Bonefish are perhaps the most well-known flats species. They’re plentiful, often found in large schools, and put up a thrilling fight on a fly rod. Bones offer novice saltwater anglers ample targets and (relatively) easy fishing to boost confidence before targeting some of the more elusive flats species. That being said, at times they can be picky and offer exciting challenges on a fly rod. Read on to find out which flies work the best when flats fishing for Bonefish with a fly rod.
Hook strength is an important measure, especially if you’re chasing large fish. In fact, choosing the right hook can be the difference between landing a trophy fish and losing one. When it comes to Tarpon hooks, there’s very little research available that shows the strength of individual hooks. Fortunately, our Admet Universal Testing Machine allows us to provide strength profiles for the top Tarpon Hooks. We’ve used this machine in past shootouts like the Fly Line Backing Shootout to compare products across brands. In this Buyer’s Guide, we put some of the top Tarpon hooks to the test and crowned a winner.
This fly has been around for a long time. The Zebra Midge imitates midges below the surface and will quickly fool a finicky trout that’s feeding subsurface. It’s a very simple fly to tie and produces on days when the water is clear and fish are keyed in on small nymphs. Use this as a dropper off of a dry fly, a trailer nymph under an indicator, or on a Euro setup. Tune in as Jared provides step-by-step instructions to tie this simple pattern. Then, purchase your materials from us and start tying!
Permit are finicky, picky, bad-attitude kinda fish. They’re known for challenging feeding habits, unnecessary pickiness, and humbling elusiveness. That’s part of the reason anglers focus so much time, energy, and resources to catch one on a fly rod. A Perm on a fly rod is like a badge of honor in contemporary fly fishing. Catching them is much easier with the right fly selection. Read on to find out which flies are the very best for Permit.
Mouse fishing is popular across the western US and around the world (New Zealand comes to mind). Large brown trout do a lot of feeding at night and can be fooled on mouse patterns depending on the time of year and the conditions. In places like Alaska, fish feed on mice even in the high sun. There’s nothing quite like seeing a large predatory fish explode on a mouse as it’s waking through the water. Tune in as Jared takes us through the steps necessary to tie the Morrish Mouse, one of the most popular mouse patterns in all of fly fishing.
As summer winds down and leaves start to change, anglers around the country shift their game from Trout to Steelhead. Steelhead are tough to fool, but when you do there’s nothing better than bringing a silver bullet to hand. Most anglers target these elusive fish in the Pacific Northwest but lake run Steelhead also have a huge following in the Northeast, particularly in the Great Lakes Region. Anglers go crazy for these fish. And having the right flies increases your chances of success on the water.
The Squimp is a Bonefish fly that has tons of movement in the water. When stripped, the rubber legs provide superior movement and this fly really attracts fish from a long way off. The profile of the fly also creates a lifelike shrimp imitation that will surely fool picky Bonefish on the flats of Mexico and beyond. Tune in as Jared shows us step-by-step instructions to tie the Squimp then purchase your materials from us and get tying!
If you’re streamer fishing this fall, you should have a bunny leech in your box. Whether you tie it with a hot cone or not, trout key in on leeches in the spring and the fall, and this pattern will move fish from cover like few other patterns. Plus, it’s really easy to tie and only requires a few materials. This is also a great pattern for Steelhead and Salmon that are keyed in on egg sucking leeches during the fall King Salmon run and the fall/winter Steelhead run. Tune in as Jared provides step-by-step instructions to help you tie this popular freshwater fly pattern.
The Radian replacement has (finally) arrived. After an 8-year run, Scott has decided to discontinue the Radian and replace it with the all-new Scott Centric. The Centric is designed to improve upon what the Radian set out to accomplish many years ago: bringing fast AND feel to the freshwater angler. While the Radian was pretty fast in the broader scheme of things, Scott has refined the action of the Radian and created the Centric: a rod with more feel, more castability, more versatility, and the industry-leading performance we’ve come to expect from Scott. If you’re dying to hear if the hype is real, you’ve come to the right place. Read on for an in-depth fly rod review of Scott’s brand new series.
Small stream fishing has become incredibly popular in contemporary fly fishing. Small streams are easier to access, more prevalent throughout the US, and offer anglers a chance to get away from the crowds and find solitude. The scenery can be beautiful, you don’t need a ton of gear, and the fishing can be great. Targeting native trout in small streams is an easy way to relax without having to worry about catching the largest fish or carrying 3 fly boxes. That being said, outings on small streams will be more productive if you have the right gear. Read on to find out which flies are the best for small stream fishing.
