DEMYSTIFLY

From RIO Products: In this episode of RIO's "How To Fly Fish" series, RIO brand manager Simon Gawesworth talks about fishing intermediate lines in a lake. The intermediate line should be the second line density every lake angler should buy (after a floating line), but few anglers know how to fish them, or the nuances behind using them. Simon explains what an intermediate line is, talks about when to use a clear versus a "camo" intermediate line, as well as discussing the sink

Our friend Simon Gawesworth over at RIO recently made a video about something I know nothing about—improving your double spey. Check out the informative video below! Support Demystifly by Shopping at Trident Fly Fishing #TechnicalStrategies #RIO #FlyCasting

From RIO Products: RIO Products, manufacturer of world class fly lines, leaders, tippet material, and flies, is delighted to announce the expansion of its range of fly lines built with SlickCast. SlickCast creates the slickest, most durable fly lines in history. SlickCast is a fly line coating that has been formulated and developed by RIO’s R&D team that results in fly lines having the lowest amount of friction ever measured on a fly line. This exceptionally low friction make

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship All fly lines are not created equal. Whether it be different cores, tapers, compounds, or other variables, lines can range from basic and affordable to advanced and ultra-high performance made for specific applications. RIO is undoubtedly one of the leaders in the fly line game, and seemingly every year they are introducing brand-new features and line designs. However, this year things are even more interesting than usual. Would it pique your interes

Words and photos courtesy of RIO Products FRESHWATER RIO’s new Technical Trout line has been designed for the angler fishing at range with long leaders and needing pinpoint accuracy and feather-weight presentation. The line has a long head and back taper to increase loop stability and for long range control, and a weight distribution that easily turns over long leaders for wary trout. The line comes in both weight forward and double taper options and is ideal for fishing drie

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship There's a lot of reasons to try fly fishing at night, some of which we went over in a past article right here. Despite these positives, the big negative with night fishing is simply visibility. Even on a full moon night, I always feel like I'm fishing at about half of my potential skill level due to not being able to see my line and everything around me like I can during daylight. Also, here in Florida we have snakes, alligators, and lots of bugs whi

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 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

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

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 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

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

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

InTouch Big Nasty: Available in WF6F–WF10F, this new line is built with a weight higher than the industry standard and has a powerful, short front taper to help cast bulky flies. Other features include loops, low-stretch ConnectCore technology, AgentX, a coldwater coating, and Extreme Slickness. $89.95 InTouch Trout/Steelhead Indicator: Arriving in WF4F–WF8F sizes, this line sports a powerful front taper for strong turnovers of indicator rigs along with a long body and back t