How to Balance a Fly Rod (and Why Your Hand Hurts)
A tip-heavy fly rod is why your casting hand aches by lunch. Find the balance point in five minutes and fix it with the reel, not your grip.
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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
How to Fish the Portland Hitch for Atlantic Salmon
Newfoundland guide David Hartlin breaks down the Portland hitch, the century-old wet-fly trick that turns sunk flies into explosive surface takes for Atlantic salmon.
Flying With Fly Rods and Gear: Airline Rules, Rod Tubes, and Bush Plane Weight Limits
Most guides stop at "rods can be carry-on, check with your airline." This one walks the three rulebooks in order — TSA, the commercial carrier, then the float plane that...
Should You Rent Gear at the Lodge or Bring Your Own?
The rent-or-bring question splits by item, not by trip. Here is the line-by-line verdict, what four real lodges publish that they provide, and the six questions that settle it before...
Carp Fly Rod Setup: Rod Weight, Line, Leader and Why Fluorocarbon
Why a 9-foot 7-weight is the carp sweet spot, when to go 6 or 8, what reel and backing you need, how to build a fluorocarbon carp leader, and budget...
Backpacking for Trout: A Beginner's Fly Fishing Kit and Bear-Country Basics
A trip into the Uintas with a first-time fly angler: the beginner backpacking kit that works, and the bear-country rules worth knowing before you hike in.
Casting in Tight Cover: Bow-and-Arrow, Roll and Sidearm for Brushy Creeks
Losing flies in the willows? Here are the four casts that work on brushy creeks, plus how rod length and approach angle decide which one to use.
Cast Farther by Aiming Higher: Line Speed, Hauls and Trajectory
Aiming at the trout is why long casts die short. Here is how line speed, a high stop, the double haul and a clean release add real fly casting distance.
Fly Fishing for Beginners: A 30-Day Plan From First Cast to First Trout
New to fly fishing? This 30-day plan takes you from gear and knots to backyard casting, reading water and three trips that end with your first trout.
Landing More Trout: Fight Fish Faster With Side Pressure and Smart Angles
Most trout are lost to a high rod, heavy drag or a rushed net. Learn side pressure, drag settings and net timing to land fish faster and release them healthier.
Tailing Loops and Weak Casts: Fixing Creep and the Early Stop
Creep and the early stop are the fly casting mistakes that kill loop energy. Spot both from the side with your phone, then rebuild the stroke at 20 feet.
Euro Nymphing or Indicator? A River-by-River Decision Guide
Euro nymphing or indicator? The river decides. A decision table by depth, distance, current and wind, plus how to fish both rigs without two rods.
Broke Your Fly Rod? How Rods Actually Break, Warranty Claims, and Repair Options
A broken fly rod ends a rod, not a day. Christian Bacasa on how rods actually break, how the major warranty programs work, and what to do streamside.
Is Expensive Fly Fishing Gear Worth It? What Each Price Tier Actually Buys
Is expensive fly fishing gear worth it? Christian Bacasa breaks down what each price tier buys in rods, reels, lines and waders, and where your money actually matters.
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.
Fly Fishing Louisiana Redfish: The Biloxi Marsh and Your First Saltwater Trip
Louisiana redfish on the fly: why it is the best first saltwater trip, the 2024 slot-limit change, real guide rates and when the bull redfish push.
Fly Fishing Baja California Sur: Roosterfish, Muertos Bay, and the Quarter-Mile Fishery
Roosterfish off the beaches and pangas of Baja California Sur. The season, the intermediate-line reason, Mexican sport-fish law and what to pack.
Start Them on a Spinning Rod
Handing a six-year-old a fly rod first is a decision most of us make for ourselves, not for them. Why spinning gear is often the better on-ramp — and how...
The Day You Stop Holding the Rod
There's a moment where you have to stop steering your kid's cast and let it be theirs. Here's how to know when it's coming and how to hand it over.
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.