Imitate or Provoke: Choosing a Stillwater Fly When the Fish Won't Match
Lake trout eat for more than one reason, and only one of them is hunger for the thing you're imitating.
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Alaska Will Change Forever: Go Now
Alaska, a land renowned for its wild, untouched landscapes and abundant wildlife, offers some of the most spectacular fly fishing experiences in the world. But with increasing popularity and looming...
Fly Fishing Insider Podcast Blog
Indicator, Long Leader, or Straight Down: Three Ways to Present a Lake Fly
Once the fly is at the right depth, you still have to decide what it's doing down there. Three deliveries, three depth ranges.
Permit on the Flats: Accuracy, the Drop, and the Eat You Have to See
Belize permit guide Damien Nurre's approach — spook them or catch them, fish the drop, and set on what you see rather than what you feel.
Tarpon on the Flats: The Cast, the Strip-Set, and the First Ninety Seconds
Capt. Joel Dickey's casting drill, his 60-20-20 leader, and the hookset — everything that decides a tarpon in the first ninety seconds.
Bonefish on the Flats: How to See the Fish Before You Cast
Nervous water, tails, and pushes — the flats skill that has to click before your casting matters. Plus the lead, the shrimp strip, and the strip-set.
The Pantyhose Trick That Turns Any Dry Fly Into a Trailing-Shuck Emerger
A simple pantyhose trailing-shuck trick that turns any standard dun dry fly into an emerger pattern the moment trout start refusing your fly.
How to Tie the Black Lightning: A Bull Trout Streamer for Winter Water
Learn to tie the Black Lightning, a blue-and-black streamer that covers bull trout, coho, and steelhead when the water runs cold and dirty.
Building a Durable Fly: Lessons From Midnight Sun Custom Flies
Alaska tyer Jonathan Farmer explains the platform-first design process and durability tricks behind his signature streamer and steelhead patterns.
Setting Up a Fly Tying Station You'll Actually Use (Plus Ozark Smallmouth Secrets)
How to build a fly tying setup that keeps you organized and efficient, plus the crawfish-pattern secret behind big Ozark smallmouth.
Fly Tying Lessons From a Vagabond: Thread Control, Movement, and Dollar-Store Materials
Canadian tier Rick Passek on the three things that make flies fish: sharp observation, obsessive thread control, and fearless material experimentation.
Pennsylvania Muskie on the Fly: Predator Fly Design and Moving-Water Tactics
A guide's playbook for Pennsylvania muskie on the fly: reading moving water, retargeting fish, and designing predator flies that move and push water.
How to Start Fly Tying Without Wasting Money on Materials
Dave and Justin of Togens Fly Shop on why most new tyers overbuy, how to build a stillwater kit that fits your water, and where to actually start.
Way Better than Dubbing Wax for Fly Tying
A DIY dubbing tool that replaces wax for good — made from a scrap of plastic and a glue trap. Fast, mess-free, and lasts for years.
5 Best Fly Tying Kits for Beginners: Learn to Tie Your Own Flies
Learning to tie your own flies transforms your fly fishing in ways that surprise most anglers. Beyond the obvious benefit of saving money on flies, tying connects you to the...
Top 10 Trout Flies That Work Anywhere | Universal Patterns
You're standing in an unfamiliar river, watching trout rise but uncertain what they're eating. You could spend an hour trying to match the exact bug you're seeing, or you could...
20 Must-Have Fly Patterns: The Only Flies You Really Need
Walk into any fly shop and you'll face walls of flies in every color, size, and style imaginable. Thousands of patterns promise to be "the one" that trout can't resist....
Articulated Streamer Mastery: Modern Jointed Patterns for Lifelike Action
The Articulation Revolution: When Flies Come Alive Articulated streamers represent the greatest innovation in fly fishing since the development of synthetic materials. These jointed patterns create lifelike swimming action that...
Boobies and Blobs: Aggressive Stillwater Fly Fishing Techniques
The Revolution from the UK: Patterns That Changed Everything Boobies and Blobs represent one of the most significant innovations in modern stillwater fly fishing. Developed in the UK and refined...
Fishing for Flavor: A Spirited Guide to Nymph Patterns and Rum Cocktails
Today, I'll take you on a boozy journey down the river, pairing our favorite nymph patterns with the world’s most swaggering rum drinks. Why? Because just like rum, fly fishing...
Whiskey on the Water: Matching Streamer Patterns with Fine Whiskeys
Whiskey connoisseurs! Strap in for a flavorful adventure where we pair robust streamer patterns with the rich profiles of various whiskeys. Because, let's face it, nothing caps off a day...