How to Pick the Right Fly Rod
By Spencer Durrant I’ve spent most of the past decade reviewing fly fishing, hunting, and outdoors gear. Throughout that time, I reckon I’ve fished north of 100 different fly rods. To this day, I still find myself spending too much time choosing which rod to bring to the water on any given day. Granted, I
Kyle Patrick Tournament Season Recap
Mission Accomplished Bass fishing in Upstate NY in 2020 was a huge success for Kyle Patrick. In just under four months, he has won a total of 16 tournaments. With his placements, he qualifies for the Bassmaster team trail championship through Empire Team Trial which is going to be on Harris Chain December 9-12th. This
Running with the Bulls
Article By: Spencer Durrant @Spencer_Durrant The smoke-filled sky slowly darkened while I pitched a brand-new tent. It was August, and unseasonably chilly, even for my being in a valley in northern Idaho around 9,000 feet above sea level. Blair and I had been on the road for hours, finally coming to a bumpy stop on
Spring Creeks Under The Big Sky
Article By: Cody Ling @kai_yo_tay Hopper fishing in Montana is tough to beat, and last summer was no exception. After a tremendous winter we started last season with a quality snow pack. Usually by August we are experiencing river closures to help protect fish from becoming overly stressed in warm water. Fortunately, anglers did not
Costa Rica Fly Fishing – La Pura Vida
Rob Herrmann Photography Exploring new destinations and gathering new experiences has been a passion of mine since I can first remember. Quite often these adventures are led by the fine end of a fishing rod. When my better half and I were invited along for a 'vacation' stay at a small resort in Costa Rica,
Winner of Best 5-Weight Fly Rod
PICKING THE BEST 5-WEIGHT RODS Yellowstone Angler has found that the new 5-weight rods are getting better and better each year. Often only subtle differences separate one rod from another. Casting and rating the performance of the rods at different distances is the real meat of our Shootouts, and also the reason we have separated
Fred Contaoi – Rod Designer, Douglas Outdoors
Flyfishing Journeys Podcast Interview by Rob Giannino | Nov 18, 2019 Episode Summary As a 10-year-old on the pacific coast of California, Fred Contaoi would tie flies and share them with his fly fishing teachers. In his high school years, he learned how to build fishing rods. At 19 he went to work for Lamiglas
Essential Tips for Streamer Fishing
“If you haven’t played Russian Roulette with frostbite just for the chance at a great day of winter streamer fishing, you should try it this year.”
Heaven On Earth
Article By: Cody Ling @kai_yo_tay Montana has a long history of mining hard metals. Butte, specifically, has been called “The Richest Hill On Earth” and has been the epicenter of mining in the Treasure State. Although mining has been an economic crutch for Montana, the reality is that it can result in harsh environmental impacts.
Customer Testimonial Ron W.
“Just wanted to drop you at Douglas a line to tell you about my experience with your sky fly rod. I absolutely love this rod. It roll casts like a charm. I do a lot of nymph fishing and this rod really performs. It’s accuracy with casts is impeccable. Today I decided to fish
LRS Fly 9’5wt Review
Article and photos by Spencer Durrant: https://spencerdurrant.com Gear Review: Douglas Outdoors LRS 9′ 5wt Around the end of last year, Douglas Outdoors introduce their new LRS line of rods. LRS stands for “Lake, River, Sea,” indicating that Douglas intends this rod family to address your angling needs no matter the body of water you’re in.
Father’s Day
By Cody Ling @kai_yo_tay Father’s day is a special time for most. It’s a day that we get to ignore the busyness of life and remember the times we have shared with our dads. Some of us may think back to throwing a ball around in the yard with him, or seeing him man the
Understanding Fly Rod Action
By Spencer Durrant A few months ago I found myself in a tight spot money-wise. We all get there, and we all find creative ways to get out of them. One look at my collection of two dozen fly rods was all I needed to know that selling a few wouldn’t break my heart
Douglas SKY 9’ 8wt review
Author: Richard Franklin (sweetandsalt senior member) I have cast, fished and/or own a bunch of Douglas SKY’s from small stream trout to oceanic environs sizes. Douglas Outdoors is a New York State company that someday is going to build rods in a brand new, advanced technology rod shop but currently has them fabricated in
Lessons from the Ladder
By Tyler Christensen: As a fly fisherman, do you have those places that grab hold of a piece of you and you just can’t let them go? Somewhere that is just the right amount of torture mixed with euphoria? A recent trip that I took to Pyramid Lake reminded me of all the reasons that
Getting to know the champ
Douglas Pro Brent Butler: FLW Champion | Photo: Justin Onslow, FLW Husband, step father, high school teacher, angler, coach, and now…FLW Champion! We caught up with Douglas Pro Brent Butler from Vonore, Tennessee to talk with him about the Costa FLW Lake Chickamauga event he just won with a 68lb. 8oz. three-day total. We have been
Douglas Pro Brent Butler Wins!
Photo Credit: Justin Onslow & Charles Waldrof, FLW. On day two of the Costa FLW Series Southeastern Division event on Lake Chickamauga, Douglas Pro Brent Butler weighed in a bag he’ll never forget. Weighing in 37 pounds, 5 ounces, it not only catapulted him from 40th to 1st place, it also etched his name in the
LRS Fly Rod REVIEW – Demystifly.com
Synopsis: The guys from Demystifly.com recently took on a LRS 7wt Fly Rod to get a better look at the newest release from Douglas Outdoors. They put it to the test, visiting some smaller Florida waters that hold big Largemouth Bass. The goal: (catch fish of course!) but also, closely examine the new LRS fly
thedailyreelfishing.com LRS Spin/Cast Review
by Thomas Brzezinski I had the opportunity to fish with Dave McKenna from Douglas Outdoors and try out some of their bass fishing rods for the first time. We took the day to fish in Lake Mohawk of Sparta NJ a 800 acre private lake filled with largemouth, smallmouth, pickerel and hybrid striped bass. Our
More Women Fly Fishing – CBS 4 Denver
A segment from CBS 4 Denver which filmed and aired during the 2019 Fly Fishing Show. Highlighting how our sport is gaining in popularity among women. And … featuring some great rods!
Douglas Euro Rod Testimonial
I walked into UpCountry in New Hartford CT, my home shop as a guide, and Grady Allen the owner, walked over. “I have a new rod for you (here we go again, the wife is gonna kill me if I try to sneak home another rod). “It’s a Douglas SKY, a euro style 11′- 3wt.
2019 Fishing Expo Schedule
Douglas is on the road to a town near you! Now is your chance to cast that rod you’ve had your eyes on! Check out our show dates for 2019 below.
Respect the Spawn
By Spencer Durrant Each year, as summer gives way to fall and the oppressive heat gives way to merciful cool weather, brown trout across the country get all gussied up for their annual dance. It’s a sign that hunting season isn’t far off, that cold mornings with a hot cup of coffee are near,
Casting Across Reviews the Douglas Upstream
“…I was more than pleasantly surprised with the Upstream. Those first few minutes on the water impressed me, as I was able to put the small, size 18 parachute Adams precisely and delicately wherever I wanted to. The Wulff line definitely fit the rod perfectly. I could feel the blank flexing, and was easily able
A Guide to Hopper Fishing Season
By Spencer Durrant It’s been a weird year here in the Rocky Mountains. Most of us – Montana and Wyoming excluded – had a worryingly light winter. Wild temperature swings threw off the hatch schedule, too. Most bugs were a month late. Then the entire Western United States went up in flames. Thankfully,
Euro Nymphing for Beginners: Rigging the Rod
By Spencer Durrant European nymphing is the new Tenkara. Everyone’s doing it, and just like any new fishing fad, you have the guys who swear it’s the only way to fish. That’s not quite true, but as someone who grew up fishing dries in a Rocky Mountain spring creek, I’ll vouch for Euro nymphing’s
Getting to know the SKY
I recently got my hands on the Douglas Sky 9ft 6wt. It felt like Christmas came early as I unboxed this rod at my doorstep because I couldn’t wait to even step through my front door before opening it. I had heard a lot about this rod and had read even more. After it
Dock Talk 365 with Chris OBrien
Dock Talk 365 – Sat down with Chris O’Brien to talk Lake Champlain Spawn And Post-Spawn Smallmouth. Below are a few snippets from the Dock Talk article… “Chris O’Brien is an angler who I love to follow his success and the techniques he uses to catch a ton of bass. Chris took a top
Douglas Outdoors at ICAST/IFTD 2018
Douglas unveils new products and new information at ICAST/IFTD 2018! ICAST/IFTD is the worlds largest sportfishing tradeshow. The show is well known to be full of excitement as the unveiling of the industry’s hot new products are on display for the first time. Well the 2018 ICAST/IFTD was no exception. Douglas Outdoors was a
CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL – J.S.
We’re super glad to hear we could help you out and that you love your SKY series rod, J.S.! — The Douglas Team Hello gentlemen, I’d like to thank you both for the quick and detailed responses to my query about the Sky 6wt. I apologize for not responding right away. With that said,
Creatures of Habit
By Spencer Durrant Fly fishermen are many things – not all of them pleasant – but we’re nothing if not creatures of habit. Look no further than your own fishing calendar. How many trips do you schedule for tradition’s sake? I’m as guilty as the next guy. Each spring I go to Oregon with
demystifly – 2018 IFTD Sneak Peak
LRS Fly Rods: These new rods from Douglas Outdoors look to offer fly anglers a really nicely refined package for a relatively affordable price point. Using “next generation” graphite, the LRS series is crafted with gorgeous glossy-blue blanks and a versatile fast action. All rods…. see full review
Customer Testimonial – Ariel Kane
We’re glad to hear you love the SKY series, Ariel! — The Douglas Team When a friend let me try his 7 Wt Douglas Sky out on the flats one day, I effortlessly cast virtually the entire fly line – that was a first! I turned to my husband and said “I have to
Customer Testimonial – Shya Kane
Thanks for choosing Douglas, Shya! — The Douglas Team I have been flyfishing in salt water for more than 25 years, and over that time I have acquired several high end fly rods. Since finding the Douglas Sky series, the others are gathering dust!
Customer Testimonial – Gary Merriman of Fish Hawk Fly Shop
Thank you for the kind words, Gary! — The Douglas Team There are scores of well-made, quality rods on the market today. The challenge for every fly shop is what to carry. When I saw Douglas Outdoors’ 3-weight, 6-piece rod, I loved it. They are selling well as I knew they would. Give me
Customer Testimonial – Jim Hider
Thank you for adding us to your team and sending in this glowing review, Jim! — The Douglas Team John, I’m writing you this note to thank you for encouraging me to purchase your Douglas Sky rod. I have a fish story to tell you. I have been using the 7wt. Sky lined with
Customer Testimonial – Ira Miller
Thank you for the kind words, Ira! We’re glad you loved your experience with our Sky rods! — The Douglas Team I recently introduced my daughter to fly fishing on a fall trip to West Virginia. After a 1/2 hr lesson from the guide using my Helios 2 9’5wt tip flex she was throwing
Customer Testimonial – Max Worthey
We’re stoked to hear you love your Upstream, Max! — The Douglas Team Hello, I’m just letting you know that the Upstream 2804 is the best rod I have fished to date. I now own two and they are my favorites out of my collection. p.s. Thanks for the decals, I received them yesterday
Customer Testimonial – Steven Brown
Thank you for all of your support of Douglas Rods at Fly Fish Guanaja, Steven! We’re looking forward to seeing the next world-record permit caught with a SKY! — The Douglas Team 20 years guiding in Colorado and 10 years owning and running Fly Fish Guanaja has been a career I wouldn’t trade for
Customer Testimonial – Brian Arnott
Thanks for checking out our rods, Brian! We’re glad you like the DXF Series! — The Douglas Team Hi, I just wanted to let you know how impressed I was with the sales guys and the Douglas Fly Rods at the show in Denver, Colorado January 5-7th. My friend and I were able to
2018 Fly Fishing Show Schedule!
Douglas may be coming to a town near you. Now is your chance to cast that rod you’ve had your eyes on! Click on the shows below to learn more.
Douglas DXF wins best Switch Trout Rod
DXF 10’6″ 5-weight wins “best mid-priced rod” and “Best overall rod (available today)” in the 2017 Yellowstone Angler Switch Trout Rod Shootout! Douglas DXF 10’6” 5-weight $425.00 Your new trout switch winner by default – The Douglas DXF! The DXF series has been a favorite of ours since we first tested it in our
Douglas Outdoors Launching X-MATRIX Rods at ICAST
June 03, 2015 Phoenix, NY – Douglas Outdoors announces the official launching of the X-MATRIX DXS & DXC rod series at the upcoming ICAST show in Orlando, Florida July 15th-17th. Douglas Outdoors will be exhibiting in booth #1029, a 60 foot island booth also featuring the Douglas line of tackle boxes Douglas Outdoors is
Field & Stream Reviews the Upstream Rod
June 2, 2015 Gear Review: Douglas Outdoors Upstream Fly Rod by Kirk Deeter What’s the first thing most people do when they get a new fly rod? They go out to the lawn, or the pond, or the river, and see just how far they can cast a line with it. That’s fine, but it’s
Douglas Outdoors 2015 Fly Fishing Show Schedule
We are happy to announce our show attendance for the 2015 Fly Fishing Show. Douglas will be at the Denver, Marlborough, Somerset, Pleasanton and Lancaster! Click here for the full schedule information.
DXF & DHF Rods Now Shipping!
We are happy to announce that the Douglas DXF and DHF fly rods are ready for shipping. These two ranges represent a comprehensive selection of both performance and value that rival anything on the market. The next wave of Douglas products, including the Made in New York State Argus reels, the Nexus large-arbor reels and
Dr. Thomas Murphey Joins the Team
Douglas Outdoors has brought in Dr. Tom Murphey and his tech firm High Strain Dynamics (at www.highstraindynamics.com) to develop the next generation of fishing rods. Dr. Murphey is the current holder of two IGFA World Records for Tiger Muskie on the fly with 20# and 8# test. Formerly of the Air Force Research Lab, Tom’s
A Fresh Legacy
An ace team of engineers and designers have gotten together with a legendary conservation family to bring a fresh approach to the building of fishing rods and reels. Douglas Outdoors did not evolve from a pre exisiting enterprise. It is an entirely new initiative, bringing together the most experienced practitioners to found a fresh legacy