Welcome to our latest blog, where we delve into the fascinating world of fly fishing, drawing inspiration from the "Fly Fishing Insider Podcast" hosted by Christian Bacasa. This blog series, broken down into seven insightful parts, is a treasure trove of fly fishing wisdom, stories, and tips for both novices and seasoned anglers alike.

Part 1: The Art of Bespoke Fly Tying with Allen Rupp

In our first segment, we explore Allen Rupp's journey from childhood fishing experiences to becoming a bespoke fly-tier. His story emphasizes the beauty of fly fishing and the significance of quality craftsmanship in fly tying.

Dive into the world of fly fishing through the lens of Allen Campbell, a Loon Pro and Guide known for his fly tying expertise, especially in streamer action. The latest episode of the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast, hosted by Christian Bacasa, reveals Allen's journey into fly fishing, the challenges he faced, and the undying passion that fuels his adventures.

Part 1: The Beginnings of a Passion

Allen's path to fly fishing wasn't straightforward. Despite his sporty background in hockey, fishing wasn't his go-to activity during childhood. His first encounter with fishing, which involved a friend, some bluegill, and beer, surprisingly transformed his view on fishing. This experience was a stepping stone, leading him to the intricate art of fly fishing, which he embraced wholeheartedly.

Dealing with wind while fly fishing for trout can be challenging, but it's a skill that can greatly enhance your fishing experience. What is interesting about wind is that most anglers only think about how to cast in it more efficiently and effectively. However, there are other methods to deal with wind.

Tipping a fly fishing guide can be akin to tipping at a restaurant but with nuances unique to the outdoor experience. The key? Consider effort, skill, and overall experience, not just the day's catch. Here's a baseline guide to help you navigate this super common question. Note that this is a guide on individual tipping so the amount is per person.  If the guide is a boat guide and typically takes two you should take that into consideration.

Fly fishing enthusiasts often seek ways to enhance their fly tying skills, tying nymph patterns for your fly box is particularly a good way. While there's room for creative liberty, certain adjustments can significantly improve the efficacy and appearance of your flies. What I love most is that when tying you start to understand the various points of entomology that are important and why they make flies look the way they do. Here, I delve into some expert tips that focus on things like tails, epoxy, head, nymph body, collars, etc. to create more effective nymph fly patterns for your tying sessions and boxes.

I’ve been experimenting with other vehicles for fly fishing and dove into the world of SUPs and Kayaks this past year.  The most impressive kayaks I’ve found have been by Hobie and I wanted to break down a bit of information on the Mirage series model so you know what you are looking at. 

One game-changing technique that has been gaining immense popularity among anglers is Euro nymphing. This approach requires a unique leader setup, and want to share a tried-and-tested Euro nymphing leader formula that I utilize.  I’ve been able to test quite a few and this is what I’ve settled on.

Here are three of my favorite lunch meals for the drift boat.  Over the years they have been  lunches that make people jealous. When I prepare a head out on the drift boat for the day I really try to make it fun and enjoyable. There is something about sitting on a drift boat in the river having a great lunch and enjoying the scenery. Ya I love slamming fish all day and non stop angling but when I’m in the middle of summer and enjoying a good relaxing day these are three of my go to favorites. 
Like I said, planning a lunch on a drift boat combines the excitement of a river adventure with the enjoyment of delicious food. To ensure a successful and enjoyable meal, consider the following tips and see what I like to take at the end.

Let's talk about night fishing because it is in my opinion the best time of day for targeting large browns. Seriously, you need to try fishing at night. Large trout are known for sitting in a prime lye or hole all day and then traveling at night to feed when they are safe from predators and can easily take larger prey. They are often quite habitual and will repeat again the next day. This is good to know because when you discover a high-quality brown that you want to target it is often easy to know the pattern and target it regularly.