I recently bought a 1-wt. It is amazing. I bought the TFO Finesse rod, which is 6.75′ in length. It’s perfect for the small and local freestone I fish for panfish and trout. I also bought an old-school Orvis reel, the one that makes a clicking noise when fish pull the line. The rod casts
Gear Review: William Joseph Confluence Chest Pack
Unfortunately, the William Joseph Confluence chest pack has been discontinued. The closest substitute I have found is the Wychwood Gear Trap Vest. It looks just like the WJC chest pack except that the compartments are zippered rather than magnetized. I started using the William Joseph Confluence chest pack, and it has changed how I
Gear Review: Rio Leader Wallet
Last year, I bought the Rio Leader Wallet, and it’s been very helpful. I store in it quite a few things while also trying to minimize weight: Leaders (obviously) Various pre-tied rigs for dries and nymphs Pre-built 2′ leaders for big streamers Tippet rings In-line strike indicators: the pre-built multi-colored mono kind and the
Look for Aquifers
Colie Egertson’s recent blog post on the importance of aquifers is a fascinating read. It’s important also as this strategy will help you find more trout. Some local freestones are starting to push 70 degrees Fahrenheit already. That’s way too warm, too soon. As I’ve written about before, warm water is dangerous for trout. Some