Don’t be a hero. The fish aren’t going to be impressed that you waded into the surf with a 6-weight. No trout is going to eat your articulated streamer with more ferocity because you chucked it using a 3-weight. Plus any fish you’ll be catching with either of these approaches is going to put up …
Cast at a 45-degree angle upstream. Mend. Allow the fly to drift without dragging. Repeat. Honestly, that sounds like an ideal situation. The stereotypical dry fly presentation is fun. However, there are plenty of times when the fish or the setting are anything but stereotypical. So… what now? In this episode I share three dry …
You’re not going to catch a fish here. I said it out loud. There were dozens of people on the beach behind me, but the sound of the waves on the rocks drowned out my voice. You’ve only got a little time to fish, so why aren’t you going where you know there’s fish? Again, …
1. Fly fishing for panfish is fun. 2. Fly fishing for panfish is a great way to prepare for fly fishing for trout. These statements are both true, and they are not mutually exclusive. You can fish for bluegill simply for the joy that accompanies fishing for bluegill. And there’s no question about it: it’s …
You can’t catch fish unless your fly is in the water. Guides have told me this, and I have used this simple phrase plenty of times myself. And it is true. But why do we, as fly fishers, keep our flies in the boat or in our hands? What gives us pause? Is it always …
Just over three years ago I visited a stream that I had fantasized about for decades. Decades. It isn’t on the other side of the world. It isn’t even across the country. In fact, I’ve crossed over it hundreds of times. The access just so happens to be a bit on the restrictive side. As …
I check the ladder up to the tree house every spring. After a cold New England winter, no one gets to head up into the fort until I test every step. This year, with all the craziness, I neglected to do so. Until I inadvertently did so. Honestly, I am thankful. One, it is only …
When was the last time you learned something from watching a fly fishing film? I’m not talking about what you gleaned from sweeping shots of dramatic scenery or triumphant hugs after trophy catches. I mean tips n’ tricks: do this to catch that. Fly fishing films are often entertaining, notoriously artsy, but lacking in their …
Five years ago I switched reels on a 6-weight rod. The large arbor reel that had been paired with the rod was it’s mate for going on 15 years. I acquired a new reel, and made the decision to use it primarily on that same 6-weight. The rod felt very different, and in a good …
Big flies catch some of the big fish, some of the time. But small flies catch most of the fish, most of the time. And you can’t get much smaller than midges. In this episode I give a brief primer on one specific facet of midge fishing: using dry flies sized 20 and smaller. Getting …
