The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has ordered a release between 660,000 and 1 million acre-feet of water from Flaming Gorge Reservoir, on the Utah – Wyoming line, downstream to Lake Powell, on the Utah – Arizona border. That water will stay in Lake Powell to help the reservoir continue its power generating capabilities, and ensure high enough reservoir levels that it can continue sending water downstream to Lake Mead.
Flaming Gorge Reservoir is a renowned kokanee salmon fishery, and also home to some large lake trout. If the Bureau of Reclamation decides to drain all 1 million acre-feet from the reservoir, it will drop 35 feet in surface elevation. The Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam is widely regarded as one of the best trout fisheries in the world. The proposed releases would likely have little effect on the trout fishery in the short-term.
Reclamation made this decision to help save Lake Powell as it battles record-low levels. Powell generates significant power for communities throughout the West, but it can only operate its turbines if the reservoir remains above a certain level. Adding to that, the Glenn Canyon Dam was designed in a way that it can’t push water downstream without significant levels already in the reservoir, since the dam’s outflow tubes aren’t located at the bottom of the structure.
This all comes on the heels of one of the worst winters on record for the Rocky Mountains, and the Colorado River Basin in particular. Over 40 million people get their water from the Colorado River, but the system is overextended and running dry. This move to help fill Lake Powell and keep it generating power and pushing water downstream through the Grand Canyon, and eventually into Lake Mead, is a stopgap that officials hope will tide Powell over until next spring.
Federal officials have also guaranteed that Flaming Gorge will be able to retain water until the amount it sends downstream has been fully recovered.
Finally, Reclamation also made a decision to keep 1.48 million acre-feet of water in Lake Powell, further cutting what the Lower Basin states receive in downstream flows. Arizona, California, and Nevada are legally entitled to a certain amount of water from the Upper Colorado River Basin states – Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. However, there’s not enough water in Powell, or the Colorado River Basin, to deliver the agreed-upon amount, so the cut of 1.48 million acre-feet of water is mandatory.
Further cuts, and possible releases, are likely unless the West experiences a wet winter and spring in 2027.
Fly Shop Tour is our annual celebration of fly shops, fisheries, and the communities they support. Each year, we hit the road, traveling to a new region, discovering new shops, and making memories along the way. What you see in each episode is the raw moments that make this series so special to us. But what you don’t see behind the scenes is the planning and preparation it takes for a month-long filming, fishing, and traveling. This year we headed to the Midwest, a region vastly different state to state both in terms of fishing and gear. For those following along this year, here is everything we wore on Fly Shop Tour Season 4.
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Many of the Midwest fisheries are only accessible via boat, and just like in the river, you can’t control the elements. Whether it’s raining or a long boat ride in rough weather, a pair of bibs will keep you dry and warm. The go-to for this season was the Simms Challenger Bibs. This proven pair of bibs got a recent upgrade featuring stretch 3-layer construction for a comfortable, waterproof, and breathable pair of bibs. We wore ours in some soaking rains this year, and despite the bad weather, caught plenty of fish.
Any bib set needs a matching jacket to stay truly dry in bad weather. The Simms Challenger Fishing Jacket pairs perfectly with the Challenger Bib for a complete waterproof set. Just like its counterpart, the jacket features the same 3-layer construction for a comfortable and waterproof fit. In addition, the jacket hood and cuffs are adjustable to seal out any water, no matter how hard it rains. It’s available in five colors, though the windy jasper is our favorite and the one you’ll see throughout Fly Shop Tour.
Outside of Fly Shop Tour, the Simms G4Z Waders have been our go-to waders for years, so it’s only natural that they make their way on the tour. The G4Z Waders are the flagship zip-front offering from Simms, which come packed with features. For starters, these waders feature 4-layer Gore-Tex lowers and a 3-layer upper. This combines for a durable wader built to cover some serious ground, which is a regular occurrence on Fly Shop Tour. In addition, the pocket layout has ample room for fly boxes, tools, and, in our case, mics.
The Simms G3 Guide Waders are a staple for our crew on Fly Shop Tour. They feature the same upper and lower construction as the G4Z Waders, just without the front zipper. While you won’t see them on screen, our camera crew frequently uses these for filming. Their durability handles up to the thick brush and harsh conditions our crew goes through to get the shots in every episode. You can also use the waders as a pouch, as long as you secure the wading belt for additional storage, which our crew does regularly for extra lenses and camera equipment. Simms also makes this wader in a limited-run Grateful Dead version, for all the Deadheads out there, who also love to fish.
Sometimes in the making of Fly Shop Tour, we’re so focused on fishing and filming that we forget to put on sunscreen. That’s where quality sun shirts come in handy. The Simms Solarflex is one of the lightest-weight and most breathable shirts we’ve used. Available in a range of colors and sizes, you’ll find us wearing these any time it’s hot, and we’re on the water.
Whether fishing, filming, or traveling, we always have a pair of sunglasses on hand. One of our favorite options over the years has been the Costa Fantail. These medium-sized frames have an 8-base curve, meaning they curve around your face to maximize the amount of light they block out. The green mirror lenses are a great, versatile lens color for the Midwest’s lakes and rivers.
You’ll likely notice all of our sunglasses have a pair of retainers on Fly Shop Tour. Chums has always been our brand of choice for this. Their variety of options fits any glasses we may wear and keeps them secure. The Tideline Adjustable retainer is a lightweight option that is easily adjusted to fit any angler. When filming, these are a must to take off our shades and know they’re not going anywhere.
One of the things we’ve mastered over the years of filming Fly Shop Tour is packing, particularly packing a lot of gear. For this, we needed bags that could hold a lot of equipment and gear, like the Simms Dry Creek Duffle. Not only is this bag waterproof, but its 60L of storage and rugged outershell make it perfect for traveling on and off the water. You can also use this bag to carry multiple bags or cases, which, for flying, means you can check one oversized bag instead of multiple smaller ones and save some money.
On the water, we carry lots of expensive camera equipment when filming a fly shop tour. Add to that spending time on boats, and wading rivers, and it’s inevitable someone will take a spill with some equipment. To mitigate dunking lenses and cameras, we rely on the Simms Dry Creek Z Backpack. The Dry Creek lineup of bags is fully waterproof and submergible. For us, this zipper version offers decent storage and quick access for camera gear, but there are other packs, like the sling, that are also waterproof and may better suit your fishing style.
This year, we added the Simms Wading Boots to our gear list for two reasons: they’re light, and they’re durable. This new boot from Simms features a partially rubberized outer that shaves off weight. This same technology also reinforces stress points, like the toe, while offering great ankle support. Lastly, the dual-compound Vibram technology greatly improves traction, something especially important to us when we’re mic’d up.
You can’t complete a rain gear set without waterproof footwear. For that, we ran the Simms Challenger 7″ Deck Boot. These deck boots, at 7 inches, are slightly taller than most. This comes in handy when wearing bibs in the rain. No matter how you sit or stand, your bibs won’t ride up over the boot, allowing water in. The Challenger Deck Boot is also comfortable, a necessity for standing all day while fishing.
Our last and one of our favorite pieces of gear we used this year is the Simms Midstream Wool Insulated Hooded Jacket. This versatile outer layer is made of Lavalan wool. This material retains warmth, manages odor, and does both even when wet, all while cutting down on bulk compared to traditional wool sweaters and jackets. In other words, it’s not your granddad’s wool jacket. In the Midwest fall, this was a pivotal layer for cold mornings and rainy days.
Welcome back to the Flylords original series: Artist Spotlight, exploring the space where art and fly fishing meet. In this installment, I sat down with Ben Miller—an artist whose work might represent one of the most literal and compelling fusions of the two we’ve ever seen.
Ben Miller is a Montana-based artist known for his Fly-Cast Paintings of rivers, created using a fly rod instead of a traditional brush. Working on clear plexiglass, Ben casts thousands of paint-loaded marks, building each piece in reverse and capturing the surface, movement, and depth of living waterways. His work draws equally from fly fishing, performance, and abstraction. Best known for his Endangered Rivers Project, Miller’s art highlights rivers as vital, vulnerable systems. His studio is in Whitehall, Montana, where he continues to develop new fly brushes and river-based projects.
On top of being an accomplished artist, Ben’s also a humble, easy-going dude. It was a pleasure chatting with him and diving deeper into his passion. Enjoy the interview below.
FLYLORDS: Can you tell us a little about your background and how you found your way into both art and fly fishing?
MILLER: I grew up on the west side of Washington in a tiny town called Darrington. My parents had a small creek flowing behind the house, and as kids we’d cut little sticks, tie on some line and a hook, and spend all day catching whatever we could.
As I got older, my mom would let me ride my bike about a mile away to a slightly bigger stream. I’d fish as far upstream as I could with friends. The rule was that for every minute I was late getting home, I’d be grounded for a day. So usually right when the fishing got good, you’d suddenly realize you had to sprint back down the riverbanks, which probably wasn’t the safest thing, but it was a blast.
My grandfather gave me my first fly rod sometime in the late ’80s: a slow, fiberglass seven-weight. I absolutely loved that rod. Around that same time, I started tying flies and giving them to people I fished with. There was nothing better than catching a fish or seeing someone else catch a fish on a fly that I tied.
That was my upbringing, exploring creeks, catching cutthroat, rainbows, and the occasional salmon parr. In winter, my dad would take us steelhead fishing, using bait and lures, but other than that, it was all fly fishing.
Art came alongside that. In high school, art was always my favorite class. When I went to college, I did a bit of soul-searching and realized I just loved thinking creatively, so I pursued an art degree – even though I didn’t know what I’d do with it. After graduating, I became an art teacher and taught for about twelve years, and I painted rivers and fished whenever I could.
FLYLORDS: What came first – a love for art or a love for fishing? And at what point did the two begin to overlap?
MILLER: Fishing definitely came first. It was part of my childhood and something I did almost every day in the summer. Art came later, but once I began painting seriously, the two became very intertwined.
At the time, I was living in a small house on the same creek I grew up fishing. I was painting trout from above – looking down into the water, painting the stream first, then the trout, then the shadow. It really made the fish pop into three dimensions.
One day, I was talking with my brother and half-jokingly said, “What if I painted with a fly rod?” I found an old sock that was missing its partner, went outside, loaded it with paint, and tried casting at a canvas. I missed the first few times, but when it finally hit, I realized I had unlocked something special.
Everything started to click. A fly rod and a paintbrush serve the same purpose: you take color from one place and move it to another. Fly fishermen use fur and feathers to imitate insects, while painters use brushes to create color and form. The process felt incredibly connected.
FLYLORDS: For someone seeing your work for the first time, how would you describe your artistic style and process?
MILLER: My work is about capturing the experience of standing in a river—the color, the movement, the rhythm. When you look at a rock under moving water, you don’t really see the rock; you see a smear of color. That smear is essentially what paint on a canvas is.
I’m trying to capture the composition that a fly fisherman sees throughout the day. You’re standing there, looking at the water, reading the current, studying the movement. That’s the visual language I aim to communicate.
There’s also a performance aspect to it. I’m casting paint onto plexiglass using custom fly brushes, trying to capture that moment and energy in a single mark. The process becomes a direct extension of fly fishing – choosing the color, choosing the brush, and executing the cast.
FLYLORDS: Your Fly-Cast Paintings are built using thousands of casts. What does a typical painting session look like, and how long does a piece usually take?
MILLER: There are definitely thousands of casts, but you get lost in it, just like fishing.
Casting itself is such a joy. Loading the rod, the line unrolling—that’s part of the pleasure. The repetition also mirrors nature. Think about watching riffles on a river—there’s a certain rhythm to it.
For a typical three-by-four-foot painting—which is one of the smaller sizes I work with—it usually takes around five to six hours.
There’s also anticipation involved, similar to fishing. You wake up, head to the river, and don’t know what to expect. Every painting session is different, just like every day on the water.
FLYLORDS: How do you decide which rivers to paint, and what draws you to a particular system?
MILLER: Every river has a story. Some are pristine, some are threatened, and some have incredible histories. That’s often what draws me in.
For example, I painted along the Chicago River, which has an unbelievable history—from reversing the river’s flow to divert sewage away from Lake Michigan, to industrial pollution from slaughterhouses, and now the restoration efforts to clean it up.
The Colorado is another. The Colorado River used to be a freaking Leviathan; it used to be huge. There’s a town called Parker, and the Spanish could take their ships for miles inland, going up the Colorado River.
The Dolores River has a similar story. It used to be one of the biggest rafting rivers, going through epic canyons, and now it is a pathetic trickle you could literally jump across.
Even rivers that appear untouched still have stories—maybe they were protected early, or development was limited. Those stories matter, too.
Ultimately, I’m drawn to rivers where art can become a catalyst—where painting the river helps bring people together to talk about it.
FLYLORDS: The fly brushes you tie to deliver paint are fascinating. What goes into developing new brush styles?
MILLER: Developing brushes is a lot like choosing flies. Different water types—still water versus fast current—require different tools.
I design brushes to capture the specific textures present in rivers. I’ve gone through a lot of experimentation—different materials, shapes, and weights—trying to find brushes that best emulate the movement of water.
It’s similar to how a fisherman considers the size and profile of different flies.
FLYLORDS: You’re making thousands of casts for each piece. Has that repetition influenced your casting on the water?
MILLER: When I hit a mark perfectly in a painting, it’s the same feeling as making the perfect cast to a rising trout. I absolutely love it.
That connection reinforces the joy of casting itself. Fishing has always come first in my life, but painting has deepened my appreciation for the mechanics and beauty of casting.
FLYLORDS: A lot of your work puts conservation at the forefront. How does conservation shape your creative decisions?
MILLER: That’s a great question. I believe every river is vulnerable in some way. Clean water is something everyone values, and rivers tell the story of a society’s health.
The Endangered Rivers Project is about using art as a catalyst to bring people together to talk about their rivers and what threatens them.
Each river has its own challenges: dams, development, pollution, and access issues. By painting these places, I become a visitor to those communities and help share their stories.
Even the most pristine rivers have something to teach us. Conservation is really about awareness, and art is a powerful way to create that awareness.
FLYLORDS: How do you know when a painting is finished?
MILLER: I paint in reverse. The first marks are usually the brightest—like foam on the water. Then I layer in color, switching brushes and adjusting as I observe the river.
I start with surface water, then move into the streambed, working back and forth between those elements. Eventually, I add darker values underneath to create depth and contrast.
At the very end, I add warmer, brighter colors to create excitement and energy in the piece.
FLYLORDS: How do you deal with lighting changes during long painting sessions?
MILLER: For smaller paintings, I can usually finish in a single five- or six-hour session. For larger pieces, I’ll take studies and reference photos.
I try to choose an “average” moment—a composition that captures the overall character of the river—rather than chasing constantly changing light.
FLYLORDS: What similarities do you see between refining your craft as an artist and honing your skills as an angler?
MILLER: Both require observation, repetition, and refinement. Just like improving your casting or reading water, painting requires constant adjustment and learning.
There’s also a shared appreciation for tools—fly rods, brushes, and materials—and an understanding that small adjustments can make a big difference in performance. Just as anglers obsess over line weight or leader length, painters learn how subtle changes can completely alter the outcome, too.
Dealing with the elements is another parallel I experience when painting and fishing, especially wind and cold, which are my main enemies. In extreme temperatures, you have to get creative. A fun trick: adding a bit of hand sanitizer to paint can help keep it from freezing, thanks to the alcohol content.
One time that trick backfired, though. While shamelessly promoting my work, I set up to paint in front of the Simms factory in Bozeman. It was bitterly cold, so I used a heater to keep the paint workable. Before I knew it, I had a twelve-foot inferno in front of me, the painting fully engulfed in flames! I can only imagine the folks inside the Simms store wondering what in the world was going on outside.
FLYLORDS: What do you hope people feel – or take away – when they experience your work?
MILLER: One person told me, “I’ll never look at a body of water the same again.” That meant a lot.
If people start seeing rivers as compositions, then I’ve accomplished something.
I hope people feel excitement about color, movement, and water. Maybe nostalgia, maybe curiosity. Ultimately, I hope the work changes how they see rivers, even just a little.
Even negative reactions are meaningful. If the work makes someone stop and think, that’s success.
What stands out most about Ben’s work isn’t just the technique, though casting paint thousands of times onto plexiglass is certainly compelling; it’s the intention behind it. Each river he paints carries a story, and each piece becomes a conversation about the places we fish, the waters we value, and the responsibility that comes with both.
Like fly fishing itself, Miller’s art invites you to slow down and look closer. To notice the shifting light across a riffle, the subtle color beneath moving current, or the way a river changes from hour to hour. At the end of the day, Ben Miller isn’t just painting rivers. He’s bringing attention to them – one cast at a time.
Check out Ben’s work on his website and following along on Instagram.
Article by Flylords Food Editor Kirk Marks, an angler, photographer, and culinary aficionado based in Kent Island, Maryland. Give him a follow at @kirkymarks.
Sometimes, the best things in fishing aren’t the trips you spend a year planning, or the trophy trout you hauled in after getting skunked for a week. They’re the things you stumble on when you least expect it, and if that happens on your home water, that’s even better. For most of us, our home water is often an overlooked trout stream, a place that’s nice to have close to the house, but not somewhere most folks would plan a trip around.
That’s what makes it perfect for home water – it’s usually never crowded. The fish aren’t huge, but they’re not fingerlings, either. And if you’ve been around long enough, you probably have a good handle on when and where the best fishing is. You’d be forgiven for thinking you had your home creek all figured out.
I felt that exactly about this time last year, when I went off to my home water for a day of fishing with my mother-in-law. I’d promised her a float trip on a nearby tailwater, but a rainstorm and extra releases from the dam had the river running more like chocolate milk. I called an audible, and we went up the creek instead, where we spent the first few hours catching more small rainbows than my mother-in-law knew what to do with.
My mother-in-law wanted to try for slightly larger trout, so we went downstream to a section where the browns usually top out around 15 inches. Another perk of home water like this is knowing it well enough that you can tailor a day of fishing depending on your mood, or your mother-in-law’s wants.
We parked, walked to the river, and the fish were rising. Consistently. There’s not usually much of that on this river until summer, when the stoneflies and caddis are abundant. In April, the only hatch I’d ever seen before was a handful of midges. But these fish were going nuts on giant brown mayflies.
I’m not much of an entomologist, so I wasn’t sure exactly what these flies were. But a size 12 Adams matched them close enough, and the fish didn’t seem to care about the color discrepancy, either. We fished until close to sunset, when a few bats started swooping through the low light for an early dinner of spent mayflies.
Once I got home, I did some digging and realized the mayflies we saw were March Browns, and for some reason, I hadn’t stumbled onto the hatch in the three years I’ve been living and fishing here. I went back to that same stretch of river a few more times, and the mayflies and trout were there, hatching and rising like clockwork. Then I had to leave town for work, my daughter was born early, and the rest of whatever March Brown season there was passed me by.
So, when the calendar turned to April this year, I made a note to head up to the creek earlier than normal to see if I could find the bugs. With the warm winter, I thought the hatch might come off a bit earlier than normal, and in a rare moment, it turns out I was right. Last Tuesday, with a bright sun overhead and almost no wind, I pulled up in the early afternoon to see swarms of March Browns over the river’s surface.
The fish didn’t want to rise for them in the still, slow water, but were more than happy to eat big flies off the top in the runs and riffles. For the next four hours, the fishing was some of the best I’ve ever had on the local creek. The fish rose happily, I caught one or two from each run, and they were mostly larger than average.
As I walked back to my truck, the March Browns were still in clusters over the river. A few mated pairs swirled above the river’s surface, and the fish were still rising. There was more fishing to be had, but it was almost dinnertime and I wanted to go home and play with my daughter before bed.
So I went back the next day, and in one of the rarer moments in fly fishing, it was almost as good as the first time.
While I appreciate Orvis keeping its long-running Recon rod series alive, I wish they’d update the name whenever they refresh this stick. Each iteration has been called the “Recon,” but I had the chance to review their latest version, which debuted early in 2026. Orvis was kind enough to send along a 9′ 5-weight for testing, and I had the chance to fish it on a variety of rivers and streams here in Wyoming.
Fast-action that’s versatile across multiple techniques
Made in the USA
MSRP: $698
Pros:
Responsive, powerful blank
Helios-inspired technology
25-year warranty
Cons:
A bit expensive
Grip and reel seat feel bulky
The newest Recon is built with “Helios-inspired” construction techniques, and Orvis says this rod is designed to be “thrown in the back of a truck, strapped to a pack, or stowed in a floatplane pontoon.” It features a subtle take on Orvis’ standard white sticker above the handle, as well as a burled wood insert.
The Recon is built in the USA, and retails for $698, a $100 increase from the price point of the previous model.
While I enjoyed my time with the Recon and don’t have any major complaints, it feels an awful lot like the Helios. So much so that I’d wonder why you’d buy a Helios when the Recon is available, in both fresh and saltwater models. If anything, that’s a compliment to Orvis for building a great stick. But let’s look further at what I like and don’t like about this rod.
What I Like
Responsive
The first thing I noticed when casting the Recon was that it’s much better than the previous versions of this rod. Both iterations, which I’ve fished extensively, felt a bit stiff in-hand. They weren’t very responsive during the casting process, which resulted in the rod feeling like it had a slight hitch in its flex about halfway down the blank.
I know other people loved the action of the Recon, and I’m probably in the minority. Don’t worry, though – this improvement only makes the rod better. It still feels and casts like the Recon, but much more smoothly than previous versions.
That’s not the case for the newest version. This rod feels and casts smoothly at traditional trout fishing distances.
The Recon feels a bit slower than the Helios, and as such, I think it gave me a bit more feedback and response during my casting and fish fighting. While this is still a fast rod, it bends enough that most casters will be able to coax plenty of power from the blank. But whether I had a dry-dropper on, an indicator nymph rig, or a single dry, the rod responded well to my casting.
I fished this with a Ross Animas reel and Scientific Anglers’ Amplitude Infinity line. With a true-to-weight line, the Recon will likely be a bit quicker.
Mending and Power
I was pleasantly surprised with how well the Recon, in a 9′ 5-weight, handled a larger nymph rig thrown from a drift boat. I fished this rod right after using another 9′ 5-weight that struggled staying stable and accurate with a heavier rig, so the Recon was a breath of fresh air.
Whether I needed to throw a big downstream mend, or muscle my indicator, two nymphs, and split shot into a far pool, the Recon showed that, in a 9′ 5-weight, it’s a versatile, do-it-all trout rod. If you’re looking for a rod that’ll do 90% of what you need for trout fishing, the Recon deserves to be in that conversation. I wouldn’t use it for sink-tip lines and large streamers, but smaller streamers on short leaders and floating line will be fine on this rod.
Great With Dry Flies
I wouldn’t pick the 9′ 5-weight Recon as my go-to for technical fishing on a spring creek; I don’t think I’d pick any 5-weight for that. But for most of your other dry fly work, the Recon will work well. It threw small blue-winged olives, a dry-dropper rig, and even some larger flies with ease and accuracy. This would make a great boat rod for chucking hoppers against the banks later in the season.
USA Made
I love that Orvis is still making two rod families in the US. Making rods here isn’t cheap or easy, so it’s nice to see you can grab a homegrown rod without the four-figure price tag. The entire color scheme is great, too. It’s a classy, well-built rod (with a few imperfections I’ll get into in a moment) that looks great out on the water.
What I Don’t Like
Price
Orvis has the Recon listed at $698, which is $200 more than it originally debuted for, an $100 more than the previous model. I don’t think it’s an awful price, but the Recon has, in past years, been a mid-priced rod that still packs some great performance. Even with rods approaching $1,200 for flagship series these days, $698 doesn’t quite feel like a mid-priced rod.
The price also confuses it a bit with the Helios for me. For $1,098, you get Orvis’ top-tier rod. That’s just an extra $400, and honestly, with how similar these rods feel and perform, I don’t know that I’d tell someone to buy a Helios when this version of the Recon exists. Sure, the Helios is a bit more accurate, but most anglers (myself included) aren’t good enough casters to coax the best out of the Helios.
It’s just a confusing price point for a rod to sit at, in my opinion.
Build Quality
The only real issue I have with the Recon is its grip and reel seat. They both feel bulkier than the Helios, and are noticeably chunkier than grips on my other 9′ 5-weights. I’ve noticed this on past Recon rods, too, so it’s a design choice that Orvis has made for a while that just doesn’t sit with me. The cork quality is great, though.
The other problem on my rod were some rod alignment dots that were misplaced. Using those to line up the snake guides on the top two sections resulted in the tip being about 45-degrees off-center from the rest of the rod. That’s not a huge deal, but at $698, I’d expect a bit better quality control.
There was also some scuffing and peeling to the finish on the reel seat insert. Neither of these affects the performance of the rod, but they’re worth noting.
Final Word
The newest Recon is definitely a step forward for the rod. It’s light, responsive, powerful, and much more fun to fish than its predecessors. You definitely see and feel the Helios influence in this rod, and since it’s $400 less, I think you’d be hard-pressed to pick the Helios over the Recon. My slight quibbles about the build quality aside, it’s an objectively great rod that’ll serve most trout anglers well.
In this week’s “How to Tie” feature, LiFliesMike ties a fantastic baitfish pattern just in time for the spring striped bass migration, the Kinky Muddler.
Learn How to Tie This Fly:
Difficulty: Difficult
For many anglers on the East Coast, spring means happy trout and the emergence of hatches and sustainable insect life. Although this is true, it is only a fraction of the full picture for angling opportunities. Rivers and lakes alike will increase in temperatures, offering more chances at trout and other freshwater species, but one of the most exciting aspects is the spring striped bass migration. These fish will often have a diverse diet of crustaceans, baitfish, and eels, which makes it very important to carry a wide variety of flies at all times. The Kinky Muddler is a baitfish pattern that will attract the attention of opportunistic feeders and should always go with you to the water while striped bass are in town.
Beginning in March, “stripers” will begin their journey north to spawn and feed, and can create some of the most entertaining days on the water. This gives anglers ample time to fill fly boxes and prepare gear during the cold months of winter, but if you’re like me you are probably just starting. Tying flies on larger hooks is always a nice break from smaller technical trout patterns, but they still demand patience and respect like any other to ensure proportions are accurate. You won’t tie as many Kinky Muddlers as you would basic trout flies, but taking the time to perfect the profile will reward you greatly as spring rolls on.
Anglers should come adequately prepared to the water, not only with flies but also with gear. Rods ranging between 8-10wt will each have uses during the season, from targeting flats cruising fish to needing to punch casts into the wind off of a jetty. That being said, a basic 8wt with a floating line and a reel with a fully sealed drag system will accomplish the majority of your striped bass fishing needs. Enjoy longer days, warmer weather, and a future full of hungry striped bass, but don’t forget to bring the Kinky Muddler on your next east coast saltwater adventure.
The Mississippi River is the largest river in America, running roughly 2,350 miles through the heart of the country. It’s by far the biggest river we’ve ever been on, let alone fished. Our next stop for Fly Shop Tour Season 4 would be Minnesota, a stone’s throw away from where the Mississippi begins, at Lake Itasca in Minnesota. We met up with the team from Mend Provisions Fly Fishing Co. to fish the mighty Mississippi and learn how to fish big water.
The Mississippi at a Glance
At first glance, the Mississippi can be a bit intimidating. Even near its starting point, it’s big water, and for anglers used to small rivers, it can be tricky to hone in on fish. Because of its size, it’s also a fairly slow-moving river. This presents a unique challenge, making it harder to read water and distinguish fish holding features from the boat.
In the northern portion of the river, the main target species are smallmouth bass, walleye, and northern pike, which is exactly what we set out to find. We also opted to fish out of a drift boat, enabling us to row the river and position ourselves to catch fish. Just be sure you have a respectable push row to move through frog water. The following tips we learned on the water will help catch more fish on the Mississippi.
Locate Structure
Fish love structure, particularly smallmouth bass, one of our target species. On big water like the Mississippi, finding fish holding structure can be tricky. We generally broke down the structure into two categories: underwater structure and bank structure. Of these two, the bank structure is the more obvious fish holding cover to find. Some common bank structures consist of overhanging trees, cuts in the riverbank, or submerged logs. Fish these hard, and if you do find a fish, there’s a good chance there’s more than one.
Underwater structure is where things get a bit more complicated, especially in a slow-moving river like the Mississippi. To find the holes and the underwater structure that holds fish, look for clues on the water’s surface. Ripples or boils are caused by an underwater structure pushing water upwards. Fish often sit in front of or behind these obstructions.
Find a Pattern
The next secret to fishing big water is to find a pattern. Depending on the time of year, fish will move through different parts of the system, just like in a trout stream. In the spring fish often move shallower in search of more oxygenated water, while come summer these same fish may move to deeper, cooler pools.
When you’re fishing the Mississippi, it’s important to establish some form of pattern. This narrows down where the fish will be and can keep you from wasting time in unproductive stretches. If you consistently catch fish in shallow riffles, hone your efforts in on this water, rather than wasting time on other, less productive structures.
Cover Water
The last tip for the Mississippi and other big waterways is to cover water. This goes hand-in-hand with the other tips we’ve hit on. By staying mobile and covering as much water as possible, you’re able to find a likely structure and establish a pattern. There’s plenty of fishy options to hit on the Mississippi so don’t dwell on one particular spot if it’s not working,
When most anglers hear “lake run trout”, images of big browns, steelhead, and even lake trout come to mind. But long before these fisheries were established, anglers set their sights on another fish, the coaster brookies. A coaster is the nickname given to lake run brook trout, found in Lake Superior, not to be mistaken with salters, the saltwater brook trout of the Northeast. These brookies have adapted a unique life strategy, spending much of their life in Lake Superior before returning to its tributaries to spawn every fall.
Fishing a coaster brook trout stream.
At it’s peak in the 1850s coasters inhabited tributaties throughout the entirety of Lake Superior’s coast. It was a world-renowned fishery, with anglers traveling from across the country to catch coasters. Unfortunately, this didn’t last long. By the 1880s, overfishing and habitat degradation led to a rapid decline in coaster populations. Those that remained were pushed back to the most northern and remote portions of the lake and its tributaries.
With coaster numbers dwindling, stocking efforts ensued, trying to re-establish breeding populations. Initial efforts indicated roughly a million brook trout were released into Lake Superior in the late 1880s. However, the deteriorating tributaries wouldn’t support coaster populations, and the stocking efforts never took. Eventually, the states switched to brown and rainbow trout stockings, fish better suited to these degraded habitats.
A coaster brook trout caught on Fly Shop Tour Season 4.
Today, organizations like the Great Lake Superior Foundation (GLFS) and Trout Unlimited (TU) are working on researching and restoring coasters to their native habitats. Unlike the stocking efforts of the 19th century, today’s efforts are focused on habitat. Brook trout require woody structure in their tributaries to successfully reproduce, much of which was lost following logging operations and forest fires. The habitat restoration efforts seek to add more permanent woody structure to support coaster spawning.
In addition to habitat restoration, anglers have the opportunity to be directly involved with coaster research. The Coaster Genetics Project relies on angler-captured brook trout fin clip samples. If you catch a coaster, simply snip a small section of the anal fin and submit it for genetic analysis. In season 4 of Fly Shop Tour, we fished Lake Superior for coaster brook trout. Watch the full episode to learn what it takes to catch a coaster.
As of today, the U.S. Senate voted by a narrow margin to pass House Joint Resolution 140, lifting critical mining protections for the Boundary Waters. This comes just weeks after a concerted effort by anglers, hunters, and outdoorsmen to kill this bill. We recently visited the Boundary Waters on a Fly Shop Tour, experiencing firsthand what this region and its community have to offer. What we saw was a truly wild place, pristine water, and world-class fishing and recreation opportunities. Before sharing our time in the Boundary Waters with our audience, we felt it was important to share this update from Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters and outline what’s next to prevent mining in the Boundary Waters. You can view the full press release below.
From Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters
U.S. Senate Votes to Overturn Critical Boundary Waters Protections
Unprecedented usage of the Congressional Review Act sets a dangerous precedent
Today, the U.S. Senate voted 50 – 49 to pass House Joint Resolution 140 (H.J. Res. 140), which was introduced by Representative Pete Stauber (MN-08) in the House. This comes after the bill’s swift passage in the House of Representatives on January 21st and months of work from Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters and a coalition of conservation organizations to stop this action in its tracks.
When presented with sound facts, scientific data, a well-organized opposition campaign, and direct outreach from constituents on both sides of the aisle, Congress chose to side with private interests by using an obscure congressional loophole rather than upholding the overwhelming will of the American outdoor community.
Hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation groups from across the country, along with hundreds of thousands of constituent emails and phone calls to legislators, have fallen completely flat. This bill flew through the House, passed the Senate, and will be signed by the President, where he’ll almost assuredly tout its importance for critical mineral dominance, knowing full well that the copper-nickel project that this bill allows to move forward, will do little, if anything, to benefit the supposed America First agenda, and risks impairing one of the greatest outdoor treasures on the planet.
“Congress has ignored the will of the people once again. The short-sightedness of this incredibly disappointing decision is staggering. By overturning the mining moratorium in the Rainy River Watershed, our elected officials have put the interests of a few above the benefit of many. including the future generations we are fighting for,” said Lukas Leaf, executive director of Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters. “Paving the way for the Twin Metals mine does little, if anything, to satisfy the America First agenda, and is a direct assault on our outdoor heritage and public lands nationwide. When will we realize that we simply cannot just create more of these critical landscapes? Our collective legacy, our responsibility, is to leave behind protected places like the Boundary Waters, not to bend the knee to a foreign mining company for short-term gain. This battle is far from over, and our resolve is stronger than ever.”
This legislation paves the way for the administration to return leases to Twin Metals by removing the 20-year federal moratorium (PLO 7917) on mining in the Rainy River Watershed, using the Congressional Review Act (CRA). Using the CRA to undo a public land order or withdrawal has never been used in this manner and now sets a dangerous precedent for unraveling existing public land protections around the country with a simple majority and no public comment.
“This wasn’t just about the Boundary Waters. The passage of this bill is a testament to the current state of our elected officials and their opinion of the American voter, taxpayer, and, in particular, public land users, said Matthew Schultz, program manager of Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters. “Throughout this entire process, the level of misinformation from proponents of the bill has been staggering. The simple fact of the matter is that the Boundary Waters now has one less layer of protection, and, with the sense of victory fresh on their minds, Congress can do the same on a tract of land near you. The United States is unequivocally worse off today than it was yesterday.”
This vote underscores how desperate this administration is to find any way to open our public lands to business. Essentially, if Congress can use a CRA to unravel this mineral withdrawal, there may be no limit to what else they can overturn.
Though proponents of the resolution claim this mine will decrease the United States’ reliance on foreign nations for critical minerals, the reality is that Twin Metals is owned by a Chilean company that will ship the minerals to China for processing, where they will likely be made available on the open market, not contributing to the so-called need for domestic critical mineral dominance.
Taking these actions to allow this mine to move forward blatantly contradicts the America First approach and underscores this administration’s foolhardy agenda to remove protections for our public lands and waters across the country, and for future generations.
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About Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters: For over a decade, Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters(SFBW) has been the leading voice for hunters and anglers committed to fighting for the conservation of the Boundary Waters. Recognizing the unique ecological, recreational, and cultural value of this pristine wilderness – and the grave threat posed by sulfide-ore copper mining to the region and the outdoor opportunities it provides – SFBW works to ensure that the interests of sportsmen and women are fully represented in the fight to sustain America’s most-visited wilderness.
In our latest episode of Fly Shop Tour, we head to the land of 10 thousand lakes in pursuit of new species on the fly, lights-out dry fly fishing, and the cheese curds that broke Jared’s rating scale. Follow along as we tour across this magnificent state, starting at Mend Provisions in the Twin Cities, and ending just outside one of the most beautiful areas on Earth: the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness. Tune in for thrilling eats and rare trout in this can’t-miss episode of Fly Shop Tour Season 4.
