Moving the fly with the rod tip and not just the line hand is a fundamental skill that opens up many presentations that bring trout to a streamer.

The jerk strip is critical for any serious streamer angler. It’s a must-have skill for animating the fly -- for selling the streamer to a fish. And it’s the baseline for what I think of as a jig strip, a twitch strip, a glide strip, a head flip and twitch, a lane change, and much more. At its core, the jerk strip is a hand off from left to right -- it’s about moving the fly with the rod tip and then recovering with the line hand. In this way, the jerk strip sets the table for everything else . . .

Continue reading The Jerk Strip – Streamer Presentations VIDEO at Troutbitten.

On Tuesday, February 27 at 8:00 p.m. EST. Troutbitten LIVE Podcasts begin on YouTube.

Join us live. Help us out, and be part of the conversation through the live chat box. Or just kick back and see where the discussion goes.

Continue reading The First Troutbitten LIVESTREAM Podcast On YouTube at Troutbitten.

Quite simply, the Super Pause is a lack of animation to the streamer for a long time. But that pause usually follows some kind of movement. Last fall, on our podcast about streamers, Bill surprised all of us by saying he often didn’t move the fly for five seconds. That seemed like a long time to all of us. I remember saying that I didn’t know if I had that much patience with a streamer. Dell did, and I didn’t. But I do now.

As Bill told me the other day, getting big hits and bigger fish at the end of the line can make you pretty patient.

Good point . . .

Continue reading Streamer Presentations — The Super Pause at Troutbitten.

The tracer streamer keeps the visuals in your streamer game and catches a few trout while doing so. But getting the most of a two-streamer system requires a little forethought . . .

Continue reading The Tracer Streamer Concept at Troutbitten.

“Let them eat it. Don’t take it away from them.” I’ve burned that simple message in my brain. For many years, I focused obsessively on the motion I would give to a streamer, I now focus equally on where and when I will pause it.

Attract them with motion. Then let them eat it. Streamer fishing for trout really is that simple. But the variations within the framework are where artistry arises . . .

Continue reading Streamer Presentations — Let Them Eat It at Troutbitten.

Streamer anglers will tell you that most of their hits happen within the first few seconds or strips. Trout see the fly enter, and their decision whether to attack, chase or ignore your fly is often determined by your first move after entry.

. . . Trout don’t miss much in their field of vision, and they surely notice anything the size of a streamer landing in their zone. Therefore, what that fly does next either entices, dissuades or spooks the fish . . .

Continue reading Streamer Presentations — Your First Move at Troutbitten.

The sinking line does a few presentations very well. And a tight line streamer rig can do many things well. While the sinking line approach gains me more distance and longer retrieves, the tight line system is great for a targeted approach, with more casting and shorter retrieves.

Tight line systems provide direct contact and direct control, where sinking line systems put a weighted fly line in between me and the streamer. Two different styles.

There are many things to consider, but start with this: What is the water type? And what are your goals?

Continue reading Q&A: Streamers — Sinking Line or Tight Line? at Troutbitten.

My favorite streamer presentation and my best trick for convincing trout to eat a streamer now has a companion video.

The head flip helps seal the deal on tough trout that won’t commit, and it’s a great look for almost any streamer — big, small, heavy or light. It’s a presentation that I use every day, because it works in so many situations.

Continue reading The Streamer Head Flip VIDEO at Troutbitten.

Keep moving. That’s the key to streamer fishing. And moving downstream with the currents makes it possible for hours at a time. Wade down and fish up . . .

Continue reading Streamer Anglers — Be Like the Drift Boat at Troutbitten.

Some flies do one thing really well. Other flies are your workhorse on the water, lending solutions to river problems by being adaptable. These are the flies we reach for over and over. These are the flies we tie first and keep well stocked. This is the Craft Fur . . .

Continue reading Troutbitten Fly Box — The Craft Fur Jig and The Craft Fur Streamer (with VIDEO) at Troutbitten.