Why Fly Presentation Matters

Why Fly Presentation Matters

“Bill picked up his push pole and grumbled down at me on the deck, ‘Fish aren’t used to their food attacking them.’

Good point.

Apply that thinking to all your fly fishing, especially trout fishing. An insect–be it a nymph floating under the surface or a dun drying its wings on the surface–is usually moving at the mercy of the current. An emerging insect is swimming toward the surface. A baitfish that senses a predatory trout in its vicinity will swim nervously away from the fish.”

Read the entire article on Substack.

Blue River Controversy

“Also, buried in all of this is the fairly transparent attempt to curb the public’s use of the river. FOLBR is claiming an average of ‘1,400 recreational users per 120-day season’ and ‘30-45 boats per day,’ but not unlike the river heath data, there’s very little veracity to these claims. Even in a world where these numbers were accurate, it’s a hard case to make that 30 boats a day on 15 miles of water is overloading the river’s ‘carrying capacity.’ The most troubling aspect of this story is the non-profit’s attempt to link a small but dedicated group of local floating anglers to the river’s decline, while simultaneously ignoring years and years of human interference in the system–no one has impacted the river’s hydrology or trout populations more than Blue Valley Ranch.”

Read the entire article on Substack.

Product Buzz

We review the Skwala Sol Wading Pant, Sage R8 Core 696 Fly Rod, Ombraz Sunglasses and more. “I was skeptical when told about a pair of ‘armless’ sunglasses. The first thing you’ll notice is they don’t have arms. Think of your current pair of sunglasses, but with a tailless sunglass retainer like these from CHUMS as the only thing holding them to your face.” Read the full reviews. Jason Rolfe of The Flyfish Journal goes deep on RIO’s new fly lines: the Elite Gold XP and Elite Gold Max. “Fly line designers are probably an overlooked member of this coterie of experts. Let’s admit it: lines aren't nearly as sexy as rods, reels or flies; what subtle differences exist between one line and another are not likely to be seen (outside of colors) and maybe not even likely to be felt by many anglers.” From GearJunkie: 90% of Knife Makers Say Tariffs Will Increase Costs. “The AKTI survey included responses from 50 U.S. brands making knives and/or multitools. Brand names were kept anonymous, but most of them are medium- and small-sized businesses. They include a mix of knife importers as well as brands conducting at least some of their manufacturing in the U.S.” Flylords Gear of the Year Awards. “Each winning product had to meet one requirement–it had to be the best piece of gear for that category. A rod could be a middle-priced rod, and cast better than premium rods nearly double the price–if that were the case, the more affordable rod wins the category. In other words, the products we chose to win each category were the best of the best, regardless of price, warranty, and other factors.” From Outside: The Best Fly-Fishing Gear of 2025 with a bunch of boating gear recommendations. “The newest fly-fishing gear reviewed here is equally versatile in or out of a boat, giving you the option of all-day backcountry jaunts or those days spent close to the cooler, feet kicked up on the bow, lofting big dry flies to eager trout and bass, and anything else that eats a fly on a warm summer or fall day.” It’s that time of year when every fly-fishing brand is putting gear on sale: Simms fall stuff, Madison River Fishing Company has piles of gear on sale + the Airflo, SA, RIO fly line sale, Epic Fly Rods have great Fly Rod & Reel Combos with awesome savings, BOTE SUP deals, Grundens End of Summer Sale, 3Bird Summer Sale, Stio Warehouse Sale.

Fly-fishing News

Salmon seen in Upper Klamath Basin for first time in a century after historic Northern California dam removal. “In late September, a Chinook salmon was seen on video ascending a fish ladder at Keno Dam, one of the Klamath’s two remaining dams in the upper basin southwest of Klamath Falls. Since then, cameras and radio tags have confirmed the presence of salmon at various locations further upstream, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced on Oct. 17. This marks the salmon’s first return to the Upper Klamath Basin since the dams were built in the early 20th century.” ASGA Needs your Support: Action for Menhaden Reform. “A new assessment shows Atlantic menhaden natural mortality was inaccurately estimated for years, causing quotas set over 275 million pounds too high. A significant, immediate reduction is necessary to align with science-driven management and right the course of a critical forage fish. The Atlantic fishery needs to ‘take the cut’, and the industrial reduction fleet needs to front a majority of that reduction…” Ryan Callaghan of MeatEater is named the incoming President and CEO of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. “Callaghan has built a reputation as one of the most trusted advocates in the conservation space. From his years guiding, hunting and fishing in the West to his leadership at MeatEater, and prior to that helping shape First Lite’s origin story and creating its conservation ethos. As the brand’s first non-founder employee, Callaghan embodies the values of access, stewardship and fair chase that are central to BHA’s mission.” The Mission Issue 54 is out: “We’re not really the kind of magazine that does themes, but if we had to give this year-end banger a theme it would be the road trip. Our cover feature sees rock-hopping Aussie salmon frother Jackson Murray and filmmakers Gareth Shrubb and Jesse Wallace pouring over Google Earth and Navionics looking for fishable conditions amid big swell and heavy rips while shooting their new film, Grasshopper.” Fishing Allowed: A Fly Project Initiative. “On a recent trip to Miami, Florida, where House of Fly filmed a short film on fishing peacock bass, which are everywhere in the city, we noticed the No Fishing signs, and began to feel as if fishing is a ‘criminal’ act. Every HOA, city park, and neighborhood has a sign saying, ‘No Fishing’. We did go fishing, though, as you can see in the video, and while it is not illegal to fish where we did, there were patrols that kicked us out everywhere we went…” LET THE BOY FISH.

Recent Press

“I have to compliment you guys on what you are creating. In my opinion it is by far the best available resource for the fly fishing community.” – Michael, Flylab Fan

On a great Dick Cheney profile from Matt Labash: “Love your site. And so do my friends.” – Matt Labash, Slack Tide 

On A Failure Of Modern Fly Design: “Don't pull those punches! Love this and everything about it.” – Mike, Substack Reader

“It also seems that flies are being revamped over and over, with newer materials as they evolve, and folks act as if they have created something new. In many cases it’s the addition of ‘bling,’ and that’s all it is. There’s nothing wrong with creativity and even the artistic side of fly design, but I agree that the problem solving aspect isn’t always about the fish that are targeted.” – Jim, Substack Reader

We’re always looking for Flylab feedback–send any comments, thoughts, suggestions, and we’d love to hear from you.

A Different Reason To Improve

“When most fishermen decide to improve their fly casting skills, they generally share a similar rationale for doing so. Better casting, they figure, will make them better fishermen, which in turn will lead to catching more fish. And in my experience as a teacher, this is exactly what happens. Better casters do catch more fish. So, that’s a perfectly sound reason for wanting to improve. But is it the only one? Not for me. Not by a long shot…”

Read the entire article on Substack.

Partner Spotlight

J. Stockard Fly Fishing

For over 20 years, J. Stockard Fly Fishing has been the go-to place for high-quality fly tying equipment, materials and supplies. Their collection includes over 15,000 materials, hooks, tools and more, including all the major brands. Located in Connecticut, J. Stockard serves tyers across the U.S., Canada, and the world. Despite being one of the largest retailers of fly tying materials and supplies, J. Stockard stays true to its roots as a family-run operation with a customer-first ethos: deep product knowledge, reliable service and an earnest respect for the craft of fly tying.

Flylab member discount: Weekly discounts on all fly-tying products.

If you’re a fly shop, outfitter, fishing lodge or outdoor brand and interested in becoming a new Flylab partner, learn more about our program here. Join the best partner network in fly fishing.

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