Winter fishing offers an escape from the monotony of gray skies, short days, and shoveling snow. It offers solitude and a certain peace, especially as snow falls, muting the sounds around you. But getting out there is only half the battle. In the winter, fish behave differently than in other months. A lack of food and chilly water temperatures can leave you scratching your head as to if there are any fish in the river. These 5 winter trout fishing secrets will help you land more fish and deal with the intricacies and pains of winter fishing.
This article was written by Landon Mayer, an accomplished fly-fishing writer, guide, ambassador, and public speaker. Here are what Landon considers to be 5 winter trout fishing secrets for success.
5 Winter Trout Fishing Secrets
1. Storm Tracker
The cold season produces storms that are known to turn anglers away from the water. There are times when you simply cannot make the drive or prevent the ice sculptures from forming on your rod and fly line! On the other hand, a lot of the storm systems at this time are slow moving with cloud-filled skies. This is a match made in heaven for feeding conditions and tailwater trout. While everything is socked in, the air and water temperature will rise to 35-45 degrees or more, in many situations supplying off-the-charts Midge and Baetis hatches and activity. Watch the weather religiously and pay close attention to these fronts—you’ll want to be on the water.
2. Chapstick
Ice in the guides has plagued anglers for years. While there is no product that will prevent ice from forming, I find chapstick helps deny the build-up of ice. While the question of what effect this can have on your line is still a mystery, I use natural Chapstick like Burt’s Bees to help minimize the use of chemicals and clean my line at the end of the day.
3. Determining Diameter
All it takes is one item on your rig to appear unnatural for selective trout to go on alert and not eat because they detected something is wrong. While we can focus on the indicator and split shot as the culprit, I have noticed targets over the years becoming wary of the way the fly drifts and seeing the thick taper on the end of a leader that connects to the fly line. Without the need for a tapered leader to roll your flies over with long casting loops in big water, building a leader out of tippet can be the answer to better performance out of each drift in the narrow waterways of winter.
I prefer the three-tier leader formula, starting with a three-foot piece of 3-4x Fluorocarbon tippet connected with a triple surgeon’s knot to a three-foot piece of 4-5x Fluorocarbon. To complete the leader I will end with a three to five foot piece of 5-6-7x Fluorocarbon, the size can be determined by how wary the fish are, and if needed a five foot piece of tippet can extend the leader from nine, to 11 feet. When you decide on the right diameter for your cold adventure, the rewards of undetectable drag-free drifts can be some of the best reactions from trout.
4. Matching Midges
A big advantage to the chilly months is not having to dissect a complex hatch to find what food supply the fish prefer. A majority of the trout’s diet will consist of Midges with a side order of Baetis if they are available. The first component to the Midge mystery is size and silhouette. You want to match the natural midge or downsize by one followed by the proper silhouette, which for Midges means thinner is better. Most of the larva, pupa, and adults are skinny. The second part of the equation is the color scheme. Finding the right color for the job based on the trout’s reaction to your flies. I normally start with a confidence color like red, or a red ribbed midge (Tube Midge #18-20-22) as my main fly. Then, with my second dropper fly, start with a dark color (Dorsey’s Flashback Black Beauty #18-22, Dye’s Two Tone Larva#18-22) and use this as a changing station throughout the day. Making it easy to retie and find what color the fish will prefer. For other midge patterns, check out Pat Dprsey’s recommendations HERE.
5. Lifting to set the hook
For many anglers, most trout are lost in the first ten seconds or the last ten seconds of the fight. This makes the hook set one of the most important steps in fighting any trout. To successfully set on a fish, you first need to understand how to apply pressure quickly on the trout without overpowering the motion. To do this you want to lift the rod at a downstream angle while keeping the rod at a slight horizontal position. I always tell anglers to not break the plain of their shoulder on the set; this will prevent you from applying maximum flex to your rod, which would put too much pressure on your tippet. The downstream angle will place the fly in the corner of the trout’s jaw, away from the teeth that line the top of the mouth, and this placement will give you the best lifting angle when you are applying pressure throughout the fight. Being able to control the position and power from your rod during the set will help you land more and larger
trout.
Landon Mayer’s angling success is fueled by an addiction to pursuing large trout with small flies and lightweight fly-fishing equipment. Mayer enthusiastically teaches and demonstrates his techniques and on-river knowledge to fellow anglers and has developed innovative strategies for sighting, hooking, and landing selective trout. He shares these tips and secrets in his books.
In his latest book, The Hunt for Giant Trout, Landon discusses the 25 best places in the United States to catch a trophy trout. To purchase this book or to get in touch with Landon, check out his website, www.landonmayerflyfishing.com, or give him a follow on Instagram at @landonmayerflyfishing.
Welcome back to “The Rundown,” an editorial series where we provide an all-encompassing look at the latest and greatest products from your favorite brands in the fly fishing and outdoor space. Here, we’ll run over high-level info, tech specs, and our opinions—all paired with a behind-the-scenes interview with product designers who have poured their hearts into bringing these creations from blueprints to the showroom floor.
In this Rundown, we take a look at Sea Run Cases, an Italian-based company dedicated to creating premium travel and storage solutions using the best polymer technology. Join us as we dive into their newest release: the Sea Run Spey Travel Case, built for steelheaders and two-hand rod enthusiasts.
Background:
If you’ve done any amount of traveling with fly rods, you know the potential issues—broken rods, lost gear, and an added level of inconvenience and searches going through TSA. The best way to avoid this is to check your gear in a rod travel case. Unfortunately, the market is flooded with soft cases that, while they keep you organized, do not guarantee your gear will make it to the destination in one piece. This is where Sea Run Cases comes in. They aim to create hard-sided cases with the best technology available, ensuring your gear arrives safely.
The Spey Travel Case is designed with steelheaders and two-hand anglers in mind.
With their growing line of performance travel cases, one group was still missing out—the die-hard two-handed angler. As the market for spey rods and trout speys continues to grow, traveling to destinations where you can swing flies is becoming increasingly popular. Sea Run Cases went back to the drawing board and designed the Spey Travel Case, an all-encompassing rod and reel storage system built to withstand the abuse of rugged environments and the demanding needs of two-hand anglers.
What’s New:
Steelheaders and spey anglers are constantly on the go in search of the right flows and fish on the move. Keeping up with these fish can mean several-hour drives or trips to a different state. Sea Run devised the Spey Travel Case to keep your gear organized and ready to go at a moment’s notice.
This newest generation of cases borrows styling and technical features from its predecessors—the Norfork and Riffle Compact—in a size capable of holding a preposterous amount of gear, so much so this case has been aptly nicknamed the Guide Locker for guides looking to keep all their gear in one place.
From a technical standpoint, the case has two sides: one for rods and one for reels. The rod side has enough room to store up to five spey rods or an assortment of spey, switch, and single-hand rods. Two large recessed grooves extend from each side of the handle for added storage. Small trinkets, a knife, or even cigars fit securely in this compartment. A folding divider covers this compartment to ensure your rods stay put.
Ample rod storage keeps you organized and ready for any scenario.
The reel side features five separate compartments—two small and three large— to organize reels, spare shooting heads, sink tips, and fly boxes. With abundant storage, spey anglers can bring all the necessary gear to modify techniques and setups depending on the river system and conditions they are fishing.
The reel side features more than enough room for reels, tackle, flies, and more.
Upon closing the case, three stainless steel locks adorn the exterior. These latch-style locks are TSA approved and secure to prevent the case from opening, even if you check it. The case features a burly but comfortable handle design for easy transportation to and from your fishing destination. In addition, double-wall ABS construction makes the case practically indestructible. It’s a necessity, considering how hard steelheaders are on gear. For convenience, the Spey Travel Case has flat iron feet to allow this case to stand upright on its own.
Stainless steel latches ward off rust in harsh environments.
At Flylords, we’ve been fortunate enough to work closely with Sea Run in the development stage of this case. Starting with early prototypes to the current version, we’ve traveled and fished the Spey Travel Case hard. We’ve put it through the wringer, from float planes in Alaska to Pacific Northwest winter steelhead and everything in between. So far, it’s still going strong.
From drift boats to seaplanes, this case has had its fair share of adventures.
The Spey Travel Case is designed to hold up to five rods. With our demanding and technique-specific fisheries, we are able to bring every rod for every scenario. We can float flies on a nymph rig, swing big water with a spey rod, or break out a switch for those medium-sized rivers. When we reach our destination, everything is organized and ready to go in the case. While five rods are what Sea Run rates the case for, we’ve fit up to seven rods of varying length and size.
On the reel side of things, the five compartments have ample storage for various-sized fly reels. If you were to look at our case, you’d find bigger, 10- to 12-size spey reels for large systems like the Skeena and a variety of smaller-sized reels for smaller switch rods and single-hand rods. With 4-5 reels in the case, there is still adequate room for fly boxes, leader material, and shooting heads/sink tip wallets. The beauty in this is having everything ready to go in a single spot. You no longer have to pilfer through the garage and your gear to ensure you are ready for a day of fishing. The beauty in that is more time on the water. In addition, the Spey Travel Case can hold impressively large conventional reels, including 18,000-sized tuna reels, as we found out recently.
No matter where you are, the Spey Travel Case keeps everything you need for fishing at arm’s length.
Perhaps our favorite feature of the case is the hardware and exterior shell. Built with what Sea Run calls its ABS technology, the shell is bulletproof. We’ve thrown it in boats, on seaplanes, in and out of cars, and checked it more than its fair share of times, with not so much as a scratch to show for it. Wrapping out the case are the stainless steel locking latches. Reliable latches are a must when traveling. We want our gear to make it to the destination safely and be able to access it when it’s time to fish. The stainless steel latch construction makes for a rustproof design. Rust is always a concern on coastal steelhead rivers where salt and freshwater meet. We’ve fished countless dates in these harsh conditions, and our latches work like the day we received the case.
The TSA approved locks securely close the travel case.
If we had to pick out any downsides to the case, it would be the weight. At 13.4 pounds empty, it is on the heavier side. That said, when buying a premium travel case, you want to know it’s up to the task of protecting your gear. The added weight certainly gives it the burley feel you’d expect when investing in a case of this caliber.
A Short Interview with Sea Run:
After toting the Spey Travel Case across the PNW and Alaska this past fall, we were eager to sit down with the team from Sea Run. We sat down with Stephen Lamboy, owner and founder of Sea Run Cases, to understand what went into making a case up to the standards of steelheaders.
Flylords: Who are you, and what is your position with Sea Run Cases?
I’m Stephen Lamboy, and my wife Elena and I are founders and owners of Sea Run Cases. We started a sporting case business in our garage over 10 years ago and added fly travel cases 4 years ago.
Flylords: What inspired Sea Run Cases to make a spey specific case?
Sea Run drew inspiration from traveling spey anglers.
I was inspired by my good friend Mervyn Manningham-Buller in the UK. He and his pals are serious world traveling spey casters. Merv is a great product developer in his own right, and we have both been a nuisance at it for years. I wanted a complete line of travel cases to cover all types of fly fishing, from trout to tarpon and steelhead to salmon. We want to be the “go-to” source for fly fishing travel luggage and gear.
Flylords: What separates this case from all the other cases Sea Run Makes?
Steelhead anglers are notoriously rough on their gear.
The Spey Case case offers very high capacity in a compact design. Building the travel case for spey fishermen presented a big challenge because many of these adventurers are gear mavens, and they need to be so. They often travel far and must be prepared for all opportunities and conditions. We had to keep the case light and air travel certified while securing an amazing amount of gear in terms of varying size rods, reels, fly boxes, wading staffs, and an endless number of accessories. Some even wanted an area for a mini medical kit and a place for cigars, which we created. The Spey Locker is also a Guides Locker by virtue of the amount of gear it can hold. Bear spray fits, too.
Flylords: What kind of research and development went into bringing this case to life?
We spent the better part of two years from concept to delivery, with several iterations in between. Our team spoke with many spey fishermen and dealers. We worked with our marketing partners at Flylords, who encouraged us and provided field testing. They are a fly fishing product think tank. We spent much time in Italy at the Negrini factory reviewing design concepts. Many iterations were tested in CAD to ensure the specific materials and lightweight double wall construction would pass our impact and crush tests (our Norfork case just passed in an actual plane crash!). The special foam padding is not just foam. It is foam with resistance to salt and fresh water as well as oil-based lubricants and the occasional spilled shot of Makers Mark. The case is a little long, and this also presents a challenge. Graziano Negrini created unique “foot pads” so the case would rest securely on a flat surface. Next, how does it carry and feel in the hand? Where is the weight balance? This took time. We are both a bit particular about design.
Flylords: What makes a case like this “premium”?
Quality materials and fit and finish make this case premium.
Form and Function + Best Technical Materials + Hand Building = Premium. It is impossible for an engineer in the Ferrari auto manufacturing area in Northern Italy to design UGLY. They refuse to do it. It must be beautiful and perform better than any other. Quality materials are very important for hand building. You must really understand this. No handbuilder wants to work with cheap materials. Where is the pride? Believe me, Italians are proud of their work. It is their baby, and it will be an Olympian like no other.
Flylords: What kind of angler are these cases built for?
Initially, we totally focused on the traveling salmon and steelhead spey fishermen to accommodate their needs. From sending the first prototype out for use in the field, we have achieved the right design and performance. Our tester won’t give it back! However, news travels fast, and now that we have cases in use, we see an unexpected customer buying them—trout guides. It holds so many trout rods, reels and gear that it seems to have hit a nerve with these professionals.
Flylords: What are some other functions this case serves?
Regardless of the technique you use, this case can serve a purpose.
As I mentioned, the trout guides seem to be adopting it well and now we are receiving inquiries from spin fishermen. I’m not sure where it will all go. We listen to the customer and try to build what they need even if it has not been consciously identified. I think we are addicted to this development.
Flylords: When will these be available to consumers?
We started shipping on December 10. They are available through our limited network of dealers and outfitters and on our website at searuncases.com.
Final Thoughts:
Whether searching for a bucket list fish or exploring your backyard, organization goes a long way. We’ve relied on Sea Run Cases in the past for their rugged reliability and thoughtful designs. The newest addition to their lineup, the Spey Travel Case, implements all the technology and reliability Sea Run is known for into a spey-sized piece of gear. The ample, organized storage and legendary ABS construction are perfect for die-hard steelhead anglers and gear aficionados alike. Couple that with an exceptional warranty and premium components; Sea Run created the ultimate travel case. If you see us on the water, be sure to check out our Spey Travel Case. We won’t leave home without it.
Debuting today, the Outdoor Channel is set to launch its newest series, Wild at Heart, featuring host Kaylee Fordyce. You may know the surname Fordyce from Rob Fordyce, legendary keys guide, tarpon angler, and host of The Seahunter. Not to be overshadowed by her father, Kaylee is an exceptional angler and conservationist in her own right. Kaylee is a South Florida native, inundated at a young age with all things fishing and hunting in the Sunshine State. Along the way, she’s gone on some epic adventures, has become a world-class angler, and even solidified her name in the record books with multiple IGFA records.
In Wild at Heart, Kaylee shows viewers wild places through the lens of fishing and hunting. The show sets to blend Kaylee’s love for the outdoors and her unwavering passion for protecting these wild places. With launch day finally here, we sat down with Kaylee, the youngest and only female solo host of an Outdoor Channel series, to learn more about Wild at Heart and her journey into fly fishing.
Interview with Kaylee Fordyce
Flylords: With Rob Fordyce as your father, we picture you jumping tarpon as soon as you could walk. Could you tell us how you got into fly fishing?
Kaylee: “Actually, it’s a pretty funny story. As a kid, I never wanted to ask my dad to teach me, and he never wanted to push it on me. I don’t think he knew that I was interested, and everyone asked because that’s what he does every day. So it was this unspoken thing. So he never taught me.
When I was 17, I did an internship with one of my dad’s customers. He was a doctor out of California. He’s a big fly fisherman and had a donor for his lab who wanted to do this fly fishing trip. So he and his wife took me, assuming I had fly fished before. After realizing I didn’t know anything, they taught me the basics. My first time ever fly fishing was on the river in Montana. That’s how I started to learn, and then my dad realized I was interested, and it bloomed from there.”
Flylords: Can you tell us more about the show and any underlying messages we should be on the lookout for?
Kaylee: “I recognize that I’m in a pretty unique position. I’m the youngest and the only female solo host of an outdoor series. And I think that puts me in a unique position to share things like what I was just sharing with you. The history of the sport and our environment and how it’s changed and how we need to preserve it. Because if people don’t understand and appreciate the sport, they won’t protect it. And if they’re not going to protect it, it’s not going to exist.
That’s the biggest message I try to get across to my audience, but also, I love to do crazy, fun stuff, and I want to highlight that on the show, too. I think there are a lot of things that people don’t show on TV shows. In nature, you never know what’s going to happen. So it’s hard to plan for things, but I think when we go out, we see some of the most amazing things. If we can get that on film and show that to an audience, that gives them a glimpse of how amazing the outdoor is and how they can get involved and appreciate it and understand it.”
Flylords: When filming this, were there any challenges that you faced?
Kaylee: “For starters, the first episode we did was right after Hurricane Debbie came through. It was a tropical storm when it came through, but it turned everything up. Even though it had passed, that water back in the Glades stayed straight mud so it was a bit of a struggle. We also filmed an episode chasing a slam. We worked for it, but we got a slam on the fly.
Another surprisingly challenging day was trying to catch sharks on the fly, which you would think would be straightforward. I’m not going to say it’s easy because they’re hard to fight, but it’s not typically hard to find sharks on a flat and get them to eat. That day was tough. Everything was blown out after that storm, so finding a shark was tough.”
Flylords: How did this series come to fruition, and where did the name Wild at Heart come from?
Kaylee: “It was kind of crazy how everything lined up. I’ve been doing hosted fishing trips, like hosted girls’ fishing trips, for a couple of years. So last October (2023) I was hunting. I’m sitting in a tree stand, and I’m on my phone, passing the time. While waiting, it hit me that I need to start a business. The next question was, what would I name it? So, I came up with Wild at Heart Outdoors. I set it up for my hosted trips and my tournament-running business, all that stuff.
Come January, my dad and I had filmed a couple of episodes for his show. As we were filming them, I had a couple of people keep telling me, you would be really good at this. Like you’ve got a good TV presence. You’re good at fishing; you should do this. Then March came, and somebody at the outdoor channel saw me on an episode with my dad, and they thought I would be a great fit to have my own show. They want younger people on the channel. So they reached out. My dad asked, do you know what you would call it? And I’m like, yeah, I already have an LLC, so that’s how it happened. I didn’t tell anyone until July, and I found out in March. I kept it under wraps and just started getting everything in order.”
Flylords: Wild at Heart showcases your two passions, fishing and hunting. It may be an impossible question, but if you had to choose one, what would it be and why?
Kaylee: “That’s really tough because they’re my two biggest loves, but fishing is awesome and it’s so technical, and I mean, we practice catch and release. I’m very conservative with how I hunt, too, but fishing is my life. It’s where I live. It’s what put food on the table when I was growing up, and it’s my heritage, so I would choose fishing.”
Flylords: As a Florida native, the diversity of fish to target is endless. What would you say your favorite fish are to target?
Kaylee: “My top two are snook and tarpon. Those are my favorites. They’re aggressive, fight hard, and jump. If I had to choose inshore, those are my two species, but if I had to choose an offshore species, it would definitely be sailfish for obvious reasons: they jump, put up a good fight, and are just fun.”
Where to Watch Wild at Heart
Wild at Heart airs on Monday at 1:30 pm, Thursday at 9:30 pm, Friday at 1:30 am and 5:30 am, and Saturday at 8:30 am. You can view it on the Outdoor Channel.
Final Thoughts
After sitting down with Kaylee Fordyce, her passion and enthusiasm for fly fishing and the outdoors is infectious. Her vast and varied adventures put her in a unique position to tell the story of the outdoors through a new perspective. Wild at Heart bridges the gap between fishing and hunting while seamlessly blending core conservation principles into every episode. We can’t wait to keep up with Kaylee and her adventures this year.
If you ask me, Sundays in February are a great time to go fishing. Especially the second (was first) Sunday, and that is because there’s something called the “Big Game” that draws many, if not all, amateur anglers off the water. This leaves all of those overfished tailwaters a little less crowded, and some of the perfect ice fishing lakes without a tent in sight. If you’d like to go fishing, please do, but if you’re like me and get drawn off the water by the game, that’s ok. I tend to hang out at the table with buffalo wings, wild game chili, pizza, and dips unless my team is on the screen. Historically, my go-to would be a buffalo chicken dip, but after some recent tinkering in the kitchen, I found a great substitute—smoked fish. As the avid fisherman I am, I figured I could tap into my culinary side and make some spicy smoked fish dip. This recipe will surely have any Super Bowl party drooling, borrowing inspiration from buffalo chicken dip and bursting with flavor. For a quick and easy last-minute recipe, follow along below:
Ingredients:
Brine:
4 cups water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup salt
2–5 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp smoked paprika (sweet or hot)
2 pinches black pepper
2 Dried bay leaves
1 serrano pepper (lightly scored or sliced to release flavor) (Optional: Add any other spices, herbs, or chilies to taste.)
Dip:
1 cup cream cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1–2 tbsp hot sauce (e.g., Frank’s Red Hot or any vinegar-based hot sauce)
1 cup smoked fish (deboned and flaked)
1–2 tbsp roasted, minced Fresno peppers
3 tbsp minced shallot
Fresh dill or parsley for garnish
Instructions:
Brining the Fish
Heat water, salt, and brown sugar in a pot. Stir until dissolved.
Remove from heat and add garlic, spices, and serrano pepper. Let cool in the fridge until room temp or cold (2+ hours).
Submerge fish in the brine and refrigerate for 3–6 hours. I used stocked trout, but use any fish you’d like. (For longer brining, reduce salt and sugar by half)
Rinse fish under cool water to remove any of the brine, pat dry, and refrigerate for 1–3 hours to form a pellicle. Place the fish on a wire rack to let the air surround the fish. If you don’t have a wire rack, parchment paper, paper towels, or just a plate will do, but make sure the skin is exposed to the air. Short on time? This step is definitely one you can skip, but for the best results, letting a pellicle form is best.
Smoking the fish
Preheat smoker to ~185°F (85°C).
Smoke fish until the internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C) and the meat flakes easily.
Roast Fresno chilies in the smoker for ~35 minutes. Once charred, peel off the skin. Placing the peppers in a plastic bag for 5 minutes to steam can help the skin come off easier.
Remove fish skin and bones, then shred the meat to your desired size.
Making the Dip
Mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, and shallot in a bowl
Fold in the smoked fish and incorporate it fully
Lastly, add in the peppers to the dip until the spice is to your liking. I recommend 2 tablespoons, but I prefer mine on the hot side.
Serving
Warm the dip in a 350°F (175°C) oven for ~10 minutes in a cast iron skillet or other oven-proof dish
Serve with pita chips, a warm crusty baguette, trout skin, or some vegetables! Anything with some good texture works best. Enjoy!
For other Super Bowl-worthy recipes, check out these below:
Earlier this month, the prospect of substantial connectivity improvements to Oregon’s Willamette River came into focus with the enactment of a new law signed by then-President Joe Biden. The Legislation was the Water Resources Development Act of 2024, which authorizes projects to improve waterways all throughout the country. Relating to Willamette, the law directs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to examine what the river system might look like without Hydropower rather than progressing with costly and inefficient fish passage infrastructure.
Flowing through northwest Oregon, the Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, terminating in Portland. Numerous species of endangered or threatened fish species inhabit the Willamette—mostly due to dam construction and urban development.
Thirteen dams scatter the Willamette, but at question are eight hydropower dams. Those dams do not possess effective and legally required fish passage structures for several species of endangered wildlife and operate at a significant financial loss–to the tune of “$700 million over 30 years” to the Corps. Once ProPublica made that inefficiency widely public, decision-makers and advocates took notice, and the pressure campaign to reimagine the Willamette River’s future took strong footing.
The Willamette River system dams produce just 1% of the region’s electricity—they are not efficient sources of power, considering their ecological toll. According to the OPB reporting, these dams produce electricity for 100,000 homes but cost five times greater than more efficient systems. Their primary function, however, is flood control, which can serve a valuable societal function…when done properly. For instance, if the up-damn reservoirs are maintained at capacity (mostly for recreational boating and other stillwater activities) they cannot handle the influx of water in a flood scenario. On the other hand, if river levels are managed to resemble those of a free-flowing river, the native ecology can recover, if not thrive, and allow for improved flood mitigation.
In addition to the new law directing a closer examination of the Willamette projects, a federal document relating to mitigating the harmful impacts on threatened and endangered species provides a blueprint for the actions to aid long-term recovery. However, this is not an explicit recovery plan or a mandate to remove the hydropower structures.
“The directive from Congress gives us all the chance to figure out what makes the most sense in the long term while the Biological Opinion requirements will hopefully help kickstart recovery in the near term,” said Jennifer Fairbrother, Legislative and Policy Director at The Native Fish Society. “It’s time the Corps lay out the full suite of options for recovering fish in the Willamette basin. This means assessing whether eliminating commercial hydropower production can save our fish and save northwest ratepayers money. Of course, given the Corps’ track record of flouting Congressional directives, we’re skeptical that the Corps will complete this analysis in anything resembling a meaningful timeframe, if ever.”
Time will tell what this study recommends for the Willamette, and what decision-makers ultimately decide on. One thing is for certain—progress is progress, and we are looking forward to what a more connected and free-flowing Willamette river system could mean for wild steelhead and salmon runs in Oregon.
Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and for many, this means showing your significant other how much they mean to you. In a normal world, people shower each other with corny gifts, tacky cards, and too many sweets. Unfortunately for fly anglers, we are from normal. Every waking moment revolves around thinking about fishing, gear, flies, and any excuse to get out on the water. In an effort to make your Valentine’s Day more meaningful and show your anglers you care, we put together a list of our favorite gifts. These fly-fishing Valentine’s Day gifts can be found at local fly shops, so if you’re behind the curve, don’t sweat it; a quick trip will get you everything you need.
All products featured on Flylords are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
If there’s one thing fly fishermen never have enough of its flies. No matter how much they tie or how many flies they buy, anglers never complain about more flies. Local fly shops are great about picking out patterns that work on your rivers, so don’t be afraid to ask for help, that’s what the staff is there to do. Some tried and true patterns are pheasant tails, hare’s ears, Adams dry flies, squirmy worms, elk hair caddis, and Pat’s rubber legs.
Just like flies, every angler needs tippet. On the water, it’s a constant guessing game of how much tippet you have and when you will run out. Extra tippet spools in 4x, 5x, and 6x are a welcomed sight and will surely not go to waste on any angler.
Indicators or bobbers are another piece of gear that anglers are always rummaging through bags and waders to find more. Luckily, local fly shops have no shortage of indicators, and keeping with the spirit of Valentine’s Day, they come in pink.
If your angler is constantly tinkering with reels, then backing—the colorful line under the fly line—may be the perfect gift. Available in plenty of colors, they can customize their reel to their liking, creating a personalized touch to their setup. If you know their favorite color, go with that. If not, chartreuse, blue, and pink can make some pretty sweet setups.
If you’re reading this and trying to find a fly fishing gift, then chances are your angler fishes 24/7, regardless of weather. With winter in full effect, a good pair of gloves goes a long way on the water. We like the Orvis Softshell Convertible Mitts for their versatility. The fingers come in handy for fishing, and when you do need to warm up, the mitt cover will help in short order. Of course, if you can’t find this particular glove, any glove is better than none at all.
It’s no secret that fly anglers love hats. This Valentine’s Day, add a hat from their favorite fly shop or favorite fly fishing publication. The Flylords Heritage Series is an instant classic that looks and feels great both on and off the water.
No angler will complain about getting a new set of pliers and nippers. These tools are essential for any angler, and with budget-friendly options available, they make great gifts. The Loon Nippers and Loon Forceps will set you back roughly $30 but make up for it with premium components and a dependable design.
Like flies, fly boxes are pieces of gear anglers can never have enough of. If you’re already getting them a few fly patterns, pair it with a fly box for a complete package. The Tacky Original Series fly box is among the best out there and for a modest price, has ample storage for all the patterns they need.
In keeping with the theme of supporting local fly shops, apparel is a go-to gift option. Luckily, almost every fly shop has their own apparel with their logos on it. A gift like this is something your angler will proudly rep on the water and around town. If you don’t have a fly shop nearby, a good go-to is the Simms Solarflex Hoody. They are soft, comfortable, and applicable to any fishery.
Our last and biggest gift on the list is a new pack. There are countless options available and at all price points, so you really can’t go wrong here. If you’re looking for inspiration, one of our favorites is the Umpqua Northfork Waist Pack. This pack is sized perfectly for short day trips or evening sends and is sure to put a smile on their face.
In this week’s “How to Tie” video feature, McFly Angler ties a legendary bonefish pattern that should be in every saltwater angler’s flats box, the Crazy Charlie.
Learn About This Fly:
Difficulty: Easy
As more snow hits New England and temperatures continue to float in the 20s, my mind naturally drifts towards warmwater species. Although a saltwater trip isn’t on the agenda for me this year, I know that is not the case for many during winter. Whether in the Indian Ocean or Florida Keys, bonefish keep novice and expert anglers alike happy and on their toes. These ghosts of the flats are no easy task on fly, but the Crazy Charlie is a pattern that has caught more bonefish debatably than any other and should certainly be there to help.
When it comes to simple it doesn’t get much better than this. If the Clouser Minnow isn’t your first saltwater pattern, it’s likely this could be a perfect fit. Only using a few materials creates a simple and buggy profile that bonefish can’t resist. With its ease of tying and durability, novice anglers can watch their own Crazy Charlie get eaten on the flats time and time again.
Depending on the bonefish you are chasing, typically rods in the 7-9wt range will offer enough backbone. These fish won’t show mercy in their runs and cheap gear will be exposed quickly, making it imperative to bring a reel with a strong drag. Breaking or losing a few off during the day is expected, but preparing batches in several variations is wise especially when factoring in changing conditions. The Crazy Charlie is just one of those staple patterns that will live in infamy in saltwater fly fishing and should occupy a good chunk of real estate in your fly box.
“Nestled in a remote part of the South Island of New Zealand surrounded by mountains is a river that we have dubbed ‘The River Of Giants’. And for good reason – this is the home of some of the largest brown & rainbow trout in the world. For a few years now, a small group of us guys have been making the annual pilgrimage to fish this river, but this year only Lance (@fishthedriftnz) & myself could make it along. With a deteriorating weather forecast, the pressure was on to make our first day of fishing this river count. Luckily, the first stretch of water we investigated was loaded with big dark smudges, but after Lance put a few drifts past them, it seemed that none of them were too interested in what he was throwing down. He decided to increase his depth and swapped to a pole position, and sure enough on the second pass he was hooked up to the biggest of the smudges. Lance’s experience fishing this river proved invaluable, as he quickly worked this beautiful rainbow towards the nearby bank where I was ready to assist with the net. This stunning fish measured 25.5 pounds and after a few quick photos, we got to film her as she swam off strongly. After years of fishing this river, the first fish of the day turned out to be the second biggest that Lance had ever landed on this particular river, so The River Of Giants once again lived up to it’s name! If you want to check out the full video of this adventure, you can watch it on our YouTube channel | The Angler’s Logbook – Episode 87 & 88″
Reading water in colder months is different than what you be used to in fair weather conditions. Check out this video from Troutbitten to improve how you read water in the colder months.
Image Courtesy: Alijaz Znidarsic & The Balkan River Defence
The 2025 Fly Fishing Film Tour is here, bringing another exciting lineup of captivating stories from the water. To get you pumped for this year’s films, we’re sharing an exclusive look at the filmmaking process through our F3T Behind the Lens series. Be sure to check out the full 2025 schedule HERE and grab your tickets today!
In this Behind the Lens article, we sit down with Rok Rozman at the Balkan River Defenceto discuss their newest film, Streamers, Steamers, & Struggles on the Krka. In this light-hearted short film, the gang takes to the Slovenian Krka in search of a multi-species slam over a 3-day float trip filled with laughter, competition, and epic white water rafting. We sat down with Rok and the Crew to discuss how the film got its name and the deeper topic within the film. Check out the full interview below.
Flylords: What a fun, light-hearted film. In the midst of not leaving landmines behind, what is the main point you want folks to take away from watching Streamers, Steamers, & Struggles?
Rok: “The primary purpose of the series of short films is to deliver a meaningful and important message in a light and comic package. As a river conservation organization, there are multiple reasons why we lean toward comedy to get our message across. We have spent the last 10 years fighting tooth and nail against aggressive hydro development (and mass tourism) and for the preservation of the last wild rivers and river stretches of Europe with our initiative, Balkan River Defence. In addition to being a part of the Balkan River Defence, we are also fly fishermen, hunters, kayakers, and biologists, and we take the protection of our wild rivers as our responsibility.
Image Courtesy: Alijaz Znidarsic & The Balkan River Defence
We have produced two feature films (The Undamaged andOne for the River: The Sava Story) and a number of mid-length films and recently realized the potential of short films. When it comes to the comic and light-hearted atmosphere in our short films, the main point we want to make is two-fold…and it’s pretty simple: we are fed up with thousands of films that try to make everything epic, heroic, and mythical where there is no real basis for that. At the same time, our crew just happens to be a bunch of funny individuals that, if placed in the right place at the right will surely deliver some sort of comedy. Hard topics are like life, best consumed and digested with laughter. And, if we are honest, we also like the challenge of packing a sometimes complex message into a short and funny vessel.”
Flylords: In this movie, the crew floats the Krka in Slovenia. But doesn’t the Krka travel all the way into Croatia and eventually into the Adriatic Sea?
Rok: “The Krka we floated and fished on is the Slovenian Krka. There is indeed a Krka River flowing in Croatia, too (and there is yet another one in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well), but the one we were on is the Slovenian Krka. Interestingly, Krka is used in Slavic languages (mostly in the Balkan Peninsula) to describe a karst or a chalk stream type of river that has a rich source or spring coming to the surface from underground.
Image Courtesy: Alijaz Znidarsic & The Balkan River Defence
Due to high concentrations of calcium carbonate, it hosts an incredibly rich diversity and abundance of insect and mollusk life. This, in combination with the fact that when conditions are right, calcium carbonate precipitates from water to organic matter like moss and causes this organic matter to become encrusted with a layer of minerals, which then accumulate on top of each other and create the only known biologically formed rock called tufa, creates an incredible environment for aquatic life. Since it keeps on growing (a couple of millimeters per year), tufa creates ever-new formations that provide both shelter and hunting spots for a vast array of fish in these food-rich waterbodies. To have 44 native fish species present in such a short river (the total length of the Krka between its source and outflow into the Sava River is only 95 kilometers) is a rarity worldwide. And we are happy and proud to have a river like that in our homeland!”
Flylords: Can all 44 fish species be found throughout the entire river system or are there specific areas better for specific species?
Rok: “There is a gradient of appropriate habitats for certain species. In general, there are more Salmonid species like brown trout and grayling found in the upper reaches of the Krka, where there are more rapids due to a steeper gradient of flow and consequentially more rapids and oxygen, as expected. But this doesn’t mean you can’t end up reeling in one of the salmonids just before Krka empties itself in the Sava River.
Image Courtesy: Alijaz Znidarsic & The Balkan River Defence
On the contrary, some of the biggest specimens were caught there. One of the beauties of these kinds of karst rivers is their incredible self-cleaning capability, which enables Salmonids to live even in lower river stretches. A rich diversity of plant and algae life, in combination with numerous places to hold both surface and intra-terrestrial fauna of invertebrates and micro-organisms, provides a cleaning service like no other. The middle stretches of the river are best known for chub, barbel, and the mighty huchen (Danube salmon). The lower stretch is known for giant Wels catfish, Pike, European perch, and wild Carp. Fishing on the Krka is like roulette. You always hope for a bite but never really know what to expect at the end of your line.”
Flylords: In the film, we noticed you were throwing a two-hand rod for big pike. Did you ever get one?
Rok: “Haha, I did get a solid bite and managed to see the fish that took the big streamer, but the camera didn’t manage to capture that. Unfortunately, a very solid pike found a way to unhook itself before we managed to convince it to swim into the net. That’s fishing sometimes.”
Image Courtesy: Alijaz Znidarsic & The Balkan River Defence
Flylords: Every trip has amazing moments that don’t quite make the final cut. What didn’t make the cut this time that you think about with this adventure?
Rok: “Well, one of those moments is surely that big take I just mentioned, but others are more intimate and lasting. Things that happened hanging out next to the campfire after cameras were shut down are always the best, aren’t they? You can notice we did quite some damage to cans and bottles and can imagine there were many stories and jokes told, even some bets made.”
Image Courtesy: Alijaz Znidarsic & The Balkan River Defence
Flylords: How long was the float, and how long did it take?
Rok: “We floated for 3 full days and covered a mere 25 kilometers. We took it easy, as we all think that sometimes less is more, especially in this rushed way of living that is somehow creeping in even in our part of the otherwise slow-paced world.”
Image Courtesy: Alijaz Znidarsic & The Balkan River Defence
Flylords: When the crew camped, we noticed that they were camping on farmland. Is there an understanding between land owners and users of the river, or are there designated areas where you can camp?
Rok: “We camped on a wet meadow on a river island, which gets its grass cut once or twice a year, depending on the conditions. The farmer can only reach the island by driving his tractor over the river channel when the water levels are super low, so this limits his interventions and, in a way, makes this half farmland, half wilderness.
Image Courtesy: Alijaz Znidarsic & The Balkan River Defence
The private property thing is not as evident and harshly used in Slovenia as it is in America, for instance, and many things can be simply solved if you kindly ask the owner/farmer for permission. Also, there is a law that states that the banks of the river up to the high water line are public. So, in combination with both facts, you can find a place to set up a small camp in almost every given situation. But no matter where, when, or how you decide to set your camp, the main thing should always keep in mind is you are only visiting there. It’s always good to practice to pack out what you pack in.”
Extras:
Flylords: In the film, the crew goes into a local market to buy a local wine. What type of wine was it, and do the vineyards in the area affect the river at all?
Rok: “The special type of wine this wine region is famous for is called Cviček. It is a light red wine, which is, next to Tuscany’s Chianti wine, the only other known wine composed of red and white sorts of grapes. This combination makes it special alone, but when you add in the taste and ease of drinking it, it becomes evident why there are so many vineyards there. It has a low alcohol percentage, which makes it a traditional energy drink of sorts for those working in the vineyards and farm fields. The impact these vineyards have on the river is that there is usually a fisherman or two enjoying this beverage while fishing. The locals in this part of Slovenia don’t buy wine at the shop like we did. They all have their own small and traditional family vineyards, so the impact on the river environmentally is almost nothing.”
Image Courtesy: Alijaz Znidarsic & The Balkan River Defence
Flylords: Two years ago you targeted Huchen, last year you chased marble trout, this year was a multi-species slam, what is next for the Balkan River Defence team?
Rok: “In terms of river conservation, we will keep on doing our best to keep big dam projects back. One of them, called HPP Mokrice, is proposed to be built on the Sava River just downstream of the mouth of the Krka. It would create a huge reservoir that would also flood the last kilometer of the Krka, and what is worse, the downstream laying dam would cut the main migratory route for most of the Krka fish species. The Sava River, from the confluence with the Krka, is free-flowing for more than 700 kilometers, all the way to where it meets the Danube in the Serbian capital city of Belgrade. This makes this stretch of the river, together with Krka, one of the longest remaining open fish corridors in Europe.
Image Courtesy: Alijaz Znidarsic & The Balkan River Defence
Despite all those facts and the fact that both Sava and Krka are protected by the European Union, it is unfortunately not enough to keep the aggressive Green Deal agenda at bay. The push to build dams has never been stronger, as it is backed by big investments, subsidiaries, and changes in river conservation laws. This will destroy all remaining free-flowing rivers and river stretches of Europe. But to end it on a positive note, we came up with some really fun ideas for the next film around the campfire that may or may not involve us on a saltwater trip!”
If you’re interested in fishing with Rok and exploring Slovenia, check him out HERE.
Don’t forget to buy your Fly Fishing Film Tour Tickets HERE! And make sure to check out our other Behind the Lens articles below!
