Another year is in the books, our thirteenth. As has become the custom, each year we look back at which Hatch Magazine stories captivated readers the most. In a typical year, the most read stories are a healthy mix of gear-focused coverage, tips and HOWTO pieces, conservation journalism, and plain old fly fishing stories. This past year was no exception with reader favorites ranging from talk of fly rods, fly lines, and tippet to drought, fish hatcheries, and river etiquette.

There may be few other fly fishing disciplines as physically demanding as the one practiced by Spey anglers who pursue fish returning to freshwater with a season’s worth of ocean-spiced strength and vigor. In an arena that requires long days spent wading, long casts, the patience to put in the hours and the ability to react on a moment’s notice, the two-handed angler is both artist and athlete.