Home Blog Page 17

Bahamian Fly Fishers Call For Increased Legislation To Protect Industry

By
Spencer Durrant
-
Bonefish caught and released on the fly. Abaco Island, Bahamas

On the heels of some guides pushing for a ban on do-it-yourself bonefishing in the Bahamas, the country’s fly fishing trade association is calling for increased legislation to further protect the industry and cement it as a key part of Bahamian economics moving forward.

Prescott Smith, president of the Bahamas Fly Fishing Industry Association (BFFIA) gave a lengthy interview to Natario McKenzie with Eyewitness News, detailing the issues he sees as most pressing for the guide industry in the Bahamas.

Smith’s main concern and push right now is focused on how much economic revenue the Bahamas are missing out on due to weak laws and holes in regulations that currently govern fly fishing throughout the country. Smith estimates the fly fishing industry in the Bahamas could add four to five billion per year, without stressing the resource.

Formal Guide Recognition

Smith started the process of organizing fly fishing in the Bahamas by pushing for legislation that recognized and legitimized the career of guiding. That ultimately came to fruition in 2017 with the passage of the Flats Fishing Act, according to McKenzie, which stipulated that if you wanted to guide in the Bahamas, you had to be a Bahamian citizen.

That legislation also introduced angler licenses, protecting bonefish, tarpon, snook, permit, and cobia from commercial harvest and sale, and carved out room for traditional cultural uses of the same flats anglers prowl for fishing.

Owning Resources

The Flats Fishing Act faced tremendous pushback and has seen numerous attempts to repeal it throughout the years. BFFIA has spent more time defending that initial legislation, rather than strengthening it, Smith says, which has ultimately put the country in the situation it faces now: a fight over owning the resources.

“The issue is not just about the fish,” Smith told McKenzie. “It’s about resources and who controls the resources.”

Specifically, Smith wants to see bans on foreign operators who run illegal businesses catering to fly fishing on the flats. Smith says foreign yachts will pull onto flats, with flats boats in tow, and a handful of foreign guides who will essentially run a floating fishing lodge. That’s illegal as it stands, Smith says, but it’s not enforced.

If the country fails to act to strengthen the laws and enforce current regulations, Smith warns that “there’ll be very little left of the Bahamas for Bahamian ownership.”

 

Angler Story of the Week: Redfish Fighting Over Shrimp

By
Tripp Nazziola
-
Screenshot

A Note from Jerry Soupal (@capt.soup):

“One of my main goals for 2026 is to create better content that helps grow both my page and my client base. This morning was all about that—set aside entirely to watch and record fish. And they didn’t disappoint. Every spot I stopped at was alive: big schools, small schools, singles, and pairs—all putting on those classic redfish displays we love here in NEFL.”

Angler Story of the Week from Jerry, be sure to check out his instagram HERE as well as @historiccoastoutfitters!

The Drift: Fly Fishing Isn’t Elitist

Flylords Gear of the Year Awards

The Drift: Fly Fishing Isn’t Elitist

By
Spencer Durrant
-
The Orvis Mirage LT is a great reel for trout setups. Photo: Alex Stulce

I live in extremely rural Wyoming, well off the beaten path of its famous trout fishing near Yellowstone or the North Platte. Around here, most folks farm, ranch, or work in extraction industries to pay the bills. It’s the sort of place where people are, almost as a rule, cash-poor and land-rich. The few high-dollar houses that exist out here are tucked away enough that you often forget them.

As a fly fishing writer, when folks ask what I do for a living, I often hear some version of, “Oh, that’s the fancy fishing. I never could afford that,” as a reply. When fly fishing is such a draw to expensive areas like Jackson, Bozeman, and Missoula, I can’t blame people for feeling that way. But it’s always bothered me that fly fishing still retains a lot of its elitist reputation.

Some of that is warranted. Enough anglers are taught in books, videos, and at fly fishing shows that there’s only one right way to cast a fly rod, or that Euro nymphing isn’t really fly fishing, or that if you fish with barbed hooks, you might as well just bash every trout you catch over the head.

A lot of what’s taught, especially with catch-and-release and conservation, does have a stuffy feel to it, like only people with a 401(k) and a decent debt-to-income ratio can worry about whether the right strain of cutthroat trout is swimming in the tributaries to Yellowstone Lake. I’d argue that stuffy feel is more a result of bad teaching than it is anything about fly fishing inherently being elitist.

Yes, we know catch-and-release is a great tool. We know that barbless hooks are better for both trout and anglers. And we know there’s value in restoring native species to the landscape. But how that’s communicated matters just as much as what we’re saying.

As an example, think back to the last time you saw an eager new fly angler post a picture of their first big trout online. They probably were squeezing the fish, maybe had a finger in its gills, or the fish was covered in dirt, grass, and rocks.

Do I cringe when I see those pictures? Less now than I used to, but I still do. I don’t like seeing fish not cared for, especially if they’re not destined for the frying pan.

But it’s one trout. Unless it was the single egg-laying female for an entire three-mile stretch of creek, it’s going to have an extremely small impact on the fishery. Shoot, in some rivers, removing trout is the best way to increase the average fish size.

Do the new anglers need to be educated about proper catch-and-release tactics? Absolutely. But is calling them out—publicly shaming them after they accomplished something they’re proud of—really the right way to go about it?

On the flip side of that, I do see plenty of posts from conventional anglers who insist that barbed treble hooks don’t cause damage to fish, or that trout aren’t “delicate flowers.” They push back on fly anglers who want barbless, single-hook regulations because, in their eyes, we’re telling them their favorite way to fish isn’t worthwhile.

Conventional anglers would do well to put down the pitchforks and listen to what we have to say, but only if we fly anglers are willing to communicate it in a way that doesn’t sound like we’re a politician trying to curry votes after spending all year in D.C.

Fly anglers would do well to realize that there’s a level of simplicity and peace in sitting in a lawn chair with a bait rod out in the water, doing a whole lot of nothing. As a former worm-dunker who spent dozens of Saturdays doing just that, I sometimes miss how easy and simple fishing was. I enjoy fly fishing more, but I still remember and cherish the value of those long hours spent staring at my line, waiting for a fish to eat that glob of Powerbait.

At the end of the day, any kind of fishing is a way for us to interact with the natural world, to get away from reality for a bit, and to have fun. Last I checked, you don’t have to be some wealthy cattle baron to enjoy a day out on the water.

It’s high time we remember that, and do our best to ditch the elitist attitudes still clinging to the sport.

How to Tie: CDC Jig Head Nymph

By
Greg Stohrer
-

In this week’s “How to Tie” feature, Davie McPhail ties jig style nymph that every angler should carry a variety of in their fly box, the CDC Jig Head Nymph.

Learn How to Tie This Fly:

Difficulty: Easy

If there were a desert island scenario in fly tying where I could only bring five materials, CDC would be on that list every time. Few materials create as buggy a profile and come in at relatively low cost as CDC. Flies that incorporate this material will catch trout anywhere in the world and give you confidence on any adventure. This CDC Jig Head Nymph is a perfect base pattern for you to add variations and tweak to imitate natural and unnatural bugs, and should be in your fly box year-round.

I’m confident that tyers of any experience level will be able to master this pattern in no time. Creating this fly involves simple fundamental skills that make it perfect to practice on, especially if you are just beginning your journey in tying. Adding your own special flare to match the hatch in your water or adding a new color dubbing that caught your eye are two easy variations to start with. Bring the CDC Jig Head Nymph wherever and whenever, with your added touch or not, and watch the productivity unfold.

This pattern is versatile and can be fished in any rig or style. During the winter, you can dead drift it under an indicator or in a tight line rig, and it could even be swung behind a streamer like the Woolly Bugger. In the warmer months, you will find productivity by using this as a dropper under a larger dry fly. There isn’t a season that the CDC Jig Head Nymph won’t be your friend on the water, and this cold weather will give you ample time to stock up.

Ingredients:

Now you know how to tie a CDC Jig Head Nymph!

Video courtesy of Davie McPhail.

Kirk’s Kitchen: Grilled Fish on the Halfshell

By
Kirk Marks
-

There’s something satisfying about simplicity—a dish that doesn’t need to be overly complex for the ingredients to shine. Grilled fish on the halfshell is exactly that. Simple, unpretentious, and reliable, it’s a technique that lets the fish do the talking. For the uninitiated, “on the halfshell” simply means the skin stays on the fillet (scales and all). It’s a small detail, but one that makes a world of difference on the grill. The skin acts as a natural barrier, locking in moisture, and when it’s time to eat, the fillet lifts cleanly away with a fork.

This method works with just about any scaled fish filleted down the centerline—redfish, snapper, striped bass, you name it. I do recommend using fresh fish, or fish that’s been frozen for only a couple of weeks, for the best results. Today, I’m working with northern snakehead—a fish that’s become increasingly common in my home waters. Its firm, mild-flavored, white flesh makes it a versatile, grill-friendly canvas. If you’re working with something else, no worries—plenty of species are prime candidates for grilling on the halfshell. It’s a straightforward method that delivers great results with minimal fuss.

mud flat, drone shot, sight fishing, snakehead

Grilled Fish on the Half-Shell Recipe 

Serves: 4
 Suggested species: redfish, striped bass, snakehead, larger snapper, larger sea bass, larger smallmouth bass, etc.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs large fish fillet(s), skin & scales on (1 large fillet or 2 medium fillets; avoid small pieces as they may dry out)
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp high-temp cooking oil (avocado, vegetable, or peanut)
  • ½ stick (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into thin slices
  • 2 lemons: 1 thinly sliced, 1 cut into wedges
  • Fresh parsley, finely chopped, for garnish
  • Dry rub (see below)

*You can substitute lime for lemon and cilantro for parsley for a bright, southwest flair.

Dry Rub (mix together):

  • 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp celery seed
  • 1 Tbsp paprika
fly fishing, snakehead, sight fishing, fly fishing
I look forward to sight-fishing northern snakehead with friends on the flats, and the meals that follow, every spring.

Method:

  1. 1–3 hours before grilling: Pat the fillet(s) dry with paper towels. Place skin-side down on a rack set over a tray. Evenly sprinkle the kosher salt and brown sugar over the flesh side only. Refrigerate uncovered for 1–3 hours.
  2. Remove the fillet(s) from the fridge 20–30 minutes before grilling to temper slightly. Preheat the grill to 400–425°F.
  3. Drizzle the cooking oil evenly over the flesh. Rub or brush as needed to coat. Sprinkle the dry rub evenly across the top, then add a few lemon slices. Depending on the size of your fillet(s), you may not need the full amount of dry rub—use what you need and store the rest in an airtight container for later. The mix is versatile and works well in plenty of other dishes.
  4. Place the fillet(s) skin-side down on the grill over direct heat. Close the grill lid. Use the 8–10 minutes per inch rule as a baseline: for a typical 1 inch fillet expect about 8–10 minutes total; thicker fillets may take anywhere from 10–20 minutes. Check doneness by watching the fish turn opaque and testing how it flakes with a fork.
  5. About 5 minutes before the expected finish, scatter the slices of butter across the flesh. The butter will melt and baste the meat.
  6. When the fillet flakes easily and the interior is opaque, remove from the grill. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with parsley. Use a fork to lift the meat off the skin (it should separate easily—if it doesn’t, it needs a bit more time). Serve with lemon wedges.

Until next time, enjoy—and good luck out there!

Article by Flylords Food Editor Kirk Marks, an angler, photographer, and culinary aficionado based in Kent Island, Maryland. Give him a follow at @kirkymarks. 

grilled fish, salad, dinner, snakehead
Grilled snakehead on the halfshell served alongside a simple beet & arugula salad.

Yeti Cast Iron: Is a $250 Skillet Worth It?

Kirk’s Kitchen: Psari Plaki (Greek Snakehead)

Last Chance to Support Captains For Clean Water and Win a Custom Hell’s Bay Skiff!

By
Will Poston
-

There are two days left to pick up one, or five, or more, raffle tickets to Captains for Clean Water’s WORLD’S FINEST SKIFF GIVEAWAY. The custom Hell’s Bay Skiff raffle has come to be one of CFCW’s marquee events to support the organization’s commendable efforts to restore the Everglades and ensure clean waterways for south Florida.

The 2025 Skiff Raffle includes a fully loaded Hell’s Bay Professional with a Mercury 60hp racing motor, Simrad electronics package, a full quiver of Orvis fly rods and reels, gear from Yeti, Costa Sunglasses, Turtlebox speakers, Marshwear, and many more awesome brands.

“Conservation is at the heart of everything we do. Hell’s Bay Boatworks has committed from day one to fight alongside Captains For Clean Water in the pursuit of the restoration of the Everglades,” said Chris and Wendi Peterson of Hell’s Bay. By donating the Professional as this year’s raffle skiff, we are investing in the protection of Florida’s waters now and for future generations.”

You won’t want to miss this opportunity to have a chance at a one-of-a-kind skiff–all the while supporting one of the most dedicated conservation organizations in the fishing community.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Orvis Company (@orvis)

Longtime supporter of CFCW, Simon Perkins of Orvis had this to say, “For 30 years, Orvis has been committed to restoring Florida’s Everglades. We are proud to partner with Captains For Clean Water, who are on the front lines of restoration efforts. Working together to engage our communities and industry, what was long thought impossible is now within sight—finishing the largest ecosystem-restoration project in the world and sending clean water south.”

Best of luck to all who enter this year’s World’s Finest Skiff Raffle, but take comfort in knowing you are supporting a truly fantastic organization that is on the front lines of ensuring clean water for one of the fishiest regions in the country.

Continue

How to Tie: Probasco Poacher

By
Luke Probasco
-

“Just swung one up on the Probasco Poacher!”

Any text from Mitch Baker, Swing the Fly’s Publications Editor, breaks through the monotony of another work-from-home day. Afternoons are particularly brutal when you know salmon are pushing through runs just minutes from your desk. At least there’s vicarious satisfaction in Mitch’s constant reports from the water.

Last winter, running characteristically late for a day of stealheading, I left Mitch waiting in my office while I scrambled for gear. “Check out what’s on the vise,” I called over my shoulder, hoping to buy a few more minutes.

I’d been consumed with tube flies that season, having largely abandoned traditional hooks for salmon and steelhead work. When Mitch lifted my adaptation of Marty Sherman’s Suskwa Poacher, I abandoned my waders mid-pull to share its origin story.

When I was done waxing poetic about my latest creation, Mitch said, “Yeah, you should totally call this the Probasco Poacher”. The name stuck immediately.

Sherman’s Suskwa Poacher had captivated me for seasons. Mark Shamburg, the respected Olympic Peninsula guide, first pointed me toward the pattern, and I began noticing it in fly bins throughout the Pacific Northwest. While various tying tutorials exist online, my version departs from tradition in meaningful ways.

The Probasco Poacher transforms Sherman’s original into a tube fly, substituting contemporary materials for classic components. A Pro Sportfisher Ultra Sonic Disc head replaces wound chenille, French Flatbraid eliminates the need for epoxied tinsel, and the imitation jungle cock eyes add that essential flash point. 

 

What Makes This My Confidence Pattern

After years of pursuing steelhead, most anglers develop their core arsenal – patterns that transcend conditions and consistently produce. While the quest for the perfect steelhead fly never ends, certain ties earn permanent residence in your box through proven performance, irresistible action, or the endorsement of trusted fishing partners.

The Probasco Poacher has achieved that status in my selection. Its blend of black, purple, and blue, punctuated by strategic flash and capped with that distinctive pink Ultra Sonic Disc head, embodies everything I believe appeals to salmon and steelhead. This color combination succeeds because it remains visible across varying conditions – whether the river runs chocolate or gin-clear, whether you’re fishing first light or last.

In salmon and steelhead fishing, confidence matters as much as technique. Standing waist-deep in December currents, casting into what often feels like empty water, faith in your fly selection becomes psychological armor. The Probasco Poacher has earned that trust through consistent performance – and in steelhead fishing, that’s the highest praise any pattern can receive.

Materials

Head: 
  • Fluorescent Pink Pro Sportfisher Ultra Sonic Disc, Large
Collar: 
  • Kingfisher Blue Silver Pheasant
Body: 
  • Pro Sportfisher Jungle Cock
  • Purple marabou
  • Hareline Flat Diamond Braid – Bright Blue
  • Black Estaz
  • Black intruder prop
Flash:
  • Smolt blue Krystal Flash
  • Electric blue Flashabou
  • Copper Flashabou

 

Step-by-Step:

Step 1:

Tie in 2-3 wraps of black Estaz. This will help support the intruder prop. Then tie in the intruder prop and wrap the feather.

Step 2:

Tie in the copper and electric blue Flashabou. There should be two strands on each side, and they should be the length of the intruder prop.

Step 3:

Wrap the tube with about an inch of bright blue Hareline Diamond Braid. 

Step 4:

Add two more wraps of the black Estaz to help prop up the rest of the materials.

Step 5: 

Next, add another intruder prop feather, followed by two to three wraps of purple marabou.

Step 6:

To bring some more flash to the fly, add two strands of smolt blue Krystal Flash to each side of the fly. The flash should reach the end of the intruder prop.

Step 7:

Add three wraps of Kingfisher blue silver pheasant.

Step 8:

Next, tie in a small Pro Sportfisher Jungle Cock “feather” on each side of the fly and whip finish. 

Sept 9:

Finally, finish off the fly with a pink Pro Sportfisher Ultra Sonic Disc

The Drift: Fishing Too Fast

By
Spencer Durrant
-
A freestone river brown trout caught in Pennsylvania.

I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions, because I feel like I shouldn’t need to wait until the new year to make changes or set goals. Over the past month, though, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on how fishing went in 2025, and I’ve come to one conclusion: I fish way too fast.

I’ve always been impatient, which is why fly fishing in rivers suits me so well. When one hole is too frustrating, or a particular fish refuses my flies constantly, I can just move on and find something else. That’s probably why I love floating rivers so much. Constantly being on the move, casting to new water, ensuring that each drift is great because you only have a few chances at each run—it’s fun and engaging.

That attitude has permeated my walk-and-wade fishing too much, though, and to my detriment. Here’s an example: a few weeks ago, on a tailwater that’s known for large trout, I was working the back end of a run where I’ve hooked and landed multiple 22-inch rainbow trout.

I fished the run hard, focusing on a drift where my flies tumbled off a slight shelf and into the slower water close to the far bank. I hung up on the bottom every few casts, so I knew I was deep enough. My rig of an egg and midge emerger felt perfect for a late December day.

I spent maybe 10 or 15 minutes working that run, and ended with nothing to show for it. I decided to walk back to shore to thaw out my feet and switch flies, and my buddy moved in to fish while I decided my next plan of attack.

On his second drift through the run, he hooked and landed a nice brown trout. Not to be outdone, I quickly finished rigging, claimed back my spot, and started drifting my flies again. My buddy moved upstream, where he caught another brown about five minutes later.

I finally landed a 10-inch whitefish that ate my zebra midge on a small swing, but I didn’t stick a trout the rest of the day. My buddy had caught both his fish in water I’d already covered, with a rig almost exactly like mine. The difference?

He was letting his flies drift downstream and swing just a bit before making his next cast. Or, in other words, he was fishing the entire drift effectively. I got so caught up in my next cast, in placing my flies just so on the seam, that I skipped part of the drift entirely.

It’s not surprising to anyone who knows me that I’m not the most patient angler, but it’s frustrating because I didn’t used to be this way. I used to have more energy to work the water, and took it personally when fish didn’t cooperate. Now, I’m not sure what’s changed, but I know for 2026, I better slow down and fish hard.

Otherwise, I’ll end up watching my buddies catch all the fish—again.

New Bill Could Improve Fishing Access Across Country

By
Spencer Durrant
-
Canyon views on the upper reaches of the Green River.

The U.S. Senate passed a bill just before Christmas that, while intended for the duck hunting community, could have a positive impact on anglers across the country, as well. The Modernizing Access to Our Public Waters Act, or MAPWaters Act, will require federal agencies to digitize and publish water and fishing access points, along with recreational use information, for every waterbody that’s either managed outright, or partially managed, by federal agencies, according to Split Reed.

In theory, this should add clarity to access points and recreational regulations for areas that don’t have that information already clearly spelled out. In some cases, access sites via federally managed land connect to angling and conservation easements managed by state agencies, and that information isn’t always easily available. Digitizing that information and publishing it online should, in theory, make it crystal-clear where anglers are allowed to fish and access different bodies of water.

The bill was sponsored by John Barrasso of Wyoming, and Angus King of Maine, in the Senate. It found bipartisan support in the House, and President Donald Trump is expected to quickly sign it into law, per Split Reed.

“For hunters, anglers, and paddlers, knowing where to legally and responsibly access our waterways is essential,” said Laura Orvidas, onX CEO. “By digitizing complex water access information, this legislation provides the outdoor community with the critical data they need to access, explore, and protect our public waters. We’re proud to support this effort to make water access more transparent and available—both now and for future generations.”

Reel of the Week: Tying the Abominable Snowman Fly

By
Tripp Nazziola
-

A Note from Boyd (@flyfishingstudios):

“The Abominable Snow Monster Bumble may be a creature of winter legend, but when you spin it from deer hair, it comes alive in your hands — wild, unruly, and powerful. Every wrap of thread tames the chaos just enough to turn myth into a deer hair fly. I truly enjoyed bringing this Christmas classic to life at the vise.”

Reel of the Week from Boyd, check his Instagram HERE!

Best Saltwater Fly Rods of 2025

Fly Fishing Streamers: Everything You Need to Know

1...161718...450Page 17 of 450