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It was easy to see why Shawn Perich has been an angler for more than 50 years.

Beneath a clear blue sky, a small lake near the Gunflint Trail was placid. A small river flowed softly into the lake, which is why we were there. It was a perfect fly-fishing spot.

Perich swore me to secrecy on this spot’s exact location, but I will say we were no more than 50 feet off a dirt road coming off the Gunflint.

He has good reason to keep this knowledge private — Perich pulled out a half dozen brook trout within 30 minutes of casting.

But there are plenty of places like this on the North Shore, he said, and he encourages anyone to come try.

“Virtually every river from Duluth to the border has populations of brook trout,” he said. “It’s easy to find places to fish.”

Minnesota has fly-fishing across the state, too. It’s a simple sport with few financial barriers to entry. Perhaps its appeal is in the simplicity and the inherent connection with nature. While fly-fishing can be done from a boat or canoe, many anglers find themselves walking down streams or alongside them.

Perich has some pointers and encouragement for anyone interested in the sport.

He wrote a book on fly-fishing Minnesota’s North Shore. He showed MPR News photojournalist Evan Frost and me the basics of fly-fishing one morning last month. His tips had me pulling in a brook trout within a few casts. Frost was so hooked, he bought a fly rod of his own that night. A new rod and reel combo can go for as little as about $40, and Craigslist often has used listings, too.

Here are some pointers from Perich and others on how to get into fly-fishing:

Cody Nelson

Author

Minnesota has fly-fishing across the state. It’s a simple sport with few financial barriers to entry. Here’s some expert advice on how to get started.

Minnesota has fly-fishing across the state. It's a simple sport with few financial barriers to entry. Here's some expert advice on how to get started.

Fly-fishing 101: How to get hooked on the sport in Minnesota

Shawn Perich holds a brook trout he caught.

Evan Frost | MPR News

Shawn Perich casts his line while fly fishing.

Fly-fishing 101: How to get hooked on the sport in Minnesota

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