» Zach Matthews

Sea Run Premium Technical Rod & Reel Case

Sea Run Cases is an Italian premium luggage company that specializes in outdoor sports. Its parent company, Negrini Cases, has manufactured high-end gun cases (to acclaim) for years, and now they’ve entered the fly-fishing market. Admittedly, at almost $600 (without the optional external carry case), this is a beyond-luxury item. …

Roadside Reds

The trailer tires rolled back with an audible squelch, sinking past the axles into the rich black mud of the Louisiana marsh. “How’s that look?” I called out the open window of my 4Runner, which was locked in four-wheel drive. “Great, babe,” my wife, Tracy, replied from the narrow shoulder of the highway, where she stood casually assembling an 8-weight fly rod. I set the emergency brake, rechecked to make sure my rig was still on dry ground, and began loading the boat.

Overlooked and Underrated

The wind veered again, this time blowing straight up the Kaldakvísl River in Iceland’s Central Highlands. Shivering, I tugged my hood around so it covered the left half of my face. The rain squall—just short of freezing—rattled against my jacket like sleet on a tin roof. It was late June, but the weather was miserable; Iceland was suffering through its wettest summer in a century, causing landslides in some areas not seen in a thousand years; one slide wiped out a famous salmon stream, forming a new lake.

Night Stripes

THE EERIE GREEN GLOW WAS THE EXACT COLOR THAT HOLLYWOOD USES TO DEPICT SOMETHING RADIOACTIVE. The light hung in the black depths of the lake, like a star in outer space. It was after midnight on a cloudy night with a new moon, so there was no horizon, making it nearly impossible to tell up from down. The effect was disorienting. Our trolling motor whirred softly, drawing us into casting range—into orbit.