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Fly Fisherman's Gear Guide 2026 is Now Available!

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"Legacy: The Story of Cathy and Barry Beck" is Playing on Outdoor Channel!

Premieres on the Outdoor Channel on Oct. 4 at 6 PM with subsequent airings on Oct. 5, 3pm EST; Oct. 10 pm EST; Oct. 18 pm EST; Oct. 24, 10pm EST.

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Lefty: The Greatest of All Time is Now Streaming on YouTube for free!

The 44-minute feature film by Headwater Media Group was produced by Fly Fisherman with support from Bass Pro Shops, Costa, Yeti, and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.

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Fly Fisherman's New Podcast: Loop to Loop

Available on YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify and Amazon Music.

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Road to Redemption

June 12, 2018 By Ross Purnell, Editor

Rankin Jackson could have been killed or consumed by the "push" of the drug trade in Honduras but instead he became a fly-fishing guide and discovered a spit of sand known as Cayes Cajones.

Ten years ago, Fly Fish Guanaja owner Steve Brown hired Rankin as a security guard, but he soon became one of the country's top permit guides.

The place Rankin calls "the keys to the east" is 160 miles from Gaunaja, and has historically been a haven for drug runners, pirates and other illicit activities. It also just so happens to be home to one of the most untouched and unfished bonefish and permit habitats in the entire Caribbean.

Beyond the Horizon from Cold Collaborative on Vimeo.

Beyond the Horizon was featured in the world-wide distribution of the Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3T), won the 'Creative Excellence' award as an official selection in the 5points Film Festival in Carbondale, CO, and finally finished up its festival circuit as an official selection in the Telluride Mountainfilm Festival.

Recent Videos

Gear

Ross Purnell on G. Loomis's Updated Asquith Rods

Gear

Ross Purnell on G. Loomis's Updated Asquith Rods

For 2026, G. Loomis has introduced updated versions of its flagship Asquith Freshwater and Saltwater fly rod families. Both are built on Spiral X Core blanks rolled at Shimano's facility in Kumamoto, Japan, and finished by hand in Woodland, Washington. Check out editor and publisher Ross Purnell's take on their performance after putting them to the test against the bonefish, permit, and giant trevally of St. Brandon Atoll.

How-To/Techniques

Ben Furimsky: Owner and Operator of The Fly Fishing Show

How-To/Techniques

Ben Furimsky: Owner and Operator of The Fly Fishing Show

Ben Furimsky is the owner and operator of The Fly Fishing Show, the largest consumer show in the fly-fishing industry. The Fly Fishing Show travels around the United States educating and entertaining anglers from January to March. Furimsky is an accomplished fly fisher who has travelled to the far reaches of the globe, most recently to Mongolia to catch and help implant tracking devices in taimen. His shows, films, adventures, and connections to all the experts and celebrities in the business make him one of the most influential people in the sport of fly fishing today.

How-To/Techniques

Blane Chocklett Explains the Jerk Changer

How-To/Techniques

Blane Chocklett Explains the Jerk Changer

Blane Chocklett breaks down the differences between two innovative fly patterns—the Game Changer and the Jerk Changer. While the Game Changer is a swim bait designed for a smooth, serpentine action with steady strips and pauses, the Jerk Changer thrives on unpredictability. Its erratic, back-and-forth movement mimics the frantic behavior of baitfish, making it a powerful tool when targeting pressured or finicky fish. You'll learn how to retrieve the Jerk Changer with precision: a downward rod motion paired with sharp strips creates dynamic left-right and up-down movement. Adding slack during pauses is essential to achieve the glide that makes jerk-style baits so effective. This non-mechanical, chaotic action is what triggers aggressive strikes from tough fish, and it's a technique every angler should have in their arsenal.

How-To/Techniques

Fly Tier's Bench: AK's Melon Quill PMD Dry Fly

How-To/Techniques

Fly Tier's Bench: AK's Melon Quill PMD Dry Fly

From his iconic Melon Quill PMD dry fly to groundbreaking techniques like stripping and dyeing hackle quills, legendary fly tyer A.K. Best's artistry elevated traditional patterns into lifelike imitations that continue to inspire anglers today. Charlie Craven shares personal encounters, fly tying history, and a fly-tying tutorial for one of his most famous patterns, the aforementioned Melon Quill.

Fly Tying

Blane Chocklett: Secrets of the Jerk Changer

Fly Tying

Blane Chocklett: Secrets of the Jerk Changer

In a matter of just a couple of months, Blane Chocklett caught his personal best striper and then his all-time best redfish on the same fly—his darting, slip-sliding, erratic Jerk Changer.

Gear

Tying the Bou Craw

Gear

Tying the Bou Craw

The Bou Craw was developed as an expendable alternative to the more involved crayfish patterns. It is a suggestive crayfish pattern, meaning it's intended to hint at a crayfish via movement and silhouette rather than closely imitating its image. This allows its construction to remain minimalist and not altogether different from a Woolly Bugger. Like many crayfish flies, the Bou Craw is essentially a jig fly, incorporating front-loaded weight to operate on or near the river bottom with a vertical up-and-down action when stripped. It sports a double-plume marabou tail with rubber legs that imply claws rather than imitate them, and an uber-simple body of palmered polar fiber brush behind medium or small lead eyes.

How-To/Techniques

Bill Skilton on Pennsylvania fly fishing, terrestrials, and raising chickens

How-To/Techniques

Bill Skilton on Pennsylvania fly fishing, terrestrials, and raising chickens

Bill Skilton started fly fishing at an early age with tutelage from Limestone Legends such as Charlie Fox, Vince Marinaro, and Ross Trimmer. Learn about the history of Pennsylvania's Cumberland Valley and its impact on fly fishing in North America. Pennsylvania's spring creeks such as LeTort Spring Run, Big Spring Creek, Falling Springs, and parts of the Yellow Breeches were the birthplace of terrestrial fly patterns such as beetles, ants, and the famous LeTort hopper and cricket. Skilton is a Renaissance man. He's the president of the Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Museum, a buyer and seller of historic fly rods, art and flies, and is also an avid chicken raiser for premium hackle. If you ever thought of raising your own roosters, Skilton deep dives into the rigors of raising chickens and how to get varying results for hackle colors and sizes.

Yellowstone National Park's supervisory fish biologist, Dr. Todd Koel, has led the Yellowstone Native Fish Conservation Progr...

News

Fly Fisherman's 2025 Conservationist of the Year: Todd Koel

News

Fly Fisherman's 2025 Conservationist of the Year: Todd Koel

Yellowstone National Park's supervisory fish biologist, Dr. Todd Koel, has led the Yellowstone Native Fish Conservation Program for the past 25 years. His life's work has been dedicated to protecting, enhancing, and restoring native fish species in Yellowstone National Park. Dr. Koel's native fish conservation vision has impacted streams, rivers, and lakes that flow into two oceans, span three states, and provide recreational opportunities to millions of visitors. Dr. Koel has worked tirelessly to bring Yellowstone Lake's iconic Yellowstone cutthroat trout back from the brink of extirpation, which was caused by the invasion of predatory, nonnative lake trout. Thanks to Dr. Koel's leadership, the expansive Yellowstone Lake restoration program has reduced the biomass of adult lake trout by a staggering 94 percent. Over the past 30 years more than 4.75 million lake trout have been gillnetted, with 264,613 lake trout removed in 2024 alone.

Destinations/Species

Paul Dixon

Destinations/Species

Paul Dixon

One of the most versatile, experienced saltwater guides of all time, Capt. Paul Dixon has spent decades fishing from Long Island to the Upper Keys, throughout the Caribbean and around the world.

Destinations/Species

Fly Fisherman's Rowing Basics: Oar Work

Destinations/Species

Fly Fisherman's Rowing Basics: Oar Work

In this video, Fly Fisherman contributing editor and veteran fishing guide Blane Chocklett details how to row a drift boat or raft for fly fishing. Oar work is key, and for most rowers, executing it properly is a little (or a lot) counterintuitive. From avoiding obstacles to keeping the boat a consistent distance from the bank and much more, Chocklett makes clear in simplified terms how to row your boat to catch more fish anywhere from Virginia to Montana and beyond. Whether you're a newbie or a need a refresher, this video is worth watching.

How-To/Techniques

Fly Fisherman's Rowing Basics: Safety & Etiquette

How-To/Techniques

Fly Fisherman's Rowing Basics: Safety & Etiquette

From giving priority to wading anglers and being courteous at the ramp to safety gear and water hazards, Fly Fisherman contributing editor and veteran fishing guide Blane Chocklett gives advice on to how avoid dangerous situations (and get out of them) and making enemies on the river. There's often more going on than meets the eye, Chocklett's decades of experience provide the shortcuts to keep your river days productive, enjoyable, and safe.

Gear

Fly Fisherman's Rowing Basics: Fishing Tips

Gear

Fly Fisherman's Rowing Basics: Fishing Tips

From understanding the clock system to line management, keeping your oarsman happy, and “fishing the future,” Fly Fisherman contributing editor and veteran fishing guide Blane Chocklett explains the under-recognized nuances of maximizing your time when float fishing. Even veteran drift-boat anglers can learn a thing or two from Chocklett's 30 years of experience in this great video.

See All Videos

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Fly Fisherman's Gear Guide 2026 is Now Available!

"Legacy: The Story of Cathy and Barry Beck" is Playing on Outdoor Channel!

Lefty: The Greatest of All Time is Now Streaming on YouTube for free!

Fly Fisherman's New Podcast: Loop to Loop

Subscribe & Save.

Road to Redemption

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In-Fisherman

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Florida Sportsman

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Fly Fisherman

Special Interest Magazines

2025 Fly Fisherman Destinations

2025 Fly Fisherman Destinations

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2025 Fly Fishing Made Easy

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2025 Kayak Fishing Fun

2025 In-Fisherman Bass Guide

2025 In-Fisherman Bass Guide

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2025 In-Fisherman Bass Guide Gear Box

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