Many (? most) fly fishers obsess over their fly selection. They carry more than a few boxes of flies at all times, and spend a
The salmon fly hatch is surely one of the West’s most famous and sought after hatches. Anglers from around the globe flock to the few
While “to tightline or suspension nymph” may at first appear to be a binary question, it is not intended to be so. Each of these
We’ve done our research, come to the stream, looked about, maybe looked at some streambed stones, tied on our fly(s), and waded in. But after
Within the sport of fly fishing, one may pursue a number of avenues beyond the fishing itself. One may choose to build rods, explore the
Perhaps best known for his later work, “Nymphs and the Trout” (1958), I recently found Sawyer’s first book, “Keeper of the Stream” (1952). He grew
This summer, fishing buddy Reid and I decided to explore the waters of western Wyoming. We couldn’t go until late-September, and therefore knew that the
I have just published the 2nd edition of my book, “The Ramblings of an Aging Angler, Lessons Learned While Fly Fishing for Trout”. It
The West is in the midst of an unprecedented heatwave, with daily ambient temperatures running 10-15 degrees above normal. In addition, the winter snowpack was
We’ve reached the stream, and to our disappointment, there are no bugs in the air. Except for spring and early summer, when healthy trout streams
After a bit of a hike, we reach our stream. As rods are being assembled, the first question is usually “What fly are you going
It’s fall in Montana, and the flyshop ceilings are echoing the cries of “It’s streamer time, it’s streamer time!” But I beg to differ. It’s
The SB Beadhead Nymph, short for Simpson-Billmyer, is the best generic nymph pattern that I have yet fished. I have developed it over several years
Winter is nearing its end here in Montana, although begrudgingly. One day it’s sunny and nearly 70 degrees, and the next it’s 30 degrees with
The weather in Virginia had been horrible. Snow, snow, snow, and cold, cold, cold! Then came the sudden change of warm weather, with snow melt,
For many first-time anglers, the journey begins in a drift boat, on a big western stream. Captivated by their experience, I’m often asked what one
Several years ago, I bought my first ten foot rod. I soon discovered that there are many virtues of a ten foot fly rod. In
I just returned from a trip, fly fishing for brown trout in Nelson NZ. Roughly twelve years ago, I visited the Taupo Region of the
I think that Leonard Wright Jr. is one of the twentieth century’s most overlooked fly fishing authors. Well known to his contemporaries, his works have
Most discussions of how to increase your catch-rate of trout dwell on time-of-day, water temperatures, fishing techniques, or flies. Each of these is important, but
This August, fishing-buddy Reid and I chose to go fly fishing in Central Idaho. From our Montana base in Ennis, we drove west, through the
Since the advent of fly fishing, fly fishers have had their demons. The summer trico hatch is mine. Through the ages it has frustrated fly
It has been said by many, that effective subsurface fly patterns have two necessary attributes. They must look a little like many bugs, and they
Last month, in “Fly Fishing the Subsurface, Suspension Nymphing“, I began a series of blogs reviewing techniques used to fly fish the subsurface for trout.
Virtually every fly fisher loves to fish a hatch. It’s hard to beat the pleasure of targeting a rising trout, selecting the right fly, presenting
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