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What’s At Stake in Cheesman Canyon

Monday, August 14, 2023

Photo: denverkid/Flickr Earlier this month, massive rainstorms caused flooding that triggered mudslides throughout the Cheesman Canyon section of the South Platte River in Colorado. This section is widely-regarded as one of the premier fly fishing rivers in the country, and it’s where famed South Platte guide Pat Dorsey has worked for decades. Dorsey is an acclaimed guide, but he’s also an excellent writer and teacher. His photos of fly boxes…

Winchester Dam Repairs Impact Steelhead Run

Sunday, August 13, 2023

Photo: Tom Hart/Flickr The Winchester Dam on the North Umpqua River will be undergoing repairs at the end of August. Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem. But in this case, the repairs will shut down the fish ladder on the dam, and release loads of sediment into the river downstream, negatively impacting already struggling runs of salmon and steelhead. According to the Native Fish Society, “The release of stored water…

Upcoming PFAS Ban

Saturday, August 12, 2023

One thing that all of your outdoors gear has in common with everyone else’s is its use of PFAS – per or polyfluoroalkyl substances. PFAS are used to waterproof everything from rain gear to waders, which makes them an integral part of an angler’s outfit. PFAS are harmful chemicals, however, that have been linked to potentially harmful side effects like liver damage and asthma. That’s one reason why multiple state…

Story: Stranded

Friday, August 11, 2023

Does the idea of being stuck at a fishing lodge sound like a bad time? Do you think there’s ever a situation in which you’d be unhappy to be stranded in a fishing lodge? Chris Hunt takes us through that thought process in his latest story over at Hatch Magazine, aptly titled “Stranded.” You’ll get an inside look at life at an Alaskan fishing lodge when the food runs out, and the…

Lodges, Businesses Call for Commercial Steelhead Closure

Thursday, August 10, 2023

Photo: Tom Hart/Flickr Lodges, outfitters, and local businesses in the Skeena region of British Columbia are calling on province authorities to close down the commercial steelhead fishing season. Jeff Blagden, with CFNR, wrote that the recent low returns of steelhead in the Skeena system have prompted this move from the angling and conservation community. Commercial fishing operations are estimated to kill between 20-40% of all steelhead returning to the Skeena…

Simms Launches 2023 Fall Line

Wednesday, August 09, 2023

Simms officially announced the launch of their 2023 Fall Line of gear. This line features updated Freestone Waders, a new Bulkley Insulated Jacket, and plenty of other goodies to keep gear heads (like myself) interested. Of particular note is that Simms is introducing a zippered model for the Freestone Waders, that retails for $479. Adding a zipper to the budget-friendly Freestone line is certainly going to turn some heads in…

Tying Tuesday: The Beast

Tuesday, August 08, 2023

This week’s Tying Tuesday features an absolutely massive streamer, with a fitting name – The Beast. This fly is tied for us by Andre van Wyk, and while it’s a complicated fly, he does a good job of explaining the process. The post Tying Tuesday: The Beast appeared first on MidCurrent. Source: Fish2

3 Tips for Tarpon Fishing at Dusk

Monday, August 07, 2023

Photo: Louis Cahill Tarpon fishing is an entirely different game that plays by a set of rules most of us trout anglers don’t fully understand. For the tarpon-obsessed, there are few other fish as enticing as these big silver kings. If you’re looking to fish for tarpon for your first time, or you’re interested in learning new tactics to better your odds against them, then you need to read this…

Using the George Harvey Dry Fly Leader

Sunday, August 06, 2023

Dry fly fishing is emblematic of fly fishing as a whole, and it’s been romanticized since we started opining about the sport. But effective dry fly fishing is arguably the most difficult aspect of angling to master. One way to improve your dry fly fishing is using the right leader setup, which according to Dom Swentosky over at Troutbitten, is the George Harvey Dry Fly leader. This leader rig allows for more…

Youth Fly Fishing Team USA Wins Gold

Saturday, August 05, 2023

The youth team for Fly Fishing Team USA won the gold medal the International Youth Fly Fishing Competition in Bosnia, per a story by Brooke Snavely in Central Oregon Daily News. Snavely’s story focuses on local teen Kage Kossler, from Bend, OR, who took home the silver medal for his individual performance at the competition. You can read her story here.   The post Youth Fly Fishing Team USA Wins Gold…

Inside The Orvis Rod Shop

Friday, August 04, 2023

Photo: Mike Mozart/Flickr It’s not every day that fly fishing shows up in Yahoo News, but it did on July 31. Kurt Spurlock wrote a great behind-the-scenes article for Yahoo highlighting the Orvis fly rod shop in Manchester, Vermont. Manchester is a tiny town with only two stoplights, but it’s also home to some of the most cutting-edge technology in all of fly fishing. As Spurlock writes, “Mass production, efficiency,…

South Platte River Damaged by Floods

Thursday, August 03, 2023

Photo: denverkid/Flickr The famous stretch of the South Platte River through Cheesman Canyon, in Colorado, has been severely damaged by recent flooding and mudslides. Noted guide and author Pat Dorsey documented the impacts on the river over the past few days, with his Instagram updates serving as a focal point for anglers across the world.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Pat Dorsey (@patdorseyflyfishing) In…

Tying Tuesday: The Picky Eater

Tuesday, August 01, 2023

For this week’s edition of Tying Tuesday, we get to learn to tie an aptly-named fly: the Picky Eater, courtesy of the Flying Ties YouTube channel. This nymph pattern has a lot going for it – a slim body, a CDC collar, and relatively few materials. If it fishes as well as it looks, then it’ll probably become a mainstay in many fly boxes. The post Tying Tuesday: The Picky…

MidCurrent Launches Full-Service Travel Booking

Tuesday, August 01, 2023

  Big news! Midcurrent is expanding to be a better and more valuable version of what you already enjoy on a daily basis. This week we are announcing the first big update: the arrival of MidCurrent Travel. MidCurrent Travel is a full-service booking agent that helps anglers filter through a myriad of choices from Alaska to South America to find the perfect lodge and experience. We’re in the business of…

Florida Keys in Hot Water

Monday, July 31, 2023

Photo: Giuseppe Milo/Flickr As you’ve likely heard over the past week if you pay attention to social media, the Florida Keys are in some hot water. Per multiple reports, including from the Smithsonian Magazine, scientists recorded a 101.1-deegree Fahrenheit seawater surface temperature in Manatee Bay. This is potentially the hottest the Florida Keys have ever been in recorded history. If verified, this temperature reading would be the new highest-ever for the ocean’s…

Searching for the Real River Why

Sunday, July 30, 2023

Photo: NOAA’s National Ocean Service/Flickr If you’ve ever read The River Why by David James Duncan, you’re aware of how alluring the river described in the book can be. That river inspired a real-life odyssey by Andy Cochrane to search for the river that inspired the one in Duncan’s novel. Cochrane wrote about the adventure over on Thrillist, and it’s a fantastic read. “The river is never named, but is described in colorful detail,”…

Buffet Series Season Finale

Saturday, July 29, 2023

This week, the season finale of the Buffet series – from filmmaker Gilbert Rowley – went live on YouTube. The finale episode is all about one man’s quest to catch a permit. As you’ve come to expect from a Rowley film, the storytelling here is excellent, and so is the cinematography. Getting any fish – let alone permit – to cooperate with the camera is a tough ask, and Rowley…

AFFTA Announces 2023 Grants Awards

Thursday, July 20, 2023

Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie/Flickr The American Fly Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA) has announced their list of awards for their 2023 grant money. Per a press release from AFFTA, the group’s Fisheries Fund has, since 2015, provided $196,000 in grants for “support of organizations working to enhance fisheries, restore habitat, and increase awareness.” For 2023, AFFTA awarded $27,500 to seven nonprofits: Cast Hope Henry’s Fork Foundation Menikanaehkem Montana Trout Unlimited Montana Fishing…

Strong Fish Counts in Elwha River

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Photo: NOAA’s National Ocean Service/Flickr A few years ago, MidCurrent covered the exciting restoration of the Elwha River, an important river that provides spawning habitat for salmon and steelhead on the Olympic Peninsula. Dams were removed on the Elwha, returning it to a free-flowing state. Almost immediately, fish took advantage of all the new habitat open to them, with steelhead returning in strong numbers. But according to the Peninsula Daily News, salmon…

Huk Launches Creekbed Pant

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

A new product for gear manufacturer Huk has hit the market – their Creekbed Pant. The Creekbed Pant is “Designed specifically for fly fishing enthusiasts” and “offers a perfect blend of premium performance and functional features to enhance every angler’s experience on the water,” pre a press release. Main features include a fully elastic waistband and adjustable belt. In addition, you’ll have access to a bevy of pockets and belt…