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Great Profile of George Daniel and the Legendary Penn State Fishing Program
An award-winning angler, author, teacher, and MidCurrent contributor, George Daniel has become one of the more respected names in the business, and he has done so without a lot of showmanship or ego. A profile in PennStater magazine traces his progress from a shy, self-taught angling kid, through his relationship with Joe Humphreys, to his current role as lead instructor and director of the Penn State fly-fishing program named for…
Alvin Dedeaux’s Best Bass Flies for Summer
Alvin Dedeaux of All Water Guides has been guiding for bass for more than a quarter century, so he knows a thing or two about which flies work. In this video, he runs through five patterns that can get the job done, whether you’re trying to catch bass on the bottom or the top. So watch the video, and click on the links below to learn more. (Most of the links…
Podcast: Secrets of an Award-Winning Fly-Fishing Guide
[Interview starts at 38:28] On the latest Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast, Tom Rosenbuaer’s guest is Antoine Bissieux, Orvis-Endorsed Guide of the Year for 2025, based in Connecticut. Antoine, otherwise known as The French Fly Fisherman, guides mostly on the Farmington River. He fishes with and communicates regularly with the top competitive fly fishers in France, and has developed methods of fishing nymphs and dry flies, as well as dry/dropper setups adapted…
Tying Tuesday: Pretty in Pink
Last weekend, I was fishing the Upper Connecticut River in Pittsburg, New Hampshire, with Bill Bernhardt of Points North Outfitters, and one of our top producing patterns was the Roza’s Pink Pheasant Tail. This got me thinking about other pink patterns, and—lo and behold!—several such patterns showed up on YouTube this week. We kick things off with a cool stonefly from Jorge G. Huertes of Universal Fly Fishing. It’s a…
How Fly Rods Are Made: A Fascinating Tour of the Orvis Rod Shop
Have you ever wondered how a fly rod is made? A couple years ago, the Magnolia Network toured the Orvis Rod Shop in Manchester, Vermont, and they recently posted the video on Youtube. What always surprises first-time visitors is just how hands-on the process is, even in one of the world’s most technologically advanced rod shops. These are real craftspeople who take pride in the rods they build, even if…
Senator Withdraws Proposal to Sell Off Public Land
After massive public outcry about language in the Budget Reconciliation Bill that would put millions of acres of public land on the auction block, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah has withdrawn the proposal. This is a big win for anglers, hunters, and anyone who loves to explore the incredible landscapes, woods, and waters of the West. But before we start doing a victory dance, keep in mind that the battle…
Fly-Fishing Word of the Day: Voltinism
Although I’ve been fly fishing for more than 35 years, I still enjoy learning new things about the sport. In this short video, entomologist Maggie Heumann explains the concept of voltinism as it relates to aquatic insects. Will it help you catch more fish? Maybe, since it will help you think specifically about when different species hatch each year. Will you be able to impress your fishing buddies by dropping…
Wyoming Angler Lands State-Record Tiger Trout
Shelby Holder with his nearly 15-pound record tiger trout. Photo via Outdoor Life A Wyoming angler using a 1-weight fly rod—because it was the only one he had—landed an astonishingly large tiger trout on the Hams Fork River in southwestern Wyoming earlier this month. Writing in Outdoor Life, Bob McNally tells the story of this remarkable catch. After spotting the behemoth in shallow water, angler Shelby Holder tried a…
Public Fishing Areas Up For Sale in Senate Bill
Photo: Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management, used via CC BY 2.0 Fishermen and hunters erupted in outrage last week as details emerged that the U.S. Senate is considering an amendment to sell off up to 3.3 million acres managed by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. The draft legislation—mirroring more moderate language that was ultimately removed from the House version of the “One Big Beautiful” budget reconciliation…
Podcast: Tom Rosenbauer Talks to Rick Mikesell About Catching Carp on the Fly
[Interview starts at 49:05] On the latest Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast, Tom Rosenbauer interviews MidCurrent’s own Rick Mikesell about how to get started fly-fishing for carp. Rick is a carp fanatic and guides anglers for “golden bones” on the rivers around his home in Denver. Here’s Tom’s description of the podcast: I offer no apologies for being a carp evangelist. They live almost anywhere, they are here to stay (they…
Tying Tuesday: Dry or Die for Summer Trout
Since we have officially entered summer, this week’s Tying Tuesday is all about the dry flies. To kick things off, Davie McPhail demonstrates a cool, buggy caddisfly imitation that uses a bunch of looped CDC feathers as an underwing. Although he’s using self-dyed feathers, you can tie this in whatever colors will match the naturals on your streams. Next up, we’ve got a different take on the foam ant from…
An In-Depth Interview with Joe Humphreys
Joe Humphreys is a fly-fishing legend and the sport’s elder statesman. At the age of 96, he’s still going strong, and he sat down with Ross Purnell to talk about his remarkable life. Here’s the description from Fly Fisherman: Joe Humphreys was born in 1929, and at 96 years old he is still night-fishing, chasing hatches, teaching children how to cast and catch fish, and inspiring fly fishers around…
A Beer Commercial We Can Get Behind
I you like beer and tropical saltwater fishing, you’ll love the latest ad from Belikin, the national beer of Belize. Known for its exceptional flats action for bonefish, permit, and tarpon, the Central American nation draws anglers from around the world, and the beer company is obviously trying to tap in to this reputation. The ad takes us through the whole process from tying a fly to landing a tarpon,…
Firehole Sticks Hooks, for the Budget-Conscious Fly Tier
Photo: Kubie Brown Written by: Kubie Brown When I first started tying flies, I thought I was a genius. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on individual flies, I was going to tie everything I could ever need without spending a single cent in a fly shop. I figured that with just a bag of basic materials and a few good hooks, I could set myself up with flies for…
St. Croix Introduces Tannic Series Fly Rods for Warmwater Anglers
The new Tannic rods offer warmwater anglers gear made specifically for their needs. By: Rick Mikesell Warmwater anglers have often found themselves stuck with gear that was designed with trout in mind. Rods designed specifically for bass, pike, and musky have been few and far between. That is what makes the new Tannic Series from St. Croix Fly worth a look. According to St. Croix, these rods are purpose-built from…
13-year-old Phenom is a Rising Fly-Casting Star
About 10 years ago, a young girl named Maxine McCormick shocked the fly-casting world by beating adults at competitions. (See the great video about her below.) Now, a youngster from Florida is making similar waves: [Elias is] even competed in casting games against adults, including a trip to California to compete with the American Casting Association. While in California, Elias won his division in two events and placed in all…
Afternoon Closures Due to Heat on .Some Rivers in Yellowstone
Fly fishing on the Madison River in Yellowstone National Park. Photo: NPS / Neal Herbert On Monday, we posted about some dire predictions for summertime water conditions in Montana, and now Yellowstone National Park has announced afternoon closures for several of the rivers on the western side. The Madison, Firehole, and Gibbon rivers and all tributaries will close daily from 2 p.m. to sunrise: Water temperatures in select rivers and…
Map of Public Lands Eligible for Sale in New Bill is Concerning for Anglers
Click here to view the full, scalable map. Via The Wilderness Society Last week, we posted about how conservation organizations are raising alarm about Senate Republicans on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee releasing a proposal to sell between 2 million and 3 million acres of public land. A summary and analysis of the the bill by The Wilderness Society includes a map of lands that could be on the…
Tying Tuesday: Attractors All Around
This week’s Tying Tuesday features three patterns that don’t imitate a specific insect or baitfish, but which have a profile and action that trout will surely respond to. We kick things off with a great-looking terrestrial pattern from Steve Cullen, a guide in the English Midlands. Is it an ant or a beetle? Who cares because it’s buggy, with a hint of flash, and floats well. It’s also easy to…
Montana Fisheries Official Warns of Low-Water Summer
An angler fishes the North Fork of the Flathead River on Sept. 15, 2024. Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon Stream gage data is already registering temperatures and flows that normally don’t bedevil Montana’s rivers and tributaries until mid-July, prompting state fisheries managers to issue early warning signals on Wednesday that anglers should anticipate restrictions and closures this summer. “What that means to us as far as a prognosis is ……

