By Kirk Deeter

I recently spent a hot afternoon fishing a river in Michigan with my 12-year-old son, Paul. The trout weren't really biting, but we had fun anyway. At one point I looked over my shoulder and noticed that Paul had set his rod down on his side of the stream (we split the river in half, since he's a lefty and I'm right-handed) and was turning rocks over in the shallows. I asked him what he was doing and he said he had found some crayfish.

That provided a great opportunity to explain what fish eat, and how all those creatures are important parts of the food chain. We then put on a couple crayfish fly patterns and swung them through some deeper pools, hoping to trick a big brown trout, but we didn't catch any. [ Read Full Post ]

By John Merwin

When I think of September trout fishing, I think of blue-winged olives (BWOs). The tiny little mayflies are ubiquitous wherever trout are found in moving water. Hatches seem most abundant on the gray, drizzly afternoons that seem most typical of this month. It’s a great time to be flyfishing.

I’ll be doing just that up north next week, and so I started to check my fly supply. Some of my little BWO dries are shown in the photo, along with a dime for scale. Yes, they’re tiny--generally size 20 on down to some 26s. And yes, they require 6X or sometimes even 7X tippet. In recent years, I’ve had the devil’s own time trying to tie one of those little things to a leader. I just can’t see that well anymore.
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By Kirk Deeter

Most fly anglers devote a lot of time and energy into honing their casts, as they should. The cast is what allows you to play the game in the first place. Without a good fly delivery, your chances of hooking a fish are minimal.

But the effort and focus shouldn't end as soon as that fly hits the water. In fact, I think that's when the real attention to detail should begin. How you drift your fly (presentation) is as important as how you cast your fly, and mending the line (moving the fly line upstream or downstream of your flies, depending on the currents, in order to eliminate drag) is the key to making that happen. [ Read Full Post ]

By Tim Romano

There was a number of great responses to the latest caption contest — 260 to be precise. As usual, there were quite a few that could have won Clear Creek's Swing-Back Pack. But the caption that got me came from Sureshot516, who wrote, "off to rehab, my addiction to fly's has gone to far."

I found it to be short, simple and funny. Sureshot, hit me at tim@anglingtrade.com with your name and address and I'll get your gear sent right out. [ Read Full Post ]

By Tim Romano

The Drake Magazine held its 7th annual Fly Fishing Video awards at the International Fly Tackle Dealer Show a couple of weeks ago. The video above from "The Last Salmon Forest," which won best cinematography. It was shot and edited by Detonation Studios. [ Read Full Post ]

By Kirk Deeter

My favorite business stories in fly fishing are the ones that go something like this: Person genuinely loves fly fishing and realizes a need or an opportunity to make something cool, based on their experiences. Person then goes "all-in" with an investment to chase that goal. Person doesn't compromise their values, manufactures in the United States, and maintains a focus on innovation and the interests of the customer. Person's company is successful.

I'm pretty sure that's how the script is going to play out for Vedavoo, maker of slings, packs, bags and the like for anglers. Vedavoo is a small operation, but it made a strong impression a couple weeks ago at the International Fly Tackle Dealer trade show in Reno. (The name Vedavoo is an alternate spelling of “Vedauwoo”--an outdoor park with notable natural rock features in southern Wyoming; company founder Scott Hunter attended the University of Wyoming.)
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