Streamer Presentations — The Touch and Go

Want to get deep? Want to be sure the fly is low enough? Try the Touch and Go.

Sometimes, I don’t drift or strip the streamer all the way through. Instead, I plot a course for the fly, looking through the water while reading the river’s structure. And I look for an appropriate landing zone for the Touch and Go . . .

A friend of mine once described a truly slidable, easily movable, dry dropper as the Holy Grail of fly fishing. I suppose it depends on where your goals and interests lie, but if you like fishing nymphs under a dry, then you’ve surely wished the dry fly was easily re-positioned without tying more knots. There is a way . . .

Turnover

In short, turnover gives us freedom to choose what happens with the line that’s tethered to the fly. How does the tippet and leader land? With contact or with slack? And where does it land? In the seam and partnered with the fly, or in an adjacent current? By having mastery of turnover, we dictate the positioning of not just the fly, but the leader itself. And nothing could be more important . . .

Fly Fishing in the Winter — Ice in the Guides?

Nothing about having a winter system or using a specific nymphing rig makes any difference if the guides of your rod are frozen. And every fly fisher who has stepped into a winter river with the air temps below, let’s say, twenty-five degrees has dealt with some kind of trouble. Every angler has his own advice about eliminating guide ice too. And here I guess it’s time to give you mine . . .

Regarding Classic Upstream Nymphing

Classic upstream nymphing feels a lot like fishing dry flies. The challenge of making precision casts is there; it can be employed at extra distance if necessary, and it’s most often performed with tight loops and light flies than don’t change the cast.

While pure tight line nymphing is performed with no line on the water, classic upstream nymphing does the opposite.

Then there’s the induced take and floating the sighter . . .

Smith and the Tree

Right on time, Smith’s signature worn-out ball cap crested the hill on the north side of the gravel pull off. When his full frame came into view, I motioned to the propane grill and smiled with a nod. It was preheated. Resting on a large chunk of limestone, I had the portable grill ready for meat. When Smith approached, I handed my friend a beer without a word. Glass chimed and we nodded again.

This is what I like about Smith: We planned for noon, and he’s so reliable that I knew it was worth lighting the propane at 11:50 . . .

Tees, Hoodies, Hats
Stickers
and Prints

TROUTBITTEN

FEAR NO SNAG

By Wilds Media
2019

FIND IT HERE

I sunk into the
backcountry
like a ghost
for days at
a time . . .

TROUTBITTEN

Tees, Hoodies, Hats and Stickers

TROUTBITTEN

SHOP

FEAR NO SNAG

By Wilds Media

FIND IT

I sunk into the backcountry, like a ghost for days at a time.

TROUTBITTEN

SHOP

THE TROUTBITTEN SHOP

Welcome, friends. This is the brand new shop side of Troutbitten.

This first generation of the Troutbitten Shop begins with logos and original designs featured on tees, hoodies, hats, stickers and canvas prints.

This is a good start, and it allows me to work out any kinks that may surface. New designs will roll out in the coming seasons. Future generations of the shop may include flies, leaders and who knows what else — everything the Troutbitten crew has asked me to make available for years. All things in due time.

Thanks for visiting, and thank you for your support over the years. Fish hard, friends.

— Domenick Swentosky