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Mike Connor caught this redfish with a custom-made 7-foot, 10-inch fly rod. Photo by Mike Conner The standard 9-foot rod works fine for most saltwater applications, but writing in Florida Sportsman, Mike Connor makes a convincing case for using shorter rods in specific situations. A short rod can be light, fast, and accurate for when you’re trying to cast in a tight corridor, tuck a fly under the mangroves, and…

You’ve probably been hearing a lot about threats to public lands in recent weeks, as Congress has been debating whether or not to sell off federally owned land to the states. Well, Kirk Deeter of Angling Trade has some pretty strong opinions about this idea: [W]hat sets the American angler apart from almost any other on the planet is that we have millions of acres and thousands of miles of…

Keep Fish Wet—a science-based nonprofit dedicated to helping anglers improve the outcomes for each fish they release—has launched a cool “Mini-Lesson” about best practices for catch-and-release fishing.  The Mini-Lesson is a great way to learn the science behind catch-and-release, and it’s a great teaching tool for explaining the process to others. “Breaking down barriers to access and sharing is at the core of Keep Fish Wet” says Sascha Clark Danylchuk,…

This week’s Tying Tuesday features a Catskill’s classic dry fly, a more modern emerger from the mind of René Harrop, and simple yet bright wet fly, and a buggy nymph from Austria. Although based in Missouri, Andy’s Flies obviously appreciates the slender, elegant patterns of New Yorker Theodore Gordon, and this Ginger Quill will certainly tempt mayfly-eating trout. (Catskills may have some nits to pick, but the trout don’t care.)…

 Yesterday, saltwater fly-fishing icon Stu Apte celebrated his 95th birthday. One of the pioneers of catching tarpon on a fly, Apte built a name for himself through feats of angling heroics (including 44 world records) and endless self promotion. We posted a great profile of Apte by Jim Chapralis back in 2011: Stu Apte’s angling philosophy demands the best quality tackle rigged to the best of his ability so…

Earlier this week, Trout Unlimited released a new film, “Horses and Highwater: Restoring Tincup Creek,” documenting the restoration of the Salt River Watershed and the people who made this incredible project come to life. Located in northwest Wyoming and southeast Idaho, the Salt is a blue-ribbon fishery for native Snake River cutthroat trout and wild brown trout. However, its health has been compromised by degraded and fragmented fish habitat, rapid…

Do you love fly fishing and fine timepieces? If so, check out the remarkable Olmsted and Humboldt GMT watches from Oak & Oscar, a Chicago-based company celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025. On the sport-specific page of their website, they proudly declare, “We’re an American watch company . . . with a fly-fishing problem.” This is especially evident in their custom trout dials, painstakingly created by artist Tim Johnson (whose…

The lowly fallfish has been disappointing trout anglers for decades. Photo by Jim Leedon/Hatch Magazine Although there have been big changes over the last 20 years in how fly fishers view “trash fish,” there are still plenty of species for whom we feel little romance. In Hatch Magazine, Steven Sautner asks why we feel this way: Among anglers, fallfish almost universally disappoint. Their biggest offense is rising like trout and…

      This brown trout is clearly wild—beautiful, feisty, and fun to catch—but it lives in a river where it competes with native brook trout. Photo: Phil Monahan Fly fishers have long created a hierarchy of trout in the U.S., based on nature. At the top of the pyramid are native species, caught in the waters they’ve inhabited for millennia; next are wild trout, born in the river through…

  The great Tom Rosenbauer is on the other side of the podcast equation this time, as he chats with Hayden Sammick of Backcountry Manifesto about how folks can get started in fly fishing. In typical Tom fashion, he seeks to break down barriers and demystify the sport, explaining that it doesn’t have to be complicated or difficult: “It’s not snobby. It’s not exclusive. It’s just fun.” If you know…

This week’s Tying Tuesday features everything from an imitative dry fly to a ridiculously gaudy nymph, to a flashy streamer—with a buggy beetle thrown in for good measure. We kick things off with a variation on the classic Comparadun that uses synthetic fibers, rather than deer hair, for the wing. I particularly like the way that tier Brandon Moon uses the thread to help splay the tails and hold them…

 Written by: Rick Mikesell Recently, I got a first look at Patagonia’s new premium wader, the Swiftcurrent Expedition Zip-Front, and I am initially impressed with their top-of-the-line wader offering. Here are a few highlights that really caught my eye: Solid Build Quality Right out of the box, you immediately notice how well-built they are, and every detail reflects a level of attention that’s hard to find these days. Everything…

A few weeks ago, we posted about what the fly-fishing future is in the mountains of North Carolina after the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. Here’s an excellent video from Field & Stream that looks at how the “Forgotten Coast” of Florida was affected by the same storm. Gulf Coast fly fishing guide Evan Snow is used to dealing with hurricanes. On the evening Hurricane Helene hit, Snow moved his…

Capt. John McMurray is a renowned big-tuna and striped-bass charter captain based on Long Island, New York, and he’s been a leader with the New York arm of the Coastal Conservation Association and a long-time advocate for menhaden conservation. He’s also an oft-published outdoor writer, who currently blogs for the Marine Fish Conservation Network and has had feature articles/photography published in On The Water, Saltwater Fly Fishing, and The New…

By Rick Mikesell Fly fishing and pop culture have been intersecting more frequently of late. With Drake—the rapper—appearing on the cover of The Drake magazine, and the associated collaboration between Nike’s NOCTA brand and Abel Reels, outdoor-inspired streetwear is firmly in the spotlight. Adding a few more interesting degrees of separation, 7-Eleven’s lifestyle brand, 7Collection, recently released a line of fishing-inspired streetwear called Reel Convenience. Billed by 7-Eleven as a…

At the prick of the barb it vaulted into the air like a silvery meteor. Illustration by Robert Doares I cut my teeth fly-fishing for landlocked salmon on Maine’s Rapid River, and the species holds a special place in my heart. SDO I was excited to see that Outdoor Life has published a wonderful introduction to the species from 1953. Author Ted Janes describes how he discovered the mysteries and…

Patagonia repair specialists inflate a pair of waders to identify leaks. Photos: Rick Mikesell By: Rick Mikesell This spring, the Patagonia repair team hit the road across the West to fix leaky waders—from all brands—at no charge. With stops in Colorado, Montana, and Utah, they repaired a multitude of waders, shared care tips, and provided live patching demonstrations, so anglers can fix rips and pinholes at home. A Front-Row Look…

This week’s Tying Tuesday features an eclectic mix of patterns for trout, bass, and saltwater species. We kick things off with Barry Ord Clarke’s version of a Slow-Water Caddis, which has few materials but involves some delicate maneuvers to get the wings attached. The result is a great-looking imitation that can withstand close inspection by wary trout. Next up is an Adirondacks classic, Lee Wulff’s Ausable Wulff, demonstrated by Gary…

 Waders are one of our most expensive purchases, outside of a rod and reel, and in order to make them last longer we need to take good care of them, so they stay waterproof and comfortable. Tom Rosenbauer says he gets a lot of questions about wader care, storage, and washing instructions. Fit can also affect how long waders last and how comfortable they are. Tom’s guest this week…

This time of year, a lot of new anglers are out on the water, so questions of fish identification are likely to come up pretty regularly. Ben Sittig, a.k.a. Huge Fly Fisherman puts his fisheries-biology degree to good use in this classic video. Sitting offers the basics of trout ID, and even works in some actual taxonomy. While his opinions about various trout are his alone, the science part is…