Articles

2013 Fly Fishing Photo Contest: It's Voting Time

by Colin K. Breck - Wednesday, Nov 13th, 2013

One of our previous winners (photo: Clayton Paddie).

We've been lucky enough to receive some amazing images for this year's fly fishing photo contest. It has been our privilege to host and showcase many of these amazing images. That said, now that the contest has formally closed, it is time to get on with the best part: picking the four lucky photographers that walk away with this year's amazing prizes. Thanks to contest sponsors Thomas & Thomas, Maui Jim, Montana Fly Company and Airflo -- this year's winners are going to walk away with the best offerings we've put up thus far, including the grand prize, a Thomas & Thomas NS 5 fly rod (valued at $820).

As in the past, winners will be selected by a panel of judges. These judges will represent a mix of personalities from the world of fly fishing, ranging from professional photographers to outdoor writers to product developers and so on. But, this year we're letting the readers get in on the action too. Each of you will have the opportunity to rate each photo entered in the contest (from 1 to 10). When the judges go to make their selections, they'll be taking into account reader ratings and comments.

Chasing Mackerel in Tarpon Bay

by Chris Hunt - Tuesday, Nov 12th, 2013

Spanish Mackerel are feisty, with the zeal and determination of a fish twice their size.

I worked the barbless Clouser free from the mouth of the third straight toothy Spanish mackerel and wondered why on earth this place was named for tarpon when it seemed much more appropriate to name it after this salty rocket that I cradled in my hands.

I stood on tiny sand spit at the mouth of southwest Florida’s Tarpon Bay on an incoming tide, casting the red and black Clouser that Florida fly fishing legend Norm Zeigler recommended to me the day before into the rushing current. It was a lot like throwing streamers at big browns on the Henry’s Fork.

Only, on the Henry’s Fork, you don’t need watch the water around your ankles for big jellyfish cruising along with current. One brush with these bulbous mucous-masses will ruin your day, for sure.

Oregon's Crooked River Flowing More Freely

by Colin K. Breck - Monday, Nov 11th, 2013

The Crooked River, flowing freely for the first time in over 100 years (photo: Scott Wright).

After several weeks of removal and restoration work, Oregon's Crooked river is flowing more freely than it has in over a century. In late October, crews from the River Design Group began removal of the Stearns Dam, which was built in 1911 by homesteader Sidney Stearns in order to divert water for pasture irrigation. Now complete, the project is the culmination of 10 years of planning and negotiation.

As a result of the dams removal, steelhead and salmon migrating upriver from the Pacific Ocean as well as resident trout now have access to an additional 12 miles of the Crooked River. The Stearns Dam removal is one of several projects planned or being explored -- including creating passage at the Rice-Baldwin dam a mile downstream of the former Stearns dam site -- that would serve to restore the native runs of these fish.

RIO Introduces Two New Shooting Lines

by Ben Kryzinski - Friday, Nov 8th, 2013

The RIO ConnectCore shooting line.

RIO has been busy refreshing and adding products to its spey lineup. Last month, RIO announced three new skagit heads. Now, RIO is announcing two new shooting lines, the ConnectCore and GripShooter.

RIO is calling its new ConnectCore shoot line "the best shooting line ever made." According to RIO, the "ConnectCore Shooting Line takes advantage of an ultra-low stretch core that allows anglers to stay perfectly in contact with their fly throughout the swing and feel every slight touch. A thick, highly visible hot orange handling section makes it easy to grip the line and easily shows anglers when to stop stripping to make the next cast and helps anglers track the swing of the line. In addition, XS Technology lets the line shoot far and float high for the ultimate in performance. A large eight-inch loop at the front end makes it very easy for anglers to quickly set up. Available in 0.026”, 0.032”, 0.037” and 0.042” diameters, these lines come in light gray/hot orange, pale green/hot orange, pale blue/hot orange and straw/hot orange, respectively."

Fall Redfish in the Low Country

by Captain Owen Plair - Wednesday, Nov 6th, 2013

Sun glistens golden off the side of this pretty redfish.

There really is no such thing as a bad time of year to target redfish on fly in South Carolina's Low Country, but autumn is by far my favorite. Redfish are particularly unique because, throughout the year, they offer the angler many different opportunities to pursue them in sight casting situations. Examples include flood tide tailing fish, low tide schools, fish crushing bait, floating fish in the grass, tailing fish on oysters, and even belly crawling fish in super shallow mud flats. These are all situations you will encounter while fishing in the Low Country, but the fall is the only time of year you can see it all in one day.

The months of September, October, and November are far and away the three best months of the year to experience everything the Low Country has to offer when it comes to redfishing. This is the time of year when the weather is cooling down, shrimp are moving into the flats, fiddler crabs are going crazy in the spartina grass, and redfish take advantage of it every second they can in order to fatten up for a long winter. Targeting these fish on the fly isn't always the easiest thing to do, but it is by far the most rewarding way to target them. It's all about being able to see the fish, make the cast, and strip set. The experience of sight fishing is the ultimate experience when fly fishing and the plethora of sight fishing opportunities that redfish present are what makes them such a special species.