Troutbitten

We all miss fish and lose fish on a fly. Why does it happen? Is it an accident? Is it avoidable? And how can we improve our hookup and landing ratio on the water?If you’re at the point where you’re worrying about why you are missing and losing fish, then really. . . you know you’re already doing a lot of things right.Fooling trout is the hard part. Fly fishing is not easy. And trout — especially wild ones — are not forgiving. They don’t grant you much grace. And rarely do trout take lousy presentations. So if you trick a fish into taking your fly, then pat yourself on the back. And when you start to fool them often enough that you notice a trend of missing or losing fish, then again, just know that you’re doing a lot of things right. Convincing trout that a fake fly is the real thing is tough. The rest? Well, it all comes a lot easier.So, of course we want to land our trout. Missing and losing fish is frustrating after a while, because we sense there’s more that we can do to keep fish buttoned up. And really . . . there is. There are observable causes for trout missing the fly, just as there are mistakes we make on our end that result in another miss or a lost trout.Like everything else in fishing, there’s a lot of nuance to this topic.Reasons and strategies for missed and lost trout change whether it’s dry flies, nymphs, wets or streamers. Maybe a trout refuses our dry fly in a quick swirl as it rejects the pattern in a last second decision. It looks like the trout ate, so we set the hook and even feel the hook touch the fish, but we still miss it. This is not a hook setting error. It’s a presentation error. The fish refused the fly.The same happens with our streamers. And this is where I think we see it the most. When trout charge the streamer and maybe even strike it — but if they don’t eat it, then no amount of perfecting the hook set will catch that fish.So there’s a lot to see and understand, and this conversation helps bring a lot of that to light.We Cover the FollowingFuture podcast season plans (listener question)The difference between missing and losingSlack!The inevitability of missing and losing fishBarbless flies, small fliesHook set speed and lengthLate setsWhy bad drifts create a lot of missesDifferences between missing fish on all the fly typesThe Phantom hook set. . . and moreVisit:Troutbitten WebsiteTroutbitten InstagramTroutbitten YouTubeTroutbitten FacebookThanks to TroutRoutes:Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership athttps://maps.troutroutes.com Thanks to SkwalaUse the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order athttps://skwalafishing.com/

You can’t really learn a river until you’ve learned to fish. You need some confidence in your skills to cover a section of new water, to fish it well and then walk away with some opinions about what that river holds rather than asking questions about your techniques and decisions.Learning a river comes by dedicating your time. You must give a part of your life to a river to learn it from top to bottom. And yes, it takes seasons on the water just to crack the surface. (And it probably takes a decade or more to crack the code.)But for many of us, for those who live a fly fishing life, who dedicate our free time to pursuing trout and learning the game, the questions that a watershed asks are seductive. Why do you find fewer large trout in the lower island section in the fall? What river conditions are required for trout to move to the shallows and comfortably feed after dark? When should you expect the Sulfur hatch, and are there two sizes or just one?These questions have answers. And the more we fish one waterway, the more details we discover, the more data we enter into a catalog of knowledge about a favorite trout stream.Rivers are an ever-changing, complex ecosystem of life, water and land. They are influenced by weather, surrounding community development and sometimes the anglers themselves. Nothing is static. Nothing is truly predictable. But there’s also no denying the habit of trout. And once you spend time wading with these fish, observing their habits and watching how the changes affect their behaviors, then time itself finally stacks in your favor. The observant angler becomes part of that ecosystem. And we begin to predict the paths of trout by instinct.Achieving that level of knowledge is a rare reward. But it is attainable. And the journey toward that knowledge is a respectable pursuit.I’m joined again by the Troutbitten crew, Trevor Smith, Matt Grobe, Bill Dell, and Austin Dando. I can tell you that each of these fishermen know their local waters exhaustively, from to deep to shallow, from bank to bank, winter, spring, summer and fall. They know the rhythms of their waters. We Cover the FollowingListener question about dry flies on the Mono RigResearch via maps, books, etc.Trout population and speciesLearning the flowsExploring from the mouth to the headwatersSeason changes and migratory habits. . . and moreResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Dry Flies on the Mono RigREAD: Troutbitten | The Last Good IslandREAD: Troutbitten | Save the DiscoveryVisit:Troutbitten WebsiteTroutbitten InstagramTroutbitten YouTubeTroutbitten FacebookThanks to TroutRoutes:Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership athttps://maps.troutroutes.com Thanks to SkwalaUse the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order athttps://skwalafishing.com/

Living a fly fishing life, being Troutbitten, is something that you can’t shake off. Your mind always churns over something tactical, like  a fresh spin on an old streamer retrieve. Or maybe you’re daydreaming about the upstream reaches above the water that you chose last weekend -- fishing past dusk before walking out, a mile and a half, under the stars, by yourself, full of the satisfaction that good exploration brings. And you know there’s more to find — still miles of river toward those headwaters. So the questions and that allure of discovery taps you on the shoulder all week long, reminding you of what's to come.The next fishing trip is something to look forward to. And that’s the secret to happiness — always something to look forward to. Something to work on. Something to improve. Something to achieve.These are life goals. And fly fishing for trout, like so many other great pursuits, gives our life a purpose, just by giving us the next thing to look forward to and the next thing to work on.This is why we choose a fly fishing life. This is Troutbitten. And I’d guess that most of our listeners want the same.But here’s the thing: There’s a difference between wanting it and working for it.I think everyone imagines themselves deep into the middle of a sweetheart spot, with no one else around, casting and fishing for big wild trout that are eating our flies and coming to hand. Maybe it’s the rising trout at dusk, or a frenzied streamer bite in the morning as you cover water quickly. Whatever your favorite scenario, these are the idealized moments we imagine when we think of a fly fishing life. And, of course, those moments are there for us. We get a lot of them.And yet, the amount of effort it requires to get there, the preparation, the planning, the failure and frustration requires hard work to get through all of it, and on to those best moments.Doing the hard things. That’s what this podcast is about.What are those hard things? How do we enjoy them? And what kinds of things are overlooked but seem to make all the difference?We Cover the FollowingListener question about quantifying improvement in our gameGetting up earlyRefining the casting strokePerfecting our riggingEfficiencyResearch of tactics and locationsGear purchase and maintenanceTying and testing flies. . . and moreResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Al the ThingsREAD: Troutbitten | What to Trust READ: Troutbitten | How to Stay in the Fly Fishing Game for a LifetimeVisit:Troutbitten WebsiteTroutbitten InstagramTroutbitten YouTubeTroutbitten FacebookThanks to TroutRoutes:Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership athttps://maps.troutroutes.com Thanks to SkwalaUse the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order athttps://skwalafishing.com/

In the last podcast, episode 7 of season 3, we talked about finding your water and finding space. And we acknowledged that everyone wants this. Everyone. I don’t know any fisherman who sets out to fish beside a bunch of strangers for the day. Because part of the experience we seek is getting away from everything else in life, for just a bit. No matter where you are, having some space and some water to call your own is a primary draw.So when you do find a section of river, when you’re deep into the process of dissecting a riffle, run or pool, one of the worst and most frustrating things that can happen is having another angler walk in on you. Specifically, when they wade into the water you are fishing or that you planned to fish very shortly.It’s no fun. It can be maddening. And it can absolutely ruin your day.In some ways, this experience is inevitable. If you fish often enough, you’re going to get front ended, probably sooner than later. And how should we deal with it? Is there really any good way to open a dialogue with someone who rudely jumps in front of you? Does it ever end well?And how much water should we expect to be granted? What’s the standard, anyway?Also, if you round the bend on your walk in, and you see another angler set up in exactly the same water you planned to fish, where should you go? What’s the acceptable distance? How much room should we give each other on the river?Just like the previous episode, this podcast deals with space on the river. But this time, it’s not about finding space as much as how we share it. Sometimes, we’re forced to share more than we’d like. Other times, there’s simply no question that another angler has broken the code. And how do we deal with that? This is our topic.We Cover the Following: Thoughts on secret patternsSome worst cases of front-endingThee two types of anglers who front end youCan you actually educate anyone about the code?What are the unwritten rules about fishing space?Ethics and etiquette ResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Front Ended -- Can We Stop Doing This to Each Other?READ: Troutbitten | Why Everyone Fishes the Same Water, and What to do About ItREAD: Troutbitten | Some Days Are Diamonds -- Some Days Are RocksVisit:Troutbitten WebsiteTroutbitten InstagramTroutbitten YouTubeTroutbitten FacebookThanks to TroutRoutes:Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership athttps://maps.troutroutes.com Thanks to SkwalaUse the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order athttps://skwalafishing.com/

Every angler wants to fish somewhere new — someplace untouched. We want novel experiences. Something about trout fishing, about catch and release and about throwing flies, attracts the explorer. Long term anglers are most often the adventurers. They’re the pathfinders — the ones who find the qualities of solitude and peace more important than fishing big-name waters or catching a bunch of trout.And these days, one of the most common complaints heard among fishermen is about crowded waters. People say there are more anglers than ever and that you can’t get away from all the fishermen out there. But I think you can. And, In turn, one of the most common questions I receive is how to find the offbeat waters, where are the places that everyone doesn’t fish? Inevitably, people ask about these places because they want to see fewer anglers.That solitude on a trout stream is there if you truly want it. By putting in the time to learn your waters, you’ll find the under-fished areas.If you want space, if you want to find your own water, it’s there for you.Think about where and when. Consider the conditions. And learn to recognize the habits of anglers — because they are always predictable. Avoid every access with a clever name like Rainbow Riffle or Three Dollar Bridge. Sure, the fishing might be great, but these are not the places to find your space.And if you roll up to a popular access of a blue ribbon trout stream, if it’s noon on a Sunday, if it’s June with prime flows and sunny skies, then stop complaining about the cars and anglers.That’s your choice. It’s on you. And by making that choice, you’re now part of the predictable habits of anglers.We Cover the Following Are there really more anglers?The effects of weather on angler pressureHow the habits of anglers are predictablePopular water, unpopular spotsPopular waters, uncommon timesLesser known watersExploring, walkingResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Why Everyone Fishes the Same Water, and What to do About ItREAD: Troutbitten | Cover Water, Catch TroutREAD: Troutbitten | Explore | Learn | ReturnREAD: Troutbitten | Save the DiscoveryREAD: Troutbitten | One Thing at a TimeVisit:Troutbitten WebsiteTroutbitten InstagramTroutbitten YouTubeTroutbitten FacebookThanks to TroutRoutes:Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership athttps://maps.troutroutes.com Thanks to SkwalaUse the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order athttps://skwalafishing.com/

This episode is about fly casting — why it matters more than anything, and how we can improve our accuracy and control over the system with just a few key adjustments.All  fly fishing styles require good casting skills. My friends and I fish a Mono Rig for most underwater presentations. But this tight line approach for nymphs and streamers falls apart without the ability to cast and manage a long leader, through the air, exactly like a fly line. I say it all the time about tight line and euro nymphing — it’s casting, not lobbing — at least, it should be. Lobbing can get things done for a while, but to get anywhere beyond the basics, or even to get under the bankside tree limbs, we need good casting form. So we build loops with a great casting stroke, and then place not just the fly where we want it, but the tippet and leader in the best position too. Ironically, it takes refined fly casting skill to cast a Mono Rig.All of us here fish long leaders and short ones. We choose a powerful Mono Rig for pushing nymphs and streamers around, and we cast dry flies with a fly line too. We fish a pure tight line with a single nymph, we fish dry dropper styles, yarn indys with short leaders and fly line, and streamers with sinking lines sometimes.All of it, every bit of it, requires the same casting fundamentals and the ability to control lengths of line in the air. And we must build casting loops with speed for the line to go anywhere.It’s fly fishing. So it starts with fly casting.We break down some of our best tips for fly casting that apply to beginners and advanced anglers alike. We go through the essentials and some advanced ideas that apply to all fly casting styles, from dry flies to nymphs to streamers. We Cover the FollowingCorrecting casting mistakes in the driftCradling the rod, and finding the balance pointSpeed. short, crisp motions and clean stopsTurnoverLimit false casting, but use it for purposeOval in the rod tip travelThe casting V (10 and 2)Distance disciplineDon’t reach ResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Category | Fly CastingREAD: Troutbitten | Bob's Fly Casting WisdomREAD: Troutbitten | Fly Casting -- Squeeze ItREAD: Troutbitten | Fly Casting -- Acquire Your Target Before the PickupREAD: Troutbitten | Fly Casting -- Don't ReachVisit:Troutbitten WebsiteTroutbitten InstagramTroutbitten YouTubeTroutbitten FacebookThanks to TroutRoutes:Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership athttps://maps.troutroutes.com Thanks to SkwalaUse the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order athttps://skwalafishing.com/

This episode is about exploring the water types of a river to find hungry trout. And we’re thinking beyond just fast water, slow water, riffles, runs and pools. Sure, recognizing the basic features of the stream you’re fishing is a great starting point. But this is Troutbitten, so you know we’re going to take things a bit further. We want to know more.And what matters most is where trout are feeding -- and why.Find feeding fish. When we’re on the water, it’s priority one. The rivers we fish are full of wild trout. They are everywhere. But just because trout are holding in a piece of water doesn’t mean they are feeding there. And, moment to moment, we’re searching for where trout are feeding in the river.We talk a lot about solving the daily puzzle, about the on-the-river mystery presented anew every time we wet our boots, and even every time we round the next bend. That mystery really begins with finding feeding fish. Where are the hungry ones? What event or condition has trout ready to feed, on the hunt, or eager to intercept an easy meal?Rivers are in a perpetual state of change, and the trout’s feeding patterns respond to those changes.There are a number of factors that encourage trout to move into and feed in certain types of water. While the real-world conditions and events are infinite, there are five major factors that influence where and how trout feed in a river. They are: water temperature, water levels and water clarity, hatches, bug and baitfish activity, light conditions, and spawning activity.And if we learn to recognize all of this, we have the keys to the puzzle.We Cover the FollowingListener question about leader changesTrout response to various water temperaturesTrout response to water levelsTrout response to water clarityHow trout respond to hatchesHow baitfish activity influences trout feedingHow the spawning activity of various species provides feeding opportunities for troutResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Find Feeding FishREAD: Troutbitten | Finding Bite WindowsREAD: Troutbitten | Where to Find Bigger TroutVisit:Troutbitten WebsiteTroutbitten InstagramTroutbitten YouTubeTroutbitten FacebookThanks to TroutRoutes:Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership athttps://maps.troutroutes.com Thanks to SkwalaUse the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order athttps://skwalafishing.com/

Something electric happens when we hook into the fish of the day, the fish of the season or maybe the fish of a lifetime. Our hearts beat faster. The adrenaline pumps because the stakes are raised. This is the fish we’ve been waiting for, and we don’t want to lose the opportunity.And that feeling never fades. Across fishing styles and over the centuries, fishermen are captivated by these big-fish moments. And though the feeling never grows old, our ability to control our response and control the fish using the right moves with the rod, the reel and the line improves. With each loss, we learn the hard way. With each story about the one that got away, we replay our mistakes and plan to avoid the same errors next time.And as we wait, as we hunt for the next big trout, we practice these moves on the average trout. We form good habits for line recovery, for slack management, side pressure, optimal fighting angles and the all-important closing moves of the last ten feet.So, as much as we focus on the intricacies of fly selection, casting technique and drift speed, often, what we remember most is the moment when the biggest trout we’ve ever seen makes it to our net. It’s that conclusion — that happy ending that provides the capstone to so much of our journey.Fighting bigger fish is an equal-parts mix of preparation, instinct and luck. And at least a third of that formula, we’re in control of.In this episode, I’m joined by my fishing friends, Trevor Smith, Bill Dell, Austin Dando, Josh Darling and Matt Grobe.We Cover the FollowingThe largest trout we've ever lostForming good habits with smaller troutFighting fish upstreamWorking with a trout and not against itWhere in the water column to fight a troutKnowing the strength of your toolsSide pressureClosing the distance, and the last ten feetResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Category | Fighting FishREAD: Troutbitten | Category | Big TroutREAD: Troutbitten | Fighting Fish -- The Last Ten FeedREAD: Troutbitten | Fighting Fish -- Work With a Trout and Not Against ItVisit:Troutbitten WebsiteTroutbitten InstagramTroutbitten YouTubeTroutbitten FacebookThanks to TroutRoutes:Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership athttps://maps.troutroutes.com Thanks to SkwalaUse the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order athttps://skwalafishing.com/

One of the greatest attractions to fly fishing can also present one of the biggest barriers.It’s the bugs.The aquatic insects that make up the bulk of a trout’s food base are intriguing, but they’re also somewhat mysteriousThe advanced angler explores the nuances of these bugs. Some insects are good swimmers and emerge fast, so a presentation outside of a pure dead-drifted nymph might be the trigger that turns trout on. Likewise, understanding the life cycle of a mayfly helps us realize why seeking out and imitating the spinner stage is one of the best dry fly opportunities on the river.These are the kinds of things to know about trout bugs. This is why we follow the hatches. We pay attention and try to meet the trout on their own terms -- give them more of what they’re eating right now.Understanding everything we can about these bugs and how trout respond to them is a big piece of the puzzle that we’re trying to solve out there. And sometimes, it’s the keystone. Because at certain times, the bug life of a river is the central player in a trout’s daily life.In this episode, I’m joined by my fishing friends, Trevor Smith, Bill Dell, Austin Dando, Josh Darling and  Matt Grobe.We Cover the FollowingListener question about the sustainability of catch and releaseA walk-through of the major hatches throughout our seasonDifferences from east to west and moreHow mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies and midges differ in their availability to troutWhy spinner falls are such a great opportunityHow the hatches affect our strategy from top to bottomResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | You Don't Have to Match the HatchREAD: Troutbitten | The George Harvey Leader DesignREAD: Troutbitten | Are We Taking the Safety of Trout Too Far?READ: Troutbitten | In Defense of Catching and Counting Fish — Why numbers in the Net MatterVisit:Troutbitten WebsiteTroutbitten InstagramTroutbitten YouTubeTroutbitten FacebookThanks to TroutRoutes:Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership athttps://maps.troutroutes.com Thanks to SkwalaUse the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order athttps://skwalafishing.com/

Casting, drifting, swinging and stripping -- everything else is downtime. As Paul said, “Brother, there are no flying fish in Montana” — or anywhere else, for that matter.Flies in the water — that’s where we want them. A trout at the end of the line. That’s what we’re aiming for. But there are seemingly endless tasks required for a fishing trip. And how we approach those chores really defines the way our day will go — simply because our fly is either in the water . . . or it’s not.How we prepare the night before, our system for carrying tippet, our strategy for choosing the next fly, and even what we do with the net after releasing a trout — what we do with our time on the water . . . matters. And all of us experience that nagging feeling that something is amiss, that so much more is possible, on those days when we know that we are inefficient.Fly fishing is for the pragmatist. Successful anglers see failure and make the changes to turn it around. And no matter what our natural tendencies — whether we’re a neat freak or a slob at home and at work, the river quickly teaches us that the only way forward is through efficiency. So every long term angler that I know becomes efficient, even if they weren’t born that way.In this episode, I’m joined tonight by my fishing friends, Trevor Smith, Bill Dell, Austin Dando and Matt Grobe.We Cover the FollowingFinding a system. Finding routines for everything.Vest/ Pack strategiesOrganizing gearPre-trip preparationLeader changesKnot tyingWading staffTraveling strategyDon't be late!Rod storageResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Find Your SystemREAD: Troutbitten | The Inefficiency of InexperienceREAD: Troutbitten | Look for the Changeout SpotsREAD: Troutbitten | What About the Wading Staff?READ: Troutbitten | Find Your RhythmVisit:Troutbitten WebsiteTroutbitten InstagramTroutbitten YouTubeTroutbitten FacebookThanks to TroutRoutes:Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership athttps://maps.troutroutes.com Thanks to SkwalaUse the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order athttps://skwalafishing.com/