Reading Trout Water (Part 2)
This article on reading trout water covers runs, banks and pools
Not concealed weapons, but something infinitely more important and precious – hot flies! Just as a pistol requires a unique size holster, different flies require storage containers with specific characteristics as well as an overall organization strategy.
Floatant? Trout feed below the surface 80% of the time and that statistic should push the rational trout angler to fish exclusively with nymphs to catch more fish. However, the excitement of a trout slurping a dry fly on the surface is compelling and is the visual pot of gold at a rainbow ending in a sparkling pool high in the mountains.
As hard it is for a new fly angler to achieve the perfect cast to the right position and manage the movement of the fly through the sweet spot with a drag free drift, nothing will make you want to scream at the sky more than seeing that all the shot slipped down the tippet to nestle up against your fly and ruined the entire presentation.
As a fly angler, you’ve already learned what tippet is. You know, it’s the stuff that breaks when you have a beautiful fish on. Thankfully, once you learn the ins and outs of matching the right type and size to your conditions, you will lose fewer fish.
Bobbers? Yes, that’s what a normal person would call an “indicator.” Indicator is the fancy term fly anglers use to discuss the appliance that floats on top of the water… yeah… bobber. Unlike for bait fishing, fly angling has many different types. Here’s the rundown.
Here’s a collection of tips that don’t fit into any category and will make your journey into the sport of fly fishing more straightforward – a few lessons from my personal school of hard knocks.
Beyond the standard, broad topics easing your introduction into fly fishing, some things are only learnable on a hit-or-miss basis through the school of hard knocks. This article aims to save you some of the tuition with a few costly personal confessions. Stupid thing #1: I drove to the Conway River in Virginia, and the …
After breathing a sigh of relief celebrating success in hiding the small fortune spent getting outfitted for fly fishing from your spouse, you put the gear to good use on a pristine trout stream. A few fly changes into your day, you realize the tip of your leader is starting to become stubby and must be replaced to maintain the taper from thick leader to skinny tippet. Congratulations! You just discovered the highest hidden cost of fly fishing – leaders!
What’s the Velcro strap near the shoulder of the fly vest used for? When I did a video on how to use the strap on my YouTube channel, even experienced fly anglers commented they never knew the real purpose of the strap, and assumed it was to hold glasses. Its real function is to team …