2017 Drake Magazine Fly Fishing Video Awards
2017 Drake Magazine Fly Fishing Video Awards
2016 Drake Magazine Fly Fishing Video Awards
2017 Drake Magazine Fly Fishing Video Awards
Meet The Wader Makers
Simms‘ new Wader Maker campaign tells the story of the people behind the pants: “The secret to Simms waders isn’t any one material or tool. It’s the love, passion and artistry put in to each and every cut, seam and stitch by the skilled and steady hands of the wader makers — Bozeman, Montana-based craftsmen…
Winston Acquires Bauer Fly Reels
Winston Rod Company in Twin Bridges, Montana, announced this week that it has acquired Bauer Premium Reel Company of Ashland, Oregon.
The Founding Pflueger
American tinkerers had a lot going on in the late 1800s—blueprinting modern cars, stretching cities skyward, and finding inventive ways to evade severe prohibition laws. Meanwhile, in Milan, Ohio, Thomas Edison flicked the switch so we could see in the dark. And about an hour east, in Akron, Earnest Pflueger—aka the Founding Pflueger—aimed to one-up…
Invisible, All-Weather Fly Lines
These days there’s a fly line for almost everything. The short list includes long bombers, quick loaders, trout tamers, bassblasters, tarpon winchers, and an ever expanding string of options designed to perform really well in a world of specifics. But if you’re looking for one line that does double duty in both hot and cold…
The Education of Mark Engler
From pupae to pike to perfectionist A FEW MONTHS AFTER I’D MOVED to southwest Colorado to start my first guiding season, I was introduced to Mark Engler. My boss and head guide, Andy Lee, described him as the best trout angler he’d ever met. Coming from the best trout angler I’d ever met, this was…
Simms Rolls Out Custom WQW Wader
Starting today, Veterans Day, Simms is offering a special edition G3 Guide™ Stockingfoot to benefit the Bozeman-based Warriors and Quiet Waters Foundation (WQW).
Winston Upgrades Boron III X Fly Rods
When Winston added a third “I” to its BIIx rods several years back, the classic all-around sedan received an engine upgrade in the form of boosted horsepower. Thanks to a slightly stiffer mid-section and tip, the speedier BIIIx performed great in the wind and was more accurate at longer distances than its predecessor.
Update: Feds Indict AK Lodge Owners Accused of Selling Fake Pot
Following up on the story in our winter issue, “Up in Synthetic Smoke”, lodge owner Jerry Shults and his daughter/lodge manager, Amy Herrig, have been federally indicted for their alleged involvement in a “massive synthetic-drug distribution conspiracy.”
ECHO Introduces Retro Glass for Spey and Switch
With so many manufacturers barking the benefits of increasingly faster actions, veteran rod designer Tim Rajeff of Echo Fly Rods asks “why follow the flock”?
No Water. No Fishing. No Beer
Clean water powers paddling and flyfishing opportunities. It’s also essential for brewing awesome BEER. With that in mind, SUP manufacturer BOTE™ Boards and SweetWater Brewing Company have teamed to raise cash for Waterkeeper® Alliance—an organization dedicated to the protection, preservation, and rights to clean waterways.
Micro Manufacturing Boom Hits Maine-Stream
Last year, master craftsman Gene Dumper took several of his hand-tied flies, encased them in Clear Cure Goo, and created this special toilet seat in his Portland, Maine, workshop. After months of in-house testing, Dumper sent his prototype to America’s leading multichannel merchant, L.L.Pinto, resulting in a contract for a dozen custom seats.
The Tarpon Bite
“Everybody’s got a plan until I hit ’em in the mouth.” — Mike Tyson “THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN FAST, OKAY?” I say to my angler, whose lips have curled into a half-smile. “The line is gonna burn your hand if you do it right.” He continues to search my face as I explain the violent…
Howler Bros. | Spring ’15
More than rods, reels, and toenail clippers… the most essential piece of fishing equipment might be your hat. Bad hats don’t fish. Austin, TX-based apparel brand Howler Brothers makes good ones. In addition, their Spring 2015 collection features five new shirts, four new styles of shorts and boardshorts, and a pile of fresh t-shirts designs.
Hang Up, Cast, Connect
Shallow Water Expeditions’ film Out of Touch hits the F3T with overstuffed reds and a special alert Out of Touch is one of several films premiering at this weekend’s F3T launch. It’s also one that doesn’t open with sweeping aerials of Caribbean flats or dip-in-lip anglers fondling 30-pound browns. Instead, the audience crowding Denver’s City…
The Salmon Equation
Forget everything The Lion King ever taught you. The circle of life is actually a rainforest phenomenon that starts and ends with annual returns of wild Pacific salmon. According to Salmon Nation, at least 137 species rely on these anadromous fish populations as part of their diet. And when you add tiny soil critters, booming…
Film Tour Launches Into 2015
The Fly Fishing Film Tour’s 2015 schedule is now live. From Mongolia taimen and Cuban bones to Icelandic Atlantics and good ol’ American carping, check out all the trailers online, as well the full list of city stops. Shows kick off in Denver on January 24. Here’s a sneak peek of official selection, “The…
3D Printed Fly Reel
When Michael Hackney set out to build the world’s first biodegradable plastic 3D-printed fly reel his simple criteria included a low parts count, a click check, clean aesthetics, and it had to catch fish. Two years later, Version 5 designs not only look the part but have all the basic attributes—from foot to spindle to ported…
Out of Touch
Shallow Water Expeditions kicks phones to the curb and connects with tailing reds in “Out of Touch”—to be featured in the 2015 Fly Fishing Film Tour.
Double Lutz vs. Double Spey
“A Homage to Winter Steelheading” marries the unchoreographed intricacies of steelhead fishing—timelapse-style—with some fancy-pants figure skating commentary. Double lutz vs. double spey? Tire iron vs. Nancy Kerrigan? Only Tonya Harding knows the answers. Winter steelheading the Oregon coast with Beulah Fly Rods
Drake Holiday Gift Guide
Yuletide means Gift Guide, so without further ado welcome to The Drake’s Annual Holiday Shopper, 2014—a full assortment of staff-curated picks to wow the flyfisher in your family. Book: Crazy Sh*t Bamboo Fly-Rodders Say You may not know the subtle differences between a Leonard, Jenkins, Sweetgrass, or Suzuki, but don’t you wonder what the…
90 Miles
90 miles is the physical distance between Cuba and the US. Culturally, and in many ways from a fisheries management standpoint, the two countries are lightyears apart. WorldANGLING’s “90 Miles” explores the relationship between the Florida Keys and Cuba—from a flyfishing POV. “Flats fishing for tarpon, bonefish, and permit is big business in the Florida…
(NSFW) 2015 “Carponizer” Calendar
Proving once again that Europeans are some of the biggest pervs we know, behold the Carponizer 2015 Calendar. According to Google Translator: “From the photos available shows that the formula is more or less the same, (fine cover with minnow peeping caressed by the model, for the ‘ occasion dressed in a swimsuit that says…