Over the past six months, we’ve been fortunate to swing flies for everything from dime bright king salmon, to feisty wild steelhead, to some of the largest native resident rainbow trout in the world. That’s allowed us to put some of the latest and greatest spey gear to the test, in full hopes that we…
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Archives for November 2018
Timeless Tips: Clearing Line for Bonefish
What’s the most overlooked facet of saltwater fly fishing that results in more fish lost or landed? We’d argue its that vulnerable moment of time between setting the hook, and getting the fish on the reel. That’s why today we present you with seven tips for clearing line – You’ve set the hook, chaos ensues,…
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Post-Election Pebble Mine Update
A couple weeks ago, our good friend and Sportsman’s Alliance of Alaska director, Scott Hed, gave us an informative update on the current status and threats of the Pebble Mine project, an open pit mine proposed to be built in the headwaters of Bristol Bay, Alaska. Well, a lot has changed since the midterm elections…
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Gear Hack: Attach a Split Ring To Your Fishing Pliers
It’s been a while since we’ve presented you with a super cheap, embarrassingly simple, yet remarkably helpful gear hack. So, today we right that wrong. Years ago, your fearless editor attached his favorite pair of fishing pliers to a standard bungee lanyard with a sturdy, yet super simple, split key ring. That’s right, the same…
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Spey Casting – 3 Benefits of Aerial Mending
It’s long been said that great presentations catch fish, not great casts. Its one of the most governing truths in fly fishing. Mending, the act of repositioning the fly line after the cast, is what makes this possible in moving water. Make no mistake, like casting, mending is a skill, and those that are able…
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Steelhead Flies: Modern ‘Spins’ on Classic Patterns
We recently received a great request from one of our readers (thanks, Ray!) for a fresh step by step post on how to tie some of our favorite ‘smaller’ fly patterns for summer and/or winter steelhead using modern materials and techniques. Naturally, we reached out to our good friend and arguably one of the most…
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Timeless Tips: Wading in Shallow Water
Bonefish swimming in very shallow water are often at their spookiest, especially when the water’s calm as well. If you’re chasing shallow water bonefish on foot, these handy tips will help you get your fly into that fish’s mouth – which isn’t going to happen if you spook him first. Walk slowly. The noise created…
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How to Fish From a Flats Boat – RIO TV
The good folks of RIO Products have been putting out some great content of late as part of their RIO TV video series. The recently released a video on how to of fish from a flats boat which we think does a great job to illustrate the fundamentals of fishing from a skiff.. Something we do…
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Fishpond Thunderhead Submersible Backpack – Why We Like It
A couple weeks ago we gave you our thoughts on Fishpond’s Quikshot Rod Holder; a super clever and convenient way to carry a spare fully-rigged rod on compatible Fishpond packs. Judging by the number of comments we received on the Quikshot, it certainly truck a chord with many of you, and some of you asked…
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Spey Casting and Current Speed
When determining which spey cast to use in a given situation, most experienced spey anglers take into account three primary variables; wind direction (upstream wind, downstream wind, etc.), river position (which side of the river you’re casting from), and obstacles (trees, rocks, banks, or other obstructions that limit your casting area). The majority of the…
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