If you’re itching for a fix of fly fishing news, sit back with your coffee and settle in—because the country’s got some wild currents to navigate this fall and winter.

Let’s start with the drama up in New Hampshire. There’s a big hullabaloo brewing over the state’s plan to overhaul fishing regs, which could cut “fly fishing only” trout ponds from 27 down to just 5. This has a lot of folks in the Granite State fuming. Fly anglers turned out en masse at a public meeting to tell wildlife officials these trout ponds are sanctuaries for the fly-only crowd. As Steve Angers from North Country Angler put it, an early season closure “is a whole economic hit” for shops and guides in places like the Mount Washington Valley. Others just flat-out questioned why take trophy trout waters with careful catch-and-release management and hand them over to more harvest and spin fishing. For now, it’s all just up for debate—the state says public meetings and biology are steering the ship, so maybe there’s hope for compromise before 2025 hits in full force.

Next, out West, California’s mountains are dry this January, but the Owens River is still drawing a dedicated bunch who don’t mind a grind for a good fish. According to Golden Trout Guiding Co., winter fishing’s tough when flows and temps are low, but those diehards are out there anyway—hoping and praying for more snow. Spring’s looking brighter though: their annual Spring Clinic is set for April 12 and 13, tailored for beginners who want to dip their toe in the sport. And for you bucket-listers, the Golden Trout Excursion in late July has just 5 spots left. You’ll hike streams for the elusive, pure-strain Golden Trout, with gourmet meals and a crew to haul your camp gear—it’s a scores-of-fish-a-day, top-water-fishers paradise.

Meanwhile, back East, Maryland is tweaking trout rules again. The state is thinking about extending catch-and-release only artificial fly fishing areas on Beaver Creek, and potentially shifting “put-and-take” boundaries as well. These changes could mean more protected water for the fly crowd who love stretching delicate tippet and stalking wary fish. Also, yellow perch limits might get slashed from 10 to 5 in all tidal and nontidal waters to give spawning populations a break. Local anglers are already chewing on these proposals, weighing conservation with the good old urge to bring a stringer home.

And for the gearheads, Hatch Magazine just unleashed a massive roundup of new rods, reels, wading boots, and apparel for spring 2025. Even if fly shop trends show the pandemic-fueled newbie boom is leveling off, there’s no shortage of cool new stuff hitting shelves from both classic tattooed rods to fresh soft goods and accessories. Whether you’re looking to replace a well-worn old favorite or you just want to see what’s heating up the market, there’s plenty to drool over this year.

That’s your look under the surface this week. Thanks for tuning in—come back next week for the freshest stories in the world of fly fishing. This has been a Quiet Please production, and if you want more, check out quietplease.ai. Tight lines, everybody!

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