For this final episode in the dry fly skills series, we work through some scenarios that anglers frequently encounter. Because, just like nymphing, fishing streamers and fishing wets, we fish dry flies for many different reasons and in many different ways.

We addressed some of this in episode one, and in this final episode, we complete the bookend by thinking about how things layout and going through some strategy and thought processes. Now that we’ve spent a good bit of time on leader design, fly selection, casting, building in slack, we consider these four scenarios:

Head Hunting
Fishing Terrestrials
Small Stream Stuff
Working a Hatch

My friend, Matt Grobe, joins me to put a cap on this Dry Fly Skills series.

Resources

READ: Troutbitten | Category | Dry Fly Fishing
READ: Troutbitten | Two Ways to Spat a Terrestrial Dry Fly
READ: Troutbitten | Twelve Small Stream Fly Casting Tips

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In the last couple of weeks we talked a lot about choosing the next fly, when to change, and what informs our decision about what to change to — basically, how do we develop that next theory about what fly, water type and presentation style we want to test.

Last week we talked about watching how trout are rising to naturals, how they are taking our fly or even how they’re rejecting it. That information goes a long way. It’s often the predominant factor for choosing an appropriate fly style — a low rider, an emerger or maybe one that rides high and rolls on the surface.

So when you fish long enough, you start to notice these kinds of details, and like anything else worth pursuing, you realize that there’s an endless world of data out there for you to pick up on. The trout are telling us a lot — even by not rising. We learn by not catching trout too. If you get a great presentation in a spot that you know holds trout, but no trout eats it . . . fair enough. And you start to consider the next adjustment.

It’s all a lot of fun when you realize that good fishing isn’t luck. It’s attention to detail with an open mind and a willingness to dive into the mystery.

This podcast is all about rise forms and hook sets.

My friend, Matt Grobe, joins me for this discussion.

Resources

READ: Troutbitten | Category | Dry Fly Fishing
PODCAST: Troutbitten | Set The Hook! All About Different Hook Sets
READ: Troutbitten | Hook Set Direction -- Downstream

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Here we are at the part of the season where we address everybody’s favorite question — what fly are you using?

We’ve argued for years that the leader is the most consequential element in the system — much more important than the fly. That said, the fly must be reasonable.

Most anglers are so focused on the flies because it’s the easiest thing to change. We’re quick to blame the pattern. And it’s a lot easier to clip off one fly and tie on another than to really break down your approach, your cast and your dead drift.

The better approach is to perfect those elements and then . . . maybe change the fly.

I carry a box of dry flies, just like I carry a box of streamers and a box of nymphs and wets. The flies matter. But more than anything, it’s about matching the moment, the water type, the lifecycle of the bug - and even the wind conditions. For us, those conditions -- those situations -- dictate our next fly choice. We don't guess on patterns. Instead, we think about things, develop a theory and test it with the next fly choice and (hopefully) a great presentation.

My friend, Matt Grobe, joins me for this discussion.


Resources

READ: Troutbitten | Category | Dry Fly Fishing
VIDEO: Troutbitten | The Perfect Parachute Ant
READ: Troutbitten | When Should You Change the Fly?

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Our discussion here is about casting dry flies, and that’s where all good fly casting starts. With a dry fly, there’s no weight at the end of the line to help us out. No split shot, no tungsten bead, conehead or bobber. Refining the dry fly stroke truly teaches us what the fly rod is built to do.

Ten and two. Acceleration and crisp stops between two points. Pause and allow turnover to happen. Feel the rod load and watch it all happen with the fly line in the air. Once you have that timing, your baseline is set, and you can take that same stroke to any rod angle, punching the fly around and laying things out just how you want them with a few adjustments.

Good mending is setup by good casting. Put the two together, and you can feed slack to a dry fly for perfect drag free drifts.

Having command over all of that . . . is a lot of fun.

My friend, Matt Grobe, joins me to for a great discussion on casting and mending dry flies.


Resources

READ: Troutbitten | Category | Dry Fly Fishing
READ: Troutbitten | Ten and Two
READ: Troutbitten | Put More Juice in the Cast
READ: Troutbitten | Five Tips for Better Mending

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For our Season 12 Intermission, my wife, Becky, joins me for a lighthearted look at what's going on in the Troutbitten world. We talk about the upcoming leader sale in the Troutbitten Shop (August 21). We talk about the New Trail Troutbitten beer, the event and the video. And we talk about the Fish and Film series on YouTube.

Becky and I also answer a bunch of fun questions from listeners.

Resources

VIDEO: Troutbitten | Fish and Film - One Morning For Versatility
VIDEO: Troutbitten | Beer and Friends -- Good Times and Good Stories with New Trail and Troutbitten
SHOP: Troutbitten | Category | Leaders

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The leader should match the moment and match the angler. It should match the fly, the river and the wind conditions. Adjustments are necessary, and when they're performed often enough they become intuitive.

An objective look at real goals for the dry fly, along with the true capabilities of the leader materials at hand, will lead anyone down the path toward a great leader formula for dry flies.

While many anglers might consider the leader as an afterthought, we believe the leader is the most consequential element in the system. The leader always matters, but it’s most important while trying to achieve dead drifts with a dry fly.

My good friend, Matt Grobe, joins me to discuss dry fly leader design. Like me, Matt looks for every opportunity to fool trout at the surface.

Resources

READ: Troutbitten | Category | Dry Fly Fishing
READ: Troutbitten | Dry Fly Fishing -- The Forehand and Backhand Curve
VIDEO: Troutbitten | Casting Forehand and Backhand
READ: Troutbitten | The George Harvey Leader Design
VIDEO: Troutbitten | The George Harvey Dry Fly Leader -- Design, adjustments and tips
READ: Troutbitten | That's Not a Dead Drift
VIDEO: Troutbitten | Real Dead Drifts -- Up Top and Underneath

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The drag free drift -- a high percentage of the time, that’s what catches trout on top. So aiming for perfection on a dead drift sets the baseline. And if you get those great drifts, but they won’t eat it, try some animation. Think slight, small and subtle for those movements to the fly, and you just might fool some trout that are keyed in on motion.

Everything works sometimes. So we’re ready to try anything. But we spend the most time with tactics that produce with the highest rate of return. That’s just common sense.

Whatever fly you're fishing, whatever bait, lure or fly you’re presenting across the spectrum of fishing, it pays to watch the food form you’re trying to imitate. In this case, watch how a mayfly rides on the water. Set up and watch rising trout for a while, and see if they’re eating caddis that are dapping and skittering, or if they’re eating something unseen, perhaps just under the surface. Also, get close to the water and see how a carpenter ant or a hopper behaves once it’s made the mistake and found itself on the water. How do these bugs move, and how do the trout respond? Imitate that with your fly.

My friend, Matt Grobe, joins me for this second episode in our dry fly skills series.

Resources

READ: Troutbitten | Category | Dry Fly Fishing
READ: Troutbitten | That's Not a Dead Drift
VIDEO: Troutbitten | Real Dead Drifts -- Up Top and Underneath
READ: Troutbitten | Dry Fly Fishing on the Mono Rig

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Season twelve begins. It’s a seven-part skills series dedicated to dry fly fishing. My friend, Matt Grobe, joins me to build the framework — a method and a system — for presenting dry flies to trout.

In this first episode, we ask when and why we fish dry flies. What’s the reason we might choose to fish dries over streamers, wets or nymphs?

We argue that dry flies are the heart and soul of fly fishing. The visual aspect is fun and exciting. And the pleasures of top water fishing should not be missed.

Also, presenting dry flies is what makes fly fishing unique. And learning the skills to cast a dry teaches you everything about what a fly rod can do.

Resources

READ: Troutbitten | Category | Dry Fly Fishing
READ: Troutbitten | If You Can't Fish Dry Flies, You're Missing the Point

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