-
Gear test: Cabela’s Atoll saltwater rod
Sometimes the little things can make all the difference, and the Cabela’s Atoll 8-weight saltwater rod is all the proof I need. Its main purpose is to cast a big fly far and accurately, and it handles these tasks extremely well. In a side-by-side comparison with a considerably more expensive rod, the G III technology…
-
Gear test: Thermacell Backpacker
One of the surprising highlights to the summer camping season was the day my Thermacell "Backpacker" arrived in the mail. This little device does a number on mosquitos. Thermacell's lantern has been out for awhile, but the "Backpacker" is new. It attaches to a typical camp propane canister and uses a repellent mat to do…
-
Video spotlight: Fly fishing for barramundi in Florida
Florida has become something of a "clearing house" for exotic species, both of the gamefish variety and the full-on invasive critters ranging from pythons and lion fish to iguanas and other foreign animals that are noxious to the ecology of the Everglades. Nowhere else in America can fly fishers chase peacock bass and Mayan cichlids,…
-
Voices from the River: The voice in your head
By Chris Hunt The late August rain provided the symphony, a tinny drum beat on the camper's roof and walls, while I sat at my "kitchen" table tying up a gawdy pink streamer. Parked beneath the bows of towering yellow cedar and Sitka spruce in a lonely Forest Servi ce campground on Prince of Wales…
-
Voices from the River: My broken heart …
By Rachel Andona My broken heart. Or broken arm. Same difference when your passion in life is fly fishing. But let me go back to that beautiful, refreshing morning. It was winter in the valley and it was Christmas Eve. With all of the stress that comes along with Christmas festivities I needed a break,…
-
Virtual outdoor show? It’s a real thing
The North American Sportsman Show is a free, online "exposition" featuring just about anything you might find at an actual sportsman's show, minus the convention center corn dogs and the $20 parking bill. It is "show season" after all, with expos, fly tying shows, fishing shows, boat shows, RV shows and the like hitting expo…
-
Fly tying: The Tarpon Toad
I'm in saltwater mode, prepping for a trip to flats next week, and I've been exploring some patterns not only for bonefish and permit, but also for tarpon, jacks, barracuda and even small sharks. You never know, you know? Video of Tarpon ToadI've been following some the Loon Live demonstrations that Matt Callies gives the…
Author