  FLY CULTURE MAGAZINE With the start of 2022, I'm thankful to share my article in the Winter 2021 issue of Fly Culture Magazine. Fly Culture is, "a fly fishing journal of high quality writing and photographs that capture the essence of what fly fishing means to us all..and focuses on what our pastime means to us and the moments we have on the water, alone or in the company of friends" (Fly Culture website). Pete Tyjas, the Editor in Chief, and the Fly Culture staff provide a tremendous compilation of writing and photography each season, and I'm really honored to be a part of it. My article, called "The Silence and Solitude of Steelheading," revolves around winter steelheading and how nature really sings in the deep freeze. Most of the time, I visit the Erie tribs with my fishing friends, but on this occasion, I went by myself. On this trip, the water created amazing crystals near the shoreline you can see below. One of my favorite lines in the article eludes to the steelheading sipping the snowflakes: "I imagine the steelhead softly breaking the water's surface to engulf the flurries of snow, a spontaneous snowflake hatch." Check out Pete's podcasts and others on the site which showcase fly fishing from around the world. If you're interested in purchasing an individual issue or yearly subscription (4 issues), visit the Fly Culture website for details.  The Silence & Solitude of Steelheading by Christian A. Shane   TEACHER GIFT Among the great gifts which my family shared, a Christmas present from my students really sticks out this holiday season. One of my fly tying students tied his best version of a bead-head Woolly Bugger and attached it to his family Christmas card and a Starbucks gift card. So proud of the progress my student "Tying Tigers" group (including Grades 6,7,8) has made during our weekly club meetings at school, and this gift really represented our time spent together learning, tying, and experimenting. Nothing better than a hand-tied fly pattern.  I hope this 2022 season brings you some time on the water alone...or at least with friends who are willing to lend a hand.  Archives |