Words to Avoid In a Rod Critique

Words to Avoid In a Rod Critique

“I can’t recall exactly when I first saw the words ‘track’ and ‘tracking’ used in the evaluation of a fly rod. I remember thinking at the time that their use by the reviewer was suspect. As time passed, they cropped up in more and more reviews. Today, they’re practically ubiquitous. Just yesterday I was reading some rod reviews in a magazine, the authors gushing on about such-and-such rods ‘tracking really well’.

The term ‘tracking’ is used to describe the quality of a rod to remain in a single plane as it is moved through the casting stroke. A rod with perfect tracking would never veer off-plane, and the fly line cast by such a rod would unroll in perfectly straight lines. Nothing wrong with that; it’s a recipe for efficient, accurate casts. A rod that doesn’t ‘track’ well would demonstrate some sort of off-plane movement, perhaps side-to-side wobble.”

Read the entire article on Substack.

“Conflicted” About $1700 Graphite Fly Rods

“But I’m conflicted. The voice in one ear whispers, ‘Jeez, just what fly fishing needs to shed the stereotype of being a snobby sport for wealthy old men.’ The voice in the other ear says, ‘Hooray for innovation! And whatever squeaks your duck, right? If that’s your flavor, knock yourself out. This is still America (at least I think it is).’

Maybe if there was a cause connected I’d be more enthusiastic. That’s what ‘life membership’ incentives from Trout Unlimited, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and other worthy organizations offer, right? If you’re going to spend $1500+ for a rod, you might as well save rivers and protect your access rights to fish them in the first place, no?”

Read the entire article on Substack.

Fly Fishing Under Pressure

“Destination fishing has unique characteristics, and the combination of predetermined days, variable conditions and significant financial and emotional investment can create an internal pressure to make every second count. From a neuroscience perspective, this recipe demands sustained attention, rapid decision-making under uncertainty, emotional regulation in unfamiliar environments, minimal recovery between sessions and sometimes even disrupted sleep.

The brain doesn’t distinguish between physical threat and perceived stakes, it responds to load. And when cognitive demand outpaces recovery, performance begins to erode.”

Read the entire article on Substack.

A Brown Trout Quirk

“For the past several seasons I’ve been spending much of my fishing time pursuing brown trout. Free-rising brown trout. While so engaged I’ve been reminded countless times of a feeding quirk particular to this species. It’s this: Brown trout react to food according to their own whims and fancy, completely independent of its presence and abundance.

Surround them with a good hatch, spinner fall, or stonefly flight, and brown trout might feed readily, might feed haphazardly, or maybe not at all. Give them the sparsest of hatches and it’s possible for every brown in the river to be on the fin, taking anything that drifts nearby. You just never know.”

Read the entire article on Substack.

The Real Story About Fly Lines

“Today, fly lines might be the most complex factor, legitimately measured in nano-gradients, of any gear consideration in the realm of fly fishing.

I know for a fact, having been through almost every rod manufacturing operation and reel shop in the Western Hemisphere, that fly-line-making (the likes of which I’ve been invited to see very little, despite running the fly industry trade magazine for over 20 years) remains the most secretive and staunchly-guarded realm of any product category in the fly world.”

Read the entire article on Substack.

Deeter on the Ross-Coors Light Collab

“It features a ‘ThermoChromic’ mountain graphic–just like on the ‘Silver Bullet’ beer cans. In the case of the reel, you dunk it in the water, and if the water temp is below 70°F, the mountain turns blue and you’re good to fish. If the mountain doesn’t turn blue, you’re better off going and getting some cans that do turn blue and tying some flies at home. Seriously, how anglers pressure a resource is a conservation concern, and catch-and-release only works when we don’t kill fish. We kill fish when we fish in water that trout can barely tolerate. We should all be taking stream temps in the summer. And you can do that by dunking a reel that features an obvious (and reliable) pass-fail test–that’s a win for both fish and rivers.”

Read the entire gear roll-up on Substack.

‍The Flyfish Journal sits down with Travis Rummel, who started Felt Soul Media (a ground-breaking voice in outdoor media) in 2005 with Ben Knight, a decision they described as a “pretty scary plunge into self-employment.” How do you start making iconic fly-fishing films? By becoming a fishing guide and just “start doing projects you care about,” in the words of Rummel.