In this fourth episode of the Blue Liner's Bible, we talk about nymphing on small waters. We discuss when and where we might turn to nymphs, and then we break down the adaptations for different styles. We cover dry dropper, mostly as a nymphing tactic. Then we discuss indicator nymphing and tight line nymphing with a Mono Rig. My friend, Austin Dando, joins me for an important look at the variety of nymphing tactics we use on small waters. Resources READ: Troutbitten | Favorite Small Stream L...

We’re here to break down small stream dry fly fishing. We’re tackling dry flies first in this series, because fishing dries on small water puts you in a great position, with the necessary skills, to fish the other disciplines of nymphs, streamers and wets. In this episode, my friend, Austin Dando, and I walk through the gear, the approach, the casting, some philosophies and strategies for fishing dry flies on small streams. This topic is at the heart of the Blue Liner's Bible. It's a great co...

We're back with Season 16, with episode two of the Blue Liner’s Bible. This one is all about finding the right water. We mean this in two different ways. First, you need to find a small stream that has public access (or you have private permission). But the stream also needs cold water and a good population of trout (hopefully they’re wild trout). That’s the first thing — find a good stream to fish. And honestly, that may not be as easy as it sounds. If you do start to explore new territory a...

With cold flows and eager trout, mountain water and small stream fishing can provide the perfect setup, the perfect escape, if you’re willing to put in the effort. There are some truly wonderful things about small stream fishing, and learning to work these waters teaches us everything we need to know about fishing any trout water. But the challenges can turn many people off as well. Small stream fishing can be tough. In truth, you cannot fish the same way as you fish an average river. You ca...

Welcome to the fourth annual Airing of Grievances on the Troutbitten Podcast. Buckle up. Because it’s time to clear the air about a few things, to complain about some other things and get all the frustrations out in the open. We look forward to this episode every year, because honestly, it’s a lot of fun. I know that listeners anticipate this one as well, and just like last year, we have a bunch of guest grievances to add to the mix. We’re here to complain. Why? Because acknowledging the ab...

We talk a lot about our frame of reference in fly fishing. Wherever you get into the game, a lot of your baseline is set by whatever is popular or widely accepted at that moment in time. My friend, Matt Mickey, recently argued that Gen X anglers are uniquely positioned, that this generation has experienced development and had a wide variety of influences that will never be duplicated. We’ve learned through every form of media. We grew up in a time where good information was sparse, and most o...

So . . . how was it? How many did you catch? This is always the question for every fisherman, right? Whether I’m talking to my friends about a fishing trip from last week, or as I walked in the door this evening, my wife asked the same question — how many fish did you catch? It’s a fair question. Because that’s the goal out there (usually). We go fishing to catch fish. But the answers we give can also reveal a different story. “Well, I caught eight this morning, but I missed another handful u...

When you fish long enough, things break. That’s the nature of life, really . . . things fall apart. But if you're resourceful, you put them back together. Sometimes it’s out of necessity. Honestly, a couple decades ago, I simply couldn’t afford to go through gear as fast as it was wearing down, so I learned to patch waders, fix a fly rod, mend a fly line, resole my boots, sew tears in my fishing vest and fix my landing net. Likewise, we’ve all run into those moments on a fishing trip wh...

This episode is all about breakthroughs. For each of us, as a personal account, what have been the biggest changes, or the biggest steps forward, in our fishing? I call these breakthroughs because they're the landmarks or discoveries or changes, along the way of learning, where we can look back and say, “Now that, really made a big difference.” We talk a lot about a life on the water. And really, each of us here at Troutbitten has fished for most of our lives. And the truth is, it’s not reall...

For our Season 15 Intermission, my wife, Becky, joins me for a lighthearted look at what's going on in the Troutbitten world. We talk about the upcoming leader sale in the Troutbitten Shop (May 23rd). We talk about the New Trail Troutbitten beer, the upcoming book on Fly Fishing the Mono Rig and a bunch of videos on the Troutbitten YouTube channel. Becky also covers a couple favorite fishing terms near the end. :-) Resources VIDEO: Troutbitten | Fish and Film - Tight Line Tracking, Nymphs in ...

The trout is prized as a gamefish because it’s picky. It’s selective. Often, it requires a refined presentation to fool a wild trout. And in large part, that’s the draw toward fishing for them. In every region, in every stream, trout habits can differ from others in neighboring watersheds. And across the fishing landscape, we find places and even moments when trout are more picky — more choosy — about what, where and how they want to eat their food. We’ve all seen fishing change in just a few...

There are two ways to tell the experience of an angler: how he holds a fish and how he keeps his secrets. The latter is probably more important. A seasoned angler intuitively understands the vulnerability of a river. Spot burning is a real thing with real consequences. Good anglers understand this concept. Good people understand this concept. Every piece of river is someone else’s favorite place. So we respect the spots — for others, if not for ourselves. Here's the article: READ: Troutbitten...

Let’s talk about fishing big rivers. For the most part, all of us here at Troutbitten are river anglers, meaning not much stillwater. Furthermore we’re mostly wade anglers. We spend most of our time wading rather than floating, because we enjoy it, and because in a lot of cases, wading gives us the best chance for success. But over the years I’ve noticed some misunderstandings about where and how we fish. I hear from a lot of reader, listeners and watchers of Troutbitten stuff. And one thing ...

We spend a lot of time thinking about tactics and working on techniques. We devote our energies toward finding fly patterns, tying up our confidence flies and testing new flies. We research new waters and explore unfinished sections in familiar waters. We spend a lot of time doing fishy things. This is a life on the water. The guys and I have been talking a lot about reading water. It’s one of the biggest deficiencies we see while guiding — just choosing the right piece of a river for your ne...

Here's a topic that starts with an interesting question: What puts more trout in the net? Is it knowing your water or knowing your tactics? Of course, the easy answer is . . . both. Refine your skills and learn your rivers. Then put all of that together, and you have a great formula, not only for catching trout but for having a lot of fun. The truth is, as frequent anglers we’re always involved in improving. It goes way beyond filling the fly box with new patterns. We know our deficienc...

Here are twelve tips for delivering a fly into waters that are heavily canopied, with greedy branches, ready to grab your fly and make life difficult. The best small stream fishing happens in these places. We call it brush fishing. Learning to cast a fly on small streams forces an angler into proper form. There is no forgiveness, and every error comes with consequences. But the reward is there. Small streams demand real accuracy. We learn to punch the fly under limbs and around tree stumps. A...

Across the country, there are rivers, creeks and streams stocked by the state, often referred to as put and take (they put trout in, you take them out). And especially early in the season, opportunities for stocked trout can be a solid choice. Other places stock fish under catch and release regs or delayed harvest. Also, some rivers, for various reasons, cannot support wild trout populations and they are entirely reliant on hatchery trout. In other places, it’s a mix of wild and stocked...

What's your favorite fly rod? This most frequently asked question now has its answer in the Troutbitten Riverside Series. Riverside is a place for sharing and presenting stories and articles from the Troutbitten website. And one of the most popular articles at Troutbitten has been about the qualities to look for in a rod well suited for the Mono Rig. This past winter, I wrote the manuscript for my upcoming book, Fly Fishing the Mono Rig. And I adapted the fly rod article into a full chapter f...

This season has been all about options for moving the streamer. Our focus has been on the animations available to attract and then sell the trout on the streamer presentation. In this season finale, we talk about river scenarios and share some tips and strategies that help tie all of the previous episodes together. We discuss the following: How different fly designs suggest fishing them different waysShould all streamers have flash?How to adapt to big riversDiscipline in approach and followin...

The tight line dance is another collection of movements to the streamer loosely grouped together into a system or framework for covering many water types and gaining reactions from the trout. It's all about taking the advantages of a tight line, Mono Rig system to the streamer game and using contact to control every aspect of the streamer's course through the river. We use a visible streamer for the tight line dance. We watch the streamer dip and swoon around rocks, tree parts and the river b...