The All New Hatch Iconic Fly Fishing Reel 0

You probably remember beginning to feel the limitations of your first fly fishing combo. Maybe your reel's drag imploded on the first decent fish you tied into, maybe it was the hundredth. Maybe it still developed a squeak after being deformed by falling on your face, distracted by rising trout when you should have been looking at where you were putting your feet. Maybe you just had a sneaking suspicion that the reason you lost that BKC (Biggest Known Catch) was the garbage you were trying to break its run with. 

So you saved your money, and searched out reviews, looking for the best gear you could find. All of a sudden, the money you put into getting into the next tier of gear got you things like machined aluminum billets, graphite fast action, carbon fiber disk drags, and burl wood inserts. And as you ramped up your gear, you spent less time thinking about the limitations of your kit, and more time focusing on being in the moment, connecting the dots.  

I'll be the first to tell you, better gear won't make you a better fisherman... but it certainly won't stand in your way. Helping you define whether it's your gear or your skill set, let us herald the arrival of the new Iconic series from Hatch. Hatch Outdoors has been at the forefront of American Made fly fishing reels since 2003 when the limitations of inferior gear drove the founder to innovate. Never one to rest on their laurels, and building on the success of the much loved Finatic Series, Hatch has once again innovated and come out with a new line of lighter, better-designed mid and large arbor reel to handle anything the piscatorial world has to throw at it.

- Joe Lefevre - Fly Fishing Manager

Click HERE to Shop the Hatch Iconic

WROC Photography Share: Beautiful Mama Bear and Cubs 1

Best Portable Camping Stoves for 2021! 0

When it comes to camp stoves, there are a lot of variables to take into consideration. The ideal stove depends on your camping style, location, and means of transportation. The current offerings are all fantastically usable, packable, and efficient, but each stove has a specific customer in mind. 

In this video, Josh goes through each of the current market favorites. Josh has immense experience with these products and can tell you exactly what you need to know before buying. 

Check out the video, and use the links below to shop our online inventory! You can also use the top menu on the site, and navigate over to Shopping>Camping>Stoves to see our full selection! 

Stoves in the video:

JETBOIL MINIMO

JETBOIL FLASH

MSR POCKETROCKET DELUXE

MSR WINDBURNER

VARGO TRIAD MULTI FUEL STOVE

VARGO TITANIUM HEXAGON WOOD STOVE

Springtime Means Caddis Time! 0

Green Caddis Larvae

Springtime is a special time of year for fly anglers.  The ice is retreating, the days are getting longer and most importantly, the fish (and bugs) are starting the get active.  Many of us in the West are often faced with a period of time, generally late Feb through early to mid  April, where the waters are gin clear and very cold, however, the trout are starting to get active.  It is in these cold waters that our first really important bug of the West calls home and that is the Green Caddis Pupa, or in scientific jargon - Rhyacophila.

The Green Caddis Pupa is a caseless Caddis that actively scurries around waters of the Western rivers.  This species loves clean and cold waters of the Mountain West and is usually the first real “match the hatch” pattern that I go to because they are abundant and I have found that as the ice is coming off, the Trout key into them with purpose.  The one common thing about this species is that they are almost always a bright green body (almost neon) with a dark colored head segment and it is this that makes them easily recognizable against other species.  

I always have this pattern in my nymph arsenal from size 10 through size 18.  These caddis generally range from size 12 to 14 but I have on occasion seen them up to size 8 and as small as 20, however, they tend to average in the 12-16 size range.  I prefer to tie them on a curved-shank scud hook with either a brass or tungsten bead to keep them deep and along the bottom.   These bugs are active this time of year so trout are used to seeing them but they are always along the bottom on the stream and as they float, they tend to curl up…..thus the use of the curved scud hook in tying patterns for them.

The pattern is very easy to tie and one can really crank out a bunch of them once you get going.  I would encourage anyone tying these to put the beads on the hooks first in order to really crank up the production.  Without further ramblings, here is the pattern and materials I use:

Hook:   FIREHOLE STICKS #317 Size 14

Bead: FIREHOLE STONES - TUNGSTEN, PLATTED 3.0MM/Black Nickel

Thread: UNI 6/0 WAXED FLY TYING THREAD CHARTREUSE

Collar: HARELINE ICE DUB Peacock Black

Body: VEEVUS THREAD 6/0 FL GREEN

Ribbing: UTC ULTRA WIRE MEDIUM Black (only use wire on thread bodies)

Head Cement: HARELINE DUBBIN HARD AS HULL HEAD CEMENT

Epoxy:LOON UV CLEAR FLY FINISH THIN (thin)(thread body only)

Cure Light: LOON UV NANO CURING LIGHT

Don’t be afraid to play around with other materials either, however, the above is what I tie 90% of my Green Caddis Pupa with.  Tight lines!

We Are Proud to be a Trout Unlimited Gold Level Business! 0

Here at Wind River Outdoor Company we don't usually like to toot our own horn, but we sure do appreciate the love from Trout Unlimited and Walt Gasson in recognizing us as a valued part of the effort in keeping trout and ecosystems wild and healthy all over Wyoming and beyond!

Holiday Gift Guide 0

WINSTON BORON III X, 9’ 5-WEIGHT FLY ROD 0

CARP ON A FLY 0