We are officially launching with a coloring contest beginning on June 1st. The contest will run through the month of June and we will select winners during the first week in July. Kids can go to our Kids Contest page to download a coloring page, with instructions on how to submit their work for the contest. While there they can also download a full listing of the great prizes donated by our contest sponsors.

Albright Fly Fishing: Bridgestone Youth waders
Echo/Rajeff Sports: Echo Gecko fly rod, Echo reel and line
Fishpond: Elk River Youth vest
JM Cremp’s: Children’s mesh fishing vest
Leland Fly Fishing: Sonoma Emerger youth rod & reel outfit
Montana Fly Company: Fly boxes and flies
Olive the Woolly Bugger: Set of 3 autographed kids books
Orvis: Streamline Junior Guide rod & reel outfit
Patagonia: Kids shirts and hoodies
Redington: Clark Fork youth vest and Minnow/Crosswater outfit (rod, reel, line)
Tyler Befus: 3 copies of the dvd, A Kid’s Guide to Fly Fishing
Trout Unlimited: 12 memberships to Stream Explorers

This contest, and our site, have one goal in mind: To Take Kids Fly Fishing.

Sarah Lonigro & Kirk Werner
http://www.takekidsflyfishing.com/

Photo courtesy of Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Slimy didymo, an algae commonly called rock snot, is found in Maryland's Gunpowder Falls. Maryland is the first state to ban felt soles on waders or boots believed to spread the algae.

By Jeff DeLong, USA TODAY

Felt-soled waders, long a mainstay piece of gear for fishing in rushing rivers and streams, are facing statewide bans because of the environmental problems they can cause.

Slimy didymo, an algae commonly called rock snot, is found in Maryland’s Gunpowder Falls. Maryland is the first state to ban felt soles on waders or boots believed to spread the algae.

Maryland became the first state to ban them as of March 21. They became illegal in Vermont April 1 and will be prohibited in Alaska next Jan. 1.

The soles, valued by anglers as sure-footed protection in slippery places, can trap spores and larvae of non-native plants and animals, allowing the invaders to hitchhike by shoe from one stream to another.

That’s what’s believed to have happened in Vermont, where felt-soled footwear is suspected in the spread of didymo, a slimy algae also called rock snot, says Shawn Good, a fisheries biologist with the state Fish and Wildlife Department.

Since first showing up in the Batten Kill Riverin 2006, didymo has spread to Vermont’s White River, Mad River, Gihon River and Passumpsic River, Good said.

While the algae’s impact on native fish is unclear, there’s little doubt about its ugliness, Good said. “It’s very unsightly,” Good said. “It forms dense mats that blanket the bottom of the stream like a shag carpet. It changes these nice, pristine trout streams to a green, yucky mess.”

The spread of didymo from Maryland’s Gunpowder Falls in 2009 to the Savage River last year appears clearly linked to “shoes of the fishermen,” said Jonathan McKnight, a biologist with the Maryland Division of Natural Resources.

Maryland’s ban on felt soles used by anglers is needed step to guard a treasured resource, McKnight said.

Elsewhere:

The Idaho Legislature passed a resolution April 7 that stopped short of banning felt soles but spelled out the “harmful and catastrophic potential threat” posed by didymo and other aquatic invaders, with felt soles singled out as a dangerous host.

Oregon lawmakers in the 2011 legislative session considered a law banning sales of felt soles but the bill didn’t clear committee.

Nevada’s Department of Wildlife is preparing a strategic plan regarding invasive species and the felt sole issue “will definitely be a part of that,” said department spokesman Chris Healy.

In Maryland, the ban “generally got a positive reaction” from anglers, McKnight said. There are adequate alternatives on the market, Good said.

Not everyone supports it. Dennis Richey, executive director of Oregon Anglers, testified against Oregon’s proposed ban during a legislative committee hearing. He said felt soles probably saved his life when he fell in a rushing Sandy River about 15 years ago .

“If it wasn’t for the felt soles, I would have gone down those rapids. There’s no doubt in my mind I would have drowned,” Richey said.

Original article

Special thanks to guide Martin Langlands, you can visit him at www.troutlands.com.

Photo by James Spicer

Some very recent and profound challenges in my life lead me to spend a fair bit of time thinking about what’s truly important. I believe most of us, as agnostics, might ponder similar resolutions when facing adversity in life. Of course the first thing to mind is my beautiful (and at times very challenging) wife, and naturally my children, all of whom have my unfaltering dedication and profound love. As my mind drifted further outside the obvious I began to ponder the concept of loss. I asked myself “if I was consciously removed from the earth tomorrow, what things would I miss the most?”. Of course, like many who might read this, my love and passion for the outdoors came foremost. Although I no longer get out as much as I used to it’s a passion that neither fades nor wanes, it is truly a constant. In fact it’s one of those things that the less you do it, the more you think about it. Of course there are hobbies people pick up over the years, like golf, or gardening, but the outdoors extends well beyond “something to do on a Saturday”, it’s truly a way of life.

I have often seen bumper stickers and front license plates that say “I would rather be fishing”. Can it be more honest? If you stopped that persons vehicle and asked them point blank “do you mean that?” they would reply with a resounding “hell yes!”. Again, how much truth lies in the adage “a bad day of fishing is always better than a good day at work”? For what reason would somebody say that? Because without any great uncertainty it is fact, it’s not just a “cliche” or simply a “saying”, it’s the honest to God’s truth.

There are many websites with fly fishing tips and tutorials. Much of what you will find on this website relates to this content. What I am going to share with you now are the real secrets to fly fishing. The most absolute and profound knowledge you will find anywhere on being a successful angler. Most of these tips are common knowledge and with certainty you will heve heard some of these already. I encourage all to practice these tips and the share them with all their angling friends. Why?

You truly never know when your last cast might come.

1. Don’t be angry with strangers that you find in your favorite run or hole, they are no different than you in a lot of ways and have just as much right to be there. Greet them with a smile, they will likely return the sentiment.

2. Tie good knots.

3. If you do have angling friends keep them close to your heart, they are likely friends for life. The people willing to share the day fishing with you are also the people most likely to be there when you are truly in need.

4. If you tie, share. If you buy, share.

5. Be gentle with what you catch, fish handled with admiration and respect rarely succumb when released.

6. A lot of us were introduced to fishing by our dads or other male figures such as an uncle or family friend. Don’t forget these people when they get old, do the same for them as they did for you, even if it’s inconvenient. Hope that your kids do the same for you when you are old.

7. Sons or daughters, nieces or nephews, and all children, take them fishing early, and often.

8. Don’t judge the bait guys and gear chuckers. Fly fishing isn’t for everyone and truly, the ends justifies the means.

9. That outlet market “no name” rod and reel could possibly catch as many fish as the elite and expensive alternatives. Being on the water matters most.

10. Don’t litter.

11. When that honey hole isn’t giving anything up, tie on your ugliest pattern.

12. Fish in the rain. Fish in the wind. Fish in the snow. Fish whenever you can.

13. While you’re on the water, turn off your cell phone.

14. Take your significant other fly fishing, at least once. If they enjoy it, you have a fishing partner, if they don’t, you have an escape.

15. Most importantly always remember fly fishing often has little to do with what, or if, you are catching.

John van Vliet grew up fishing in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, and honed his skills on the creeks of Southeastern Minnesota, An accomplished fly tier and fly-fishing instructor, he has written extensively on fishing for trout.

Available at Cabelas and also Barnes and Noble.

Jensen, a fly-fishing guide and the owner of Fly Fish Alberta and Fortress Lake Retreat, will present a video and talk detailing his transitioning from chasing hatches and snouts to sighting for trout and how that has changed his approach to fly fishing.

Dave and Amelia Jensen’s short film Q the X received the Best Film award at the 2011 Back Cast Fly Fishing Film Festival.

Doors open at 6:15 p.m. for socializing and an opportunity to meet the presenters. For more details, call (403)278-9165 or e-mail michelle@bowrivershuttles.com.

Beyond the Fly magazine is a fresh, modern and creative publication designed for the female angler, but with hopes of engaging all anglers by being sophisticated, informative and entertaining. We view ourselves as partners with our readers, our advertisers, our fishing community and our environment. We aim to become a nationally recognized publication, capitalizing on the growth of interest in the sport by strong, intelligent and passionate women anglers. Our goal is moderate growth, annual profitability and maintaining our fresh outlook, as well as the ability to inspire the angler at all skill levels. We motivate and encourage others to achieve their own personal potential through not only the publication, but also through sponsored clinics and retreats for women and children.

Our motto is: “One of the best feelings in the world is: knowing you deserve better, believing it, and moving on…catch that fish, release it and go for the next biggest catch!

Each issue will feature an artist or photographer within the fishing community, as well as a different destination with information on the fishing, the waters, the flies and gear needed, techniques and styles of fishing (such as fly fishing with a single handed rod, spey casting with a two handed rod, spin fishing with the latest gear and techniques, and noodling) and the culture. Beyond the Fly Magazine is also featuring other aspects of the outdoor woman’s lifestyle, such as hunting, kayaking, rafting, etc. We will have articles ranging from educational and informative pieces to entertainment, book reviews and interviews with women and children within the industry! We will also review rods, reels, clothing, boats and gear, and much more for the female angler.

Check out the website for more information and to subscribe.

http://www.beyondthefly.com

Anglers from novice to expert will gather at TFFC to celebrate the sport of fly-fishing. Learn the basics of fly-tying and casting, then fish for rainbow trout in our on-site ponds and streams. Attend seminars and demonstrations led by fly-fishing professionals. Visit with vendors of fly-fishing services and equipment.

Fly-fishing clubs from across Texas will be on hand to help anyone who wants to learn or improve existing skills. Equipment will be provided for casting classes, but participants are welcome to bring their own gear.

In addition to our outstanding multimillion dollar complex, we have two 2-acre ponds and a quarter mile long fly fishing stream stocked with rainbow trout. Our Anglers Pavilion houses our fly tying roundtable, we have special demonstrations and a large room for vendors. This is a non-profit event where TPWD donates the facility and staff and fly fishing clubs in Texas provide volunteers and instructors for all of our seminars and classes. Many speakers are fly fishing guides providing their professional expertise.

Photo by Roy Tanami

Like most, Hannah Chloe Belford cut her proverbial angling teeth chasing “cutties” with a willow pole and worms where she grew up around Hazelton, British Columbia. She has taken this early interest and parlayed it into not only a serious passion, but a very successful career as an owner and guide of a world class fishing lodge operation.

“My parents originally started out in 1977 outfitting for big game hunters.  In those days guide outfitting licenses were a combination certificate of both hunting and angling licenses.  During one particularly poor hunt, they took the guests angling instead, and from that one day of exploratory fishing the focus of the outfitting operation changed from hunting to catch and release angling.

What it equates to is 32 years of a very successful operation now run exclusively by Hannah and her mother, Alice. Between the pair of them they have 47 years of angling experience.

Hannah’s real fishing passion is now spey casting for steelhead.  She is a hardcore “2 hander” and loves to cast almost as much as she loves to fish.

Photo by Amanda Switzer

“While I will always love and enjoy single handed angling, for anadromous fish I have moved fully into double hand angling because of the vast diversification of the style.  To be honest, I am simply addicted to spey casting.  Spey casting offers a complexity that is extremely intriguing and rewarding to one’s psyche”.

Being a female in a male dominated sport also prompted her to start her “Fly Fisher Girls” website. Her passion for fly fishing and her background in graphic design work made it a natural fit for her.

“I really didn’t have many female friends to fish with, so part of the reason I started the website was to be able to meet other alike lady anglers, as well as be able to help connect other anglers in the sport in the hope of creating an area on the internet that was supportive and comfortable for anglers of all skill levels to join and participate in.  It gives me immense pleasure to be able to provide and participate in a welcoming and educational community.  I may have started the website, however in my opinion it is the members of the forum and the readers who keep the site rich and growing with their contributions”.

Photo by Nick Zoll

Some of Hannah’s Fly Fisher Girl pack include artist Diane Michelin, who often does water color workshops for the lodge, Rise Fishing owner Amanda Switzer, and author of “Moose in the Water, Bamboo in the Bench”, Kathy Scott. Hannah is on the Rise Fishing Pro Staff Team as well and spends time testing new gear and contributing to the exciting line of spey rods that will be next launched in the Rise Rod series.  Future fishing trips with Amanda from Rise Fishing include a repeat to Louisiana for redfish, Florida for Tarpon and BC for Steelhead, not in any particular order.  Hannah has also represented for Simms and Sage rods.

Besides hunting Steelhead around her neck of the woods Hannah has travelled to exotic and unique fly fishing destination around the world including angling in Patagonia for Atlantic Steelhead.

What’s next for Hannah? She is working at a possible expansion of her website, but it’s something she finds difficult with the demands of her hectic schedule.

To learn more about Hannah  and the “Fly Fisher Girls” check out her website at www.flyfishergirl.com.

When it comes to catching fish in rivers, there is no greater array of angling devices that can enhance the verb “catching” than the vast assortment of fly rods available this day and age. The rivers of fish are in constant flux and can offer anglers a wide range of challenges. From wade fishing to floating, from rivers too big to cross to smallish brooks too tight for back-casts, having the right fly rod for the occasion can be the difference between bragging at the fly shop or hanging your head and kicking pebbles with your boots as the other angler laughs it up. And trust me, even the most magnanimous angler hates listening to the “other angler” brag.

Big Rivers

Fishing big rivers generally requires big rods. While many anglers cling frantically to their favorite bamboo 3 wts., the large rivers will too often punish those who hold dearly the decadence of an angling past. Big rivers are generally exposed to wind as they tend to occupy larger drainages and spread across fertile valleys with wide gaps between their tree-lined banks. Furthermore, in the vast pantheon of currents that can be anywhere from fifty to several hundred feet across, fish have their choice of holding lies, and those lies are not always located within a short cast from the bank.

Nothing meets these challenges like a medium-fast to fast action 6 wt. 6 wts. rule the Western fisheries because they can tolerate larger nymph rigs or heavy-impact streamers; yet, if the opportunity presents itself, can still cast bulky hopper patterns, Parachute Adams, and even tiny midge flies into the wind. For big rivers, 6 wt. rods offer the greatest range of versatility for a one-rod angler. While 5 wt. rods are considered the “one-quiver” rod of choice, they tend to flounder even with large dry flies when the heavy winds set in. At the same time, 7 wt. rods, which can be ideal for those windy conditions and for fishing heavy rigs, are overkill if the fish begin to surface. The added weight of the line on a 7 wt. doesn’t exactly light upon the water when presenting to rising fish, rather it lands in like a trucker’s chain on thin ice.

It goes without saying that the target species plays a huge role in determining rod weight as well. The larger the quarry, the larger the rod; salmon, carp, pike and bass will all require heavier weights, especially for those targeting species that exceed ten pounds. However, it remains the case that on the heavy side of river rods, the 6 wt. offers the widest range of presentation demands. And if you are amongst the select few who prefer the grace, and the challenge, of spey casting, the rod choices available provide an entire galaxy of other options. But for the purpose of this discussion, we’ll stick to single handed rods.

As for length (and yes, regrettably for some, it is all about length), there are further distinctions that should be considered when choosing a rod for big rivers. When wading big rivers a 9’6” to 10’ rod can be an exceptional advantage. Longer casts are made with relative ease, and more importantly, line for mending or long roll-casts
can be better manipulated at distance for the all-important presentations. But, when fishing from a boat, the added rod length can be more of a burden than advantage. Float fishing requires lots of casting, and more arm intense fly-casting than the efficient and energy saving roll casts made from the bank. With added overhand casts comes increase wear on the casting arm, and yes, the extra 6” to a foot can turn an arm to jelly as easily as a fruit press.

A standard 9’ fly rod is ideal. Consider this: when float fishing in big rivers, the angler is standing, more or less, as if his or her feet were only inches below the surface. This not only makes casting distances easier, but mending from the added height much more doable (where as when wading, the angler is often knee to waist deep in the current). But do not go too short with the rod length. It is still a big river, despite the prowess of the boat, and mending that 6 wt. line at distances of 15-30 feet is an important part of the catching equation.

Small Streams

Streams, creeks, ditches, brooks…put away the big guns, this is where the toys come out. If presentation is a key element to angling success on the big rivers, consider presentation to be the element of success on small waters- presentation, and fun of course. Often in small streams and creeks, the crashing of heavy lines on the water is not as easily masked by the noise of heavy currents. These finesse demanding fishing situations call for delicacy, and delicacy in fly fishing begins with lighter fly lines. And lighter fly lines require specialty rods, aka: toys.

The favored weights range from 1 to 4 wt. rods. 3 and 4 wt. rods seem to be the most practical. They can handle minor breezes, fish light streamers or nymph rigs, make short cast with hopper patterns, and with absolute delicacy presenting tiny hatch specific dries to spooky surface feeding fish. 3 and 4 wt. rods can still turn over longer leaders for those situations where anglers must remain completely invisible, yet retain that ‘fun’ factor of catching splendid fish on very light tackle. Most often an angler wants a 3 or 4wt. that is slow to medium-slow in action. A fast-action 3 wt.? While I am certain that some angler somewhere has a good use for such a rod, I feel that for the rest of the angling community it is suffice to say that if an angler wants a fast 3 wt., he or she might be better off just buying a 5 wt.

As for the super lightweight fly rods, the 1 and 2 wt. class, I personally feel that to go into details about where one might be superior to the other is splitting hairs. I was once asked why I owned one of every rod weight except for a 2 wt. My reply: “Because I already have a 1 wt.” Enough said. The point is this: with such small rods, practice is a must. Rods of this size are extremely fun, but part of that fun resides in the inherent challenges of casting them. They generally don’t handle long leaders, breezes or big flies very well. However, they can make a tiger out of a ten inch Brookie, or life long tale out of a 20 inch Brown.

Much of the joy that comes from fishing such small waters is the constant problem-solving required in getting the fly where it needs to be. The small streams can have canopies of foliage, steep cliff backdrops and tunnels of willows all hindering the easy cast. Rod lengths for small streams are best somewhere between 6 and half and 8 feet. These shorter rods allow plenty of maneuverability in the tight spots that anglers enjoy finding themselves in when fishing these creeks. Casts will generally be short, thus mending will be easy with the shorter rod. It is tricky but enjoyable roll casting with the shorter rods, and a skill that requires a bit of time practicing that will greatly increase the ‘catching’ that takes places under these conditions.

The “One-Quiver” Rod

Perhaps at this point it has been noted that I have but only briefly mentioned the most popular rod choice for river fly fishing: the 5 wt.  If an angler were allowed only one rod for a day of fly fishing, which would cover the largest majority of river angling situations, that rod would undoubtedly be a 9’ 5 wt. While it does have its limits -as I have outlined above- it can still be the perfect tool for the trade.

As for rod action (basically meaning: a fast action rod is stiff and snappy and takes a bit of an arm to cast it, while a slow action rod will buckle with too much force, but with the proper timing the rod will cast effortlessly), the suggestion is the same as it is with any of the bigger rods I have mentioned: medium-fast to fast action is perfect. Always avoid the super-fast, tournament casting rods that have gained popularity in the past few years. They are cumbersome casting devices and are fairly ineffectual in real fly fishing applications. Most river casts are between 20 and 30 feet, while hyper-stiff casting rods usually don’t load until the angler has 5o feet of line in the air, which is a lot of work. Remember, fly rods should be fun to cast, not laborious. Furthermore, presentation of the flies to the fish doesn’t end once the cast has been made; the angler still needs to mend and ‘fish’ the flies effectively to be successful, and super fast rods flounder miserably with the subtle nuances that make the difference between catching fish and simply being a bystander to one who is catching fish.

It’s as golfers are so fond of saying: drive for show, put for dough. Or, in honor of the beginning of this essay, it was the chimpanzees that so effectively used the tools to get the ants, not the gorillas.

And so it goes with fly fishing.

Cale Van Velkinburgh is a writer and fly fishing professional who has fished around the world. He now permanently resides year round with his lovely and tolerant wife, Michelle, as well as keeping his summers booked on the legendary rivers of the Big Sky state.