Picture of the Day: Rainbow Under the Bridge


Being surprised by a giant fish where you didn’t expect one is always a blast.
Photo by Joe Phillips

I was fishing a local river with my friend Joe, trying to catch big fall brown trout on streamers and nymphs. The river in question (which shall remain nameless) definitely holds some beasties in the 25-inch range, but we mostly catch browns in the 16- to 20-inch class, which is. . .

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Classic Story: The True Value of a Fly Rod

Written by: Colin S. Shaffer


Colin says that this photo captures the essence of his father, when he is untangling my line
as a young Colin stares into the camera. You can clearly make out the Orvis rod, too.
Photo courtesy Colin Shaffer

Editor’s Note: Orvis head of Rod & Tackle Steve Hemkens was in the Orvis rod shop recently, and rod-repair supervisor Jim West happened to show Steve the. . .

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Bristol Bay Fly Fishing and Guide Academy: The Future of Fly Fishing


Youth learn what it takes to become guides
Photo by Bristol Bay Fly Fishing and Guide Academy

By Jon Bash

The future of some of Alaska’s best salmon and trout waters is in great hands. The Bristol Bay Fly Fishing and Guide Academy has taken its annual youth program to the Kulik Lodge in the Katmai National Park. Becoming a fly fishing guide involves more than just fishing; students learn skills from fly tying to cooking shore lunches for clients….

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Classic Fish Story: Wyoming is for (Cutthroat) Lovers

Written by: Mike Dawkins, WorldCast Anglers


The Cutt Slam program combines education and challenge of catching Wyoming’s four sub-species of trout.
Banner via cuttslam.com

I, probably like many anglers, have had a love and hate relationship with cutthroat trout. When I first moved to the Jackson Hole area in January of 2005, I could not satisfy my angling. . .

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Photos: Beginner’s Luck on Oregon Steelhead


Is this Heaven?!
Photo by Stuart Pollock

We were recently contacted by Stuart Pollock with these gorgeous photos, and a story to lift your spirits:

To sound like a broken record, winter steelhead fishing is tough.

What is even more difficult is selling winter Oregon chrome to a true Montana trout enthusiast….

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Photo of the Day: Girl’s Got Game


Merrill Tode and her Dad, Keith, proudly display her first trout.
Photo by Keith Tode

At an age when most little girls are obsessing about Disney princesses, Merrill Tode, age 8, is more interested in fly fishing. Her fascination began when she was around two or . . .

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Photos and Report: Casting for Shad in the Nation’s Capital


Hickory shad put up a great fight against a 5-weight fly rod.
All photos by Rob Snowhite

The 2014 shad run got off to a late start due to a cold winter with continuous cold runoff. It snowed here in the middle of April! Once the water at the fall line of the river reached the upper 50 degrees the shad, river. . .

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Photos of the Day: Bonus-Day Tarpon in Belize

Written by: Dan Davala, Orvis Arlington


Just when he thought he’d failed in his quest for a tarpon, a stroke of good fortune came Jim Lampros’s way.
Photo by Dan Davala

Last week, my good friend Jim Lampros (Fishing Manager at Orvis Cleveland) and I had the opportunity to escape the present Ice Age we’re in and fly south to El Pescador in Belize. We decided to spend the majority of our time hunting tarpon, which are. . .

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Photo of the Day: Monster Hawaiian Bonefish

Written by: Michael Divita, Deep Canyon Outfitters


You’d think two decades as a guide would make you immune to this kind of excitement,
but a big bonefish will do this to even a hardened veteran.
Photo courtesy Michael Divita

People pray for a number of different reasons: for sick people to get better, for safe travels to far away places, for a lottery ticket to be the Big Winner. Before our boat left the Kaunakakai Harbor on. . .

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