Over the years, in my dealings with even the best of fishermen, the question inevitably comes up—what the heck is a kype? And since the word will be splashed across the cover of each of our magazines, I feel compelled to set the record straight and satisfy the curious.

A kype is a hook that forms on the lower jaw of a male trout, salmon or steelhead, during spawning periods. This is their badge of power and dominance, that is unique to only these species. It's an explanation point, similar to the rack of a male deer—a sign of a warrior—a sign of strength. Only the brutes, only the stout, only the herculean bucks will display this emblem of pure power. These kype-busting-bucks are known to burn-out drag systems, shatter graphite, and snap leaders as if they were a strand of hair. And with such a mark of strength, thus—the title of our magazine, KYPE.

Our corporate name, Castle Douglas Productions, was named after the town in Scotland, where my family fishing tradition began. Castle Douglas Productions is proud to present Kype—a new and innovative magazine that includes a DVD with every issue, featuring exciting river shots in our quest of sport fishing's finest: trout, salmon and steelhead