How to Get Nymphs Deep in Fast, Heavy Water
Weight on the fly, weight on the leader, or weight in the line. Three deep nymphing techniques for heavy water, plus how far upstream to start the cast.
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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
What Big Trout Really Eat: Picking Flies for Trophy Fish
Big trout eat small bugs far more than most anglers admit. Here is the forage-first way to pick flies for trophy trout, and when big streamers pay off.
Big Streamers for Big Browns: How to Size Your Fly to the Forage
Big browns eat smaller prey than you think. Here's how to size streamers for trophy brown trout, when a big meat fly pays off, and when to go smaller.
Light, Standard or Heavy: Picking the Right Dry Dropper Rig
Light, standard or heavy dry dropper rig? Compare dropper length, fly weight and water type, plus how to keep the dry fly floating all day long.
Small Creek Streamers: Big-Fish Tactics for Skinny Trout Water
The biggest trout in a small creek eats other fish. Here is how I approach, cast, and swim small streamers upstream into tight cover without emptying the pool.
Nymph Weight Guide: Bead Sizes, Split Shot and Sink Rates by Water Type
Stop guessing at nymph weight. Bead sizes in millimeters, split shot in grams, and a water-type chart that tells you exactly how heavy to go in every run.
The Western Trout Fly Box: 10 Patterns That Work From Utah to Montana
Ten western trout flies, the sizes to carry, when to fish each one, and a Utah and Rockies season table, with in-stock links to build the whole fly box.
Should Beginners Tie Their Own Flies? The Real Cost Math and When It Pays Off
Tying flies will not save a beginner money in year one. Christian Bacasa runs the real cost math, the break-even in flies, and the reasons to tie anyway.
Fly Tying FAQ
What to buy first, what to skip, and how to get from an empty vise to flies you'll actually fish.
Micro-Leader Nymphing: The Ultralight Mono Rig That Replaced My Euro Leader
Micro-leader Euro nymphing swaps your fly line for level mono straight off the reel. George Daniel's stripped-down rig, built and fished step by step.
12 Fall Streamer Patterns for Big Brown Trout
Twelve streamers for aggressive fall browns, from olive sculpins to articulated meat flies, with the size, color and retrieve I would fish with each one.
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.
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.