You know the water level, clarity, the hatches, weather and more. That’s great. But local conditions are different from local knowledge. Here’s what I mean . . .
Search Month: January 2023
Mysteries, Mistakes and Misunderstandings | Drop Shot Nymphing on a Tight Line Rig — Pt.6
Too heavy, clumsy casting and tangles. None of this is true. Drop shot on a tight line is a finesse approach when set up right and fished well.
This article covers strike detection, feel, frequency of bottom contact, weight mistakes, lazy fishing, casting errors and more.
PODCAST: Winter Skills Series, #2: Your Hands — S6, Ep2
We need warm hands — working hands — to fish in the coldest weather we encounter and stay out there, catching fish and meeting the challenges that winter fishing can bring . . .
Tight Line and Euro Nymphing — The Lift and Lead
The Lift and Lead is a cornerstone concept for advanced tight line nymphing skills.
Most euro nymphing or tight line studies seem to ignore the lift, focusing only on the concept of leading the flies downstream. For certain, the lift and lead is an advanced tactic. But if you’re having success on a tight line for a few seasons now, you’re probably already incorporating some of this without knowing it. And by considering both elements, by being deliberate with each part of the lift and lead, control over the course of your flies increases. The path is more predictable. And more trout eat the fly . . .
When Gear Gets In the Way
No matter what we’re into, there’s a time when the learning of skills reaches a critical mass, when it’s time to do rather than read more about it and buy more gear.
. . .There’s a time for learning. There’s time for preparation. And then there’s time for doing — for putting all of it into practice, making the casts, covering water and catching fish . . .
Podcast: Winter Skills Series, #1: The System and the Plan — S6, Ep1
This episode is about our winter approach, with advice on time of day, fly strategy, covering water to suite the river and reading what the trout want for the moment . . .
Fifty Fly Fishing Tips: #26 — The Art of Hanging Out
Sure, looking around once in while and studying the river will improve your catch rate; you’ll build knowledge about a trout stream by just watching, there’s no doubt. But breathing deep and relaxing into the beauty of a trout stream (and they’re all beautiful) is good for the soul too.
Five Keys to Reading the Sighter (with VIDEO)
Control. Options. Precision. These are the most attractive aspects of fishing a tight line system, and the sighter is the key to it all.
A sighter is more than a strike indicator. It also shows depth, angle, speed and contact. It points to our flies and takes away the guesswork. For an angler who learns to read all of this on the sighter, that colored line above the water provides a most significant advantage to the underwater game . . .
Angler Types in Profile — The Fly Tying Artist
It’s easy to understand how tying flies makes you a better angler. And many fly fishermen take their passion for the river directly over to the vise. With that passion follows artistry. And for that kind of artist, what is wound around wire and bound to a hook comes with beauty . . . or there is no point.
One of the best tyers I’ve ever known would tie a dozen of the same fly and keep only two or three, stripping the rest with a razor blade to the bare hook. Why? He said he only fished the ones that had a soul . . .
Streamer Presentations — Why “Always Strip Set!” Makes No Sense
You don’t have to strip set your trout streamers all the time. In fact, using the rod to set the hook is a great way to do it. Just don’t trout set . . .
Getting Closer
When I start wondering why the fishing seems slow, I first check my distance. Have I started creeping the cast too far beyond that perfect baseline? If so, I reel in a couple turns. I wade closer, staying behind the trout and being cautious with my approach.