One of the most fascinating aspects of fly fishing is just how many ways there are to catch a trout. And day to day, it’s amazing that so many of those tactics and flies can work.

Travel to the river with your friend who is a dedicated hatch-matcher, and from the passenger seat he’ll start pointing out the clouds of Sulphur mayfly spinners hovering at the treetops as you descend through the canyon. He’s definitely starting at the tailout above the second island, he says. And he’ll be using what he calls his Trusty Rusty — a poly-winged spinner pattern that he’s chattered on about for years.

As you glance in the rearview mirror at your other partner, riding the middle seat in back, he rolls his eyes and provides the flip side . . .

“Right now, the hatch and the spinner fall are bumping into each other,” he argues. “It’s prime time, so there’s no doubt that a Comparadun is my first choice. That’ll cover every surface-look that I’ll need tonight.”

Surprisingly, the conversation ends without argument. And just to let it lie, you don’t speak aloud what you’re thinking — that if there’s so much bug activity above the water, the best trout are probably feasting on nymphs below. So you already know what piece of river you’ll end up in.

Everything has a flip side. Because in fly fishing, good anglers can make it work. Swagger and confidence catch trout. Tenacity with enough grit can make almost anything work. And what it really comes down to most often is this . . .

What do you believe in? What can you fish hard enough and long enough to effectively convince a sluggish trout that it’s hungry? That’s the fisherman’s confidence. And it beats out the hatch chart, the guide’s advice and last week’s river stories every time.

READ: Troutbitten | You Don’t Have to Match the Hatch

Rosenbauer said it on his podcast the other day. When a listener pointed out that none of the real nymphs down there have a shiny metal bead on their head, Tom responded with the flip side — that none of them have any pheasant tail on their body either.

The last time I had a beer with Bill, we got involved in some river philosophy about streamer fishing and pattern selection. My argument was that during the winter, I might present smaller streamers slower, so I’m not asking the trout to move too much — I offer the easy meal. But Bill countered with the flip side — show them a bigger pattern, he said, fast enough to motivate them out of their doldrums and into action.

Which theory is right?

Well . . . who can fish it harder?

Photo by Bill Dell

I witnessed a captivating conversation between Smith and a guy we’ll call Shawn. The two argued up and down about the best leader and weight setup for a windy day. They were at opposite ends of the idea. And Shawn challenged Smith to a competition on the next windy day. Each would fish his favorite rig, and let’s see who catches more trout.

Quick of wit, and never one to be duped into fishing becoming competitive, Smith countered that the better plan was to fish together and exchange rods and rigs for the afternoon, therefore learning the benefits of each other’s style. Nice flip — and one that might very well lead in the right direction.

My buddy, Mike, told me that you can’t beat wading pants. Why bother with waders at all, he insisted? “Well,” I said, “you can roll the waders down pretty easily when it gets warm but still have the advantage of deep wading when you need it. What am I missing?”

On another occasion, Sam insists that the extra-flexy rod tip on his specialized fly rod protected the delicate tippet below.

“Why not use a thicker tippet, get better turnover and choose a stiffer rod that allows for more energy in the cast, I ask?

“Because the thicker tippet sinks slower, and then I’d have to use bigger, heavier flies,” Sam replied.

The double flip. Well played.

I nodded and turned away to wander off downstream toward the riffles, drifting out of range, yet still close enough to sneak in one last reply . . .

“Or you could just use a little split shot, Sam . . . ”

Couldn’t resist. Flip, flip, flip . . .

Who knows what Sam said behind me. But I heard his voice and the confidence that came with it. And I knew he’d make it work, just the same as I would.

Knowing the details of where you land and understanding why you make your choices is more important than what side of the flip you’re on.

Fish hard, friends.

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