We’re in between podcast season, and it’s time for an update about what’s going on with Troutbitten. My wife, Becky, joins me to talk about the past, the present and the near future.
What’s going on with . . . The Troutbitten Shop, Guiding, the YouTube channel and the Troutbitten Podcast?
The truth is, there is little to fear in the woods or the water at night. Do you want to know what’s out here in the dark after midnight? Nothing. Seriously, it’s startling how much nothing is going on. Maybe that’s what part of our instinctual fear of the dark is — fear of nothing existing in those smaller known spaces and trying not to be too claustrophobic about it . . .
A dead drift is the most common goal for a nymph, but there are three distinct ways to achieve it: bottom bouncing, strike zone rides and tracking the flies.
Each of these tactics simulates something that a trout sees every day. And each can fairly be described as a dead drift. But often, just one of these presentations is the most agreeable approach to the trout. All of them can look like a natural dead drift . . .
Some anglers seem resigned to the notion that more flies, split shot or drop shot inevitably bring more tangles. But multiple nymphs on one rig won’t tangle if the cast is right and the rigging is solid.
The Perfect Parachute Ant is so effective and so versatile for me, that it’s the only terrestrial I carry in my box, most days . . .
I finally have an honest understanding about what draws me into night fishing. Yes, it’s the fear. And of the serious night anglers I’ve known, it’s the same for all of us. Fear is the crackling spark plug . . .
A good fight starts with a solid hookset. We want it fast, sharp and — here’s the key — downstream, as much as possible . . .
Trout eat the fly or they don’t. Remember, it’s tough to convince a trout that has already said no. Don’t force it. Just fish it.
Just as the Cicada settled again, with its deer hair wing coming to rest and its rubber legs still quivering, the pool boss came to finish what he started. His big head engulfed the fly, and my patience finally released into a sharp hookset on 3X. The stout hook buried itself against the weight of a big trout . . .
The Fish With Friends series continues with Josh and Trevor on a night fishing trip, a few big wild trout and the Bad Mother Night Fly recipe . . .
Our friends are at the heart of it all. And this episode features the deepest friend to Troutbitten. Because Sloop tied it all together from the beginning . . .