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ALL ARTICLES
Asking the Best Questions to Catch More Trout
Fly selection is important, but it’s one of the last questions to ask. There’s no denying that catching a few trout helps lead us to the promise of catching a few more. One trout is an accident. It’s just as likely that you found a maverick as it is that a single fish can teach you the habits of the rest. Two fish is a coincidence, but three starts to show a trend. And at a half dozen fish, there’s enough data about who, what, where, when and why to build the pieces of a puzzle.
To the die-hard angler, adaptation and adjustment to what we discover is one of the great joys of fly fishing for trout . . .
Podcast: The Strike — Tight Line Skills Series, #8
The strike is the best part of fishing. It’s what we’re all out there waiting for, or rather, what we’re trying to make happen all day long. And the trout eats because we get so many things right. When the fish strikes, we strike back. Short, swift and effective, the hook finds flesh. Then we try to keep the trout buttoned up, and get it to the net . . .
When fishing for stockies, it may not pay to be ambitious
Brandon barely cut the engine before I jumped out of the truck and into my waders, I strung up lines and laces in no time.
“I’m gonna head upstream past the second flat, into that woodsy section away from the road. When I pick off a few fish up there, I might circle back around to the lower end,” I said to Brandon.
“K. Those are big plans.” he replied flatly.
Brandon spoke again, while staring at the water. “Dom, when fishing for stockies, sometimes it does not pay to be ambitious . . .”
STORIES
Gear – Kids In Waders
Took Aiden fishing today. No, it's really not too cold if you dress for it. For my youngest son, that means three pair of socks, three pants, two heavy shirts, winter coat, hat, and waterproof mittens. Sure, it takes about fifteen minutes to get dressed, but then I...
Night Shift – Christmas Lights
I decided to fish close to home and in a section that rolls through a small neighborhood. No, it's more like a series of cabins. It was an odd choice. A great choice during the day, but at night I always try to stay away from light sources because I've learned that...
Last Good Island
So it's been a Troutbitten theme lately to do the unusual instead of the doing the usual. Burke started it a few months ago with "Out of the Ordinary October," and I think most of us jumped on the wagon and haven't gotten off. It's a good wagon. If you are into...
TACTICS
When the First Cast Matters Most: Part One — Streamers
While fishing the long flies, accuracy is paramount. In a recent conversation with my friend, Bill Dell, he made an excellent point that changed the way I fished streamers again. Bill’s thoughts forced me to rethink the habits I’d fallen into. And that hammered me back into shape.
Bill told me he doesn’t make a cast until he’s in the ideal position, until he can deliver the streamer to that sunken log near the bank with exactly the angle he considers best. He refrains from any lead-up casts. Rather, Bill saves the initial cast for when he can deliver the knockout blow — no jabbing on the way in. Here’s why . . .
How to Easily Avoid the Mono Rig Coiling Problem
Monofilament fishing line tends to hold the curves of its home. Whatever spool it’s stored on, it peels off in roughly the same diameter as that housing. All monofilament has this tendency, but some brands hold their memory much more than others. This line memory — this line coiling — is a problem. But the fix is very simple . . .
Nymph Hook Inversion — And the Myth of the Jig Hook
Would you believe it if I told you that jig hooks don’t change the way a nymph rides in the water? You don’t need a jig hook to invert the nymph. In fact almost all nymphs invert, especially when weighted with a bead or lead. Furthermore, nymphs built on a jig hook probably aren’t inverting the way you imagine. And how you attach the knot is much more important than the hook itself . . .
NYMPHING
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STREAMERS
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ANGLER TYPES IN PROFILE
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BIG TROUT
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NIGHT FISHING
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