TROUTBITTEN
Fishing Wild Rivers
For Wild Trout
Refining Techniques That Build Experiences
This Is Troutbitten
THE LATEST
Fish and Film Videos
The Fish & Film series is coming to Troutbitten in August. This video series is the fruition of a project we’ve been working toward for two years.
From POV shots to tactics talk, from dry flies and small streams to big streamers and heavy current, we want to show what it’s like on the river, day after day. The flies, the weather, the dog, the travel, the moods — every video in this series is here to tell the story of a life on the water.
Recommended Gear Updates
The popular Troutbitten Recommended section is larger than ever and separted into multiple pages. This collection now includes selections from the Troutbitten crew, Austin, Bill, Matt, Trevor and Josh, so there’s more of our favorite stuff than ever.
You can access all of these pages through the top menu under “Best Gear” or click HERE.
One-On-One Sessions
Virtual, private Troutbitten classes are here. These one-on-one skills sessions are held in our Troutbitten virtual studio, where we record the Troutbitten podcast. Skills sessions are tailored to fit, for whatever you want to learn. These one or two hour sessions are recorded, and you’ll have a video of our meeting in return.
Find the One-On-One Sessions page in the top menu under “More,” or click HERE.
TROUTBITTEN ARTICLES
Welcome to Troutbitten.
Since 2014, I’ve published over 1000 stories, commentaries, tips, tactics and reviews.
As the Troutbitten Project has grown branches, these articles continue to be the heart and soul of my work. Some of these writings are organized in series form, where a group of articles reads like chapters in a book.
Adding to this collection of articles and sorting them, so you can find what interests you most, is an ongoing work. Please visit the Troutbitten Articles Page to begin.
Thanks for being here, and thank you for your support. Fish hard, friends.
— Domenick Swentosky
TROUTBITTEN ARTICLES
Welcome to Troutbitten.
Since 2014, I’ve published over 900 stories, commentaries, tips, tactics and reviews.
As the Troutbitten Project has grown branches, these articles continue to be the heart and soul of my work. Some of these writings are organized in series form, where a group of articles reads like chapters in a book.
Adding to this collection of articles and sorting them, so you can find what interests you most, is an ongoing work. Please visit the Troutbitten Articles Page to begin.
Thanks for being here, and thank you for your support. Fish hard, friends.
— Domenick Swentosky
PODCAST: Doing the Opposite – S21, Ep1 (VIDEO and AUDIO)
My friends are here with me to begin season twenty-one with a conversation about doing the opposite. Because if you’re struggling out there on the water, if the net hasn’t been wet in a while and the trout seem to disagree with everything you suggest, then maybe you should do the opposite.
To quote Jerry Seinfeld’s advice to George . . . “If every instinct you have is wrong, the opposite would have to be right.”
Whiskey One
Aiden caught his first Whiskey the other day. Watching my sons enjoy what I love so much is perhaps the most rewarding thing I’ve experienced as a Dad. Early on, my goal was to give them enough time by the rivers that they were comfortable. I imagined that the sounds and the scents of moving trout water might imprint on their souls enough that they’d be called back through every stage of life to the river, as a refuge and a place for wonder.
The plan seems to have worked . . .
Fly Fishing Elitists – Enough Already (VIDEO)
Fly fishing has suffered from its own elitism for too long. The I’m better than you because I have a fly rod in my hand . . . attitude . . . has sadly carried over and infested every part of the sport (at times).
But all of this is changing swiftly. And we can be part of moving away from the elitism and instead passing along the good things about what makes all of us anglers.
PODCASTS
The Troutbitten Podcast launched in the fall of 2021, and it quickly became the most popular independent fishing podcast on the charts.
While in season, the podcast publishes once a week, and there are four seasons each year.
Troutbitten Podcasts seasons follow two formats.
In the first format, a full panel of my best fishing friends covers a topic in the wide world of fly fishing for trout. These free-form episodes with the Troutbitten crew are uniquely entertaining and deeply informative.
In the second format, my friend, Austin Dando, joins me to break down one specific topic in a multi-episode exploration of advanced tactics. These seasons are part of the Troutbitten Skills Series.
Visit the Troutbitten Podcast Page to find them all . . .
PODCAST: Doing the Opposite – S21, Ep1 (VIDEO and AUDIO)
The Troutbitten Podcast is now available on YouTube as a video podcast, along with the audio podcast platforms. ** Note ** The YouTube video is embedded below, followed by the the podcast player and links to your favorite podcast platforms. My friends are here with...
PODCAST: Fighting Big Fish #7 – Everything All At Once – S20, Ep7 (VIDEO and AUDIO)
The Troutbitten Podcast is now available on YouTube as a video podcast, along with the audio podcast platforms. ** Note ** The YouTube video is embedded below, followed by the the podcast player and links to your favorite podcast platforms. For this season finale of...
PODCAST: Fighting Big Fish #6 – The Last Ten Feet, and In the Net – S20, Ep6 (VIDEO and AUDIO)
The Troutbitten Podcast is now available on YouTube as a video podcast, along with the audio podcast platforms. ** Note ** The YouTube video is embedded below, followed by the the podcast player and links to your favorite podcast platforms. This podcast is all about...
TROUTBITTEN VIDEOS
The Troutbitten YouTube Channel began in 2017. But I took it to the next level in 2020, by partnering with my friend, Josh Darling of Wilds Media, to film a video that is still one of my favorites — The River Doesn’t Owe You Anything.
In 2022, Josh and I committed to publishing every other week, and I’m excited to bring his artistic and deeply professional video production to some of the ideas and stories that I’ve wanted to share for years.
Troutbitten videos currently feature the Tips Series, Fly Fishing the Mono Rig Series, and Gear Reviews. Who knows what’s coming next . . .
Visit the Troutbitten Videos Page to watch them all . . .
Fly Fishing Elitists – Enough Already (VIDEO)
Fly fishing has suffered from its own elitism for too long. The I’m better than you because I have a fly rod in my hand . . . attitude . . . has sadly carried over and infested every part of the sport (at times).
But all of this is changing swiftly. And we can be part of moving away from the elitism and instead passing along the good things about what makes all of us anglers.
Nine Myths About Fly Choice (VIDEO)
Most anglers put a lot of focus on fly choice. And that makes sense, because we have to tie something to the end of the line, and we have to feed something to the trout. The fly is the quickest thing to change, and it’s the easiest thing to blame. Consequently, a lot of myths have grown around fly choice. Here are nine of those myths.
Building the Troutbitten Mono Rig – Reels, Lines, Materials, Connections and Knots (VIDEO)
For over a decade, I’ve written and talked about fishing a Mono Rig for all underwater presentations — nymphs with and without an indicator, with and without split shot, dry dropper, streamers of all shapes and sizes and even pure dry flies.
I’ve detailed the formulas for my favorite leaders in many places, but I’ve never put everything together from the ground up. This video answers the most frequent questions about reels, fly lines, leader connections, materials and knots. No matter what tight line leader you choose to build, the principles shown here apply.
Leaders, stickers, hats, shirts canvases and more.
The Troutbitten Shop features logo-branded apparel and hand-tied leaders in all our favorite formulas.
GUIDED TRIPS
Guided fly fishing trips on central Pennsylvania’s best waters.
With an emphasis on education, Troutbitten trips are tailored toward your goals, your skill level and your interests. It’s your adventure.
These limestone spring-fed rivers are full of of wild brown trout that teach the right things.
No setups. Just wild trout in wild places.
Visit the Troutbitten Trips page for more.
SUPPORT
Troutbitten is an independent resource for all anglers. To help support this project, please consider the following.
— Make purchases through ads, through affiliate links. and on the Recommended Gear page
— Visit the Troutbitten Shop
— Donate directly to the Troutbitten Project