Gear

Finding the right fly rod for casting poppers and streamers For most anglers chasing bass on the fly, no single 7-weight does both jobs equally. Moderate-fast rods like the Winston Saltwater Air and the 8'5" Orvis Helios D throw foam poppers more naturally, while faster saltwater 7s like the Sage Salt R8 and Scott Sector handle weighted streamers and...

Find the right switch rod for summer steelhead fishing The best switch rod for summer steelhead in 2026 is an 11' or 11'6" 7-weight, paired with a 450-grain Skagit short head and a compact Scandi for surface presentations. Three current rods anchor the realistic choice at every price tier: the Echo SR Switch at around $329, the Redington Claymore 7116 at...

Finding the right pair of polarized sunglasses for flats fishing makes all the difference The most expensive consumer mistake in flats sunglasses is buying blue mirror lenses for shallow water. Blue mirror is built for offshore — for flats, the right pick is a copper or green-mirrored lens in an eight-base wraparound frame, available from Costa, Bajío...

Images by Rick Mikesell The price is $454,623. Might as well get that out of the way first. From there, it climbs depending on configuration and options. Unless The New Yorker starts running long-form pieces on carp fishing, or I get cast on a reality show about urban fly fishing, it sits well outside my financial reality. Both feel equally unlikely. When...

The best wet wading setup for 2026 is a dedicated low-cut boot sized for a bare foot, a 2.5–3.5mm neoprene sock with an integrated gravel guard, and no aftermarket guard at all — total cost roughly $165 at the value sweet spot, $340–$365 at the mainstream tier. For most anglers, the trouble is volume rather than build quality — repurposing a...

Images by Rick Mikesell Most guides I know carry fly boxes that took them years to build. They added patterns one tying session or shop run at a time, and eventually landed on a selection that works for their water. Most people who pick up a fly rod for the first time haven't had years to figure out the perfect formula for their home water, let alone build...

Images by Rick Mikesell Warmwater fishing asks a lot from a fly line. You change presentations constantly, fish multiple water types in the same day, and often run the same line across several rods because that is the reality of keeping a few 6-weights rigged and ready, and fishing surface to bottom for opportunistic smallmouth. Finding a line that can do...

As spring gives way to summer, fly anglers everywhere begin watching river gauges, tracking hatches, and finding any excuse possible to get on the water. From chasing trout during evening caddis emergences to sneaking away for warmwater adventures while runoff swells the rivers, this season reminds us why we love to fish in the first place. It’s also the...

A large, knotless rubber mesh landing net is the best choice for bass and panfish fly fishing because it reduces fin fraying, cuts hook entanglement time, and — in a direct multi-mesh comparison — came out least damaging overall to the study species. Knotted nylon and knotless micromesh both underperform on at least one critical metric. For warmwater...

Images by Rick Mikesell Fly fishing off a paddleboard creates one consistent problem. Loose line gets pulled into whatever is on the deck, or worse, right over the side. On the Bote Rackham Aero 12’4” Fischer Cutthroat Hybrid SUP, the hatch and port are the main offenders. You can manage it for a bit, but sooner or later, it costs you a shot when the...