You know those guys with enough cash to buy pretty much any fly fishing gear they want? Well, I’m one of the other guys, and it’s with that in mind that I’m creating the Trout Underground’s First Ever “Smash & Grab Awards.“
I award it to the product I’d most want to rip from the display case, [...]

There’s a trout painting I can get behind, by Derek DeYoung of Canvasfish.com
I’m stealing a few bytes of bandwidth from the Hyatt, and typing furiously before the Underground’s aging laptop battery goes fins up.
The first morning of the FFR Retailer show has been interesting to say the least; I’ve scribbled 2/3 a notebook full of [...]

You knew it had to happen. Carp articles are popping up like mushrooms after a forest fire, and suddenly, every fly fisher will proudly tell you he fished for carp years ago - before it was cool. (Have I told you I fished for carp when I lived in the Bay Area — before it [...]

Because I’m devilishly handsome, Orvis shipped me a 4-pc, 8.5′ 5wt “mid-flex” prototype of their yet-to-be-released ”Helios” fly rod — a rod said to be even lighter than their Zero Gravity series.

The fishing was slow, so the Helios photo session took place.
“How can it be lighter than Zero?” you ask? Well, despite consulting Albert Einstein on this one, [...]

Wooden landing nets are gorgeous things and a fly fishing staple; these are hand-crafted in Maine by Stevens Nets.

Orvis sometimes get dinged for being the dog bed center of the universe, but they’re one fly fishing company that realizes the fastest way to a fly fisher’s heart is through his one gallon flask. (via the Goat)

Now we have to find someone selling Bushmills in one-gallon bottles
I have to hide my little 8 ounce [...]

Finally — the last installment of my series on Phillipson Bamboo Fly Rods.
Missed the earlier installments? Click to read Part I and Part II. Otherwise, feel free to add Phillipson-related comments at the bottom.
Due to the length, you’ll have to click the “Read More” link below to read the whole thing.
Enjoy!
Bury Me With My Phillipson [...]

There’s a little guy named Justin who was born without a critical enzyme in his brain, so while he thinks fine, his motor functions don’t work.
A few folks have thrown together an auction for his parents (running on blog software). Sure, it was never meant for that, but it seems to work surprisingly well.
You can [...]

The Way Upstream blog (written by — I think — Patagonia’s Fly Fishing Product Manager) wants your input on fly fishing wader design.

Namely, how to make ‘em better:
I’m beginning some new product development and want to include you in the process. I’m looking for your thoughts, ideas and comments about waders. This is a conversation [...]

Lately I’ve been looking hard at all the bamboo fly rods in my rod closet, trying to mentally define why I fish them and how I apply value to them–values that often differ markedly from the marketplace.
Then that crafty bunch over at MidCurrent went and excerpted a chapter from Casting a Spell by George Black, [...]

Proving that even the things you thought would never change eventually will, the Ted Fay Fly shop has moved from the its former home (the “Bat Cave”) in North Dunsmuir to some airy digs in downtown Dunsmuir (right across from the Cornerstone Restaurant).
Bob Grace in front of all the stuff that was at the old shop, but [...]

I’m mostly a bamboo and fiberglass guy, meaning I like rods that bend easily.
I think concerns about weight are way overblown, so as a result, modern, high-quality (and high-priced) graphite isn’t much in evidence in my rod closet.
So when I had the chance to score a high-end Orvis rod (disclosure: a trade) I went for [...]