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What Trout Eat
This brown trout fell to a size 12 Parachute Adams during a spring mayfly hatch on the Neversink River. Use smaller (#18-22) versions to imitate midge adults. Photo: Geoff Mueller Trout eat a host of...
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Seasons of the Sunfish
I’d like you to consider three questions: What is the first fish most of us catch on a fly? What is the most widely distributed and plentiful fish to catch on a fly? What fish is the most fun to catch...
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SURFACE SMALLMOUTH
I was fortunate to discover fly fishing over 60 years ago and of all the techniques I’ve used and fish I’ve tackled, the two I enjoy the most are surface fishing and stream smallmouth bass. When I...
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STREAMER SMALLMOUTH
DAVE WHITLOCK PHOTO Those of us who have experienced the excitement of hooking wild, stream smallmouth on a fly can’t help but fantasize about catching trophy-sized smallmouth. And although a big...
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SMALLMOUTH BASS FLY FISHING
One of my great fly-fishing pleasures is bugging for smallmouth along the shores of a beautiful lake. I don’t have to travel far because they inhabit a wide range of ponds, lakes, and reservoirs...
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Fly Fishing Setup
A loop-to-loop connection should be seated like a reef or square knot (top) to provide maximum strength and a streamlined, compact shape. An improperly seated loop-to-loop connection (bottom) may...
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How To Fly Cast
Lefty Kreh demonstrates his casting technique. Photo Lefty Kreh Every fly fisher would like to cast better and more efficiently. Why is it, then, that many fly fishers can’t cast well and don’t...
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Fly Fishing For Trout
How to catch trout on nymphs, streamers, and drys In a small stream, an upstream presentation is the most logical. On bigger rivers, there are more options. Geoff Mueller Photo Now that you...
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Fly Fishing For Bass
Foam sliders and gurglers are easier to tie than traditional deer-hair poppers, and they make surface disturbances like wounded baitfish. When the water is cold, and the bass are not taking surface...
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The Fly Cast
The results of good casting are clear. You’ll have less frustration on the water, and spend more time effectively presenting your flies. Photo: Simon Gawesworth [Simon Gawesworth is one of the world’s...
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Tackle Tips For Kids
Photos: Tom Rosenbauer Passionate fly fishers dream of having their kids turn into their best fishing buddies. It often doesn’t happen at all, and when it does, the expectation seldom fulfills the...
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11 Best Ways To Tie Flies Faster
As a longtime commercial fly tier, I’m used to people marveling about how fast I can tie. Truth is, short of an emergency deadline, or a late night followed by an early morning trip, I prefer to tie...
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Fly Casting: Overcoming the Tailing Loop
The dreaded tailing loop is a common casting fault that visits all fly casting anglers one time or another—often when they attempt long casts. A common fault while going for extra distance is using the...
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Fly Fishing Retrieves: Pitching & Twitching
Photo: Ryan Ragain The first test many fly fishers experience in their streamside education is gently casting a mayfly dun imitation to sipping trout, and delicately mending line to achieve a drag-free...
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Finding Fish: Reading the Water
This classic nymphing spot has two prominent features—a depth change from shallow to deep, and a seam where the current changes velocity. Trout use these changes in the bottom terrain and current...
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Goddard’s 20 Fly Tying Tips
Photo of and by: D. L. Goddard Manual dexterity, fly-tying techniques, and skill come from observation and lots of practice. Good fly design comes from imagination and knowledge about the insects or...
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Saltwater Casting: Sharpen The Sword
Photography: Louis Cahill We have all heard the old saying “Practice Makes Perfect.” But repetition doesn’t make this old adage true. Let’s face it. Saltwater fly fishing is tough. Wind, weather, and...
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