
Misha's fascination with fish along the C&O canal at age 7, igniting a lifelong curiosity that propels him through a series of captivating adventures. Misha is happily married and a devoted parent to two children. His professional endeavors at Speedwell Law, an esteemed Estate Planning and Administration Law firm.
My Epic Fishing Adventures
Tippett and the River I Put Off Fishing | FEB 26, 2018
I have lived in Virginia full-time now for nearly five years. And last week, I fished the Rapidan River for the first time. I had an Esq. conference in Charlottesville last weekend. Being the generous employer that I am, I apportioned some time to fish on my way down. The way down to Charlottesville is mainly piedmont -largely bereft of public access water - but a small diversion into Shenandoah National Park proved convenient enough.
December Pickerel | Dec 27, 2017
So I was lucky enough to get out for pickerel twice this month, once with Andrew and once with Thomas. I seem to have carried some pox that applied only to my fishing partners, for while I caught fish both times they caught none. Not that the action was all that frenzied, but I managed to get three, one on the outing with Andrew and two with Thomas. Not sure what I’m trying to say but I hope to shake the pox when Scott and I go out Saturday for Musky… he’s got a hot hand right now having caught TWO when he went out with Blane Chocklett two weeks ago!
Winter Ruminations - Inauguration Week | JAN 18, 2017
The transition is complete. No I’m not talking about the Presidential Transition. Let’s hope for a peaceful transfer of power. I’m talking about myself. I’ve turned into a weekend warrior. Three good years since law school having the flexibility to skip out in the middle of the week to find a rise. Over. Saturday and Sunday and maybe Friday travel days for me.
The Fallies Were Bigger Than The Amilies | AUG 23, 2016
Last weekend I headed out to the Upper James River with a great cast of characters from TPFR, to whit, Miles, Thomas, Scott and Kyle. Miles did a bunch of legwork finding us an awesome campground in Gala, VA, and our campsite was right on the water with a source of artisanal ice cubes nearby at Kelly’s Market. It was ironic that Miles wasn’t able to join us for any camping due to babysitter shenanigans, but he still made it out to fish on Sunday.
How To Have Comfortable Day On The Water | May 18, 2016
Man, I can’t even begin to describe all the times that I have gone fishing only to end up uncomfortable on the water or the next day as a result of a fishing trip. Suffice it to say that my knowledge of the subject is hard won. Sure, all this is common sense, and you may be thinking to yourself, boring, but who among us can claim that they never have a lapse in common sense? I wouldn’t claim to. So, here’s a compilation of a few things I always try to keep in mind when I’m prepping for a trip out on the water.
Sulphurs On The Little Juniata | May 2, 2016
Kyle and I had planned this trip for a long time. We tried to go at the beginning of October in 2015, but it was the weekend Hurricane Joaquin blasted the east coast. So we rescheduled.
This time, we aimed for the end of April. Besides being a prime time to fish anywhere, the end of April/beginning of May coincides with the beginning of the Sulphur hatch on the Little Juniata, which is the stream’s premier mayfly hatch.
Warm Spell | Mar 29, 2016
Back at the beginning of March, we had a pretty nice warm spell for a week. The nice weather happened to coincide with a busy stretch of work, but the warm weather was just too irresistible. So, thinking that a Tuesday morning jaunt was the ticket to avoid crowds (I love being a business owner), I pointed my wheels north towards Big Hunting Creek a few minutes past Frederick, Maryland.
Skitchin' It | Feb 1, 2016
There is a certain rod-waggle that I have come to rely on. That is the waggle I make with the rod the moment after my fly hits the water. It’s a quick, almost instinctive move I make to put me in touch with the tip of my fly line, that is, the business end of my fly line. If that sounds useful to you, let me explain to you the various ways in which this waggle is useful to my fishing. I use it every day I hit the water and in different ways depending on the circumstance, although I discovered its usefulness while popper fishing. I call this move a “skitch.”
The Benjamin Button of Flats Fishing | January 14, 2016
I think I’m the Benjamin Button of flats fishing. It’s like I started at the end and regressed over the course of the day. I mean, who goes flats fishing for the first time and catches a permit?
I had the opportunity for one day of Belizeian flats fishing over New Year’s on a vacation with my wife, Brooke, celebrating the completion of her MBA curriculum. I went to Placencia, in the southern end of the country, about halfway between Dangriga and Punta Gorda and just a 35-minute puddle jump from Belize City. The coast line you fly over is littered with swampland, mangrove marshes that provide superior habitat for juvenile game fish. In Placenica, the cayes offer some world-class permit fishing.
White Millers and Maryland Trout | Aug 22, 2014
Yesterday my friend Helen and I had the mid-week opportunity to get out fishing. We decided to chase some Maryland trout on Beaver Creek and then hop on over to Harper’s Ferry to try for the Potomac’s famous hatch of White Millers, aka the White Fly.
Nymphing For Smallies | Jul 16, 2014
I’ve fished the Seneca breaks on the main stem Potomac a handful of times. Saturday I fished it again with Joel. I’ve had good and bad days there, including one fine day where I hooked into a 20 inch smallie. It’s a funny story because at one point in the fight, the fish dove into a ledge and just sat there. I thought she had me stuck on the bottom and had gotten away, so I waded over to the end of my line and tried to dislodge my fly with my foot. I kicked the end of my line and hit the fish in the face. My first and probably last time I ever kick a fish. The fight was back on, but the humiliated smallmouth gave in a few moments later.
Humphreys Nymphing On The Gunpowder | June 30, 2014
On Saturday I found a little time to fish the Gunpowder. My wife, Brooke, and I were invited to attend the wedding of her friend and bridesmaid Jane in Baltimore on the evening of June 28th. The wedding didn’t start until 6 pm, and with no mandatory structure for how I was to spend my day, I leapt at the chance to fish the nearby tailwater, Big Gunpowder Falls.
Sight Fishing For Snake Head | JUNE 23, 2014
I’ve been driving by it almost every day for a year and a half, and today I finally decided to fish Roaches Run. The result? 3 interested snakeheads. 2 takes. 1 hookup. 0 landed.
I put in my kayak right around high tide at noon. There were a bunch of other boats already fishing, so I kind of just headed towards a spot where it looked like there would be room. That was straight across and to the left, near the soccer fields and in between the two major vegetation fields (what’s the plant called?). There’s a bank there with some trees and brush piles. I put on an orange boogle bug and started fishing.