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The passing of Robert Redford last week has brought new attention to “A River Runs Through It” and its impact on fly fishing and southwestern Montana. I would guess that most anglers have seen the film, but perhaps fewer have seen this excellent PBS documentary on the production itself. It’s a fascinating look back at 1991—in fashion and hairstyles—to see how fly-fishing was perceived. No one at the time knew…

  [Interview starts at 34:55] This week, Tom Rosenbauer’s guest is—himself. He asked Reid Bryant of the Orvis Wingshooting Podcast to interview him because Tom has worked at Orvis for 49 of those 50 years and lived through the various stages of Orvis rods. Plus he just spent the past two months writing a history of the Orvis graphite rods. You’ll learn about some interesting things that went on during…

It’s Day 23 of our  our “20 Days in September” Photo Contest, which means that we have exactly a week left in our challenge. I’m in good shape and should hit the 20-day over the next couple days; how about you? We are finally getting some much-needed rain here in the Northeast, so I’m hoping to end the month with a bang, as fish begin moving upstream. It’s still not too…

In this week’s Tying Tuesday, we’ve got three great patterns that range from a classic streamer to a guide’s new dry-dropper creation. We kick things off with Jack Arnot demonstrating how to tie his New Age Caddis, a buggy, high-floating dry fly that will suspend a nymph well even in fast water. It looks like it will draw strikes from upward-looking trout, as well. Next is a super simple nymph…

Have you ever wanted to watch your fly-tying heroes work their magic up close? About 100 professional and amateur fly tiers—among the best the world has to offer—are scheduled for demonstrations, seminars, and individual instruction at the 34th annual International Fly Tying Symposium, held November 15-16 in the DoubleTree Hilton, Somerset, New Jersey. Among those scheduled to display their skills at the Symposium are tiers Tim Flagler, Tim Cammisa, Barry…

With drought conditions across the Rockies, the Northeast, and the Midwest, many anglers are turning to lakes and ponds to find fishable water. In this great video, Phil Rowley shares some of his tactics for finding and catching trout in still waters, demonstrating presentations, retrieves, and the little adjustments that made the difference. To see some of Phil’s effective patterns, visit his website. The post Video: How To Read A…

 Fall is a great time for fishing in the high-mountain lakes of the Cascades, and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife makes sure that there are plenty of fish available. They stock thousands of trout is these remote waters by helicopter and backpack: ODFW plants trout in about 340 Cascade Mountain lakes from Mount Hood down into Klamath County. In the Deschutes watershed alone, 65 lakes are stocked…

Calling all freshwater anglers in the US and Canada: Have you noticed any threats impacting your fishing experience? A team from the University of Massachusetts Amherst is conducting a survey to understand the threats and potential solutions facing freshwater recreational fisheries, and they want to hear from you. You could win a Patagonia Guidewater Backpack! If you fish in freshwater and care about the future of the species you target—and…

News of Robert Redford’s passing broke yesterday, and tributes flowed in from the worlds of film and conservation. Fly fishers revere Redford for finally bringing Norman Maclean’s “A River Runs Through It” to the screen, and his final voice-over from the film resonates with anyone who loves spending time on the water. Writing in The Salt Lake Tribune, Julie Jag describes how Redford fought for the important natural resources of…

  [Interview starts at 43:59] Tom Rosenbauer’s guest this week is Josh Jenkins of Scientific Anglers, and the original plan was to talk just about knotless leaders—their design, how they are made, and how to modify them. But they soon took an interesting sidetrack into line/leader connections and also a new product he’s discovered for fixing cracks in fly line coating so you don’t have to buy a new line…

In this week’s Tying Tuesday, we’ve got effective patterns that will help you catch trout on top or subsurface, as well as redfish looking for a crab or shrimp. First off, Craig Mathews teaches you to tie a pattern he invented decades ago, the Sparkle Dun, in a version with a body made with pheasant tail. It’s a fly featured in his new book, coming out, Pheasant Tail Simplicity: Recipes…

It’s Day 15 of our “20 Days in September” Photo Contest. How are you doing so far? I’ve missed just two days so far, although low water is starting to limit my local options. Luckily, our mountain streams and warmwater ponds are still fishing well. It’s still not too late for you to get in on the action. You don’t need to hit 20 days to take part; all we’re looking for is…

When you’re learning to fly fish, everyone want to explain the “right way” to do everything—from casting to fly choice to presentation. But, as Ben Sittig explains in this video, those aren’t the only ways. Sometimes the fish respond to strange flies and tactics in ways that can teach you new and effective tricks. I have caught trout on poppers, and it’s really fun.   The post Video: Fly Fishing…

A Warriors and Wild Waters expedition on the North Fork. Photo: Michael MacLeod, via Whitefish Pilot It’s a pretty established fact that fly fishing is a great way to help folks deal with lingering trauma, and Warriors & Quiet Waters has been helping veterans since 2007. (Strangely, this news story got the organization’s name wrong in a couple places, including the headline.) A story in Whitefish Pilot describes how powerful…

A stunning brown trout from Iceland’s Blanda River. Photo: Earl Harper via Hatch Magazine It seems remarkable that, in this age of nonstop Internet fly-fishing coverage, there would be a world-class fishery that remained under the radar. But it seems that most folks haven’t heard of a particular gem in the northwestern highlands of Iceland. Writing in Hatch Magazine, Chad Schmukler writes about a new fishing operation on Iceland’s Blanda…

Cutthroat, brook trout, and brown trout tattoos by AJ McGuire. Photos: AJ McGuire By: Rick Mikesell, MidCurrent Gear Guru Fly fishing is a sport defined by passion. Anglers dive in deep and not only immerse themselves in water in pursuit of fish, but also in the culture and lifestyle that surround the sport. We can spot a fellow angler by the Howler Brothers cap or the trout sticker on their…

  [Interview starts at 37:50] Mary Orvis Marbury, daughter of Orvis founder Charles F. Orvis, is an important figure in the history of American fly fishing. She was the first person to catalog and standardize American fly patterns, but she led a sad and mysterious life. Historian Steve Woit has written an expansive and spectacular book about Mary and the artifacts that helped her catalog flies and has also uncovered…

In this week’s Tying Tuesday, we’ve got three patterns that are easy to tie and should work great for trout this time of year. First off, Kyle from Avid Max walks us through the steps to tie Devin Olsen’s Diabaetis Perdigon (great name, btw). It uses some cool materials but is a quick and simple tie. Next up, Brendan from Snake River Fly shows us how to create a bulky…

It’s Day 8 of our “20 Days in September” Photo Contest, and since “thirty days hath September,” you could start today and still complete the challenge. How are you doing so far? It’s still not too late for you to get in on the action. You don’t need to hit 20 days to take part; all we’re looking for is a good effort at getting out as often as you possibly can. Heck, you…

Russ Miller shows off a beauty of a Denver South Platter carp during last year’s slam. All photos: Ivan Orsic Next weekend, on September 13, Denver Trout Unlimited will host Carp Slam XIX, the 2025 edition of its annual urban fly-fishing tournament. All proceeds from the event support ongoing conservation and angling access efforts along the Denver South Platte. This year’s Carp Slam will cover nearly 39 miles of river in…