Articles in the Category The Troutbitten Podcast

PODCAST: Why Do Some Rivers Hold Big Trout? — S13, Ep7

Why do some rivers hold big trout? This is a topic that has come up between all of us on long drives, around the tailgate, and on long walks along the riverbank. Why is it that some rivers just do not have any size to the fish, and then, maybe just the next valley over, not only is the average size larger, but the top tier fish is bigger too?

PODCAST: Why We Fish — S13, Ep6

Tonight we’re here to talk about why we fish. It’s a simple question. Why do we commit so much of our free time and efforts, our thoughts and our daydreams . . . to fishing?

It’s the same natural pursuit that brought us all down to the water from the beginning.

PODCAST: Barbed Hooks or Barbless? Does It Really Matter? — S13, Ep5

Should we always fish barbless? Maybe not. The answer isn’t that simple. So the Troutbitten guys are here for a conversation and a few thoughts about barbs on hooks.

Each one of us has fished for long enough that we’ve used both barbed and barbless flies. We’ve also used barbs on lures and bait hooks, because we all grew up fishing in different ways. Some anglers who jump right into the fly fishing game — especially for trout — are exposed to a another sentiment. So their reference points are different. And like anything else, what might seem almost outlandish to one person can seem like no big deal to another.

PODCAST: Finding Your Confidence Flies — S13, Ep4

Every angler needs a set of flies to call their own. Among the thousands of patterns, options and choices out there, eventually, we sort out a handful of confidence flies.

Our faith in these flies gives us conviction when choosing them and tying the knot. We’ll fish THIS fly in THIS water. That’s what will catch the next trout. And if it doesn’t, then we’ll change something — maybe the water type, maybe the presentation, maybe the rig. Or maybe we’ll reach for the next confidence fly.

PODCAST: Why Do We Catch Trout In Patches? — S13, Ep1

PODCAST: Why Do We Catch Trout In Patches? — S13, Ep1

Why do we catch trout in patches? Because when we get to the end of the day, we often look back to remember catching three trout in one spot, then nothing for a while. Maybe we missed two and landed five in another spot. We had three at the best undercut bank and another handful at the tailout . . . but in between, there were often long periods of inactivity. Why is that?

PODCAST: Dry Fly Skills Series #5 — All About the Flies — S12, Ep5

PODCAST: Dry Fly Skills Series #5 — All About the Flies — S12, Ep5

The flies matter. But more than anything, it’s about matching the moment, the water type, the lifecycle of the bug – and even the wind conditions. For us, those conditions — those situations — dictate our next fly choice.

We don’t guess on patterns. Instead, we think about things, develop a theory and test it with the next fly choice and (hopefully) a great presentation.

PODCAST: Dry Fly Skills Series #3 — Casting and Mending — S12, Ep4

PODCAST: Dry Fly Skills Series #3 — Casting and Mending — S12, Ep4

Ten and two. Acceleration and crisp stops between two points. Pause and allow turnover to happen. Feel the rod load and watch it all happen with the fly line in the air. Once you have that timing, your baseline is set, and you can take that same stroke to any rod angle, punching the fly around and laying things out just how you want them with a few adjustments.

Good mending is setup by good casting. Put the two together, and you can feed slack to a dry fly for perfect drag free drifts.

PODCAST: Dry Fly Skills Series #3 — Leader Design and Adjustment — S12, Ep3

PODCAST: Dry Fly Skills Series #3 — Leader Design and Adjustment — S12, Ep3

The leader should match the moment and match the angler. It should match the fly, the river and the wind conditions. Adjustments are necessary, and when they’re performed often enough they become intuitive.

An objective look at real goals for the dry fly, along with the true capabilities of the leader materials at hand, will lead anyone down the path toward a great leader formula for dry flies.

While many anglers might consider the leader as an afterthought, we believe the leader is the most consequential element in the system. The leader always matters, but it’s most important while trying to achieve dead drifts with a dry fly.

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PODCAST: Dry Fly Skills Series #2 — Drag Free Drifts and Animation — S12, Ep2

PODCAST: Dry Fly Skills Series #2 — Drag Free Drifts and Animation — S12, Ep2

The drag free drift — a high percentage of the time, that’s what catches trout on top. So aiming for perfection on a dead drift sets the baseline. And if you get those great drifts, but they won’t eat it, try some animation.

Everything works sometimes. So we’re ready to try anything. But we spend the most time with tactics that produce with the highest rate of return. That’s just common sense.

My friend, Matt Grobe, joins me for this second episode in our Dry Fly Skill Series, to walk through what a drag free drift really is, how critical perfect drifts really are, and when/how we animate the fly. a fly rod can do.

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PODCAST: Prospecting for Trout — S11, Ep10

PODCAST: Prospecting for Trout — S11, Ep10

Prospecting is a strategy for covering water. It’s about pace. The truth is, we’re searching for something on every cast, no matter what our approach is. But what we call prospecting is a bit different. It’s about canvassing an area, casting a wider net, searching for that next fish and then the next one. Then we take that data about where and how trout are feeding, and we use it to inform our next decision.

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PODCAST: The Airing of Grievances Three — S11, Ep9

PODCAST: The Airing of Grievances Three — S11, Ep9

Complaining is not a bad thing if it accomplishes something productive — or if it’s kinda fun. Or if it draws attention to some of the absurdities around you.

Some things need to change. Because there are plenty of influences and influencers leading us all down a road to nowhere, or really, to a place that loses the depth of this fishing experience — of what we love about the woods and the water in the first place.

Whatever you believe, take a stand for it. That’s what we try to do here with the Airing of Grievances.

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