As a proud media partner, Fly Fusion is excited to share the stoke as the official sizzle reel for the International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4) has just been released, offering a first look at one of the most anticipated fly-fishing film events on the planet.
Articles
Editors’ Choice Awards – Best Pack
Fly Fusion’s Editors’ Choice Awards celebrate the year’s most trusted, fish-ready gear, products that don’t just look good on the rack, but prove themselves day after day on the water. From smart storage to quick-access functionality, the best equipment is the kind that helps you fish more efficiently and keeps essentials right where you need them. This year’s Best Pack winner does exactly that, blending adaptability, thoughtful organization, and convenience into one streamlined carry system: the Patagonia Stealth Switch Pack.
Reece’s Beefcake Stone
By Bob Reece
As the winter snows of the Rocky Mountains begin to thaw, a change is set in motion. The landscape breaks loose and emerges from a crisp exoskeleton of winter. For many fly anglers, the pinnacle of this yearly change is the transformation of Pteronarcys californica – the stonefly known as the salmonfly – into its adult form. Most fly fishers have some familiarity with spring salmonfly hatches that proclaim the beginning of the new season on many of western North America’s freestone rivers and streams. While the salmonfly hatch is one of fly fishing’s most compelling events, success during this time is not guaranteed and often depends on the design of your flies.
Kirk Deeter’s Lesson on Picking Bugs
By Kirk Deeter
Excerpt from the current issue: “Contrary to all the dogma about specific colors and fly patterns and all that, what it usually (really) boils down to is shape and profile. And that’s true whether you’re spoon-feeding emergers to selective trout, trying to match baitfish roosterfish are chomping in Baja, or throwing shrimp or crab patterns at bonefish or permit somewhere on the flats. Do fish see colors?
Just Shy of Eighteen
By Derek Bird
The logjam provided enough depth and structure to hold decent sized trout. I waded in just below it to about thigh deep and made a good cast up to where it looked like the large fish should be holding. My beetle pattern bobbed and drifted a foot or two from about the half-way-point of the jam where a few larger logs protruded into the river. I pulled quickly at the line to manage the slack as the current pushed the terrestrial toward me.
New: SA Mastery Leader & Tippet
Leader and tippet might not steal the spotlight, but they matter, especially when presentation gets technical, flies get smaller, or conditions get tough. For 2026, Scientific Anglers has expanded its leader and tippet offering with the introduction of the new Mastery series, providing high-quality, budget-friendly lines for freshwater and saltwater applications.
Put your feet up and grab a cup of joe!
RA Beattie Named Winner of the International Fly Fishing Film Festival for “The Silent Spotter”
The International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4), a curated collection of world-class films and cinematic storytelling from independent fly-fishing filmmakers from around the globe, is honored to announce RA Beattie, founder of Beattie Outdoor Productions and co-founder of Off the Grid Studios, as the winner of Audience Choice Award — Best Film in the 2025 IF4 for his groundbreaking film “The Silent Spotter”. This year’s top honor was determined entirely by audience votes from viewers around the world, underscoring the film’s powerful connection with the global fly-fishing community.
Scott Fly Rod Company Welcomes Industry Veteran Shawn Combs
The Scott Fly Rod Company announces that Shawn Combs will join the Scott team as vice president in January.
“Shawn is a lifelong angler with finely honed skills and a proven track record in fly-fishing product design,” says Jim Bartschi, president of Scott Fly Rods. “His passion for innovation, quality, and team building is a perfect fit to help carry on Scott’s fifty-year legacy of handcrafting high-performance fly rods. I’m thrilled to welcome Shawn to the Scott family and for the opportunity to work with him and the rest of the team on writing the next chapters of the Scott story.”
After earning his master’s degree in mechanical engineering, Combs spent a decade in engineering roles with industry leaders, including Exxon Mobil Corp. and Lockheed Martin. In 2011, he joined the Orvis Company in Vermont as a product developer for fly rods and reels, and he has served as their director of product design and development since 2014.
Combs says, “I am beyond excited to join the Scott Fly Rod Company to work alongside Jim and team. Having grown up fishing Scott rods, I am honored to contribute to the legacy of handcrafting rods that, in my view, embody innovation and soul like no other.”
Pay it Forward | Derek Olthuis
Two decades ago, alerted by headlights shining on my parent’s front lawn, I slipped silently out the front door and threw my pack into the bed of an old forest service truck.
I was 14-years-old and heading to a high mountain lake filled with cutthroat. In the driver’s seat was a business partner of my father’s, a real estate investor whose love for the outdoors mirrored my own. Although he was 16 years my senior, John and I formed a fast friendship, spawned in large part by that first outing together. As we bumped our way up the dirt road toward the trailhead we talked fishing and hiking and what excitement the day would provide. Only now, with the benefit of hindsight, do I realize what having a mentor such as John has provided for my life.
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