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Tying Tuesday: Stoneflies, Eggs, and Pheasant Tails
Tying Tuesday is here, and we’re treated to some fantastic little patterns this week. We start out with a stonefly, get treated to a fun egg pattern, and end with a nice pheasant tail variation. Watching these videos this week really has me inspired to sit back down at the vise after far too long away. I know we started off with a stonefly pattern from Fly Fish Food last…
Podcast Roundup: Fly Tying and Native Fish
This week’s Podcast Roundup features a trout-heavy bunch of shows. We start off with a discussion on why we catch trout in fits and spurts throughout the river, then move on to the similarities and differences between American and European fly tying. Finally, we’ll end with a panel discussion about native fish. There’s a lot of information in here, so get comfortable. As always, if you have a podcast you’d…
Helping Out Louis Cahill
Photo: Louis Cahill Louis Cahill has been a wonderful voice in the fly fishing community, almost since I realized there was such a thing online. I’ve loved his stories at Gink & Gasoline, and have shared them often here at MidCurrent. Unfortunately, Louis’s home was hit hard by Hurricane Helene, and he’s in need of some help. I encourage you to read through his story about the hurricane here, because…
Is Fall Fishing Really That Good?
In a recent episode of the Quick Strike podcast over at Outdoor Life, Joe Cermele sat down with Miles Nolte to talk about the “fall feedbag myth” they say permeates fly fishing. Now, Joe and Miles are two very accomplished anglers, and both know what they’re doing. According to them, the modern belief that fall is the best time to target big trout is just a myth. In fact, Miles…
Do Leader and Tippet Brands “Matter?”
For the past few years I’ve fished Scientific Anglers leaders and their Absolute Trout tippet. I’ve used them on fish everywhere from Wyoming to Alaska, and I haven’t had any bad experiences with the leader or tippet breaking when it shouldn’t. My best fishing buddy, Alex Stulce, has been using the tippet and leaders we sell at Ventures Fly Co. They’re significantly cheaper than anything you can buy from Scientific…
Chinook Return to Klamath River
Photo: Mark Hereford, ODFW After the removal of the four dams on the Klamath River, anglers, scientists, and conservationists alike have been eager for an Elwha River-style story, where the fish just come rushing back with a vengeance. That big rush has yet to happen, but according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), at least one chinook salmon has been spotted in a Klamath River tributary this year….
Tying Tuesday: Stoneflies, Streamers, and Emergers
Tying Tuesday starts off with a stonefly nymph, then we’ll get an interesting streamer, and finish up with a unique emerger pattern. This emerger, in particular, looks like it’ll be a lot of fun, even if its name is about impossible to pronounce. Our first tie this week is from Fly Fish Food. This smaller stonefly nymph is perfect for getting down quickly and lingering where stonefly nymphs love to…
More Details on Denver Fur Ban
A few weeks ago I reported on the fur ban that’s on ballots in Denver for this upcoming election. At the time there was a lot of hand-wringing over the ban’s implications for fly anglers, since fur and feathers are central to tying the flies we use for fishing. But it was unclear whether the ban would impact fly fishing, especially since Boulder, Colorado has had a similar ban in…
Fly Lines I Love Right Now
Fly anglers spend an inordinate amount of time drooling over rods, and I should know—I do more than enough drooling for all of us. One part of our kit that we regularly overlook, however, is the fly line. Fly fishing revolves around fly line. Without fly line, the fly cast is impossible, and the way we fish doesn’t exist. Yet so many anglers are willing to just buy whatever line…
Flyfishers’ Club Votes to Allow Women
News broke a while ago about bans on women joining fly fishing clubs over in England. One group, the Garrick Club, successfully made changes to allow women to join their ranks. Now, the 140-year-old Flyfishers’ Club will allow women to join, as well, according to The Guardian. The Flyfishers’ Club counts the King of England as a member, and has a rich history. Surprisingly, it’s not the only club in England…
Tying Tuesday: Hooks, Wet Flies, and Mice
If you’re looking for effective fall flies to get a fish’s attention, then you’ve come to the right place. Whether you want a wet fly to toss on the cold days when the trout are warily eating off the top, or a big mouse to tempt a trophy into your net, we’ve got a great collection of fly tying tutorials this week. Charlie Craven starts us off this week with…
Simms Fishing Sold Again
Vista Outdoors, parent company of Simms Fishing, has announced an agreement to sell Simms to Strategic Value Partners (SVP), according to Outdoor Retailer. SVP is purchasing the Revelyst group of companies, which includes Foresight Sports, Bushnell Golf, Fox, Bell, CameBak, Giro, and Simms Fishing. The purchase will take Simms back to a private company, and the deal for the entire Revelyst group is priced at $1.125 billion. Vista Outdoors bought…
Podcast Roundup: Painting, Western Rivers, and Beginner Questions
Photo: Matt Keefe/Flickr This week’s Podcast Roundup has one of the more diverse lineups in a while. We start out with a conversation about fly fishing art, move into some highly recommended rivers, and finish with answers to some beginner questions. You’ll probably find something in each of these shows to use in your own fishing, especially as the season winds down. As always, if you have a podcast you’d…
Fishing the 8’6″ 5-weight Winston Air 2
I’ve long been a fan of Winston rods. My first top-of-the-line rod was a 9′ 5-weight BIIIx, and I’ve since grown my collection to over a dozen green sticks, both vintage and modern. The Air 2 series is, objectively, the company’s most versatile. An old 8’6″ 6-weight pre-IM6 Fisher-rolled Winston might be a bit sweeter to cast, but it doesn’t stand up to the versatility a modern rod offers. I’ve…
Norway Limits Wild Salmon Fishing
Photo: Derrick Mercer/Flickr CC2.0 Pacific salmon aren’t the only ones facing population threats. Fisheries managers in Norway recently announced new restrictions for wild Atlantic salmon fishing in 2025 as the country’s stocks hit record lows, according to Phys.org. Earlier this year, fisheries managers in Norway also shut down 33 rivers to salmon fishing in response to low returns. Ellen Hambro, head of the Norwegian Environment Agency, said that anglers can…
Tying Tuesday: Fall Dry Flies
This week’s Tying Tuesday is decidedly fall-themed, with a nice mayfly spinner pattern, and an October caddis in the lineup. We end with a great tutorial on a Woolly Bugger (which I’ve never been able to tie quite to my satisfactions), and I reckon each of these flies deserves a spot in your box this fall. Up first is a neat little fly from Charlie Craven, called the Profile Spinner….
Restoring Rainforest Rivers
The folks over at Trout Unlimited (TU) have been busy lately on the Olympic Peninsula, and recently made a video to highlight their conservation efforts in that region. The video, which you can view below, focuses on restoring the rainforest rivers that flow through the Olympic Peninsula, which are home to salmon, steelhead, and trout. “Working alongside our partners at federal and state agencies, regional tribes and the Cold Water…
Podcast Roundup: Euro Nymphing Debate, Rigs, and Fall Tactics
Photo: Matt Keefe/Flickr This week’s Podcast Roundup features a fun debate between some heavy hitters in the industry about whether Euro nymphing is actually fly fishing. You’ll also get treated to a beginner’s guide on fly fishing rigs, and then some advice on fall fishing tactics. There’s tons of content in the podcasts this week, so get comfortable and get listening! As always, if you have a podcast you’d like…
Oregon’s Fall River Comeback
Photo: Bureau of Land Management/Flickr Back in 2002, Oregon’s Fall River was accidentally damaged by a drop of fire retardant. The chemical spill killed all the trout within a four-mile stretch of water, some 22,000 rainbows. Thankfully, that retardant cleared relatively quickly, according to Scott Linden over at Game and Fish Magazine, but that’s when the real work began of restoring the river. The Fall is a tributary of the Deschutes, and…
Tying Tuesday: Two Nymphs and a Dry
This week’s Tying Tuesday is fully fall-flavored, with a fantastic mayfly dun that is screaming to be fished during the late-season blue-wing hatches. Then we have two nymphs, one of which is stillwater-focused, and another that’s a variant of a tried-and-true nymph. Up first is this spectacular little mayfly pattern from Davie McPhail, which he calls the autumn dun. I’m certainly tying some of these up (in smaller sizes, of…

