Nymphing is perhaps the method of fly fishing that most reliably and consistently produces trout. Available prey does vary from river to river, but in most instances nymphs make up the majority of a trouts diet. Knowing this, is it any wonder that fishing a nymph is one of the most effective methods of targeting trout? As mentioned nymphing is … Read more
This is a pattern that was initially intended to mimic a sand shrimp. Once I got out on the water and actually fished the pattern, found that it did a much better job of mimicking mummichogs and/or killifish. You can bounce it along the bottom like a sand shrimp, or swim it in the upper middle part … Read more
This weekend I was fortunate enough to land a gorgeous female 22″ steelhead that weighs in at 5.5 pounds. The large steelhead from yesterday is tied for the title of my personal best rainbow trout. The steelhead shares the title with a bulky male steelhead I caught October of last year from the same pool. The … Read more
I’ve been spending probably more time than I should be lately on youtube watching fishing videos while I wait for the summer heat to disappear so I can get back on the water. There’s been a sudden surge of underwater strike videos with the release of water wolf and other similar cameras (I’m not affiliated with … 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
The black Mohair leech is my go to streamer pattern for sea run brook trout and Steelhead. It’s a well known pattern, with many tying tutorials around the web. Pictured above is my variation on the mohair leech. I make a few additions in the tying process that really help improve durability as I feel that when … Read more
Shrimp are great because pretty much every fish that swims wants to eat them. This makes shrimp flies a good choice for multi species angling in salt water. There are also some types of fish that have a strong preference for shrimp, In Atlantic Canada these include sea run trout (either steelhead or brookies) and winter flounder, … Read more
Popper flies are one of the most fun ways of catching fish. Panfish, bass, trout and an amazing variety of saltwater species will all take a popper fly in the right conditions. Poppers can range from very tiny bluegill poppers, to very large poppers for targeting striped bass, tarpon, and even sharks. I’ve gathered a collection of some … Read more
This is a infographic I made depicting the size difference between world record catches of some popular game fish. It’s nice to be able to visualize the difference in size by seeing them side by side. I realize there’s lots of fish missing from this comparison like Lake trout, pike among many others. I may do … Read more
Terrestrials don’t always get the love they deserve. It’s true that caddisflies and mayflies are very important prey species for trout, and are often the right way to go with fly selection. What if there are no “hatches” happening the day you’re out though? Many terrestrials are active all year (except winter) and are on a … Read more