Pike are the top predator in many river systems across the country, meaning they can afford to be picky about meals. Targeting pike on a fly rod can therefore be challenging–or even downright maddening depending on the day–but the difficulty . . .
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Classic Podcast: Tom and Tim’s Annual Fly-Tying Spectacular
This week’s podcast is my annual bull session with Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions. Instead of us picking a topic, we decided to ask listeners for questions. We both field questions about: . . .
Read MoreTuesday Tips: Top 4 Dry Flies for Fall
The shorter days and crisper nights of fall turn the thoughts of many fly fishers to hunting trophy trout with streamers, but that doesn’t mean you should put away the 4-weight rod, floating. . .
Read MoreHow to Best Imitate Isonychia Nymphs
To simplify their identification, mayfly nymphs have been divided into four groups–burrowers, crawlers, clingers, and swimmers–and the name of each group offers some insight into the. . .
Read MoreVideo Pro Tips: How to Make a Double Spey Cast with a Single- or Two-Handed Rod
Here’s a quick-and-dirty fly-casting video featuring Pete Kutzer of the Orvis Fly Fishing Schools. Previously, Pete demonstrated the Circle Spey cast, which is useful when the current is going from right to left (for a right-handed caster), so your rod is . . .
Read MorePro Tips: There is NO “Correct” Casting Style, So Find Your Own
The idea that there is a single, “correct” casting motion is one of the great fallacies in fly fishing. Spend enough time at the casting pool at a consumer show, and you’ll see several big-name instructors make the case that their method is better than the . . .
Read MoreClassic Tips: How to Get the Most Out of Your Streamers
Because I fish mostly in the Northeast—where over the course of a season nymphs and streamers surely catch more large fish than dry flies do—I am loath to fish anything but surface patterns when I’m out West. Don’t get me wrong: I’m no dry-flies . . .
Read MorePodcast: Secrets of the Battenkill, with Doug Lyons
The Battenkill is an iconic and often frustrating trout stream. It’s a gorgeous river with a healthy population of wild trout, but it has had its ups and downs over the years. Doug Lyons is a lifetime Battenkill expert who knows the river perhaps better . . .
Read MoreVideo: How top Repair Leaky Waders
As the great Norman Maclean wrote, “Eventually, all things merge into one, . . . and then your waders leak.” Or something like that. As Tom Rosenbauer explains in this helpful video, if you use them enough, your waders will get poked, scratched, . . .
Read MorePro Tips: How to Fool Really “Smart” Trout
Trout outsmart me regularly. This neither surprises nor embarrasses me. Sure, a trout’s brain is about the size of a pea—a bit smaller than mine—but it’s a highly specialized organ. It’s not. . .
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