McCormack Catches Another IGFA Smallmouth Record

We’re moving into the heart of spring fishing in many parts of the country. From Skwalas to 10-pound largemouth bass to redfish, we love everything that spring brings.

Including the next wave of the Fly Fisherman News Digest, an offering that is loaded up with plenty of news about our favorite sport, fisheries, and people:

McCormack Catches Another IGFA Smallmouth Record

If the name Spencer McCormack rings a bell, it might be because of a story that Nick Haddad wrote about the fly angler in the February/March 2021 issue of Fly Fisherman.

That story talked about how the IGFA tests tippet strength, along with a record class smallmouth bass that McCormack landed in May 2020 while fishing in northern Michigan. The Michigan man has been busy since then, with more International Game Fish Association records for Mr. Smalljaws, the most recent record occurring on Nov. 18, 2024. 

Right before Thanksgiving, McCormack was fishing in Emmett County, Michigan according to an IGFA news release when he took hold of another smallmouth bass benchmark. This time, it was the IGFA Men's 6-kg (12 lb.) Tippet Class World Record for the bronzeback, a great smallie that weighed 7-pounds, 1-ounce. Upon recording the weight on his certified scale, the fly angler was able to release the smallmouth back into the water safely.

Incidentally, McCormack is the holder of the 8-lb. tippet class world record, as well as the overall IGFA fly rod benchmark for smallmouths, thanks to an 8 lb., 1 oz. specimen that he landed in Emmet County Michigan on Aug. 11, 2020. And one more thing, his big Nov. 2024 smallie was actually the second IGFA world record for McCormack last year. Since he is a flyrod smallmouth bass specialist who has a total of 9 records in his IGFA resume, it’s safe to say that we’ll be hearing his name again somewhere down the road.

Elsewhere, Ilya Sherbovich landed a 7.11-kilogram (15-pound, 10-ounce) snubnose pompano in the Seychelles, setting the IGFA Men’s 10-kg (20 lb.) Tippet Class World Record on November 23, 2024.

Fly Fisherman Adds Loop to Loop Podcast

While Fly Fisherman's commitment to the sport has never waned, but the way that commitment is distributed has changed over the years, including the most recent iteration of change.

That comes with the announcement this month that longtime Fly Fisherman editor Ross Purnell will take the magazine into the podcasting era with the new Loop to Loop available wherever you download your podcasts and on YouTube. 

With the first episode featuring an in-depth conversation with longtime contributor Ed Jaworowski about the physics of casting a fly, and the second one dedicated to outdoor communicator and longtime contributor Jay Nichols concerning his involvement in directing the documentary Lefty: The Greatest of All Time, the podcast is already hitting its stride as it looks to foster deeper connections with the people behind the magazine.

We're pretty proud of this latest project from Fly Fisherman and we hope that you'll give the podcast a listen or two or three and soon become an old friend to this new content delivery vehicle. We might not recommend listening in the stream while a blue winged olive hatch is going off in front of you, but there's nothing better to do with your windshield time on the way to and from the river!

New Coors X Ross Cimarron Reel Supports River Conservation

Ross Reels and Coors Banquet have announced the release of the limited edition Coors Banquet Cimarron fly fishing reel. Priced at $425, the reel is the second collaboration between the two Colorado-based companies, following the 2024 Coors Banquet Animas reel.

The Cimarron reel, initially available in a 4/5 size, is a reimagined version of a Ross Reels model originally introduced in the 1980s. Future sizes and a limited edition variant are expected to be released throughout the spring and summer. The reel features a custom ceramic coating and is manufactured in Montrose, Colorado.

Both Ross Reels and Coors Banquet have committed to donating a combined $100,000 to Trout Unlimited’s Embrace A Stream grant program. The funds will support river conservation projects in Western states, including Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming.

"We’re proud to continue this partnership with Ross Reels to help protect the waterways that define our backyard," said Candace Hancock, Field Marketing Manager at Molson Coors.

“With the Coors Banquet Cimarron edition reel, we’re offering a more accessible opportunity for fans of both our brands,” said Jeff Patterson, Brand Manager at Ross Reels. "Plus, we’ve got an exclusive drop coming this summer for those looking for something extra special.”

The Coors Banquet Cimarron 4/5 reel is available online at rossreels.com and at select retailers.

2025 Rowing Schools

Ever dream of owning a river raft or drift boat and being able to fish like all of the cool kids do on social media? Yup, me too. After a smallmouth trip down Arkansas' Buffalo River a couple of years ago in a raft with one of my sons and a lifelong great friend, I was hooked on the concept. 

One way to get started is with a mentor, like my friend Rob Woodruff, who spent years figuring out the mechanics of rowing and operating drift boats as he operated a raft on Oklahoma tailwater trout and native smallmouth streams where he guided for a quarter century plus. 

But what do you do if you don't have a mentor to teach you the ins and outs of rowing and fishing? Well, you can sign up for either the 2025 Blackfoot River Outfitters (BRO) Rowing and Fly Fishing School on water near Missoula, Montana or Adipose Boatworks' "Drift Boat 101 Clinic" in Craig, Montana.

The Adipose clinic teach the basics of handling a drift boat, but also serves as a fundraiser for Mending Waters Montana, a veterans' organization. This clinic, to be held on Saturday, April 26, covers topics such as transport, launching, rowing, anchoring, and river etiquette. Participants are encouraged to donate to Mending Waters Montana, and there are often raffles with prizes to further support the cause.

The BRO school runs from April 25-27 and carries a cost of $1,695 without lodging and $2,495 with lodging. At this three-day school, you’ll learn all kinds of boat rigging techniques, river safety tips, and training on floating, rowing, and fly fishing. At night, there will be some good food and beverages, including a barbecue dinner, as well as evaluations for each participant and suggested river stretches to continue learning on. 

Attendees can sign up at https://blackfootriver.com/pages/2024-rowing-and-fly-fishing-school for the Missoula school and call or e-mail Adipose Boatworks at 406-992-1519 or adiposeboatworks@gmail.com.

Lefty Kreh Film Headed for OSG Networks

Our much anticipated film, a 44-minute long documentary entitled Lefty: The Greatest of All Time debuted on March 27 at the Weinberg Center for the Arts in Frederick, Maryland, the very location where Lefty met his late wife Evelyn.

With the familiar voice of longtime friend Flip Pallot narrating about his longtime friend, and the likes of Bass Pro Shops founder, CEO and conservationist Johnny Morris, longtime Fly Fisherman contributor Barry Beck, renowned fly-tying expert Blane Chocklett, Ed Jaworski, Jay Nichols, and many others lending their voices and Lefty experiences, the film’s debut was well received on an evening described by Fly Fisherman editor Ross Purnell as an “…incredible night for Lefty and his amazing spirit.” The film was made with support from Bass Pro Shops, Costa, Yeti, and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.

Now that the theater debut is in the books, attention turns to the film's TV debuts with the first being on Outdoor Channel on Saturday, April 19 (at 6 and 10 p.m. EST) and the second happening on World Fishing Network on April 24 (at 7 and 11 p.m. EST). 

Both television premieres promise to be more big nights in the story of Lefty, a fly angler whose impact remains as strong and clear as an early summer trout stream delivering a carpet of bugs. If you squint hard enough and listen intently enough, you just might catch a few glimpses of the man and hear his familiar chuckle faintly echoing on the breeze. Lefty may be gone, but he is never forgotten.

Lefty Kreh's Tie Fest 2025

Staying on the previous topic, many fly anglers don’t know that In 1991, the late Lefty Kreh received one of the highest honors a fly tyer could ever receive. That happened when his signature pattern, the Lefty's Deceiver streamer, originally tied to catch striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay near his Maryland home, was honored by the U.S. Postal Service with a postage stamp.

For that, and so many other reasons, Lefty is, was, and will be for a long time a voice in the wilderness who helped carry fly fishing into the spotlight nationwide. Because of his impact on the sport and on fly tying, Kreh will be the subject of yet another honor this spring when the 2025 Lefty Kreh's Tie Fest, presented by YETI Coolers, is held in Vero Beach, Florida on the weekend of April 25-26. 

This year's event, put on by the American Saltwater Guides Association (ASGA), is being held at a private venue and the address will be delivered electronically for those who sign up. 

Renowned fly tyers from around the country will be there, casting clinics will be held with instructors, vendor booths and roundtables will be hosted by some of the top names in fly fishing, and fly fishing celebrities like Flip Pallot, Bob Clouser, Larry Dahlberg and more will be on hand. Lunch will be available for purchase on Saturday, drinks and live music will be happening on Saturday evening, and a fully catered meal will be presented by YETI that evening.

There's also some fishing on Sunday as the weekend draws to a close, with the derby being held in conjunction with White's Tackle Fly Slam on April 27.

And finally, we're excited to say that on Friday, April 25, there will also be a private showing of Lefty: The Greatest of All Time at a theater in Vero Beach.

If that's not enough, silent and live auctions loaded with art, fly fishing gear, and trips will be held on the weekend with 100% of the proceeds going to Jack Crevalle research.

Kids under 14 get in free with a ticketed adult/chaperone, while active military and first responders get a discount for weekend passes. Ticket prices vary, so see the website for full details. In the meantime, for information on the event, contact ASGA by e-mail at info@saltwaterguidesassociation.org.

Good News in Colorado Where Wildfire Affected Cutties Are Reproducing

We've already had too much in the way of wildfire news in recent months, from the devastating fires in southern California to the wild prairie fires in Oklahoma to this week's raging fires in the Carolinas.

For a change, how about some good news when it comes to fire's natural presence on the landscape? That comes eight years after wildfire and flash floods wreaked havoc on Hayden Pass to the south of Coaldale, Colo. As the inferno raged, a small group of Colorado Parks and Wildlife aquatic biologists, hatchery staff, and personnel from the U.S. Forest Service put on fire-resistant suits, strapped on heavy electro-shocking backpacks, and carried oxygen bottles, nets, and water tanks into the no-man's land behind the fire lines. 

It was heady and dangerous stuff, but the mission was critical in the minds of this army of conservation warriors who were trying to rescue a rare cutthroat trout from the south fork of Hayden Creek. After finding and removing 194 of the rare Hayden Creek cutthroats (HCC), the group retreated to safety outside the fire zone.

It's a good thing that the rescue took place, because the biologist's worst fears about the creek and the effects of the huge wildfire came true when later rainfall swamped Hayden Creek with flooding and a thick, black sludge that ultimately dumped into the Arkansas River. The end result was that fish and habitat was damaged for miles and miles in the waterway system. A post fire survey of Hayden Creek found that no fish–zero–remained.

The only known survivors of HCC specimens were the ones rescued by biologists. Of the original 194, some 158 were placed in an isolation unit at the Roaring Judy Hatchery near Gunnison while the other 36 had been released into nearby Newlin Creek, about 10 miles southwest of Florence in the Wet Mountains.

After a lengthy search for suitable creeks to place the prized HCC in year-round flows that resembled Hayden Creek–and would be remote enough to protect the fish from human interference–suitable habitat was found at Newlin Creek. Once biologists completed the painstaking task of reclaiming Newlin of any existing fish that might compete with HCC trout, the stockings were able to begin.

The first one was in 2018, where more than 8,000 HCC trout have been released into a 1.5 mile stretch of water in Newlin Creek. To date, nearly 135,000 HCC trout have been stocked in 25 miles of water in 18 streams suitable for supporting the HCC trout. 

Better yet, biologists have documented natural reproduction in their surveys of the creek.

“Our surveys this year found ‘young-of-the-year’ fish swimming with older class fish from previous stocking,” said Paul Foutz, senior aquatic biologist for CPW's Southeast Region, in a news release. “Although this does not mean the HCC in Newlin are a self-sustaining population yet, it’s a huge step in the right direction.”

There have been a few setbacks along the way, including the discovery that the 36 HCC trout released during the fire had not survived. But other stockings have worked, with streams including South Ruxton Creek on Pikes Peak near Colorado Springs, South Middle Creek near La Veta Pass west of Walsenburg, and Iowa Gulch near Leadville in the Upper Arkansas Valley all receiving HCC trout.

"This is very exciting news for these fish and for the agency, considering the odds they faced back in 2016," said Foutz.

Indeed, a success story, it would seem, in the face of unimaginable wildfire, destruction, and loss.

In a world with not much good news as of late, this is some inspiring news indeed.

"CPW’s mission begins with a vow to perpetuate the wildlife resources of Colorado and this is a perfect example,” said Foutz, who was on the CPW team that rescued the Hayden Creek cutthroat during the 2016 wildlife. “These fish have unique genetics and it’s our job to ensure they remain on the landscape for future generations of Coloradans.”

Upper Yellowstone: Popularity Strains River Access and Environment

The Upper Yellowstone Watershed Group (UYWG) recently released its report on Yellowstone River recreational usage in the “Upper Yellowstone River Recreational Use Study." The study was done over four years from 2020-2024 from Gardiner to Carter's Bridge Fishing Access Site, and asked the question, "how well do the individual river access sites meet the public and commercial needs at times of high demand?"

The upper Yellowstone River is a popular recreational destination, with kayaking and canoeing being the most prevalent activities, engaged in by 58 percent of surveyed users at least monthly. Fishing is also significant, with 42 percent participating, primarily practicing catch-and-release. Rafting and tubing are gaining traction, especially during peak summer tourist seasons. However, the river faces several infrastructure and access challenges. Specifically, 67 percent of boaters reported inadequate or deficient launch sites, and parking often surpasses 90 percent capacity on weekends, causing overflow. Safety concerns are also present, with 34 percent of users noting issues with swift currents or debris, indicating a need for improved hazard warnings.

Environmental impacts are evident, as 48 percent of surveyed river sections exhibit visible bank erosion, likely due to increased recreational use. Additionally, 23 percent of respondents observed an increase in litter, especially at busy access points. Water quality is generally perceived as good, though pollution concerns exist in high-traffic areas. Community feedback reveals strong support for expanding access points, with 82 percent favoring this measure to alleviate congestion. Furthermore, 61 percent advocate for stricter regulations on waste disposal and riverbank protection. Increased signage for safety and navigation improvements is also a common recommendation.

"The study presents a set of recommendations, intended to spark discussion, revision, and additions," said UYWG Executive Director Whitney Tilt in the report. "Some recommendations are distinct actions within the management responsibility of FWP, CGNF, BLM or other agency, for which they will need the full support of the community in securing approvals and necessary funding." Read the full report here. 

Researcher Finds Parasite Could Cause More Issues for Montana Trout

In some ways, this news item would seem like something that shouldn't be worried about on Montana's Big Hole River, where a parasite has co-existed with the famed river's trout population for a long, long, long time.

But then again, if low water levels and high water temps persist, research from a Montana Tech grad student has shown that the parasite could wreak havoc and become quite deadly to fish.

"It’s, it’s scary,” said Paul Helfrich, an earth science and engineering PhD student, in a KXLF News television report. “As conditions continue to become harsher, I think we’re going to see more problems with this,” he added.

The parasite referred to here in the Big Hole and Madison Rivers is the bryosalmonae parasite. Normally harmless to fish according to Helfrich, it can become toxic when fish endure prolonged environmental stress from such things as higher water temps and lower water levels. We saw the results of this in 2016’s fish kill on the nearby Yellowstone River in which over 4,000 mountain whitefish and trout were found dead.

“The fish’s immune system will have a massive response to that sudden replication in the kidneys and the fish essentially die of fever,” said Helfrich.

So far, a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks study on the rivers and their trout populations indicate that thanks to healthy trout and improving fish population numbers, there’s no reason to worry just yet. To keep trouble at bay, Helfrich is recommending preserving river health through proper water management.

“Take a very active stance in preserving our wetlands, first and foremost; these are natural water storage areas,” said Helfrich.

According to the KXLF story by reporter John Emeigh, Helfrich says that one way to do this is by allowing beavers to create dams.

“It is the most natural solution and really, all we have to do is let them do it,” he said to the Butte, Montana television station.