Knots to Know for Cold Weather Fly Fishing
When fly fishing in cold weather, it’s important to learn how to tie strong knots very quickly. This article discusses three of our favorites.
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Tactics & Techniques
Fly Fishing with a Spinning Rod
It seems blasphemous to use a fly with spinning gear, and maybe even a little hypocritical for the “serious” fly angler to consider. But in the right situation, fly fishing with a spinning rod can be downright effective. My first experience fishing flies with spinning gear was almost 25 years ago, in my late teens,
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The Art of Fishing Dry Flies in the Rain
Dry fly fishing in the rain is often productive, but it can be a challenge to keep your flies floating, but this article tells you how.
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When Should You Change Flies?
Recently, I received this message from a reader of this blog: “When fishing a long pool or long run that you know is holding fish, how many drifts through the pool should you make before you decide it is time to change your fly?” John B., St. Marys, PA. One of the great mysteries of
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Strategies for Fishing Dry-Dropper and Tandem Fly Rigs
Dry dropper and tandem rigs are two popular methods of fly fishing, and while similar, they are not the same. Each has fundamental differences, and therefore requires slightly different techniques to be most effective. Dry-Dropper and Tandem Rigs Explained The simple description of a tandem fly rig is one fly tied to a tippet and
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Tippet Rings: How and When to Use Them
Tippet rings have become a necessary part of my fly fishing set up. They increase the life of your leader and make changing tippet sizes a breeze. Simply attach one to the end of your leader with a clinch knot, and then use another clinch knot to attach the tippet to the ring. Easy as
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Nymphing Techniques for Great Lakes Steelhead
Egg patterns get all the glory for Great Lakes steelhead, but truth is, a variety of nymphs and streamers will also catch fish. Sure, the right egg pattern in the right situation can produce a banner day, but if you focus more on presentation than on trying to find that “magic egg color,” you’ll catch
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Watch: Reading the Water, Color Changes and Seams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2OA1y9g5DA&t=150s In this video, Dark Skies Fly Fishing contributor Justin Leidy discusses the importance of color changes in riffles and runs and how to located the seams where fish are most likely to be feeding. To read more about nymphing this type of water, check out “Is it a Riffle or Run…and Does it Really
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Is it a Riffle or Run…and Does it Even Matter? Nymphing Approaches for a Specific Water Type
Fly fishermen, especially nymph fishermen, are obsessed with naming different types of flowing water for discussion purposes. There are glides, slicks, pools, eddies, back channels, junctions, bank water, pocket water, ledges, tailouts, and, of course, riffles and runs. But, more often than not, there is a lot of ambiguity between these different types of trout
Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass in Small Streams
Although I’ve fished small streams for smallmouth bass my entire life, most of that was done with conventional tackle. Occasionally I picked up the fly rod and caught a few, but I didn’t really focus on them with the intent to get better at catching them. The past couple years, though, I’ve purposed to change
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