Blog
Podcast Roundup: Nymphing, Streamers, and Travel
Photo: Matt Keefe/Flickr The Podcast Roundup this week features an in-depth look at nymphing strategies, then moves onto some information about streamer fishing. You’ll finish up with a great chat with Tim Flagler, about fly tying and destination travel. There’s quite a bit in this week’s lineup, so get comfortable while you get to listening. As always, if you have a podcast you’d like to see featured here, please let…
Skagit Secrets
Photo: Tom Hart/Flickr I’ve always found the world of two-handed rods, and steelhead fishing in general, fascinating. I’ve never done it, but I’ve dabbled in trout spey a bit here in the Rockies. What I’ve been able to do, however, is read up on and learn as much as I can (without actually doing it) about two-handed casting. This recent story in Fly Fisherman Magazine by John Larison caught my eye because…
New Rangeley Lakes Novel from Bob Romano
Fly fishing author Bob Romano’s final installment in his Rangeley Lakes series, Return to Rangeley, is set for release on January 1st. The novel completes Romano’s literary exploration of Maine’s storied Rangeley Lakes region. To reserve an autographed copy, make your check payable to WEST RIVER MEDIA in the amount of $25.00 & send to: Andora and Romano, 15 Essex Road, Suite 406, Paramus, N.J. 07652. Please remember to include…
Costa Launches 2024 Collection
Costa Del Mar has launched their new 2024 fall lineup, which features 5 new frame options. Details and links to all the new options are below. FINLET Modern aesthetics meet essential functionality. A trusted performance tool for on the water, Costa’s latest performance frame Finlet is built for those in pursuit of the next world record fish. Named after the fins that inspired its sleek design, Finlet features an 8-base…
Blue Ridge Guide Relief Giveaway
The Guide Relief Program (GRP), in collaboration with Adipose Boatworks, Costa, and Flylords, has launched an initiative to provide critical support to guides in the Blue Ridge region affected by Hurricane Helene. Recognizing that guiding is more than just a profession but a way of life, this campaign focuses on helping the guide communities in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. The Blue Ridge Relief Giveaway addresses both the immediate financial…
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…

