News On The Fly

Lizzie Kaiser, 9, holds her sign as she gets a photo taken with Hank.
Photo by Mike De Sisti, via jsonline.com

A few weeks ago, we told you about Hank, a stray dog who had been adopted by the Milwaukee Brewers at their spring-training facility in Arizona. Well, the fans back in Milwaukee have also taken to. . .

The post Video: Hank the Brewers’ Dog is a Huge Hit with His Fans appeared first on Orvis News.

Written by: Chris Hunt

[Editor's Note: My friend Chris Hunt, National Communications Director at Trout Unlimited, has just published a book called Fly Fishing Idaho's Secret Waters, so I asked him if we could post an excerpt. We'll start with a bit from Chapter 2 that explains what. . .

The post Book Excerpt: <em>Fly Fishing Idaho’s Secret Waters</em> appeared first on Orvis News.

The Tibetan Mastiff on the left was sold for $2 million at a Chinese "luxury pet" fair.
Photo via washingtonpost.com

Consider for a moment what the annual budget for your local dog shelter might be. Then try to wrap your brain around the fact that a Chinese property developer spent 12 million yuan (about US$2 million) on a single Tibetan Mastiff at a recent. . .

The post Is There Any Justification for a $2 Million Dog? appeared first on Orvis News.

This film short from Take It To Eleven features elegant shots of winter on the water.

A new collection of essays and stories by John Gierach will be released from Simon & Schuster on April 15^th.   All Fishermen are Liars  is Gierach’s seventeenth book and ranges in topic from his own childhood to tinkering with Tenkara.  You can watch a video related to the new release here.

Read more in the press release below.  

Kelly Glissmeyer with a fine Idaho brown trout.
Photo courtesy Kelly Glissmeyer

Back in February, we launched a fly-tying contest to celebrate a month of great deals on Orvis fly-tying materials. There were more than 700 entries, and our panel of experts had a. . .

The post Announcing the Grand Prize Winner of Our Fly-Tying Month Contest! appeared first on Orvis News.

“Rise to Mayfly,” Pewter, gold leaf, brass and copper

For an artist who uses traditional metalwork techniques, capturing the complexities of living game fish seems like a tall order. There’s a lot of detail to render if you want the finished work to. . .

The post Angling Art: Heavy Metal Trout appeared first on Orvis News.

Christmas Island

What a place and a great video from the House of Chum, Moldy Chum, highlighting the angling opportunities this iconic destination provides. There are some conservation movements on the way that could have some seriously positive impacts on the fish here, such as no baiting for GTs and a better understanding of their migratory and spawning habits. Stay tuned for more.

original...

Mishi has helped in volunteer searches throughout New England.
Photo via dogster.com

It was an emotional goodbye for members of the Massachusetts Canine Rescue Team, as they gathered to give Machiko the dog one last chance to complete a mission before they had to put her down. Just five years old, "Mishi" suffered from aggressive bone cancer that . . .

The post A Dying Service Dog Gets One Last Rescue Mission appeared first on Orvis News.

The Bivisible is one of those time-tested patterns that you'll still find in many anglers' boxes today. Although no one knows for certain who first wrapped these contrasting hackles on a . . .

The post Video: How to Tie a Bivisible appeared first on Orvis News.

If there's one thing that gives dog owners a bad name it's dog waste left in public places. Even responsible owners are harmed by the few irresponsible ones. Well, the Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Department is trying. . .

The post Video: Santa Cruz Tells Dog Owners, “There is No Poop Fairy.” appeared first on Orvis News.

Our old pal John Van Vleet—erstwhile Orvis Fishing copywriter who is now marketing manager for Scientific Anglers—visited some dealers and distributors in early March. In between meetings, . . .

The post Video: SA in the UK appeared first on Orvis News.

Ayla and her service dog, Princess Shasta, who replaced Lilly Joy.
Photo via justgabe.com

In 2009, five-year-old Ayla Casabier, who suffers from life-threatening type 1 diabetes, got a Golden Retriever puppy named Lily Joy. The new puppy was being trained to replace Ayla's Black Lab, a diabetes-detection service dog, to. . .

The post Family Wins $100,000 Claim of Wrongful Eviction Over Service Dog appeared first on Orvis News.

California has designated the Point Arena-Stornetta complex of public lands as a national monument, which is a fundamentally important area for fish populations and habitat. “This area is vitally important for salmon and steelhead,” says Brian Johnson, director of TU’s California Program, “and this designation is widely supported in the local community and among California’s more than 1.8 million anglers.”

Read more in the press release below.

Photo via Salon.com

In our introduction of the "Ask the Dogtor" column a couple months ago, we alluded Dr. Bergman's wife, Meghan, and offered a link to her website. Those who were perspicacious enough to. . .

The post Essay: Letting go of the Dog Who Rescued Us appeared first on Orvis News.

We are getting pretty excited for the Down the Hatch Fishing Festival taking place in Missoula, MT on Saturday April 5th, 2014.

From 4pm to 6pm we'll be invading Caras Park. We're bringing beer from Big Sky Brewing, all the best new gear, and delicious local food. After the party, head on over to the Wilma Theatre for the Down the Hatch Film Fest.

Entrance to the film fest is $10 - with all proceeds going to Montana Trout Unlimited - and includes an entry into a great raffle (we're not just talking t-shirts and baseball hats here, we came to play).

Purchase tickets by clicking through, or at Blackfoot River Outfitters and Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop in Missoula, MT. Alternatively, you can buy tickets the day of the event.

The post The 2014 Down the Hatch Film Festival – Tickets Now Available! appeared first on Orvis News.

From Costa:

Costa Sunglasses recently hired Emily Boynton as Northeast Regional Sales Manager for its Rx, sunglass specialty and department store accounts. In this newly created position, Boynton will be responsible for overseeing and growing the brand’s premium sports sunglass business across the area.

Boynton has more than 28 years of experience in sales, marketing and management with action sports lifestyle brands. Prior to joining Costa, Boynton worked with Maui Jim, Inc., where she was the Northeast Director of Sales. She also previously served as a key accounts sales representative for Oakley, Inc., managing accounts including LL Bean, EMS and Cambridge Eye.

“Emily’s proven track record and knowledge of the action sports lifestyle business are just pre-cursors to the success she will bring Costa,” said Chas MacDonald, president of Costa. “She’s already

From Simms:

Simms and Trout Unlimited are teaming up to help out a neighbor in need this season with a limited edition t-shirt and hoody sale to aid Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout conservation.

For a limited time only, Simms is offering limited editions of its popular Riffle Trout LS and SS T and Authentic Badge and DeYoung Steel Flank Hoodies with 50% of all sales going to TU’s project to help protect the native Yellowstone cutthroat trout in Yellowstone National Park.

In the past 20 years, the population of the Yellowstone cutthroat in Yellowstone Lake has dwindled to less than 10% of its historic levels, mostly due to the introduction of non-native lake trout into Yellowstone Lake. Over the past 6 years, extensive efforts have resulted in a rebound in numbers of native cutthroats, but the popular game fish is still facing an uphill battle.

“Helping Yellowstone cutthroat trout is an important project to all of us at Simms. For generations, anglers have

If you're having trouble coming up with a dream trip as your entry in our Where Would You Go? Contest, perhaps you should consider. . .

The post Video: Chasing Delta Tigers in Botswana appeared first on Orvis News.

Companions for Heroes provides dogs to servicemen and women recovering from psychological challenges.
Photo via eccorazzi.com

David E. Sharpe, a senior airman in the United States Air Force, has an unfortunately all too familiar story of suffering and loss following a military deployment in 2002 to Saudi Arabia. The brave and selfless war veteran suffered. . .

The post Rescue Dogs Save Veterans From Committing Suicide appeared first on Orvis News.

Written by: Jon Hill

Nobody feels old when he's cradling a beautiful trout like this.
All photos courtesy Jon Hill

Colorado angler and blogger Jon Hill reached a milestone recently, and he sent in these photos showing how he spent his special day.

The post Photos of the Day: The Perfect 40th Birthday Present appeared first on Orvis News.

Air Force Technical Sergeant David Simpson and Robby together in the war zone.
Photo via myfoxtampabay.com

Here's a wonderful, short video that shows the moment that Air Force Technical Sergeant David Simpson was reunited with the dog he served with, Robby. Simpson retired last year, and Robby continued. . .

The post Video: Iraq Vet and the Dog He Served with Are Reunited appeared first on Orvis News.

Robert Redford wants to “raise the river” and restore flows to the Colorado River, while Will Ferrell is in favor of bringing ocean to dry land. They debate their views in this creative short, a comedic take on a serious subject.

New for the 2014 season, William Joseph Fly Fishing has announced the release of five new pack designs.

Read more in the press release below. 

We are so excited about the upcoming fishing season—Come on spring!—that we're gonna try to kick-start the warming trend by giving away a Helios 2 fly rod. We are calling this the "Where Would You Go? Contest" to give you, and ourselves, a chance to. . .

The post Win the Helios 2 Fly Rod of Your Choice in Our Exciting “Where Would You Go?” Contest! appeared first on Orvis News.

From Swift Fly Fishing:

The Swift Fly Fishing Company continues to lead the way with their latest product offering. Challenging conventional wisdom around how fly rods are produced and marketed the company has launched a sophisticated yet easy to use ‘Just in time’ manufacturing system that features a fly rod “Configurator” that encourages customers to design and build their own fly rod in real time online. Once configured, each rod and it’s accompanying components can either be shipped as a comprehensive “Ready to Wrap Rod kit” for the home builder or commissioned as a unique bespoke Studio build by the Swift fly fishing company.

A third option offers a full custom fly rod built completely to order from any one of the companies “Epic Rod Builders” world wide.

Building on the success of their highly regarded range of Epic fully Unidirectional S2 glass fly rod blanks the company has taken the further step of offering a compete fly rod kit or a bespoke fly rod made to order.

No longer does your fly rod have to be green – The system encompasses most of the “Epics” in the range, currently 6 blank profiles across 6 colours. Combined with two reel seat types, hard anodise black or Titanium coated, three grip types and an optional fighting butt, the company effectively offers 432 variations of fly rod. Likely the largest range of fly rods offered by any manufacturer.

“ROLL YOUR OWN” – THE EPIC ‘READY TO WRAP’ FLY ROD KIT:

The Epic Ready to Wrap Fly Rod kit is a premium product that features everything required to produce premium quality fly rod.

Each Kit contains:

Written by: Maggie Mae Kuhlman, Lone Mountain Ranch

Maggie Mae is all smiles after landing this behemoth.
All photos courtesy Maggie Mae Kuhlman

Editor's note: Montana guide and former Trout Bum of the Week Maggie Mae Kuhlman sent in these killer photos, along with a brief description of the day on a special piece of water in northwestern. . .

The post Photos of the Day: Maggie Mae in the Land of Giants appeared first on Orvis News.

From American Rivers:

The House of Representatives voted today to approve a bill that could dry up countless stretches of rivers and harm river restoration efforts nationwide. H.R. 3189 – the so-called “Water Rights Protection Act” – passed by a 238-174 vote.

This bill is terrible news for rivers nationwide. It puts the interests of the oil and gas industry, corporate agriculture, and other private interests over the health of our rivers, fish and wildlife, and the millions of Americans who fish, boat, and enjoy river recreation. It is ultimately a broad swipe at federal natural resource agencies’ authority to protect public lands and recreation.

The bill, pushed by the National Ski Areas Association and Aspen’s SkiCo, as well as the Farm Bureau, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the Colorado Petroleum Association, and the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, would strip away critical safeguards for rivers, fish and wildlife.

The bill was originally introduced to address a specific conflict between Colorado’s ski industry and the U.S. Forest Service. Even though the Forest Service has already acted to address the ski industry’s issue, the bill became a vehicle for the oil and gas industry, corporate agriculture, and other industries, putting their interests ahead of the public’s interest in healthy rivers and recreation.

This bill was so badly written, that in a last ditch effort to try to bring some sanity to the legislative process, House Democrats offered an amendment that would, at the very least, allow federal agencies to protect rivers enough to guarantee

From Keen:

For Spring/Summer 2014, KEEN expands its lightweight and durable KEEN.CNX collection with styles for adventurers in the water and on land, and everywhere in between. Named for the Madison mountain range in the Rockies and the Gallatin River which runs alongside it, the new CNX styles provide outstanding performance with the KEEN promise of comfort, durability and protection.

“We know the KEEN fans don’t limit their adventures to just rivers, or just mountains and their footwear shouldn’t be limited either. This season’s CNX styles are impressive in all conditions, while still providing all the lightweight, low-profile performance people have come to expect from CNX,” says KEEN’s Outdoor Business Unit Director Jeff Dill. “This  collection has

From Costa:

Costa will launch its latest original film series, “GEOBASS: The World’s Greatest Bass Fishing Adventure,” at the first Bassmaster Elite Series tournament in Bainbridge, Ga. GEOBASS chronicles the lifestyles, mishaps and camaraderie of the four expedition anglers of GEOFISH fame – Thad Robison, Brian Jill, Jay Johnson and Chris Owens – in an around the world epic bass fishing journey.

In the series, the GEOBASS team searches the planet to locate and catch unique bass species, and experience the adventurous waters where they live. The crew will receive tips and advice from B.A.S.S owner and TV fishing legend Jerry McKinnis, as well as some Bassmaster Elite Series tournament pros, on how to conquer some of the most sought-after bass worldwide.

“In addition to being a story about unveiling Earth’s greatest fishing frontiers, GEOBASS is about our overriding urge to explore the world,” said Robison. “If a fish has the word ‘bass’ anywhere in its name, we’re going to try and catch it, no matter where in the world it lives. From the infamous record breaking largemouth bass of Mexico, to the legendary peacock bass of South America and the mysterious Indonesian

GeoBass

Da boyz at GeoFish – Thad Robison, Brian Jill, Jay Johnson and Chris Owens – star in a new series that documents the lifestyle, adventures, mishaps and camaraderie of four expedition anglers on an epic around-the-world journey. This time they’ve got their sights set on one species in particular – BASS!

original content Costa Sunglasses

South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard signed into law a bill that prohibits municipalities from banning bully breeds, making it the 18th state to create such a law.

The post Video: South Dakota Bans Breed-Specific Legislation appeared first on Orvis News.

Whenever I see a woodcock, it's flying away after I've missed it, so the chance to just watch one feed is cool.

The post Video: Mesmerizing Video of a Woodcock Eating Worms appeared first on Orvis News.

Steelhead were the fish that got Jim into fly fishing, and he dreams of casting for wild steel in British Columbia.
All photos courtesy Jim Lampros

A couple years ago, we ran a series called “Trout Bum of the Week,” in which we highlighted some of the guys living the good life. . .of a sort. (See the bottom of this post for a link to the previous installments.) This is our second round of profiles. Most of the. . .

The post Orvis Trout Bum of the Week XXIII: Jim Lampros appeared first on Orvis News.

We post a lot about dogs doing wonderful things for people, so it's nice when we can repay the favor. When Oreo, a Black Labrador Retriever, somehow made her way 40 feet down a 90 foot cliff along the California coast, she became trapped. She couldn't. . .

The post Video: Dramatic Rescue of a Dog Stuck on an Ocean Cliff appeared first on Orvis News.

New styles and updated colors and patterns of men’s shorts and shirts will be included in the Spring 2014 apparel line from Howler Brothers. “Now in its fourth year, Howler Brothers is continuing to offer fresh, innovative and original pieces,” said Chase Heard, Co-Founder of Howler Brothers.

Read more in the press release below.

This film short from WebCox Fly Fishing features fly fishing for sooty, also known as “Black Bream,” in the small streams of North Queensland, Australia.