Podcast: Locating the Strike Zone — Tight Line Skills Series, #6

by | Feb 13, 2022 | 8 comments

Announcements | Tactics | The Troutbitten Podcast

 The Troutbitten Podcast, Season Two, is available everywhere you listen to your podcasts.

** Note **  The Podcast Player, along with links to your favorite players is below.

Part six of this Troutbitten Skills Series is about locating the strike zone. This zone of water — this cushion near the bottom of the river — is the default target and the baseline location for our flies.

Most of what happens in a river occurs in the strike zone. It’s where the trout spend most of their time. It’s where the bugs and baitfish live. Understanding everything about the strike zone allows us to know exactly how and where we want to present the nymph.

My friend, Austin Dando, joins me to help break down and understand this crucial concept.

Unlocking this knowledge — understanding the strike zone — then finding it and drifting your flies there, is perhaps the most pivotal moment in your nymphing skills progression. It changes everything.

We Cover the Following
  • What is the strike zone?
  • Why is the strike zone important?
  • Why gliding the strike zone outperforms touching the bottom
  • Touching bottom to find the strike zone
  • Watching the sighter speed to find  the strike zone
  • Gliding through the strike zone
  • Deviating our drifts in and out of the strike zone
  • The downshift
  • Depth and speed of the strike zone
  • More on reading the sighter

Remember, each of these podcasts is supported by a companion article of the same topic. And you can find the full overview of the Nine Essential Skills for Tight line and Euro Nymphing here:

READ: Troutbitten | The Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro Nymphing
READ: Troutbitten | #6 Locating the Strike Zone — Nine Essential Skill for Tight Line and Euro Nymphing

 

Listen with the player above, or . . .

Find the Troutbitten podcast on any of these services:

— Apple Podcasts
— Spotify
— Google Podcasts
— Amazon Music
. . . and everywhere else where you listen to podcasts.

Resources

READ: Troutbitten | The Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro Nymphing
READ: Troutbitten | Category | The Mono Rig
READ: Troutbitten | The Water Column — The All Important Strike Zone
READ: Troutbitten | Forget the Bottom — Glide Nymphs Through the Strike Zone
READ: Troutbitten | When Getting Low Isn’t Low Enough

You can find the dedicated Troutbitten Podcast page at . . .

podcast.troutbitten.com

Episode seven of season two is coming soon. Thanks again for your support, everyone.

Fish hard, friends.

 

** Donate ** If you enjoy this podcast, please consider a donation. Your support is what keeps this Troutbitten project funded. Scroll below to find the Donate Button. And thank you.

 

Enjoy the day.
Domenick Swentosky
T R O U T B I T T E N
domenick@troutbitten.com

 

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Domenick Swentosky

Central Pennsylvania

Hi. I’m a father of two young boys, a husband, author, fly fishing guide and a musician. I fish for wild brown trout in the cool limestone waters of Central Pennsylvania year round. This is my home, and I love it. Friends. Family. And the river.

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8 Comments

  1. Al Moschetti on February 14, 2022 at 8:43 pm

    Great podcast and enjoyed it very much. Great explanation of the strike zone and excited to test it out, and for the next podcast. Thank you Dom and Austin.

    Reply
  2. John tataliba on February 16, 2022 at 7:30 pm

    Best skill pod so far. I’ve been tightlining for about 3years with inconsistent success.I listened to your pod and decided to fish today my intention was just to practice finding the strike zone. When I was a young man I was a pretty good baseball pitcher I knew that strike zone very well.But this strike zone has eluded me until today, not caring about catching fish I began and started to see the change to my sighter as it slowed,WOW your weren’t kidding it does slow down.As in baseball 1game doesn’t make you a pro just like one day of fishing doesn’t make one an expert ,but 22 fish in 5and a half hours isn’t bad.Like I said great pod.Thanks Pete

    Reply
  3. Ira Giese on February 19, 2022 at 10:53 am

    Domenick, This podcast series has been excellent. The one about finding the strike zone has been one of the most valuable so far. Indications of how to find the strike zone were some things I had not realized before. Keep up the great work. Wish I was closer so I could come to Pennsylvania and hire you for a guide for a day or two. I know that would elevate my nymph game tremendously.

    Reply
  4. Pete on February 19, 2022 at 7:05 pm

    Hmm

    Reply

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Domenick Swentosky

Central Pennsylvania

Hi. I’m a father of two young boys, a husband, author, fly fishing guide and a musician. I fish for wild brown trout in the cool limestone waters of Central Pennsylvania year round. This is my home, and I love it. Friends. Family. And the river.

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