The ORVIS Special Edition Four Wheel Camper
For over a year, Orvis and Four Wheel Campers have been crafting the ultimate pop-up truck camper for full-sized trucks, designed specifically to elevate fly fishing adventures. This collaboration between two iconic brands, each a leader in their respective outdoor niches, brings an unparalleled offering to the fly-fishing and camping community. Renowned for their commitment to quality and durability, both companies have poured their expertise into this camper. The official partnership, which began in 2023 under the guidance of Orvis’ Product Design and Development Director Shawn Combs and Community Leader Davis James, alongside FWC’s President Dan Welty, represents the pinnacle of innovation and tradition.
Fly fishermen have long relied on Four Wheel Campers for their angling excursions, and this new product takes that experience to the next level. Key features include a lockable rod bunker for up to six fly rods and a mud locker with waterproof storage and drain for wet gear. The camper also boasts a vertically mounted exterior L-track system for flexible gear mounting, as well as upgraded cabinetry, countertops, fabrics, and appliances to ensure comfort in all seasons. Imagine heading out to your favorite fishing spot, knowing your gear is securely stored in the rod bunker, ready for action. The mud locker ensures that your wet gear won’t create a mess, keeping your camper clean and organized. The L track system provides the flexibility to mount your essential gear on the exterior, allowing you to customize your setup according to your needs.
Inside, you’ll find comfort and convenience. The upgraded cabinetry provides a sturdy and stylish workspace. Anglers can choose between a portable induction or propane stove, a new option for FWC. High-quality fabrics and appliances have been chosen to withstand the rigors of outdoor life, ensuring you remain comfortable no matter the season. The craftsmanship and attention to detail in this camper reflect the values of both Orvis and Four Wheel Campers. Each element has been thoughtfully designed to enhance outdoor adventures, making this camper not just a vehicle, but a reliable partner in fly-fishing journeys.
As you venture into the wild, you’ll appreciate the legacy of innovation and excellence that defines this collaboration. Both Orvis and Four Wheel Campers have a long history of producing products that stand the test of time, and this camper is no exception. It’s built to be enjoyed for decades, offering a durable and dependable base for countless fishing trips. The Orvis Special Edition Four Wheel Camper is more than just a product; it’s a testament to what can be achieved when two industry leaders combine their strengths. This camper is designed to meet the needs of serious anglers, providing a perfect blend of functionality, comfort, and durability. Whether you’re a seasoned fly fisherman or just starting out, this camper will elevate your outdoor experiences, allowing you to focus on what you love most—fly fishing and enjoying the great outdoors.
Echo Expands B Rod Line
Echo Fly Fishing has expanded their successful Eight Four – B rod line designed with big ambush predators in mind and the accuracy to deliver even bigger wind-resistant flies to where these fish live. Adding a 9wt and 10wt rod to the Eight Four lineup rounds out the rods offered to cover all situations anglers could run into while targeting big fish.
The Eight Four – B has become the benchmark for an affordable, accurate rod that combines power and action for all types of fishing from pounding banks with a streamer, to throwing giant baitfish patterns off the deck of a boat. Utilizing a perfectly progressive taper, light tip, and a shorter rod length makes the 84-B a champion at accurate casts over a variety of distances, fly sizes, and wind conditions while the shorter length rod gives you easier line pickup, better accuracy, better castability in wind and best of all, the spritely feel makes it fun to cast all day.
“It didn’t take long for us to realize that a rod that is less than 9 feet has distinct advantages when it comes to fishing for bass or any species of fish that require accuracy, short cycle times between pick up and the next delivery cast, and leverage to drive a cast and move a fish once it is hooked. The rod length that worked best in our tests was 8’4”, explains Echo’s Tim Rajeff.
● 9wt 8’4” Echo 84B – 984
● 10wt 8’4” Echo 84B – 1084
About Echo Fly Fishing
Echo is a small group of passionate, personable, like-minded fly-fisher folk based in Vancouver, Washington. For over 20 years, Echo has been leaning on the fly-fishing pedigree of rod designer Tim Rajeff. Tim is a world champion fly caster and fly-fishing industry stalwart with a passion for creating high-quality performance fly rods. More details about Echo, Rajeff Sports and the Eight Four line can be found at echoflyfishing.com
The Backyard Fly Shop
Fall has arrived in the Rockies and with it cooler mornings. Around this time of year, BWOs and October Caddis become more active on our favourite local streams, which makes for rewarding days on the water. Watching cutthroat rise to blue winged olives and caddis never gets old. Cool fall mornings also bring with them the reminder that winter is just around the bend. Late October into early November is when the first snow lands in our backyard. It is this time of year when we begin to think about prepping gear for the winter haul; that time of year, for many of us, where watching fly-fishing films on the silver screen is as close as we can get to feeding our need to be on the water.
For those of us without a garage storing gear can be a little tricky. Fly-fishing gear tends to find a winter home in the same vicinity as the lawnmower, work benches and other more utility items. Don’t get me wrong, fly fishing gear holds a place of honour among the winter storage mess. But the rafts, waders and boots are all stored in the same place as, well, fuel containers, shovels, tools and the rest. It never quite sits right with me that our families fly-fishing gear is hanging above or sitting beside the “junk” that accumulates.
Now, we don’t do reviews that are unrelated to outdoor pursuits, and for obvious reasons we tend to recommend items that we think will make your time on the water a little more successful. This review isn’t that. Instead it focuses on a product that Fly Fusion now uses to create a fly-fishing specific storage space. Easy access to everything needed on those rare warm winter days. No fuel, no table saws, no spare side-by-side tires; just our favourite brand decals along with fly-fishing equipment neatly stored and ready for use.
This is the storage equivalent of a “man-cave” or “she-shed” inspired by nature and repurposed for fly-fishing. The Keter shed collection’s technology offers a beautiful true-to-life wood look that complements the outdoors and blends in seamlessly with your own backyard setting. From spacious sheds to deck boxes, these shed solutions are made from a durable, weather-resistant resin. They handle being exposed to water, sun and salt, and will not crack, rot, rust or peel like traditional wooden storage solutions in the same style.
Fly Fusion spent the summer testing the capacity and monitoring the weathering of the Keter Signature Collection 11 x 7 shed and deck box, the latter used for deflated rafts and wading boot storage. The size was ideal and the colour of the material stood the test of the summer weather. We enjoyed turning the inside into an area tailored to fly-fish gear storage, were impressed by it’s durability and love that Keter, the manufacturer of the shed, is committed to sustainability, using 100% recyclable material. For insight into the products, when not in use, we stored in the shed – this year’s time-tested gear – pick up a copy of the upcoming winter issue of Fly Fusion. Better yet, if you haven’t already, subscribe and we’ll pop it in your mailbox. Here’s to the remaining weeks of this fly-fishing season and to creative storage ideas that we can convert into our own little fly shops in the back yard. Be sure to visit your local fly shop often to keep your new space full of the latest gear. For additional information on Keter or to purchase your very own backyard fly shop, visit them online: www.keter.com
2024 Stimmies Winner Announced
Presented by Fly Fusion magazine and the International Fly Fishing Film Festival, the Stimmie Awards recognizes top emerging filmmakers, amateur and professional alike. Finalists participate in a month-long vote reaching anglers around the world. We are stoked to announce this year’s winning filmmakers.
Congratulations to Eric and Andrew Braker for winning Fly Fusion’s 4th annual Stimmie Awards! Their film “Dawson” was voted the winning film. Check out the full film on Fly Fusion Streaming.
About Dawson: Most of us have envisioned a four-legged companion joining us on all of our fishing adventures! Charles Meier has been in love with fly fishing for as long as he can remember, and he is almost always with his partner in crime, Dawson, exploring the beautiful waters and landscapes of Montana.
Thanks to all participants and finalists for their outstanding film work.
Iconic fly-fishing brand joins Mayfly Outdoors
You can consider yourself truly blessed when providence favors you with the extreme good fortune to turn your life’s passion into your lifetime vocation. This has certainly been the case with Andy Renzetti. He loves to fly fish, work with his hands and create beautiful things for others to enjoy, a natural progression to building a company that is renowned for offering the best in fly tying vises, fly-tying hand tools, accessories, rod building equipment and manufacturing solutions to business.
Buffet Series Season 4 launches tomorrow!
Season 4 of the Buffet Series launches tomorrow! Whether your preference is fly fishing for trout in a cold mountain stream, bonefish on a secluded flat, or large mouth bass in your favorite warm water pond, this series has something for you!
Watch on flyfusionstreaming.com for new episodes weekly. Plus, when you sign up before the end of July, you will receive 30-days free access to hundreds of fly fishing films, tutorials, biographies and more…including exclusive access to all past seasons of the International Fly Fishing Film Festival and Fly Fusion Series.
We are so excited to share the five new episodes of the Buffet Series, and a massive giveaway as well! Everyone receives a digital copy of the new book “Confidence Flies” just for entering.
Read on for a list of the amazing prizes to won…
Stimmies 2024 | Angler's Choice Vote Open!
The Stimmies Fly Fishing Film Awards Angler’s Choice Vote is live today! The Stimmies recognizes top fly-fishing filmmakers from around the globe and the top-10 finalists have been selected by our judge panel. Now it’s your turn to have a say in who wins! Watch the films and make your vote for top film of 2024!
Your vote will also qualify YOU for weekly draws for fly fishing swag.
Grasshoppers and Gladwell | Derek Bird
I want to tell you about my favorite trout from this past summer, but I face a conundrum. I’m certain I remember the day in vivid detail, but more and more over the last few years psychologists and podcasters remind me that memories are unreliable. Are memories really unreliable? The most memorable podcast I’ve listened to on the unreliability of memory was a Malcom Gladwell podcast titled “Free Brian Williams”. And since then, I’ve had to tune out a number of experts discussing the unreliability of memories.
What should I do? Should I forge ahead with the retelling of my favorite fish memory from the summer or should I simply realize that my memories are similar to the meat versus filler ratio of a McDonald’s chicken nugget (45% percent meat, 55 percent “other ingredients” for the wondering mind). Did I even catch fish this past summer? I’m so confused. In spite of Gladwell, I’ll give it a try anyway.
Fly Fusion Series Season Four is going live!
This month marks the first ever Freeview of the Fly Fusion Streaming platform! For the next 30 days you can sign up and receive a full month of fishy films for free. And, in addition to the hundreds of fly fishing centric stories, adventures, tutorials and biographies – you can now watch brand-spanking new episodes of the Fly Fusion Series!
Episode One: Familiar Flow can be found HERE. (Simply click “get access now” add your info and watch the full episode free.)
St. Croix Fly Announces TECHNICA Series of Premium Fly Rods
PARK FALLS, Wis. (May 30, 2024) – If you spend enough time chasing hatches on technical trout fisheries where 5X is maximum, 6X is the norm, and 7X lives in your pack because some days that’s the difference between looks and eats, you begin to realize the deck is stacked. Persnickety fish eating micro-morsels in the film have their inherent challenges, but add in complex currents, leader-defeating winds, and impossible hook sets at distance, and having the right tool for the job becomes mission critical.
“After talking with a bunch of dedicated trout guides about the challenges of dry fly fishing with clients, a common issue emerged,” says St. Croix Fly Brand Manager, Tom Larimer. “What we heard from the Deschutes to the Delaware, is that traditional deep-flexing dry-fly rods are fine for parking lots and calm days, but when the wind ramps up and you’re trying to get a long leader to turn over, they fall short. These conversations led to a unique action specifically tuned for technical trout fishing.”
INTRODUCING TECHNICA
The new TECHNICA Series answers the call of PhD-level trout fishing. Its responsive, moderate action paired with an advanced carbon fiber matrix and exclusive MITO® Graphene technology delivers exceptional line speed, endless loop stability, and absolute accuracy.
“The best way to describe TECHNICA’s action is balanced,” says Larimer. Simply put, a softer lower-end and mid-section stores energy and produces a smooth-loading, soulful in-hand feel while helping the caster make efficient mends and protect light tippets and small flies. Higher up on the second and tip sections, the taper maintains the perfect amount of stiffness for picking up long lengths of line when recasting, sniper hook sets on long, downstream dry fly feeds, and fast tip recovery for turning over long leaders in the wind.” But there’s a deeper layer to the story of TECHNICA’s action: Functionalized MITO Graphene.
“We learned a lot about the rod-performance attributes of MITO Graphene with the three-year development of EVOS, released last year,” Larimer says. “So, when we began the job of designing TECHNICA, we knew we could bend the rules of traditional moderate-action design.”
Outside of refined blank performance, TECHNICA incorporates numerous design aspects inspired by the environment and demands of technical trout fishing.PAINTED FOR PRESENTATION: Baetis Back Green matte paint reduces rod glare and ensures a stealthy approach to wary trout.LIGHT + DURABLE GUIDE TRAIN: Single-foot RECOIL guides paired with CERECOIL stripper guides are ultra-light and durable, which is ideal for sliding in and out of rod vaults or boat storage.INTUITIVE GRIP DESIGN: With accuracy being critical for success in the dry-fly game, the snub-nose grip promotes a forward-hand position, helping the angler cast with increased precision.
TECHNOLOGY MEETS SOUL: While TECHNICA may be the most technologically advanced dry-fly rod on the market, the rod’s aesthetics speak to the slow, methodical approach of chasing hatches on technical trout water. The chassis is packed with new-school tech, but we couldn’t resist giving TECHNICA some old-school appointments of class.
TECHNICA TECHNOLOGY SUITE
- Advanced materials matrix consisting of ultra-high-modulus/high-strain SCVI carbon, high-modulus SCIV carbon, and premium-quality SCII carbon
- Mito Graphene unlocks the power of hybrid polymer materials and delivers radical hoop strength, optimized loop stability, and absolute accuracy
- Integrated Poly Curve (IPC) mandrel tooling provides improved energy transfer, increased strength, and mega-efficient rod recovery
- Advanced Reinforcing Technology (ART) adds a magnitude of 10X strength with virtually no increase in blank diameter or weight
- Fortified Resin System (FRS) boosts blank strength by 33% over standard resins and curing methods
- Reinforced Slim Profile Ferrule (SPF) design adds herculean strength with minimal added weight
FEATURES
- RECOIL single-foot guides
- CERECOIL stripper guides
- Hook keeper
- Snub-nose flor-grade cork handle
- Uplocking, machined-aluminum reel seat with tiger maple insert
- Aluminum rod tube with rod sock
- 15-year transferable warranty
- Designed and precision crafted in Park Falls, WI
MODELS
- TE590-4 / 5-weight, 9’0”, 4-piece, moderate action / MSRP: $975
- TE586-4 / 5-weight, 8’6”, 4-piece, moderate action / MSRP: $975
- TE489-4 / 4-weight, 8’9”, 4-piece, moderate action / MSRP: $975
- TE480-4 / 4-weight, 8’0”, 4-piece, moderate action / MSRP: $975
- TE389-4 / 3-weight, 8’9”, 4-piece, moderate action / MSRP: $975
- TE379-4 / 3-weight, 7’9”, 4-piece, moderate action / MSRP: $975
New TECHNICA Series fly rods will be available to anglers at St. Croix Fly Pro Shops and online at stcroixfly.com beginning May 31.
ABOUT ST. CROIX FLY
At the core of our brand ethos lives a simple yet fierce conviction; we exist to create dynamic fishing tools that intuitively help you evolve as a caster and angler. Our focused philosophy continually questions conventional wisdom, inspires innovation, and drives our persistent pursuit of fly rod perfection. When you own a St. Croix, it’s more than just a rod; it’s a promise. It’s 75 years of hard-earned knowledge aimed at designing and building the Best Rods on Earth, so you can be at your best in your own persistent pursuit.
Drag Free Queen Jig
For many years I mostly just used a gold bead when tying my nymph patterns, in recent years many other colors of beads became available. I have become convinced that rainbow beads seem to attract trout better than most other bead colors. There are times when I can swear that trout are becoming used to seeing nymphs in gold, copper, black and rainbow is novel and unexpected. This may seem very unscientific, but on streams with high fishing pressure where trout are caught and released several times they might learn to key in on certain fly patterns or even colors of beads. This past September I had great success fishing this about two feet under a Fat Albert on two different rivers in Southern Alberta.
This exotic jig is actually quite simple to tie and you are wrapping the body with the peacock side of Uni-Mylar Peacock orange. Hareline produces two shades of rainbow dubbing- light and dark. I prefer the dark shade as it is more colourful than its light counter part. As for the the rib you can realistically choose any colour of wire as rainbow is composed of several different colors. I tend to use red most of time and occasionally copper. There is a lot of debate as to the size of the bead one might use when tying jig nymphs. I mostly fish this pattern in sizes 14 and 16 and use a 3.3 mm and 3.0 mm slotted bead respectively.
Hook: Ahrex 540 sz 12-16 60 degree jig hook
Thread: Uni-Thread 8/0 or 6/0 black
Bead: Rainbow slotted bead
Body: Uni-Mylar peacock/Orange- Peacock side
Thorax: Rainbow scud dubbing Dark Shade
Legs: Rainbow colored krystal flash
Rib: Red or copper fine wire
Tail: Rainbow colored Krystal flash