Landon Mayer is one of the best-known sight-fishing guides in the West, and when he talks lakes and reservoirs, I listen. On this early episode we went deep on stillwater trout: which lines he reaches for, how he rigs, and the one retrieve habit that separates anglers who catch fish from anglers who just cast. If rivers are your comfort zone and lakes feel like a big blank sheet of water, this one's for you.
Read the Lake Before You Cast
Landon's core tip is about location, not flies. Every time you look at a piece of stillwater, find something you can identify as trout-holding structure. Specifically: structure, points, and drop-offs. If you can find a spot that has all three, you've found a high-percentage zone. Trout cruise along those edges because that's where food concentrates and where deeper water offers safety a few kicks away.
He also made a point I love: sight fishing a shallow reservoir flat can feel remarkably close to sight fishing in saltwater. Cruising fish, reading their direction, leading them with the cast. If you've ever wanted a taste of the flats without a plane ticket, a clear lake in the right light gets you closer than you'd think.
Line Choice: Stay in the Zone Without Snagging
Landon fishes two main line types on lakes, and each solves a specific problem:
- A slow-sinking, camouflaged stillwater line sinking around one to two inches per second. That slow rate lets you work a fly through the shallow column on a slow retrieve without constantly snagging bottom, and the camo coloration helps keep the line from spooking fish.
- A clear intermediate sink-tip line for working drop-offs, where the bottom falls from about two feet to six or more. The clear tip lets the front of the line descend down the edge while staying stealthy.
For topwater moments, when fish are up and you want a dry-dropper drifting into shallow water, a floating line that handles wind is still the call.
Rigging: Loop Knots and a Two-Piece Tippet
In shallow water, Landon connects his flies with a loop knot. The reason ties directly to his retrieve philosophy (more on that below): a loop lets the fly move freely and erratically every time you stop, instead of being locked straight to the tippet.
When he's fishing larger flies, he builds tippet in two pieces joined in the middle by a small swivel. That gives him a quick way to change just the front section, going lighter if the fish get picky, without re-rigging the whole leader, and it helps cut down on line twist from bigger patterns.
The Pause Is the Retrieve
This was the line I underlined: the key to retrieving flies isn't always the strip. One of the biggest keys is the pause. Each time you stop, a fly on a loop knot tips, flutters, and moves awkwardly, which looks like a living, vulnerable insect or baitfish. A lot of takes come on that pause. If you're stripping nonstop and not getting grabs, try counting a beat or two between strips before you change flies.
Midges Under an Indicator at Ice-Off
Indicator fishing is a big part of Landon's spring and early-morning game, especially during the chironomid (midge) bite right after ice-off. His setup: a midge pattern on a short tag, with a small leech-style jig about 18 inches below it, hung under an indicator.
Then he waits for the wind. Every time a chop builds, ripples rock the indicator and both flies start moving in the water column. That subtle, wave-powered motion is often all it takes. Instead of cursing a breeze on the lake, start seeing it as free animation for your flies.
Gear
The single biggest upgrade for stillwater is a dedicated slow-sinking or clear intermediate line; your local fly shop can match one to your rod and the lakes you fish. To brush up on loop knots and rigging before your next trip, grab our Tips and Tricks for Fly Fishing eBook. Ice-off mornings are cold and early, so the FFIP Anglers Coffee Mug and Brown Trout Hoodie belong in the truck too.
