Articles

3 reasons you should be using loop knots

by Colin K. Breck - Tuesday, Dec 24th, 2013

Making loop knots part of your rigging method can result in more fish landing here.

Loop knots have an integral place in the way most experienced anglers rig their flies. Despite common misconception, there are a great many loop knots that are exceedingly simple to tie. Sure, there are loop knots that are cumbersome or even difficult to tie, but some of the best loop knots are easy to learn and to tie streamside. But the main reason that most experienced anglers readily use loop knots is that, in a great many scenarios, loop knots provide significant advantages over knots that are fixed to the fly's hook eye.

Following are a few reasons why, if you're not already regularly using loop knots in your fishing, you should be. Even beginner anglers will likely be familiar with the most common of these reasons, but the others may be new information even to some of you who've been at it for a while.

Orvis Sells Off Recently Acquired Ross Reels, Acquired by Owner of Abel Reels

by Colin K. Breck - Monday, Dec 23rd, 2013

Ross Reels Logo

Mayfly Group LLC, owner of Abel Reels, has acquired the Ross Reels brand from Orvis. It was only in June of this year that Orvis acquired Ross as part of its purchase of the Scientific Anglers brand of fly lines.

To address expected speculation regarding why Orvis would look to sell off a brand it had just acquired six months ago, a press release by the Mayfly Group noted that Orvis had "developed a clear growth strategy for its Scientific Anglers brand, while concurrently struggling to integrate the Ross Reels brand into its own reel business." The sentiment was echoed by Orvis' Jim LePage, who said that "It became clear that Ross [was] not a strong fit for Orvis’ long term strategy."

Mayfly Group intends to continue to operate the Ross brand, taking advantage of the expertise of Abel engineers to update and further develop its product lineup. President of Mayfly, David Dragoo noted that “[the] Mayfly Group is honored to be associated with Ross Reels, an iconic fly fishing brand. We hope to expand upon the creativity and quality of the brand developed by founder Ross Hauck more than 40 years ago.” According to the company, the Ross brand will also re-introduce former popular models into its lineup.

Sage METHOD Fly Rods Receive Numerous Accolades

by Ben Kryzinski - Monday, Dec 23rd, 2013

Sage METHOD Series of Fly Rods

Sage's METHOD fly rod series, which this year replaced its ultra-fast TCX rod series in the Sage lineup, has received some significant recognition as of late. The METHOD has generally received by fast-action rod fans as a welcome evolution from the TCX, offering all of the speed and power of its predecessor, but with a great deal more feel and accuracy. And it seems many are in agreement.

The METHOD was recently chosen as Best Saltwater fly rod by Fly Fisherman Magazine and took home top awards in the upcoming winter issue of Fly Fusion Magazine. Fly Fusion's editors noted, "A ton of heart goes into each and every issue of Fly Fusion Magazine, however, the upcoming winter issue goes above and beyond traditional effort. Within it is our most comprehensive rod review to date. Jeff Wagner, Fly Casting Field Editor for Fly Fusion and Board of Governor and Master Certified Fly Casting Instructor with the Federation of Fly Fishers headed up the massive effort which included a total of three experienced fly casters. With the cameras rolling over 7,000 casts were made and the data recorded. We are excited to announce that the Sage METHOD took home the top honors by winning in all of the following categories:5 wt Accuracy & Distance, 5 wt Distance, 8 wt Accuracy & Distance and 8 wt Distance."

Only 750 Greenback Cutthroat Trout Remain in the World

by Ben Kryzinski - Thursday, Dec 19th, 2013

The Greenback Cutthroat Trout.

Greenback cutthroat trout exist in only one body of water, a small stream known as Bear Creek, not far outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. In fact, the greenback cutthroat trout is one of the rarest trout in the world, with only 750 individual fish remaining. The survival of these rarest of trout is in severe jeopardy, and those that are striving to prevent the greenback's extinction are making a dire plea for help.

A new website, 1of750.com seeks to educate fishermen and other conservation-minded individuals alike about the history and current plight of the greenback. According to the website

Articulated Nymphs: Tying the 'Wiggle Tail' Pheasant Tail Nymph

by Aileen Lane - Monday, Dec 16th, 2013

There's a reason why articulated streamers are popular – they attract fish. Why not apply the same concept to nymphs? The articulated tail imitates movement of swimming nymphs which attracts the attention of trout. Articulated nymph patterns have been around for quite sometime. Dave Whitlock wrote about the articulated damselfly nymph in the book, “The Fly Tyers Almanac” back in 1975. He found that this pattern presented a life-like action that entices fish to strike.

There are several different ways to attach the tail to the body. Since the hook bend is on the front, I felt a 15 pound mono attaching both parts would suffice. Another option would be to place the hook in the back instead of the front. If this was the case, I would use heavy wire connecting the two and securing with some glue.

Pheasant Tail nymphs should be in every fisher's fly box. They imitate a variety of nymphs and can be tied with or without a bead head. Change the color of the pheasant tail and dubbing as you like. Instead of dubbing, you can also use peacock herl.