Articles

Unicorns of midnight

At nearly 300 miles from the ocean, catching an Upper Delaware River striper requires more than just the right fly

by Stephen Sautner - Friday, Sep 12th, 2025

Photo: Jim Leedom.

Besides the hundred or so tires pried from the bottom of the Upper Delaware during last month’s annual “Get Trashed” river clean-up, something else emerged from the depths that day: reports of stripers – lots of them, and big ones, too. Guides in driftboats, tires piled four-deep in their bows, saw them holding in deeper pools, readily visible in the midday sun. So did volunteers in kayaks lugging garbage bags filled with plastic bottles, mismatched flip-flops, and other river jetsam.

Review: Moonlit Lunar S2 fiberglass fly rod

Should glass aficionados be looking at Moonlit's latest offering?

by Chris Hunt - Wednesday, Sep 10th, 2025

Photo: Chris Hunt.

The fly-fishing industry is a conglomerate of niches. To its admirable credit, it works hard to satisfy the desires of its customers. From the saltwater double-haulers and their broom-handle-stiff, double-digit graph-o-licious rocket launchers to the creek-freakers who crawl through the brush and parkour their way up mountain streams, 0-weight rods in hand, those who fish have their passions, and they want fly rods to match their favorite set of circumstances.

Has one of the world's best brown trout fisheries been hiding in plain sight?

On Iceland’s Blanda, Atlantic salmon have been running cover for a world-class trout fishery

by Chad Shmukler - Tuesday, Sep 9th, 2025

Photo: Earl Harper.

“World-class” is one of those monikers that gets thrown around in the fly fishing world, much like the terms “epic,” “legendary,” and the profanely ubiquitous “trophy.” Those charged with marketing angling destinations are an unimaginitive bunch and even for those that are somewhat literarily inclined, there are only so many ways to say “big fish and lots of them.” In truth, there are few destinations that are genuinely unique amongst their counterparts on the globe. There is no shortage of good fisheries and even plenty of great ones. But world-class?

St. Croix's new Legend Elite fly rods hit shop shelves

Park Falls delivers a reborn Legend Elite series to fly shops and anglers

by Hatch Magazine - Wednesday, Sep 3rd, 2025

Photo: St. Croix.

St. Croix made a big splash a few years ago when it announced it would once again return focus to the world of fly fishing. Countless anglers, for which the vaunted St. Croix Imperial was their first “real” fly rod and who had long viewed the brand as a hallmark mark of American-made quality, perked up with wide-eyed anticipation. The vaunted, Wisconsin-based rodmaker has been relatively busy since, releasing its award-winning EVOS series of fly rods and its lineup of dry fly specialist TECHNICA rods. St.

The only dam in the world without even an alleged purpose

Conservationists have waged a 57-year battle to free “the sweetest water-lane in the world” by tearing down an unnecessary dam. Their efforts have seemed hopeless—until now.

by Ted Williams - Tuesday, Sep 2nd, 2025

The Rodman Dam blocks the migration of numerous species, from American eels to endangered shortnose sturgeon, and also prevents manatees from reaching important winter habitat (photo: Florida Defenders of the Environment).

Rodman Dam on the Ocklawaha River is the only dam in the nation without even an alleged purpose. It is a 57-year-old vestigial appendage of what would have been America’s greatest boondoggle.