Most anglers are tempted by big water. We fall for the trap. The river dares us to fish the far side, and it tricks us away from the things we do well.

. . . These are easy mistakes to make on big water. But discipline solves the problems. Actively planning and following through is an elusive quest with a fishing rod in hand. Most of us want to be creative. We want to follow our whims. The shady side of that boulder sure looks good, right? So why not make a few casts? Then fifteen minutes later, you’ve wasted time, energy and confidence with bad drifts and poor judgment . . .

Continue reading Fishing Big Water – One Key Tip at Troutbitten.

Find feeding fish. Find the fishy water. These are the keys to putting trout in the net. But as the seasons change, so do the habits of trout. This film focuses on the shift between summer to fall.

Consistency on the water, day to day, requires an awareness of the shifts that take place, season to season.

Meeting trout in these times of transition takes some forethought and willingness to adapt . . .

Continue reading VIDEO: Fishy Water — Summer to Fall at Troutbitten.

The Lagging Curve is a beautiful way to provide slack to a dry fly, and it's my favorite way to get perfect dead drifts to a dry fly in rivers. I fish a lagging curve at just about any angle, using both a forehand and backhand cast, and it provides slack to a dry fly for days.

The lagging curve is really the opposite of what most people mean by a curve cast. This is an underpowered curve and not a power curve.

The leader design matters a lot, and so does the casting stroke. I cover it all in the video . . .

Continue reading VIDEO: The Lagging Curve Cast — Dead Drifts for Days (Fly Casting Skills) at Troutbitten.

My friends and I don't go fishing with our mind set on a certain tactic. We let the trout make those decisions, and we're ready for anything. The Troutbitten Standard Mono Rig is the perfect tool for such an approach.

. . . It's a versatile tool. It's a hybrid system. And to maximize those options, simple adjustments are necessary. This video shows those adjustments in detail . . .

Continue reading VIDEO: Mono Rig Mods — All the Adjustment for a Versatile, Hybrid System at Troutbitten.

Are trout opportunistic feeders? Sure, but it depends on the opportunity. We choose the fly and decide how to present it. We then pick what water will receive the cast. And to inform those decisions, it’s critical to understand what we’re asking the trout to do.

How big of an ask is it?

And how opportunistic do we expect the trout to be?

Here are a few examples . . .

Continue reading How Big of an Ask? at Troutbitten.

This video breaks down all of the important things about hook set direction, hook set distance and hook set timing.

Setting the hooks is the most exciting part of the day. For all the time we spend planning, prepping, wading, tying, casting and drifting, it's all in anticipation of that brief moment when a trout eats the fly. You fooled a trout. So, don't screw it up. That's why the hook set matters most. And planning for the hookset, thinking about how a trout might eat the fly and how we will respond, makes all the difference.

Continue reading VIDEO: HOW You Set the Hook Matters Most! — Hook Sets for Dry Flies, Nymphs, Streamers and Wets at Troutbitten.

There is no good argument for exclusively using split shot under an indicator. There’s also no good argument for exclusively using weighted flies on a tight line rig. I simply fish whatever weight suits the moment. Here's why . . .

Continue reading Q&A: How does weight choice change with tight line nymphing vs indicator? at Troutbitten.

The setup cast keeps you in control on the river. It allows for repositioning and redirecting the line, leader and fly to the next target. The setup cast gives you a chance to regroup and rethink, too. It keeps you in rhythm by keeping you out of trouble and lending new options to an active angler.

Continue reading The Setup Cast — Fly Fishing Strategies at Troutbitten.

For over a decade, my Troutbitten friends and I have fished a small yarn indicator that weighs nothing, is extremely sensitive, versatile, cheap, doesn't affect the cast, and flat out catches more trout than any other indicator we've ever used. What we call "the Dorsey" is a daily-use tool that is integral to our nymphing system. We mount it on a tight line rig or a traditional leader with fly line. It floats like crazy. It signals takes and information about the drift like no other indy we've ever used, and it's an unstoppable fish catcher.

Continue reading VIDEO: The Dorsey Yarn Indicator — Our Best and Most Versatile Indy Choice — Building It and Fishing It at Troutbitten.

I play the odds. I’ve seen what works best, so I repeat it the most. And I’d rather get two or three good casts against the next log for the next thirty seconds rather than just one cast to the log and twenty five seconds of stripping away from it. This is the mindset of having tight targets, of getting short and effective drifts . . .

Continue reading Q&A: Long Drifts or Short — What’s Better and Why? at Troutbitten.