Traveling more than an hour to go fly fishing often requires some planning. Weather and water levels are the two most important variables to understand before heading out. Everyone has their favorite weather apps, but this year more than ever, having a good understanding of water levels has been non-negotiable.
All water level data originates from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Surface-Water Data, which monitors over 13,000 stream gauges across the U.S. and more than 350 in Pennsylvania. The USGS has been transitioning to a new online interface over the past five-plus years. The updated look and feel have left some old features behind while adding new ones. I hate it.
So, I’ve been on the hunt for a desktop and mobile app that delivers USGS backend data through a clean, easy-to-use interface. Blue Liner Flows offers a solid solution for iPhone, iPad and Mac users, with apps built for both platforms. Most importantly, favorites and preferences sync across devices. There’s a free version, but I’ll be reviewing the $6.99 annual paid version.
Key features include: favorites, state selection, map view, latest data overview, discharge in CFS, discharge in feet, average annual discharge, various time views, weather forecasts, alerts, temperatures (station-dependent), turbidity (station-dependent), and other data specific to each gauge.
I found the app very easy to set up on my Mac. Once configured, all my favorites and alerts synced automatically to my iPhone. You don’t need both devices—an iPhone alone works just fine. I especially liked navigating between the state, favorites, and map views. It’s fast and intuitive. Most views display the key information I’m looking for, including directional arrows indicating whether water levels are rising or falling.
Wild Trout Man offers a new video for winter brook trout fishing. WTM provides some amazing winter native brook trout footage showcasing their unique behavior with spectacular winter scenery along a wild trout stream.
More videos can be found at the Wild Trout Man Youtube Channel and Wild Trout Man website.
Wild Trout Man is Dr. Joseph Simons, III. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Wilkes University and a Doctor of Optometry degree from Salus University. He is an avid outdoorsman who loves fly-fishing, camping, kayaking, hiking, scuba diving, nature photography and writing electronic music and soundtracks. Dr Simons serves as the President of the Stanley Cooper Chapter Trout Unlimited.
Tom Baltz is a legend of fly fishing, guiding for over 50 years and a recipient of the Orvis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023. Tom Baltz has been living and fishing the limestone valleys of south-central Pennsylvania for the past 40 years. Here Tom and Tim Cammisa share a nymphing techniques for trout, including some confidence flies.
Tim Cammisa has immersed himself in the world of fly fishing and tying for what feels like a lifetime. He’s traveled far and wide, pursuing fish across the globe, and he's become a vital part of the fly fishing community through his engaging presence on social media. His mission is clear: to help fellow anglers improve their skills in tying flies and catching fish. Whether he's delivering presentations nationwide, headlining fly fishing events, or teaching hands-on workshops, Tim is committed to empowering others in their fly fishing journey. Additionally, he's the author of Fly Tying for Everyone, a resource designed to make fly tying accessible and enjoyable for all.
George shares how to tie and fish one of his favorite warm water streamers- a slightly modified Murdich Minnow. You can find more of George's video's on YouTube
Dave Rothrock and John Kolb fly fish a small spring creek and have plenty of action for a fun afternoon of fly fishing. The stream is a very challenging stream to fish with super spooky fish and very subtle takes. The stream challenged John and Dave. In the end, they managed to catch a good amount of fish. The dry dropper setup worked really well and a lot of fish were caught with either a sulphur dry fly or a sexy Waltz Worm.
I always enjoy the quality and cinematic efforts by the guys over at Allegheny Native with their Pennsylvania Fly Fishing videos. Much of the video they shoot is in far out of the way areas of Northern Pennsylvania that always inspires me to jump in my car. This video has a little twist with many of the shots having been filmed on a 16mm. Video is hard enough, but filming on darker cloudy days in tree covered streams with 16mm film? That's a tough one to pull off.
Have you ever found yourself standing in a fly shop, holding a shiny new fly line and wondering how exactly it was made? What kind of complex manufacturing processes and innovative designs go into creating those weight-forward tapers that make casting so smooth? Well, wonder no more! In this exclusive behind-the-scenes look, we take you inside the production facilities of RIO Products, one of the most respected and innovative fly line companies in the world.
The journey starts on the factory floor, where we see industrial machines spinning top-secret composite materials into the finely-tuned cores that give RIO lines their legendary performance. Engineers test out prototypes, tweaking taper designs and lengths until they achieve the perfect balance of power and precision. Skilled production workers meticulously assemble each line, their trained eyes inspecting for even the slightest defect.
But it takes more than just technical mastery to create a world-class fly line. You'll hear from the designers whose relentless field-testing and refinement result in lines honed to excel in real on-the-water conditions. From prototype to finished product, it's this relentless pursuit of perfection that makes RIO a leader in the industry.
So come along and satisfy your curiosity about how fly line goes from raw materials to that flawless final form. With unprecedented access to RIO's state-of-the-art production facilities and the inside scoop from their talented team, we reveal the innovation and care that makes these lines revered by anglers across the globe. You'll never look at fly line the same away again!
Tom Rosenbauer shares some simple details on how to keep your flylines in great shape. To watch more of Tom's videos you can check out the YouTube channel here: Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing.
The Ranting Angler started with a blog in May of 2021 by Dave Rothrock. Dave is a frequent poster on Paflyfish and often attends the Spring Palfyfish Jamboree. He goes by the name @OldLefty . The blog was a way for Dave to share his knowledge of fly fishing gained from many years of fly fishing and guiding. Over the years, Dave made multiple appearances on the Suffering Outdoors YouTube channel with John Kolb. The videos John and Dave did together drew a lot of interest and fanfare. The idea to start a YouTube channel was born out of a meeting in a sub shop in Williamsport, PA while eating cheesesteaks. Dave and John decided to join forces to create The Ranting Angler channel to publish future video content relating to fly fishing.
Joel and I got out between rainstorms to fish and film with the flies from this month’s The Native Fly Box and lucked into one heck of a small stream wild brown! Things are starting to really heat up on the trout streams and we’re going to try to get out as much as we can. Thank you to all of you that subscribed to the Native Fly Box and to all of you who subscribe and watch here on YouTube.
Off The Path Outdoors is a creative project by Travis Deitrich from Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. He has been trout fishing all his life, but it wasn't until seven years ago when he went on a trip to Potter County that he got into fly fishing. With the help of some members of his father's hunting camp, he quickly learned the ropes of the sport and hasn't looked back since. Travis started some of these social media channels to share the new places he has been discovering. I find them really fun and inspiring, and I'm sure you will too!
Scott shares another of his exploits fly fishing on Big Fishing Creek at Mill Hall, Pa. If you don't know his YouTube channel, PA WOODS N WATER, it is worth a look as he covers a lot of Pennsylvania waters throughout the year. Scott always has fun on his trips and shares a lot of knowledge during each video.
