DEMYSTIFLY

I tie a lot of my flies for snook and largemouth with Puglisi or "EP" fibers. These long, soft fibers come in a huge array of colors and are amazing for crafting a plethora of flies imitating baitfish and other morsels. At the vise, the material is very easy to work with, and on the water it produces an excellent breathing/swimming action underwater. The one downside I do encounter is that larger patterns tied with these fibers can become a big tangled wad after a fish is cau

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

Misery. Anger. Frustration. These are not the first words that typically come to mind when you think of a day of fly fishing, but if your gear gets drenched that can really throw things for a loop. You need serious protection for stuff like camera gear and extra clothing that absolutely, positively MUST stay dry. For those that pack heavy and need waterproof protection that's rugged, Fishpond looks to have the solution: their new Thunderhead Roll-Top Duffel. Fishpond uses the

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship Bonefish are widely-known as one of the spookiest fish on the flats. I've only been fortunate enough to specifically target bonefish a handful of times, but I can still attest to the fact that you need to be super quiet and super skilled in your presentations. While I rarely get to cast a line to those critters, I do have a ton of experience sight-fishing for snook on the beach. Although snook can occasionally be dumb as rocks, they are more often sk

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship Keeping a fly line slick can be a real hassle, especially for someone who bank fishes as much as I currently do. Besides just the constant casting and interaction with the water, dragging a fly line over shoreline dirt, rocks, and grass doesn't just remove slickness, but also increases the risk of line damage compared to someone who's just wading or fishing off a boat. The Scientific Anglers Amplitude fly lines look to address these issues. Available

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 Several months ago, the good folks at Cortland sent over two lines for me to test: Quick Descent 24 in a 7/8 (250 grains) and Compact Sink Type 3 7/8 (275 grains). As we've said many times, a sinking line can be an absolute necessity for getting the fly down into the strike zone effectively under certain conditions! Quick Descent 24- Rated for both warm and cold temps, this line is built on a braided multifilament core. Sporting an orange running por

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship The new YETI Panga Backpack 28 brings a lot of what we love about the Panga 50 Duffel (reviewed here, by the way!) and delivers all that goodness in backpack form. Fly anglers bring any number of tools and accessories with them on a fishing day, but for storing more and larger items like snacks, extra clothing, a camera, or spare spools, a roomier storage solution like a backpack can come in handy. Coupled with YETI's legendary ruggedness, the Panga

Do you hate tying a new knot each time you change flies? Admittedly, it's a minor annoyance, but many of us (myself included) would gladly take a slightly lazier route if possible. At IFTD 2018, we got our first glimpse of RIO's new solutions for skipping the knot tying altogether—their new Fly Clips and Twist Clips. These small clips tie on to the end of the tippet and simply allow you to securely attach/detach a fly while skipping the whole knot tying process. RIO's Fly Cli

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship Keen eyesight, sound technique, and the ability to adapt to ever-changing conditions are just a few skills that sets apart the best flats fly anglers. Speaking of conditions, the tackle had better be up to the task. While some anglers blow big bucks on the very best saltwater fly rods and reels, they don't mean squat without the right line. In the past, I've been stuck in a couple saltwater sight-fishing situations with lines that were downright duds

Best known for their fly tying tools and awesome UV resins, Loon Outdoors offers other useful items for fly anglers, too. For those of you that use small shot to help get the fly down to the fish, you may have experienced frustration or disappointment with these products before. Sure, they basically get the job done, but can improvements be made? Whether it has to do with aspects like coloration, ease-of-use, or (regarding lead shot) environmental impact, many of you would li

I've never heard a fly angler say "There aren't enough bags or packs available on the market!" Whether you prefer an ultra-simplistic or overly-technical way to carry gear or belongings during a day on the water, there's no shortage of options out there. Edging more towards the simplistic side, Simms offers their Dry Creek bag collection to keep your stuff safe and dry. While the concept seems simple, this is a Simms product, so you know it's going to be made with a high leve

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship Currently offered in several types of drinkware ranging from from jugs to a small colster, the Rambler lineup from YETI is both wildly-popular and ultra-useful. Part of this Rambler product family is made up of three different water bottles including 18, 26, and 36 ounce sizes. Of particular interest to me was the new 26-ouncer. From fitness to fishing, I'm constantly in need of hydration and the medium size of this bottle seemed ideal for those time

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship YETI is well-known for their premium coolers, but their current product lineup now extends well-beyond just products for keeping your ice cold. From the new family of duffel bags to a multi-purpose bucket, each year there's always new, cool stuff for the outdoors person. Being the product review junkies we are, there were a few items at this year's ICAST show that really caught my eye for later review. Let's have a look at one of these cool new produ

It's seriously amazing the amount of fly lines available to us today. No matter the targeted species or your specific needs, there's a fly line that fits the bill. While premium fly lines certainly command a premium price these days, there's been some serious advances in their physical and material designs. With all of the line technology that's out there, one in particular stands out to me as being one of the most important: RIO's ConnectCore. What is it? ConnectCore is mark

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship Flats fishing and just sight-fishing in general are games of stealth. The water is shallow, typically clear, and the fish don't often come easily. Because of this, everything from flats skiffs to clothing are designed to be subtle so you remain undetected. By the same token, fly lines for tropical flats fishing conditions are often designed with muted, natural colors to help them blend-in to the surrounding water. This is great from a stealthy perspe

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship Ever been on the water with only a floating line but wished you had a sink tip? I sure have! A floating line undoubtedly works well in many scenarios, but there are times when getting your fly down just a bit deeper is necessary. Not only is buying and rigging a spare spool costly, it's just another thing to tote along that adds bulk to your bag, pack, or vest. Is there another simpler option? YES! The new Scientific Anglers SONAR Sinking Leaders are

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship In saltwater fly fishing, long-distance presentations are often not the norm. Being able to double-haul a streamer a country mile is undoubtedly a great and very useful skill to have, but possessing a solid short game is equally as important. Especially true when flats fishing, being both accurate and quick at short range can pay huge dividends when chasing species like bonefish, tarpon, and redfish. Speaking of the latter, I can remember catching a

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship Whether it's a spare set of clothing or thousands of dollars in camera equipment, it's important to keep your gear dry. I've used my share of cheaper duffel and tackle storage bags in the past, only to regret that decision when caught in rough seas or an unexpected deluge. Opening up a bag to find everything inside is damp or even soaked can be a simple annoyance or even a major setback! Made in three sizes, the YETI Panga series of duffel bags aren'

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship Face masks have been a very important part of my overall fishing arsenal for about 10 years now. I can still remember the very first time I wore a sun-protective mask. I was on a guided trip for tarpon in the Everglades and decided to try one for both the sun and bug protection. For the first couple of hours, I still remember feeling slightly uneasy wearing this new "thing" on my face. It wasn't really uncomfortable, but it was just a feeling I wasn'