Author: sdurrant

The folks at Abel Reels have teamed up with Fly Fishers International (FFI) to create a limited-edition Abel Rove - FFI reel. The reel features artwork from Casey Underwood, as well as engraving by Abel's in-house craftsmen. A portion of each Abel - FFI reel will be given to FFI to support "fly fishing education to youth and adult anglers," per a press...

In the most recent episode of the Orvis podcast, Tom Rosenbauer sits down to talk about trout DNA with Helen Neville. Helen is the senior scientist with Trout Unlimited, and she shares a wealth of information with listeners about current trout research trends. In particular, you'll hear about how scientists use DNA to determine if a fish has bred with a...

In this week's Tying Tuesday, Lindsay Simpson teaches us how to tie the caddis cormorant fly. This is timely with October caddis starting to come off, and fish keying on these big bugs. This looks like a pattern that would be perfect for some of the picker fish on my local spring creek. I look forward to tying a few up and trying them out.

Last week, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) announced the discovery of quagga mussels at the Centennial Waterfront Park (near Twin Falls) area along the Snake River. For those of us who've had quagga mussels invade our home waters, we understand the threat this discovery poses. Growing up where I did in Utah, quagga mussels were a fixed part...

Fall fishing is in full swing here in my corner of the Rockies, and if you're anything like me, you're looking forward to the fall hatches. I love the finality of the last trico and blue-wing hatches, because they bring out some of the best trout I'll see all year. In a recent story over at the Orvis blog, Phil Monahan shares his four top dry flies for fall...

In news that will certainly make you smile, an English teacher in Maine has built a curriculum that involves taking his students fly fishing. Where was this class when I was in high school? According to an article by Pete Warner in the Bangor Daily News, Nick Miller teaches English at Nokomis High School in Maine. As part of an alternative education class...

Old Town is a well-known name in the watercraft space. Recently, they've started a content series called "Old Town Presents" and it focuses on telling conservation-themed stories that revolve around water. The third episode of this series just released, and it focuses entirely on conservation efforts around the famed Eastern Brook Trout. Brookies are native...

The R.L. Winston Rod Company announced the release of their new Air 2 Max rod family. Per Winston's website, the Air 2 Max is a fast-action rod that uses the company's "fastest and most powerful graphite tapers to date." The Air 2 Max is designed to excel in big game fishing situations, in both salt and freshwater environments. By combining proprietary...

This week's Tying Tuesday features a wonderfully fun little pattern called the Philly Cheese Crane. The folks over at AvidMax on YouTube will walk you through how to tie this fly. Cranefly nymphs are, in my opinion, criminally underused. They work in a lot of water types, even ones where I haven't seen craneflies before. These are a high-protein food source...

Folks usually attribute fly fishing's latest renaissance to the pandemic and its lockdowns, and they're probably right. Over the past few years, though—even predating the pandemic—I've noticed more and more "mainstream" coverage of fly fishing. It's no longer this bohemian pursuit, but a socially-acceptable way to spend a Saturday afternoon. On the one...