Spencer Durrant

My first night fishing expedition was in Montana, chasing big ol' browns with two friends. Among all the lessons I learned over the course of three summer nights was that I'm not cut out for night fishing. I'm a lightweight who needs sleep, and I don't function well without it. It was that trip (along with a cold elk hunt) that reinforced the need for a...

When a new fly rod comes out, there's almost a laser-like focus on how it'll perform for a variety of trout fishing situations. Will it throw dry flies, but still handle a larger streamer? Does it roll cast well? Is the tip soft enough to handle light tippets? Those are all valid questions, but one that's often left out of the discussion is this: how will...

Good fly line can coax the best possible performance out of your fly rod. Next to your own casting skills, fly line is the biggest variable in rod performance. I've done a deep dive into fly lines already in another piece here at MidCurrent, but that story took a general look at fly lines. I'll try not to repeat myself too much here, but I will go over a...

One of the many stumbling blocks new anglers encounter is picking a fly rod. Even if you're coming from the conventional fishing world, fly rods are a different animal altogether. And unlike spinning or baitcasting rods, fly rods aren't cheap. So, what's a new fly angler supposed to do? How can you ensure you're getting a quality rod without spending the...

It's just starting to feel like spring here in Wyoming. If you're not digging out from record snowfall, you're still trying to thaw from extended periods of -30 weather in the Cowboy State and many other places in the West, for that matter. But that hasn't stopped me from getting all sorts of excited for the warmer days of fishing. I'm busy filling boxes...

There's something to be said for a solid rod-and-reel combo, especially these days when rods retail for over $1,000, and reels aren't far behind. But for whatever reason, the rod-reel-line combo kits have always garnered a distinctly sub-par attitude from a lot of anglers, especially the gear junkies. It probably has something to do with the truly awful $3...

As an avid angler, I know how lucky I am to live out West. I live where most folks plan their summer vacations, in a place that's prettier than any Instagram post can adequately convey. The fishing here in my part of Wyoming is outstanding, especially for trout, and I'm within a day's drive of most of Montana's and Idaho's best trout water, too. Other than...

The rain was coming down by the bucket and I huddled under a pine tree, praying that I wouldn't get too wet. My proprietary waterproof system had utterly failed, and I wasn't too surprised. An old ski parka layered on top of a fleece vest wasn't exactly the bastion of water-repellence technology I hoped it would be. As a result of being wet and cold, I was...

I've always been fond of winter fishing. It's peaceful in a way no other season can be, and it's certainly less crowded. The trick to truly enjoying this fishing, though, is learning how to stay warm. Not even big fish are exciting enough to ward off hypothermia, as I found out this January here in Wyoming. Over the years I've developed a system I really...

I've had the chance to talk with a lot of beginning anglers over the past year, and one question I keep hearing is how to pick the right fly box. This isn't a topic I've ever given much thought, but I decided it'd make a good post in our series here at MidCurrent where I go over how to pick gear that's best for you and your fishing situation. As that...