Ken Baldwin

Joined: Nov 6, 2024

Ken Baldwin is a writer and editor for Fishing On SI, covering fly fishing gear, travel, and all other aspects of a life well fished. His writing and photography have appeared in Men’s Journal, Catch Magazine, Fish Alaska, and American Angler. Ken also created and hosts Season on the Edge, a television series exploring travel, adventure, and culture through fishing that aired on NBC Sports and in seven countries. For twenty years, Ken guided fly anglers in Alaska, keeping him in close proximity to brown bears and launching his path into wildlife photography. That field experience led to his work as a bear guard and consultant on the Netflix documentary Our Planet II, narrated by David Attenborough. His photography was also featured in the series promotion. His career has taken a few memorable turns – professionally dancing and teaching salsa, bartending at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip, and played the terrorist “Mulkey” in the film Die Hard 2. Ken graduated from the University of Washington with a degree that had absolutely nothing to do with any of the above.

Putting all the pieces together and ending with a good presentation will lead to success on the river.

Fly Fishing

I never had much interest in fly fishing for channel catfish. Then I hooked a 25-pounder, and that changed quickly.

An aerial view of Hawks Cay Resort on Duck Key. You are right there in the middle of great fishing grounds, simple access to it, and easy livin.

Destinations

For three days at Hawks Cay Resort, my life got pretty simple. Wake up, grab my fly rods, walk to the marina, and go fishing. Tarpon, redfish, mangroves, clear-water flats—This is the trip I've imagined since I was a kid.

Eyes focused on the sockeye salmon that fill up these rivers during the summer.

Fly Fishing

A brown bear turned, locked onto us, and started coming. This is what it felt like, and the lessons I learned.

Destinations

If I were limited to fish only one season a year, it would be autumn, and you can’t do fall much better than the Catskills. The historic trout waters are reason enough to go, and the small towns, good food, and fall colors make it more than a fishing trip

Bass Fishing

The Coike urchin bait trend proves what fly anglers have known for years: subtle movement beats exact imitation. Here are some updated tying tips for Woolly Buggers and Pat’s Rubber Legs, plus presentations that deliver more bass on the fly.

A Pacific sailfish alongside the boat after being landed on an 11-weight fly rod off Panama's Pacific coast.

Destinations

I came to Tropic Star Lodge in Panama thinking of roosterfish. Less than two hours after arriving, I was casting a fly rod to a lit-up sailfish.

All muscle and energy. This tuna put a butt-whooping on me like no other fish ever has.

Destinations

Panama's Pacific coast has some of the most exciting fly fishing in the world. For me, it delivered two fish of a lifetime in less than a day.

My Van Staal VR75. The more I beat it up, the better it looks. Earned scars.

Gear Reviews

High-end Father’s Day gifts for the dad who deserves the best, with premium fishing, outdoor, survival, and adventure gear worth going all out for.

The common ground of "fishing" is sometimes where the best connections happen between fathers and sons.

Gear Reviews

Skip the predictable Father's Day gifts this year. Every item in this guide is gear I've tested and continue to use. Some are inexpensive, others cost more, but all have earned a place in my fly-fishing and outdoor system.

Guide Jacob Thomason with a barely hooked smallmouth bass from Lake Ontario.

Fly Fishing

The smallmouth bass bite is entering one of its best windows of the year. Rivers are warming, fish are active, and fly anglers from the Midwest to the Northeast have their hands full with one of the hardest-fighting fish in freshwater.

Utah guide Sammy Elam taking the scenic route to the river.

Destinations

When anglers think fly fishing destinations, ski resorts rarely make the list. But a fall stay at Montage Deer Valley in Utah revealed great trout water, a walkable mountain town, and enough outdoor adventure to make off-season ski towns a great choice.

Fly angler and West Virginia guide Chase McCoy, throwing a tight loop while balanced on his kayak.

Fly Fishing

Learning to fly cast isn’t about more fishing—it’s about better practice. Here's a simple program to follow that will have positive long-term results.

Ken Baldwin

Joined: Nov 6, 2024

The Best Fly Fishing Podcasts for When I Can’t Be on the Water

Inside Bear Haven, Alaska’s Lodge for Bear Viewing and Photography

How I Trigger Trout to Bite When Nothing Else Is Working

I Put the SKWALA Thermo 350 Hoody Through Some Hard Days

Fly Fishing

How and Where You Can Catch Big Catfish on a Fly Rod

Destinations

Hawks Cay Resort: My Base for World-Class Florida Keys Fly Fishing

Fly Fishing

What It Was Like to Be Charged by an Alaskan Brown Bear—and What I Learned

Destinations

Experience Fly Fishing History, Wild Trout, and a Classic Catskills Autumn

Bass Fishing

Coike Bass Lure: How the 2026 Urchin Bait Trend Can Work for Fly Fishing

Destinations

Fishing Panama With a Fly Rod is a Trip I'll Remember for the Rest of my Life

Destinations

Two Fish of a Lifetime in 24 Hours: Panama Fly Fishing at Its Best

Gear Reviews

High-end Father’s Day Gifts for the Fly Angler Who Deserves the Best

Fly Fisherman’s 2026 Father’s Day Gift Guide: Gear He’ll Actually Use

Why So Many Fly Anglers Become Obsessed With Smallmouth Bass

Can a Luxury Ski Resort in Utah Also Be a Great Summer Fly Fishing Destination?

What’s the Best Way to Improve Your Fly Cast?