ALL AROUND

The toolkit is admittedly a bit specialized. Fly boxes filled with row upon row of midges, sedges that skate around the surface like invertebrate jet skis, damsels to swim along sandy banks. We might wade lakes and ponds, or fish them from skiffs or belly boats—watercraft that, in a river, would be about as effective as a dumpster. But beyond the different tools, there’s the mindset that goes with fishing stillwater as well. On a lake, we don’t fish right to left, or left to right. We don’t fish upstream or downstream. We fish 360 degrees, up and down, at right angles and shallow angles and deep angles. Why in the world would you fish stillwaters, you ask? Because stillwaters are a world unto themselves.

PERFECT SETUP | ALL AROUND STILLWATER

Conditions can vary greatly when fishing stillwater, often changing by the minute. Wind and weather changes can come out of nowhere, hatches can erupt in short order, or fish can move to a different part of the water column. Having a versatile rig for stillwaters is essential. A longer rod allows for both increased distance and ease of line control, which is why we generally reach for the R8 CORE 5100-4FB as our go-to stillwater stick. Paired with an ARBOR XL 4/5/6 and RIO Stillwater Floater WF5F, this setup is guaranteed to increase your success on the water.



SHOP ALL

STILLWATER ESSENTIALS