Rivers are an ever-changing, complex ecosystem of life, water and land. They are influenced by weather, surrounding community development and sometimes the anglers themselves. Nothing is static. Nothing is truly predictable. But there’s also no denying the habit of trout. And once you spend time wading with these fish, observing their habits and watching how the changes affect their behaviors, then time itself finally stacks in your favor. The observant angler becomes part of that ecosystem. And we begin to predict the paths of trout by instinct . . .

Continue reading Podcast: Learning a River and Discovering Its Secrets — S3-Ep10 at Troutbitten.

The rewards are in that work. The enjoyment is in the journey. But it’s also pretty sweet to be standing midstream among the best hatch of the season, with a precision casting stroke carrying the fly into the ring of every rise. Set the hook, and you know that you’ve earned it.

Prepare, practice and enjoy the payoff. . . .

Continue reading Podcast: A Fly Fishing Life, and Doing the Hard Things — S3-Ep9 at Troutbitten.

Just like the previous episode, this podcast deals with space on the river. But this time, it’s not about finding space as much as how we share it. Sometimes, we’re forced to share more than we’d like. Other times, there’s simply no question that another angler has broken the code. And how do we deal with that? This is our topic.

Continue reading Podcast: Rude on the River, Front Ended and the Golden Rule — S3-Ep8 at Troutbitten.

If you want space, if you want to find your own water, it’s there for you. Be an explorer. Fish offbeat times and offbeat locations. Fish bad weather and rough conditions. Find your water, and find space.

Continue reading Podcast: Find Your Water — Find Space — S3-Ep7 at Troutbitten.

For every big name piece of water that’s overcrowded, there are hundreds of miles of trout water that are rarely seen by any angler. If ten percent of the water sees ninety percent of the fishermen, then be that small percentage angler who finds wide open places in a high percentage of water.

Continue reading Why Everyone Fishes the Same Water — And What to Do About It at Troutbitten.

Today, I’m proud to announce the launch of Troutbitten videos, in collaboration with Wilds Media. The journey begins with a video adaptation of, "The River Doesn’t Owe You Anything." This story has been a Troutbitten favorite since it was published in the spring of 2019. . . . The river gives you what you need. The river gives you what you earn.

Continue reading VIDEO: The River Doesn’t Owe You Anything at Troutbitten.

Eventually, a river accepts new additions. within a few seasons, time and water make the changes to the riverbed. Nature finds its course, and trout respond.

Continue reading New Structure | Old Structure at Troutbitten.

All of our favorite rivers were high, but clearing. Joey is ten years old now, so he knows the drill. We fish, because trout like water. And it’s the water clarity that matters, not the flow so much. We find wadeable pieces of river in almost any conditions, as long as the river isn’t the thin, brown color of Yoo Hoo.

Last weekend, sandwiched between two big days of baseball games and long team practices, we short-planned some time on the water together.

It was a trip to remember . . .

Continue reading Fishing With Kids — It’s About the Adventure at Troutbitten.

We traded lengths of colored monofilament with the observational fascination and the collector’s bond of middle-school boys.

Continue reading Obsessions at Troutbitten.

I’d decided already. I only wanted to know what was possible. Tell me of the fish and no more. I earnestly wanted to track down the rest for myself — whatever the cost -- wherever the adventure . . .

Continue reading Save the Discovery at Troutbitten.