Troutbitten

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/

We’re out there to catch trout. That’s what brings us to the water. But how many do we catch? And really, how many should we catch? What are the expectations? And how can we know that we’re fishing well?In some way, maybe none of this matters. It’s not really about numbers, right? it’s about the experience.Sure it is. And we all agree with that. But as I’ve written on Troutbitten, there are two sides to every fisherman — one that just wants to go fishing and is happy to be out there, and another that desperately wants to understand the techniques — to solve the ever present mystery of how to catch more trout. And Troutbitten aims to address both of these sides.In truth, it’s the tactical side that keeps us coming back. Most long-term anglers go fishing to learn something and to improve a skill. And as we learn and refine our craft, we enjoy everything that the woods and the water give to us. The endless discovery is the joy of trout fishing. We’re thankful that it’s different every day, and we know we’ll never learn or experience all of it.So if the goal is to improve and study and refine, then the numbers in the net do matter. Because it’s the trout that ultimately decide if the drift is any good. The trout tell us if we’ve solved that daily mystery. A fish at the end of the line is confirmation that our decisions and efforts are good ones.Counting is a way to gauge our success, not just against how well we did last time out, but how well we are doing compared to what is possible. What’s the bar? What’s the ceiling? How many trout could be caught if we had everything just right — the best fly and the perfect drift.I think every fisherman asks those questions — How am I doing relative to what is possible?And that . . . is what this podcast discussion is about.We Discuss the FollowingCatch rate vs catch numbersConditions and expectationsStaying groundedWhat is a catch?Sometimes the goal is not to catch the most troutAll fishermen are liarsTypes of trout and changing expectationsHow chosen tactics change expectationsResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Fly Anglers in Profile -- The Numbers GuyREAD: Troutbitten | Two Sides to Every FishermanREAD: Troutbitten | How to Fish With FriendsREAD: Troutbitten | Missing the MorningsVisit: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 is our seventh podcast episode in the first season. And we’ve done this enough now to get into a rhythm. If you’ve listened to previous episodes, you know that we’ve kept the topics tightly focused on just one aspect of fly fishing for trout. And before we dig into those topics we always do a question and answer session with my friends.But in this episode we mix it up. This is the Freewheelin’ Troutbitten, with an hour long question and answer session — just a freeform conversation about trout fishing on a fly rod and  a few other things mixed in.It's a fun discussion filled with details and tactical takeaways, with some good disagreements, differing opinions and good humor.We Discuss the FollowingFavorite Pheasant TailsJunk FliesMost memorable loss of gearCan you fish an area so much that it becomes unethical?Pet peeves of social mediaSpot BurningIf you had one cast to catch a trout . . .Displacing troutThe biggest lies in the fly fishing industryWhat skill most helps anglers get to the next level?Favorite months of the year to fishWhat holds anglers back the most?Can trout sense what's coming next?ResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Confidence Flies -- Seventeen NymphsREAD: Troutbitten | Super FlyREAD: Troutbitten | A Fisherman's Thoughts on Friendship and Spot BurningREAD: Troutbitten | The SecretREAD: Troutbitten | When the First Cast Matters MostREAD: Troutbitten | Winter Welcome HomeVisit: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, my friends join me to share some of their best tips for reading water — seeing a trout stream, recognizing the currents in a river that hold trout and having the confidence to target them.Then we get into the philosophy of Cherry Picking or Full Coverage. That is, the speed at which we cover water. How fast do you move from one place to the next? And what are the merits of hole hopping or trying to efficiently cover every likely piece of river that holds a trout? Because there are a couple of different ways to approach your time out there. And it’s helpful to think about the best ways to use it.Reading water is a skill to be learned intentionally or by accident. Among the hundreds of tactical articles on Troutbitten is a full category for reading water, where each article addresses one facet of the skill.Reading water is something we can all improve upon. By sharing tips, and by understanding how our friends look at the same piece of water, we can see the stream in a whole new way. My friends have some great tips for how they read water.The conversation then turns to cherry picking and full coverage . . .The fisherman’s path leads from one prime spot to the next, leaving a good bit of the river — maybe most of it — unfished. That’s cherry picking. It’s choosing the best pieces of water and ignoring the rest. And it can be a great strategy for catching a bunch of fish . . . sometimes. But there are some caveats, too.Working an entire stretch of water can be harder. But once learned, it might be a more productive long-term strategy. Full coverage of the river reveals a lot more about trout habits and opens up opportunities to grow into a more complete angler. And once you catch on to the rhythm of the process, full coverage is a fun way to fish too. We discuss the merits and the best times for each approach.The Q&A RoundStreamer size vs streamer colorOrganizing fly tying hooks and beadsWhat's more memorable -- losing a big fish or landing one?Why Trevor hates lunch meatJosh and the PBJ revelationWe Discuss the FollowingPotholes in rifflesThe seams around rocksFinding water that is big-fish-speedLooking upstream to find the seamsFind feeding fish, then cherry pickCherry pick to save timeCherry pick out of necessityFull coverage as a learning toolFull coverage out of necessityResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Category | Reading WaterREAD: Troutbitten | Cherry Picking vs Full CoverageREAD: Troutbitten | At the Front Door of Every RockREAD: Troutbitten | Look Upstream to Find the SeamsREAD: Troutbitten | Levels, Resets and New BeginningsREAD: Troutbitten | Every Rock Creates Five SeamsREAD: Troutbitten | Trout Like to Do What Their Friends Are DoingVisit:Troutbitten WebsiteTroutbitten InsThanks 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/

After hundreds of Troutbitten articles featuring the versatility of the Mono Rig, now there's a podcast. My friends Josh, Austin, Trevor and Bill join me to discuss how each of us fishes this hybrid rig as a complete fly fishing system, detailing the ultimate flexibility of this amazing tool.The Troutbitten Mono Rig is a hybrid system for fishing all types of flies: nymphs (both tight line and indicator styles), streamers, dry-dropper, wets, and small dry flies. With twenty pound monofilament as a fly line substitute, better contact, control and strike detection are gained with the Mono Rig versus a traditional fly line approach. And yet, the casting here is still a fly line style cast. Ironically, it takes excellent fly casting skills to efficiently throw a Mono Rig.The Mono Rig is similar to tight line and Euro Nymphing styles, however . . . it’s a full system for fishing all fly types, with and without indicators — with and without split shot. The Mono Rig is a very versatile tool. And that’s the focus of this podcast. We all fish similar mono rigs with some variation. And we all use it in different ways, too. Some are slight. Some are major. This discussion provides a full picture of what the Mono Rig really is and what you can do with it — all the options — and all the versatility.We Discuss the Following:Mono Rig Butt Sections and DiametersTight Line NymphingEuro NymphingTight Line to the IndicatorTight Line Dry DropperStreamers on the Mono RigDry Flies on a Mono RigFly Rod Selection for the Mono RigResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Category | The Mono RigREAD: Troutbitten | Design and Function of the Troutbitten Standard Mono RigREAD: Troutbitten | The Mono Rig and Why Fly Line SucksREAD: Troutbitten | The Full Mono Rig System -- All the variations, formulas and adjustmentsREAD: Troutbitten | Euro Nymphing and the Mono RigREAD: Troutbitten | Beyond Euro NymphingVisit: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/

Keep wild trout wild. Not all trout are created equal, and there are many differences in the trout we catch -- in their appearances and their behaviors. Wild trout, stocked trout, holdover trout, fingerlings and club fish are very much a different breed -- or at least they can seem that way.My friends join me for an honest discussion about the trout we pursue. All of us fish for every kind of trout on the list. And all of these trout hold value -- but not equally.We believe wild trout populations should be protected, wherever they are found. That starts by eliminating the stocking of hatchery trout over wild trout. And it continues by finding struggling wild trout populations and helping them -- strengthening their numbers by improving water quality and habitat. Neither government nor private organizations should be permitted to stock over established wild trout populations. Full stop.Why does a wild trout matter? Because it’s real. Because it’s adaptable. Because it holds the evolutionary genetics for surviving in its own river system. Because it is a strong, lasting creature. Because wild trout are (most often) more challenging to catch. Sometimes they’re harder to find. Because they are survivors. Because they are a symbol of nature’s persistence against human intervention. And a wild trout, in all its beauty, is . . . simply . . . wild.In this episode, we talk about each of the five kinds of trout that we catch, because this hierarchy holds up all across the country, not just here in Pennsylvania.Wild TroutFingerlingHoldoverStockieClub FishAll trout have value. And if you are having a great time catching trout, well, that’s the point. Enjoy it. Get out there, fish hard and have fun.And yet, there’s also nothing wrong with addressing this topic and understanding that there are major differences in the trout we catch. Stocked trout are often nothing like their wild counterparts. This is true.We discuss the following:The harm done by stocking over wild troutStocked trout habitsHow to tell the differenceThe important value of stocked fishHow club fish set up expectationsWe believe that wild trout, wherever they are found, should be kept wild and given a chance. It's important to recognize the exceptional value of wild trout and to understand the limited value of the stocked trout. We should not get them confused. By pushing for regulations that protect wild trout and enhance their habitat we can prepare a better future. By choosing to showcase wild fish over hatchery fakes we send a signal.Value the wild trout. Protect it. Catch it, and release it.  And yes, value the stocked trout for what it is. ResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | The Hierarchy of Trout In PennsylvaniaREAD: Troutbitten | Posted -- Club Fish -- 2065READ: Troutbitten | Why Wild Trout MatterREAD: Troutbitten | What Happened to Laurel Run? The Story of a Stocked Trout Stream and a FishermanREAD: Troutbitten | Does a Stocked Trout Ever Become Wild?Visit:Troutbitten WebsiteThanks 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/