Author: sdurrant

If you've never thrown a two-handed rod before, starting out can be intimidating. Sure, it's still a fly rod and fly line, but the rod is even longer, the lines are more confusing, and the casting takes substantially more attention to detail. Speaking as someone who taught myself the basics of trout spey last year, it is worth the effort, though. And if...

For this week's Tying Tuesday, we have two new fly patterns, and a video about different fly tying lights. Picking up a good light can make a huge difference in how long, and effectively, you're able to tie flies. The one I have is some of the best money I've ever spent. After that, you'll get treated to a nice midge pattern and a fun streamer! We start...

I'd heard good things about a freestone river, two hours away from my house. It flows into a reservoir—as far too many rivers do—and crosses mostly private property, but if you put the work in on the public sections, it was supposed to be pretty good. So, early in 2024, my buddy Alex and I loaded up the truck and drove across the valley to explore this...

We often hear about fly rods being more accurate than ever before, and while that's partly true, has it translated to anglers who are more accurate? And not just accurate with our fly placement, but also where the fly line lands? That's the question Dom Swentosky asks in his most recent article at Troutbitten, and it's one I think is worth answering. As...

Four years ago, a group of sixteen kids filed a lawsuit against the state of Montana, alleging the state has violated its constitution by prioritizing fossil fuel development over the health and safety of Montana residents. According to Hatch Magazine, that case made it all the way to the Montana Supreme Court, where the justices ruled in favor of the...

I've had the pleasure of documenting many cutthroat restoration efforts over the past decade, mostly in Utah, where I grew up. But this recent story from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is one of the most interesting cutthroat conservation tales I've ever heard. Rachel Gonzales wrote the story for Colorado Outdoors, and I highly recommend you read the...

Fly fishing show season is about to get underway! Attending one of these events is a great way to get out and involved in fly fishing, even in the dead of winter, when many of us just can't be on the water. We've put together a list of consumer-focused fly fishing shows starting in January, which you can browse below. You'll get to put your hands on new...

In reporting on recent legislation passed by the United State Congress, Kirk Deeter, over at Fly Lab, questions whether this new bill is perhaps the biggest environmental win ever for trout anglers. Deeter makes this claim about the recently-passed Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hard Rock Mines Act, which was approved in "the House by voice vote...

This week's Tying Tuesday features an interesting array of patterns, and in particular, one of the more unique flies I've seen in a long time. The Super Mottle nymph from Tim Flagler looks like something I'll tie a lot of this winter. Up first this week is the latest installment of the Fly Tying Skill Builder series from Fly Fish Food. In this video, you'll...

According to the Wild Fish Conservancy, Washington state is "on the verge" of permanently banning and removing net pen aquaculture from Puget Sound. Net pen aquaculture is the practice of raising fish in pens in the ocean. For years, it was seen as a way to keep robust populations of endangered fish from going extinct (alongside hatcheries located on the...