Bottom Bounce, Strike Zone or Tracking: Choosing Your Nymph Depth Strategy
Dead drift is three techniques, not one. Bottom bounce, strike zone and tracking — how each is rigged, when each wins, and how to pick the right depth.
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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
Dry Fly Dead Drift: How to Get a Clean Float Every Cast
A clean dry fly dead drift comes from putting slack in the right place. Here is how I read micro drag, build the leader, and cast for a drag-free float.
When to Move the Fly: Induced Takes vs the Perfect Dead Drift
Dead drift or active drift? How to read refusals, time the Leisenring lift, and add the movement that turns following trout into hooked trout.
Mono Rig vs Fly Line for Nymphing: Which One Actually Drifts Better
A guide's honest comparison of the mono rig and fly line for nymphing — sag, contact, wind, range, hook sets, plus how to run both systems on one rod.
Leading vs Tracking: The Tight-Line Skill That Doubles Your Hookups
Leading your nymphs is the tight-line skill that turns invisible takes into hooked trout. Rod-tip lead, sighter angles, drills and the rig that makes it work.
Mending Fly Line the Right Way: Common Errors and Easy Fixes
Late mends, oversized mends and upstream-by-habit mends cost more trout than no mend at all. Here are the six mending errors I see most and how to fix each.
The Distance Advantage: Why Fishing From Farther Back Catches More Trout
Most trout spook before you ever cast. Learn how far back to stand, the approach angle that keeps you hidden, and drills to fish accurately from 35 to 50 feet.
The Only Knots a Trout Angler Needs: A Field-Tested Set of Six
Tired of break-offs and knot cards? These six fly fishing knots cover every trout connection, plus a when-to-use table and a simple practice plan.
How a Fly Leader Works: Butt, Taper and Tippet Explained
Why does your dry fly land in a pile? Learn how the butt section, taper and tippet work together, the 60/20/20 leader rule, and when to bend it.
Why Your Knots Break: Habits That End Break-Offs for Good
Losing fish to curly pigtails and snapped tippet? Six simple knot habits, from lubricating and seating to tippet age and wind knots, end break-offs for good.
Mid-Drift Roll Mends: Reset Your Line Without Spooking the Run
Long drifts going wrong halfway down? The roll cast mend lifts a far belly off fast current and resets the drift without a noisy recast. Here is how.
Sink Tip or Mono? Choosing a Streamer System for Your River
Sink tip or tight-line rig for streamers? A verdict table by river size, depth and boat vs wade, plus the real sink rates behind each line class.
Two-Streamer Rigs: How to Fish a Big-and-Small Streamer Combo
Two streamers on one leader move more fish than one. Here is how I rig the lead fly and trailer, the pause that gets the eat, and the regs to...
Matching Your Streamer Retrieve to Current Speed and Water Temperature
Fast water needs short strips. Slow, cold water needs long pauses. Here's the current-speed and temperature table I use to pick a streamer retrieve.
Six Reasons Trout Refuse Your Dry Fly (and the Fix for Each)
When a trout looks at your dry fly and swims away, it is telling you something. Here are the six fixes for dry fly refusals, in the order I check...
Why Trout Refuse Your Nymph: Diagnosing Drift, Depth and Lane
Refusals are data. Here's the four-variable checklist I use to tell whether trout are rejecting your drift or your position, and what to change first.
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.
Why Trout Spook Before You Cast: A Stealth Checklist
Most trout are scared off before the fly lands. Here is how trout see and feel anglers, plus eight simple stealth fixes that keep fish feeding.
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.
The Swap-Out Euro Leader: One Nymphing Leader Built From Interchangeable Sections
Two tippet rings turn a euro nymphing leader into three swappable modules. Swap sighter or tippet in 30 seconds without ever shortening your leader.