Troutbitten

Some favorite rivers meander and roll through stunning scenery and enchanting tracts of wilderness. And most trout fishermen quickly realize that the pursuit of wild trout takes them into some of the most beautiful valleys on earth.But some other favorite rivers run through towns or behind old factories. Maybe they’re paralleled by a highway or narrowly channeled by railroad tracks on either side. These places can be just as special, just as meaningful and treasured, for what they hold — for what they teach.All of our favorite rivers have made an impact on who we are as a person — not just as an angler. Because, for so many fishermen, a home water is precisely that — a home. A place to rest. A place to seek comfort and rejuvenation. These rivers are places to share with those we love . . . or to seek an adventure alone.Our favorite rivers are as integral to our experience as the rods, leaders, lines and tactics. They define our fishing, and they become part of our lives. In this episode, we share some history with these places and discuss what connects us to these moving waters.ResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | The SecretREAD: Troutbitten | Right HerePODCAST: Troutbitten | What to Love About Small Stream Fishing S7 Ep6PODCAST: Troutbitten | Secrets and Spot Burning S3 Ep1VIDEO: Troutbitten | The River Doesn't Owe You AnythingVisitTroutbitten 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/

Dive into the world of tight line leader styles and discover what makes each technique unique. From exploring the nuances of standard versus micro-thin mono rigs, to mastering the art of Euro nymphing, the discussion is rich with experienced insights. Learn how leader builds influence casting techniques and fishing success. Hear personal anecdotes that highlight the challenges and adaptability required for various environments. The conversation is packed with practical tips and a deep appreciation for minimalist design in fly fishing gear.

Here we are in the middle of season nine, and we’re doing something a little different. This is like an intermission between sets.My wife, Becky, is here, and we’ll catch up on a few Troutbitten things, like updates to the Recommended Gear page and the upcoming fall leader sale.I also have a listener email to share that really gets to the heart of what we all love about being out there on the water.And then, I  read one of my favorite Troutbitten stories from the archives. It’s titled, Coffee and Secrets,  and I think it strikes at a similar sentiment about the intangible motivations that keep us involved in a fishing life.ResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Recommended GearSHOP: Troutbitten | LeadersREAD: Troutbitten | Design and Function of the Troutbitten Standard Mono RigREAD: Troutbitten | Coffee and SecretsREAD: Troutbitten | Some Days are Diamonds, Some Days are RocksVisitTroutbitten 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/

Nymphing has transformed from a fallback option to a preferred method among anglers, offering intricate techniques that enhance the experience. The conversation dives into various nymphing styles like Euro and Mono Rig, highlighting their unique characteristics and benefits. Advanced tactics such as tight lining and high sticking are explored, emphasizing effective fly presentation and leader strategies. Historical influences, the growth of internet forums, and the interplay between tradition and innovation in fly fishing are also discussed, providing a rich perspective on the sport.

Sometimes, an angler's love for gear becomes more important than the fishing itself, until the goal becomes a bigger collection of fishing gear instead of a collection of good fishing experiences. We’ve all seen this out there. And sometimes we have to actively fight that urge to want the next thing or believe that our deficiencies on the river can be solved with more gear.The truth is, too much stuff gets in the way. Simplifying our approach, our fly selection and gear selection, usually wins. It can also make for a happier fisherman who feels like they know their tools and have confidence in their techniques.But, having a few extra rods and reels is good too. And researching, planning for and then buying your next piece of gear is a fun process that can be inspiring. It can motivate you to get back to the river quickly and put your new stuff to the test. All things in moderation, right?So part of our conversation in this episode is focused on the gear — the stuff you don’t need to have great days on the water, the stuff that might hold you back far more than help you out.But another part of this episode is less tangible. Because it’s not always what we buy and stash in a fishing pack that gets in the way. Because, over time, it’s too easy to focus on finding the perfect water. Or we can look too hard for ideal weather and fishing conditions. Even the pursuit of some miraculous presentation can get in the way of our enjoyment and our progress.For most anglers, our time on the water is often so limited that it’s easy to get wrapped up in all the daydreaming and planning, until gear acquisition syndrome creeps in. And then our time on the water is spent finding reasons that we need something else or the next thing.The truth is, your best approach is to take the modest gear you own, hit some of the closest trout water you can find, and fish it hard. That’s what wins. And that was this podcast conversation is about.ResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | All the ThingsREAD: Troutbitten | Patience vs PersistenceREAD: Troutbitten | Fish HardVisitTroutbitten 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/

How do we handle tough days? How can we turn it around and start catching fish? When the going gets tough, how do we fix it? What are the strategies? So, most things don’t turn out the way you had them planned. That’s life. But as you’re driving the dirt road toward your favorite trout water, thoughts and plans unfold in your mind. And while preparing for a destination trip, you expect success. Once you’re finally traveling halfway across the country to that river you’ve wanted to fish for decades, visions of the trout you’ll catch take over.Your hopes and dreams of what will end up in the net are a primary motivator. And, aside from the fish, you might even be enthusiastic about a new fly rod, a new pair of waders or maybe an experimental leader that you tied up.For all of this, and for the fishing itself, we expect success. We assume the positive. Because, as my friend Rich Alsippi loved to say, "the fisherman is eternally hopeful." Good anglers are optimists.Why? Because fishing is filled with so much failure that anyone who stays in the game learns to look on the bright side, to see beyond the fish count, to get past tangled tippet, broken reels, lost flies in a tree and soaking wet clothes from falling in — again.Things go bad out there. A trout river forces you into mistakes. And sometimes, the fishing is just tough. Trout don’t want to eat.So you try everything you planned for. You know what should work, and you’ve fished it. But when it doesn’t . . . what do you do?That’s what we’re here to talk about tonight . . .ResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | The Fisherman Is Eternally HopefulREAD: Troutbitten | The Best  Laid Plans of Fishermen often Go AwryREAD: Troutbitten | Fish HardVisitTroutbitten 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 conversation is about spawning trout. Specifically, we tackle the ethics of fishing during the spawn, whether it’s right or wrong to fish for trout that are actively in the process of making the next generation of trout.Moreover, where do these ideas of what’s ethical or not come from, and why are the expectations confusing for a lot of anglers?Is it okay to be on the water while trout are spawning, or should we simply stay away during the spawning season and let trout do their thing?We branch out into different trout species, and we highlight how different regions, different rivers and different setups might require a different approach.This topic can get a little contentious. Anglers have strong opinions about this, one way or another, and for many people there’s not much middle ground.We’ve covered this topic before, in a couple Q&A sessions in different podcast seasons. But this topic deserves its own podcast, and it’s been on our list for a long while.Trust me when I say that none of us are here to tell you how to fish or when to fish. But this topic is one that each of us has given a lot of thought to over the years. We’ve also seen anglers have a change of heart, and we’ve been around to witness some heated disagreements about this topic too.READ: Troutbitten | Are We Taking the Safety of Trout Too FarREAD: Troutbitten | Redd Fish -- Should We Fish Through the Spawn or Stay Home?READ: Troutbitten | Fish HardVisitTroutbitten 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/

Everything changes. That’s the only constant. And in the fly fishing world, the tactics, the gear and how we share all of this information changes, even though what the trout eat and how they eat it pretty much stays the same.That time frame, that snapshot, from where you entered the fly fishing world, shapes what you do on the water. And it’s amazing what just twenty calendar years does to that snapshot. Because a lot of your understanding about what is common, accepted or frowned upon is shaped right away, as you start researching and learning about this fishing thing that eventually becomes a big part of your life.In this episode, my friends and I consider this topic: How have the tactics changed? How has the gear changed? How has the flow of information changed? And how has all of that changed the way we fish for trout?ResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | All The ThingsREAD: Troutbitten | Fishing with FriendsREAD: Troutbitten | Angler Types in Profile -- The RookieVisitTroutbitten 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 six-part series we’ve covered locations, water types, weather, water and light conditions. We’ve talked about the gear, about flashlights and headlamps and glow in the dark stuff. We’ve considered what a good night plan looks like, having a strategy and then adapting.Tactically, we’ve talked about drifting vs swinging flies, about three levels of the water column, about where to expect trout might feed the most after dark, and we’ve walked through top water patterns, emergers and streamers at night.This week, we’re finishing the series with nymphs, wets and the Harvey Pusher Night flies. We discuss rigging and tactics for each of these fly types, where to fish them and how our presentations might differ at night  from what we do in the daylight.ResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Category | Night FishingREAD: Troutbitten | The Harvey Pusher Night Fly (with VIDEO)READ: Troutbitten | Find Your Rabbit HoleREAD: Troutbitten | Night Fishing for Trout -- The Wiggle and HangREAD: Troutbitten | Drop Shot Nymphing on a Tight Line RigVisitTroutbitten 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 the episode you’ve all been waiting for. Tonight, we  talk about  fishing the top water. And yes, that means mouse patterns — sometimes. We also dig into a fly style that we feel is often more effective, the mouse emerger concept at night. And we talk about fishing streamers after dark.We cover the effectiveness of many different top water and streamer styles. And we discuss how the emerger concept combines the best of both fly platforms. We get into our favorite patterns and how we fish them.ResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | Category | Night FishingREAD: Troutbitten | Streamer Presentations -- The Death DriftREAD: Troutbitten | Of Mice and FishermenREAD: Troutbitten | Night Fishing for Trout -- You're Gonna Need a Bigger RopePODCAST: Troutbitten | Night Fishing and the Mouse Emerger ConceptVisitTroutbitten 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/