Fly fishing is defined in a few simple ways. An artificial fly, typically made of fur, feather or foam, cast in a unique way. Conventional angling is typically casting the lure, whilst fly fishing is casting the line. They say fly fishing is the most enjoyable way to catch the least amount of fish, and whether deemed as an art or sport, for some of us, it’s a lifestyle.
We sat down with our global YETI ambassador Josh Hutchins (@aussieflyfisher) to ask flies and YETI buys he never leaves home without when heading into the field:
TOP 10 FLIES
Trout: Royal Wulff, Size #14 - arguably the world’s most popular dry fly, and with good reason.
Murray Cod: Double-Barrel Surface popper, Size #6/0 - Cod hit hard, and the top-water fishing is addictive.
Barramundi: Beechies Barra-Bomber, Size #2/0 - I’ll never tire of this Northern Australian favourite.
Giant Trevally: Black Brush Fly, Size #6/0 - One of the craziest fish to chase on a fly rod.
Blue Bastard: Spawning Shrimp, Size #2 - yep that’s it’s name, a favourite for the shallow water of Northern Australia.
Black Spot Tuskie: Brown Crab, Size #1/0- these aqua-blue tractors go from 0-100 in 2 seconds, hold on tight!
Permit: White Alphlexo Crab, Size #2 - the ‘Holy Grail’ of fly fishing, and luckily for us, Australia is full of them.
Yellow-Tail Kingfish: Squid Fly, Size #2/0 - visual, sleek, & hard fighting.
Queenfish: Absolutely anything that swims - Queenies are generally not fussy, but fight hard and put on an epic show.
Aussie Bass: Gurgler, Size #2 - a Southern freshwater favourite of mine!
FAVOURITE YETI BUYS
GoBox® 1: the coolest looking fly box around, or just to keep your essentials dry - I love that it secures to the backpacks for easy-access.
Panga® Waterproof Backpack: big enough to store everything you need for a whole day on the river, and it looks epic!
Camino® 35 Carryall: as the name suggests, the perfect pack for carrying it all - whether it’s fishing gear or your pre-trip grocery haul.
Trailhead® Camp Chair: my favourite thing to come back to at camp after a long day chasing fish.
Rambler® 1 Gallon Jug: the Aussie sun is relentless, so it’s nice to have a truckload of ice cold water on hand whenever I need.