Don’t be koi. We know you’ve been dreaming of casting a fly into your next-door neighbor’s koi pond while they’re on vacation. Gear up for suburban fishing with the all-new Tactical Koi rod. Business parks, malls and lobbies everywhere become thrilling fisheries as these artificial ponds become your new favorite fishing spots when using the Tactical Koi. This new, fast action rod series will be offered in a 6wt through 12wt. Because koi fish can vary in size from 12″ all the way to 36+”, we decided to incorporate a fighting butt for all weights to assist in the lifting and fighting power ..read more

If you’ve immersed yourself in the fly fishing literature or watched what seems like a never-ending series of ‘how to videos’, one topic that is almost never addressed is the issue of line management. This neglect is really quite surprising given the fact that managing one’s fly line is critical to one’s fly-fishing success. Today’s fly lines from the major manufacturers are vastly superior to what old timers fished with in the past, but all this progress will fall short of yielding maximum performance potential if they are not properly managed. Anglers using spinning and conventional outfits ..read more

Looking to catch a trophy bass this spring? Swim jigs and lipless crankbaits are excellent baits to use as they are extremely versatile and can be fished around many different types of cover.  Both baits can be worked shallow or deep depending on the weight of the bait, rod, line selection, and presentation with which they’re fished. TFO Ambassador Ben Nowak shares some tips for how he’s targeting spring bass with these techniques. Why Swim Jigs and Lipless? Bass in the spring tend to be in transition – moving from winter patterns into shallower water to feed and spawn.  Using techni ..read more

Today we honor a legend. Bernard “Lefty” Kreh would have turned 97 today. We all miss him dearly and know that his legacy and the impact he left on this world continues to influence people every day. We’ve put together a list of various videos you might like that feature or mention Lefty. We hope you’ll enjoy. Happy Birthday, Lefty! TIME | A Reflection With Flip Pallot – We’d love to share a film put out two years ago by our friends at The American Museum of Fly Fishing and Flylords honoring Lefty and the memories that still last with Flip Pallot, Bob Clouser, and Blane Chocklett. Backbay ..read more

As the warmer days of late March approach, ocean and bay water temperatures will begin to rise.  Bait fish such as menhaden (bunker to me), herring, silver sides, and anchovies, will set up and attract huge schools of striped bass into the Raritan Bay area. This body of water is shared between New York City, and the New Jersey Bay shore.  It is arguably the best spring striped bass fishery on the East coast.  I usually look for water temperatures to rise between 47-50 degrees to begin my guiding season.  This seems to be the magic temperature where stripers start getting mo ..read more

When the dead of winter sets in and fishing seems to have come to a halt in other parts of the country, the White River in NE Arkansas is the mecca that streamer fishermen flock too. This year round fishery boasts a healthy population of browns, bows, brooks and cutthroats in the heart of the Ozarks. With Covid disrupting fly fishing events like Dally’s Streamer Love Fest, many anglers still travel from far and wide to the White River to get their winter streamer fix – no matter how bad the conditions may be. BC Big Fly bends. // Photo: Grant Braudrick This section of the White River is the ta ..read more

I’m going into my 80th year, my 61st year working as a fishing guide, my 30th year of operating the Sailfish School in Guatemala. During these years, I’ve done everything from owning fishing lodges, worked in the industry as a sales rep for both rod and reel companies, owned a fishing reel manufacturing company, and owned one of the early fly shop/tackle shops in the Florida Keys for many years. When we had our shop in the Keys from the early-mid 1970s, we used to offer destination fishing. Part of my deal was to do research and look for different places to send fly fisherman. During this time ..read more

It’s the early 2000s at TFO headquarters, and founder Rick Pope and Lefty Kreh are working on a new fly rod. At the time, TFO only had three rods in their lineup: the Professional Series and Signature Series – both moderate action rods, and a versatile, fast action rod – the TiCr. The now discontinued fast action series was offered in a 4wt for freshwater trout all the way up to a 12wt for tarpon. The blanks were made using titanium chromium technology (no longer available), resulting in a more durable, faster action rod compared to the Professional and Signature series. Rick and Lefty wanted ..read more

A wise man once said, “When you are fishing the bank, 90% of the fish are behind you.” The wise man that said that was Bill Dance, and the new improvements in fishing electronics have truly confirmed that statement! As I’ve progressed as an angler, I’ve become much more aware that the majority of bass spend very little time on the bank. Now that doesn’t mean that beating the bank or shallow cover fishing isn’t an effective strategy! What that does mean, is there are always fish behind you, and more often than not – the largest population of fish that live in the lake, river, or reservoir you a ..read more

White coral sand, warmed by the tropical water I was casting into, engulfed my toes with each step.  The water was calm and clear. My fly landed with a soft “Ploop” and settled to the bottom ahead of a shadow.  A few quick strips and I felt the tug.  I lifted the rod and felt the energy that usually means bonefish.  After a short fight, my prize was in the net.  Not just any fish, this bonefish was special; it was the thousandth one I’d caught since reporting for duty in the Indian Ocean.  A few minutes later I added one more to the tally before I left the water ..read more