When you’re using a knotless tapered leader, the last section before you tie on the fly is the tippet. Over time, as you change flies and tie new knots, that tippet section will get shorter and shorter, until your 9-foot leader is more like 7½ feet. So, you just . . .
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Book Excerpt: How to Catch Muskies in Fall
The days begin to get shorter and shorter. Weeds begin to die off. Water temperatures begin to fall, and the sun is lower in the horizon. These are all contributing factors that trigger a muskie into its fall transition. If you keep . . .
Read More5 Homemade Targets to Improve Your Casting Skills
Whether they’re warming up for a big destination trip or just keeping skills sharp during the off-season, every fly angler needs casting practice. So the next time you’re out waving a fly rod around on dry land, try setting up targets that will test your . . .
Read MorePro Tips: Trout-Spey Lines Demystified
Trout-spey is a technique for swinging flies down-and-across using light lines on two-handed rods. It is an effective technique for catching fish in any moving water, from your local trout stream to an outgoing tide on an ocean . . .
Read More3 Classic Fly Patterns Worth Revisiting This Fall
Fall fishing often requires a more technical approach as water levels drop and hatches become smaller and scarcer. While these conditions may not typically bring to mind the clunky old classics, a few old school fly patterns still manage to excel when . . .
Read MoreVideo Pro Tips: How to Make a Skip Cast to Get Your Fly to Hard-to-Reach Fish
Fish love to hold in places where they are safe from predators or where they can hide before ambushing prey. That often means you need to drop your fly under an obstacle–a tree branch, some mangroves, a dock, . . .
Read MoreVideo Pro Tips: How to Tie a Blood Knot
When it comes to connector knots, I’m definitely a blood-knot guy. I know how to tie the surgeon’s knot, but I just prefer the look and feel of a blood knot, which is perfectly symmetrical and in-line. The folks at Trouts Fly . . .
Read MorePodcast: How To Find Great Carp Fishing
In our campaign to take pressure off our over-stressed trout rivers during this hot, dry summer, I figured a great topic would be how to find carp-fishing spots. Not every place that holds carp . . .
Read MoreHow to Make a Great Fishing Game for Kids (and Adults)
My baby girl’s first birthday is coming up and to make it extra special, I decided to try my hand at creating a homemade party game. I needed a game for all ages that would also double as a cool-off spot. . . .
Read MorePodcast: How do water temperatures affect trout behavior? with John McMillan
This week I am delighted to have biologist John McMillan back as my guest. John gives us a detailed view on the affect of water temperature on a trout’s metabolism, particularly at the upper end of their safe range. . . .
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