As we’ve noted many times when breaking the news about a new fly rod series from the venerated Montrose, CO-based rodmaker, Scott fly rods tend to hang around. That is, the team at Scott tends to bring new rods to market when they’ve built something that they think markedly outperforms what it’s replacing or offers something entirely new, rather than just adhering to a marketing lifecycle calendar. The beloved Radian held onto a spot in Scott’s lineup for the better part of a decade.

It was just one of those “fishy” places, where two stunning backcountry Alaskan rivers come together and form a river with a much more famous reputation. The two smaller rivers, each running out of fairly substantial lakes higher in the drainage, are largely unknown (at least by their names on the map). Where their currents collide and the “big” river starts is this mishmash of foam and detritus and erratic whirlpools.