Hardy Fly Fishing Celebrates Andy Mill’s Induction Into the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame -- Press Release 23 Sept 2025

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Hardy Fly Fishing Celebrates Andy Mill’s Induction Into the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame Celebrated angler and longtime Hardy collaborator honored for his influence in saltwater fly fishing.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Sept. 23, 2025) – Andy Mill’s induction into the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame is a richly deserved honor that reflects both his extraordinary accomplishments on the water and his lasting impact on the sport of fly fishing. As an angler, author, conservationist, and long-time product collaborator with Hardy, Mill has helped shape the future of saltwater fly fishing in every sense. For more than 15 years, Mill’s fingerprints have marked the industry’s leading gear. His insights and feedback have informed the tapers, strength, and feel behind multiple award-winning rod series – most notably the Marksman Z. He has likewise guided the evolution of the Fortuna series of fly reels, where his exacting standards produced the Fortuna Regent—a sealed-drag powerhouse balancing strength, size, and weight. Mill’s design eye and rigorous testing have not only advanced the Hardy portfolio but have pushed the entire industry to meet the demands of the toughest saltwater anglers. From his early days as an Olympic skier to his rise as a world-class saltwater fly angler, Andy Mill’s record is unmatched. He has won more invitational tarpon fly tournaments than anyone else, including multiple Gold Cup and Golden Fly events. He is one of only a few anglers to ever win tournaments for tarpon, bonefish, and permit on the fly. Beyond tournaments, Mill has deep influence in the sport of fly through writing, speaking and podcasting. He is the author of A Passion for Tarpon, hosted Sportsman’s Journal with Andy Mill, and now produces the Mill House Podcast, with his son Nicky. He is a committed conservationist and mentor. His work with the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, among other organizations, underscores his dedication to protecting fisheries and passing on knowledge to the next generation of anglers.  “We are honored to count Andy as part of the Hardy family,” said Jake Fischenich,  Hardy Brand Manager. “The list of his achievements and contributions to this sport are nearly as impressive as his kindness, patience, and generosity in teaching others. This Hall of Fame recognition is greatly deserved.” Mill’s induction into the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame is not only a fitting recognition of his past accomplishments, but also a celebration of what he continues to bring to the sport through mentorship, media, conservation and gear innovation. Hardy Fly Fishing applauds him for being a bridge between tradition and progress, helping ensure that saltwater fly fishing continues to evolve to meet the needs of saltwater anglers for many years to come. For more information about Hardy, click here.

MCFF Tying Night -- 15 Sept 2025

 

 

Fun tie and a great crowd at Tying Night with MCFF. Guy lead the group in tying the Crease Fly, which reinforced some basic techniques while throwing in foam and super glue. If you don't glue the fly to your hand, you're doing pretty good! 

MCFF meets the 2nd & 3rd Monday each month. As always, all are welcome and I'll be glad to save you a seat!

MCFF Tying Night -- 16 June 2025

Not totally sure mine turned out 100%, but the St. Simon Scampi was a fun tie at tonight's MCFF Tying Night! Flash, rubber legs, crystal chenille and plastic beadchain all topped off with a rabbit zonker strip will make for a fly with great light manipulation and some amazing movement in the water! 

  The MCFF Tying Night is the third Monday of every month! As always, all are welcome and I'll be glad to save you a seat!

MCFF Meeting -- 14 April 2025

 

Fun meeting tonight with the Mid-Coast Fly Fishers!! New members, visitors, returning members, fishing reports, fish tales, fishing in the news, and some book and film suggestions! You never know what you'll get at MCFF, but you'll always learn something!! We meet the 2nd & 3rd Monday of every month. As always, all are welcome, and I'll be glad to save you a seat!

MCFF Tying Meeting -- 17 Feb 2025

 

Excellent turnout for tonight's MCFF Tying Night! Members Guy Faherty and Bob Dillon are running a refresher course on some of the knots to know when setting up a new fly line, and Guy will be finishing the evening with showing his version of the McVay Gotcha Fly! MCFF meets the 2nd and 3rd Monday of each month. As always, all are welcome and I'll be glad to save you a seat!

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#MCFF #MidCoastFlyFishers #FlyTyingNight #flytying #flytyingmeeting #saltwaterflyfishing #knots #fishingknots #knotwork #flyfishing #flflyfishing #flyfishflorida #TheSuburbanAngler= 

MCFF Meeting -- 10 February 2025

 

Carolyn Kovacs, our area's Seagrass Extension Agent, gave a great talk to the Mid-Coast Fly Fishers tonight on the improvement in the state of the seagrass they're seeing in the Indian River Lagoon and to also introduce the members to their new citizen science program "Eyes On Seagrass". MCFF meets the 2nd and 3rd Monday of every month. As always, all are welcome and I'll be glad to save you a seat!!

#SeagrassExtensionAgent #UF #IFAS #SeaGrantFlorida #EyesOnSeagrass #MCFF #MidCoastFlyFishers #flyfishing #saltwaterflyfishing #flflyfishing #flyfishfl #flyfishflorida #FLOutdoors #FloridaFlyfishing #TheSuburbanAngler

MCFF Open House 2025

 Wonderful day for the Mid-Coast Fly Fishers' annual open house! Huge thanks to all who came out and made it an excellent event! The morning started out on the cool side, so hot coffee was definitely required! Thanks, too, to the vendors who joined us! Floyd Skiffs, RCI Optics, Cortland and Riverside Conservancy. Always so much fun to share a meal and the passion for fly fishing with so many great folks! I clearly didn't take enough pictures, but I'm proud and thankful for how well the day went! Come out and join us next year, it promises to be bigger and better yet! MCFF meets the 2nd and 3rd Monday of each month, plus Saturday Casting Practice! All are welcome and, as always, I'll be glad to save you a seat.

Starting things off with lots of coffee!

Casting instruction!  MCFF is a Teaching Club first and foremost!

Members sharing the hot spots on a Mosquito Lagoon area map!

Burgers, dogs, lots of sides and Members and Guests sharing a meal!

Awards from our First Annual Redfish Tournament were handed out at the Open House.

Mid-Coast Fly Fishers Open House 2025

 Come join us tomorrow in New Smyrna Beach!

MCFF First Annual Redfish Tournament -- 11 Jan 2025

 A challenging morning on the water has turned in to a beautiful day for a cookout at our first annual MCFF Redfish Tournament! Fantastic turnout and great to see our members come together for a fun event! 

MCFF Meeting -- 11 November 2024

 Tonight's Mid Coast Fly Fishers meeting featured former club president, and current FOP Lodge liaison, Mark Patterson, who presented the club with a thank you letter for the members who helped clean up the lodge property after this year's hurricanes, and also to relay stories of the early days of MCFF, a fly pattern design credited to members of the club and to show his amazing rodbuilding handiwork! Another great meeting in the books, so I hope you'll join us for the next one! Second and third Monday of each month. All are welcome, and I'll be glad to save you a seat!

DBNJ

Jordan Kohn

Dec 14, 2008

Mid-Coast Fly Fishers Club Meeting -- 13 Nov 2023

 

Final meeting of the Mid Coast Fly Fishers before the big Open House gathering this weekend! Great to see so many folks getting involved and we even welcomed four visitors into the club tonight! As always, everyone is welcome, I'll be glad to save a seat for you, and I hope to see you on Saturday!

MCFF Open House Nov. 18 2023

 Don't forget, this Saturday is the Mid-Coast Fly Fishers' Open House event in New Smyrna Beach!

HARDY MARKSMAN Z FLY ROD WINS TOP HONOR AT ICAST 2023

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   HARDY MARKSMAN Z FLY ROD WINS TOP HONOR AT ICAST Beating out stiff competition, the Hardy Marksman Z captures prestigious Best in Category Win for Fly Fishing Rod at ICAST 2023   ORLANDO, FL. (JULY 12, 2023) – The Hardy Marksman Z Fly Rod, designed to be an angler's ally in the unpredictable and varied challenges of the saltwater environment, has won the prestigious ICAST Best in Category for Fly Rod Award. The Marksman Z, which has been meticulously crafted in partnership with some of the world's finest saltwater guides, seasoned anglers, and industry legends is the perfect tool for your moment in salt. Built with Sintrix FLT that is applied to an updated mandrel design, the Hardy Marksman Z Fly Rod stands up to the most demanding saltwater conditions offering the reliability needed for everything from Gold Cups to Grand Slams and a thousand different challenges in between. Regardless of the changing tides or shifting winds, the Hardy Marksman Z is your steadfast companion in the saltwater world. “The Hardy team spent many hours and days on the water listening to the concerns of our best anglers. We knew we had to replace the Zane Pro, and that was a challenge,” said Jim Murphy, Director of Fly Fishing for Hardy. “We had to develop new materials, new tapers, and test them with the most demanding anglers. The feedback we received was that they could not believe we improved on the Zane Pro. We are happy to maintain our position as the best saltwater fly rod in the world.” Key Features: Sintrix FLT on an updated mandrel design Increased lifting power in the lower section  Reduced overall in-hand weight Easy to load yet fast tip recovery for more accurate casts under pressured situations Hybrid ring specification that blends durability and practicality using both Cerecoil and recoil stripper guides Aluminum uplocking reel seat with easy to grip locking nuts to ensure a solid reel fit MSRP: Starting at $995 Available:  September 2023 Experience the strength, agility and durability of the all-new Hardy Marksman Z Fly Rod and feel the difference in every cast. To learn more about Hardy Fly Fishing, click here. For more information about the 2023 new products from all the Pure Fishing brands, including downloadable press releases, spec sheets, images and logos, click here.                                                            ### About Pure Fishing Pure Fishing is a collection of the world’s favorite fishing brands. Every day, all around the world, someone experiences the joy of catching a fish with one of our products. From gear for epic battles at sea to a relaxing day with family at the lake, our portfolio includes the most recognized and admired brands in fishing tackle, lures, rods, reels and storage. Abu Garcia®, Berkley®, DAM®, Fenwick®, Fin-Nor®, Frabill®, Greys®, Hardy®, Hodgman®, Johnson®, JRC®, Madcat®, Mitchell®, Penn®, Pflueger®, Plano®, Prologic®, Savage Gear®, Shakespeare®, SpiderWire®, Stren®, Ugly Stik® and Van Staal®.

ALL-NEW HARDY MARKSMAN Z FLY ROD - Pure Fishing Press Release 5 July 2023

 I received a new press release from the folks at Hardy this morning!  Looks like they're introducing a new line of Saltwater Fly Rods!  I hope they'll have them at ICAST, I can't wait to check these out!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

INTRODUCING THE ALL-NEW HARDY MARKSMAN Z FLY ROD Redefining Performance in Saltwater Fishing   COLUMBIA, S.C. (July 5, 2023) – Just in time for those saltwater flats trips, the Hardy Marksman Z Fly Rod is a groundbreaking addition to our premier saltwater rod range. This innovative rod leverages the latest in performance materials to deliver a level of strength, reduced weight, and durability unmatched in the market. The Hardy Marksman Z Fly Rod is designed to be an angler's ally in the unpredictable and varied challenges of the saltwater environment. From calm, early morning runs to windy afternoons, the Hardy Marksman Z ensures an optimal cast, even from an unstable platform.  This rod is designed with a unique blend of feel, power, and recovery, resulting in a product that promises an unrivaled fishing experience. As a hundred pounds of chrome goes airborne, or as six pounds of silver leaves the flat as if fired from a gun, you can be confident that the Marksman Z in your hand can do the job and, of course, the adrenaline rush is guaranteed.  This exceptional blend of characteristics was brought to life through a collaborative design process. In partnership with some of the world's finest saltwater guides, seasoned anglers, and industry legends, we've crafted the Hardy Marksman Z to be the perfect tool for your perfect moment in salt. Built with Sintrix FLT that is applied to an updated mandrel design, the Marksman Z was created with a strong butt section that gives you increased lifting power in the lower section of the rod making it strong enough to pull big fish from cover yet extremely light in the hand. The Hardy Marksman Z Fly Rod stands up to the most demanding saltwater conditions, offering the reliability needed for everything from Gold Cups to Grand Slams and a thousand different challenges in between. Regardless of the changing tides or shifting winds, the Hardy Marksman Z is your steadfast companion in the saltwater world. "We're delighted to introduce the Hardy Marksman Z, the newest addition to our superior range of fishing rods," said Jim Murphy, Director of Fly Fishing for Hardy. "Our goal is to provide anglers with the best possible equipment that can stand up to any condition, and we believe the Hardy Marksman Z Fly Rod exemplifies this commitment." Features:  Sintrix FLT on an updated mandrel design Increased lifting power in the lower section  Reduced overall in-hand weight Easy to load yet fast tip recovery for more accurate casts under pressured situations Hybrid ring specification that blends durability and practicality using both Cerecoil and recoil stripper guides Aluminum uplocking reel seat with easy to grip locking nuts to ensure a solid reel fit MSRP: Starting at $995 Available:  September 2023   Experience the strength, agility and durability of the all-new Hardy Marksman Z Fly Rod and feel the difference in every cast. To learn more about Hardy Fly Fishing, click here. ### For an exclusive look at the Hardy Marksman Z and the entire lineup of new fly fishing gear from Hardy, please consider joining Hardy and the rest of the Pure Fishing brands for an exclusive preview of its New Product Showcase entries at On the Water from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, July 11 at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) North Building Ponds. Also join us at the Pure Fishing press conference in Room S310 A-B of the OCCC, at 3:30 p.m. to hear directly from some of the biggest brands in the fresh and saltwater fishing industries. And finally, please consider voting for the Hardy Marksman Z at the ICAST New Product Showcase starting Tuesday, July 11. For more information about Hardy, click here.   About Pure Fishing Pure Fishing is a collection of the world’s favorite fishing brands. Every day, all around the world, someone experiences the joy of catching a fish with one of our products. From gear for epic battles at sea to a relaxing day with family at the lake, our portfolio includes the most recognized and admired brands in fishing tackle, lures, rods, reels and storage. Abu Garcia®, Berkley®, DAM®, Fenwick®, Fin-Nor®, Frabill®, Greys®, Hardy®, Hodgman®, Johnson®, JRC®, Madcat®, Mitchell®, Penn®, Pflueger®, Plano®, Prologic®, Savage Gear®, Shakespeare®, SpiderWire®, Stren®, Ugly Stik® and Van Staal®.

Stormy Days!

Doing a little casting between storm warnings. Stay safe out there, friends!!