We’ve been doing tackle shootouts for years. They are among the most visited pages on our website and we take pride in having helped thousands of anglers find the right tackle for their needs. As our business has grown, we asked ourselves: Which area of fly fishing had the least amount of information? The answer amongst our team was travel. Have you ever booked a lodge and wondered if it was the best lodge? Who has the best food? Most comfortable? Best guides? It’s almost impossible to find anyone who’s visited multiple lodges in a given area, let alone any sort of comparison amongst them. With this shootout, we aim to change that.
The most talked about and least understood part of fly fishing equipment is fly lines. To better understand the variety of tropical 8wt fly line options the industry provides, we set out on a data crunching, line cutting, sore arm casting mission to better understand every warm water 8wt fly line we could get our hands on. We reviewed each one, compared them, measured them, and inspected tapers to demystify one of the most essential pieces of equipment in fly fishing. Tropical anglers take note, our 2020 tropical fly line shootout is here.
Designed by Pat Dorsey, the Top Secret Midge is an excellent pattern for imitating midge pupa and adults. Super easy to tie and quick to adapt to a range of colors, this pattern should be in your box every day of the year. Whether it's a hatch of tan midges, brown, midges, or black midges, the Top Secret Midge can match them all.
Designed by George Griffith, the Griffith's Gnat is an easy fly to tie and is one of the best patterns to imitate a cluster of midges. Midges are a ubiquitous insect, and a hatch can occur almost any month of the year, which is why this is a pattern that you should always have on hand.
The fly fishing industry has seen several high-profile, saltwater-specific rod releases these past few years. There is a hint of irony here, considering destination travel has been severely limited due to Covid-19. Nevertheless, Thomas & Thomas is the latest major rod manufacturer to get in on the action with their latest saltwater rod, the Sextant. T&T has a penchant for designing excellent saltwater rods, and the Sextant is generating a ton of buzz. If you are interested in seeing how the Sextant stacks up against the cream-of-the-crop, you will not want to miss this review.
Bringing extra flash to the standard Wooly Bugger, the Krystal Bugger is super effective and simple to tie. A great choice whether you’re chasing river smallmouth, steelhead, browns, or even carp, the Krystal Bugger can adapt to a range of environments with ease. A year-round pattern, this is a fly that’s worth having in a few different colors.
Olives, sulphurs, cahills, march browns...the list goes on for what the Rusty Spinner can imitate. An easy fly to whip up, this pattern is one you should carry in a range of sizes from spring through fall to match any spinner fall that comes your way. A slim profile and buoyant wings allow this fly to rest right in the film and fool those trout sipping spinners all day long.
Echo is no stranger to the world of fiberglass, and their latest glass offering, the River Glass, is making quite the splash for several reasons. If you are interested in picking up a new rod for fishing small creeks, you will want to read on.
Shrimp flies are effective for various fish, including bonefish, weakfish, snook, striped bass, or almost any other saltwater species. Bob's Ultra Shrimp can be tied in a range of color configurations and is an excellent choice for matching these crustaceans. With a tough UV resin body, this fly can also hold its own no matter where you're fishing or what you're targeting.
As larger rivers continue to suffer from overcrowding, more anglers are seeking refuge by opting to explore smaller water. While the fish are generally eager to rise to a well-presented dry fly, creek fishing offers unique challenges. The standard 9ft 5wt trout rod is too long, bulky, and overpowering for most small stream situations. G. Loomis designed the IMX-Pro Creek specifically to meet the challenges creek anglers face.
