Fly Fishing Brown Trout In the Moonlight and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

In case they slipped by you, following are the most read fishing stories of the week. How to Fly Fish for Brown Trout In the Moonlight; The Strange Spiny Lure Taking Over Bass Fishing in 2026; Here's Why the Abu Garcia VoltiQ is a Must-Buy Baitcast Reel

1.) How to Fly Fish for Brown Trout In the Moonlight

Brown Trout Fly Fishing — Big brown trout are out and about at night. | photo by Jasper Taback

For most of us, fly fishing is a visual sport. We take in information with our eyes and adapt to it. For example: I just pulled my dry fly out of that trout’s mouth – maybe I should try waiting a damn minute before setting the hook next time.

Fly fishing for trout is hard enough with good visibility. For a long time, I assumed the buddies that fished at night were either looking for something stupid to do or avoiding something at home.

Both may be true, but it’s also when the biggest trout eat…GET THE REST OF THE STORY HERE.

2.) The Strange Spiny Lure Taking Over Bass Fishing in 2026

Coike soft plastic bait — The Coike, spiny ball, or urchin-bait is the hottest bass lure in the country right now. | Dave Rush, Outdoor Brand Team

The Coike, a dense elastomer ball covered in soft spines, looks more like a sea urchin than a bass lure. Over the past year it has become one of the most talked-about baits in professional bass fishing.

A little over a year ago, I attended a writer’s conference at Lake Hartwell, South Carolina. Among the various fishing brands present was a Japanese company called Hideup, which offered an assortment of odd-looking, spiny soft plastic baits called the Coike. They’d been popular in Japan for some time, but were just entering the US market.

While intrigued, I assumed the unusual baits were likely a passing novelty, stuffed them in my bag, and mostly forgot about them. But the following weekend…GET THE REST OF THE STORY HERE.

3.) Here's Why the Abu Garcia VoltiQ is a Must-Buy Baitcast Reel

The new Abu Garcia VoltiQ baitcast reel offers digital cast control to virtually wipe out bird nests. — The new Abu Garcia VoltiQ baitcast reel. | Abu Garcia

It was my first time on the water with the new Abu Garcia VoltiQ reel. Tossing a very heavy 8" Berkley Chop Block with a considerable wind at my face, I set the dial to 9. Exactly as described in the promotional ads and videos, I launched my bait far across a shallow flat, cast after cast, without any trace of backlash.

And that effortless fishing continued all day. My casts were noticeably further in distance than with traditional baitcast reels and my line never fouled once. And to test the proficiency of Abu Garcia's claims, I seldom thumbed the spool at the end of each cast. Simply put—perfection…GET THE REST OF THE STORY HERE.

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