Smallmouth bass are an excellent species to pursue with a fly rod. In fact, smallmouth techniques have more in common with traditional trout fishing than with popular largemouth bass practices. While trout gear will get the job done in many situations, the angler who chooses to chase smallmouth with regularity will want some species-specific equipment. …
Fooling fish gets a lot of press. In the grand scheme of angling, it is definitely the most complex variable in the entire system. Still, once you manage to trick a fish and fight it in you better know how to seal the deal. While many situations and species don’t call for the use of …
If you can get your fly to a fish, you’re casting good enough. However, if you want to cast with a little more accuracy, distance, or reduce fatigue after a long day on the water you might want to think about how you can tweak your cast. In this episode I talk about three simple …
Getting a fish to bite is a lot harder than fighting it to your hand. Still, there are some things that should be thought about when you’re playing a fish. From the hook set to the release, there are a couple of bad maneuvers that anglers should avoid. Furthermore, there are some things that will …
A common solution for conservation-minded anglers that place stewardship above sport is to lay off the fly fishing for a month or two. But does that mean that fishing for trout is off limits in July and August? Are bass and carp the only fair game in the heat of summer? (As if these fish …
Which bank do you fish on? It isn’t a trick question or some sort of sneaky form of angling psychoanalysis. In my experience, asking this question reveals one of three common answers: I have to fish this bank, because the other side is inaccessible. I have to fish this bank, because all of the likely …
Just because you love fly fishing doesn’t mean it always comes easily. Various and sundry circumstances can lead the angler to a period where there is less productivity on the water. That is normal, primarily because the fish aren’t obligated to play along. Weather, seasonality, and the aforementioned finnicky fish will keep hands clean and …
Once, as a younger man, I got into an argument. This isn’t to say that I hadn’t quarreled prior to or since. That has happened plenty of times. This particular squabble has pertinence to our discussion today: fly fishing. An opinionated fellow was trying to say that there was one way to cast a fly. …
Not every angler has Seychelles-caliber water in their backyard. (Just like most trout anglers aren’t calling the Madison or the Yellowstone home.) But an overwhelming number of fly fishers live within a reasonable drive to the coast. Moreover, many people head somewhere beachy for business or pleasure throughout the course of the year. You are …
In this week’s episode, I answer questions about rods, reels, and leaders. But they’re some awfully specific questions. That being said, I’m confident that you – the fly fisher – will appreciate and benefit from the scenarios that elicited these questions. What pushes us to experiment and innovate is questions, problems, and curiosity. While I …
