During the holiday, Sight Line Provisions will share up to 50% of sales in the Project Healing Waters Collection. This collection is highlighted by the new Patriotic Redfish Skinny bracelet and the 2023 Patriotic Badged Trout cap. These pieces are only available during this online event from July 1st – July 4th.
“When I learned about Project Healing Waters, it just made so much sense to me [to be involved]. When I found out about the organization and your mission, I had just entered the fly fishing industry, the excitement of discovering fly fishing and the opportunity to also help the Veteran and military communities seemed too good to be true. For me, it was a matter of being excited for the Veterans, for them to get outside and fish, to get to a better place through fly fishing. Sight Line’s involvement started with one bracelet I made for the Fourth of July in 2016 and expanded from there!” – Edgar Diaz, Sight Line Provisions, Supporter.
While our partnership has been officially realized through Sight Line Provisions’ Nonprofit Takeover live now, Edgar and his wife Kristi have been supporting Project Healing Waters through the creative wearable art of Sight Line Provisions for seven years and counting. We look forward to sharing more about this growing partnership in the coming months!
Project Healing Waters brings a high-quality, full-spectrum fly fishing experience to an ever-expanding number of Veterans and active military service personnel, specifically supporting the healing journey of those in need. With dynamic leadership at the local, regional, and national levels, Project Healing Waters uses their resources to contribute wherever the need is greatest: the PHW community uplifts and connects Veterans, volunteers, and donors for maximum impact. Through its successful application of the sport of fly fishing as an intervention, Project Healing Waters is continually recognized as a national leader in therapeutic outdoor recreation.
If you want to get your hands on one of these limited products, CLICK HERE.Â
“Not always will everything go accordingly… Luckily this fish was landed for @schultzoutiftters but dropping the rod right after the hookset made a few of us laugh! Have you ever dropped your fly rod after a hookset?”
Reel of the Week from Schultz Outfitters, be sure to check out Mike’s operation in Michigan. Check out their website by clicking here, and follow them on socials @schultzoutfitters.Â
In this week’s “How to Tie†video feature, Paul Monaghan ties a baitfish pattern that every angler should have in their predator box, the Bucktail Firecracker.
Learn About This Fly:
Difficulty: Intermediate
Few things are as thrilling as fish crushing a baitfish pattern with nothing but pure intent to kill. Some will breach the surface, flip, or simply inhale and tear line from your reel. Regardless, it is thrilling and a feeling no angler should turn down. From the jungles of Bolivia to the lakes of Canada or ponds in cities, there is a predator species for everyone to target and the Bucktail Firecracker is a great tool for the job.
Tying baitfish flies with bucktail can be frustrating at first, but by taking your time and enjoying the learning process, you will 100% be able to increase your skill behind the vise. Nayat is a fantastic material for baitfish patterns and allows you to change the specific imitation by simply switching colors. The Bucktail Firecracker is a fly that can be modified to imitate most baitfish in the 4-6inch range and can be mastered with a little sweat equity.
Depending on the feeding zone for your targeted species, this fly can be fished with floating, intermediate, or sink tip line. Changing your retrieve speed until you find consistency with hookups is another strategy to produce more fish. The Bucktail Firecracker is not a pattern that is terribly difficult to tie and will only add to your repertoire of predator flies for any species that swims.
Welcome to: “The Rundownâ€. In our newest editorial series, we’ll provide an all-encompassing look at the latest and greatest products from your favorite brands in the fly fishing and outdoor space. Here, we’ll run over high-level info, tech specs, and our opinions – all paired with a behind-the-scenes interview with product designers who have poured their hearts into bringing these creations from blueprints to the showroom floor.
In this Rundown Feature, we will provide an all-encompassing look at the full product lineup from Riversmith. The River Quiver, the ShortCut, and the SwiftCast.
Background:Â
If you have been following Flylords, you would remember our “Behind the Brand” feature we ran about Riversmith just last year. Since then, we have been lucky to get to know the great people at Riversmith more and share some good days on the water with them.
Still young, with their first product launching in 2018, Riversmith is becoming a brand you can’t go anywhere without seeing. In Colorado, which we are lucky to call home, all I have to do is take a walk down the street, and I am guaranteed to see one of their River Quivers mounted on a vehicle. I recall when I interviewed CEO John Koza for their “Behind the Brand” last year and he said, “Our product development team has been working through a slew of different ideas as well. The River Quiver was our first big breakthrough product as a company, but it’s by far not our last. We want to continue to expand our travel line, then expand into new product lines to really become a staple within the fly fishing industry. Our plan going forward is to listen to what the market is saying, grow within those demands, and keep pumping out products of the same quality that we’ve got out there right now.”
John sure was right. Since then, the Riversmith product development team has added two more products to the Riversmith lineup we are excited to tell you our feedback on and hear more about them from Head of Product Jason Thomas.
What’s New:
The two newest products to the Riversmith lineup are the SwiftCast and the ShortCut. With every product Riversmith designs, they were brought into the lineup with a problem to solve in mind.
The Swiftcast was released in early March to solve a problem many raft anglers face on the water: how to fish as efficiently as possible while protecting a fly rod that is not being used. This versatile rod holder was designed for quick assembly out of the box and can be mounted and deployed to almost any rafting frame. You can use one or more Swiftcast Rod Holders on your boat depending on how many rods need to be stored, and they can be mounted universally and configured for your particular needs.
From our experience, the previous option was DIY PVC rod holders, which don’t hold up super well, metal tubes that can scratch and damage gear, or laying the rod in the boat.
Tech Specs:
Here is a high-level breakdown of the key features of the Swiftcast.
Universal mounting to any raft frame and raft size
Holds a single fly rod – up to 10ft in length up to 10 weight reel/line
Elastic cord for 100% security in rapids
Attach inside or outside of oar tower
Can be paired together in-line or bi-directional
The Shortcut, part of the River Quiver family, was brought to life for those who need to carry rods with them but need a smaller package. With its compact and sleek design, the Shortcut is a perfect option for small commuter vehicles. Also useful on Overland Vehicles due to the fact it can be mounted on any roof rack crossbar, inside truck cabs, on UTVS, Pop-Up Campers, Trailers, and more. Simply split your rod in half, and the ShortCut RQ safely stores your rods while maximizing real estate on your vehicle.
One of the most interesting applications we have seen from the Shortcut is the bed-mount system for anyone who wants to keep their rods and Shortcut below a tonneau cover for extra security.
Tech Specs:
Here is a high-level breakdown of the key features of the Shortcut.
T-Track on both sides of extrusion.
Fits 10’4″ rods broken down in half.
Versatile mounting options.
12 seconds to break down and store a rod.
15 seconds to reassemble and ready to fish!
Our Experience:Â
Our team has been lucky to get our hands on all of the Riversmith products from the River Quiver to the new Swiftcast. We have been using and abusing all their stuff for some time now. Here is what we have gathered:
River QuiverÂ
I already wrote a gear review on this – you can check it out here!
With the ShortCut River Quiver, we were initially skeptical about having th break your rods in half. However, after spending some time with it, we found this process only adds less than a minute to our process of getting on or off the river.
The ShortCut River Quiver has the same trusted construction and attention to detail as the standard River Quiver. Paired with the Quick Release Mounts from Riversmith, the package is extremely portable and easy to take on and off without extra help. The size of the Short Cut is also perfect for compact cars and truck beds. On a sedan or hatchback, the entire Short Cut does not extend further than the roof of the vehicle, which looks great on those smaller cars. Personally, I will be keeping my standard River Quiver because I am stubborn enough not to want to break my rods down. For those with a smaller car or are looking for something more compact – this is definitely the River Quiver for you.
The Swiftcast has to be the product our team was most excited to test out. Back in the fall of ’22, the Riversmith team let us test out the prototypes of this product, and to say we were impressed would be an understatement.
We have broken countless rods in our raft, most of which were subject to our office dog Sam jumping in and out of the boat and landing on a rod in the back of the raft. We were impressed with the product’s construction, which was light but solid throughout. It took us some time with the product to figure out which mounting configuration we liked the most, but with anything on a raft, we found our sweet spot after a few uses and are super happy with how it works.
The key feature we love is the reel box which not only has a bungee to hold your rod in place but also has a slot for your reel seat to lock into for extra security. I am confident enough in this to where I will drive home with the rods in my Swiftcast. The one thing I think could improve on the product is the end pieces that curve up on the bow. We have taken this feedback to the Riversmith team, and the great thing about the Boulder-based company is they immediately started to look into ways to help us find a good way to secure it and improve the product in the future.
An Interview with Riversmith’s Head of Product: Jason Thomas
Flylords: Who are you, and what is your position at Riversmith?Â
Jason: Hi, my is Jason Thomas. My official position at Riversmith is Head of Product. It’s a pleasure to chat with you guys!
Flylords: How do you think the design of the Riversmith products will affect the way anglers look at the fishing experience going forward?
Jason: Our products, at their core, are designed to encourage people to think to themselves, ‘my time really is valuable…. my experience on the water is important and could it be improved?’
Personally, I strongly connect with these sentiments and asking these types of questions. I believe that our time and experience are incredibly finite resources – every moment matters. At Riversmith we aim to address these problems for our customers and it’s where we feel we can make a real difference. From a product development perspective, we get a lot of inspiration directly from our customers and we love getting feedback.
Flylords: What has been your personal favorite product to work on?Â
Jason: Personally, the Swiftcast takes the cake as my favorite product we’ve developed and released. The goal of designing a universal rod holder for rafts was ambitious, which led to a lot of trial and error. We learned a lot through our development process, which set the stage for future innovation. With that said, the new products we’re working on currently have me just as excited and I’m really looking forward to hearing what the fishing community thinks!
Flylords: Who’s idea was it to mount a ShortCut River Quiver in a truck bed? What was your process to create a mount for that to be possible?Â
Jason: Honestly, the idea came from real life fly anglers. If you go back and watch our introduction video for the Shortcut, I mention the idea of mounting it in the bed of a pickup even though at that time there wasn’t a mounting option for that application. We had some folks approach us looking for a bed mount solution but hadn’t yet tackled it. What really moved the needle is when we shot a video for our social platforms asking the community if they wanted a mounting solution for the bed of their pickup and we got an overwhelming ‘YES!’
We decided to fast-track the development of this mounting system, and knew going in that we faced the looming challenge of all the different types of trucks – years, makes, models, materials, etc. What ultimately boosted our momentum and provided a ton of insight was when we decided to go to dealerships and install the mounts in the back of their trucks. Then, a few days later we went to a few “pick-your-part†junk yards where we screwed these mounts to directly to pickup bed panels and physically tested their structural properties. Real world testing in bulk! Those were great days and we learned a ton.
Flylords: What does your day look like as the lead product designer at Riversmith?Â
Jason: Well, I spend a lot of my time modeling in various CAD programs and building physical prototypes. My favorite days are when we get out into the field for research and product testing – that’s where we gain the most valuable insights. Without these days, innovation could not occur. Â
And as it goes with any small business our team members wear various hats. Right now, mine include designer, developer, engineer, testing specialist, supply chain manager, sourcing and logistics coordinator. Every day brings something new, which makes it exciting!
Flylords: What was the initial thought process behind the Swiftcast? What role was it made to fill?Â
Jason: For those who have fished from a raft, breaking a rod is an ever-present danger. Whether it happens getting in or out of the boat, foot strike, dogs being dogs, snagging rocks or limbs, rod protection is an everyday challenge and when it occurs your dream float can turn into a costly nightmare in the blink of an eye. We designed the Swiftcast to eliminate these moments so our customers can focus on the fishing.
While there have a been a few attempts at solving the rod storage problem, the vast majority of these solutions are DIY. This fact indicated an obvious need – a real problem to solve. We saw that biggest challenge for such a product was the multitude of different raft shapes, sizes, and frame configurations. We designed the Swiftcast to not only fully protect your fly rod when not in use but to be configurable to your unique raft/frame setup – to be “universal.†We started with designs that held multiple rods, but quickly found to ensure it fits most any raft setup (including its rocker) while fully protecting the rod, it would need to be a single rod carrier. This insight drove the design to what it is today. The Swiftcast has only been available for a short time, and we have received incredibly positive feedback and have seen folks adapt it to their drift boats and even float planes.
While it was designed primarily with rafts in mind, the Swifcast’s application potential plays a far broader role with different types of boats, kayaks, and potentially standup paddleboards. I’m excited to see how the product continues to evolve and the unique ways anglers adapt it for their program.
Flylords: Do you have a main set of goals in mind when designing a new product?Â
Jason: Yes. But I believe what we don’t do is just as important as what we choose to do. We don’t make products that aren’t serving a meaningful purpose. We explore a lot of product ideas that never materialize because we don’t feel they fully meet these important criteria. Our focus is building products that protect what matters most – our time and our experience. Fundamentally, a new product at Riversmith is only viable if it supports these objectives and it serves a meaningful purpose during our time on the water.
Thank you to the Riversmith team for allowing us to participate in this project over the last year. To learn more about the Riversmith Lineup, Click HERE.
This article was published as part of a paid campaign between Flylords LLC and Riversmith. All opinions presented in this article are genuine and solely reflect the opinions of Flylords LLC.Â
We had the chance to catch up with Max Logan and Noah Shapiro, two remarkable anglers representing Team USA Youth Fly Fishing. These talented individuals recently achieved a remarkable feat by emerging as champions in the highly competitive 2023 Mile High 25 On The Fly competition.
Noah & Max receiving their 25 On The Fly Award
With an astonishing score of 3700 points and an impressive catch of 17 different species, Max and Noah showcased their exceptional skills and undeniable expertise, solidifying their position as the deserving winners of the event. Their outstanding performance not only earned them well-deserved bragging rights but also served as a confidence booster as they prepare to compete in the upcoming Youth World Championships in Bosnia on behalf of Team USA. For a detailed account of our interview with these young guns, continue reading the full article below!
Flylords: Tell us a little bit more about yourselves.
Max: I’m Max Logan, and I’m proudly part of the United States Youth Fly Fishing Team. I’ve been fly fishing since I was a mere 5 years old, and I haven’t stopped since. Born and raised in the breathtaking land of Boulder, Colorado, I’ve always had nature’s playground right at my doorstep. In 2019, I stumbled upon the United States Youth Fly Fishing Team, and I knew right then and there that I had to be a part of it. It became my ultimate goal, my driving force. So, you bet I spend over 250 days a year with a rod in my hand, determined to make that dream a reality.
Noah:Â Hey there, I’m Noah Shapiro, a proud member of the United States Youth Fly Fishing Team. I’ve been hooked on fly fishing for a good 13 years now, and being raised in beautiful Boulder, Colorado, definitely helped fuel my passion. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been crazy about fly fishing, and when I stumbled upon the world of competitive fly fishing. I was stoked to meet fellow enthusiasts who share my obsession. Still to this day, I fish Boulder Creek like clockwork during the summer months. I hop on my bike at home, pedal my way to the creek, and spend the entire day there, casting my line and soaking in the pure joy of the sport.
Flylords: What is Team USA Youth Fly Fishing? How did you get involved?
Team USA Youth Fly Fishing at the GoPro Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado
Noah: The United States Youth Fly Fishing Team (@usyfft) was made to send five competitors and one alternate to the World Youth Fly Fishing Championships. To do this, they help train many kids through clinics, practices, and competitions and meet others who are just as passionate about fly fishing as Max and I. We have many coaches nationwide who helped instruct during clinics and practices.
Flylords: Tell us a little more about the competitions you guys compete in.
Noah competing in last years World Youth Fly Fishing Championships held in Trentino, Italy
Noah: Most competitions are made up of fishing in both rivers and lakes. In the case of rivers, you are given a section of water between 100 to 300 M long and a certain amount of time to fish, proximately 2 hours in that section of water. Without overcomplicating it, competitors from other countries are fishing similar water sections both upstream and downstream of you. Whomever competitor gets the highest overall length of fish caught will take the lead. The second-highest overall length will take second, third, fourth, and so on. At the end of the competition, they tally up these numbers, and whomever individual and team has the lowest score will win. Check out this video to learn more about the rules of the competition.
Flylords: What’s going down in Bosnia? What are you fishing for, how many teams are you competing against, and what are the rules for this competition?
Noah:This year we are competing in the World Youth Fly Fishing Championships being held in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. We will be competing against 12+ teams from across the world including but not limited to Spain, France, Finland, Czech Republic, South Africa and more. During the competition we will not only be catching rainbow trout and brown trout but also catching softmouth trout, chub, and marble trout which are native to the area.
Flylords: What is your favorite fly pattern, and which pattern do you dislike the most?
Max: My all-time favorite fly is a must-have in every angler’s fly box. The pheasant tail has been my go-to fly for countless years, and it never fails to impress. This versatile pattern works like magic in various conditions, making it an absolute essential in my arsenal.
Noah: I have many favorite fly patterns depending on the day, but I particularly like a fly called the “Lucky Lead” that has caught me many big fish and fish in both rivers and lakes. Another of my favorite flies is the classic “Protagon” that many competitors worldwide fish with. There are no flies that I particularly dislike; every fly has a time and place, and I have no problem fishing flies such as squirmy worms or mops when it’s the right time.
Flylords: You guys just won the Mile High 25 On The Fly, how was your experience and what are a few things you can take away from the tournament to move forward to Bosnia?
Max & Noah after the Mile High 25 On The Fly. Photo by Davis James @davisjameslens
Noah: The Mile High 25 is a fun tournament where you’re trying to catch 25 different species of fish from Colorado. We had to drive around the state to catch all the fish species and pray the conditions were good enough to get one fish from each location. It’s always a grind in this tournament, but it’s always worth it in the end. I’ve been competing in the Mile High 25 for the past four years without success, and it was amazing how all the pieces came together this year. Although the Mile High 25 is a different type of tournament than usual, it still comes with all the stresses and difficulties of a standard tournament. One thing we will take away from the Mile High 25 is our ability to handle the pressure of the World Championships.
Flylords: What does the rest of the year look like? Do you have other tournaments?
Noah: I leave for Bosnia Herzegovina on July 8th and spend just over a week practicing for World Championships. We will spend most of July in Bosnia, either training or competing in that competition. We have a few more competitions before the winter, and then I plan on ending my gap year and attending college at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. I plan on continuing the fly fishing competitions while studying in New Zealand.
Flylords: Where can we find you guys when not competing against the world?
Max: When I am not competing, you can find Noah and I fishing all over Colorado. We also guide for Galvan Fly Fishing based out of Denver, Colorado where we primarily take out walk & wade trips.
Noah: Max and I spend a lot of time fishing across Colorado and Wyoming. Boulder Creek always holds a special place in my heart as the first place I learned how to fly fish, and I continue practicing on it to this day!
Be sure to check out the US Youth Fly Fishing Team on Instagram @usyfft to follow along for the Youth World Championships hosted in Bosnia. Special thanks to Max Logan and Noah Shapiro for their time for the interview. Follow Noah Shapiro @n.co.fish and Max Logan @maxfishboyyy.
In this Video of the Week, We catch up with Adam, Steve, & Brent from Blue Line co in their newest film targeting browns and rainbows on new R&D streamers. The crew saw a big storm and low-pressure system heading to Wyoming and decided to chase it to target some streamer fish and test out a few new patterns. As it always happens the weather wasn’t exactly as described and the boys found themselves in a great hatch with streamer rods in hand. Sit down and enjoy the awesome camaraderie, scenery, and a few rad fish!
Here at Blue Line, we have been tying flies for about as long as we have been fly fishing. We started tying because we had to. The lack of fly fishing shops and good bass and warm water patterns drove our passion for the vise. We found patterns from saltwater and trout fishing. We would tie bigger or smaller sizes and better colors of some popular flies. Over the years this turned into fly design. We have a different approach here at BLC on flies. Figure out what triggers fish and put those aspects into a fly design. Sometimes it’s color, sometimes shape, others its movement. We use these aspects to design flies that catch fish, not fishermen. We only sell flies that we trust ourselves and personally use in our fly boxes. Check us out here: bluelineflies.com
“There is nothing more thrilling than to watch a leopard shark track your fly and then be in deep backing in less than a second. Leopard sharks are known for their captivating behavior of tracking and enticing our flies, and there’s nothing quite like the exhilaration of witnessing a leopard shark aggressively strike your fly, causing your reel to sing!”
For weeks, rivers across Colorado have been fiercely flowing, officials warn that water levels in some locations are exceptionally dangerous. This year, Colorado witnessed an unprecedented snowpack, with some regions exceeding 150%. Despite experiencing an ongoing drought, the abundance of water this year has surpassed expectations.
Photo from U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Lake Powell, currently at 39% capacity, is experiencing a daily one-foot rise as water from the western slope and the Colorado River flows towards it. Lakes and Reservoirs in the Colorado high country are reaching capacity and filling up fast, many have had to release an exceptional amount of water.
Photo Captured by Patricia Henschen
If you are from Colorado, be sure to stop by your local fly shop for river conditions and updates. To look at updated river flows check out USGS.
Last Fall, the Flylords team put our wheels to the pavement and headed out on a month-long, 5-state tour of the American West, to visit some of our favorite fly-shops. The mission in mind? To spread the word about fly shops’ importance within the fly-fishing culture.
Despite encountering a string of unfortunate events, we found ourselves stranded in a Walmart parking lot in Montana with no contingency plan in mind. The Sage Van, our trusted companion, was engulfed in billowing white smoke, leaving us with no alternative but to opt for a rental car to complete the tour. Nevertheless, undeterred by these challenges, we pressed on with the show, and we are thrilled to announce that the Sage Van has been restored to its former glory and is now ready to hit the road, coming soon to a town near you! Check out what happened in Episode three: STRANDED in Montana!
Don’t miss out on the complete “Fly Shop Tour” series, available on YouTube. Experience the excitement by clicking HERE to dive into all the episodes.
Backcountry recently released “Venture Beyond” a film featuring Shyanne Orvis (@shyonthefly) sharing insights on gear, grit, and inspiring people to connect with their  passions. Shyanne is a fly fishing from Colorado, a travel host, and a mother. At an early age, Shyanne experienced fly fishing for the first time with her grandfather. Take a look at this film from Backcountry! Check out the full series by clicking HERE.
