Ol’ Mr.

Wiggly
AUG-SEPT 2023

Topwater Stealth Mode

flyfisherman.com

Ethereal Trout Streams

of the
Southern Alps
Remembering
Dave Whitlock

Road-tripping
Alaska
for Salmon, Char,
George Daniel’s and Rainbows

Shallow-water
Streamer Tactics

Years of Breathable Waders

Working
Waders

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Kate Crump defies a harsh wind, the bracing cold and the long odds on Alaska’s Bristol Bay. Jeremy Koreski
 A UGUS T- SE P T E MBE R 2023 V O L . 5 4 N O . 5
T H E L E A D I N G M A G A Z I N E O F F LY FVOL.
I S H52I N//GNO. 1
est.1969 c o n t e n t s

6 Riffles & Runs

On the Shoulders of Giants
ROSS PURNELL

10 Tight Lines
Native Trout, Alaska Dreams, Haul
Fundamentals, Dropping Tips, and more

14 Horizons
The Dave I Knew and Loved
E MILY W HI T L OCK
44 Changing Game plans 24 T h e M i g r at i o n
in Arkansas The Ban on PFAS
Shallow-water tactics for “big league” streamer fishing CHRIS HUNT
GEORGE DANIEL
30 Rising Tides
A Giant Leap Forward
ROSS PURNELL

3 6 H at c h es
Patagonia Forra Wading Boots, R.L. Winston
Co. Microspey AIR 2, Umpqua UPG Fly
Boxes, Casting Seaward, Blackwaters:
Brotherhood in the Wild, and more

42 Newscasts
Utah Still Gets an "F" Grade for Public Access,
and more

50 Road Warriors 6 6 F ly T i e r ' s B e n c h

How to catch Alaska salmon, trout, and char using Piette's Ol' Mr. Wiggly
public highways CH A RL IE CR AV EN
JOSEPH JACKSON
72 seasonable Angler
The Art of Letting Go
STEVE RAMIREZ

On the cover
On our subscriber issue is a portrait of the legendary
Dave Whitlock by photographer Chris Mueller. Whitlock
passed away on Nov. 24, 2022, and a tribute written by
his wife Emily is on page 14. On newsstands you will see a
spectacular Brian O'Keefe photo of a New Zealand rainbow
trout underwater. The related story is on page 58.

S T AY C O N N E C T E D T O T H E B E S T F LY - F I S H I N G
A R T ICL E S, T IP S, A ND TAC T ICS F E AT UR ING
THE INDUSTRY'S TOP GUIDES AND PROS.
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Exploring the remote rivers of Southland
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 FLY SHOP &
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 ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS
ir Isaac Newton once said, “If I have
seen further, it is by standing on the
shoulders of giants.” His philosophic
ideal is important to fly fishers today because so
much of what we have now comes from the giants
who have come before us.
One of those giants is Dave Whitlock (1934-2022) who pub-
lished 15 illustrated feature stories in Fly Fisherman between
1978-79, and 30 more of them over the next 30 years. He was a
regular columnist for Trout magazine, he was the author of the
L.L. Bean Fly-Fishing Handbook, which in its day was a road map
for thousands of aspiring fly fishers, and he wrote and illustrated
four other books. Although he often wrote about trout fishing, he
was best known as an advocate for warmwater gamefish.
In Fly Fisherman he wrote extensively about fishing for pan-
fish, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, white bass, yellow bass,
and perch. Dave’s story “Stalking the Golden Ghost” in the July
1998 issue of Fly Fisherman was the first magazine article ex-
clusively about fly fishing for carp. When the story appeared, our
editorial offices were swamped by letters from people who were
offended about the very idea of intentionally casting a fly at such
“trash” fish. Dave had already been doing it for a decade. Today, 25
years later, it is considered one of the pinnacle games in our sport.
His fly tying also helped the sport evolve. Dave was one of
the most prolific commercial fly designers of all time, creating
6 FLY FISHER MAN
EMILY WHITLOCK - PHOTO
dozens of patterns like Dave’s Hopper, NearNuff Sculpin, and
Red Fox Squirrel Nymph. Much of what we tie today are basi-
cally variations or modifications of patterns Dave created in the
1970s, 80s, and 90s.
Dave was an ambassador for the sport and appeared at thou-
sands of fly-fishing and outdoors consumer shows, and gave pre-
sentations at clubs around the country and around the world. He
guided us and mentored us across generations, and because of his
immense contributions, he’ll always be a part of what we do when
we pick up a fly rod and make a cast, whether it’s for bass, trout,
or golden dorado.
His wife Emily Whitlock has written a wonderful story
about “her” Dave, on page 14 of this issue, and through her
words, there’s even more to learn about how to enjoy the out-
doors with your spouse or significant other, how to take time
away from fishing to smell the f lowers, and Dave’s greatest
lesson, how to laugh and have fun at all times. That’s what this
is all about right?
Ross Purnell, editor
ross@flyfisherman.com
rossflyfisher @rossflyfisher rossflyfisher
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 ALASKA DREAMS
I just finished reading Joseph Jackson’s story “The Situk Tales”
in the Oct.-Dec. issue of Fly Fisherman. Thank you for continu-
ing to publish the compelling and delightful stories that can’t
DENNIS PASTUCHA - PHOTO

be found in typical outdoors and hook-and-bullet periodicals,

which is why I continue to read and enjoy Fly Fisherman.
I also appreciate that you are not afraid to speak out on the
political and social issues that affect our planet and the environ-
ment we all love so much.
Although I dream of someday being able to fish those pristine
Alaska waters, for now I will be satisfied to fly fish for small-
CALL TO ACTION mouth bass and bluegills on the Wisconsin River right here in
I just finished reading Dr. James Suleski’s article “Pennsylva- central Wisconsin. Keep up the good work!
nia Natives” in the April-May 2023 issue. I found it very informa- DOUG MACHON
tive, although I was already aware of many of these problems. I W isconsin r a pids, W isconsin
frequently fish in Pennsylvania, and often fish the upper reaches
of the streams searching for native brook trout.
Unfortunately, Dr. Suleski did not make a “call to action.” I
would have thought he would have listed names and email ad-
dresses of the people on the Pennsylvania Fish Commission so
that readers could express their concerns and ask the commis-
sion to take action. I really enjoy your magazine, and can’t wait
for the next issue to arrive.
BOB HORTON
E a s t W indsor , Ne w Jerse y

[The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission is comprised of

ten citizens of the Commonwealth who are appointed by the gov-
ernor for terms of four years. The executive director is Timothy D.

JOE MAHLER - ILLUSTRATION

Schaeffer. We suggest that concerned citizens call (717) 705-7801
or write 1601 Elmerton Ave, Harrisburg, PA, 17110, and ask that
the state make conservation of native species a top priority, to
stop stocking hatchery trout in streams with native brook trout,
and to develop a comprehensive restoration plan for at least one
watershed for native brook trout. Right now, there is no plan for
restoration, and there are no specific rules to protect native trout
beyond existing wild trout regulations. If you live in Pennsylva-
nia, contact the commissioner for your region. You can find com- HAUL FUNDAMENTALS
plete contact info for all nine area offices at fishandboat.com. I really enjoy all of Fly Fisherman, but I especially enjoyed
The Editor.] the article “7 Ways to Haul” by Joe Mahler in the April-May 2023
issue. It’s a very clear explanation about the mechanics of haul-
NATIVE TROUT ing, and it helps me better understand which aspects of hauling I
James Suleski’s and Ross Purnell’s descriptions of Pennsylva- need to focus on and improve. The illustrations, in combination
nia’s treatment of native species open a window into the sad state with the descriptions, tell the whole story and it helps immensely.
of affairs in the state’s management of coldwater trout streams. I hope there will be more opportunities to use these kinds of arti-
The state with the most potentially great trout streams and riv- cles to better understand casting and the other technical aspects
ers in the country is still in the Neanderthal ages in regard to of fly fishing. Your magazine is outstanding, and articles like this
the management of quality trout fishing. Unfortunately, the first make it even better.
priority in Pennsylvania’s fish management plan is to sustain the BEN MACHIELSE
viability of fish hatcheries and stocking programs, and has little N a pl es, F l orida
to do with preserving native species.
I have had several discussions over the years with officials from
Pennsylvania, and they are programmed to ignore such thoughts.
It is really sad when you think of the potential of Pennsylvania to DROP US A TIGHT LINE,
be one of the great fly-fishing destinations in the country. WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!
One of my most memorable fishing experiences was catching small Email your letters to tightlines@flyfisherman.com or message
native brookies on a crystal-clear stream somewhere north of Hershey us on social media. Please include your city and state.
years ago. Good luck in keeping them around, but the mentality of
@flyfisherman Due to the amount of correspondence we
Pennsylvania’s trout management program needs to change.
receive, we regret that we cannot respond to
BOB LAVIANO @flyfishermanmagazine each letter. Mailing addresses are required.
s a ddl e ri v er , Ne w jerse y

10 FLY FISHER MAN

GEORGE DANIEL - PHOTO

DROPPING TIPS
The article “Drop Shot” by George
Daniel in the Feb-Mar 2023 issue was
great. I’ve been using this method for
more than 40 years and have really raised
some eyebrows. It works! A gentleman
from Long Pine, Nebraska taught me a
lot, and he used to build what he called
the “John Kurtz Rosary.” If you rented
one of his cabins on Long Pine Creek, you
automatically received what he called
a “rosary.” John would get out there on
the river and show clients how to fish his
rosary, starting with six split-shots and

1695
adding up to four more, depending on
water depth. After reading the article, I
had to find the first rosary John Kurtz $
gave me 40 years ago. Those really work
for getting to trout in deep water.
Thanks to George for the instruction, PER PERSON
and I have to say, he is certainly the mod- DOUBLE OCCUPANCY
ern drop-shot professor.
MIKE KELLY
El k hor n, Nebr a sk a
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GETTING DOWN 4 NIGHTS LODGING
I recently found myself in the perfect
situation to draw on George Daniel’s ar- 3 DAYS GUIDED FLOAT TRIPS
ticle, “Drop Shot: Rolling in the Deep.”
ALL MEALS
I had just finished tying a streamer, and
was lamenting to my former Colorado ALL RENTAL EQUIPMENT
college roommate how I had forgotten
to add weight to the streamer. He texted
me: “Why not just use it in a drop-shot rig
as explained in the Feb-Mar issue of Fly
Fisherman?”
Of course, the light bulb went on in my
head. I have used drop shotting for bass
with great success at a lake close to my
home. But sometimes we forget to transfer
techniques from one species of fish to an-
other, or from spinning tackle to fly fish-
ing. I reread the article by George Daniel
and applied the drop-shot nymphing
immediately after ice-out. Kudos to
both Daniel and Fly Fisherman for
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THE DAVE I KNEW AND LOVED
o much can and has been said about Dave Whitlock because he truly was a
renaissance man in fly fishing . He was a writer, artist, photographer, teacher, fly
designer, illustrator, speaker, inventor, and tackle designer. He engineered streams to make
them trout worthy and was the first fly tier ever to get paid royalties for his patterns. He helped
bring fly fishing to cool and warm water, and was one of the first to design commercial flies for
bass and other non-trout species. He helped start some of the first fly-fishing clubs and spread
the word about the Federation of Fly Fishers when it was just beginning . . . and so much more. That
was Dave the professional. But I’d like to write about a different Dave—the person who I was for-
tunate enough to live, love, and work with for 33 years.
14 FLY FISHER MAN

A tribute from the person who knew
Dave Whitlock the best
EARLY YEARS
At a young age, Dave’s doctors told him he probably would not
survive past 30. He was first given up on after a very long labor.
Surviving that, he caught rheumatic fever and polio, causing ex-
tended stays in children’s hospitals and years of wearing leg brac-
es. The rheumatic fever caused a serious heart arrhythmia so no
exertion from sports was allowed, and he was never allowed to
play on athletic teams.
But that all changed at the age of nine when his dad brought
home an old fly rod that he bought in a pawn shop. Dave request-
ed one after seeing his granddad’s L.L. Bean catalog. I guess you
D ave Whitlock passed away on
November 24, 2022. He had a
massive stroke on Thanksgiving Day
while he was working on his boat. He
was 88 years old. He was an all-time
great fly tier, artist, illustrator, au-
thor, and fly fisher. He was a frequent
contributor to Fly Fisherman, and
one of the four icons Fly Fisherman
named to “Fly Fishing’s Mount Rush-
more” in a story in 2021. This is a trib-
ute written by his wife and partner
Emily Whitlock.
–The Editor
PHOTOS COURTESY OF EMILY WHITLOCK
E M I LY W H I T L O C K
could say that after that, he waded into his destiny. And he made
it all the way to 88 in good health. He simply refused to give up.
As he told me stories of his early days fly fishing, he laughed about
how he would take that old rod—with sticky silk line and a piece of
black, braided casting line in place of a tippet—down to the local
bluegill pond and catch almost as many sunnies on his backcast as
his forward cast!
You see, he’d never met or seen an actual f ly fisher and
was just making it up as he went along. In fact, he would not
meet another f ly fisher until he was 17. I often marveled at
how motivated he must have been back then to not give up
for so many years.
flyfisherman.com 15
PHOTOS COURTESY OF EMILY WHITLOCK
PADDLING
In his late teens—after finally making
a fly-fishing friend and getting a canoe—
Dave’s world opened up and he discovered
another love: paddling. In fact, he became
an exquisite canoeist and got us through
every tight spot we were ever caught in.
Even when he was 88, a canoe was his
number one choice for watercraft.
He was so good that over all our years
in a canoe together, I only saw him fall out
once. We had taken our beautiful wooden
Old Town canoe up to Quetico Provincial
Park in Canada for some solitude, small-
mouths, and pike. We had a fabulous
week of camping on little islands covered
in wild blueberries and some pretty excit-
ing fishing. On the last afternoon of the
trip, we were down to Bisquick and wild
blueberries, so we paddled out to catch a
smallmouth for supper.
We had been out for a while and I was
doing the fishing, so I handed Dave the
rod to let him have some fun, too. He cast
a fruit cocktail WhitHair Bug just off the
shore of a little island. As we watched the
fly plop down, a shadow from the deep
slowly rose up and hovered behind the bug.
It was a huge pike—and we were without a
bite tippet. The monster slowly opened its
mouth, took in the fly, and then of course,
all hell broke loose as the monster shot
straight at us and lunged under the canoe.
Dave started madly stripping in line
and stood up to turn around as the pike
streaked under us. As he tried to turn, his
feet got tangled in the anchor chain and he
went right over the side—head first!
I was quickly considering my options
when he popped up a second later, hand-
ed me the rod that he’d refused to let go,
and unwrapped the chain around his
feet. Holding onto that rod, with the line
screaming off, I paddled the few feet to the
island so Dave could get back on board.
In the meantime, that old pike had us
into the backing and was heading across
the lake. After about 25 minutes, a couple
of mishaps, and an aborted beaching, we
got that rascal in, all 48 inches of him. We
had a good laugh, thanked him, patted his
head, and sent him on his way.
After living, working, and fishing with
Dave, I came to believe that he must have
been born overly curious . . . and aquatic.
He never lost that curiosity and he was ab-
solutely drawn to water. We often pulled
over to explore a ditch or stream or pond
just to see what it held, turning over rocks
and pulling up vegetation to find what
critters lived there. Every day was a cool
biology lesson with Dave.
At our home in northeast Oklahoma, we
have a pond and trout stream. Both need lots
of care to keep them at their peak and look-
ing good, especially the pond. We’ve planted
a great mix of water vegetation and lilies—
and it can be stunning. But overgrowth is a
real problem every year, especially with the
water lilies. We don’t use herbicides, so hand
harvesting is the only remedy.
Almost every summer for the last many
years, Dave would get up to his neck in the
pond, pulling lilies out by the roots. He
loaded them in his utility boat, floated it to
shore, and transferred the load to our trail-
er. Once he filled up the trailer, he took it
up the hill to the compost pile and unload-
ed it again, repeating this ritual even just
last October, when he was 88 years old. The
crazy thing is that anytime Dave was in
the water, he was happy and felt energized,
even when he was working hard.
WHITLOCK THE ILLUSTRATOR
Dave told me he started drawing very
early. He would chuckle and say that he
was now getting paid for what he used
to get spankings for. That was because he
would draw on anything—books, school
desks, even chalkboards when the teacher
left the room. It just seemed to pour out of
him. Sometimes I’d go to add something
to the grocery list and find that he had re-
written and illustrated it! That man could
sure keep me smiling.
He wanted so much to take art and
journalism courses in college, but his par-
ents—who had gone through the Depres-
sion—refused to help him pay tuition in
those fields because “artists and writers
were always the first to starve.”
So, he chose chemistry and biology and
went to work for oil companies when he
graduated. However, being in a basement
research lab was not where his heart was,
and he ached to be on the water. He did
continue to fly fish, observe, and study
aquatic life in every spare moment.
He told me his world changed the mo-
ment he put on his first face mask and
could see the underwater world he loved
so much. He spent hours underwater with
a snorkel or tank just watching fish, their
various foods, and all that lived in there
with them.
He paid attention to how the water
action affected them and even how they
reacted to flies. He had such a need to
know, and understand, and he really paid
his dues, not only by reading the words of
others but by going to the source to learn
for himself. All the while he was build-
ing a huge knowledge base that he would
draw from when he finally left research
and began writing and teaching.
I loved being out on the water or just out-
doors with Dave because I learned so much
about fish and fishing from him through
great conversation and just plain osmosis.
The day he had me go underwater with
him and just settle in to watch was a game
changer for me. When we stopped moving,
the fish would go back to their normal be-
havior and we could get glimpses into their
real lives.
I’ll never forgot when he had me turn
over and look up. The underside of the wa-
ter surface is stunning! Everyone should
see it for themselves.
A LIFE IN FLY FISHING
After working in research for about 10
years, he decided he’d try following his
heart and see if he could make a living
in fly fishing. In 1968, with doubt in his
mind, he submitted his first article to Field
& Stream. After that, he never got turned
down by a publisher. He wrote many ar-
ticles and columns for Fly Fisherman,
Fly Fishing and Tying Journal, and almost
100 articles for Trout magazine. Thing is,
he never just turned in a text, leaving it up
to the magazine to find the photos and/or
illustrations. When an editor got a Dave
Whitlock article, it was complete with ex-
tra photos to choose from, and often sever-
al drawings to illustrate it.
My family lived in Colorado when I was
growing up, and we traveled to Arkansas
for summer visits with my grandparents. I
learned to fish when I was just a little girl,
with the help of a cane pole, bobber, and
worms I dug in grandma’s garden. We
would catch a tub full of sunfish, and my
grandma would fry them up for supper.
As I got older, I continued to fish, but
with my botany degree and love of wild-
flowers, I spent much more time in the
woods than on the water. That changed at
age 40, when Dave and I got together. He
was such a good teacher, and I really fell
in love with fly fishing. I focused all my
attention on it when we were on the water.
One spring day, after a couple of years,
I happened to look up at a low bluff along
the river and found that it was just cov-
ered in trout lilies and wild violets. It
suddenly hit me—I had been so focused
on my flies that I had barely looked up.
So, my sweet Dave immediately said,
“Okay, from now on every couple of
hours we are going to stop fishing and
flyfisherman.com 17

PHOTOS COURTESY OF EMILY WHITLOCK
Dave Whitlock was a Renaissance man, with many talents and passions. His books and
magazine articles were almost always adorned with his distinctive artwork.
start looking, and when we can, we’re go-
ing to get out and explore.”
He kept that promise. He pulled over the
canoe, boat, or vehicle many times and we
spent many happy hours walking in the
woods along rivers and streams. Some-
times, when I was working or cooking,
he’d walk in with a big smile and present
me with a beautiful little flower, and then
he’d take me to where he’d found it.
Dave was such a romantic at heart. For
our first date he pulled his VW camper
next to the White River and flung open
the side doors to reveal a red rose, a bottle
of Champagne, and gourmet sandwiches
for our lunch. That first cast of his certain-
ly piqued my interest. Later on he loved to
make me breakfast in bed, take a picnic
dinner and wine in the canoe, or just
snuggle on the couch. Every so often he’d
get up early, go out to our pond and catch
a few bluegill, cook them up, and add
them to our morning meal as a surprise.
From the very beginning he believed in
me. Dave was a master at public speaking,
could get up and talk about fishing all day
long, and I never saw him use a script. I had
done a bit of public speaking and taught bi-
ology in junior college and had a year to-
ward a PhD in biology/botany, but talking
in public was still a basic fear for me.
However, Dave decided I would be a
18 FLY FISHER MAN
natural. So, after we’d only been together a
few months, in the plane on our way home
from New Zealand, he said I’d be giving
the slide show with him at the fly-fishing
club when we landed. Of course, I said no
I’m not. He said, but the show is about the
Ozarks and you just need to talk about the
wildflowers in it. I said no I’m not—but he
wouldn’t give up. I even tried calling in
sick, but he wasn’t buying it.
Well, the next thing I know, I was
standing at the front of a room full of fly
fishers who were listening to Dave’s every
word. Suddenly a gorgeous cardinal flower
flashed onto the screen. Dave turned to me
and said “What is this flower, Emily, tell us
about it.”
I have never felt the entire contents of
my brain fall out of my head before—but
it did, and I just stood there absolute-
ly blank. I could not even remember the
name of that very familiar flower. So, af-
ter a couple of beats of silence, I looked at
Dave and said “a red one.”
I don’t think I’ve ever been so embar-
rassed in my life, but my mind and mouth
would not sync up! Undaunted, Dave said
some bits about the flower and moved on.
After a couple of slides, another wildflower
popped up. But this time it was “a blue one.”
After that he mercifully said “Thanks,
Em, you can have a seat.” I felt pretty
humiliated but at the same time I became
determined to never be tongue-tied like
that in public again. Perhaps sometimes
trial-by-fire is the only way. Dave still
had total confidence in me for some rea-
son, kept helping me improve in public
speaking situations, and I learned to
truly enjoy it and now feel very at home
in front of a crowd. I think we became a
pretty good team.
Dave often saw the potential in others—
especially in young fly fishers—and would
quietly, or not so quietly sometimes, en-
courage them. We have a several “adopt-
ed” sons whom he took under his wing
over the years and are still very close.
In the last few months, I’ve personally
received many stories from people who
were affected by Dave. Sometimes by just
a few words, sometimes by an impromptu
art or casting lesson, sometimes by a long
letter he wrote or a beautiful inscription
in a book.
I spent many hours next to him in our
art booth, and I never knew Dave to just
sign his name to a book. Even when we
were way behind and he had a big pile
of books to sign, he just couldn’t bring
himself to do it. Each person and book
got his attention. After we started in-
cluding bookmarks, he even wrote the
person’s name on each bookmark. I
guess he was still the same kid who liked
to draw on everything. I came to love
and appreciate that about him, and just
expected us to always be the last ones
out of the building.
His handwriting was beautiful—it was a
work of art itself. It may come as a surprise,
but he never used a computer except to look
at reference photos. He wrote every article,
every email—everything—by hand. He’d
start writing an article and after a few days
he’d walk into my office and hand me 15 to
20 handwritten pages to be typed up. After
typing it, I would make some quick edits
(he was a pretty terrible speller) and give it
back to him. He’d make his corrections by
hand, give it back to me, and I would type
in the changes, do a serious edit, and hand
it to him for, hopefully, the final edit.
He wrote all his books the same way, and
I have piles of the original, handwritten
manuscripts. It was pretty daunting to get
it all typed, but he loved to write by hand
and always said that he could be so much
more creative that way. Turns out, he was.
MAKING FINE ART
Dave never lost his love of drawing and
painting. In fact, he would often spend
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Dave Whitlock was one of four all-time greats named to the figurative Mount Rushmore of fly fishing in the June-July 2021 issue of
F LY F ISHERMAN. At that time, Dave Whitlock was the only living legend. The others are Joe Brooks, Lee Wulff, and Bernard “Lefty” Kreh.
more time on his illustrations than the
text of the article. Rarely did a day go by
that he wasn’t in his studio at his pencils
and paints. There were times when I’d
have to drag him out for lunch and re-
mind him when it was dinner time. He
would lose all track of time—and love ev-
ery minute. That must be the definition of
a true passion. I’m very glad that he got to
devote so much time to his beautiful art
in his later years. That came about mostly
because we sat down about 20 years ago
to talk about our future goals. He was 68
and we both thought that at this point in
his life he should be spending the majority
of his time on what he wanted to do the
most. When I asked what that was, he said
“I want to create fine art.”
To be sure, he had already illustrated
five books of his own, more than 20 books
written by others, and had painted and
drawn some pretty remarkable pieces. But
he wanted to get more serious about it. I
was all for it, but we had to figure how to
make that happen. We knew we’d have
to stop traveling around the country lec-
turing and doing programs and instead
spend time making and selling art.
We put together an art booth to take to
the shows and, because we couldn’t seem
to get good-quality prints, we ordered
print making equipment and I became
his print maker. It turned out to be a great
system: Dave would create an original, I
would create a print from it, we would
tweak it to get it just right, and then I’d
print what we needed. What really made
the art shine, though, was Dave tak-
ing each print and hand-enhancing and
20 FLY FISHER MAN
remarquing with pencil, paint, and ink
before he signed and numbered it. Cre-
ating art and seeing folks appreciate it so
much made him incredibly happy.
I fished before I met Dave, but never
fly fished, so he set about teaching me. I
remember vividly one day on a stream in
the Missouri Ozarks. We’d been together
only a short while and we were working on
redesigning a four-mile stretch of spring
creek for Johnny Morris of Bass Pro. He
had purchased that section of the stream
and land around it to create a destination
park he would call Dogwood Canyon.
Dave’s job was to design multiple
low-water dams and other stream en-
hancements to create pools and flows that
would allow trout to thrive. We had been
working on the stream for several days,
and on the last evening he brought out a
fly rod and told me to have a go. It was a
beautiful stream and a lovely evening, but
there were two problems—tall trees stood
thick behind us and I had only been fly
fishing a few times. Needless to say, I pro-
ceeded to half-empty his nymph box. He
was patient and hardly said a word about
the lost flies until we got home. The next
morning, he had me follow him to his
studio, sat me at his fly-tying table, taught
me to tie Red Fox Squirrel Nymphs (kind
of), and asked me to fill his box back up. I
guess he thought I’d cast better if I knew
the work involved in tying the flies.
I did learn to cast, after many more les-
sons and practice. Dave and I ended up
traveling the globe together, catching fish
in amazing places, and eventually setting
up our own fly-fishing school where we
PAUL PUCKETT - ILLUSTRATION
taught together for 25 years.
Dave had a such a hilarious and quirky
sense of humor sometimes. We actually
met at a fitness club in Mountain Home,
Arkansas. One day I noticed that he didn’t
wear socks to exercise. This was long be-
fore I found out that he only wore shoes
when he had to.
Almost everyone wore socks with ath-
letic shoes, and I asked him how no socks
could be comfortable, suggesting he
might try socks next time. The very next
time he was in class, I noticed he was
wearing socks. Of course, I commented
on this and asked if he liked the feel of
them. He said yes and he really appre-
ciated the suggestion. At the end of the
class, I sat down to change my shoes as
Dave was already pulling his off. I had
to laugh out loud because he had cut the
bottoms off his socks, and was just wear-
ing the sock cuffs!
Dave was a unique man. He was so tal-
ented and skilled, enthusiastic, curious,
humble and kind, thoughtful and, I have
to add, sometimes ornery. He was also a
loving partner for me. Whenever I was
leaving to go to town or somewhere with-
out him, he always said “Go forth and be
Emily!” He rarely let a day go by with-
out saying he loved me and that I looked
beautiful . . . no matter how I looked! In
other words, he was a good man—and I
miss him.
Emily Whitlock has a bachelor’s degree in bot-
any, and was married to Dave Whitlock for the
last 33 years of his life. She still lives at the
home they created in northeast Oklahoma.
 T
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 THE BAN ON PFAS
s regulatory efforts to remove per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances
(PFAS) from consumer products ramp up across the country, soft-goods
manufacturers are faced with a unique and troubling dilemma : how can they
produce high-quality waterproof products that don’t include these types of “forever chemicals”?
And the answer, at least in the short term, is that it’s complicat- and roll off your brand new jackets and waders. The problem is
ed. But most companies understand that the chemicals currently that it’s not just used by fishermen who actually need that protec-
used to make everything from raingear to waders are harmful. tion—it’s used by almost every sector of the clothing and textile
PFAS are currently the primary ingredient in most durable wa- world on everything from shoelaces to khaki pants and other
ter repellent (DWR) coatings added to outerwear in the outdoor products to ensure that the products appear on store shelves as
sports world. It’s the stuff that makes water bead into droplets clean and fresh-looking as possible.

24 FLY FISHER MAN


New legislation to ban so-called “forever chemicals” could
affect the performance of fly-fishing outerwear C H R I S H U N T
However, these PFAS are ending up in our waters, in our fish,
and even in our own bloodstreams. These chemicals are linked
to some significant health problems. According to the U.S. Cen-
ters for Disease Control, health effects linked to PFAS exposure
include liver damage, asthma, and possibly cancer. Newer re-
search shows that PFAS can even impact growth and develop-
ment in children.
Over the last several months, both state and federal regulatory
agencies have imposed strict standards on PFAS in everything
from outerwear to drinking water—there is significant worry
that the long-lived chemicals that refuse to break down in the
Almost all our raingear and waders
are treated with a durable water
repellent (DWR). These coatings
contain so-called “forever chemicals”
that will be banned from sale or
distribution in California and many
other states by the end of 2025.
ARIAN STEVENS - PHOTO
environment are causing some hidden health effects that have yet
to fully surface.
In recent months, a number of states, including California,
Vermont, Colorado, Maine, and New York have announced bans
on PFAS that start to take effect immediately for some products,
and, as is the case in California, in textile goods starting in less
than two years.
The new regulations are understandably troubling to manu-
facturers who make important gear for anglers and others who
brave the elements. The DWR coating is the first line of de-
fense. Without it, water tends to soak into the outer face fabric.
flyfisherman.com 25

DENNIS PASTUCHA - PHOTO
Orvis, Simms, Patagonia, Grundéns, Skwala, and other outerwear manufacturers are all
looking for suitable substitutes for the PFAS currently found in their outerwear products.
But most manufacturers that have used
PFAS in their gear for years have been
quietly working to reduce the amount of
chemicals in their products in anticipa-
tion of new regulatory requirements.
Ben Christensen, COO at Simms Fish-
ing Products based in Bozeman, Mon-
tana, said manufacturers understand
that limiting PFAS in products is not only
necessary to protect both human and en-
vironmental health, but also for long-term
sustainability of the companies that make
the goods anglers use to stay warm and
dry in the elements.
“Quality and durability are founda-
tional to our brand,” Christensen said of
Simms, which makes waders, raingear,
outerwear, and wading boots, all of which
include PFAS to some extent. “But we have
to do our best to solve this problem and
remain compliant.”
And, Christensen acknowledged, the
California ban on PFAS, which takes
effect in January 2025, is huge. While
Simms has been working to solve prob-
lems posed by PFAS for years, the Cali-
fornia law basically amounts to “forced
compliance.” As he predicted, other states
are following suit, and it won’t be long be-
fore state regulations will make producing
26 FLY FISHER MAN
PFAS-free (or at least PFAS-compliant)
gear a requirement to simply do business.
THE CHALLENGE
It’s really become a math and science
problem for manufacturers, and since
many of the materials used by compa-
nies like Simms, Orvis, Patagonia, and
Grundéns are similarly sourced, there’s a
natural inclination to put competitive dif-
ferences aside and work together to solve
the uber-complex problem.
In other words, misery loves company.
Christensen agreed—it’s going to take
corporate cooperation if soft-goods man-
ufacturers are going to be able to produce
gear that meets durable water repellent
(DWR) standards and also meets im-
portant PFAS compliance deadlines. This
means that everything from supply-line
access to the complicated science behind
the products is going to have to become a
bit more transparent.
PFAS have been in all kinds of prod-
ucts—from “stain-resistant” carpets and
furniture to high-end fishing waders—
for 55 years. That likely explains how
these chemicals have lingered and built
up in water and in our bodies over time.
Just getting rid of them and finding some-
thing else that works just as well isn’t an
option. Doing so would be on par with a
moon shot—so many products contain
PFAS that it would be impossible to get
rid of it all. The best that textile manufac-
turers can do is to phase it out while work-
ing on the science behind the challenge to
find an acceptable replacement.
“It’s kind of like building the airplane
while we fly it,” says Simms Public Rela-
tions Manager John Frazier.
Simms isn’t alone in its efforts to reduce
or remove PFAS from its product line in re-
cent years while also trying to identify new
and effective materials that can repel water.
Matt Dwyer, senior director of materi-
als innovation at Patagonia, says his com-
pany has been working for years to reduce
PFAS in its gear, and the challenge is sig-
nificant. At first, it was the long-chain
chemistry behind the wonders of PFAS
when it comes to water repellency that
was the bogeyman in this equation. Now,
after some years of working to shorten
the chemical chain (from C12 to C6, for
instance), it’s still not enough to keep the
PFAS off the regulatory radar.
“There are still lots of chemistry hoops
to jump through,” Dwyer says.
In recent years, Patagonia has started
producing as many PFAS-free materials
as possible as supplemental “ingredi-
ents” in its outerwear. For instance, in
2019, it started using PFAS-free liners in
its raingear.
“It was a great place to start without
sacrificing quality,” he says.
Patagonia hopes to be completely
PFAS-free by 2024. Orvis and Grundéns
hope to offer PFAS-free product lines by
the end of 2025.
“We are planning to be fully compliant
with the timeline of the new regulations
and are already making changes as new
materials are qualified through our field
and lab testing process,” said Christensen
of Simms when asked for a target date.
Representatives from all four compa-
nies acknowledge that meeting deadlines
will be difficult, and they’re all digging
deep into the language of the regulations
so they can remain compliant while still
tackling the chemistry behind the effort
to find solid DWR materials to replace
those that contain PFAS.
PERFORMANCE
While the folks behind the brands are
optimistic that they’ll be able to meet
those deadlines, they’re also more than

“ We don’t want to compromise performance, and it’s
going to take time,” Combs says. “But that’s the work—
it’s the right work—and we’re committed to working
collectively as an industry to do it.”
product design and development director, Orvis
willing to be honest about how the PFAS-
free products will perform once the dead-
lines arrive and the products are in the
hands of consumers. Any gear manufac-
turer who claims that new gear produced
without PFAS is going to be just as effec-
tive as gear produced with it, at least for
now, is likely being less than forthright.
“We’ll lose some functionality,” Patago-
nia’s Dwyer says. “That’s just inevitable.”
Curtis Graves, director of product at
Grundéns, dove a little deeper, noting
that raingear, for instance, treated with
PFAS-free (C0) coatings will likely per-
form just fine for the typical consumer.
“The challenge comes when we try to
use a one-solution-fits-all approach and
apply those solutions to a fishing guide
who works 150 to 200 days a year in their
raingear and waders, or the extreme and
extended wet-weather performance needs
of our commercial fishermen,” Graves says.
One of the unsung assets of gear treated
with PFAS is its ability to not only shed
water, but also to prevent the buildup of oil
and dirt and other “gunk.” PFAS-free gear
doesn’t yet have the same ability.
But, Graves says, the new regulations
will spur innovation.
“I think there will be a fair amount of
innovation around the membranes and
laminates that are used in waterproof
breathable garments to improve the user
experience,” he says. And, he says, the
pressure manufacturers are putting on
textile producers to create DWR materi-
als that don’t contain PFAS will help the
cream rise to the top.
“As the industry quickly migrates away
from short-chain PFAS-based DWRs,”
Graves says, “there is a significant benefit
to the textile mill or performance finish
supplier that can unlock the next genera-
tion of DWR most effectively.”
Shawn Combs, product design and de-
velopment director for Orvis, acknowl-
edges the challenge of producing quality
28 FLY FISHER MAN
- Shawn Combs
PFAS-free DWR gear, and is optimistic
that it can be done.
“Our R&D work shows that there are
alternatives,” Combs says. “But there’s
more work to do to meet our goal of
ensuring that Orvis produces the most
durable and highest-performing gear
we can make without harming people,
while also protecting our ecosystems for
future generations.
“We don’t want to compromise perfor-
mance, and it’s going to take time,” Combs
says. “But that’s the work—it’s the right
work—and we’re committed to working
collectively as an industry to do it.”
THE PROCESS
The work to reduce—and now remove
altogether—PFAS from their weather-
proof gear has been going on across the
board for years. Now, with deadlines
looming, there is definitely a sense of ur-
gency behind the process.
“In 2016, the EPA introduced regu-
lations banning C8 DWR. Like the rest
of the industry, we transitioned to C6,
which breaks down faster in the envi-
ronment than C8 but does not remove all
PFAS,” says Laura Schaffer, vice president
of conservation and sustainability for
Orvis. “In recent years, as more science
and research has linked the chemicals to
longer-term impacts on the environment
and human health, we began the work to
eliminate PFAS from our product line by
the end of 2025.”
For Orvis, this includes identifying
all products that presently use DWR
containing PFAS, and working to find
alternatives. Schaffer says Orvis is work-
ing with textile mills and suppliers to
test zero-chain (C0) DWR materials for
efficacy so the company can “deliver the
performance that Orvis and our custom-
ers expect.”
According to Simms’s Christensen, the
work to replace DWR materials that con-
tain PFAS got pretty serious about five
years ago when the European Union first
introduced rules limiting the chemistry
in waterproof fabrics. Since then, the goal
has been to steadily shorten the chemistry
chain to eventually wind up at C0.
“We started as soon as we could with
our R&D to meet the coming regula-
tions,” he said. “We’ve been working with
our materials suppliers and others in the
industry on finding alternatives that meet
our standards.” This includes real-life
testing to see how the materials hold up
under varying circumstances. Results
have been promising, Christensen says.
The process has been similar for all four
companies. It’s chemistry Whac-A-Mole.
They might solve one chemical conun-
drum only to find that they’ve created an-
other. But that’s the process, says Graves
at Grundén’s.
“I personally believe that products on
the premium end of the price spectrum
will see the least amount of reduction in
DWR durability, given brands’ abilities
to afford higher-performing C0 alterna-
tives,” he says. “Basic, price-point-driven
outerwear will absolutely see a change in
durability performance of DWR.”
In other words, just like things are
today across the fly-fishing gear spec-
trum, consumers will get what they pay
for. Certainly, there are bargains to be
had, but in the world of waterproof and
water-resistant outerwear—particularly
waders—it’s going to cost more to stay
warm and dry in gear that doesn’t leach
PFAS into the water and the environ-
ment. How much more? Nobody knows
for sure. But the finish line, according to
Patagonia’s Dwyer, is when the indus-
try can produce gear that’s up to today’s
standards that isn’t laden with harmful
“forever chemicals.”
Whatever the cost, manufacturers are
embracing the need to keep PFAS out of the
water, if for no other reason than to protect
the resources they need to be successful.
“This moment is a real opportunity for
better tech, better gear, and a better envi-
ronment,” says Orvis’s Schaffer.
Chris Hunt is an award-winning journalist who
writes about fly fishing, travel, conservation,
and culture for numerous outlets. He’s been
recognized for his work by the Outdoor Writ-
ers Association of America, the Associated
Press, the Society of Professional Journalists,
The Pacific Northwest Newspaper Associa-
tion, and the Idaho Press Club. He lives and
works in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
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 A GIANT LEAP FORWARD
n 2018, Fly Fisherman was celebrating its 50th anniversary, so we ran a series of
numerical-themed stories that included (among others) a story on the “50 Most
Influential Fly Fishers” of all time and also the “50 Greatest Milestones” of the
modern fly-fishing era . In the latter story, the essayist and English professor Ted Leeson in-
cluded this important milestone from 1993: “K.C. Walsh acquires Simms Fishing Products and introduces
the first Gore-Tex waders, establishing a new norm in wader performance. In my informal survey of
anglers old enough to remember the hideous nonbreathable alternatives, these waders came in as the
#1 milestone of all time—beating even graphite rods. Apparently comfort trumps all. The introduction
of breathable waders is likely the most important tackle development in the last 50 years.”
30 FLY FISHER MAN

30 th anniversary of the most important technical
advancement in fly-fishing history ROSS PURNELL
Leeson’s bold statement comes from an issue that was dedicat-
ed to celebrating our own anniversary, and the significant chang-
es in our sport that occurred along the way. It was our way of
saying, “We’ve come a long way, baby.”
Interestingly, the story “50 Most Influential Fly Fishers” ignit-
ed a firestorm of controversy. Countless emails, and letters, and
Internet posts argued that we’d left someone important off the
list, or that someone on the list shouldn’t be there. Everyone had
a different opinion.
However, not one person argued with Ted Leeson’s thesis that
breathable waders were the most important equipment advance-
ment in our lifetimes. Fire helped primitive humans survive
K.C. Walsh (center) bought Simms in 1993, and brought the
world’s first breathable waders to market a month later.
Under his leadership, the company improved on that first
product, made breathable waders into a success story, and
in the process changed when, where, and how we fish.
ISAIAS MICIU NICOLAEVICI - PHOTO
brutal weather, expand their range on different continents, and
become the apex predator on this planet. In our time, breathable
waders have made us more comfortable, happier, able to spend
more hours, days, and seasons on the water. They helped us catch
more fish with a whole lot less discomfort for more of the year.
Simms manufactured that first pair of breathable waders in
1993 using a breathable membrane from W.L. Gore, and within
five years, neoprene waders were just a relic of the past. Today,
Simms, Patagonia, Orvis, Grudéns, Skwala, Redington, Chota,
and many other companies sell breathable waders using either
the Gore-Tex brand or an alternative breathable membrane.
The successful introduction of a wader that keeps water out, but
flyfisherman.com 31

actively passes water vapor to the out-
side—even while underwater—has truly
revolutionized our sport.
THE STONE AGE
If you’ve taken up fly fishing within
the last 20 years, you likely only know
a world of breathable waders. You don’t
remember the “before times” of rubber
bootfoot waders. They were heavy, likely
to drown you if you took a spill, and un-
comfortable to walk in. The rubber didn’t
react kindly to ultraviolet radiation and
cracked in the sun. You could use patches
from a bicycle tire repair kit to cover the
cracked areas, but you were constantly
fighting a losing battle.
Neoprene waders replaced rubber wad-
ers, and dominated the fly-fishing market
in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They
had some advantages over rubber waders
in that they added some buoyancy, and
32 FLY FISHER MAN
since they were also stretchy, they didn’t
have to be as cavernous. In fact, they were
quite form fitting, which was not flatter-
ing for the body types of many fishermen.
You might say they were a precursor to the
yoga pants of today, except they were made
from 3.5 or 5mm neoprene with glued and
taped waterproof seams. To continue the
yoga analogy, neoprene waders were the
equivalent of “hot yoga” or your own por-
table Native American sweat lodge. In a
day of walking and fishing, the neoprene
would catch all the moisture coming from
your body, and turn the inside of the wad-
ers into a soupy mess.
It didn’t matter if neoprene waders
leaked or not: At the end of the day your
clothes were wet. Even people who be-
lieved they didn’t sweat much ended up
soggy, because in normal conditions, you
don’t notice the warm moist air coming
from your skin. But when it’s trapped in
a cocoon of neoprene, it turns to liquid.
The world’s first breathable waders (left)
had seams on the insides of the legs like
jeans, the feet were not neoprene and
slipped down to the toes of your boots,
and the exterior Cordura 504 face fabric
didn’t prevent thorns from puncturing the
membrane. Much had to change to make
breathable waders that were functional.
At the end of the day you could turn neo-
prene waders inside out and dry them, but
after a summer of sweating cycles, the in-
side of those waders would start to stink
like a set of gym clothes you used for 60
days without washing. It was horrendous.
There had to be a better way.
HOW IT HAPPENED
K.C. Walsh fell in love with fly fishing
and with Montana when he was 12 years
old. His grandparents rented a house on
the Bitterroot River, and Walsh joined
them for part of the summer. “My grand-
father was an avid fly fisherman and got
me into it at a young age,” said Walsh. “I
just had a terrific time with them up here.
In the back of my mind I always had this
vision of living in Montana.”
When he finished graduate studies at
The Wharton School of the University
of Pennsylvania, he shuttled a car to the
West Coast for a friend just so he could
visit Bozeman along the way. He ended up
getting a job in Los Angeles, and lived in
what he describes as a “semi-dangerous
area” and spent six years just working
and saving money, waiting for the right
opportunity to make a move to Montana.
In 1992 he started looking at buying
Simms, a company that was founded by
John Simms but at that time was owned
by Life Link International.
 “When I was doing my due diligence I
found out they had a very sophisticated
engineering crew for a company of that
size,” said Walsh. “I became super inter-
ested in the company because they had
an exceptional innovation staff. They in-
troduced breathable waders at the IFTD
show in Sept. 1992, and that emerging
relationship with W.L. Gore really drew
me to the business. I knew this was going
to be a big opportunity for us. I was super

JOSHUA BERGAN - PHOTOS

interested in the wader business, but the
apparel offering at Simms was also pretty
awful, and there was also huge potential
in wading boots. There was just a lot to
work with there.”
At that time, Simms had 15 employees
and a 9,000-square-foot facility.
K.C. Walsh acquired the company
on May 1, 1993, and the first breath-
able waders in the world were on sale
about a month later. The full-page ad
that appeared in the July 1993 issue of
Fly Fisherman boomed “Waders that
Breathe?” and indeed, consumers had
many questions.
When the first pair of breathable wad-
ers hit retail shelves, the new technology
was not instantly adopted, or even un-
derstood. The neoprene waders of the
day looked and felt indestructible and
insulated you against cold water. The new
flimsy, goofy-looking “fabric waders”
from Simms didn’t look like they would
In 1993, Simms had 15 employees and a 9,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. Today
they have nearly 200 employees just in Bozeman, and a 90,000-square-foot office and
manufacturing complex.
hold up for one fishing trip, let alone a coming through the booth and declar-
season. And they were far more expen- ing that the waders cost more than their
sive than neoprene waders. Premium 3.5 house payment.”
mm neoprene waders cost $129, and the Consumers were resistant to change,
new breathable waders from Simms cost but two important factors made breath-
$249.95. Given what we know about infla- able waders a success: public education and
tion over the past 30 years, that was a lot product improvement and innovation.
of money. The first breathable waders used a
According to Diane Bristol, who is Gore-Tex breathable membrane that intro-
today the longest-tenured employee at duced a new Immersion Technology, which
Simms, and vice president of community was different than the Gore-Tex membrane
and culture, “At every consumer show we that was already in wide use in outdoor
could always count on at least one person outerwear, where it worked to shield you

flyfisherman.com 33

Beyond perfecting the product, there was a ton of
public education that needed to happen as well.
In 1993, most people didn’t know how “breathable”
fabrics worked, and most people didn’t believe or
understand how water could pass from inside the
wader to the outside while standing in water. So
Simms was aggressive with consumer trade shows,
showing people one at a time how it worked.
from precipitation. But in the first pair of
waders, the original Cordura 504 face fabric
allowed almost every thorn or bramble to
pierce through the outer layer, creating pin-
hole leaks in the Gore-Tex membrane.
Gore only allowed Simms to sell 1,500
pairs of waders in the first year, and since
Simms was not an “approved” Gore-Tex
manufacturer, the waders were actually
manufactured by a third party.
According to K.C. Walsh, “Somewhere
between 30 to 40 percent of those 1,500
waders came back with leaks, and when
we started seeing those gigantic return
rates it became a code red problem. Fix-
ing that problem was really my first order
of business.”
Walsh says Simms used an Instron tes-
ter with acupuncture needles to simulate
fine nettles and thistles, and then tested
fabrics from all over the world.
The solution was a brand new textile
Simms found in Japan called “exploded
microfiber.” In this product, a single fi-
ber has 29 or more layers held together
with a polymer. They weave these fibers
together and when they finish the fab-
ric, they melt the polymer and all 29 of
those fibers explode and it becomes a
super-dense material.
According to Walsh, the exploded mi-
crofiber broke the needles on the testing
machine without puncturing. That new
material went into the first pair of Guide
Waders released in 1995.
The fabric stockingfeet of the first iter-
ation were also problematic because they
were badly misshapen. “The damn things
would slip down into the toes of your
boot,” said Walsh. “It was incredibly an-
noying. People were putting rubber bands
around their ankles just to hold their wad-
ers up.”
“The solution of course was the neo-
prene stockingfoot,” said John Frazier,
manager of PR, Content + Digital Mar-
keting at Simms. “We knew it was the
34 FLY FISHER MAN
right idea and the right material, but at-
taching the 3mm neoprene stockingfoot
to the thin Gore-Tex fabric was very dif-
ficult. It was a challenge to get a durable,
secure seal.”
The company had to experiment with
many different manufacturing processes
and adhesives before they figured out how
to make that joint actually work. To this
day, when you tour the Simms factory,
visitors can see every part of the manufac-
turing process, except the area where the
neoprene stockingfeet are attached to the
rest of the waders. That is the Area 51 of
the Simms factory, and outsiders are not
allowed to see it.
It also took a while for Simms to perfect
the fabric package. Early on, tightly wo-
ven microfibers for the face fabric made
the waders much tougher, but it was still
a 3-layer fabric with a tricot liner on the
inside. Simms experimented with sewing
two pieces of this 3-layer fabric together
for the leg portion, which did in fact in-
crease durability, but it compromised
comfort and mobility. Simms eventually
worked with Gore-Tex to make a 5-layer
fabric, which was the standard for many
years. Today, Simms uses a 4-layer fabric
package in its top-end waders, and 4 lay-
ers is pretty much the standard across the
wader industry.
Like the stockingfeet, it also took a
few years for Simms to figure out exact-
ly where to put the seams on the waders.
When their first breathable waders came
to market, the seams were similar to pants
seams—on the inside of the legs, and the
joints there were bulky because there was
no way to build in articulation, which
caused abrasion leaks at the knees. It was
a consistent problem identified by the
Simms repair center, and it was another
reason why the first attempts at breathable
waders had a reputation for being leaky.
Once they moved the seams to the front
and the back of the legs, Simms was able
to improve the articulation in the legs and
dramatically increase the longevity of the
waders.
Fine tuning the seams and also perfect-
ing the fit of the waders for body shapes of
all sizes were keys to creating waders that
performed better and more comfortably
than anything on the market.
Beyond perfecting the product, there
was a ton of public education that need-
ed to happen as well. In 1993, most peo-
ple didn’t know how “breathable” fabrics
worked, and most people didn’t believe
or understand how water could pass from
inside the wader to the outside while
standing in water. So Simms was aggres-
sive with consumer trade shows, show-
ing people one at a time how it worked.
They would dip their hand in water, put
the hand inside a dry Gore-Tex glove, im-
merse the hand in cold water, and wiggle
their fingers—basically wading in a riv-
er. When they took their hand out of the
water and removed the glove, voila! Their
hand was dry again. It was like a mag-
ic trick that proved show after show and
year after year that you don’t have to be
wet inside your waders. The micro-porous
membrane blocks water molecules from
entering, but allows (smaller) water vapor
to pass, and the warmth of your body cre-
ates that vapor and even forces it out of the
waders due to the colder temperature on
the outside.
Within a few years of perfecting the
design and educating the public, breath-
able waders became the standard across
the globe, and neoprene waders basi-
cally disappeared from the f ly-fishing
marketplace.
As a side note, K.C. Walsh sold Simms
in 2022 for $192.5 million, and the compa-
ny had $100+ million in revenue that year.
Today, the company has a 90,000-square-
foot manufacturing space and nearly 200
employees in Montana alone.
Every wader company in the fly-fishing
space now uses breathable fabrics, their
own secret sauce of seam design, and
other features like waterproof pouch-
es, handwarmer pockets, zingers, f ly
box pockets, and other conveniences to
make their own unique breathable wad-
ers, but there is a lineage and a history
for all f ly fishers that goes back 30 years,
to a moment when one brand decided
to make a truly innovative product that
would change where, when, and how we
f ly fish.
Ross Purnell is the editor and publisher of
F ly F isherman.
 Your favorite
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36 FLY FISHER MAN

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 R.L . Win sto n Ro d c o . M ic ro s pey A ir 2
One of the most important tackle trends of the past decade has been Spey
rods sized right for trout. Steelheaders just can’t get that swinging lifestyle out of their
blood, streamer junkies want to throw their big juicy steamers with greater ease, and new fly
fishers are discovering how effective it can be to swing small soft-hackles during a hatch.
The R.L. Winston Rod Company was one of the first to fully adopt this idea of Spey casting in trout streams,
by developing the Boron III TH-Microspey in 2014. Much has happened in those subsequent years, most notably Winston’s
AIR 2 rods technology with a new resin and a new blend of boron and graphite materials that was lighter and loaded smoothly, yet
recovered quickly with higher line speeds.
Of course it made sense to bring this tech into the Spey world with a the new Microspey AIR 2 ($1,295, winstonrods.com). The rods
come as 2-, 3-, or 4-weights in lengths of 10'9", 11', and 11'3", respectively. The new materials provide for smoother transitions during
the loading process, and greater feedback during the cast, the swing, and the pickup. But it’s not just the blank that makes it work
better. Working with Spey expert Brian Silvey, Winston has redesigned the handle, with a thinner-diameter foregrip so you can hold
your hand in different fishing positions, feel rod vibrations better during the swing, and more easily pinch thin-diameter running
lines against the handle. The bottom grip is longer and slimmer than on full-size Spey rods, providing more of a lightweight feel, and
infinite ways to grip and control Spey casts.
For the 2-weight, Silvey recommends a 210-grain Skagit or a 180-grain Scandi line with a sinking-tip or poly leader in the 80-grain
range. The 3-weight takes a 240-grain Skagit or a 210-grain Scandi and 10' of T-10 for a sinking tip. For bigger flies and bigger rivers,
the 4-weight matches up with 300-grain Skagit or 275 Scandi lines and 12-foot tip choices.

38 FLY FISHER MAN

outcastboats.com | 800.966.0976
BOOKSHELF
F
or many of us, our first fly casts are made in a river or a pond,
a logical entry place for the sport, with light rods and fish. We
catch a bass or a trout. We catch the fever.
But somewhere out there, another world beckons, one of rips
and flats and fish commensurate with our wildest dreams, and
the curiosity inherent in any serious angler—What does the riv-
er look like around that bend? What’s lurking under that sub-
merged log?—gets the better of us. And, at some point, most fly
anglers, like river water, usually end up in the sea.
Steve Ramirez, a former Marine, police officer, and Home-
land Security professional, writes the Seasonable Angler column
found in the back of this magazine. His first book, Casting For-
ward, was about self-healing and fishing in his home waters of the
Texas Hill Country. His second, Casting Onward, took readers on
a journey across the country as he fished for native species with
the people who love them. And now, with Casting Seaward—the
third book in a trilogy that has gotten better with each entry—
Ramirez, too, has followed that familiar evolution to the salt.
The book, however, begins on a small stream in Texas, one that
dries up in the summer but, when he fishes it in mid-winter, is
full of stocked rainbow trout. The starting point makes sense,
though, as a reminder that “we are nothing more than ephemeral
streams that briefly contemplate our own existence,” as he writes.
And this stream—like the rest of the book—eventually leads to
the ocean.
Ramirez takes us to Long Island, where he fishes for striped
bass, bluefish, and false albacore with the guide David Blinken,
and the environmental writer Ted Williams. We find ourselves
near the mouth of the Potomac River, standing in a boat casting
darts for anadromous American and hickory shad. Ramirez is
joined there by Chris Wood, the CEO of Trout Unlimited, and
the duo form a comfortable partnership. “My best fishing com-
panions are always the ones who can be at peace in total silence,
or in the sort of conversation that is calming, restful, and com-
forting—like a soft rain on a dreamy night,” Ramirez writes.
He visits the South Carolina Low Country and Texas coast
for redfish. In Turks and Caicos, he hunts bonefish with a guide
whose (very) casual work ethic leaves Ramirez not frustrated,
but better able to prioritize what he wants—and gets—out of any
given fishing day. On the West Coast, he travels from Alaska to
Southern California, fishing for species ranging from salmon to
surfperch.
We have choices as readers of fly-fishing literature. We can
turn to McGuane for elevated prose that stirs the mind or to Gi-
erach for storytelling that is as easygoing as it is entrancing.
We go to Ramirez for something different. He writes with
pure honesty about his loves and losses, in both life and in fish-
ing. He writes as a former Marine who is searching for inner
peace as he still deals with PTSD in the lonely hours of the
night. He is very much a writer for these times of social, politi-
cal, and environmental upheaval, none of which he shies away
40 FLY FISHER MAN
from discussing. What comes across most emphatically in this
book is that Ramirez is someone who would be an excellent
companion, on or off the water, a thoughtful man who moves
at a thoughtful pace, mindful yet hopeful that humans, as he
writes, are both “the problem and the solution” to our current
woes. At one point in the book, he describes his searching self as
“an Imperfect Texan Buddha,” which sounds about right.
My favorite chapters in the book come in the middle, when
Ramirez travels to the California coast and meets friends to fish
for surfperch and West Coast striped bass in the northern part
of the state, and corbina at its southern end. Part of the intrigue
is that these types of fishing may be unfamiliar to many fly an-
glers. But it is also in these chapters where Ramirez writes most
gracefully, particularly when he sight fishes for corbina in the
surf with two friends, the sharp-tongued Kesley Gallagher and
the laid-back Aileen Lane. Despite many shots, Ramirez never
actually lands a corbina. Not catching fish is a recurring theme
of the book, and a refreshing one, at that. Ramirez is the oppo-
site of some of the well-known, old-school writers who bragged
about their fishing prowess as they caught everything that swam.
Again, this is a book for our time.
If there is a nit to pick, it is that the book has some repetition.
Ramirez writes of the importance of letting regrets go and of our
limited time on earth on a few different occasions. In the end,
though, this minor sin is forgivable. Fly fishing is, after all, in
many ways about the importance of repetition and, as Ramirez
points out in one part of the book, “repetition creates memory.”
The last stop in the book, like the first, is on a river. This one
is in northern Wisconsin, where he fishes in a “Musky Madness”
event hosted by Bob White (whose lovely illustrations are found
at the beginning of each chapter). Again, the sweetwater visit
works because, as he writes, “the story of water is a circle and a
cycle that never ends,” and that connectedness is always import-
ant to keep in mind. He ends the book with a quote from the ma-
rine biologist, Sylvia A. Earle that reads: “Throughout the history
of our species, the mostly blue planet has kept us alive. It’s time to
return the favor.” That happens to be a process that Ramirez has
already begun with this book.
—Monte Burke
FILM Chad Brown, a professional pho-
tographer and cinematographer,
founder of Soul River Inc., and
a U.S. Navy veteran who partic-
ipated in Desert Storm and Des-
ert Shield, served at Guantánamo
Bay, and saw combat during Op-
eration Restore Hope in Somalia.
For more than a decade he has
been a leader in using fly fishing

H
ere’s something you don’t see in the fly-fishing universe very
often. Actually, we’ve never seen this . . . ever. Blackwaters
is a 41-minute film about five black men on an expedition
to the Kobuk River in Gates of the Arctic Circle National Park.
Throughout their lives, these five men have been challenged by
trauma, loss, fear, and layers of social injustice, so why not high-
light those challenges with a trip to one of the most remote, inhos-
pitable places on the planet? They document their emotions and
philosophies in an open, fearless manner that helps us all make a
journey to places that perhaps we’ve never even considered.
As the film itself points out, there is a societal profile, per-
ception, or expectation of black men, and this film sinks those
stereotypes with an eye-opening account of adventurers who
are both comfortable in the outdoors and comfortable in their
own skin. Through their experience in the Brooks Range, we
learn about their lives, their hopes for the future, and how being
outdoors has helped them heal, succeed, inspire others toward
positive masculinity, and be role models for BIPOC young men.
The story is told by five different people, so the story and the
messaging are as complex as humanity itself. The cast includes
and outdoor experiences to com-
bat his own PTSD and help others
cope with it as well. His compa-
triots include journalist James
Mills, a contributor to National
Geographic magazine, a fellow of the Mountain & Wilderness
Writing Program of the Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada, and
author of the multimedia The Joy Trip Project. Jahmicah Dawes
is owner of Slim Pickins Outfitters, an independent outdoor re-
tailer in Stephenville, Texas. Nick Brooks is founder and owner of
Outdoor Gear and Beer, an outdoor clothing and equipment re-
tailer in Atlanta, Georgia. Alex Bailey is the executive director of
Black Outside Inc., a San Antonio, Texas, company that provides
life-changing outdoor education experiences for youth of color.
The film will debut at the Billy Frank Jr. Conference Center in
Portland, Oregon, August 26-28, with future showings in Mad-
ison, Wisconsin; Atlanta, Georgia; Stephenville, Texas; and San
Antonio, Texas; see blackwatersfilm.com for dates and details.
—Ross Purnell

flyfisherman.com 41
Cheeky tournament focuses on conservation
T
he world’s largest fly-fishing-only tournament ended with a
$30,756 check going toward striped bass conservation. The
12th annual Cheeky Schoolie Tournament presented by
Simms had 264 teams of two anglers vying for prizes and brag-
ging rights, but the bigger goal May 20 was public education and
legislation toward protecting striped bass stocks.

RICK GRIFFITHS - PHOTO

The tournament is called the “Schoolie” because the weekend
before Memorial Day on Cape Cod usually sees the first striped
bass of the season, and they are often smaller fish. Only four fish
over 20 inches can be measured, photographed, and released.
This year, Rex Messing and Peter Markano took first place with
a tournament-record total length of 119.5 inches. Seth Gilroy and
Steve Schaeffer took second place with 119 inches, and Marc Sa-
varia and Chuck Scott measured a total of 114 inches.
“We love this event and love how the angling community
comes together to celebrate the fish and work together to make
the fishery better,” said Ted Upton, Cheeky CEO. “We think this
was the best Schoolie yet.”
New to this year’s tournament, science teams from UMASS
Amherst conducted catch-and-release research in and around the
tournament. Directed by Dr. Andy Danylchuk and funded with a
prestigious Woods Hole Sea Grant, catch-and-release researchers
Sascha Clark Danylchuk (orange hat) is executive director of the
nonprofit Keep Fish Wet. Her group educated tournament partici-
pants on best practices for catch-and-release fishing.
will be attempting to catalog recovery of more than 1,000 fish over
the course of this year, and the first fish in the study were recorded
during the Schoolie tournment.
The $30,756 raised during the tournament was split among
Stripers Forever (stripersforever.org), Keep Fish Wet (keep-
fishwet.org), and the American Saltwater Guides Association
(saltwaterguidesassociation.com).

BRIAN ANDERSON, UTAH TROUT UNLIMITED - PHOTO

Herbert Ley (left), director of the Utah Stream Access Coalition,

presents copies of F ly F isherman (with Sticky Notes) to Rep.
Stephen Whyte (right) of the Utah House of Representatives.
SLIPSTREAM FISHING RAFTS Scan to see all
Slipstream
Any day with a fly rod in hand is a good day. But what if you could packages and
float waters few boats have access to? Wade streams few anglers learn more.
have stepped in? Present flies to unsuspecting fish? Picture it.
Purpose-built for adventure anglers, Slipstream Rafts feature a
streamlined design to eliminate catch points and high-pressure
drop-stitch floors with EVA foam decking for stable footing whether
you’re sighting, casting or netting a fish. The sleek fishing frame
has an internally routed anchor system and optional rod-holder
tubes, enhancing your on-the-water experience. Available in three
sizes to suit your adventure needs, in a Slipstream raft you don’t
have to picture it, you can fish it. nrs.com
SHALLOW-WATER TACTICS FOR “BIG LEAGUE”
STREAMER FISHING

Author George Daniel believes that for streamer

fishing for big trout in shallow water, fly selection may
be the most important contributor toward success.
Game Changer-style patterns have incredible realistic
swimming motion, and they suspend so they won’t
constantly snag rocks and vegetation.
 GEORGE DANIEL
PHOTOGRAPHY & TEXT

ope is a powerful motivator, which is the re ason I’ve made over a

dozen road trips to Ark ansas’s White River since the l ate 1990 s. E ach
t rip I hope for jus t one opport unit y to catch a world-cl ass brown trou t. When I say
“ world-cl ass,” I’m not talk ing abou t a record-se t ting fish ( although that would be nice )
but ins te ad a brown t rou t anyone around the globe would be e xcited to catch. I belie ve
the Whit e River and t he surrounding tailwaters offer anglers the opport unit y to swim and
drif t t heir flies pas t world-cl ass brown trou t, and e ven r ainbow trou t.
 Changing Game plans in Arkansas
AMIDEA DANIEL - PHOTO
eorge Daniel is the author of
G Nymph Fishing: New Angles,
Tactics, and Techniques (Stackpole,
2018). He is a F ly F isherman
contributing editor and owner of
Livin’ on the Fly, an educational/
guide company in Pennsylvania. He
was a coach for both the U.S. Youth
Fly Fishing Team and Fly Fishing
Team USA and now teaches fly
fishing at Penn State University. His
last story in F ly F isherman was “Drop
Shot: Rolling in the Deep” in the
Feb.-March 2023 issue.
L I V I N O N T H E F L Y. C O M
@GEORGEDANIELOUTSIDE
Euro-jigging with small, dense streamers works well in very specific spots where you can dissect the water carefully with short casts.
On the White River, when targeting browns feeding near the shorelines, you need to make much longer casts of up to 60 feet to avoid
spooking the trout and to search more water with your fly.
46 FLY FISHER MAN
Arkansas is not a state trout anglers
would initially identify with world-class
trout, but massive hydro projects like Bull
Shoals Dam were constructed for flood
control and electric power. The byprod-
uct was cold water discharging from these
bottom-release dams, creating some of
the top tailwater trout fisheries in the U.S.
While I fish many other tailwaters, the
White River and other nearby tailwaters
continue to offer the best opportunities to
catch trophy trout. Even the years I fail to
net a monster trout, I will hook, or at least
spot, a leviathan below the surface. Know-
ing that my fly may be swimming near
such a fish is enough to keep me coming
back each year. Hope is a powerful moti-
vator.
The purpose of this article is to share
lessons I earned from a recent six-day fish-
ing experience on the White River system.
Like the rest of humanity, I’m a creature of
habit and dig myself into routines.
Recently, I’ve talked and written about
jigging streamers—an approach using a
Euro system with a heavily weighted jig
streamer to achieve depth quickly with a
slower presentation. [See “Euro Jigging” in
the February-March 2022 issue of Fly Fish-
erman, or online at flyfisherman.com. The
Editor.]
I look at streamer fishing in the same
manner as nymphing—a subsurface
presentation where I believe presenta-
tion depth and speed may be more im-
portant than the pattern itself.
This Euro/jig streamer tactic has be-
come so good on my home waters that I
rarely use other streamer tactics. I was
planning for this method to be just as
deadly on the White River as it was for
me on my home waters. In preparing for
my trip to the White River I spent most
of my free time tying jig-style streamers.
Jig streamers took up 80 percent of my fly
boxes. However, I’ve learned in the past
that you need to hope for the best but
plan for the worst. So, I added a handful
of larger articulated swimming and jerk/
strip-style streamers—just in case the jig
streamer approach didn’t produce.
PROS AND CONS
The benefit of the jig streamer approach
is that the streamer descends rapidly, fast-
er than traditional streamer tactics due
to reducing the mass of the line and lead-
er encountering the water. Think Euro
nymphing with a heavy streamer. It’s a
tactic good for dissecting smaller areas
of water, however, there is a downside.
The casting and presentations are shorter
than with traditional floating and sinking
lines. Jig streamer is a tactic best served
within a 20- or 30-foot range and—most

The White River is wide and relatively featureless compared to smaller streams. The most defined features are along the banks, and that’s
often where big browns prefer to hunt in periods of low light or when the water is a little murky.
importantly—when you have a clear and
defined target area to fish.
The White River is massive in compari-
son to my smaller Pennsylvania limestone
streams, and the vastness of the large flats
on the White provides less definitive fea-
tures. It does have the occasional riffle
and run at every turn, but most of the
White River resembles a long, uniform,
featureless, flowing flat. At the surface,
every square inch of these long flowing
flats looks void of casting targets. While
floating the White River I sometimes
feel I’m fishing a lake. Targeting trout is
challenging if you don’t know where the
mid-channel depressions, drop-offs, and
submerged habitat is lying below these
massive flats. We knew several of the key
midstream locations from previous trips,
and by watching where live-bait anglers
were drifting, but felt we weren’t efficient-
ly targeting the productive water.
If you fish the White River regularly,
you’ll know where all the midstream ob-
structions, drops, ledges, or any possible
feeding locations are located.
It takes years to learn all the hot spots
on a system as large as the White Riv-
er. But once you know the spots, using a
short-range tactic like Euro jigging allows
Shallow-water tactics for “big league” streamer fishing
you to get your streamer into the strike
zone quicker than any other streamer tac-
tic I know. If you don’t know the spots, a
searching tactic that covers more water
may be more useful, which is exactly what
we decided to do after jigging streamers
for a few days on the White River with
limited success.
HIGH FLOWS
Typically on the White, targeting the
banks is ideal during periods of high
generation when the strong current en-
courages trout to seek softer and slower-
moving water along the edges. Higher
water and stronger currents may also
encourage larger fish to position close to
the bank during feeding windows. On
the flip side, low water conditions make
targeting banks challenging, as larger
trout may shy away from shallow and un-
protected water when they may feel vul-
nerable to predators.
There was very little generation during
our first two days of fishing, so our best op-
tion was to fish farther away from the bank
and focus on deeper water. With limited
knowledge of those midriver targets, we
were fortunate enough to pull out some
quality trout while jigging streamers, but
we felt like we were hunting for a needle
in a haystack. It appeared most of the larg-
er trout were lurking within the midriver
depths given the bright sun, low water, and
clear water.
Changing weather conditions over the
following four days opened an opportunity
to work along the banks with more tradi-
tional streamer tactics.
Several key factors contributed to our
switch from a deep-water Euro jigging ap-
proach to hunting the shallows with float-
ing lines and Chocklett’s Feather Chang-
ers. First, we started at first light and
fished until dark. We know large trout
hunt during low-light periods, especially
at dusk and dawn. Large trout will leave
the comforts of depth and move into the
shallows to hunt in literally inches of wa-
ter in low-light conditions. Every morn-
ing we started our float 30 to 45 minutes
before sunrise. Each morning we heard
or witnessed the occasional large trout
hunting in the shallows. Second, we had
heavy cloud cover and heavy rainfall the
last two days of our trip. Even with low
flows during midday, the low light and
heavy rain created a cloak of darkness for
the larger trout to hunt in shallow waters
flyfisherman.com 47
Changing Game plans in Arkansas
The White River is the “big leagues” of streamer fishing, with opportunities for 24-inch brown trout around every corner. But these large
trout are not easy to catch and often require very specialized strategies to get them in the net.
during the daylight hours.
In addition, many of the feeder streams
started pumping mud into the tailwater
the last two days, creating just enough
turbidity for larger trout to comfortably
feed in shallow water during low flows.
Third, strong sustained winds all six
days with the occasional wind gust of 30
to 40 mph was more than enough to create
a choppy surface most of the day. Just as
with lake fishing, a little chop on the sur-
face provides another layer of comfort to
large trout as they hunt in shallow water.
The water levels remained low but
the conditions gave us hope that larger
trout were hunting in the shallows. In-
stead of casting out into the abyss with
a jig/streamer approach, now I had de-
fined targets along the bank. Looking at
points, partially submerged logs, gradual
drops, and even the mud lines of the feed-
er streams pumping mud into the White
River all provided targets any trout angler
would notice.
RIGGING FOR SHALLOWS
We had to think about tactics and rig-
ging for this new scenario. Instead of the
deeper midriver sections, we were now
48 FLY FISHER MAN
working shallow water ranging from only
a couple inches to a foot.
Our jig streamers were too heavy. They
would hang up immediately after landing.
Plus, we needed to cast long distances due
to the low-water scenario. Despite the sur-
face chop, low light, and somewhat turbid
water conditions, you need to stay as far
from the trout as possible if you’re hunting
ultra-skinny water from a boat. During
the low-light periods of early morning
and late evening, a 20- to 30-foot cast was
acceptable, but longer casts of 40 to 50 feet
were needed during the daytime.
Given the fact that much of the water I
wanted to fish was barely 6 inches deep, I
decided to go with a Scientific Anglers MPX
floating line. Full-sinking and sinking-tip
lines come to mind initially when fishing
streamers, but I feel weight-forward floating
lines are the most underused streamer lines.
Even slow-sinking tips or intermediate fly
lines resulted in constant hang-ups in this
ultra-skinny environment, so the floating
line, along with a 10-foot leader was ideal for
swimming patterns at slow, medium, or fast
speeds without constantly snagging bottom.
The last two mornings we had dirty wa-
ter, so I needed a slow retrieve to provide
the trout more time to locate the pattern
in the darker water. With a sinking-tip
line or intermediate line in skinny water,
I’d need to fish the pattern fast to prevent
hanging up on stream bottom, and fishing
your pattern too fast is one of the biggest
mistakes you can make in shallow, dirty
water. You need to think not only about
the depth you plan to fish your streamer,
but also the speed of your retrieve. This
thought process is so important when
choosing streamer lines.
Keep the streamer leader for a floating
line simple. Using a blood knot, I used a
5-foot section of 15-pound Maxima for
my butt section, connected to 5 feet of 0X
Scientific Anglers Absolute Fluorocarbon.
I used a nail knot to connect the Maxi-
ma directly to the fly line. When fishing
longer streamer leaders (longer than the
length of the rod) I want to eliminate the
loop connection in fear of it getting stuck
in the guides when playing a big fish. A
clean nail knot with a smooth coating of
UV resin reduces the chances of the fly
line hanging within the guides.
GAME CHANGER
During low flows many of the shallow
bank areas on the White River take on

a technical spring creek feel, where fish
have plenty of time to look at a streamer
before deciding to strike or refuse. Even
when the water is ruffled by wind or a bit
off-colored, these fish are tough during
low flows. This is by far some of the more
challenging streamer conditions I’ve ever
faced, as fish sometimes appear to be just
as fussy chasing down a streamer as they
are when rising to an adult midge on a
calm flat. These are the conditions when
I feel a streamer pattern needs to be far
more lifelike when moving through the
water.
Jig patterns are excellent choices when
fishing faster and deeper sections of water
where depth penetration is priority num-
ber one, but they lack the realism needed
to fool many of the White River’s larger
trout hunting the shallows. This is when
I bring out Blane Chocklett’s Feather
Changer.
Game Changer patterns are often over-
kill for most of the trout fishing on my
home waters, as dense patterns with a lit-
tle jiggy action is all I need to fool those
resident fish. Sometimes it feels like I’m
moving from the minor leagues to the big
leagues when I travel from Pennsylvania
to Arkansas. You need to up your game
when moving into the big leagues, and
this is the reason I always carry a couple
Feather Changers when traveling to big-
ger tailwaters.
The reason for the Feather Changer is
twofold. First, the natural feathers ab-
sorb water and sink just below the surface
without needing a sinking or sinking-tip
line. This means I can fish a floating line,
and use a slow swimming retrieve and
still avoid constantly catching submerged
vegetation. This is also why I grease the
first couple feet of my fly line—along with
the entire Maxima butt section—with a
floatant paste to keep the tip of the line
near the surface.
The Feather Changer has an insane
amount of movement. When fishing a
streamer with an ultra-slow retrieve, I
frequently stall or pause the retrieve to let
the fly hang for several seconds before be-
ginning the next movement. The Feather
Changer continues to move and undulate
long after the retrieve stops. It’s unlike any
pattern I’ve ever seen.
When playing a slow game of cat-and-
mouse with larger trout in shallow water,
a fly that moves after the retrieve is the
single most important factor in whether
a fish takes the bait or not. And this is
coming from a guy who spends a lot of
his time Euro nymphing, and believes fly
Shallow-water tactics for “big league” streamer fishing
pattern is not as important as the speed
and depth of the presentation. However,
in these challenging streamer fishing en-
vironments, I feel pattern choice could
possibly be the biggest factor in your suc-
cess.
It’s important to note that the few times
I found myself fishing deeper water, I sim-
ply added a large split-shot to the nose of
the Feather Changer and added several
feet of tippet to achieve correct depth.
This is why I always carry a few large split-
shot when using this floating line tactic.
It’s not pretty but it does work.
SWIMMING RETRIEVE
Many Game Changer-style streamers
(including the Feather Changer) are not
meant to be stripped or jerked during
the retrieve. Instead, many Changers
are designed to be pulled fast or slow
through the water, allowing the articu-
lated shanks to swim with a realistic ser-
pentine quality. My preferred retrieve for
the Feather Changer is a long, slow pull
with the line hand while my rod hand
wiggles the rod tip back and forth. I first
read about this retrieve in Gary Borger’s
book Presentation years ago, and it has
remained a favorite for swimming-style
presentations, especially when fishing at
a slow pace. This is why I prefer Feath-
er Changers for ultra-slow presentations
as the pattern has amazing movement
and allows me to keep the fly within the
strike zone for an extended period with
lifelike movement.
The tactic that worked so well during
our trip was casting immediately near
the bank, and then slowly swimming
If you find yourself in deeper water, you can add a split-shot to the nose of the fly and/or
add an extra length of tippet to take your Game Changer-style pattern a little deeper.
the Feather Changer over a drop-off,
depression, or submerged logjam. The
stalled Changer—in combination with
the floating line—just suspended in the
water while continuing to wiggle with a
tantalizing motion. Many of our strikes
occurred during the long pauses between
pulls.
The combination of a floating line, long
leader, and Feather Changer continues to
provide me the confidence I need when
facing the most challenging streamer
conditions—low and clear water. My
original plan of fishing the jig stream-
er did produce several 20-inch+ trout
during our first two days, and would
have likely produced a few more during
our trip. However, I firmly believe the
handful of 24-inch and bigger trout we
caught during our last four days would
not have occurred if we didn’t switch to
the floating line and Feather Changer ap-
proach.
Sometimes pattern choice is the most
important factor to success. This wasn’t
the first time I’ve used this approach.
I’ve used it with great success on oth-
er technical trout waters including the
South Holston and Delaware rivers.
As someone who prides himself in ty-
ing and fishing simple patterns, some-
times I realize good presentation alone
can only go so far. This is when I need
to change both my mindset and game
plan to incorporate sharper tools in the
toolkit when dealing with the most dis-
criminating fish. And this is why I’m
thankful for Blane Chocklett’s Feather
Changer—it’s the silver bullet I always
have ready when dealing with larger and
smarter river wolves.
flyfisherman.com 49
H o w t o c at c h a l a s k a s a l m o n , t r o u t,
a n d c h a r u s i n g p u b l i c H i g h way s
 JOSEPH JACKSON

he L a s t F ron t ier wa s bough t f rom Russi a in 186 7 a nd achie v ed

s tat ehood in 1959 . I t is comp osed of 365 mil l ion acr e s, a nd con ta ins —a mong
o t her t hings —t he l a rge s t Pacif ic s a l mon runs in t he w or l d, t he highe s t moun ta in
pe a k in Nor t h A meric a , some of t he riche s t gol d mine s on t he pl a ne t, a nd a n inf ini t e
c a paci t y t o ir ri tat e T e x a ns . Y e t f or a l l i t s geogr a phic a l gl ory, A l a sk a h a s only f our
m a jor high ways .

JONATHAN HANSON - PHOTO

 Road Warriors
JOSEPH JACKSON - PHOTO
oseph Jackson has been in the
J Last Frontier since 2014 when
he came to Fairbanks for college.
Between writing for a variety of
outdoor publications, F ly F isherman
included, and releasing his first book
(It’s Only Fishing, Epicenter Press
2023), he enjoys burning tire rubber
on Alaska’s roads in search of king
salmon on a Spey rod and grayling
on high-floating dry flies.
@ S AV E AW O R M _ F I S H A F LY
Alaska roads can get you to faraway streams, but you’ll still need to hike away from the road to find the best fishing for rainbow trout,
grayling, and Dolly Varden. Carry bear spray, a large net, and bring two rods—a light dry-fly rod for Arctic grayling and a 7- or 8-weight
rod for throwing large streamers like Egg-sucking Leeches and conehead Dolly Llamas.
52 FLY FISHER MAN
I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. I would
argue it’s one of the things that makes
Alaska great, and if that ever changes it
will be for the worse. But the very exis-
tence of Alaskan roads, along with their
scarcity, makes for one heck of a paradox.
On the one hand, you’ve got millions
of acres of wild country that would be in-
accessible without roads. Sure, you could
take a Super Cub or a jet boat out there,
but for those of us who are poor or can’t
secure a coveted spot at a fly-out lodge (as
is common these days), it’s the road sys-
tem or it’s nothing. On the flip side, such a
limited number of thoroughfares can tend
to concentrate angling effort at reachable
places—the nice way of saying that some
road-accessible salmon streams can turn
into outdoor Harry Styles concerts during
the height of the run.
TRIP TIMING
Saying Alaska only has four major
highways is a bit dishonest; in fact, there
are over 14,000 miles of road. It’s just
that only four of them are constructed to
Interstate Highway standards. The rest
are narrow, two-lane-only, frost-heaved,
gravel, or some varying combination of
these. That’s fine, of course, for those who
like adventure, but most rental companies
prohibit taking their cars on anything but
pavement. Alaska 4x4 Rentals and Alaska
Overlander (both in Anchorage) are good
exceptions to this. Give them a call, ex-
plain your plan, and they’ll be able to set
you up with everything you might need in
the transportation department. That way
you can get off the beaten track.
The single biggest consideration for a
trip to Alaska—before organizing your
rental car, before deciding which new
fly rod you’re going to snag—is deciding
when you’d like to visit. Are you looking
for salmon to clonk and bring home in a
cooler, or are you more interested in hunt-
ing for a 30-inch rainbow trout? Some fish
are available practically all summer and
fall, while others come and go, as they are
anadromous migrants.
Mid- to late June is a safe overall bet.
Trout, Dolly Varden, and Arctic grayling
will be moving into their summer haunts
with zeal, and the sockeye salmon and
king salmon runs will be climbing. July
is good if you want to catch the peak of
some salmon runs, but it’s also one of
the busiest times to be in Alaska because
the weather’s most reliable then. If I had
JOSEPH JACKSON - PHOTO
 H o w t o c at c h a l a s k a s a l m o n , t r o u t, a n d c h a r u s i n g A l a s k a H i g h way s
King salmon are highly desirable gamefish with a short window of opportunity. The places you can drive to catch them—like the Kenai
River near Soldotna—will be busy with other anglers, but you may catch the fish of a lifetime. Small streams with Arctic grayling are
where you are likely to encounter nothing more than mosquitoes and grizzly bears.
to pick a time to visit, I’d choose August
or early September. Coho (silver) salm-
on are just picking up, trout are fat and
happy from eating salmon eggs, roadside
steelhead are finally available, and most of
the tourists have finally left town. It also
means a higher chance of rain. Consider
your options and preferences carefully.
FINDING VALHALLA
Okay—let’s assume you’ve got a vehi-
cle now, you know when you’re coming,
and you’re ready to make things happen.
All that’s left is to drive your heart out
and go fishing.
It’s been said that there are no good
anglers in Alaska, there is only good
fishing. That may have been true once—
and it still is true in many roadless ar-
eas—but today I don’t really believe it.
There’s an abundance of fish, sure, de-
pending on your location and timing,
but you really can’t afford to be bad if
you want to meet decent success. You
need to come prepared with the right
gear, and you need to give some thought
to what flies you’re presenting and how.
Fly shops within the vicinity of your
excursions will be able to help in that
department. If in doubt, fish a black,
weighted Egg-sucking Leech.
My final tip before we launch into loca-
tion is to grab yourself a copy of Gunnar
Pedersen’s The Highway Angler (the latest
edition if you can find it). It’s the Bible
of angling mercenaries up here. I keep a
copy in my truck at all times.
Oh—and beware of bears. Educate
yourself on what to do if you come across
one, and carry some big iron or a can of
bear spray as insurance.
KENAI PENINSULA
Ah, the Kenai. A place steeped in leg-
ends of hopelessly elusive 20-pound rain-
bow trout, and king salmon the size of
donkeys. As you can imagine from such
tales, the place is also hammered by fish-
ermen. The entire Kenai Peninsula is a
vast area containing myriad fishing op-
tions, but the majority of pressure occurs
on the Kenai River system itself.
If you’re a first-timer, I’d recommend
booking a drift boat and a guide to go
with it. There are a number of outfitter
services based in the towns of Cooper
Landing and Soldotna, and they’re go-
ing to put you on fish much faster than
you could do it yourself. You could al-
ways book a guide for a day and use
some of their lessons while you f ly solo
the rest of the trip. I tend to steer clear
JOSEPH JACKSON - PHOTO
of the Kenai altogether because I gener-
ally favor a small-stream experience and
fewer people. The upper Kenai, though,
can deliver a pretty killer experience,
and if a yardstick rainbow trout is your
goal, the middle Kenai is world-class.
If you’d prefer to seek out more re-
mote options (relatively speaking), there
are a number of streams on the Seward
and Sterling highways to consider. In the
fall, you can seek steelhead at some of the
fisheries down toward Ninilchik and Ho-
mer. I won’t name-drop these (because I’ll
be tarred and feathered if I do), but some
quick Google searches will reveal produc-
tive starting points. During September, the
steelhead crowds can resemble summer
salmon mobs, but these river and creek
systems are spread out enough to where
you can find solitude. That reminds me of a
good rule of thumb for the entire state: The
quality of your fishing will often be directly
proportional to the amount of boot leath-
er you spent getting there. Just make sure
you’re not hiking and/or fishing into closed
areas. The Alaska Department of Fish and
Game (ADF&G) keeps pretty detailed reg-
ulations that you should study thoroughly.
One final note is that you should have
a backup plan in place if you bank your
trip on Kenai Peninsula king salmon.
This is a temperamental species with
flyfisherman.com 53
 R o a d Wa r r i o r s H o w t o c at c h a l a s k a s a l m o n , t r o u t, a n d c h a r u s i n g A l a s k a H i g h way s

sadly diminishing run sizes. ADF&G

regularly issues emergency orders clos-
ing king fisheries that, just a day before—
just hours before in some cases—were open.
That happened to me last year. I’d been Spey
casting my heart out for days, praying for a
Chinook near Soldotna. After several thou-
sand casts, it still hadn’t happened, and as
soon as I started planning a return trip, the
fishery shut down. It was a bummer, sure,
but the health of the king salmon runs is
more important than my own ego.
If a fishery is open and you’re lucky enough
to shake hands with one of these brutes, treat
it with the respect it deserves. Keep it in the
water at all times, handle it minimally, and
let it go. Don’t kill a fish just for Instagram.

SOUTH-CENTRAL
The next most popular sector of Alaska
is the Matanuska-Susitna Valley (the Mat-
Su in local parlance). In just over an hour’s
drive from the international airport in An-
chorage, you can be fishing one of a handful
of creeks that contain pristine, wonderfully
spotted rainbow trout. In fact, some of the
best trout fishing in the country, certainly in
the state, can be found in this area.
The key to accessing these roadside
gems is the George Parks Highway. Con-
structed in 1971 and named for a for-
mer governor back in the territory days,
this is arguably the most important road
in the state. It connects Anchorage and
Fairbanks via 323 miles of paved two-
lane, providing access to both population
centers, but also to the tourist Mecca of
Denali National Park. On clear days, the
views of North America’s tallest peak are
nothing short of breathtaking, and the
views from certain trout streams along
that route are even better.
Streamer fishing is the name of the
game during the height of summer. Trout
overwinter in the Susitna River, trickling
back up into such creeks as Willow, Sheep,
Goose, and Montana in the spring to
spawn. Early June is a reliable time to start
casting for them. The infamous Dolly Lla-
ma fly (which you can find at practically
any fly shop or sporting goods store) was
developed here and, though it casts like a
dumbbell, it’s effective medicine for these
highly predatory trout. A selection of Kel-
ly Galloup streamers are also good choic-
ARIAN STEVENS - PHOTOS

es, as are coneheaded Muddlers, weighted

Char, silver salmon, rainbow trout, and

Arctic grayling are among Alaska’s most
popular fly rod targets, and they are all
accessible from Alaska’s roadways.

54 FLY FISHER MAN

 Bear River, Willapa Bay, WA | Tyler Roemer

Sometimes to save a river,

you have to buy it.
This is Washington’s Bear River, where it flows through the 2,394-acre Willapa Coastal Forest property on its
way to Willapa Bay, the second largest estuary on the West Coast. If you look at this and see salmon habitat,
we’re on the same page. That’s why Western Rivers Conservancy is working to purchase the property and
add it to the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge. Our efforts will forever conserve a vitally important stretch of
the Bear River that Chinook, coho, chum, steelhead and sea-run cutthroat all depend on to survive.

We count on support from people like you, anglers who know the value of clean water, healthy rivers and
public access. To support our efforts on the Bear and other great rivers of the West, visit westernrivers.org.
R o a d Wa r r i o r s H o w t o c at c h a l a s k a s a l m o n , t r o u t, a n d c h a r u s i n g A l a s k a H i g h way s
Woolly Buggers, and a variety of sculpin
patterns. Mouse flies like the Mr. Hankey
or RIO’s Pipsqueak only get better as sum-
mer wears on, and this kind of fishing can
be the most exciting and explosive you’ll
ever experience.
So you really want an adventure, eh? Alaska’s Dalton
Highway is among the most rugged roads in the world.
There’s a reason that seasoned truckers call the gravel
on this road “arrowheads,” just like there’s a reason
people say you shouldn’t attempt this road without two
full-sized spare tires.
There are a number of walk-in spots
along each of the aforementioned creeks.
Alaska’s stream laws allow anglers to wade
navigable water below the high water line,
even if the adjacent ground is private, but
still, be aware.
Depending on your timing, the coho
salmon action can be nonstop. You can
also sling for pinks and chums if you
want. Either way, once salmon start mov-
ing in heavy numbers, beads become the
dominant tactic for rainbows. Fish that
way if you’re so inclined, but you can still
move a good number of wary fish with
properly presented streamers.
THE INTERIOR
Interior Alaska is what fly fishing
dreams are made of; that is, if your dreams
are of the purist bent and contain soft
rods, high-floating dry flies, and Arctic
grayling eating voraciously on the surface.
The Interior, as it’s commonly known, en-
compasses the muskeg and boreal coun-
try north of the Alaska Range and south
of the Brooks Range. During the last Ice
Age, this place was an oasis; a lush island
of grasslands amidst a sea of glaciers sev-
eral miles thick. Mammoths and woolly
rhinos and steppe lions abounded. Today,
it’s still an oasis in many ways, serving as
productive habitat and home to an im-
pressive array of wildlife species.
For the piscatorially inclined, Arctic
grayling are the main quarry here. These
lovely fish top many fly anglers’ bucket
lists for sheer appearance; there are few
spectacles in nature as beautiful as a vivid
grayling dorsal fin. I would argue that the
grayling is more than just a pretty photo.
They are the ideal dry-fly fish. Whereas
you’ll hear that trout spend 90% of their
time feeding below the surface and a mere
56 FLY FISHER MAN
10% rising to drifting insects, grayling flip
the script. Anything that floats and looks
remotely “buggy” is fair game to them.
I especially like size 12 to 16 Humpys,
Usuals, Elk-hair Caddis, mosquitoes, and
Klinkhamers.
The key with finding good grayling
fishing is to seek solitude. It’s not that you
can’t find quality fishing close to the road
(you can, rest assured), it’s just that the
experience gets exponentially better the
farther you get from pavement or gravel.
Chena Hot Springs Road, along with the
Richardson, Steese, and Alaska highways
all lead to exceptional starting points for
such operations. The upper Chena River is
especially accessible, with many secluded
nooks and pull-offs where you can tuck
away and hike to your heart’s content.
While this fishery is catch-and-release
only, and you can reasonably hook and
land dozens of fish in a day, treat them
all carefully. It wasn’t so long ago in the
1980s that Arctic grayling were nearly ex-
tirpated from the Chena. Check out other
venues like Sourdough Creek, the Gulka-
na River, the Denali Highway, the Walker
Fork of the Fortymile, Nome Creek, or the
Delta Clearwater while you’re around.
Better yet—find your own dry-fly par-
adise on a stream that’s not yet named.
They’re out there.
NORTH SLOPE
So you really want an adventure, eh?
Alaska’s Dalton Highway is among the
most rugged roads in the world. There’s
a reason that seasoned truckers call the
gravel on this road “arrowheads,” just like
there’s a reason people say you shouldn’t
attempt this road without two full-sized
spare tires. My wife and I, unfortunately,
confirmed both of these reports on a Sep-
tember trip a few years back.
If you’re serious about the Dalton, and
have secured a vehicle to travel it with,
good on you. Along with the extra spare
tires, I’d implore you to take a portable air
compressor, tire plugs, a few jugs of extra
gas, a robust first aid kit, flares, extra jack-
ets, a complete camp kit, and any other
doomsday-type accoutrements you can
think of. It can be an uneventful trip, but
it can just as easily turn into a nightmare
in which you bust an axle on a Prius-sized
pothole or take a boulder to the radiator.
Both have happened to people I know.
Coldfoot and Deadhorse, two settlements
separated by 240 miles, are the only places
to get automotive help.
The fishing can make these risks worth-
while. Grayling abound in practically ev-
ery roadside stream, especially the larger
tributaries of the Koyukuk and Sagavan-
irktok. Pike are available in some of the
slower backwaters. Galbraith Lake is a
gem of this roadway. It takes eight hours to
reach from Fairbanks, and it can be windy
as a day in Wyoming, but lake trout and
Arctic char are abundant and often reach-
able from the shore. It also features one of
just a handful of campgrounds along the
entire, 414-mile route.
The Sagavanirktok, the king of rivers
along the Dalton, and one that has the
distinction of flowing into the Arctic
Ocean, can be a tough but amazing nut
to crack. Sea-run Dolly Varden of epic
proportions swim up it to spawn every
fall, and while I myself have not success-
fully timed it yet, that’s not to say you
can’t. My best, educated guess is that
it happens around late August. These
colorful brutes are heading for small-
er tributaries in the northern Brooks
Range, and you can either attempt to
intercept them on the Sag, or take a fly-
out trip to one of these more remote lo-
cations. Either way, if you’re able to cra-
dle one of these 30-inch, tomato-bellied
behemoths, you’ll forget all about the
puckery trip up the Dalton to reach it.
TRIP OF A LIFETIME
So there it is. A fly-by—drive-by, more
like—of Alaska’s road system fisheries.
This is the place of once-in-a-lifetimes: fish,
views, experiences. You might catch the
state fish or see the state bird (or be punc-
tured by the state bird, depending on which
trivia you believe). You might see Denali, a
sight which cannot be adequately described
or even photographed. It must be felt. You
might return home with an infinitude of
jokes with which to infuriate your Texan
friends, you might pan Alaskan gold, raft
one of its nameless rivers, encounter one
of its huge brown mammals, or be made to
feel small by its incomprehensible enormity.
You’ll never want to leave.
 WHO'S NEXT?
Who will be the 2024 CONSERVATIONIST OF
THE YEAR? If you know someone who has made
outstanding efforts in protecting or enhancing local
watersheds, nominate them today.

If that person organizes river cleanups, negotiates

for improved streamflows, or campaigns against
threatening industrial developments . . . we need to
hear about it! That person’s outstanding volunteerism
could result in a $10,000 CHECK FROM SIMMS
FISHING PRODUCTS. The funds will go to a nonprofit
organization chosen by the 2024 Conservationist of
the Year.
JIM ANDERSON - PHOTOS

2023 Recipient - Gary Horvath

A resident of River Falls, Wisconsin since 1988, Gary Horvath has spent over three
decades protecting his local watersheds. Upon moving to River Falls, Horvath almost
immediately got involved in the local Kiap-TU-Wish Trout Unlimited Chapter, a name
derived from a portmanteau of letters from the Kinni, Apple, Willow, and Rush
rivers. Horvath has been on the board of Kiap-TU-Wish since 1989, and temperature
monitoring on the Kinni began in 1991. Since then, he has been treasurer, secretary,
and served two times as president. He is now the vice-president. In the time that
Horvath has been a board member, the group has done stream restoration projects
on the Willow, Kinnickinnic, South Fork of the Kinnickinnic, Parker Creek, Rush River,
Tiffany, Eau Galle, and Pine Creek. He also led the committee to successfully remove
Mounds Dam on the Willow River.
NOMINATIONS CLOSE
AUG. 1, 2023
His message to other members of the River Falls community is that the Kinni is a
precious natural resource. His message has been spread at countless city council
meetings, to friends and neighbors, and through his involvement with the Kinni
To make a nomination visit:
Corridor Project Committee. flyfisherman.com/conservation
or email
Thanks to his efforts and the dozens of others who have worked alongside Horvath—
the lower dam on the Kinni is condemned, and the only decision left to make about the
conservation@flyfisherman.com
upper dam is whether to remove it first or second—the Army Corps feasibility study or scan the code
will answer that question soon enough.

Past Recipients:
2017 - Rich Simms 2020 - Peter Moyle
2018 - Sandy Moret 2021 - Charles Charlesworth
2019 - Joe Hemming 2022 - Richard May
To read about past recipients and their accomplishments, go to
flyfisherman.com and search "Conservationist of the Year."
Exploring the remote rivers of
Southland and the West Coast
Hunters and fishers have been visiting the fertile alpine valleys of New Zealand’s South
Island for more than 1,000 years. Maori first came here to hunt, fish for two kinds of
native eels, and collect pounamu. For fishermen today, the prize is sight fishing for wild
brown and rainbow trout.

ROSS PURNELL
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN O’KEEFE
Summers in Aotearoa
The rivers of the Southern Alps present an exciting game of cat and mouse, where the clear water allows you to spot the trout. But the
trout can spot you as well, and any shape, shadow, or movement that is out of the ordinary will send them scurrying for shelter. Wear
natural-colored clothing and use unobtrusive tan or olive fly lines.
The Waitaha iwi (tribe) are one of the
South Island’s earliest Māori inhabitants.
According to traditional accounts, Rākai-
hautū led his people to Te Waipounamu
using a giant adze for protection and
chanted incantations to pass safely across
the sea from the North Island to the South
Island in the area of present-day Nelson.
The Waitaha iwi made early settlements
here, and in the Southern Hemisphere
summers, they used fair weather for hunt-
ing and fishing expeditions to the West
Coast and to the Southland, where the
combination of snow and terrain made
travel difficult in the winter.
During the warm summers, the South-
ern Alps was a paradise, with native
whitebait, longfin eels, and shortfin eels
from the ocean swelling up the rivers of
the West Coast, and upland moas roam-
ing the fjordlands and alpine valleys in
the area of what is now Mount Aspiring
National Park. Later, many tribes settled
along the West Coast and in the summer,
moved to hunting grounds in the central
South Island.
These southern rivers and streams were
also home to the most valuable mineral
60 FLY FISHER MAN
and trading item of the Māori. Precious
greenstone—most often found in and
along these South Island streams—was
called pounamu by the Māori. It was used
for spears, hooks, and tools, and often
passed from one generation to the next as
portable wealth.
Today, fishing parties from around the
world organize expeditions to this same
spectacular region of stunning mountains
and ethereal rivers, not to haul nets full of
whitebait or to collect greenstone, but to
stalk rainbow and brown trout in a region
widely considered to have the most beau-
tiful, challenging, and rewarding trout
fishing in the world.
VISUAL WORLD
My first view of a West Coast river was
of a wide pool flowing so gently over a
uniform cobble bottom it almost looked
like a lake. There was current, but not a
single wrinkle marred the surface of the
water, and you could see through the wa-
ter as if it didn’t exist. A long, ancient log
created a black strip running the length of
the far side, but it was settled deep in the
light-colored sand, and the river took no
notice as it flowed past.
I was with Carl McNeil, a native Kiwi and
the founder and owner of New Zealand’s
homegrown Epic fly rods, and Cedar Lodge
guide Nick Johnson, as we walked cautiously
along the top of a high cutbank. We scanned
our eyes over a parking lot-size piece of wa-
ter, moving slowly while looking for shad-
ows or movement that might betray a trout.
We found one near the top of the run—I
wouldn’t call it the “head” of the pool as there
was no change in depth or current speed that
would normally attract a trout. The fish was
just “out there” hovering just above the sand
and below a flat pane of glass.
“I dunno mate, it doesn’t look good,”
Nick confided. “You’ll have to climb down
the bank and try to get closer to him. In
water like this, the cast will have to be per-
fect. You won’t get a second chance. You’ll
have to deal with this high bank and grass
on your backcast, though. It’ll probably
catch your backcast, and you can’t wade
in flat water like this. That trout will hear
you coming from a mile away. You could
also try from up here, but that’s a bit of a
long cast, that one.”
 Exploring the remote rivers of Southland and the West Coast

I chose to make the longer cast from my I shouted to Nick, and he crouched like meringue—we could see a large trout
vantage point high on the cutbank. “At on the grass on the other side for two or in a classic feeding position. The fish was
least I won’t spook the trout,” I thought three minutes while we watched the trout facing upstream in bouncy water, and oc-
to myself. I stripped the line from my reel make another full circle. I timed my next casionally moving to one side or the oth-
and stacked the loose coils neatly in a bare cast so the trout would be out in the main er to at least look or feed on food items
spot where they wouldn’t wrap around the current when I was casting. He couldn’t be passing by. Here finally was a trout that
tall late-season grass. While still kneeling, spooked by the line, and he would drift up looked catchable. He was a light-colored
I made one short forward false cast, shot on the fly when it was already on the water. brown trout that somehow gave off a faint
line on my backcast, and fired a long cast My plan worked, up to a point. I looked pink hue in the afternoon sun. I thought
that may or may not have been on target. into the white maw of the two-foot trout I’d imagined that, but Nick said he’s seen
We’ll never know because the trout saw as its massive head broke the surface that same glow before from other trout
something in the air he didn’t like, and and the alligator mouth closed down on on this river.
was gone well before my line hit the water. my fly. The fish was facing directly at me My fly, a bit of foam and rubber legs that
“Maybe you should have got a little when I lifted and set the hook. Unfortu- could have been a hopper or cicada, landed
closer,” Nick commented wryly. “C’mon, nately that’s about the worst angle you can just 2 feet upstream and 2 feet to the right
let’s find another one in a better spot.” have to set a hook on a trout—especially of the fish on the first cast. In this type of
We walked upstream to where the chan- a big one. Somehow the foam terrestrial water, the fish didn’t notice the line land
nel hit a rock wall and changed directions, glanced off a few big teeth and popped out behind him, and while he turned 90 de-
and just as the turbulent, churning water of the gaping misshapen jaws of the trout, grees to the current to clamp down on the
began to settle, Nick spotted another fish. and the trout bolted for deeper water. fly, I still had enough angle to pull the fly
He described it as a “smudge” and I had Finally, at the top of a long run lined to the back corner of its jaw. My hook-set
to strain for a full minute before I could by sod clumps both in and out of the wa- sent the fish on a water-spraying run up
claim to see the gray shape nestled on the ter, there was a shallow riffle at a bend into shallow riffles where the trout nearly
bottom between two rocks. After a few in the river, and just on the inside of the beached itself, and then downstream into
casts, the smudge wasn’t there anymore. bend—in water that danced in wavelets the deep water and sod clumps where the
“That must have been a very large rainbow
for us to see it down at the bottom in water
that deep, and that roily,” said Nick.
We walked upstream, quickly passing
through a neck of shallow riffles, and
came to where a tributary merged with
the main river. There was a swirling eddy
the size of a dance floor where the currents
melded, with a downed tree at the calm
center of the centrifuge. Nick scanned the
entire area before crossing the tributary
and continuing his march upstream.
I was 40 paces behind Nick, and I was
about to follow in his footsteps across the
smaller stream, when I saw to my left a
massive brown trout entering my field of
vision. I dropped low to the ground, fro-
zen to mimic a piece of the landscape. The
trout was just inches below the surface—
and while most trout hold a position near
the bottom, scanning the overhead cur-
rents for food—this fish was surfing the
foam line and browsing for whatever it
could find near the surface. I watched it
meander in a clockwise direction in from
the main river, into the current of the trib-
utary, past my position along the bank,
and then rotate back to near the main riv-
er where the back eddy took him upriver
to start his merry-go-round again. When
the fish circulated into the main river, it
was difficult to see, both facing and mov-
ing in an unexpected direction. That’s
likely where the trout was when Nick
crossed the tributary. When I was about Brown trout eggs came from England in 1864, and were first hatched in Tasmania. In
to cross, it drifted within about two rod 1868, the New Zealand provinces of Otago, Nelson, and Southland all secured trout ova
lengths of me before passing downstream. from Tasmania and began populating the streams of New Zealand’s South Island.

flyfisherman.com 61
Summers in Aotearoa
New Zealand’s South Island is a place where you don’t make many casts, but the
rewards are great if you make the right cast.
fish was either intentionally trying to wrap
my line on roots or debris, or else bury it-
self in a hidden underwater panic room.
After a few minutes of levering the fish
from under the sod clumps, Nick made a
long reach with the net, and we celebrated
finally getting a fish in the net. At 25 inches
and perhaps 6 pounds, it might have been
the smallest fish we’d seen that day, but still
a fish worth celebrating.
Catching trout may not be easy on New
Zealand’s South Island, but it is the most
rewarding and visually stimulating trout
fishing anywhere. I’m sure there is no
other place on the planet where you can
make only a handful of casts, and have
the best day of trout fishing in your life.
If muskies are “the fish of 10,000 casts,”
South Island brown trout are the fish
where you get one cast, and you better do
it right the first time. What you need here
is precision, not endurance.
62 FLY FISHER MAN
CEDAR LODGE
Cedar Lodge is cradled in the deep,
glacial Makarora River valley, right
along the river and just a few minutes
from the village of the same name. It lies
literally in the shadows of the Southern
Alps, and is within striking distance of
about two dozen trout streams, several
of them among the most iconic rivers
on the South Island. The closest to the
lodge—in the area of Mount Aspiring
National Park—are the well-known but
remote Wilkin and Young rivers, and
in the opposite direction, rivers like the
Dingle Burn and the Hunter. It’s also a
short hop to fly over the park to fish the
rivers of the West Coast in the roadless
area between Haast and Milford Sound,
home to New Zealand’s most famous
hike, the Milford Trek. The rivers here
include the Turnbull, Okuru, Waiatoto,
and other smaller rivers that eventually
flow into the Tasman Sea.
The fishing here is hunting. You don’t
cast blindly and “cover the water.” There
is far too much water and not enough
time. Everything is precise, strategic, and
designed to produce the most exquisitely
beautiful moments you can experience
while trout fishing.
The Makarora itself also has large trout,
but Cedar Lodge guests rarely fish these
waters, as the guides and guests focus
on the remote rivers in the mountains
that are not accessible by road. At Cedar
Lodge, a helicopter picks guests up on the
front lawn of the lodge promptly at 8:45
each morning and returns at 5 P.M. You’ll
fly in one of two helicopters, the work-
horse Airbus Heli H125 (formerly the Eu-
rocopter Squirrel), which takes up to five
passengers plus a pilot, or the McDonnell
Douglas MD 500E, which takes up to four
passengers plus a pilot.
Some people think heli-fishing is easy,
and relatively speaking it is. It gives you
glorious access to places that would take
days and days of hiking. There are no oth-
er ways to get there. But you don’t often
catch fish right where the helicopter lands.
To have a successful day in New Zealand,
you’ll need to walk at least 3 to 5 miles.
The more water you can cover, the more
trout you’ll spot, and top Cedar Lodge
guides like Paul Wright, Pete Stevenson,
and Alex Scott can keep up quite a pace
while keeping one eye on the water. Come
prepared to hike in rugged terrain in often
hot, arid conditions.
When the helicopter returns at the end
of the day, the incomparable Cedar Lodge
host Alexandra Hill meets you just out-
side of the rotor wash and hands you the
cocktail of the day—something crisp and
thirst quenching after a long day of fish-
ing. Every cocktail was something special
I’d never had, many made with edible lo-
cal flowers frozen inside clear ice cubes,
local kiwi, or other fruit. Alexandra plans
your trip itinerary and makes every mo-
ment at the lodge as comfortable and re-
laxing as possible.
Head guide Scottie Little sniffs out the
local weather and water levels each day,
gains regional intelligence on where the
contracted pilots in the area have been
flying, and more importantly who else
has been flying. Are they hunters? trek-
kers? other anglers? Scottie makes the
call on where the guests and guides are
heading the next morning, and is careful
about resting the water between visits.
Usually, guests visit beats that haven’t
 Exploring the remote rivers of Southland and the West Coast

Cedar Lodge is located in the scenic Makarora Valley about two hours northeast of Queenstown. Since 2019, Cedar Lodge has been
owned by the adventure travel company Eleven. The lodge has a maximum capacity of eight guests, and every angler flies by helicopter
each day from the front lawn of the lodge to the remote rivers of Southland and the West Coast.

been fished by Cedar Lodge in several
weeks, and Scottie tries to make sure no
one else has been fishing there recently
either. Reaching remote waters is part of
the equation, but unpressured water is
the key to finding trout that are a little
more settled and catchable.
Scottie has been a guide in this area for
more than 30 years and has run some of
the top lodges on the South Island. Elev-
en purchased Cedar Lodge in 2019 and
Scottie became lodge manager when it
reopened to the public in December 2022
after New Zealand opened for interna-
tional travel following the Covid-19 pan-
demic. Scottie is funny, engaging, knowl-
edgeable, and one hell of a golfer.
He has a small pitch-and-putt course
set up around the perimeter of the he-
licopter landing pad, so if you want to
drink cocktails and swing clubs with a
golfer who has a handicap of 1, Scottie
is your man. He can help with your golf
swing just as easily as he can help you
fine tune your casting.
You can play golf on those long days
of summer until the sun sets behind
Mount Turner, and wait until one of
the darkest night skies in the world—
free of light pollution—presents a view
of the stars, constellations, and galax-
ies you’ve never seen before. You won’t
see the Big Dipper, but you will see the
Southern Cross and observe the Milky
Way with a brilliance unlike anywhere
else in the world.

flyfisherman.com 63
Summers in Aotearoa Exploring the remote rivers of Southland and the West Coast
Mount Alba is one of many peaks in the Southern Alps and is within Mount Aspiring
National Park. These valleys are home to some of the most beautiful trout streams in the
world, but they are accessible only by helicopter or through many days of trekking.
CUSTOM EXPERIENCES
Eleven owns off-the-grid luxury out-
door adventure lodges in Colorado, Ice-
land, Chile, Bahamas, and most recently
Alaska. It’s owned by Chad Pike, who
founded the company in 2011, and per-
sonally developed a portfolio of resorts
around the world with luxury lodging
and diverse outdoor experiences. They do
everything well, but their fly-fishing and
heli-skiing programs are incomparable,
likely because Chad Pike is a passionate
expert on both fronts.
In the world of Eleven lodges, Cedar
Lodge is a small, intimate experience, with
four guest suites with king-size beds and
en-suite bathrooms. All rooms have king
beds with the ability to split the kings into
two twins for double occupancy, so the
maximum occupancy is just eight guests.
Nothing here is canned or out of the box.
64 FLY FISHER MAN
Cedar Lodge staffers pride themselves on
custom experiences tailored for anyone, so
if you want to have your midday lunch on a
glacier, they can arrange for the helicopter
to pick you up. There’s nothing they can’t
plan for you.
On my trip, the helicopter dropped us
off high in an alpine meadow, and we hiked
along a tributary stream Scottie himself
hadn’t visited in more than a decade. I
wanted to “explore” something that was
relatively unknown. Over the course of the
day, we made our way downstream to the
mighty Wilkin River and fished far enough
downstream that we made it to a regular
ferry pickup spot, where a jet boat company
made daily pickups of trekkers coming off
a popular hiking loop in the area. Instead
of a helicopter pickup, Scottie arranged
for a jet boat to pick us up, and Alexandra
arrived in the jet boat with the cocktails!
These boats take 12 people, have a 450 HP
V-8 engine, can run about 50 MPH in 4
inches of water, and through boulder gar-
dens, over gravel bars, and through canyon
water with amazing dexterity. I’m sure they
aren’t environmentally friendly, but they
sure are fun, and the boats run four times
daily whether we were on the boat or not.
It’s how people get around in some road-
less areas of the South Island . . . the bigger
rivers are the roads.
As with everything at Eleven, the cui-
sine at Cedar Lodge over-delivers with
meals outdoors under the sparkling lights
of the patio, and thoughtful wine pairings
from Alexandra, who is experienced and
knowledgeable when it comes to the South
Island’s deservedly famous vineyards. She
also has a knack for making the tablescape
look as beautiful as the valley around it,
with braided grasses and fresh wildflower
arrangements from local fields.
Chef Gordon is a memorable part of the
whole experience at Cedar Lodge, and he
will melt your senses with fresh fish from
the West Coast such as tarakihi, hoki
(blue grenadier), snapper, and tuna; New
Zealand beef and of course mutton; spiny
lobster and scallops with the roe on; fresh
potatoes and vegetables from local farms,
and of course New Zealand’s most famous
desert, pavlova.
Chef Gordon is a Tonga national with
one English parent and formal culinary
training in the UK. Gordon owns a small
private island in the country of Tonga, and
it is a nursery area for humpback whales.
In the off season he runs his own whale-
watching tour business, and battles giant
trevally on heavy tackle outside the reef. He
grew up fishing in the salt water, but he’s
grown incredibly fond of trout fishing on
the South Island. Each night after dinner or
just before breakfast, he’ll try to glean fish-
ing stories from the guests to fuel his own
daily fly-fishing adventures in the daytime
on the Makarora or nearby tributaries.
Everyone who visits the Makarora
River Valley and the entirely roadless
Mount Aspiring National Park falls in
love with the beauty and history of this
place. Scottie, Alexandra, and Gordon
are just a few of the staff members who
visited the area on a vacation, then chose
to stay and make a life in one of the most
beautiful regions of the world, and share
that place with others. You too will be
forever changed by the waters, the moun-
tains, and the people here on the island
of Te Waipounamu.
Ross Purnell is the editor and publisher of
F ly F isherman.
 Martín Pescador Lodge | Rio Palena Lodge
ELEVEN Unique riverfront lodges featuring expert guides and endless access, with the amenities and cuisine to match.
ANGLING
elevenangling elevenangling.com 970.251.0056
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Continued from page 72
and into the plunge pool that contained
her universe. As I settled down, so did
she. Most of the time I just sat there
watching her shimmering in the sun-
light as it cascaded from the sky and
through the leaves and into the water.
There the life-giving light sparkled like
fractured crystals on the equally living
waters of the tiny creek in the Pecos
Wilderness of New Mexico.
As I began to relax into the moment
and each one that proceeded from it, the
world expanded around me, and the col-
ors grew increasingly intense. Wildflow-
ers filled every open space between the
dark stands of high-altitude spruce trees.
I could see native bumblebees tending to
the flowers, and hear the buzz, buzz of
their busy workday. And I began to no-
tice how my newest friend was settling
into a rhythm of holding in the current
and then occasionally rising to pick up
something from the water’s surface. I be-
gan searching to see what it was she was
feeding on but could see nothing recog-
nizable floating by me. That’s about the
time a tiny caddisfly landed on my arm,
and I smiled. I hoped my small Yellow
Humpy would suffice but if not, I’d come
back with a caddis imitation after resting
the pool a bit longer. We needed to meet,
this lovely fish and me.
The Pecos River strain of Rio Grande
cutthroat trout is in as much trouble as
its close relative from the Rio Grande
watershed in its bid to survive the cen-
tury. The state fish of New Mexico—as
in the case of many state fish—was cho-
sen in part because they are native and
not naturalized. But like the greenback
cutthroat of Colorado and the golden
trout of California, they are becoming
increasingly scarce and where they do
still exist, they are relegated to the most
distant and inaccessible streams. The
Gila trout of the Mogollon Rim of New
Mexico and Arizona and the Apache
trout of the White Mountains are in
even more dire conditions.
Climate change leading to increased
drought, changing water temperatures
and acidity is compounding the pressure
of human-caused introductions of nonna-
tive species that compete with native fish
for the best feeding, spawning, and over-
wintering spots in the ever-dwindling
habitat. And with the changes in climate
there is the increased frequency and se-
verity of out-of-control wildfires that have
decimated entire populations of fish, in a
geological instant.
As an angler and naturalist, I can
see that everything is changing. Much
is vanishing all around me way too
quickly to be natural. It is so obviously
a force of human nature that has rivers
and aquifers drying up, waters turning
acid, and even the native bees and birds
vanishing at an alarming rate. I love
life and I want to live. But I don’t want
to live in a world without morning
songbirds, evening firef lies, or midday
native trout. These are the things that
make my life worth living.
When I was a boy, Nature was my rea-
son for breathing. I’m now in my sixties,
and nature helps me continue to breathe.
As a child I struggled with asthma, a
birth defect that required a brace for my
legs for a while, and a desperately shy
nature that came from years of abuse at
home and bullying at school. Songbirds,
box turtles, and bluegills were always my
best friends. Not much has changed ex-
cept my asthma is evolving, I have a new-
ly discovered birth defect in my heart,
the songbirds are vanishing, and I hav-
en’t seen a box turtle in decades. Nature,
with a capital N, still sustains me. I hope
I can give something back. After all, love
is a two-way proposition.
I’ve enjoyed many days of catching
one fish after another. In fact, some
days, I’ve caught so many fish that I
simply snip off my f ly and say, “enough.”
As responsible anglers, we need to know
how to do that. But some of my best
days on the water have come when I’ve
invested most of my time and efforts
toward catching a single fish holding
in a perfectly difficult place in a high
mountain stream. And this fish was liv-
ing in just such a place, just beneath the
shelter of a tree and below the tumult of
recently unfrozen and quickly tumbling
mountain waters. Although I’d go on to
catch other fish, this was my fish of the
day—not because she was huge in length
or weight, but because she was magical.
This was a tight spot to fish, and a tra-
ditional cast was impossible. The water
was quick and clear and the sunlight
bright as it filtered through the trees. I
kept my back against those trees so that
my silhouette did not give away my pres-
ence to the occasionally rising fish. After
watching her pick off a few bugs from the
surface I planned my presentation, exe-
cuted my best bow-and-arrow cast above
her, and watched as she rose and accept-
ed the fly. Raising the rod tip just enough
to catch the trout but not enough to catch
a tree limb, I quickly brought her into the
folds of my net and ever so briefly into
the gentle embrace of my wet hands. I
kept her in the water for all but a moment
as I slipped out the barbless hook. In that
moment we made eye contact, and I held
my breath as she was having to gasp for
mouthfuls of oxygen-filled water. Every
asthmatic has been a fish out of water;
I have compassion for the fish. So as
quickly as I held her, I released her. If I
could release fish without catching them,
I would.
My friend Cari Ray once told me that
she remains fully aware that in that mo-
ment when the angler “lands” the fish,
we hold that living creature’s fate in our
hands. In an instant it becomes a human
choice whether it will live or die as the
fish that is looking with one eye upon
its captor and the other, upon the life-
sustaining water. It’s the same when we
put a plant in a pot or a bird in a cage—we
can free them or end their lives through
apathy or conscious action. That’s a god-
like place to be for a mortal like me. Of-
ten, I choose freedom—theirs and mine.
And if I choose to close the circle of life
by ending the life of a fish, fowl, or bit of
green flora so that my life might continue
a little longer, I do so with conscious un-
derstanding and compassionate respect.
Life is precious at birth and death. If I
love life, and I do, I must also accept that
circle and my part in it.
After letting her go I watched her re-
turn to the same place in the stream, at
first hiding beneath the cutbank but in
time she ventured back out to her place
in the current and resumed her dance in
the sunlit water—and my imagination. I
caught more fish that day and a few were
bigger than her, but none more special.
I take fish and people as they come and
hope they choose to show the same kind-
ness, casting it forward.
My love of fishing reflects my love of
life. It is wrapped in kindness and empa-
thy as much as my clinch knot binds the
fly to my leader. Love is always a key, nev-
er a cage. Love always finds a way to show
compassion to the other and set them free.
Like the water in the mountain stream,
nothing of true value can be contained. It
is timeless and ever changing. In angling
as in life, the true magic is in the art of
letting go.
Steve Ramirez is a Texas master naturalist,
poet, and Marine Corps veteran. He is the au-
thor of three books including Casting Seaward
(Lyons Press, 2023), which is now on sale.
Monte Burke reviews the new book on page
40 of this issue.
flyfisherman.com 71
 THE ART OF LETTING GO STEVE RAMIREZ
ILLUS TR ATION BY ROB BENIGNO

could see her just ahead of me as I stood motionless and timeless—frozen

in the spell of her presence . Nothing else existed in those first moments. The trees and
birds and looming thunder clouds had all vanished in the moment she caught my eye. I was cap-
tivated by the way she moved, like a willow tree in a warm summer’s breeze. It was As if she were
dancing in place to music that only she could hear. There was a natural rhythm to the way her
body swayed back and forth, as if she had somewhere to go—all the while managing to hold her-
self suspended in both space and time.

I felt almost guilty for trying to capture

her heart in my hand, but guilt is for suck-
ers. You either choose to do a thing or not,
and I knew that inside me beats the heart
of a predator—no doubt the same rhythm
she lived by. It was obvious that she was
wary, and I’d most likely get one shot at
the prettiest Rio Grande cutthroat trout
I’d ever seen. I lined up my cast so that my
imaginary mayfly might land ever so soft-
ly just upstream of where she was waiting.
It landed and drifted perfectly along the
foam line she was holding in and in an
instant, she rose, considered my offering,
rejected it—and me along with it. I was
heartbroken.
These are the moments a man like me
lives for. It’s that chance encounter with
another living being that is so beautiful
and almost ethereal that you just can’t let
go of the desire to connect with them, or
the moment of that desire itself. If fly fish-
ing teaches anything, it’s patience. I need-
ed to figure it out . . . the key that might
open the door so that I could hold her in
my hand for even a moment and perhaps
even sense her beating heart beneath that
torsional, shimmering body. So I rested
in the shade of an overhanging birch tree,
and simply sat with her a while as if we
were two people in a park. She was on one
bench, and I was on another. I had to let
go of the idea of holding her, and accept
the gift of getting to know her.
There was a surging wind that rolled
over the treetops. It matched the cur-
rents that rolled over a small waterfall

72 FLY FISHER MAN Continued on page 71

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