Hot Water, Hoot-Owl Closures, and When to Stop Fishing for Trout
When is water too warm for trout? Thermometer thresholds, how hoot-owl restrictions work, and the heat-day routine that keeps released fish alive.
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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
Wet Wading on a Budget: Shoes, Socks, and When It's Safe
Wet wading is the cheapest way to fish summer rivers. Christian Bacasa covers budget shoes and socks, traction, and the water temperatures that make it unsafe.
Sling Pack vs. Backpack vs. Chest Pack: Which Fly Fishing Carry System Fits How You Fish
Sling, backpack or chest pack? Christian Bacasa breaks down which fly fishing carry system fits how you actually fish, and what to put in it.
Trout Rising but Refusing Your Fly? A Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Checklist
Rising trout refusing every fly? Read the rise form, fix the drift, then change size, stage and tippet - the checklist that ends refusal evenings.
Ranking U.S. States for Fly Fishing: The Fantasy Draft Edition
A good-natured, fact-checked draft of U.S. states for fly fishing, scored on public access law, species variety and season length — sources on every pick.
What Does a Fly Fishing Guide Cost — and Is a Guided Trip Worth It?
Real 2026 guide rates from four FFIP Certified outfitters, what a guided day includes, the red flags of a bad trip, and how to vet a guide before you book.
How Often Should You Actually Catch Fish Fly Fishing? Realistic Expectations by Water Type
There is no universal number. What a good day looks like by water type, from pressured tailwaters to hatch-rich technical rivers and trophy water, with guide insight.
Dry Fly Myths vs. Reality: Why Your Hopper Isn't Getting Eaten
Four dry fly myths that cost anglers eats, why a refused hopper is usually a presentation problem, and how podcast guests read rises and stay hidden instead.
Are You Overthinking Fly Fishing? The Few Things That Actually Move the Needle
Most anglers overthink fly fishing. Christian Bacasa breaks it down to the three decisions that actually catch fish, with simplification lessons from podcast guests.
Tippet Rings: When They Help, When They Don't, and the Knots to Use
Tippet rings save your tapered leader - but not on every rig. Where they help, where they hurt, and the clinch and Davy knots that hold them.
Reading Trout Water: Seams, Buckets and Feeding Lanes Made Simple
That deep pool looks fishy, but trout feed on seams and edges. Here's how to spot seams, buckets and feeding lanes, and the order to fish every run.
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.
Drifting Streamers Dead: A Cold-Water Presentation for Big Browns
In cold water, big brown trout follow a stripped streamer and refuse it. Here is how to rig and dead drift a sculpin so they eat it instead of watching...
The Hopper Leader: Turning Over Big Dry Flies Without Hinging
Your hopper keeps landing in a pile of slack. Here is the leader taper, tippet X size and tippet length that turns a size 8 foam fly over on every...
Two-Fly Nymph Rigs: Tandem Setups That Cover Twice the Water
Tandem nymph rigs let you test two depths and two patterns on every drift. Here's how to build one, space it, weight it, and keep it from tangling.
Mono Rig Leader Formula: Build One Rig You Can Fish All Day
Build one 27-foot mono rig leader and swap only the bottom six feet. Full diameters, lengths, knots, and four technique modules for a whole season.
Why Your Indicator Drags (and the Mends That Fix It)
Most anglers wreck the drift with the mend itself. Here's how to move fly line without moving your strike indicator: reach casts, stack mends, timing.
Tight Line Nymphing: The Mono Rig Setup That Finds Fish in Any Current
A mono rig replaces fly line with 28 feet of monofilament. Here's the build sheet, the sighter read, and how I adapt tight line nymphing to any current.
The Hybrid Nymph Rig: Adding an Indicator to Your Tight Line for Deep, Slow Water
The hybrid nymph rig for deep, slow water: add an indicator to your mono rig leader, keep the low-sag drift, and fish the pools you keep walking past.
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.