I was there to target some of the deeper parts that offered trout adequate protection against predators, like . . . me.
The sickness kept my motions slow. My stubbornness kept the process methodical. Stay behind the fish. Target the A water. Keep moving, but do it slowly. And stay off the bottom . . .
Winter trout fishing in rivers has its ups and downs. As with any season, conditions and fish habits change quickly, and it’s our challenge to adapt to the circumstances. On one of the toughest days of this early winter, I brought out the cameras. As promised, with this Fish and Film series, I’m here to show the highs and lows, the struggles and the victories. With about six fish to the net in a few hours, this day was a good example of how difficult conditions can still be turned into a great opportunity.
I fished with streamers and nymphs in multiple different ways . . .
We’re talking about how to shorten your time at the tailgate or the trunk. Just get your waders on, your boots laced, and get to the river. It should be as simple as that, but it’s not uncommon for anglers to waste a half hour or more just getting ready to go fishing.
Most anglers hate this wasted time. In fact, all of this preparation just to go fishing puts a lot of anglers off in the first place. And the colder it is, or the longer you plan to be out there fishing, or the more tactics you plan to use the more all of this pre-trip prep is required.
We want a system for minimizing the time between cutting the car engine to walking away from the vehicle with our fly rod in hand.
Never forget what makes fly fishing unique. It’s our ability to place not only the fly on target but the leader and line at their own targets. All good anglers can hit the pie plate with an Adams, a Pheasant Tail or a Zoo Cougar. But have you thought about where the tippet and leader should land? That’s real accuracy.
We’re here to celebrate ten years of Troutbitten.
December 8th was the tenth anniversary of the first article ever published on Troutbitten. All those years ago, I never expected this Troutbitten business — this media company — to become what it is. Honestly, I had no intentions other than to write and publish stories about fishing, simply because I love the process of writing and I enjoyed fishing. I like being creative.
In this episode, we talk about history and upcoming plans. Where has Troutbitten been, and where are we going? We’ reflect on the past, take a look at where we are in the present and talk about some ideas and plans on the horizon . . .
Find feeding fish. Find the fishy water. These are the keys to putting trout in the net. But as the seasons change, so do the habits of trout. This film focuses on the shift between summer to fall.
Consistency on the water, day to day, requires an awareness of the shifts that take place, season to season.
Meeting trout in these times of transition takes some forethought and willingness to adapt . . .
Sunglasses aren’t just for the sun. The polarization in front of our eyes, along with the right tint in great lenses opens up the river in remarkable ways.
If you’ve fished for a few seasons, then you surely have a couple pairs of sunglasses laying around that you no longer use. Maybe the lenses are scratched, or maybe they were never the right tint in the first place.
Tajima offers a logical solution. Turn your extra sunglasses into your favorite sunglasses by replacing the lenses.
Choose your lens color, and see what you’ve been missing with Tajima lenses.
This discussion is about the differences between trout species. How are the habits of brown trout different than rainbow trout? Where do brook trout tend to hold and feed vs brown trout? What about cutthroat? Do they have different tendencies or habits than their counterparts?
Because the habits of these trout are different, our target water changes too, as do our fly patterns and our approach . . .
The Troutbitten Shop Winter Sale ’24 is here, with all leaders, hats, stickers and apparel back in stock.
For our Season 13 Intermission, my wife, Becky, joins me for a look at what’s going on in the Troutbitten world. We talk about the upcoming leader sale in the Troutbitten Shop (December 6th). We talk about upcoming podcast and video plans, books, fly rods and more.
Resources
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?