The Flyfish Journal

The Flyfish Journal Flyfishing quarterly coffee-table catalog of culture. Fly Fish Video and photos. Subscribe at www.theflyfishjournal.com.
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08/22/2025

Hey there small fish enthusiasts! After a year of tiny fish, 12 Smolts of the Month, countless awesome photo submissions, and unmeasurable amounts of fun, we’re excited to announce the grand salami, the little kahuna, The Flyfish Journal’s Smolt of the Year!

theflyfishjournal.com/exclusive/smolt-of-the-year/

Tiny congratulations to Andy McKinley and this baby baby tarpon from the backwaters of the Belizean smolt-o-sphere!

With the Grand Prize—a set of D-Co cases from Decked—Andy will have tons of room to store all those tiny ass bragging rights!

A smolt-sized thanks to our prize sponsors DECKED and Patagonia Fly Fish.

Go Smolts!

08/15/2025

Part two of our conversation with author Peter Heller is live!

theflyfishjournal.com/sidechannel/peter-heller-part-two/

In this episode, we talk about Peter’s move to fiction at the age of 50, his introduction to flyfishing, and how the natural world informs his work. If you missed part one, we recommend starting there.

Sidechannels is made possible with support from DECKED and Patagonia Fly Fish.

When author Peter Heller was a kid, playgrounds weren’t really his thing, it was the bushes and trees around the playgro...
07/31/2025

When author Peter Heller was a kid, playgrounds weren’t really his thing, it was the bushes and trees around the playground that he found himself drawn to time and again. For anyone who has read his books, this tracks. In Heller’s writing, the natural world looms just as large as any of his carefully wrought characters—whether that’s Hig in The Dog Stars, or Jess in his most recent novel, Burn.

We joined Heller at his home in Denver, overlooking Colorado’s Front Range, for what turned out to be a long, invigorating conversation. In part one of our discussion, we talk about Peter’s beginnings as a writer, his early work for Outdoor, and other publications, and what made him finally decide to sit down and write a novel at the age of 50.

theflyfishjournal.com/sidechannel/peter-heller-part-one/

This episode is live on our website or search for Sidechannels wherever you get your podcasts. Stay tuned for part two, coming soon.

Sidechannels is made possible with support from DECKED and Patagonia Fly Fish

After 52 years of exploring and innovating,  has learned a few things about dependable gear. The new line of Swiftcurren...
07/14/2025

After 52 years of exploring and innovating, has learned a few things about dependable gear.

The new line of Swiftcurrent Waders exemplifies their attention to detail. This next generation of streamlined waders cut weight without sacrificing durability.

Learn the backstory behind the Swiftcurrent Wader line told by its creators—the sort of people that strive for perfection, but start with the beginner’s mind.

A link to the full video is in our bio. 🐟

07/11/2025

Small fish enthusiasts, once again we are teleporting you some small news of the best kind! Micro congratulations to Joe Russell and pal Gordon Stevens for winning the Smoltie award with this miniature musky.

For more on this boss hawg and a few honorably mentioned smolts, hit the link below.

theflyfishjournal.com/2025/07/smolt-of-the-month-may/

Sadly, this is the last Smolt of the Month. For now. Stay tuned as we chase down all of the winning smolts and pick the Smolt of the Year!

Tiny (but huge) thanks to the prize sponsors DECKED and Patagonia Fly Fish.

Go Smolts!

07/10/2025

We all need waders that last, and after 52 years of exploring and innovating, Patagonia has learned a few things about dependable gear. The new line of Swiftcurrent Waders exemplifies their attention to detail. This next generation of streamlined waders cut weight without sacrificing durability.

theflyfishjournal.com/review/patagonia-swiftcurrent-traverse-zip-front-waders/

Learn the backstory behind the Swiftcurrent Wader line told by its creators—the sort of people that strive for perfection, but start with the beginner's mind. Watch the full video at the link above. Patagonia Fly Fish

Volume Sixteen, Issue Three is alive and well, now shipping to our wonderful subscribers, fine fly shops and retailers e...
07/08/2025

Volume Sixteen, Issue Three is alive and well, now shipping to our wonderful subscribers, fine fly shops and retailers everywhere.

Find a link in our profile for a sneak peek and subscribe while you’re there because .

Featured inside: Guyana’s sugar hits with , Dee Finkel interviews , visits on the Dean River, ’s journey with the Pacific Lamprey, and ’s notes from a fishing trip with his son. And more from , , , , , and Henry Hughes.

On the cover: keeps his backcast free from pedestrians and aimed at Seattle’s Elliot Bay salmon. Photo:

Loads more visual support from Joakim Andreassen, , , , Scott Castleberry, , Chloe Hughes, , .n.fish, , , , Sommer Santoro, , .kerrick, and .

Thank you to all of the talented writers, artists and photographers that help make each issue. Follow them, hire them, support their work or buy them a treat.

We’re back with Season 2 of Sidechannels, a podcast featuring flyfishing culture, adventure, art and conservation throug...
07/03/2025

We’re back with Season 2 of Sidechannels, a podcast featuring flyfishing culture, adventure, art and conservation through thought-provoking, in-person interviews with angling’s most compelling individuals.

www.theflyfishjournal.com/sidechannel/dave-gravette/

Get frothy with David Gravette in episode one, live now on Apple and Spotify podcasts or watch it on our Youtube channel. In this episode David talks about hairy situations in the backcountry, skateboarding injuries, his top techniques for sucker fish and more.

Give it a listen, tell a friend, subscribe for future episodes and leave a review to help others find the show.

Sidechannels is made possible with support from DECKED and Patagonia Fly Fish.

Yellowstone National Park provides fishing partners consisting of bison, wolves, bears, pronghorn, badgers, coyotes, eag...
06/11/2025

Yellowstone National Park provides fishing partners consisting of bison, wolves, bears, pronghorn, badgers, coyotes, eagles and more.

Sam Aaberg finds a way to navigate through them carefully while sneaking in a few casts to some prodigious cutthroat.

From the Rises section of Volume Fifteen, Issue Four.

Photo: Jakob Burleson

Volume Sixteen, Issue Three exists. Now shipping to subscribers, fine fly shops, those in the know and retailers everywh...
04/29/2025

Volume Sixteen, Issue Three exists. Now shipping to subscribers, fine fly shops, those in the know and retailers everywhere.

Shift into the spring season, support independent print and subscribe because .

Find a link in our profile to catch a sneak peak, browse web exclusives, listen to Sidechannels episodes, shop merch and complete your collection of back issues.

Featured inside: and explore intuitive science in Ireland, reports on reciprocal connections in the Wind River Reservation, Bret Rutherford carefully details how to not catch steelhead, visits the Gaspé Peninsula with .coastal, and .jayriley checks in from florida with love and .

Also ’s negative space, NOLA’s worst with , Stephen Sautner’s little trout and big mountains, Jon Litten’s 50-year storm, ’s river of return, and a pharmaceutical title fight from .

On the cover: and crew searching for juvies in the Yucatán. Photo: Dylan Rose

So much visual support from .forsee and Alex Johnson.

We can’t do this without all of these amazing writers, photographers and artists mentioned above. Follow them, hire them, get their autograph, support their work. Thank you!

04/24/2025

Chase White wears many hats: photographer, director, conservationist, advocate, dad and steelhead obsessive are just a few of them. Through a sort of wizardry that eludes most, he’s managed to fold many, if not all, of those hats into one most of the time—you’ll rarely find him wearing just one.

www.theflyfishjournal.com/exclusive/clear-intentions-chase-white/

“Clear Intentions” is a short film companion to the Gallery of White’s work featured in 16.2. Watch the full short film live now on our website.

🎥 Colby Mesick and Asher Koles

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