DEMYSTIFLY

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship Sage X fly rods are not exactly brand new, having filled the void leftover by the departure of the popular ONE series in 2016. With such big shoes to fill, it appears the X hasn't disappointed Sage fans in the least. Despite these rods being out for around three years now and receiving some serious praise, I had yet to fish one. While reviewing an X had always been in the back of my mind, it wasn't until I received word of a new Special Edition X ser

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship Saltwater fly rods have tough jobs. They should be able to cast larger flies a good distance, but a solid short game is essential, too. On top of the diverse casting demands, they also need to be up to the task of battling strong saltwater fish, all while being able to stand up to harsh saltwater environments. The new Winston AIR SALT rods sound like they can do all of these things and then some! Released in 2018, these ultra-premium rods use Winston

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship Have you ever fished a textured fly line? While the vast majority of fly lines have smooth surfaces, some lines are built with different types of surface designs that are said to reduce friction and improve line flow. I've typically just stuck with conventional smooth lines for the most part, but my 2018 test of Orvis' Hydros HD textured trout line gave me some food for thought. That proved to be an excellent line, and with the brand-new PRO Textured

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship Our first Scott fly rod review is an especially cool one. At IFTD 2018, we covered Scott's launch of their new F-Series fiberglass rods right here. Currently comprised of just six models, these beautiful rods are perfect for delicate close-quarters presentations. Naturally, I had to get my hands on the shortest model, so Scott sent us just that—the 5'8" 3-weight. Not only was I excited knowing this rod was coming, but I got even more excited once it

Bass are ideal fly rod fish. They are found in countless bodies of water, are strong, often aggressive, and typically don't require super-technical setups or presentations. Many folks (like myself) can target them just minutes from home, but for some reason I just don't see huge numbers of people fly fishing for bass. While chasing bass on the fly is extremely fun and rewarding, if you're coming over from the world of conventional bass fishing, don't expect to always have qui

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship A fly reel from a well-known brand that comes pre-spooled with line and backing for under $100? If that sounds like complete baloney, you'd be wrong. Cheeky Fishing hasn't been around as long as some of the competition, but that hasn't stopped them from making big waves in the industry. Pushing the envelope even further for 2019, Cheeky has now introduced their new PreLoad series of reels. Currently consisting of a 350 (5/6) and a 375 (7/8) model, ea

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship My recent review of Orvis' Clearwater 9-foot 4-weight fly rod right here was overwhelmingly positive. They simply did a great job upgrading that rod and it was totally satisfying to fish with. One thing I didn't mention in that review was that Orvis actually sent me that rod as part of a combo paired up with their new Clearwater large arbor reel and Clearwater fly line. Despite everything arriving as a combo, I wanted to review the rod and reel separ

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship For small waters and smaller fish, an $800 fly reel isn't necessary. The priciest examples are surely amazing to own, fish, and simply admire, but an inexpensive reel with a decent drag system will serve you very well in most cases. Most fish typically targeted with a 2–3 weight setup won't be huge nor will they be getting into your backing, but very light tippet is often used here so you don't want a cheapo reel with a clunky drag system. But, is th

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship The popular Orvis Clearwater rod series has been around for quite some time now and has been a popular option for folks not looking to drop a huge wad of cash on a new fly rod. While I never got around to fishing a rod from the last generation of Clearwaters, at first glance the new series looked extremely promising. Undergoing a major overhaul for 2019, Orvis has changed things like cosmetics, grip styles, actions, reel seats, and blank materials wh

Have you ever been out on the water completely unprepared for what mother nature had in store? Fly fishing is supposed to be fun, but if you're out there shivering all day, well, I don't have to tell you that just plain stinks. There are times I've just sucked it up and endured cold, wet conditions the whole day, while other times I couldn't take the punishment anymore and called it quits early. Hey, I love to fish, but I gotta draw the line somewhere! Jackets come in all sha

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship Since the beginning of Demystifly, I have reviewed several Douglas Outdoors rods including DXF and Upstream 5-weights along with 7 and 9-weights from their flagship SKY series. I've had great experiences with their products so far, as everything I've fished and handled at shows was put together very well and had the performance to back up all the hype. As good as those rods were, I was really interested in fishing with their new LRS series that was i

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship There's nothing finer than fishing with a fly rod that feels super lightweight. A rod like this simply amplifies the experience and is a pure joy to fish with. When you do find one of those magical lightweight sticks, pairing it up with a quality featherweight reel is a great way to compliment it. In terms of saving weight, one of the best reel types you can buy is one with a click-pawl drag system. There are no cork or carbon fiber materials here; n

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship When someone mentions fiberglass fly rods, my first thoughts naturally gravitate to small waters full of trout. Of course, nowadays these rods come in a huge variety of line weights that are suitable for much more than just trout. In browsing social media, I've seen species like salmon, blacktip sharks, and even tarpon whipped by glass sticks! Unique, yes, but this really doesn't come as a huge shock since fiberglass has experienced a massive resurge

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship Back when I started fly fishing in the early 90's, I remember the top fly lines costing around 60$ or so. Were there more expensive lines? Perhaps. As both a kid and a newbie, I wasn't super aware or knowledgeable of the market quite yet, but at that age the cost still seemed relatively high. Well, have you seen what top tier fly lines cost nowadays? I've reviewed a few of them right here on Demystifly. I'll start off by saying that the ones I've tri

It's wintertime, and for many anglers that means busting out the warm clothing. When it comes to cold weather fishing apparel, one of the most popular materials is good ole flannel. A quality flannel shirt is soft, comfortable, and adds a welcome touch of warmth whether layered up or on its own. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, flannel shirts are likely very popular on your local salmon and steelhead river. Personally, I haven't worn flannel in probably twenty years, but

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship I find smaller companies that produce high-end fishing tackle to be really intriguing. Ok, so they lack the square footage and massive marketing budgets of the big names, but to me that just adds to the initial mystique. It also doesn't mean their products are somehow inferior to the more household names. In fact, I've found that the quality and customer service offered by these smaller operations is often excellent when compared directly to the bigg

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship At IFTD 2017, Sage launched their SPECTRUM series of reels. With three different models including the MAX, LT, and standard SPECTRUM (reviewed here), these reels offer varied levels of refinement and cover different price points ranging from $249 all the way up to $500. Well, this year Sage has introduced a fourth addition to the family, the SPECTRUM C series, that come in well under $200 for all models. Did Sage cut major corners to achieve such aff

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship As winter approaches, many anglers will start thinking about and reaching for sinking lines. There's a bazillion choices available, but quality lines that are density compensated are always my first choice. The new InTouch Big Nasty Sink Tip lines from RIO looked like just the type of lines I'd be interested in, with the added benefit of being geared towards throwing larger "big nasty" flies. Since I fly fish for bass more than anything these days, t

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship My Sage METHOD 7-weight has been a trusty companion for several years now. Extremely fast and quite stiff, yes, but it serves a niche purpose when a more powerful presentation is needed. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and when I started seeing METHOD rods going on sale a few months back, I knew the end was near. Thankfully, a popular lineup is usually not just simply discarded permanently, but replaced by something that's typical

Small flies certainly have their place. Whether imitating insects or other types of small forage, a downsized fly is often a great choice to "match the hatch" when it comes to accurately representing these little morsels. With that said, of course all fish don't always hunt for tiny food 100% of the time. Even fish like rainbow trout will munch on a pretty substantial meal from time to time. A prime example here are bass; in particular largemouth bass. With a mean attitude an