Spencer Durrant

Driving a pickup to fly fish across the Mountain West isn't the wisest financial decision, but it's hard to beat the utility a solid truck offers. Until last Thanksgiving, I drove a little 2012 Toyota Tacoma. It had the inline-4 motor, a 5-speed transmission, and a 4:12 rear axle gear ratio. It got 20 miles to the gallon, and being a Toyota, was as durable...

Korkers released a new series of wading boots this year—the Wade Lite line. Included in the lineup are the Chrome Lite and Stealth Sneaker. The Chrome Lite is, without a doubt, the most impressive wading boot I've ever seen from Korkers. Longtime readers of my gear reviews will know I hold the Devil's Canyon boots in high regard. Those, to me, are the...

Before the Scott Session showed up on my doorstep, the only other Scott rod I had fished was a Radian. I loved that rod—even though I never owned one—and I was curious what direction Scott would take with its friendlier-priced Session (it retails for $675). Would the company opt to keep it in that familiar "fast-meets-feel" design family, or branch out...

When I think of a Winston, I think of my collection of pre-IM6 Fisher-rolled 2-piece graphite rods that are unquestionably the best dry fly sticks ever built. My mind is as far away from big flies and meat-eating trout as it's possible to get. A few months ago, however, while on a visit to the R.L. Winston Rod Co factory in Twin Bridges, Montana, longtime...

Before 2024 I'd never fished a Thomas & Thomas rod. I'd thrown them at fly fishing shows, and wiggled a few at fly shops, but I never had the chance to get one out on the water. Then the 9' 5-weight Avantt II showed up, and I spent the better part of two months with it as my primary stick. I don't think Thomas & Thomas could've made a better first...

I grew up fishing my dad's St. Croix fly rods, until someone left them in a hot truck all summer (sans rod sock or tube) and they eventually succumbed to the heat and careless handling. So, when I heard St. Croix was re-entering the fly rod space a few years ago—this time with an emphasis on creating a premium, top-tier rod—I was hit with a wave of...

Simms' latest and greatest wader is truly an impressive piece of gear. It's accompanied by an equally impressive price tag—$999.95. The way I see my role as a gear reviewer isn't to tell you to go buy something (that job belongs to the marketing department). My role is to cut through the marketing fluff, put a product through the wringer in real-life...

By now you've seen the social media posts, web banners, and videos telling you that the latest and greatest rod from Orvis is "four times more accurate" than their previous flagship, the H3. It's supposedly 25% stronger, more enjoyable to cast, and will only run anglers $100 more than the now-discontinued H3 lineup. The new rod - simply called the Helios...

John Gierach once wrote that you forget your troubles while on a trout stream because you “begin to see where your troubles fit into the grand scheme of things, and suddenly they’re not such a big deal anymore.” I’ve fished with John and I’ve read most of his books. I agree with him a lot, but in this instance, I think he’s wrong.  To prove my...

Wader reviews are hard to write. Essentially, what people want to know is will this wader keep me dry? Is it worth the money? Will it last a long time?  I can answer the first question easily, but the last one becomes moot with how often wader lines are updated and because each angler's definition of "a long time" is different. As for the cost-to-value...