Beetles are recognized as terrestrial fare for trout, certainly, but we usually think of them as dry flies. Well, fly tiers are never satisfied with the status quo, regardless of the success of status-quo flies. Beetles wet are an excellent addition to any fly fisher’s tool box.
Photo captured by Aaron Hitchins of Rockhouse Motion.
Check out RIO’s “Behind the Brand” video featuring their R&D production designer, Wayne Peterson, spending some time on the Teton River.
It’s safe to say most fly anglers consider sunglasses a necessity on a few different levels—fish spotting and protection from wayward flies. The first and likely the most important test is whether or not the frames remain comfortable over an entire day of fishing. And without a doubt this was the case with the Costa frames. They’re lightweight so they don’t create pressure points after multiple hours of use. Costa attributes their lightweight feel to the fact they manufacture their frames from an earth-friendly bio-resin. Testers give company high marks for creating an environmentally responsible product (part of their Kick Plastic initiative). Along with their comfortable all-day feel, the glasses provide superior fish-spotting capability with Costa’s new Sunrise Silver Mirror lens. The lens is ideal for low-light conditions, which makes them extremely useful for any sight-casting applications. The lens is also versatile in changing light conditions. The Silver Mirrors are available in eight different frames. Check them out here.
Photographer Aaron Hitchins of Rockhouse Motion captured this captivating shot while on a brook trout trip to Eastern Canada.
The Castaway Roll Top has lots in common with other boat bags: easy access compartments for whatever gear is needed for a long float, outward attachment areas for forceps and rod tubes, and handles and straps for easy movement. This waterproof boat bag has a few other added features that impressed the Fly Fusion team. Fishpond designed the bag so it travels easily. So whether you’re heading to a saltwater flat to fish for bonefish, or you’re on your way to British Columbia for the dry-fly float trip of a lifetime, this bag can travel with you. The inner compartments are fixed into place with velcro, so they can be removed and both the interior and exterior can be flattened and placed in the bottom of a suitcase or a duffle. Aside from this functional design element, the staff also gives the boat bag high scores because it’s constructed from recycled nylon fabric. The Castaway is an environmentally responsible purchase you can pack with you wherever you go, and it’s going to keep your valuables dry. Check it out here.
Maybe not as important as type of government or healthcare but at times equally disparate can be the debate over fly-line tapers. What is most interesting is the evolution of two diverging schools of thought on fly-line tapers. As they have diverged, they have come together in conclusion, but not in how they arrived at the conclusion.
Check out the latest edition of Fly Fusion, which features field editor April Vokey’s trip to Dubai where she fishes for queenfish (photos by Andrew Burr). Pick the issue up at newsstands or subscribe here.
The Fly Fusion team likes testing out fishy products and spreading the word about them, but every once in a while we also like to test out products that are a little more on the fly-fishing fringe.
Throughout the summer team members have enjoyed using the Picture Keeper. After a few trips, it’s super easy to load up the smartphone with images of highlights. Over time, ten photos becomes 400 photos and the phone can go from feeling like a lighting quick, fast action rod to a lethargic fibreglass rod as the storage gets more and more crammed.
The Memory Keeper is an easy and effective way to store memories of your fly-fishing trip while alleviating the storage issues. Testers found the device easy to use (even for the less tech savvy individuals). In a few simple steps, the iPhone dumps photos directly onto the Memory Keeper and then asks whether you’d like to keep the photos on the phone or delete them from the phone. Even if you choose the later of the two, it’s super simple to add any photos back onto the phone from the Memory Keeper should you choose. This is a great devise for any angler who takes a lot of shots but likes the phone to still function at normal speeds. Check them out here.
