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.
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.
The Air 2 is being touted as the best all-purpose 5wt in the company's illustrious history and a challenger to the top trout rods on the market. Winston is known for making rods with a soulful touch that are perfectly tuned for technical dry fly fishing. However, due to their delicate nature, they often lack the backbone needed for dedicated nymphing and streamer fishing. If you are in the market for a new 5wt, read on to see if the Air 2 is the ultimate multi-purpose trout fishing tool.
An excellent pattern for matching caddis, terrestrial insects, Yellow Sallies, and other light-bodied adult stoneflies, the Stimulator can be used as an exact imitation or an effective attractor pattern. No matter how you fish the Stimulator, it is a pattern worth carrying in a few sizes all season long.
A streamer that's simple and can imitate a wide range of baitfish, the Bendback should always be in the box. Whether you're matching saltwater species like spearing and bay anchovies or freshwater baitfish like dace and emerald shiners, the Bendback can imitate them all.
One of those flies that gets an opinion out of almost every fly angler around, the Squirmy Wormy, may be controversial to some, but it flat out catches fish. An easy one to stock a whole box within just a night or two, this fly is packed with movement and does an excellent job at matching both terrestrial and aquatic worms. From farm pond bluegill to wild trout, this fly will fool them all.
Picking up where the Prince Nymph left off, the Psycho Prince brings an extra dose of flash to this effective nymph. One of those bugs that you can tie in a ton of different colors, all of which can be effective, the Psycho Prince Nymph is an excellent attractor pattern whether you are after wild brookies, stocked fish, or some fresh steelhead.
Gartside’s Soft Hackle Streamer is an essential pattern anywhere you go. You can rely on this fly to catch anything from freshwater species like trout and carp to saltwater fish like striped bass, snook, and jack. The Soft Hackle Streamer is an easy baitfish pattern to tie and can be constructed in just about any color scheme you can dream up. Swing it in a current, strip it back to you, or just dead drift it. The Soft Hackle Streamer has a natural movement that entices any predatory fish around
The Pheasant Tail is an essential fly you can turn to anytime fish are feeding on subsurface mayfly nymphs. The Pheasant Tail works as a general searching pattern and can imitate specific mayfly species, as well. It's particularly deadly when swinging through riffles before a hatch.
