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Fly Fusion’s Editors’ Choice Awards celebrate the year’s most trusted, fish-ready gear, products that don’t just look good on the rack, but prove themselves day after day on the water. From smart storage to quick-access functionality, the best equipment is the kind that helps you fish more efficiently and keeps essentials right where you need them. This year’s Best Pack winner does exactly that, blending adaptability, thoughtful organization, and convenience into one streamlined carry system: the Patagonia Stealth Switch Pack. A creature of habit, I’ve been fishing with the same Patagonia sling pack for several years. Like its predecessor, the 9-liter Stealth Switch Pack is built for left- or right-shoulder wear and easily slides into an on-the-water fly-change station. The new one, however, also converts to a hip pack. Among the features are a net sleeve and embedded magnets on the pack front and shoulder strap that temporarily hold flies and nippers for quick fly changes. For pockets, the pack has one exterior-front zippered pocket, one zippered pocket on the shoulder strap, and four large stretch compartments in the pack interior. The Stealth Switch Pack also features a water bottle sleeve, corrosion-resistant zips, and numerous gear attachments and lash points. Patagonia.com © Photo Andrew Burr The post Editors’ Choice Awards – Best Pack appeared first on Fly Fusion. View the full article

By Bob Reece As the winter snows of the Rocky Mountains begin to thaw, a change is set in motion. The landscape breaks loose and emerges from a crisp exoskeleton of winter. For many fly anglers, the pinnacle of this yearly change is the transformation of Pteronarcys californica – the stonefly known as the salmonfly – into its adult form. Most fly fishers have some familiarity with spring salmonfly hatches that proclaim the beginning of the new season on many of western North America’s freestone rivers and streams. While the salmonfly hatch is one of fly fishing’s most compelling events, success during this time is not guaranteed and often depends on the design of your flies. When creating the Beefcake Stone, I spent extensive time observing the naturals from both above and below the water. This provided me with an accurate picture of the insect’s visual and behavioural traits. The exoskeletons of adult salmon flies display a subtle sheen, so I selected a tying material that was capable of producing the same effect in my imitations. With a combination of buoyancy and reflectivity, Wapsi’s Loco Foam is the perfect material. In addition to its gloss, its laminated coating reduces flexibility. This allows for more realistic body segmentation. While the body of the fly itself is rigid, its appendages move easily. The Sexi-floss antennae and tail fibers, along with round rubber legs, provide the fly with actively twitching limbs. Tantalizing action is paired with realism by knotting all of the legs. This nicely mimics the prominent leg joints in adult Pteronarcys. Aesthetic appeal is crucial, but without durability, it is meaningless. Zap-A-Gap is essential when working with the foam elements of this pattern. It should be applied any time two foam surfaces are placed in contact. At the core of the pattern is the sturdy Tiemco 200R hook. This hook is strong enough to turn even the heaviest fish in high spring flows without straightening out. The elk and deer hair wings used in many adult salmon fly patterns have been replaced by Thin Skin. This is often used in the construction of nymphs and streamers, yet with its sheen, flexibility and extreme durability, it is an ideal wing material. The bottom of this pattern is viewed by fish and thus should be given special attention. To ensure the longevity of the Loco Foam in this area, I coat the bottom surface of the fly with a thin layer of UV Clear Cure Goo. This greatly increases the visual and functional durability of the underside. When fishing the Beefcake Stone, tippet size is dependent on water clarity. On freestone rivers, the water is often high and murky during the salmonfly hatch. In these situations, I use 2X fluorocarbon tippet. As water clarity improves, I move to 3X or 4X. Fish in crystal-clear water will happily take a salmon-fly pattern properly presented on 4X fluorocarbon tippet. On its own, the Beefcake Stone is more than capable of producing plenty of fish. I sometimes double down and fish a dual dry setup with two Beefcakes. I attach the second fly with two feet of fluorocarbon tippet from the eye of the front fly to the eye of the rear fly. I use a non-slip mono loop knot for all connections. These knots allow the flies to move freely and are stronger than clinch knots. I also fish a large but lightly weighted stonefly nymph on a dropper two feet beneath a single Beefcake Stone. With this rig, I target the shallow pockets and margins of the river. This technique can be deadly during the early stages of the hatch because of the large number of nymphs that congregate in these areas before their exodus from the water. Triumph in fly fishing is often signified by a successful meeting of fly and fish. The expectation of this is never greater than when you’re standing in the midst of a salmonfly hatch. Don’t leave triumph to chance. Try a Beefcake Stone and find success in the midst of chaotic beauty. The post Reece’s Beefcake Stone appeared first on Fly Fusion. View the full article

By Kirk Deeter Excerpt from the current issue: “Contrary to all the dogma about specific colors and fly patterns and all that, what it usually (really) boils down to is shape and profile. And that’s true whether you’re spoon-feeding emergers to selective trout, trying to match baitfish roosterfish are chomping in Baja, or throwing shrimp or crab patterns at bonefish or permit somewhere on the flats. Do fish see colors? Absolutely. But at the end of the day, what a fish is really going to want to eat is a fly that looks very close in shape and size to what they’re foraging on. There’s a reason why the Parachute Adams dry fly has been a producing staple for many trout anglers for over 100 years. And there’s also a reason why a Chernobyl Ant produces on many rivers in the West and elsewhere during the terrestrial season. A Crazy Charlie or Squimp in the flats will work, nine times out of ten, if you stick it in a place where the fish sees it. It’s all about shape and profile.” Subscribe or pick up the issue at your local bookstore or fly shop for the full article. © Photo Faceless Fly Fishing The post Kirk Deeter’s Lesson on Picking Bugs appeared first on Fly Fusion. View the full article

Leader and tippet might not steal the spotlight, but they matter, especially when presentation gets technical, flies get smaller, or conditions get tough. For 2026, Scientific Anglers has expanded its leader and tippet offering with the introduction of the new Mastery series, providing high-quality, budget-friendly lines for freshwater and saltwater applications. Leader optionsThe Mastery leaders are available in lengths from 7.5 feet to 12 feet, with a variety of tapers designed for specific conditions and target species. Leaders are available individually or in three-packs, which is a practical option for anglers who like to keep a couple of fly rods ready. Tippet optionsThe Mastery tippet is available in both fluorocarbon and nylon in sizes 3X to 5X, and in spool sizes of 30 meters or 100 meters. For most anglers, that range covers general trout work, everyday nymph rigs and a wide range of light saltwater applications. Where it fitsThe addition of the Mastery series alongside Scientific Anglers’ award-winning Absolute series of premium leader and tippet provides one of the broadest leader and tippet offerings on the market, and ensures anglers have access to Scientific Anglers’ legendary quality and innovation across every price point. Learn more about the Mastery series here: scientificanglers.com/new-products The post New for 2026: SA Mastery leader and tippet appeared first on Fly Fusion. View the full article

By Derek Bird The logjam provided enough depth and structure to hold decent sized trout. I waded in just below it to about thigh deep and made a good cast up to where it looked like the large fish should be holding. My beetle pattern bobbed and drifted a foot or two from about the half-way-point of the jam where a few larger logs protruded into the river. I pulled quickly at the line to manage the slack as the current pushed the terrestrial toward me. Then just like I’d envisioned, a pair of lips inhaled the beetle—a very small pair of lips. I set and a six-inch fish skittered over the surface. My anticipation for a larger trout may have affected my overly forceful hook set. I say the trout was six-inches but it could have just as easily been four or five. Admittedly, I may miscalculate by an inch or two regardless the size of the fish. I don’t often actually measure my fish because I’m quite confident in my approximate benchmark measurements. A six-inch trout could be anything up to six inches. A 12-inch trout is usually anything between nine and 12. After that I get a little more precise: a 15-inch trout is anything an inch or so shy of that, and a 16-inch trout is actually 16…at least in my mind anyway. An 18-inch trout…well, anything that looks like 18 inches or above I usually do a quick measurement against my rod before I send it back. Oddly, a few of my 18-inch trout have actually measured 16 inches. I say all that to say the six-inch trout that grabbed my beetle was about half way between me and the logjam when I saw a dark shadow dart out and ambush the small trout. The battle immediately transitioned from a quick land-and-release scenario into an uncertain tug-o-war. I’d actually been in this type of situation before—the small fish takes the fly and then a large bull trout hijacks the poor little guy. Never have I ever actually landed the bull trout. He always spits his prey just a few feet from me, so I assumed the same would happen this time. But there was something vastly different about this situation unfolding in front of me—there were no char in this system. As I brought the two fish closer, something completely unpredictable happened. I’ve replayed the event multiple times, and I still have no idea how. Without a change in tension or direction, I watched as the small fish swam away. Very nonchalantly…like he’d had enough for one day. Somehow the little Houdini escaped the jaws of his captor and now the large trout alone was on the end of my line. At about four feet away, I reached for my net and pulled it from my backpack then promptly fumbled and dropped it just as the large fish took another run straight toward the lower end of the jam. I turned the rod to my right in order to guide him away from the submerged timber, but I was a little late. When I pulled on my rod, I didn’t feel the head shakes of a large trout, just the solid and consistent tension created by deadwood. At this point I faced a conundrum. Do I wade deeper toward the jam in order to see if a slightly different rod angle frees the line and possibly the fish if he was still on, or do I run downstream after my net, which was now getting dangerously close to a slightly submerged stump? I chose the latter because it appeared more attainable. I sprinted down the river and got to the end of my unspooled line then lunged for my net just moments before it became part of the unretrievable mess around the stump. I picked it up and put it under my left arm and reeled in my line while trekking back toward the snag. When I arrived near the bottom of the logjam, I was able to comfortably wade another two feet beyond my original position and then another couple uncomfortable feet beyond that all the while angling my rod upstream as far as I could. To my surprise, I felt the line release from the submerged log and immediately felt the headshakes from the large fish. He was still there! I reeled him up as I moved back toward my initial casting position. Then I took the retrieved net from under my left arm, raised the tip of my rod toward the slightly overcast sky and watched as the heavily spotted, yellow-bellied cutthroat slid over the side of the net. I’m really not sure how it happened, but the beetle was embedded in the corner of the jaw in the very same way as if he’d taken it himself. I removed the hook and slid my hand under the fish’s belly and lifted him toward my rod. This one, by my closest estimation needed to be measured. My mental yardstick placed him on the larger side of 18 inches. When I placed his tail at the butt of the rod, his nose stretched well beyond any logos or weight hashtags. This one’s got to run a solid 20 I thought as I slipped him back in the water and held him for a moment before he decided to splash with his tale and swim quickly toward the chaotic ball of trees and branches. The rest of the day I fished each of the deep pools with dries first and then made a second pass with streamers. I caught lots of fish on both but none rivaled that trout’s size. On the way home, I reminisced about the one…or more accurately the two. I’ve been fishing now for four solid decades, mostly for trout, and to that point I’d never had a cutthroat ambush a six-inch trout at the end of my line. The only explanation…maybe I overestimated the size of the trout that rose to the beetle. I guess he could have been four inches just as easily as he could have been six. That’s a possibility. Regardless, a trout eating another a third its size, then the beetle transferring from the smaller to the larger mouth, and then the trout running me into a jam and me getting the trout off the jam…he’s likely a trout I won’t soon forget. When I got home, I grabbed my gear from the vehicle and placed it in the garage. I rummaged about for a tape measure and then stretched it from the rod butt to where his nose reached. By precise calculations, the trout measured just shy of 18. Hmm. I overestimated by two inches—glad to see even in the mayhem of a moment, some things never change. Photo: Arian Stevens The post Just Shy of Eighteen appeared first on Fly Fusion. View the full article

The International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4), a curated collection of world-class films and cinematic storytelling from independent fly-fishing filmmakers from around the globe, is honored to announce RA Beattie, founder of Beattie Outdoor Productions and co-founder of Off the Grid Studios, as the winner of Audience Choice Award — Best Film in the 2025 IF4 for his groundbreaking film “The Silent Spotter”. This year’s top honor was determined entirely by audience votes from viewers around the world, underscoring the film’s powerful connection with the global fly-fishing community. The Silent Spotter introduces audiences to the extraordinary life of Tommy Batun, a deaf and mute fly-fishing guide from Xcalak, Mexico. With sharp eyes, unmatched intuition, and an unshakable love for the flats, Tommy has redefined what it means to be a guide, an innovator, and a hero in the world of saltwater fly fishing. Through stunning visuals and intimate storytelling, the film showcases Tommy’s remarkable ability to communicate, teach, and lead on the water, proving that passion and skill speak louder than words. “‘The Silent Spotter’ reflects Off the Grid Studio’s unique vision and remarkable talent for crafting memorable, meaningful stories,” said Chris Bird, founder and executive producer of IF4. “Beattie’s talent, curiosity and dedication to the craft have made him one of the most influential voices in fly-fishing cinema, and this film is yet another example of his remarkable contribution to our community.” “I’m honored that ‘The Silent Spotter’ has been recognized by IF4 Audiences as the top film in 2025 – especially with so many amazing and passionate films in the festival lineup,” said RA Beattie. “Tommy’s story is unlike any other. His skill, dedication, and spirit inspired every frame of this film, and we’re grateful to share his legacy with the global fly-fishing community.” With the 2025 festival tour now officially concluded, IF4 is already looking ahead. A new collection of world-class films for the 2026 season is complete, and the festival will debut the new lineup beginning in January, bringing fresh stories, new voices, and groundbreaking cinematography to anglers around the world. The full 2025 IF4 presentation is now available to watch at FlyFusionStreaming.com, offering audiences worldwide the opportunity to experience the complete lineup. “The Silent Spotter” is now available on the Off the Grid Studios website as a Limited Edition Mixtape (USB), plus digital download and other streaming options: offthegridstudios.com/pages/the-silent-spotter About IF4 IF4 is the ultimate celebration of fly-fishing culture, featuring a curated collection of world-class films and cinematic storytelling from independent filmmakers around the globe. Rooted in the soul of fly fishing, it brings together powerful stories that capture the heart and adventure of fly fishing. IF4 is a gathering place for the fly-fishing community and a celebration of friendship, stories and stoke. About Off the Grid Studios and RA Beattie Off the Grid Studios is an award-winning film and creative production company led by filmmaker RA Beattie. Known for cinematic, story-driven work rooted in adventure and conservation, the studio produces documentaries, broadcast content, and brand campaigns for partners around the world. Their films blend authenticity and craft to spotlight the people, places, and stories that shape our natural world. The post RA Beattie Named Winner of the International Fly Fishing Film Festival for “The Silent Spotter” appeared first on Fly Fusion. View the full article

The Scott Fly Rod Company announces that Shawn Combs will join the Scott team as vice president in January. “Shawn is a lifelong angler with finely honed skills and a proven track record in fly-fishing product design,” says Jim Bartschi, president of Scott Fly Rods. “His passion for innovation, quality, and team building is a perfect fit to help carry on Scott’s fifty-year legacy of handcrafting high-performance fly rods. I’m thrilled to welcome Shawn to the Scott family and for the opportunity to work with him and the rest of the team on writing the next chapters of the Scott story.” After earning his master’s degree in mechanical engineering, Combs spent a decade in engineering roles with industry leaders, including Exxon Mobil Corp. and Lockheed Martin. In 2011, he joined the Orvis Company in Vermont as a product developer for fly rods and reels, and he has served as their director of product design and development since 2014. Combs says, “I am beyond excited to join the Scott Fly Rod Company to work alongside Jim and team. Having grown up fishing Scott rods, I am honored to contribute to the legacy of handcrafting rods that, in my view, embody innovation and soul like no other.” The post Scott Fly Rod Company Welcomes Industry Veteran Shawn Combs appeared first on Fly Fusion. View the full article

 As a proud media partner, Fly Fusion is excited to share the stoke as the official sizzle reel for the International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4) has just been released, offering a first look at one of the most anticipated fly-fishing film events on the planet. IF4, presented by Orvis, Abel Reels and Trout Unlimited, is the ultimate celebration of fly-fishing culture, featuring a curated collection of world-class films and cinematic storytelling from independent filmmakers around the globe. Each year, IF4 captures the heart, soul and adventure of fly fishing, spotlighting the passion, lifestyle and culture that defines the sport. But IF4 is more than a film tour. It’s a worldwide gathering place for the fly-fishing community. A celebration of friendship and wild places. A platform for powerful stories. A night fueled by pure stoke. The sizzle reel is your first look into this year’s unforgettable experience, packed with stunning visuals, epic adventures and the energy that makes IF4 unlike anything else. Watch the sizzle reel. Feel the stoke. Join the global celebration of fly fishing. Tickets, trailers and schedule: flyfilmfest.com/schedule. The post The IF4 Stoke Begins Now: Get Your Tickets! appeared first on Fly Fusion. View the full article

Two decades ago, alerted by headlights shining on my parent’s front lawn, I slipped silently out the front door and threw my pack into the bed of an old forest service truck. I was 14-years-old and heading to a high mountain lake filled with cutthroat. In the driver’s seat was a business partner of my father’s, a real estate investor whose love for the outdoors mirrored my own. Although he was 16 years my senior, John and I formed a fast friendship, spawned in large part by that first outing together. As we bumped our way up the dirt road toward the trailhead we talked fishing and hiking and what excitement the day would provide. Only now, with the benefit of hindsight, do I realize what having a mentor such as John has provided for my life. I don’t know how many fish we caught that particular day but burned into my memory is another outing with John, when we pulled 78 trout out of Whale Lake, all on a dry fly. “Whale Lake” isn’t listed on any tourist brochure or forest service map. That was John and wife Judy’s moniker for one of their favourite haunts, declared as such after a friend took a swim with all his fishing gear on. “The fish must have thought a whale was after them with such a big splash,” Judy remarked, or so the story went, according to John. To a teenage angler spending a day free from responsibility or any outside pressure, the denomination was funny and fitting enough to stick. The incredible spruce moth hatch at Whale Lake probably helped, too. The fish were engorging themselves; anything that resembled a mottled cream morsel was getting demolished. I still recall vividly John’s old flannel shirt, his straw hat and the sight of hungry trout cruising the shoreline in search of an easy meal. Maybe it was our angling success that day which imprinted the memory of Whale Lake on my mind so enduringly, but my hunch is that is goes much deeper than hungry fish and a proliferation of bugs. I’d spent a few days on high mountain lakes before, but without a car it was usually difficult to figure a way to get to the trailhead, much less find someone who wanted to join. I didn’t realize how much I was pining for a friend to share the experience with until John asked me to fish with him. Years later, John and I have hiked and fished countless high mountain lakes. At the time, I thought we were just two buddies—albeit atypical ones—heading out for the day. Years later, as I look back and consider the value his friendship has added to my life, it is apparent those days spent hiking off of old Montana logging roads were about far more than the pan-sized cutties we were hooking. It’s easy to see the appeal of watching a trout rise through crystal clear water to eat a dry, but it’s much harder to convey the importance of a relationship built over time. Being willing to hike in to find fish is one thing, being willing to help someone who otherwise wouldn’t be able to get to the trailhead and help foster a connection with nature is another thing entirely. This past summer a few neighbourhood kids approached me with some questions about fly fishing. We talked tactics and gear before I was wise enough to see the opportunity in front of me. I clued in that it was my turn, and my privilege, to pay it forward. My friend John had taken a kid who was unable to drive and unsure of where to fish and given him the chance of both fishing and friendship. Now it was my turn. After getting the OK from their parents, the neighbourhood kids and I spent the day bouncing up a local river, mostly casting dries to small rainbows and cuts. This truly was life coming full circle. We were fishing a spot that, when I was their age, was one of my favourite places to fish. In this context, seeing 12-inch rainbows smash a dry was so much more fun as a spectator than it could ever have been had I been the one holding the rod. Their smiles were my smiles, their exuberance was my exuberance, all those years ago. Fly fishing has been the catalyst to many important moments in my life. It has been a vehicle for travel and exploration and served as the bridge to many lasting friendships. It’s clear to me now, however, that the real value I cherish comes in the form of sharing my passion with someone else. Perhaps one day, someone will look back at their life of fly fishing and reflect that it was my invitation that enabled them to find their own passion—just like John helped me all those years ago. The post Pay it Forward | Derek Olthuis appeared first on Fly Fusion. View the full article

Fly Fusion’s Drift Sessions bridge the distance between author and reader. On October 23, Field Editor Derek Olthuis went live on Zoom to explore Mousing for Trophy Trout and Fishing Lakes. In this Drift Session, Derek Olthuis took us on a small-lake fishing adventure for brookies, cutthroats, and cutbows, highlighting both the thrill of the catch and the deeper experience of being on the water with friends. The session covered a range of techniques, including careful observation, nymphing near logs, and mousing for big trout along the surface. Derek reflected on the balance between chasing the fish and enjoying the camaraderie, emphasizing that fishing is as much about the people and shared experience as it is about the catch. Did you miss registering for this call? Well now you can watch the full session on flyfusionstreaming.com! And keep an eye out for the next session which will be announced very soon. Drift Sessions are free and available exclusively to Fly Fusion subscribers. These calls are open to the first 100 registrants so don’t wait! Why Join the Drift Session? Inside Access: Hear the stories behind the columns — what inspires them and the lessons learned. Ask Anything: Bring your questions and get real-time answers. Connect with Editors: Go beyond the pages and meet the minds shaping Fly Fusion. Exclusive Experience: Drift Sessions happen only a few times a year. This is your front-row seat. The post Drift Session with Derek Olthuis is LIVE on Fly Fusion Streaming appeared first on Fly Fusion. View the full article

Throwback to the first season of the Fly Fusion Series with Al Ritt on the vise. Filmed on location at Island Lake Lodge, nestled in the heart of the Rockies in the Kootenay region of British Columbia. The post Circus Peanut | Al Ritt appeared first on Fly Fusion. View the full article

Orvis is celebrating a golden anniversary with the Helios Limited Edition dry fly rod. To commemorate the occasion, their rod designers built a rod that will pull at the heartstrings of the technical dry fly angler and showcase the accuracy, precision, and eye-catching look that their graphite rods are known for. They started out with a retro-inspired, unsanded 9’5″ 4-wt. Helios D blank, dressed it up with gold accents, black anodized reel seat hardware, and a hand-selected burl maple insert, and presented the whole package in a signature 50th Anniversary rod tube and sock. The length, line weight, and crisp D-series feel make this rod perfect for presenting tiny dries with laser precision, with that extra length you always want for mends and reach casts. The Helios Limited Edition Fly Rod takes everything Orvis has learned in 50 years of graphite rod building and puts it in your hand. Limited run of 500 rods, so get one while you can. The post Orvis’ 50 Years of Graphite appeared first on Fly Fusion. View the full article

A Midway Check-In with Brian Niska, Head Guide, Casting Instructor, and Manager of the Skeena Spey Lodge By Will Rice When the steelhead grabbed my fly, I was in a bit of a daze. I’d been methodically casting a twelve-and-a-half-foot spey rod with a Skagit line and sink tip for hours. At that precise moment, I was trying to self-diagnose how my casting and line management had so badly collapsed. The Skeena River, located in the Western Canadian province of British Columbia, is massive and can make you feel insignificant even when you are casting well. And right then and there, I wasn’t casting well. I kept blowing my anchor, my sweep wasn’t at the right speed, and my casts were not performing like they had been just a few short hours before. My fly was still making it out into the run where I could make a big mend and fish it, but my casting had clearly turned to mush. And that is precisely when the steelhead ate my fly, started taking line, and then did all those wonderful and powerful things that bright chrome steelhead do when they are fresh in from the ocean. Someone once told me, ‘There is a big difference between no fish and one fish.’ Well… this fish made a big difference on this trip. After returning each day to the Skeena Spey Riverside Wilderness & Lodge – what I think of as ‘fish camp’ – two topics were continually covered during post-fishing time as I talked with other anglers. The first was the number of fish returning to the river, and the second was our ability to find them with our differing spey casting abilities and varying skill levels. When I had a chance to sit down with Brian Niska, Manager and Head Guide of the lodge, these were the two topics I wanted to dig into. Will Rice (WR): Let’s talk about steelhead numbers and the fishing on the Skeena River so far for the 2025 season. Are you feeling good about it, bad about it? What would you share with people who are thinking about planning a trip to your area or already have a steelhead trip booked for this coming season? Brian Niska (BN): “We had clients out about mid-July, and this year, early on, we had some challenges with water conditions. But we did start, as we normally do, in about the third week of July, and we had pretty good fishing given the conditions right from the get-go. It was really consistent fairly early on for us, and then we had about 15 days in a row of commercial netting. Obviously, we don’t know for sure how many fish get taken in the nets, but good sources close to the net fishery tell me it’s probably somewhere in the neighborhood of a few hundred fish per day. So, you know, 15 days of that in a row definitely hurts. And that doesn’t take into account what goes missing in southeast Alaska, so there’s definitely a portion of the run that is lost to by-catch. We had pretty good conditions for the second half of August. With good conditions and really good visibility, if the Skeena is low and dropping fast, fish are going to move slower and hang out in the runs longer, so it gives us more opportunity. So, we’ve had pretty darn consistent fishing for most of the first half of the season. And we will fish until late October here on the Lower Skeena, so right now we’re about midway through it. There are more fish, generally speaking, moving through numbers-wise at the start of our season. What happens with the latter part of the steelhead run is the fish tend to come in in response to water conditions. What I mean by that is if you get a bump of rain so the river bumps up a little bit, that tends to bring in fresh fish, and that’s coho as well as steelhead. So certainly, when we do get some rain, I would expect to see a few more fish around. But it’s honestly been fairly consistent. At Skeena Spey, here on the lower river, we’re trying to catch a good one – quality over quantity. We want to catch those big fish when they are silver. We want to catch them before they’ve been caught by other anglers. We believe that our flies are some of the first these fish have ever seen. We’re catching them in shallow water, which is a place that they naturally want to be. You know, you have one guy go out and hook four fish, then someone else goes out and doesn’t hook anything. It is really classic steelheading, and it’s not always about the numbers. It’s more about the luck factor combined with skill. If you squander your chances, you don’t end up with that fish. But if you listen to your guide and you don’t lift your rod tip up when you feel that bite, typically you’re going to land half the fish you hook, so that’s helpful.” Yes, those steelhead who manage to hang on and not come unbuttoned during the battle… they are quite helpful. And during my four days on the Skeena, I definitely experienced hooked fish that were never ultimately landed. And as Brian stated, that is the nature of steelheading. We also talked a bit about the Tyee Test Fishery on the Skeena River as well. The Tyee Test Fishery is a long-running gillnet monitoring program established in 1955 to estimate the number of salmon and steelhead returning to the river. The fishery collects data on captured fish by species, size, and timing to inform management decisions for commercial, recreational, and Indigenous fisheries, and for conservation efforts. These numbers are often anxiously watched by steelhead anglers once they are released. WR: What are your thoughts on the Tyee numbers this year compared to last year and compared to previous years? BN: “I’d say overall there’s less fish than last year based on our success. Last year was kind of exceptional. We had good numbers of fish and great water conditions. So, you know, we’ll see what September brings. If you like the Tyee as a metric, it is something to watch. But it’s also important to recognize that we’re talking about a 1,200 ft. long gillnet that’s spread across a section of river that’s well over a kilometer wide and is fished a few hours on each tide. The amount of fish caught per hour gets extrapolated into a representation of the overall numbers. There are 70-plus years of Tyee data, so Tyee is the best indicator that we have. But once again, we’re using well over 70-year-old technology, killing fish in the process, to guess at how many are coming in. I don’t put a huge amount of stock in Tyee myself. I feel like the Tyee numbers are artificially low for this season. I think that there’s still a lot of ball to be played, if you know what I mean. Even though we’re past the peak of the run, September is an important month down here on the lower river, and a lot of the lower Skeena tributaries have later-timed runs.” Next, I wanted to jump into more tactical advice for newer anglers who might be planning a steelhead trip and spending hours on the water with a spey rod. WR: “OK, you mentioned early in one of our conversations that your opinion is that steelhead aren’t particularly hard fish to catch, but first you have to find them, and that can be the tough part. Obviously, part of finding them and putting a swung fly in front of their face is your ability to make a cast and consistently cover water. I know I had a couple of breakdowns during the day where my casting just went to sh!t. In my mind, I’m not fishing the water well, and I’m not making consistent presentations. I talked about this phenomenon of the ‘mid-day spey casting meltdown’ with some of the other anglers at the lodge. We all kind of laughed about it – like ‘funny/not funny’ – and it is painful when it happens on the river. I thought it would be great if you could share some expert advice about what anglers can do before a steelhead trip, or when they are actually on the water and find themselves struggling to make good, consistent casts. Are there things that people should think about if they are new to spey casting or just getting started? Or, put a different way, as a casting instructor, how do you help get your clients’ heads around what is happening when their casting breaks down and starts to feel ineffective? BN: “When I teach, I tend to teach people as if I’m teaching them to teach someone else. So, I’ll present ideas so you can begin chasing the symptoms to find out what the issue is. An example would be if it appears that someone is applying too much power too early in the stroke. And this might show up as you hear a “whooooshhh” noise and a lack of overall casting performance. It’s very natural to tell a person to slow down, but it is important to understand why they’re applying power too early. It typically would be something along the lines of: there is slack in the line system, and that slack is taking away rod load, and everyone’s natural reaction when they feel load leaving the rod is to add speed. So, how is that slack getting into the line system? Is the slack a result of a poor anchor? Is the slack a result of the rod tip dropping in the sweep? There are a lot of ways that slack can enter the cast, so the anchor is always a good starting point, right. We talk about self-diagnosis with your casting, and if you find yourself in a funk, the first thing you should look at is your anchor. Anchors are always a good starting point for diagnosis; that’s the foundation of your house. If your anchor is in the right spot, it’s going to be easy to do start doing everything else right. The second thing I’ll share as a tip is that sometimes people just need a break. You could be tired, it’s that simple. The wind may have changed. Maybe you’re just in a spot where the current is slower or faster, maybe you’re wading a little deeper, or a little too shallow. Sometimes it’s good to just take a break. If you’re in a boat, go back to the boat, have a cup of coffee and get a fresh start. Typically, if it’s a wading issue and you’re standing in water that’s a little deeper, the height between our rod tip and our anchor point is diminished. I’ll say that again, if you’re standing in 2 1/2 feet of water versus 1 ½ feet of water, it’s going to be harder to make a good cast because the vertical distance between your rod tip in the firing position and your anchor is diminished with the deep wade. So, if you’re in a casting funk, but your anchor looks pretty good, but you still feel like you’re just not connecting the way you want to, take a step back towards the bank, put yourself in slightly shallower water. That can help. And then lastly, take inventory of your position in the river and your surroundings, ask the question, ‘am I standing in a position that I’m used to standing in, or am I deeper?’ Ask yourself, ‘has the wind changed?’ Try to wrap your head around why your cast is not working by looking at your surroundings. And this could also be an example to really pay attention to the river’s current. So, if we have a situation where you’re standing in water that’s not moving or it’s frog water, and your running line is sinking down, that could also impact the line speed because during your cast, you’re going to have to pull all of that line out of the water. This is also a good opportunity for you to learn how to manage your running line. How are you going to manage line and do that? I think the best way is to take a lesson. I think lessons are a really, really good idea for anybody looking to go on water, whether it’s a guided trip or a fishing vacation. Nowadays, there’s a ton of great instructors. Fly Fishers International has a wonderful spey casting instructor program where instructors are certified at a couple of different levels, and they deliver consistent instruction focused on the fundamentals that will set you up for success. Whatever area you’re in, check out your local fly shop or tackle shop, find out who’s teaching lessons, and that’s a good starting point for someone looking to go on a trip. Why wouldn’t you invest in a little bit of practice? And even if it’s not lessons, you know, get out and practice ahead of your trip rather than showing up and trying to figure it out. And if you’re stuck, if you can’t find anybody, heck, shoot me an email, give me a phone call. I’ll do my best to help you over the phone. You can send me a video, and I’ll give you some thoughts on how to improve your cast. I won’t even charge you for it.” And that… is an exceptional offer. So, the season is off to a good start on the lower Skeena River, and there are still plenty more days, weeks and months to experience it for yourself. The post Steelhead Season on the Skeena appeared first on Fly Fusion. View the full article

Hey FFC! Don't miss an epic collection of fly-fishing films at the 2017 International Fly Fishing Film Festival® in Calgary! Date: January 12, 2017 Venue: Canyon Meadows Cinemas Doors Open: 6:30pm Show Starts: 7:00pm Get Your IF4™ Tickets! Click Here Official IF4™ Website www.flyfilmfest.com The International Fly Fishing Film Festival™ consists of short and feature length films produced by professional filmmakers from all corners of the globe, showcasing the passion, lifestyle and culture of fly-fishing. The films at this popular event are capturing the attention of anglers around the world. IF4™ contains exclusive content and is a must see experience coming to Calgary January 12, 2017!

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