Articles

Review: Orvis Waterproof Hip Pack

Watertight, airtight, gear swallowing minimalism from Orvis

by Johnny Carrol Sain - Wednesday, Aug 24th, 2022

The Orvis Waterproof Hip Pack (photo: Johnny Carrol Sain).

The appeal of wet-wade fishing, to me, is its minimalistic nature — no waders to slog around in, no watercraft issues to deal with. That minimalism translates to my rod, reel, terminal tackle, and accessories as well. I’ve never understood how a 4-6 hour wade could necessitate multiple rods and an expedition-sized backpack stuffed to the gills. Give me one rod, one reel, a spool of tippet, and a pocket-sized fly box with a handful of trusted patterns. Throw in a LifeStraw or some other lightweight water filter and I’m good to go for miles and all day long if necessary.

Rediscovering the yellowfin cutthroat trout

Last seen over 120 years ago, biologists are embarking on a journey to find the thought-to-be-extinct yellowfin cutthroat

by Chris Hunt - Monday, Aug 22nd, 2022

One of seven specimens of Yellowfin cutthroat trout collected by David S. Jordan and Barton W. Evermann from Twin Lakes near Leadville in 1889 and preserved at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. (photo: Smithsonian Museum).

Some years back, when I still worked as a newspaper journalist, I did a series of stories that focused on cutthroat trout in the West. Following the breadcrumbs left behind by renowned fisheries biologist Dr. Robert Behnke, I traversed the Rockies, going from Montana to southern Colorado and from Utah to the slopes of the Eastern Sierra, all in an attempt to gauge the health — and the future — of the native trout of the western United States.

Review: Orvis Superfine Glass fly rod

Retro feel in a modern, high-performance package

by Spencer Durrant - Saturday, Aug 20th, 2022

Photo: Spencer Durrant.

As Orvis has worked to rethink and reinvent many of their rod series in recent years – starting with its award-winning Helios 3 (H3) series – I was curious to see what they’d do with their fiberglass offerings. Part of me even wondered if Orvis would opt to keep glass rods in their lineup. But with the recent release of its latest version of its “Superfine” line of fiberglass rods, Orvis has made clear that it intends to maintain its commitment to offering anglers fiberglass options.

72 percent of hunters and anglers see a changing climate

Widely viewed as a conservative lot, hunters and anglers want action on climate

by Chad Shmukler - Thursday, Aug 18th, 2022

Anglers cross a creek in Oregon (photo: Todd Tanner).

According to a survey commissioned by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP), an overwhelming majority of hunters and anglers — a demographic commonly regarded as conservative — believe our climate is changing and many of those sportsmen and women believe warming temperatures are negatively affecting their hunting and fishing. What's more, the vast majority of respondents who acknowledge the reality of a warming climate also see humans as bearing most or part of the blame.

Catching a Pacific sailfish on the fly

The nitty gritty on how to prep your gear for one of the ocean's most exhilarating quarry

by Stu Apte - Monday, Aug 15th, 2022

Stu Apte tangles with a leaping Pacific sailfish (photo: Jeannine Apte).

How would you like to cast your fly to a fish that might be longer than your fly rod? That’s right, longer than your 9-foot fly rod. If you want an adrenaline rush almost equal to landing on an aircraft carrier, you might want to try a pacific sailfish on fly. You will be close up and personal with your adversary and it’s not as difficult as you might believe. In more than 40 years of fly fishing for Pacific sail, I’ve helped scores of people catch their first. My first was at Club de Pesca de Panama, now called Tropic Star Lodge, in 1964.