Articles

5 knot tying strategies

Knots are knots, but tying them improperly can give one serious headaches

by Gary Borger - Tuesday, May 19th, 2015

Photo: Chad Shmukler

In fly fishing, everyone is an originator of a new knot -- at least it seems that way. One look on the internet will convince anyone. There are more than enough to fill an entire book, like Left Kreh and Mark Sosin's Practical Fishing Knots. And while it's fun, and even useful at times to know dozens of knots, there are a core of knots that will serve the fly fisher well, regardless of line weight, fly size or species being sought. In addition, there are some essential knot tying strategies that every angler must know.

No skiff, no problem

Two feet equals one boat for Landcaptain Steve Kantner

by Mike Hodge - Monday, May 18th, 2015

A roadside Florida snook.

If the old red Jeep could talk, what fishing stories it could tell, from one coast of Florida to the other, from Everglades City to Fort Lauderdale, from the Taimiami Trail to Hobe Sound.

The guy behind the wheel is Steve Kantner. He’s a fishing guide. Most of his colleagues travel by boat; Kantner, for the most part, logs his recon by car. A Honda Accord and two Jeeps have provided transportation for nearly 20 years of guiding in South Florida. He is known as the Landcaptain and has fished for everything from black bass to baby tarpon.

Review: Orvis Recon fly rod

Orvis' new, mid-range fly rod makes few compromises.

by Chris Hunt - Thursday, May 14th, 2015

The Recon's design is derived from its pricier big-brother, the Orvis Helios 2 (photo: Chad Shmukler).

Sometimes, a new fly rod feels a little foreign when you break it out of the tube for the first time. Maybe the grip is just a bit different than the rod you’re accustomed to. Maybe the weight is off just a hair. It takes a while for a new stick to really become an extension of your body… a comfortable tool that invites confidence on the water.

Airflo releases new Streamer Switch fly line, two-handed trout fishing gets better

It is a good time to be a two-handed trout fisherman, even if our numbers are limited.

by Chad Shmukler - Tuesday, May 12th, 2015

Tom Larimer with a prototype of an Airflo line.

It is possible that there is no longer running experiment in the world of fly fishing than that of switch rods. At some point, trout and other smaller-game anglers realized that many of the benefits experienced by fishermen chasing steelhead and salmon fishermen with spey rods would come in handy on their trout streams as well. And so, switch rods were born. But, ever since their introduction, most switch rods have been trying to be many things at once -- a spey caster, a nymphing rig, an overhead caster -- instead of just being a two-handed rod for smaller fish on smaller water.

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