Search Month: October 2026

When a nymph disappears under the surface, it’s easy to settle for a drift that’s merely good enough . . . but we shouldn’t. Underwater currents are complex, and a convincing nymph drift depends on three things: lane, depth and speed. No matter the rig — tight line or indicator, Mono Rig or fly line — we must understand what the nymph is doing and make deliberate choices about its path. And while all three elements matter, trout are more particular about some drift qualities than others. In this video, I break down each element and rank them by importance, with one goal in mind: better dead drifts and more consistent fishing.

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.”

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 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.