We Have BIG News...

 

Mad River Outfitters has become a place that fly anglers around the world call their home base for everything fly fishing. From learning the basics of the sport, to buying their favorite fishing flies and so much more.

Over 27 years ago Brian Flechsig took a risk and started a family owned fly shop named after his favorite local river in Central Ohio. From that point on the Mad River Outfitters team has made it their goal to welcome the world to the fly fishing sport.

So to celebrate our 27th-and-a-half birthday, we’ve decided to re-introduce Mad River Outfitters to the world and in-particular the world of fly fishing again. 

MEET THE NEW MAD RIVER OUTFITTERS

So let’s talk about why we decided to give MRO a face lift.

The MRO Angler has been around since the beginning itself, back in 1994. His giant reel that tied in the ‘O’ on Outfitters and his left hand cast and right hand retrieve were all quirks that represented the ‘classiness’ of the fly fishing sport. We’ve always felt the logo reminded us of late 19th Century fly fishing or the classic American drama, A River Runs Through It (1992).

Mad River Outfitters Website in 1999 (left) our website today (right)

Since the early nineties, we at Mad River Outfitters feel the fly fishing sport has evolved in so many ways. The sport of fly fishing is far more than fishing for trout in small streams and is now obsessively practiced across the world. We felt it was time to bring our logo into the 21st Century.

We wanted something that evolved our brand, not revolutionized it. Something that held on to the classiness of the sport of fly fishing and emphasized the sportiness of it as well.

SO WE HIT THE DRAWING BOARD...

Some of the many iterations of what would eventually help develop the new Mad River Outfitters logo & watermark.

We wanted our new watermark (i.e., the text portion of the logo) to represent the sportiness of fly fishing, but also to retain the comforts of the sport, it’s classiness, it’s old school late 19th Century feel. We also wanted it to feel like you were out in nature or at a National Park.

THE MRO ANGLER’S NEW DO

Retro MRO Angler (left) and the new MRO Angler (right)

The Mad River Outfitters Angler has become as significant as the words on our logo over the years. Seeing him instantly reminds you of who we are. So we wanted to give him a setting to fish in and to finally change his right hand to a left hand retrieve.

LET’S TALK COLOR

We knew from the get-go that we couldn’t stray away from our original green. It’s been ingrained in our brand for decades now. So we decided to give it an honorary name of it’s own: ‘94 Green. To compliment our old school color scheme, we wanted to give our new logo some utility, so we added three new flavors to the mix: Deep Green, Fly Line Green and Bone White.

‘94 Green on Bone White, some of our new colors.

One thing that was difficult about our Retro Logo was its modularity (or lack thereof). It was horizontal, we couldn’t use it in square or even circular formats. So we put a lot of thought into that element with our new logo design.

Our new Mad River Outfitters badge (above) and some of the many new variations (below)

We’re super excited about our refresh for our 27th-and-a-half Birthday (and a little bit nervous). But after a lot of work, thought and intentionality, we think we’ve finally landed on something that can only help solidify Mad River Outfitters’ mark on the sport of fly fishing, even more.

We also can’t wait to show you just how much more we have in store... Stay tuned.

We couldn’t leave out our favorite game fish!

Since ‘94 (above) and our full logo (below)  

Homage to Brian & Flip (above) and the Mad River Hatter (Below)

Mad River Women (above) and Mad River Musky (below)

Mad River Outfitters

833 Bethel Rd.

Columbus, Ohio 43214

614-451-0363

admin@madriveroutfitters.com

www.madriveroutfitters.com

New this Winter: Virtual Fly Tying Classes!

 

We are excited to offer virtual fly tying classes for the winter of 2022! The classes will be held over Zoom on Tuesday evenings from 6:00pm - 7:30pm, EST. Classes will kick off in February and run until the end of March.

Full material kits are included with the cost of the class. These are full retail packs of materials and not just "sample" packs. This will allow you to tie the fly during class and many more! Click here to learn more about our virtual fly tying classes or see below for individual class pages.

Virtual Fly Tying Class Overview:

February 1, 2022: Bulkhead Deceiver with Pat Kelly
6:00pm - 7:30pm EST
This class is sold out.

February 15, 2022: Basic Scandi Fly with Ryan Ratliff
6:00pm - 7:30pm EST
This class is a basic introduction to a classic style Steelhead and Salmon swinging pattern.
Learn More

March 1, 2022: Wooly Bugger with Katie Johnstone

6:00pm - 7:30pm EST
This class is intended for beginner fly tiers. Katie will teach two different Wooly Bugger patterns as well as tying techniques.
Learn More

March 15, 2022: The Gilmer with Ryan Ratliff
6:00pm - 7:30pm EST
The Gilmer is a fly designed by Ryan Ratliff. It is a Bluegill imitation and is a killer pattern to use for fish that are keying in on young of the year Bluegill.
Learn More

March 29, 2022: Guide Swim Fly with Pat Kelly
6:00pm - 7:30pm EST
Pat will teach one of his go-to guide flies for Smallmouth Bass. He will also show a variety of ways this fly can be tied.
Learn More

Click here to visit our Virtual Fly Tying Class page.

Mad River Outfitters

833 Bethel Rd.

Columbus, Ohio 43214

614-451-0363

admin@madriveroutfitters.com

www.madriveroutfitters.com

Happy 27th MRO!

 

Happy Birthday Mad River Outfitters!

Born December 1st, 1994.

Here's to many, many more.

Congrats to Brian and the Team!

833 Bethel Rd.

Columbus, Ohio 43214

614-451-0363

admin@madriveroutfitters.com

www.madriveroutfitters.com

Temple Fork Outfitters - BC Big Fly Rod

Earlier this year, Temple Fork Outfitters released the highly anticipated “BC Big Fly” designed specifically toward throwing big flies at big fish. The rod was designed by Blane Chocklett and replaces the ever popular Esox series.

Given the popularity of the Esox, the BC Big Fly builds upon many of the great concepts from its predecessor but utilizes the latest and greatest technology from TFO.

This rod is built with the highest modulus materials and Temple Fork’s legendary Axiom technology. This allows the rod to load easily and recover very quickly, doing so with virtually no wobble or unwanted shock, something you normally fight with when throwing big flies and aggressive lines. In short, you can cast big flies repeatedly for hours with minimal fatigue.

Each model comes with super durable RECOIL stripping guides and superlight single foot snake guides, which stand up to the hard life and abuse of a predatory rod. Dual uplocking reel seats and hook keeper round out the stout hardware on these rods.

One of the rods most functional features is the grip and fighting butt. TFO and designer/advisor Blane Chocklett decided the rod needed a composite cork handle and fighting butt. This material is very comfortable and functional. The most noticeable benefits of using composite cork are one, the bond to the blank itself is much stronger and far less likely to come unglued. A problem regularly encountered with rods using natural cork handles. The second is it also seems to be more sensitive. This is helpful when detecting those deep eats from musky that sometimes feel like a slight resistance change in your retrieve. The fighting butt makes casting bigger flies a lot less stressful on your wrist and arm. It is also extremely helpful when executing those critical boatside maneuvers and figure 8’s.

Unlike its predecessor, this rod is offered in three sizes, 8, 10, and 12. This expands the rod’s species versatility greatly. With the size range offered you can be sure you have the tool you need whether chasing bowfin in the swamps, big tailwater trout, stripers, and of course big pike and musky. We haven’t had the chance yet, but we are certain this rod will excel with a variety of tasks in the jungle as well as various saltwater species.

TFO recommends a wide grain window for each rod in the line up, allowing for a wide variety of conditions and circumstances. Below you will find each rod and it’s recommended grain range.

9' 8wt 4pc
Grain Weight: 250-350gr

9’ 10wt 4pc
Grain Weight: 350-450gr

9’ 12wt 4pc
Grain Weight: 450-550gr

Ultimately the line used will depend on the conditions, type of fly, and casting style or preference. If you are picking up one of these rods give us a call at the shop and we’d be happy to help get you dialed in!

Each rod comes with a labeled rod sock and tube. The rod also comes with TFO’s unconditional lifetime warranty.

View the Temple Fork Outfitters BC Big Fly Rod here.

Echo Streamer X Fly Rods - designed by Kelly Galloup

 

Have no fear! The Galloup Streamer X rods from Echo are HERE! The 9' 6wt. 7wt and 8wt rods are truly some of the best "streamer specific" fly rods ever built.

Following a blueprint given to Echo by streamer innovator Kelly Galloup, they have developed the next generation of performance streamer rods.

These new rods are designed to hit a coffee cup at 50 feet with a fly bigger than the cup. Every inch of these rods has been reverse-engineered to quickly load and deliver a fly with a minimum number of false casts. With its fast tip and powerful bottom section, they are uniquely tapered to deliver heavy payloads.


With Kelly’s custom handle shape, powerful bottom section and fast loading top section, this rod is build top to bottom for big flies and accuracy.  If current conditions call for smaller flies, it will continue to surprise you with its versatility!


* Four piece travel design
* Action:  Fast
* Tube:  Fabric-covered rod case & sock
* Guides: Oversized stripping guides
* Grips:  Kelly Galloup custom grip
* Reel Seat:  Anodized aluminum
* Comes with rod sock and rod tube

Kelly Galloup/Echo Streamer X 

790   9'0"  7wt  4pc  4.3oz

690  9'0"  6wt  4pc 4.1oz

890   9'0"  8wt  4pc  4.5oz

Watch the video Here:

Check out the Echo Streamer X Fly Rods HERE!

And remember-

Make This an Outfit - Purchase a fly line and reel along with this rod. At checkout simply pair the two together and choose your backing color. We'll put the correct amount of backing on the reel and load it up properly for FREE.

Mad River Outfitters

833 Bethel Rd.

Columbus, Ohio 43214

614-451-0363

admin@madriveroutfitters.com

www.madriveroutfitters.com

The Latest from Hatch Outdoors!

Hatch Outdoors releases the new Iconic Reel.

Hatch reels have always had an identifiable and classic look. They have been sought out since the company began, but their reels were due for a style upgrade. Hatch kept the window pattern with 6 fins on this new Iconic reel, but made several new updates.

The Iconic Reel is available in 3wt, 4wt, 5wt, 7wt, 9wt and 11wt. 

The Iconic Reel features:

• A Machined Reel Seat: Hatch was the first and now one of the only reel manufacturers to make the reel body out of one piece. It is an expen­sive way to produce the reel but has the advantage of never having a reel seat loosen up due to galvanic corrosion. For the Iconic, they reshaped the reel seat for a more contemporary look.
• Improved Sealing: Through better design and concentricity, Hatch increased sealing by eliminating water entry points through subtracting superfluous components from past models.
• Improved Stability: The Iconic reel does not utilize a cassette to house the drag system like past models - in­stead, it is now built into the body. This decreased axial runout which creates a more stable and solid design.
• A New Drag Material: The new carbon-filled drag material dissipates heat faster and creates a smooth­er feel. This is their smoothest drag system to date.
• A New Spool Design: In many ways, the Iconic spool is similar to previ­ous models, but with a few key differences. Hatch ported the spool arbor which will allow lines to dry better on the reel after use.
• A New Spool Nut: Hatch implemented a one piece design in order to prevent pieces from coming apart, which is a huge improve­ment.
• A New Handle/Counterweight: The new handle design significantly reduces the risk of galvanic corrosion and has a softer look and feel.

Each reel comes with a neoprene reel pouch and Iconic Cap Wrench.

Click here to check out the new Hatch Iconic Reel!

 We're BACK!!!

Good news friends. As of Thursday, January 14th, all employees are out of quarantine and cleared for work! We are getting back after it and could not be more excited. Here are just a few notes about our return:

1. The online store did OPEN last night at 6:00 p.m. and we are processing and shipping orders as normal today.

2. The store was "Sani-Steamed" on Monday and is as clean as it's ever been!!!

3. All employees are healthy, safe and back to work!

4. The retail store will OPEN to the public on Saturday, January 16th from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.

5. We will resume normal business hours next week

We would all like to THANK YOU for the amazing outpouring of support during this challenging time. It was no small decision to shut the operation down but we feel we did the right thing for our staff and customers. We really appreciate your support and friendship.

As Brian says here: "Stay tuned....2021 is going to be a GREAT year!"

The Staff of Mad River Outfitters

Brian, Patrick, Andy, Linda, Justin, Ryan, Katie, Paul, Joe, Cristina, Roger, Judy, Josh, Bella and Rogue