I’m not an expert fly tyer. …so why listen to 20 minutes of what I have to say on the subject? While I’m not an expert, I am proficient enough to tie what I need. But I’ve taken the circuitous route to get to this point. I’ve started and stopped. I’ve used the wrong materials …
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 …
More often than not, the trout sipping midges in the winter are not going to take you into your backing. But these fish offer a great change of pace from normal cold weather techniques. Instead of bouncing nymphs along the bottoms of the deepest holes in the river and methodically targeting every hole in the …
That tiny, compartmentalized plastic cup. You probably had one in your tackle box when you were a kid. You need to have one in your fly fishing vest today. Because if you’re not using weight, you’re not fly fishing right. But split shot is just the tip of the weight-option iceberg. Weighted flies, poly leaders, …
Everyone has a fly fishing off-season. For many, it is the winter. Others double down during the coldest months. Their work or family schedule might make fishing prohibitive in the spring or fall. An off-season might not be ideal on the surface, but between important obligations and an opportunity to step back it is probably …
Christmas is not my favorite holiday. It’s like the best part of all the other fun holidays, but with a whole lot of other stuff crammed into it. It’s busy. It’s expensive. It’s almost always cold. Consequently, I’ve been known to be a little Grinchy in the Yuletide lead-up. But then Christmas Eve hits. All …
Cold cut through every exposed inch of skin like a knife. Wool and fleece and neoprene worked in unison but were unable to achieve success. Numbed fingers struggled with the most basic knots; hope was used as much as monofilament. The stream was the only moving thing in the stark winter landscape. Patches of snow …
Every fall I sit down and take a look at my calendar for the next few months. The holidays feel like such a sprint. Afterwards? The winter actually fills up pretty fast. That is why I always make sure that outdoor expos, fly tying nights, and other events get penciled in ASAP. Running from January …
Winter provides fly fishers with plenty of opportunities. For some, it is one more season to chase anything that swims. For others, it is a brief and anxious respite. Regardless of your intensity, winter is a great time to take stock of your gear and get it all ready to roll for the coming spring. …
There are two unavoidable truths that solidify fly fishing as a 12 season activity: Fish eat all year long. You don’t have the patience to sit the winter out. Let’s be honest, though. It doesn’t make sense. It is cold. The fish are lethargic. There’s no hatches… or sunlight. But what else are you going …
