Continuing our series on the best fly rods, today we take a closer look at Orvis fly rods.

Orvis is obviously a household name to outdoorsmen across the country.

The oldest mail order company in the U.S., already known for its waders and outdoor apparel, has also made a name for itself in terms of world record breaking fly rods -- landing 23 world records in the 2009 International Game Fish Association's World Record Game Fishes book.

There's no doubt the future is now for Orvis and the ZG Zero Gravity Helios fly rod series, named "Best of the Best" by Field & Stream magazine the past two years ... Read more about Orvis fly rods.

GEAR REVIEW TIME: Calling all outdoors and fly fishing product manufacturers. We're currently planning our holiday gear guides and product review lists. Email me if you'd like your product tested and reviewed in time for the holidays.

Helio photo courtesy Orvis

The International Game Fish Association has granted 42 new world records this month, including nine in fly rod categories as noted in the latest edition of International Angler magazine:

• Peter Binaski caught a 2-pound, 12-ounce barracuda off Todos Santos Island, Ensenada, Mexico, on April 22 that is the new 6-pound tippet record.
• Bo Nelson also landed a record barracuda, a 5-pound, 6-ounce fish that's the new 8-pound tippet record. He caught the fish in Camalu, Baja California, Mexico on April 1. No joke!
• Larry Kurosaki landed a record largemouth bass, a 16-pound, 12-ounce fish on 8-pound tippet at Castaic Lagoon in Castaic, Calif., on Feb. 26.
• The new white bass record in the 6-pound class is a 3-pound, 1-ounce liner caught by Stephen Matt on April 20 in Table Rock Lake, Arkansas.
• Two bowfin records were set by Jim Spencer on the same day (May 2) at Okefenokee Swamp in Folkstom, Georgia. He caught an 8-pounder to set the 8-pound mark along with a 7-pound, 12-ouncer to set the 16 pound mark.
• The new dolphinfish record in the 4-pound class is a 32-pound, 7-ounce fish landed by Rick Gunion on Jan. 18 in Andros, Bahamas.
• The new black drum mark in the 8-pound class is a 59-pound, 8-ounce fish landed March 14 by Bud Rowland in South Bay, Port Isabel, Texas.
• Rounding out the world records announced in November was George Mann's 9-pound musky, caught on 6-pound test May 26 in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.

Continuing our series on the best fly rods, today we take a closer look at Sage Fly Rods.

With 75 world records, as listed in the 2007 International Game Fish Association's World Record Game Fishes book, Sage Fly Fishing has more than three times as many fly rod records as the next closest competitor.

And while many fly rod manufactures talk the talk when it comes to conservation, Sage walks the walk.

Sage is at the forefront of conservation, whether it's teaming up with RIO and Redington to fight the Pebble Mine in the Bristol Bay Region of Alaska, or downsizing its print catalog to focus its resources on its website -- where you can find a new rod along with helpful resources like a nifty cast analyzer ... Read more about Sage Fly Fishing.

GEAR REVIEW TIME: Calling all outdoors and fly fishing product manufacturers. We're currently planning our holiday gear guides and product review lists. Email me if you'd like your product tested and reviewed in time for the holidays.

A lot was made of The American Museum of Fly Fishing's invitation to former vice president Dick Cheney to speak at the Anglers All Presentation at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC, on Thursday, but I have yet to hear any reaction following the event.

If anyone attended the event or knows of any links to follow-ups, please email me or tweet @aboutflyfishing.

Other speakers included Alan Simpson, Tucker Carlson, and Senator Mike Enzi.

An auction was also held. Here was the schedule of the event, which caused an uproar across the fly fishing community earlier this year.