Tying Tip: Rainbow Simi Seal Minnow
From beads and hooks to hackle and dubbing, many new materials have provided the inspiration to create new patterns that have proven effective on the water. Here is the recipe for one of my favourite new flies:
Rainbow Simi Seal Minnow
Hook: streamer hook 3x long, sizes 6 to 12. Lead over first third of hook shank
Head: rainbow brass or tungsten bead
Thread: black, olive or tan Uni-Thread 6/0
Body: dark shade Hareline Rainbow Dubbing
Tail: Claret Marabou with Krystal Flash, grey and blue
~ Jeremy Davies, Fly Tying Contributor, Fly Fusion
Casting Tip: Breaking Down the Roll Cast
The roll cast is an indispensable skill for any fly angler. It enhances your ability to cast in tight spaces, manage line effectively, and present your fly naturally to fish. As you transition from novice to intermediate, refining this technique will not only improve your casting but also elevate your overall fishing experience. Remember, every time you step onto the water, there’s an opportunity to grow as an angler. So, gear up, grab your rod, and head out to embrace the beauty while mastering the roll cast. Here’s some quick tips to mastering the roll cast.
Simms Launches Lightest, Most Packable Wader Ever
Bozeman, MT – May 16, 2025 — Simms Fishing Products, the leader in wader design and innovation, proudly announces the release of the all-new Flyweight Packable Wader — the lightest, most packable wader Simms has ever built. Developed over nearly a decade of design, prototyping, and on-the-water testing, this breakthrough product delivers on a singular vision: to create a technical wader that disappears in your pack but shows up when it matters most.
At just 2.45 lbs. (in standard size Medium), the Flyweight Packable Wader is engineered for mobility and minimalism without sacrificing the performance and durability anglers have come to expect from Simms. Originally created for backcountry anglers willing to hike further, travel lighter, and chase fish to the edge of the map, the wader’s versatility quickly expanded its reach. What began as a niche solution for remote pursuits has evolved into a go-anywhere, do-anything wader that thrives across seasons, fisheries, and travel scenarios.
Lefty Day
Lefty Day is an international celebration recognizing one of fly fishing’s most influential figures.. We’re excited to share the word that our friends at Fish Tales Fly Shop will be hosting this event on May 17. This day is special for Dave and Nancy as they remember back to the start of their guiding days and the impact Lefty had on them….
The Balm of Adventure | Allen Crater
It’s mid-July, hotter than hell, and the AC in the truck is out. My two sons and I are cruising a Montana highway with the windows down and the music up. Kyle came here in 2018 for college and Blake moved in with him at the start of summer. It’s been awfully quiet in the house without them and even more so since our German shorthair of nearly 14-years crossed the rainbow bridge last week.
Hazy heart
A heavy blueish-grey haze has hung over me for the last month, much like the valley we now travel through. Missing the boys. Knowing a small tin of ashes that used to be my faithful dog is waiting for me back home. Feeling my age and the eerie emptiness of a quiet house.
“Remember when time was cheap?” Gene Hill wrote. “The songs we sang about it told us that we had time on our hands, that time stood still, that tomorrow would be time enough. And now we find it was not.”
Grasshoppers and Gladwell | Derek Bird
I want to tell you about my favorite trout from this past summer, but I face a conundrum. I’m certain I remember the day in vivid detail, but more and more over the last few years psychologists and podcasters remind me that memories are unreliable. Are memories really unreliable? The most memorable podcast I’ve listened to on the unreliability of memory was a Malcom Gladwell podcast titled “Free Brian Williams”. And since then, I’ve had to tune out a number of experts discussing the unreliability of memories.
What should I do? Should I forge ahead with the retelling of my favorite fish memory from the summer or should I simply realize that my memories are similar to the meat versus filler ratio of a McDonald’s chicken nugget (45% percent meat, 55 percent “other ingredients” for the wondering mind). Did I even catch fish this past summer? I’m so confused. In spite of Gladwell, I’ll give it a try anyway.
The Birth of an Obsession | Dana Harrison
Identity crisis: What is this pattern supposed to be?
I don’t know if a fly can have an existential crisis, but if it could, it might begin with the question What am I supposed to be?
Product Highlight: G. Loomis IMX-PRO V2S
At G. Loomis, we build tools that enhance natural ability, boost effectiveness, and expand tactical opportunity. We do this for the dawn patrollers. The mid-day grinders. The last-light renegades. For those who make time on the water a top priority. Introducing IMX-PRO V2S, a continuation of our 40-year commitment to provide anglers with actions that put the bug where your brain wants it every time.
Rolled for pumped performance in salty environments, IMX-PRO V2S actions are tuned for utility in three specific areas: improved tracking in the wind, lifting generous lengths of line before a re-cast, and fish fighting control. G. Loomis engineers designed these versatile actions with gobs of power through the bottom half of the rod but, most uniquely, developed a slightly tighter tip to minimize tailing loops and improve tracking and line pick-up. A proprietary blend of technologies — Conduit Core and GL7 resin system — provides surplus strength and impact resistance without the extra weight, creating a blank that allows anglers to stay frosty when a “send” becomes a “bend.”
That said, don’t take it from us. Experience this diverse set of purpose-driven actions for yourself. Because, after all, actions speak louder than words. More on the new IMX-PRO V2S rods here.
Editor's Choice: Simms Flyweight Boots
I’ve got two primary goals when I fly fish. One is to catch fish, and the other is to catch fish in places where I’m all by myself. To achieve those goals, it’s not uncommon for me to hike long distances. When Fly Fusion HQ sent me the Simms Flyweight Boots to test out, it was kind of a “you had me at hello” type scenario. The quarter-top boots shed some noticeable weight with less material in the boot’s height, but also in construction. I tested boots in size-11 which weighed 51 ounces for the pair (which is just slightly over three pounds. The Flyweights were comfortable to hike in, and as a bonus I reduced the poundage of my checked baggage for my Rocky Mountain trip this past summer. With less material, I also found the boots to dry faster, which was also a bonus for traveling.
After wearing them over thirty days on the water thus far, here’s what I found appealing. The boots show no sign of abnormal deterioration. They’re dirty, but they’re not falling apart—no broken seams, no tattered material, no cuts, or gashes on the soles. The boots hold up, which is good because I plan to wear them beyond the testing period. With the type of fishing I did, throughout the summer and fall, I didn’t notice a trade-off. I didn’t miss the higher ancle support, and I didn’t miss the stiffness of a sturdier boot. On top of that, I’m impressed with Simms Vibram soles. On a grip scale, with studded felt being a ten and tennis sneakers being a one, I’d place Simms Vibram soles at a solid eight, which I think is quite good for a rubber sole boot. The industry has come a long way in the last few years. I waded confidently and completely upright and have the added peace of mind knowing I’m not spreading micro-organisms from stream to stream. ~ Derek Bird, Founding Editor
Editor’s Choice Holiday Gift Guide
Looking for the perfect gift for the fly fishing enthusiast in your life? Each year our Editorial Staff spends a season on the water with a plethora of new gear. Following are some of our top picks. Check back all this week for more top gear…then stop by your local fly shop to pick up the latest issue of Fly Fusion to read how all this gear performed after a summer of relentless testing!
Oh, the Places You’ll Go…Fly Fishing
Waiting to go fishing, on the other hand, requires an entirely different kind of patience, which admittedly I don’t possess. I realized this when my good friend Chris and I took off in a floatplane one stormy Friday, embarking on a summer weekend trip we’d been planning for months. The pilot wasn’t optimistic about reaching the destination, but he did everything he could to get us to the lake as scheduled by flying low through the valleys under the heavy cloud cover. He navigated us within about 15 minutes of our destination before we ran into a wall of impassible cloud. Shortly after the midair U-turn, the pilot came over the headsets and said, “Sorry guys. We can try again in the morning.”
All New App Live Today!
We are excited to announce that Fly Fusion Magazine has a brand-spanking new App available on the App Store and Google Play! Now you can all your favourite Fly Fusion articles right in your pocket for reading while you are on the go! The winter issue (and all 2024 issues) are live now for your convenience. Check back often to snap up all the back issues too!
