Friday has come around again. Grab your coffee or morning beverage of choice, pull up a chair, and enjoy this week’s “Things Worth Reading” – 5 articles on ticks, carp, trout flies, angler position, and some great wild game recipes.

5 Questions with Jay Zimmerman (American Angler, Zach Matthews)

Jay Zimmerman is the author of Best Carp Flies: How to Tie and Fish Them. In this interview, he answers questions specific to carp fishing (an aspect of fly fishing that his been getting more popular recently). The Backstabber carp fly that’s featured in this post is a great crayfish/leech/baitfish pattern (depending on the colors used).

Six Recipes for Throwing the Ultimate Wild-Game Fiesta (Field & Stream, David Draper)

This has nothing to do with fishing but everything to do with great food, which is an important aspect of a fishing trip and life in general. These  Tex-Mex recipes look delicious!

The Top 5 Trout Flies You Should Carry at All Times (Postfly)

These are some good pattern choices to carry, though I might replace the Prince Nymph with a Pheasant Tail. It definitely got me thinking about the 5 patterns that I wouldn’t be without around here (look for a post coming at some point).

Protect Yourself from Lyme Disease (Gink & Gasoline, Louis Cahill)

Another article that doesn’t directly relate to fly fishing or fly tying tips, but since fly fishing involves getting outside, this one is helpful. Louis Cahill distills five tips from an NPR article on ticks and lyme disease. These are definitely good practices, and we would recommend going to a doctor as soon as possible just in case.

Why Aren’t We Talking More About Angler Positioning? (Gink & Gasoline, Kent Klewein)

Angler positioning can be just as important as matching the hatch, because presentation of your flies matters. Kent Klewein outlines three tips on how to position yourself better in relation to the fish in order to increase your chances of catching it.