The Guide’s Nymph: a pattern that goes by many different names, can be tied in an infinite variation of colors and styles, and can represent any number of different aquatic insects. The number one great thing about this pattern is it’s ease to tie, depending on the chosen variation it […]
How-To
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If you’re reading this, you’re probably planning on or considering taking a saltwater trip somewhere, so congratulations! As with any destination fishery, it’s wise to familiarize yourself with what you’ll be doing before you arrive. Fishing style, techniques, gear, and anything else. Familiarity can mean many things, from simply making […]
Powerful, handsome, territorial, and ferocious; peacock bass have it all. While payara became my true love during our fishing trip in Colombia, the idea of massive peacocks was the trigger for me to drop everything during the middle of a pandemic and head to South America on three weeks notice. […]
Welcome to the latest installment Fishwest Gear Guide! The goal of this guide is to provide you, the angler, with the recommendations and professional insight from the Fishwest staff in order to make your fishing adventures a success. Each month, we will be exploring different fisheries, species, the tackle and […]
“So you’re like a human smallpox blanket then, huh?” I received all sorts of reactions when telling people about my plans to travel abroad to Colombia for fly fishing during the middle of a pandemic. Some responded with supreme jealousy. It was like a lightbulb went off in their heads […]
Want to know what makes a good bonefish box for the Bahamas? You’re in luck because, I wanted to share my top five patterns for use in the Bahamas. One thing to note here: The range of sizes below will allow you to have a pattern that will work wether […]
The eastern tributaries of Lake Michigan are home to some of the best steelhead fishing in the great lakes region. This area is home to some fantastic anglers and guides, many of whom have made great contributions to the fishing industry. One of those guides is Kevin Feenstra, a well […]
I firmly believe that there is no single “right way” to fly fish. I’ll happily crawl through a thicket of Russian Olives to position myself for a shot at sight-fishing a large trout. I’ll joyfully cycle through dozens of dry flies on a technical river in an attempt fool a […]
Bonito in San Diego, CA It was a sunny Sunday morning in October, when my husband, Dave Smith, and I, met up with two other fly anglers to go chase some tuna. With three pelagic seasoned fly anglers on the boat, I was the noobie and this made me super […]
Editors Note: I have three kids, currently 12, almost 10 and newly 8 years old, and man, have they taught me a lot and they continue to teach me in parenting. Together we have created a deeper love for the outdoors and all things fly fishing. I’d like to say […]
Great lakes steelhead are becoming an evermore popular fish to target, especially with the declining returns of west coast fish. They’re accessible just about everywhere throughout the Midwest and Northeastern United States, running into tributaries of all five great lakes. For a long time they’ve been targeted with conventional gear […]
Editors Note: This video is produced by good friend of Fishwest, Ross Downard. For those who don’t know Ross, he is an avid Skier, Mountain Biker, and Fly Angler. He is a top notch photographer and videographer. You can see his content scattered throughout the Fishwest Blog, Instagram, and Fishwest.com. To […]