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.
The Blue Wing Olive is one of the most iconic mayflies in North American trout streams. Due to their small size, they can produce up to three generations each year. They make excellent dry-fly insects because they hatch in large numbers, and the duns ride the water for a long time before taking flight. Follow along as Levi shows the step-by-step directions needed to tie this effective pattern.
Quill Gordons are one of the first significant mayfly hatches on the east coast each year. They offer excellent early-season dry fly opportunities due to their relatively large size and prominence on the water. Theodore Gordon's Quill Gordon Dry Fly has been catching fish for over a century, and we're going to show you how to tie this classic Catskill-style dry.
The Prince Nymph is an essential pattern regardless of where you are fishing. Designed by Doug Prince, this fly sinks well, has just enough flash, and fools trout all over. The Prince Nymph is particularly effective in moving water and streams with large stonefly populations. Break out the Peacock Herl and get ready to tie this indispensable bug.
The RS2 is a small emerger pattern you can turn to anytime fish are feeding on smaller insects like BWOs, Midges, and even Tricos. The RS2 is very easy to tie and can be fished throughout the year in various settings and situations, from skinny limestone creeks to large tailwaters out west. Follow along as Levi shows the step-by-step directions needed to tie this effective pattern.
'Value' and 'performance' are words generally not associated with fly fishing. Quite frankly, it can be hard to find quality, affordable equipment. Greys is a British-based fly rod manufacturer that has taken the initiative to change this perception. After being absent from U.S. markets for several years, the company is back in the States. This time around, Greys has brought some fantastic new products with them.
The Trace is a brand new rod from Redington designed with trout fishing in mind. As anglers, it is easy to get caught up in the hype surrounding the latest high-end, fast-action rods from the leading brands in the fly fishing industry. The rods with the $900.00 price tags are almost...
Hardy is no stranger to producing great saltwater fly rods. The Zane Pro's predecessor, the Zephrus Salt, was especially well-received by the anglers who had the opportunity to fish them. Read on to see if the Zane Pro stands out in a crowded market filled with exceptional 8wts geared for the flats fanatics.
The Ultralite replaces the Zephrus as Hardy’s high-end, freshwater rod series. Here at Trident, we were big fans of the Zephrus and its predecessor, the Zenith. Both series represented two of the finest all-purpose 5wts in the industry during their time. It is always difficult....
