Adult dragonflies are an interesting prey species. It’s one of those prey items that many trout anglers think are too big, and bass anglers think are too small. As an angler that targets both fish, I’ve found that both trout and bass will eat dragonflies (and damselflies). I’ve personally caught both sea-run brook trout and … Read more
Quality dry fly hackle is one of the more expensive fly tying materials a fly tyer will purchase. Fly tyers have the option to buy dry fly hackle on either a saddle or cape, but which one to choose? Let’s go over the differences, and decide which is best for you. This post uses amazon … Read more
As a trout angler, you may have wondered what exaclty is going on underwater when a trout takes your presentation. Understanding what is going on under the water can allow you to make better presentations, and better time your hooksets to improve your hook up rate. Underwater videos of trout feeding are surprisingly few and … Read more
You may be new to fly fishing, or perhaps you’re an experienced fly angler looking to try something new. At one point or another, many fly anglers ask themselves “I wonder if (insert species of fish here) could be caught fly fishing?”. The answer to this question is almost certainly “yes”. Salmonoids Some fish species are … Read more
Trying to catch a trout in clear shallow water can be a frustrating experience, one that requires stealth, persistence, and skill. The trout feel vulnerable and are understandably cautious about feeding. The strategies listed below should help convince one of these wary trout to strike your fly. If all goes well the trout won’t even know … Read more
I love fishing caddisfly patterns, you can usually get really aggressive takes from trout, especially while skating them. This foam caddisfly pattern takes inspiration from the tried and true goddard caddis. While the goddard caddis is one of the more buoyant flies out there using natural materials, it still can become water logged after enough time on … Read more
As a fly angler, chances are you have invested a significant amount of either money or time (most likely both) into your fly collection. It would be nice to get as much use out of your invested time and money by having your flies last as long as possible. Here’s a few tips and tricks … Read more
There’s very little in fly fishing that will get me as excited as a large hatch of stoneflies. A female stonefly bouncing along the surface of the water and laying eggs will provoke absolutely savage strikes from hungry trout. Trout will recklessly slash at the surface to grab these large insects before they can escape. This is … Read more
This past weekend I got some decent footage of a nice sized brook trout (The one pictured above) taking a size 10 Goddard Caddis I was skating. While I catch less trout skating a dry fly than on a dead drift, the trout I do catch tend to be larger, more aggressive, and fight harder than … Read more
Fly anglers are well aware of the importance of dragonfly and damselfly nymphs, but often neglect the airborne adults version of these insects. The adult forms of damsel and dragonflies are strong fliers, and are rarely available to trout or bass since they don’t fall in the water all that often. That being said, they … Read more