The Most Fun Fly Rod You’re Missing Out On and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

These 3 stories captured our Sports Illustrated fishing reader’s attention on Fishing on SI this past week.

The Most Fun Fly Rod You're Missing Out On; Fishing Panama With a Fly Rod is a Trip I'll Remember for the Rest of my Life; Coike Bass Lure: How the 2026 Urchin Bait Trend Can Work for Fly Fishing | Jasper Taback | Darret Cortes | Jordan Albertson

In case they slipped by you, following are the most read fishing stories of the week. The Most Fun Fly Rod You're Missing Out On; Fishing Panama With a Fly Rod is a Trip I'll Remember for the Rest of my Life; Coike Bass Lure: How the 2026 Urchin Bait Trend Can Work for Fly Fishing.

1.) The Most Fun Fly Rod You're Missing Out On

A Northwoods brown trout. | photo by Jasper Taback

I just got back from a week of trout fishing in northern Wisconsin, most of it spent exploring little streams that looked like they'd hold fish. Some did and some didn't, but I had a blast.

Trips like these give me an excuse to break out my stream rod -- a short, light, fly rod that's entirely impractical for most of the trout water I fish.

But, in the right environment, it's fun as hell.

A stream rod is typically shorter than the 5- or 6-weight you might use on a larger trout river. For reference, the go-to trout rod for most fly anglers is a 9-foot 5-weight, while stream rods are 2 and 3-weights that run between 6.5 and 8 feet long…GET THE REST OF THE STORY HERE.

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

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

When I saw the sailfish's bill come out of the water, I started having serious doubts about the 11-weight fly rod in my hand. The fish looked to be north of 80 pounds, and an 11-weight just didn't seem to be enough rod. That thought left my head when I heard Capt. Cortes yell, "Cast!"

I had an 11-weight fly rod in my hand because two hours earlier, I’d landed on the dock at Tropic Star Lodge and was rushed onto a second boat with my camera equipment and two 11-weights. I assumed we were going after roosterfish.

The mistake was mine; I should have asked…GET THE REST OF THE STORY HERE.

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

A bass eats a Coike, the strange-looking urchin-style soft plastic that has become one of the hottest trends in bass fishing. | Photo by Jordan Albertson

On average, every 10 years or so, a new and different lure or technique makes it into the bass fishing scene, and it becomes a major trend because of its success at catching fish.

I'm not talking about adjustments or small changes to lures that already exist. I'm referring to lures that are different than anything seen before, and because of this, anglers are skeptical, even incredulous, until the lure proves itself by the number of fish caught.

I've always fished for bass with both a fly rod and conventional tackle. Bass fishing was my first teacher in fishing, and as a kid I was a fanatic…GET THE REST OF THE STORY HERE.