After a year of trying, guide Rob Snowhite finally landed his snakehead on a fly. photo Courtesy Rob Snowhite

I have wanted to catch a northern snakehead (Channa argus) since I first heard about their introduction into the Potomac river around 2004. I didn’t give much thought as how to go about catching one on a fly or even think it was possible until I saw a photo of one caught during the 2010 shad run by Trent Jones–who works at Orvis Clarendon and is a fellow member of the Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders, our local Federation of Fly Fishers club. From then on, I was dedicated to catching one of these elusive fish.

Steve from Elizabethton took this great shot that captured an array of colors, both of the trout and the rocks and water. What’s the most beautiful fish you ever caught?

You’ve waited all winter to fish again. You’re finally on the water when you realize… your fly box is pretty darn thin and you don’t have that one pattern the fish want. The only thing more excrutiating than having trout rising near you (or bonefish tailing; or bass foraging) but not having the right fly they’re taking, is your buddy having that right fly and slaying the fish right in front of you. No one wants that. That’s why we’re having our Giant Fly Sale the month of June.  100+ flies are on sale now. Just $1.50 for most trout flies and $2 for saltwater flies and big ugly trout flies. Baetis, PMDs, Adams, Hare’s Ears, WD-40s, Disco Midges, Pheasant Tails, Elk Wing Caddis,  Prince Nymphs, Silver Sides, Albies, Zug Bugs, Flashback Emergers, Brass Ass, Flats Minnows, Woolly Buggers, Ants, San Juan Worms, and many more. Get the picture? Great flies. Cheap.

This week in the podcast, we address the color red in flies, post-flood fishing conditions, and what to do if you only have a few hours to fish. For the main event I give a brief guide to the major aquatic insects, how to identify what’s hatching, and some strategies for fishing different types of insect hatches.

Click the “Read More” button to listen to and comment on this week’s podcast.