Tying Tip: Rainbow Simi Seal Minnow

Thu May 29th 2025
Uncategorized

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

Thu May 29th 2025
Uncategorized

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.

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Lefty Day

Thu May 15th 2025
News
Uncategorized

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….

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The Balm of Adventure | Allen Crater

Tue Mar 18th 2025
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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.”

 

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Grasshoppers and Gladwell | Derek Bird

Mon Mar 10th 2025
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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.

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Editor’s Choice Holiday Gift Guide

Tue Dec 10th 2024
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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!

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Oh, the Places You’ll Go…Fly Fishing

Wed Dec 4th 2024
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By Derek Bird
Outwaiting a fish has never been a problem for me. Patience of this variety is not a superhero’s quality, but if it were, I’d be fighting crime rather than writing about fishing. So when I first stumbled upon Dr. Seuss’ book Oh, the Places You’ll Go! as a university student on a late-night outing to Barnes & Noble, I couldn’t understand why he portrayed “waiting for the fish to bite” with all the other negative aspects of waiting, like “waiting for a train to go / or a bus to come.”

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.”

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All New App Live Today!

Tue Dec 3rd 2024
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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!

 

Winter Issue is out NOW!

Mon Dec 2nd 2024
Uncategorized

The new issue of Fly Fusion is out NOW! Dive in to fuel your passion and don’t forget to share with a fishing buddy who needs a bit of the same.

Fishing the Marker Fly by Gary Borger
Master the art of fishing during heavy hatches! Learn to spot rises, pick the perfect flies, and target trophy fish near the bank. With expert casting techniques like the ‘C’ Pickup and Elliptical Stroke, you’ll fish smarter and tangle less.

On (and After) the Take by Jim McLennan
Hone your skills in ethical catch-and-release fishing. From barbless hook techniques to no-touch releases, ensure your catch swims away strong. Bonus: Tips for stress-free underwater photos!

A Norwegian Fly-Fishing Family Adventure by Teddy Cosco
Set your sights on Norway’s Gaula River! This family journey weaves adventure and connection with a shared passion for fly fishing, culminating in epic salmon catches.

Editor’s Choice: Time-Tested Reviews
Explore Fly Fusion’s 2024 top picks for rods, reels, and waders. Our team has tested it all—gear that’s durable, innovative, and eco-friendly. Upgrade your fishing game today!

…and much more!

Worldwide IF4 Virtual Event

Wed Nov 27th 2024
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HURRY! This is your last chance to purchase tickets for the 2024 Virtual International Fly Fishing Film Festival! Watch anywhere you like with as many friends and family as you like for less the cost of a single ticket! Ticket are only $15 and are available now through December 31st.   Once you purchase, you will have access for a full 7 days!

OR! Subscribe to Fly Fusion Streaming for $4.95 per month (or $49.95/annually) and watch every season of IF4, plus Fly Fusion TV, The Buffet Series and hundreds of other fishy films!

AND! When you subscribe to Fly Fusion Streaming you can pick up your one year subscription to Fly Fusion Magazine for the discounted rate of ONLY $25! Order now and we will send you the next published issue. What could be better than 2 hours of fly fishing adventures followed by a full year of the best stories and images on the planet?!?

As always, there will be draws for prizes following each virtual screening AND one lucky ticket holder will be the recipient of our year-end GRAND PRIZE!