Fly anglers are overloaded with gear choices—rods, reels, boots, waders, lines, packs, bags, boxes, vests, apparel and more. It seems harder and harder to know what's worth coveting and what's worth ignoring. Gear reviews are a great way to explore in-depth what might be right for you, but not every piece of gear is suited to a full-length review and, even if it were, there's simply too much of it to get to. With that in mind, we periodically showcase what's working for us right now, to hopefully offer more helpful feedback on gear that's worth a second look.

Prior to Snowmaggedon here in the South, the drive into town had turned into an obstacle course. I’d jerk the steering wheel this way or that to avoid some hapless, already flattened critter, or a live one doing its level best to avoid that grisly fate. Roadkill typically peaks at this time of year as warming temperatures tempt hibernating and semi-hibernating animals out of their dens and puts them on the move for various reasons. What I’ve noticed on the road more than anything else are dead skunks, and dead skunks don’t lie. Dead skunks are the modern and tragic harbingers of spring.