Troutbitten

Part three of this Troutbitten Skills Series focuses on sticking the landing. Because after putting ourselves in great position to present the fly, we shouldn't waste the perfect tuck cast and delivery. As the fly hits the water, all the elements of our system are in position and ready to drift. That's sticking the landing.Like a gymnast who tumbles, somersaults and then lands on two feet with no body movement, the best completion of a cast happens with no extra movement. Instead of landing and then recovering or correcting, we stick the landing, ready to drift.My friend, Austin Dando, joins me on Episode Three for an in-depth discussion of this technique.(Season three will return to my full panel of friends, with longer form discussion about all things fly fishing.)We Cover the FollowingWhat sticking the landing looks likePosition of rod tip, leader, sighter and tippetWhy it mattersMaximizing the drift timePreserving good slack with tippet positionSighter angleLeading angleThe negative results of reachingWhere to stop the forward castCorrecting mistakesRemember, each of these podcasts is supported by a companion article of the same topic. And you can find the full overview of the Nine Essential Skills for Tight line and Euro Nymphing here:READ: Troutbitten | The Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro NymphingREAD; Troutbitten | #3 Stick the Landing -- Nine Essential Skill for Tight Line and Euro NymphingResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | The Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro NymphingREAD: Troutbitten | Category | The Mono RigREAD: Troutbitten | Stick the Landing While Tight LiningREAD: Troutbitten | When the First Cast Matters MostREAD: Troutbitten | It's Casting, Not LobbingREAD: Troutbitten | Put More Juice in the CastVisit: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/

Part two of this Troutbitten Skills Series focuses on the tuck cast. A good tuck is a turnover cast -- where the loops unfolds completely in the air. In fact, a tuck cast is a fly-first entry, and it's perfect for setting up the tight line advantage, where we keep everything up and out of the water that we possibly can.We tuck cast not just to get deeper, but to setup the fly, tippet, sighter and leader in the best possible position to drift the flies down one seam. Accuracy starts with a good tuck, and not just accuracy over where the fly goes, but where all the parts of the leader go too.My friend, Austin Dando, joins my on Episode Two for an in-depth discussion of this technique.(Season three will return to my full panel of friends, with longer form discussion about all things fly fishing.)Remember, this is part two of a nine-part skill set. Think of a Troutbitten Skills series as a course in one topic or one aspect of fly fishing, with different sections that eventually build a full set of knowledge.Each of these podcasts is supported by a companion article of the same topic. And you can find the full overview of the Nine Essential Skills for Tight line and Euro Nymphing here:READ: Troutbitten | The Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro NymphingREAD; Troutbitten | #2 Turnover and Tuck Casting -- Nine Essential Skill for Tight Line and Euro NymphingWe Cover the FollowingThe fly first entryThe tight line advantageTrue turnoverCasting vs lobbingPut more juice in the castLeader designRod powerLoading the rod and feeling the tugLeader power / Leader pushAngles and depths of a good tuck castResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | The Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro NymphingREAD: Troutbitten | Category | The Mono RigREAD: Troutbitten | Turnover and Tuck CastingREAD: Troutbitten | The Tuck Cast READ: Troutbitten | It's Casting, Not LobbingREAD: Troutbitten | Put More Juice in the CastREAD: Troutbitten | TurnoverVisit: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/

Season two of the Troutbitten podcast comes in a new format. It's a mini-series of connected episodes that build out a set of specific tactics. The topic for this first skills series is the Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro Nymphing, and I'm joined by my friend, Austin Dando.(Season three will return to my full panel of friends, with longer form discussion about all things fly fishing.)These episodes are short, deeply tactical and packed with the how-to of just one technique -- a tightly focused look at one topic. Each episode is intertwined or woven together with the others that surround it. By the end of this skills series, you’ll have a detailed picture of the tactics — and hopefully a thorough understanding of what’s possible on the water.Think of a Troutbitten Skills series as a course in one topic or one aspect of fly fishing, with different sections that eventually build a full set of knowledge.Nine for NineI recently published the last chapter in the nine skills essential for tight line and euro nymphing. Now, we're taking each of these skills and building a podcast around them. The article series and the podcast series go hand in hand.Why?Tight line and euro nymphing is very popular right now. Because it’s an efficient system, and it’s fun. But tight line and euro nymphing is misunderstood too. The many different rigs and methods of casting or delivery are what make all of this so interesting, but it’s what leads to confusion and mistaken concepts about what this is and how to get it done.These nine skills are critical — they are the foundation for everything else that we do with a Mono Rig -- all the indy styles, dry dropper, streamer fishing, etc.Episode One of this skills series is about angle and approach.We Cover the FollowingThe tight line advantageLimiting the rangeUpstream two and over oneFlies track to the rod tipOne lane -- one seamForty-five to forty-fiveWhen to end the driftThe trouble with casting acrossWading disciplineWater typeResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | The Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro NymphingREAD: Troutbitten | Category | The Mono RigREAD: Troutbitten | Angle and ApproachREAD: Troutbitten | One Great Nymphing TrickVisit: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/

Episode 15 is for story telling. And I'm joined by my friends, Bill, Josh, Austin and Trevor to share memories and make a few plans.This is the final episode for season one of the Troutbitten Podcast. And at the tail end of this busy year, it's a great time for reflections and resolutions.My friends and I share a few lighthearted stories about the dumbest things we've ever done on the river. We also share who and what we miss most from years past. And lastly, we talk about what we want to change most about our fishing lives.It's a great discussion that's both introspective and humorous. It's also the perfect way to wrap up season one of the Troutbitten Podcast.We Cover the FollowingDom's snorkeling debacleJosh and Austin, sleeping with the wolf spidersAustin's humble brag on the Blackfoot RiverBill's finger problemsTrevor's costly fall inWhat each of us misses mostWhat each of us plans to change for the coming seasonResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Category | StoriesREAD: Troutbitten | Your In Too Far NowREAD: Troutbitten | All the ThingsREAD: Troutbitten | How It StartedREAD: Troutbitten | Find Your Rabbit HoleVisit: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/

Episode 14 is a deep dive into winter fishing tactics. And I'm joined by my friends, Bill, Josh, Austin and Trevor.Because the trout have different habits in the winter, we refine our approach to meet them on their own terms. Is that . . . low and slow? Sure, sometimes. Nymphing is often seen as the go-to approach, but for the winter trout angler who’s attentive, the opportunities for some great streamer action are there too. Even dry flies can be an option if you keep your eyes open.Why do so few anglers fish in the winter? Well, honestly, because it’s a challenge that many fishermen are not ready for. And while they might hit the water once or twice, so much is different and . . . difficult, that the results often don’t meet expectations. Then the warm fireplace seems the better option, and the fly rod is leaned in the corner until springtime.So, what does it take to catch trout in the winter? That’s what we discuss in this podcast.We Cover the FollowingApproach, making a plan and choosing waterFind the feeding fishDo mornings matter?Limestone vs Freestone differencesDo you need to fish midges?The egg biteStreamers in the winterWinter nymph riggingIndicators, and bobber holesResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Category | Winter Fly FishingREAD: Troutbitten | Winter Fishing -- The Go-To Nymphing RigREAD: Troutbitten | Winter Fishing -- The Secondary Nymphing RigREAD: Troutbitten | Fly Fishing in the Winter -- The SystemREAD: Troutbitten | Modern Streamers: Too Much Motion? Are We Moving Them Too Fast ?Visit: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 this episode, I get together with my long time friend, Matt Grobe, for a candid, entertaining, fun and technical discussion about wild trout, big trout, and the differences between the fishing cultures and opportunities available in two of the meccas for trout fishing in the states -- Pennsylvania and Montana.Matt has lived and fished hard in both states, and he's been fortunate enough to live a life on the water, not just chasing wild trout, but chasing the big ones. He's always had a knack for turning over the next top tier fish. And in our conversation, Matt offers some great tips for targeting big trout and consistently putting them in the net.Matt Grobe is one of the best fishermen that I know. He’s honest and realistic. He values wild trout, and he hates the shortcut. Matt doesn’t fish setups. He earns every trout because he appreciates the experience — the fair chase for wild trout in wild places. He’s a technician on the water, but he’s not competitive. He’s generous but secretive in all the best ways. Matt searches for answers out there, and trout fishing has been part of his life for a long, long time. Matt’s one of my favorite people that I’ve ever shared the water with, and I wish he still lived in Pennsylvania.We Cover the FollowingThe Crossover TechniqueThe origins of naming two foot trout -- yes, Matt started this nonsenseKey differences between PA and MTWhy Matt focuses on big troutWhy does the quality or the origins of big trout matter?Wild vs stocked in PADo thirty inch trout exist without a setup?Do you need streamers for big trout?Where to target big trout most oftenMatt's windy bugger techniqueResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | From Pennsylvania to Montana and BackREAD: Troutbitten |  Streamer Presentations -- Crossover TechniqueREAD: Troutbitten | Category | The Mono RigREAD: Troutbitten | Modern Streamers: Too Much Motion? Are We Moving Them Too Fast ?Visit: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 Episode 12, my friends and I talk about nymphing tactics — specifically, how we take tight line principles and the tight line advantage over to an indicator nymphing system.We know that with refined skills and tactics, we can often make something happen, even on slow days. And there’s really no better way to consistently fool trout — in all conditions — than to get good drifts with a nymph. These small aquatic insects are the primary food source for most trout. And with nymphing skills, we don’t need to wait for rising trout or a streamer bite.Being a nymphing angler is a sustainable and successful approach. We can do it all year long — anywhere that trout live.So what’s the best way to nymph?In this episode, my friends and I dig deep into one of the best ways — a nymphing tactic that I call Tight Line to the Indicator. Because when tight line or euro nymphing fails — for a variety of reasons — the answer, most often, is to take those contact principles — that tight line advantage — and combine it with an indicator system. Because the indy allows us to do things that are simply impossible on a pure tight line.I often make the point, or make this argument, that tight line or contact nymphing tactics can’t be beat — that using the tight line advantage is almost unarguably the best way to get great dead drifts while having control over the course of the flies and great strike detection. But what I mean by that is not just pure tight lining. Because tight line to the indicator style is also part of my system.When it’s the best tool for the job, then putting an indy on a tight line rig is a deadly variation. I build my leader to be ready for it. The rod I carry is designed for it. Because tight line to the indicator is a problem solving approach that gets the job done when pure tight lining simply cannot.We Cover the FollowingWhat does this rig look like?What is this Tight line to the indicator approach?Why isn’t this style more popular or well-know?What is so special about going tight line to the indy?When do we use this style?How to line everything up in one seamLanding with contact and withoutIndicator stylesThe downsides of this approachGear for this approachResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Tight Line Nymphing with an Indicator -- A Mono Rig VariantREAD: Troutbitten | Nymphing Tight Line vs IndicatorREAD: Troutbitten | One Great Nymphing TrickREAD: Troutbitten | Category | The Mono RigVisit: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/

Pushing through the tough times — dealing with bad weather and difficult conditions — puts you one step ahead of most anglers. The rivers and the parking lots are empty when the wind is howling, the snow is blowing or it’s pouring rain. Sure, we’d all like to fish the sweetheart days. But the more you learn to fight the elements and win — to have success on the water — the more you long for those tough conditions.In this episode, my friends and I talk about fighting the elements. How can we effectively fish through rain, wind, cold weather, ice, snow, hard sun and everything else that nature throws at us?There's always some natural element that we're battling out there (usually it’s more than one). And if we don't have a plan for dealing with these elements, we fail.None of us spends enough time on the water. For the Troutbitten angler, the draw to the river is ever-present. And we plan for the next trip as the previous one winds down. So we fish when we can. Instead of waiting for the best conditions, the die-hard angler fishes because it’s Sunday, or because it’s Tuesday evening after work, or because it’s Monday morning after dropping the kids off at school. Few of us have the luxury to pick and choose our times on the water, so every angler who wishes to fish, quickly learns to deal with tough conditions.Some anglers walk away when the going gets tough. But as we all know, sometimes the best fishing happens in the toughest conditions. So we fish hard. We persevere. We adapt and meet the challenges before us. And quite often, some of our most memorable days happen in these harsh or difficult conditions.So my friends are join me to share some tips, some ideas about how to get through the elements and get to the end of the day, not just with trout in the net, but with lasting memories and satisfaction.It’s not just about meeting the challenges. And it’s not just about having fewer anglers on the water. It’s the satisfaction of being a complete angler. Because you know you can catch trout in the rain, the snow, the cold or the sun.  Then instead of shying away from tough conditions, you welcome every new day — no matter the weather -- as a chance to go fishing.Question and Answer RoundWhat are the basic tools needed for fly tying?Does rod balance matter?Why are so many fly anglers also guitar players?Do you most enjoy fishing alone or with a friend?ResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Category | Fly Fishing in the WinterREAD: Troutbitten | Find the best light angles, and see what you're fishingREAD: Troutbitten | Fly Fishing in the Winter -- Ice In the Guides?READ: Troutbitten | How to Wet Wade (The Gear and System)READ: Troutbitten | You Stink -- It's the Wader FunkREAD: Troutbitten | River and RainVisit:Troutbitten WebsiteTroutbitten InstagramTroutbitten YouTubeThanks 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 this tenth podcast, I read a story that I first published with Hatch Magazine in 2016. It’s titled, The Kid, and it’s one of my favorites.My sons Joey (13) and Aiden (11) join me for the question and answer round. They answer a few questions, and they read a few from podcast listeners.Way back in 2014, I started Troutbitten as a way to document all of this for my two sons. I wanted a record of the fishing stories and the things that I’d learned about trout fishing over the years. Really, that was the goal. Those were the roots of Troutbitten.My boys have been part of my fishing life since their beginnings. They’ve been out there with me since they were born. I was a daytime Dad, and I worked at night. So the boys and I spent many, many days hiking beside rivers, eating lunch streamside and casting into moving water. My goal has always been to give them a base of appreciation for the outdoors and to feel comfortable in nature. Of course I hope they keep fishing with me as they grow older, but if nothing else, they will always have the sounds of a river embedded deep in their memories.Question and Answer RoundJoey, what's your favorite way to catch trout?Aiden, what do you like best out there, besides the fishing?Joey, what's the best way to get a kid into fishing?From Podcast Listeners:Does the clinch knot for connecting the leader to the fly line loop cut into the fly line?Has their ever been a time when you wanted to quit fishing? How'd you get through it?What’s the next step for Troutbitten? Have you ever thought about starting a fly shop?ResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Category | Fishing With KidsREAD: Troutbitten | Born to Fish BigREAD: Troutbitten | LegendaryREAD: Troutbitten | The Twenty Dollar CastREAD: Troutbitten | Fishing With Kids -- The Independence MarkerREAD: Troutbitten | Loop to Loop is Bad -- Try Attaching Your Leader This WayVisit: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/

While fishing a streamer, we’re trying to make it look alive. That's the difference. Because, while fly fishing other styles, we spend so much of our time dead drifting dry flies and nymphs and trying to impart no motion, that switching to streamers is a relief. It’s liberating. It’s fun.And so many presentations — so many looks to the streamer — can be attractive and convincing. Because everything works sometimes.But day to day, some retrieves and presentations just work better. And there’s no question about it. Sometimes, hammering the banks with a fast jerk-strip brings the big trout out to play. And other days it’s a soft crossover technique that really turns on those same trout.The joy of streamer fishing is that so many things can work. And trying them all is a great way to spend our time on the water.On a dry fly, I’ll tell you what they want: It’s a dead drift. On a nymph? Same thing. And the closer you can get to that pure, unaltered drift, the more convincing your fly presentation will be.But on streamers? Show them a slow slide or a head flip. Give them a speed lead, a touch-and-go or an endless retrieve. See what works.That’s the fun of streamer fishing. Make the fly look alive in the water. It’s not dead drifting anymore — it’s swimming a living baitfish that can do a bunch of predictable and unpredictable things.Sometimes it seems like the trout are looking for one kind of action on the fly — or at least that’s what turns them on most. Other times, many of these presentations seem to work. But the point is to make that fly swim. Give life to the streamer. Convince the trout that they’re looking at a living, swimming creature.And that's what this podcast conversation is about -- breaking down streamer presentations. How do we move the fly with the line hand and the rod tip, with strips, jigs, twitches and more? This discussion, with four of my best fishing friends, is about what makes each presentations to the fly unique. How does what we do on our end of the line affect what happens at the other end?We Discuss the FollowingStripping and hand twistingLine hand motion vs rod tip motionRod position upon fly entryContact vs slackJig, jerks, twitches, pulses, stripsHead positionDepthSpeedHolding seams vs crossing seamsNatural vs attractive presentationsMake it easy or make them chaseResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Category | StreamersREAD: Troutbitten | Modern Streamers -- Too Much Motion?READ: Troutbitten | Streamers as an Easy Meal -- The Old School Streamer ThingREAD: Troutbitten | Streamer Presentations -- The Death DriftREAD: Troutbitten | Streamer Presentations -- The Deadly Slow SlideVisit:Troutbitten WebsiteTroutbitten InstagramTroutbitten YouTubeThanks 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/