What a week. Things have finally settled down (sort of) after that viral video, and I’m finally shaking off the cold that had me down for days. But now? There’s a lot to catch up on—especially wrapping up all the Spring content for The Drift. I thought I’d be further along, but let’s just say going viral wasn’t part of the plan. No complaints, though—just a wild ride.
Speaking of Spring, I’m back on the water tomorrow. I’ve been tracking weather patterns and water levels all week, and conditions are lining up beautifully. Warm temps. Perfect flows. Too many good options. I still haven’t picked a spot—there are just too many to choose from—but honestly, that’s the best kind of problem to have. With so many rivers opening up, I can’t wait to start exploring them all in the weeks ahead. Spring is close—I can feel it.
Alright, let’s get into it. This week, I’m featuring content from a few of you—my subscribers! Love when it works out like that.
The Sawtooth Mountains. Campfires. Wild trout. This video from one of my subscribers is a perfect mix of everything we love about fly fishing. He spent time exploring Idaho, camping under the stars, and getting into some solid fish. Watching it has me counting down the days until warm evenings, dry fly eats, and long days on the water. Spring can’t come fast enough.
At some point, fly patterns stop looking like bugs and start looking like art. That’s exactly what Adam’s flies do—they’re almost too pretty to fish. Almost.
This week, I’m featuring one of his ties: a stunning parachute dry fly with perfect proportions and a clean, minimalist body. His Instagram feed is packed with more like this, and if you appreciate high-level fly tying, it’s worth checking out.
After my post about the found rod blew up (366k views and counting), I tracked down the owner—Mike—and we met up to talk about the story behind it. This wasn’t just any rod. He’d fished with it for 18 years, paired with a reel he’s had for 30, and even taught his grandkids to cast with it. Getting it back meant more than just replacing lost gear—it was reclaiming years of memories.
And now, the story’s spreading beyond Instagram. Idaho News aired a segment last Saturday, the Idaho Statesman interviewed us this week, and KTVB expressed interest in doing a story today!
P.S. Have a fishy friend? Tell them they should subscribe to Tight Fly Lines. You can forward them this email or send them here. Thanks for the support!