How to Catch Trout in Eddies
Pools can be as small as a bathtub in streams, and as big as a small lake in large rivers. But they all share similar characteristics. The three prime fish-holding areas in pools are the head of the pool where water enters, the tail of the pool where water begins to speed up as it enters the pool exit, and the main current flows in the body of the pool.
Just Like Water: The Case for Bad Beer
One of my most beloved angling traditions is the lunchtime beer. The midpoint of a float trip is largely an excuse to open a can of Miller Lite. If the morning has been a good one, then it’s a well-earned celebration. If the fishing has been off, then it’s a commiseration with your own bad luck–and just as well-deserved.
Top Five Fly-Casting Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Fly-casting is not easy. Like any skill worth knowing, casting expertise takes a long time to develop—in some cases years. The good news is that anglers pretty much make the same mistakes, and that means your casting flaws have probably already been tackled by someone before.
Your Dry Fly Fishing Game - The Most Difficult Aspect of Fly Fishing.
Dry fly fishing is all at once the foundation, Holy Grail, and most difficult aspect of fly fishing.
Avoid “The Hanging Tree” - Leave No Fly Behind
Recently I’ve been amazed by the number of flies and rigs that anglers have left hanging on streamside trees and bushes. On one stretch of water that I frequent on a weekly basis, I’ll usually see a number of hanging patterns, so I wade across the stream and cut them free.
How to Buy a New Fly Rod on Any Budget
Walk into any fly shop from the Rockies to the Catskills and you’ll see a wall or two full of trout rods. Most shops carry a half-dozen brands at least, and the prices range from the bare-bones value of rods like the ECHO Base, all the way to the pricey G. Loomis Asquith. I’ve spent my entire life chasing trout in the American West, and I’d like to think I know a thing or two about “good” trout rods.
Late Season Means Bigger Fish in Smaller Water
Last year featured our first extended fly fishing seasons in Wisconsin. Early trout fly fishing season here opens on the first Saturday of January, and you can now fish through to the 15th of October. For many years, our season typically ended September 30th, but state fisheries biologists determined that our spawning trout would not be adversely effected by adding 15 days to season.
Michigan Trout All Day, All Night
Michigan is an iconic trout state with some very famous rivers. For every one of those world renowned flows, however, there are dozen of lesser known—yet equally fishy—rivers. Guide Brian "Koz" Kozminksi of True North Trout Guide Service knows a staggering amount of these "sleepers" like the back of his hand.