DEMYSTIFLY

Ok everyone, raise your hands if you sometimes neglect to clean your fly line. I saw a few hands go up! Like many pieces of fly fishing gear, fly line must be maintained. Have you ever fallen behind on line cleaning only to go fishing and have your casts suffer because of it? I'm definitely guilty of that. Using a line that's dirty or has lost its slickness can really have an effect on line management and just general castability. While it's probably safe to say that nobody e

What's a tippet ring? In short, it's a tiny metal ring with a simplistic purpose: to join the leader to the tippet. You tie your leader to one side of the ring, your tippet to the other side, and viola, you have instantly created a connection. You may ask "Why not just connect the two sections together with a single knot like I've always done?" That's a good question with a simple answer. A big advantage of a tippet ring is that it will save your main leader from getting shor

Here in Florida, the intense heat and humidity during summer can turn the average fly line into a sticky mess. It takes a specialized "tropical" type of fly line to withstand these harsh conditions and remain user-friendly. Over my years of fishing down here, I have tried several types of these specialized lines ranging from offerings geared towards bonefishing to more general-purpose tapers. Most of these lines have at least been good, but there's always a few that make the

As fly anglers, we are beyond fortunate to have access to a plethora of outstanding products these days. It doesn't really matter what's in your wallet—there's cool stuff for every angler and budget. While they're not the more versatile, I'm a big fan of certain types of niche products. Although a few of these offerings may not offer up a huge performance advantage, some definitely can. RIO's WF5F Bonefish line is a great example of one of these specialized items that I've co

If there is any tool that fly anglers—or anglers of any kind really—need to carry with them it is a good pair of pliers. Sure, you could grab a pair of rusty pliers out of your toolbox, but anglers know that there is a better option designed specifically for their needs. Our favorite pair of pliers are still the Abel Pliers but at $250 dollars for the base (black finish) and a leather sheath they are a big investment. Simms offers their own take on pliers that are made out of