Catch, Release, & Remember: Interview with Ty Hallock February 27, 2019 – Posted in: Vedavoo

Everyone likes to remember that fish. The big fish. The first fish. The fish you caught on a dry fly after the perfect cast. The way it used to be done meant killing that fish. If you caught an impressive trout, killing and mounting it was the way you remembered your feat and your trip. This fell out of fashion as time went on and anglers became more conservation conscious. As technology advanced and cellphones became…

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STREAMWALKER NETS – THE HOOK UP November 8, 2018 – Posted in: Community, Special Projects, Vedavoo, Workshop

Now included with every Streamwalker Net Vedavoo Edition get a Vedavoo Netster. Not only will you be have a beautifully handcrafted net made by hand in Rochester, NY, but also a secure place to put it when your hiking in or casting. “Because we can! And it if we can, we should.” That is why Leif Mermagen, owner of Streamwalker Nets, believes in Better American Gear. Starting this year, Streamwalker and Vedavoo are collaborating to bring…

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Why You Never Go Fly Fishing Alone October 23, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

You never go fly fishing alone. Even though angling is a pursuit that many gravitate toward because of the frequent solitude, true isolation isn’t a reality for the vast majority of people. It might mean another car in the parking lot. It could sound like the droning of a jet just out of sight. It may even be the nagging knowledge that eventually you’ll have to reel in your line, take off your boots, and…

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Why Do You Need This Much Pack? October 9, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

Watching him look at the Beast Sling, I could tell he was skeptical. “I don’t need that much pack.” I knew that he fished for Great Lakes salmon and steelhead. A lot. He is the kind of guy who puts in crazy hours. Moreover, he is the kind of guy who puts in the hours that count. Early and late season. Right before dawn and just after dusk. When the weather is nastiest. Among other…

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Full Color Fly Fishing September 25, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

“Why do two colors, put one next to the other, sing? Can one really explain this? No.” – Pablo Picasso Fly fishing has always been about olives, tans, browns. Every once in a while, a navy blue or an errant gray slipped in there. That palette, the normal and neutral, was a slim spectrum from which your gear received its color. Never different. Never contrasting. Never bright. Certain science and grandfatherly wisdom has perpetuated the…

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Small Fish – Top Three Thursday September 20, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

Why would you go fly fishing somewhere you know only holds small fish? Sometimes we head away from the big rivers and the popular stretches. We do it for more than trophy trout. We do it because although the fish might be smaller, the reward is sometimes bigger. Here are three reasons why we head a little further upstream. What would your top three be? Solitude Hiking in a mile or more up all but guarantees you some…

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Fly Fishing Gear You Can Leave At Home – Top Three Thursday September 13, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

What are the three pieces of fly fishing gear that you can do without? Minimalism sounds great on paper. When it comes to execution, it is not that easy. What if I need it? There is always a chance I could use it! Those are the thoughts a lot of us have while packing for fishing. But there are some things that you probably don’t need on most trips. Here are three things we feel like…

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Torchbearer Spotlight: Justin Carfagnini September 11, 2018 – Posted in: Community

At Vedavoo, we don’t have ambassadors. We don’t have a pro staff. We have the Torchbearers: a global team of people who believe in what we do, and (more importantly) how we do it. Grassroots and local, they do what they can to bear the torch of Vedavoo in their areas. This includes sending in photos of our gear in the field, posting videos they’ve made of our work in action, or leading action to…

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Why He Wants to Go Fishing With You August 28, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

He wants to catch a fish, but not for the same reason you do. You want to catch a fish because of the experience. What it means to be on the water, in the wild places, away from it all. Fly fishing is the cumulative outcome of days in the office and time behind the vise and countless moments daydreaming. You know the hatches, the migration patterns, and the optimal place to be when everything…

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Top Three Thursday … ? August 23, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

Every once in a while, members of the Vedavoo team get to go places. And sometimes, that even includes fishing. I’ll be back next week with a normal Top Three Thursday. Until then…

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What’s In Your Wallet? August 14, 2018 – Posted in: Workshop

Want to win the brand new, extra large Vedavoo fly wallet (pictured above, on the bottom)? Each is handmade and features a 10” x 16” shearling fleece patch to hold all of your flies. Post a picture of your fly wallet on Instagram with the hashtag #myvedavoo for a chance to get one! Remember the shearling band on grandpa’s hat? How about that little fleece patch that came with your very first fishing vest? Do…

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Wading Belt Accessories – Top Three Thursday August 9, 2018 – Posted in: Workshop

What are the three best things you can attach to your wading belt? Although you should be wearing a wading belt for the safety it affords, there is no reason why you shouldn’t get some more use out of it. At Vedavoo, we’ve created some fantastic things for you to attach to your wading belt. Here are our three of our favorites. What would your top three be? Netster If you carry a net while fishing, there…

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The Best Streamer Patterns – Top Three Thursday August 2, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

What are the three best streamer patterns out there? Streamers have always been some of the most effective patterns for all species of fish. Additionally, they’re your best bet for getting into the biggest fish out there. With somewhat of a trout streamer renaissance happening over the past decade, the number of patters out there is overwhelming. Here are our three favorite patterns. What would your top three be? Clouser Minnow Easy to tie, streamlined, and scalable…

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Fishing Heavy: 3 Quick Tips for Streamers July 31, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

You know what fly fishing with streamers is all about: Heavy. Heavy rods. Heavy lines. Heavy flies. Heavy fish. Whether it be the salt, the bass pond, or the trout river, big streamers produce big fish. Fly fishers have known this for a long time, and anglers have been pushing the envelope as they chase the most aggressive fish out there. The fly fishing industry has responded in kind. Rods, lines, and tying materials catering…

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Awards for Better American Gear July 17, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

For three days in July, the premier brands in the fly fishing industry gather together at the International Fly Tackle Dealer (IFTD) Show. It is an opportunity for the angling world to see what is on the horizon for fly fishing gear and conservation initiatives. At Vedavoo, we were happy to attend and display our growing line of hand-built slings, packs, and accessories this year in Orlando. IFTD is always a great time spent with…

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IFTD Info – Top Three Thursday July 12, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

The International Fly Tackle Dealer Show is taking place in Orlando. Where can you see what is going on? Social media and the internet are incredibly helpful… but they can also be endless rabbit holes of opinions. Here are three places to get great information on IFTD. Here are our top three: #iftd2018 This is the “official” hashtag that you can click on or follow on Instragram to see what exhibitors and media are showing off.…

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Risks, Wading, & Fly Fishing Safely July 3, 2018 – Posted in: Learning

We all take risks while fly fishing. Really, anytime you go outdoors you’re taking a risk. The farther you venture into wild places, the more those risks add up. Thankfully, the vast majority of anglers, hunters, and hikers return unscathed. Yet every one of us has experienced to recount some sort of peril. Sadly, every one of us probably has heard of someone who succumbed to a worst-case scenario of outdoors risks. While all the…

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Fly Fishing on YouTube – Top Three Thursday June 28, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

What are the three best YouTube channels for a fly fisher to subscribe to? Today, every company has a YouTube channel. Heck, every angler with a GoPro and an internet connection has a YouTube channel. With all of that content out there, some is good and some is… not so good. Here are our top three choices. What would your top three be? Catch Magazine – Nearly 50k subscribers can’t go wrong. There’s a rich…

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The Dirtiest Flies – Top Three Thursday June 21, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

What are the three dirtiest, nastiest, most offensive flies out there? Even though you might scoff at them in front of your buddies or the guys at the fly shop, you use them. So, what would your top three be? Mop Fly – A relative newcomer, the mop only made waves because it works. What’s your favorite color? Smurf blue? Poo brown? Radioactive green? Squirmy Wormy – Koosh Balls and their kin weren’t nearly as…

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Vedavoo Anniversary: 9 Questions for 9 Years June 19, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

Today marks the nine-year anniversary of Vedavoo! We asked company founder Scott Hunter nine questions about Vedavoo, the fly fishing industry, and gear: In one word, what were you thinking in June of 2009? Frustration. I was legitimately frustrated with the gear that was in the market. Other packs worked, but nothing really hit the mark for me. Designs were overcomplicated and often didn’t function as they should. That frustration led me to innovate through…

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Best States for Fly Fishing – Top Three Thursday June 7, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

What if you could only fly fish in three states within the USA? With every fish species, type of water, and climate out there taken into consideration, what would your top three be? Here’s ours: Montana: Trout, trout, and more trout. Big trout, little trout; rainbow trout, brown trout; freestone trout, spring creek trout. Trout. Florida: Really, the Keys alone would warrant a spot. Add the rest of the coastline and it is a no-brainer. Plus, the interior…

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Vedavoo and Thomas & Thomas June 5, 2018 – Posted in: Workshop

The Rod You Will Eventually Own is now protected by Better American Gear. Beginning in June of 2018, all Thomas & Thomas fly rods will come in Vedavoo rod bags. This collaboration makes sense at a number of levels. For one, both companies are located in central Massachusetts. Door-to-door, one can travel between the two in just about an hour. Employees live in the same towns and fish the same rivers. Although T&T predates Vedavoo…

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Pat Cohen’s Best Largemouth Bass Flies May 31, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

What if you could only have three largemouth bass flies? With every watershed, every condition, and every kind of bass fly out there taken into consideration, what would your top three be? Recently, we asked one of our favorite fly tyers, Pat Cohen, the man behind RU Super Fly, what his three indispensable bass patterns are. Here are his choices: Mo ‘Stank Minnow Fat Head Deceiver Frog Legged Slider What would your top three look like? Let us know below!

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Spring Trout Flies – Top Three Thursday May 24, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

What if you could only have three trout flies in the spring? With every hatch, every water level, and every kind of trout out there under consideration, what would your top three be? Here is our attempt to put together the perfect three spring trout flies that every angler should have in his or her fly fishing pack: Parachute Blue Wing Olive Beadhead Pheasant Tail Nymph Olive Wooly Bugger What would your top three look like? Let us…

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Torchbearer Spotlight: Zachary Pittman May 23, 2018 – Posted in: Community

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Don’t Go Fly Fishing Without Your Wallet May 22, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

One of the joys of fly fishing is that the pursuit can be as simple or as complicated as each individual wants it to be. It isn’t a stretch to say that some anglers have at least a dozen rods… of the same line weight. At the same time, there are plenty of fly fishers who fish with their one tried-and-true rig under nearly every circumstance. Both approaches have their virtues. Having the precise tool…

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Casting Contrast May 8, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

I left the Boston suburbs at five in the morning. I was walking on the Pennsylvania spring creek at one in the afternoon. A lot happened from dawn to dusk. Traffic, cold water, gas station hot dogs, rising trout, mountain overlooks, lost flies, sleeping in the backseat, and lots of other little things. A long day of non-fishing stuff is the quintessential day fishing. Objectively, there is a huge contrast between casting delicate dry flies…

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STREAMWALKER NETS – THE HOOK UP April 24, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

Now included with every Streamwalker Net purchased get a Vedavoo Netster Streamwalker Edition included. Not only will you be have a beautifully handcrafted net made by hand in Rochester, NY, but also a secure place to put it when your hiking in or casting. “Because we can! And it if we can, we should.” That is why Leif Mermagen, owner of Streamwalker Nets, believes in Better American Gear. Starting this year, Streamwalker and Vedavoo are…

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Show Your #myvedavoo & Win! April 18, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

We love seeing people using Vedavoo gear on social media. Anglers from all over tag us in their pictures, and it gives us a chance to see where the gear we build gets to go. From brookies in our New England backyard to cutthroats in Wyoming to tarpon in the Keys, it is a privilege to be a small part of so many adventures. What we don’t get to see is what you put in…

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Taking Vedavoo Into A New Season April 10, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo, Workshop

At Vedavoo, we know that fly fishers don’t settle. Whether it be the pursuit of fish or the pursuit of equipment, anglers always are looking for more efficient and more effective. We get that because we are fly fishers. That is why Better American Gear has always been about well-made, functional equipment. For this season, we have taken the core lineup and streamlined an already sleek set of packs.

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Hiking Up to Better Spring Fishing April 3, 2018 – Posted in: Workshop

Every year the arrival of spring means back to fishing. Even though I fly fish twelve months out of the year, there is still something special about nicer weather, active trout, and even the opening of formal trout season. However, my enthusiasm for the turning calendar is sometimes squelched by two unavoidable parts of spring: crowds and high water. I’m left with the same choices as virtually every angler who wants to avoid fishing shoulder-to-shoulder…

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VEDAVOO VISE: Tying Community Together March 27, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

It the short history of VEDAVOO VISE, the monthly fly tying event at the Vedavoo workshop, we’ve seen the creation of some impressive flies. Seasoned tiers have produced microscopic midges, cutting-edge saltwater patterns, and intricately articulated streamers. Plus, someone tied a fly that lights up. And another guy wove mop material. And a few people have tied their very first flies. Behind the bobbins and scissors, people are getting to know each other. Plans are…

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Packing for a New Fly Fishing Season March 20, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

Spring is here! Technically, at least. Whether you live somewhere still covered in snow or a place where you’ve been fishing solidly throughout the winter, “spring cleaning” is a concept that can and should apply to your gear. If you have been stuck indoors, you might want to just grab your sling or vest and hit the water as quickly as possible. But it is helpful to take some deliberate time to clean up. Also,…

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Andrea Larko March 15, 2018 – Posted in: Community, Special Projects

I’ve fished since I was old enough to throw a rod in the water while trying to cast and have my father go in after it. My 3 sisters and I grew up fishing the water around Pennsylvania and my mother told me we used to run to the water like we were going to the amusement park. I picked up a fly rod about 10 years ago and started my career as an angling…

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VEDAVOO at the Shows March 14, 2018 – Posted in: Vedavoo

Fly fishing expos are always a great experience for the angling community. This winter, we were at The Fly Fishing Show in Colorado, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania; and also the Bear’s Den Fly Fishing Expo in Taunton, Massachusetts. It was excellent to have hundreds of friends, both new and familiar, stop by the booth to check out what Vedavoo is doing. It was a lot of fun to hear the adventures people who already fish…

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Alex Poland February 26, 2018 – Posted in: Community, Special Projects

My name is Alex Poland. I am an avid fly fisherman and artist. A jack of all trades in most respects, but my true passion lies within fishing and the inspiration I find to paint from it. I grew up in a family filled with artistic talent. My mother, grandmother, and great grandmother were all artists. I was fortunate enough to be able to watch all of them paint as a child. During this time…

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Jake Keeler February 21, 2018 – Posted in: Community, Special Projects

Minnesota based artist and avid fly fisherman, I grew up learning to fish on the Mississippi River, while spending the rest of my free time drawing dragons, Wolverine, cyborgs, dragon-cyborg-Wolverines while listening to a rotation of heavy metal and classic hip hop cassette tapes with my brother. I have an MFA in painting and drawing from the University or Wisconsin-Madison, and an undergraduate degree from Macalester. My work has been shown all over the U.S.…

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Derek DeYoung February 16, 2018 – Posted in: Special Projects, Vedavoo, Workshop

Derek DeYoung was born on a bayou near the shores of Lake Michigan where his love of fishing was ignited. Over the years his art has veered from the classical fishing art, placing more importance on using a unique style and palette. Using oil paints on canvas, he artfully captures all the subtle intricacies fish possess; their colorful patterns, dimension and texture. Derek explains, “When hiking up a small mountain stream, I’m not just chasing…

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REEL SERVICE PROJECT 2015 February 4, 2016 – Posted in: Special Projects

Every year, we organize our “REEL SERVICE” project to raise money to support worthy causes – pairing our best with the best from the industries best artists. This year, we dedicated the whole of the proceeds to Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, and the veterans they serve. We hand-built a series of packs, bags, and gear items – then sent these “blank canvases” on to the artists for them to paint, draw, and otherwise decorate…