Classic Pro Tips: 8 Must-Have Flies for Winter Fishing

Written by: The staff of Trouts Fly Fishing


Just a handful of staple patterns will get the job done during the winter months.
Photo by Phil Monahan

We are very fortunate in Colorado that we have the opportunity to fish 365 days a year. And though we are now in December and it’s probably time to put away that hopper box until . . .

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Pro Tips: Top 5 Flies for Winter Tailwaters

any people are surprised when I mention I’m a year-round fly fishing guide up in Colorado’s high country. Sure, fishing in -15° can get cold, and snow blowing in your face presents challenges. But fish are still hungry and tailwaters are still flowing, . . .

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Video: “Winter Blues” in Colorado

Winter fishing on Colorado’s famed tailwaters, such as the Blue River, can be spectacular. This video from Daniel Thistle and Matt Jimenez highlights a banner day on the water, featuring. . .

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Classic Story and Photos: How Fly Fishing Changed My Life

Written by: Josh Diller


Fly fishing has led Josh Diller far away from the self-destructive path he was on.
Photo by John Bundy

I grew up on a farm in the rolling hills of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and I enjoyed fishing, hunting, and roaming the fields when I was younger. As I got older, however, I fell into the. . .

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Photos: One Last Trip into the Colorado High Country

It is a well-known fact that you never know what to expect from the weather in Colorado. So when a snow storm rolled through the state the day after Labor Day, it was no surprise. Tom and I had planned to do one last backpacking . . .

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Photos and Story: Rocky Mountain Girls Expedition 2020

July 2020 marked the first ever all girls Lillard Fly Fishing Expedition. Plans had been made, permits procured, girls signed up, and then, you guessed it, Coronavirus happened. Some new plans and precautions had to be drawn up, and the trip . . .

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Fish Facts: Saving the Greenback Cutthroat Trout (Updated!)


Greenback cutthroat trout were saved by accident more than 130 years ago.
Photo by Kevin Rogers – CPW

Although the greenback cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki stomias has been the focus of conservation efforts for more than half a century—starting when the once-lost species was. . .

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