TROUTROUTES - Western States Fish Species Filter For Anglers

I continue to be impressed and lean in on the functionality of the TroutRoutes app and they recently announced a new species filter so that anglers in eight western states can identify streams where trout, salmon, steelhead, and other species are known to live.  

For PRO or Single State users, this is available now and look for an upcoming Masterclass to cover this new Species Filter feature with a full tutorial.  

 

 From the TroutRoutes presser...

TroutRoutes, the leading mapping and navigation app for trout anglers, has launched one of its
most requested features: Species Filter, a feature that helps anglers quickly find streams based
on their target species. Now available to all paying users on iOS platforms (PRO and
Single-State), anglers will be able to quickly filter streams based on their target species in
California, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Idaho.

The new Species Filter can be found in the top-left corner of the app, directly below the search
bar. With just a few taps, anglers can filter waterways by:

● Trout species (including seven cutthroat species)
● Salmonids
● Steelhead (sortable by fall, winter, and summer runs)
● Arctic Grayling
● Whitefish

The filter instantly refines the map to display only waters containing the selected species,
making trip planning faster, more efficient, and more precise. The data powering the feature is
sourced from a variety of publicly available datasets, including state agency data and scientific
research project data. However, TroutRoutes has taken the initiative to remove data for certain
stressed trout species.

In addition, many StreamCards across Western states now feature detailed species lists, giving
anglers immediate insight into what inhabits each waterway. From well-known fisheries to the
Class II and Class III streams anglers have long been curious about exploring, this enhanced
species data provides deeper context before ever stepping foot on the bank.

TroutRoutes is part of onX, the leader in outdoor digital mapping and navigation. As an onX
company, TroutRoutes has gained access to expanded data sources and innovative features,
including Apple CarPlay integration, and a significant enhancement of its existing stream gage
feature.

Visit the TroutRoutes website to learn more and dive into their YouTube channel for Masterclass tutorials on how to get the most out of this app.

OLY'S DEAN | A Kid, a River and a Different Way of Growing Up

Take 20 minutes of your Sunday and enjoy this latest film from Patagonia.  Press PLAY...



Patagonia has a load of new gear and apparel to check out and subscribe to their YouTube channel 

C. BARCLAY FLY ROD CO. - The Fly Rod Lineup Going Forward

On a trip to North Carolina recently, I spent a few hours with Chris Barclay of C. Barclay Fly Rod Co. in his small shop in Winston-Salem.  Over lunch at a nearby poke spot, we talked about a lot that he put into his latest blog post with narrowing down his model offerings and making some pricing adjustments to reflect changes in costs on his end.  All of it makes sense as he continues to design and build some of the finest contemporary small stream glass fly rods that a growing number of devotees enjoy.

 

As with all his Smallwater blog posts, this one is worth a read through.

The image above is one of several hundred that I snapped in Chris's basement shop and I need to weed through them this weekend for a pictorial post on T.F.M. and on social media.  I might be a little weird (confirmed) but I like watching craftsmen work.  These images will be fun to share.

In the meantime, visit the C. Barclay Fly Rod Co. website for the update.  Follow along with the latest shop news on Facebook, Instagram, and join the C. Barclay Fly Rod Co. Enthusiasts Group on Facebook.

SCORCHER: Midwest Smallmouth Musings

You might remember the film Water Sabbath, which was shared here with shorter chapter films several years ago.  Scorcher is a continuation of that theme with an even deeper immersion into fly fishing for smallmouth in the Midwest.



I can't wait to get up to Michigan this summer for some moments like this of my own.
 

Make sure you click through to The Flyfish Journal to read their Tailgate post on this project.

FLY FISHERMAN - Shawn Combs on Dream Job at Scott Fly Rods

As Shawn Combs settles into his new position at Scott Fly Rods, Ross Purnell of Fly Fisherman sat down with him to tell his story of being a kid in Kentucky with a fly rod to his many years at Orvis to his recent move out west to design and build fly rods with Jim Bartschi.  



You can also listen to this Loop to Loop interview as a podcast.  

 

It may be a bit before we see anything in fiberglass from Jim and Shawn but I am left wondering what and how they take it on together.  A new generation of Fibertouch fly rods?  Resurrecting the Fiberhammer two-hander?  I guess we'll all just have to wait and see...

LOON OUTDOORS - Tying the Chubby Chernobyl

The other day, Loon Outdoors sent out an email blast that included several of their fly tying tutorial videos and the Chubby Chernobyl film took me back to April 2014 where I spent a few days with John Arnold of Headhunters Fly Shop.  

I remember getting into his drift boat on the first morning and John asking, "Do you want to catch a bunch of fish on nymphs deep or catch a few fish on big dry flies?"  The only right answer was a big foam and poly yarn wing Chubby and we sure had some fun days with big slurps in the soft water edges and even bigger bends on the Epic 686.



Visit the Loon Outdoors website for the Chubby Chernobyl tutorial and dive into their library of tying videos on their YouTube channel.

And, if you're up for it, take a trip down memory lane with this T.F.M. post to Craiglandia.  

STONEFLY NETS - A Glimpse Inside the Workshop - Part 1

I first met Ethan Igleheart of Stonefly Nets at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE) back in 2020, and after that show we traded emails and I placed an order for two handcrafted landing nets that would be gifted to our children.  Since they both, especially our daughter Hadley, have a bend towards artsy things, I thought matching nets with colored pencil handles would be a neat fit for them both.  

Ethan chronicled these builds with a series of photographs that will be shared today and then the rest of the build images next week for another "Throwback Thursday" post since I've been sitting on these photographs in Lightroom for over five years.  Sorry, Ethan...

Over the weekend at the Fly Fishing Show in Denver, Colorado this past winter, Ethan and I reconnected and have some future plans for more collaboration that you'll see here.  You hopefully have also noted the Stonefly Nets banner ad on the page and I greatly appreciate his support.

Take a few minutes to slow scroll through this glimpse inside Ethan's workshop and see how these bespoke landing nets came together from start with the finish next week.

Ethan of Stonefly Nets wrote...  "I’ve been building premium nets since 2018, but the foundation of my craftsmanship goes back much further.

My journey in professional woodcraft began in 1994, working in a custom woodworking shop where I spent thirteen years (until 2007) mastering the art of fine joinery and finishing. In 2010, I took a creative detour into the fashion world by starting Carolina Cotton Ties, a handmade necktie and bow tie company.

After eight years of running that business, I decided to close it in 2018 to return to my woodworking roots and combine my love for the craft with my passion for fly fishing. That’s when Stonefly Nets was born, and I’ve been handcrafting heirloom-quality nets ever since.

The idea for the colored pencil handles actually came from an acquaintance who had turned a bowl out of the material. In the early days of Stonefly Nets, when I had more time to experiment with different concepts, I decided to see how that vibrant aesthetic would translate to a net handle.

However, as the business grew, I intentionally moved away from them. I started to feel like the pencils were becoming a bit of a gimmick—something to just get people in the door—and they were beginning to distract from the core mission of what I wanted to create. If someone wants one, I still have several blanks that are ready to go.

I’ve worked with a wide range of materials that tell a story, ranging from rare exotic species like Hawaiian Koa and Asian Dua Burl to highly figured domestic woods like Tiger Maple and Birdseye Maple. I particularly enjoy internet hunting for burls—specifically Buckeye and Maple—because their chaotic grain patterns create a one-of-a-kind look you just can't find in standard lumber. Some of my most meaningful builds come from client-harvested wood, where I take a piece of a fallen tree from a customer's own property and turn it into a functional heirloom.

To further elevate these pieces, I’ve experimented with Mineral Inlays using crushed Turquoise, Malachite, or Azuriteto accent natural voids in the wood. For those looking for something truly high-end, I have even incorporated Gilson Opal and Gold into the handles to add a level of brilliance and value that sets the net apart. I’ve even worked with ancient Bristlecone Pine to give a net a weathered, high-country character that feels as old as the rivers themselves."

 

 

Visit the Stonefly Nets website to learn more and if interested in a handmade net of your own, use the contact page to begin the conversation.  Follow along with the latest on Facebook and Instagram.