Articles

Review: Orvis Recon fly rod

Is Orvis's redesigned Recon the mid-range marvel its predecessor was?

by Spencer Durrant - Thursday, Oct 15th, 2020

The 2020 Orvis Recon (photo: Spencer Durrant)

For numerous reasons—some good and some bad—the fly fishing industry isn’t content to stand pat with what works. Rod builders churn out new sticks every year, and most rod models don’t hang around particularly long, though a few rods have bucked that trend over the years. Redington’s Classic Trout comes to mind. So does the Orvis Recon.

An ode to the Adams, the perfect dry fly

Did you know that the Adams should probably be called the 'Halladay'?

by Chris Hunt - Wednesday, Oct 14th, 2020

Has any dry fly pattern caught more trout than the Adams? (photo: Earl Harper)

It's nothing much to look at. Gray. Drab. A little fuzzy.

Anybody can tie it, which means it turns up in various stages of gray, and in various stages of quality. There's solace for even the ham-handed tier, however. Even in its finest condition, the Adams is a bit underwhelming.

But not to trout. To trout, it's a magical meal that doesn't match exactly anything on the water, but it sure appears to be close enough to a lot of food sources that it gets plenty of looks. It's a classic attractor. A fly for all seasons.

Book Review: The Classic Sporting Art of Bob White

White's timeless paintings have long graced the works of John Gierach, countless sporting magazines, and more

by Spencer Durrant - Wednesday, Sep 30th, 2020

Photo: Lisa White

Like many anglers, my first exposure to Bob White’s art was through John Gierach’s writing. Then, after years of staring at Bob’s paintings, I finally worked up the courage to ask him for an interview for a story I was writing about art and fly fishing.

Fireworks at the starlight rodeo

The sound of the water-slashing boil of a trout taking a Hex, once burned into your memory, smolders there forever

by Tom Davis - Monday, Sep 28th, 2020

Photo: HarshLight / cc2.0 modified

“Fire in the hole!” someone hollered, distantly.

Through the pines I heard the unmistakable sound of a skyrocket hissing up, followed by a pair of thunderous reports, one on top of the other, like a double-barrelled elephant gun going off. Two colossal starbursts illuminated the night sky in all the colors of the rainbow, galaxies of lights flaring, crackling, and sizzling before finally winking out.

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