Troutbitten
Troutbitten is a podcast about fly fishing for wild trout in wild places. Hosted by author and guide Domenick Swentosky, it features stories, tips, tactics, and conversations with friends. The show explores fly fishing through woods and water, encouraging listeners to fish hard and discover more. It is complemented by the Troutbitten website, which offers over 1500 articles on trout, friends, family, and the river.
Episodes
Learning From Other Species and Other Styles
Here's a good talk about other styles and other species, and how using a spinning rod or baitcaster can open up your fishing world to a more complete set of skills and a better understanding of . . . fishing.Most fly anglers can pick up and cast a spinning rod or baitcaster, but if you spend some real time to develop an intimate understanding of the strengths and the possibilities, you gain a
Tech Talk About Boots, Waders and More - In Deep with Kevin Sloan of Skwala
Over the last few decades, fishing apparel has undergone a dramatic evolution. Today, we expect more than ever from our boots, waders, jackets, and shirts because we've grown accustomed to the advantages of purpose-built gear that's ready to deliver.Comfort, support and durability are the hallmarks of great fishing gear. So I sat down with Kevin Sloan, the founder of Skwala fishing, for
Fishing Angles - Upstream or Downstream?
We’re here to talk about fishing angles. Are you wading upstream or down? And are you casting upstream or down? What’s your preference? Why do you make that decision? When, if ever does it change? And does your casting direction always follow your wading direction?Sometimes, these preferences seem regional, while other times it’s specifically about the tactic -- meaning that swinging wet flies, fo
RIVERSIDE: Are Light Nymphs More Effective? Is Less Weight More Natural?
What’s the nymph really doing under there? How is it affected by the currents? And is the attached tippet dragging the fly unnaturally across, over, up or out of the natural, one-seam drift that our picky trout are waiting for?The challenge of nymphing is mercifully balanced by the frequency at which trout feed on these bottom dwelling food forms. So even if we get one in ten drifts just right, th
Season 19 Intermission - Catching Up, Leader Sales, Book, Beer, Film Fest and More
For our Season 19 Intermission, my wife, Becky, joins me to check in on what's going on in the Troutbitten world. We talk about the upcoming leader sale in the Troutbitten Shop (May 24th), the Troutbitten Film Festival, guide season, changes to the Troutbitten Beer with New Trail Brewing Company and the Mono Rig book status. Then my son, Aiden, joins me for a short conversation about spring f
Is There Really Anything to Figure Out?
There’s something about fishing that leads us to believe that we can figure out what the fish want to eat that day — at that moment. Really, we want to believe that. And maybe it’s true often enough that trying to figure ‘em out . . . is a smart strategy.But I’m sure you’ve also had the experience of getting back to camp and every one of your friends all caught fish — but they all caught them on d
Taking the Next Step
How do you get deeper into the game? Is it a choice or just good fortune? We live a life on the water, and a couple of episodes ago we talked about burnout — how a lot of anglers dig in, fish hard, go all out for a few years, and then just fade away. That’s the end point for some people, but tonight we’re here to talk about the beginning. We want to consider the start of a fishing life, or more ac
The Big Lie of Dry Dropper
Dry dropper is great. Just put a nymph under that dry fly and get the best of both worlds. Right? Not so fast . . .The idea that you can have your cake and eat it too — that you'll get perfect drifts on the dry fly and the nymph — and that you somehow double your chances by dropping a nymph under the dry is not true. This is the big lie of dry dropper fishing.Here's the problem: In most
Burnout
A life on the water is an everyday thing. When we’re not fishing, we’re thinking about it. We’re preparing for it. We’re learning about it. I text with friends almost daily about river conditions and hatches. I drive beside the river just to see it — even though that route takes a few extra minutes.We've all seen die hard anglers living their life on the water -- and then it just goes away. R
What About Luck?
For Season 19 of the Troutbitten Podcast, we're adding the video component, with the same conversation on both the audio and video side. So you'll still find the audio version of the podcast on Apple, Spotify and every other platform, and now you'll find a video of the podcast conversation on the Troutbitten YouTube channel.The new video format is full of creative possibilities, and
Dry Fly Platforms - The Outliers and The Wrap Up - The Troutbitten Fly Box
This Troutbitten Skills Series and these platforms are an effort to pass along the idea that fly selection doesn’t have to be regimented or complicated. Instead, see flies for what they have in common. Find their similarities rather than their differences. Choose the elements that matter most to you. Find the components of a fly that create enough of a distinction to be the keys to a platform, and
Dry Fly Platforms - Hoppers, Stones and Foams - The Troutbitten Fly Box
It's time for the big-meal dry fly platform: hoppers and stoneflies.When we open our fly boxes, we’re looking for a solution. If trout are sipping tiny olives in a soft tailout, we probably reach for the low-riding, vulnerable look of a Comparadun or a Parachute. And if we see trout slashing at hovering, skittering Grannoms in a riffle, we probably choose an Elk Hair Caddis or similar.But wha
Riverside: Find Fish, Feed Fish, Fight Fish - The Order of Everything
In this Riverside episode, I share an article that I published a few years ago, title, The Order of Everything. I also share some Troutbitten updates about my upcoming book, about the Troutbitten Shop, about the live podcast on March 28th at New Trail Brewing Company and the Troutbitten film festival happening later this year, in October. There's an order to everything to keep this Troutbitte
Dry Fly Platforms - Emergers - The Troutbitten Fly Box
A dry fly emerger is one that has part of the fly underneath the surface. It’s a highly effective form (meaning tout eat it) because it matches the most vulnerable state of things that trout see.In this episode we cover the dry fly platform of emergers. We look at what they are, how and why to use them and the differences in styles within this platform. We cover some history about how emerger desi
Dry Fly Platforms - Down Wings - The Troutbitten Fly Box
The down wing dry fly style is a perfect match for one of the most ubiquitous insects found in trout rivers across the planet: caddis. The down wing platform is also a first choice for matching many terrestrials, like moths and hoppers, and it finds it's way to stonefly patterns as well.But for this discussion, we cover the down wing and its progression into fly boxes, by looking at three sta
Dry Fly Platforms - Comparaduns - The Troutbitten Fly Box
With its simple form of wing, body and tail, the Comparadun is another template for the dry fly angle -- another perfectly adaptable platform.When the Comparadun hit the scene in the 1970’s, it was a significant departure from the norm. Anglers recognized this, but more importantly, the trout recognized this. The Comparadun became a hatch matcher. It became the closer, because the Comparadun speci
Dry Fly Platforms - Parachutes - The Troutbitten Fly Box
The parachute platform is our favorite style of dry fly and the favorite of many other anglers, because of its utility. Because it form is functional. Because it casts well, lands upright and keeps floating, even though heavy water. It fools picky trout and looks enough like an emerger and a spinner that you might get away with one fly, all the way through cycle. It's a great dry-dropper fly,
Dry Fly Platforms - Upright Hackles - The Troutbitten Fly Box
Season 18 is a unique look at dry fly styles, through the concept of platforms. By taking a fly shape, a form or a set of materials, we can adapt the elements like color, wing style, tailing material or hackle length to meet the moment. Within the fly platform, we vary its properties to the river conditions or to a specific hatch.In this seven part Skills Series for season 18, we cover these six d
Approaching the River
We’re here to talk about approaching the river — approaching the trout — to put our boots in the best place, with a strategy for making the casts and catching fish.We focus so much on the drifting, on the presentation and the casting — on the technical aspects of getting all of those things just right — that it’s easy to overlook the skill that comes before all of that . . .And make no mistake, th
Fly Tying -- Essential Tools and More
Fly tying is more popular than ever. With the prevalence of high quality materials and excellent videos showing how to build flies, more fly anglers choose to tie their own patterns than ever before.All of us at Troutbitten have been tying our own flies from the beginning, so we each have preferences for the tools we use. That's what this podcast episode is all about. We discuss the essential
Fly Fishing Myths
For this episode, we want to tackle a topic that’s been on our list for a long time — fly fishing myths and misunderstandings.We’re not here to argue about stuff or complain. We just want to acknowledge things that we hear repeated or we see in print or shown in videos — stuff that’s almost assumed as fact, when it’s often not true at all.We do think it’s important to try to clear the air about th
In Deep with Devin Olsen - Tight Line Tactics and Competition Influence
Devin Olsen has had an immeasurable influence on the nymphing game. Having been embedded in the competition scene for two decades now, Devin knows competition nymphing form the inside. While reading Devin's book and watching his videos, it's obvious that he puts in the work. Instead of slavishly recycling the ideas of others, Devin is a unique thinker and a tireless tester on the water.
Troutbitten State of the Union, Fall 2025 - Catching Up With the Shop, Book, Videos, Events and More
For our State of the Union 2025, my wife, Becky, joins me for a lighthearted look at what's going on in the Troutbitten world. We talk about the upcoming leader sale in the Troutbitten Shop (December 1). We talk about the book, the In Deep series, podcast plans, shop changes, a live podcast event, a Troutbitten Film Festival and the the New Trail Troutbitten beer.Becky and I also read a few l
Have Mono Rig and Euro Nymphing Styles Gone Too Far?
All of us at Troutbitten, along with so many anglers across the country, use a Mono Rig for most underwater presentations. The tight line advantage and the drift control possible for both nymphs and streamers is fun and effective. But a lot has changed . . .Five or ten years ago, most tight line anglers were using a Mono Rig leader build with a butt section thick enough to mimic the functions of a
The Spawning Process of Trout
The spawning process is arguably the most important event of a trout's life. The best trout in the system spawn every year. And as long term anglers, we should understand the process -- not only because we then know how to give trout their space, but because the process is a fascinating look at a fish that we spend so much time chasing.We do not advocate fishing for actively spawning trout. B
What Flies Catch Big Trout?
Sometimes, the goal is to catch the biggest trout in the river. In those times, what's the best fly to choose?In this conversation, we talk through big trout situations, and we focus on the flies. If you’re really targeting a big trout, when does a streamer seem like the best choice, and what qualities in that streamer help not just get a trout’s attention, but convince them to eat the fly?Li
In Deep - Fishing Simply, With Craig Matthews
Craig Matthews is one of the most prominent figures in fly fishing, with a career spanning half a century and an influence that is immeasurable. Making his home in Montana, Craig's fly shop, Blue Ribbon Flies, became an icon as he educated and helped generations of anglers find their way with a fly rod. Craig's many fly creations, like the Sparkle Dun and X-Caddis are in my fly box, and
Back to Spot Burning - Evolution?
With this conversation, we're going back to spot burning. In Troutbitten Podcast Season 3, Episode 1, we talked through Secrets and Spot Burning ( March, 2022). And in that conversation we spent a lot of time on the first part — on what fishing secrets really are, whether they’re valuable, fun or just gatekeeping. (They’re valuable, by the way.) And we acknowledged that every angler has their
Big Flies for Big Trout - Cicada Wrap Up
We begin Season 17 with a conversation about fishing the 17 year periodical cicada this past summer. We talk about big flies, big water and big trout. For so many of us, it was the rarity of the event -- there’s no other chance for this kind of fishing, right here, in our home waters, for another seventeen years. That’s a big marker in time. Because when you look back that far, it seems like a who
Riverside -- Fighting Big Fish -- Keep 'Em Down
A top-tier river trout is a beast. The inherent nature of a river, with the endless obstacles, rocks, tree parts, current breaks, high gradient runs and undercut banks challenges the angler at every bend. So when you finally hook up with a Whiskey, a new game begins. It’s a match up between trout and fisherman. Who will win that fight?Bringing a trout to the net requires a series of accurate calcu
In Deep -- Dry Fly Leader Design with John Shaner
In Deep is a video podcast series for conversations that dive into the details of focused topics -- no fluff, just concentrated, sometimes technical talk from experienced anglers and industry professionals.Our first In Deep guest is my friend, John Shaner. With a career spanning five decades, Shaner has worked for influential companies like Hardy and Cortland, while connecting with seemingly ever
The Blue Liner's Bible - Questions and Stories
Here we are at the end of the Blue Liner's Bible series. And we saved this one for listener questions and some of our own stories. This episode ties up some loose ends and brings it all back home. Because, I think we ended up right where we started, realizing that small stream fishing leads us into everything there is to love about fishing, and maybe helping to teach us some of the most impor
The Blue Liner's Bible -- Bigger Trout, and Streamers on Small Streams
This one's about using streamers to find the biggest trout in the smallest waters. In previous episodes we worked though locating the right water for small streams. We've talked about dry fly tactics, nymph fishing and now, with episode five in this series, we’re ready to tackle streamer fishing on small streams.Our job for this episode is to highlight the changes we make, or the differe
The Blue Liner's Bible -- Nymphs On Small Streams
In this fourth episode of the Blue Liner's Bible, we talk about nymphing on small waters. We discuss when and where we might turn to nymphs, and then we break down the adaptations for different styles.We cover dry dropper, mostly as a nymphing tactic. Then we discuss indicator nymphing and tight line nymphing with a Mono Rig.My friend, Austin Dando, joins me for an important look at the varie
The Blue Liner's Bible -- Dry Flies On Small Streams
We’re here to break down small stream dry fly fishing. We’re tackling dry flies first in this series, because fishing dries on small water puts you in a great position, with the necessary skills, to fish the other disciplines of nymphs, streamers and wets.In this episode, my friend, Austin Dando, and I walk through the gear, the approach, the casting, some philosophies and strategies for fishing d
The Blue Liner's Bible -- Finding the Right Water
We're back with Season 16, with episode two of the Blue Liner’s Bible. This one is all about finding the right water.We mean this in two different ways. First, you need to find a small stream that has public access (or you have private permission). But the stream also needs cold water and a good population of trout (hopefully they’re wild trout).That’s the first thing — find a good stream to
The Blue Liner's Bible --The Good and Bad of Small Stream Fishing
With cold flows and eager trout, mountain water and small stream fishing can provide the perfect setup, the perfect escape, if you’re willing to put in the effort. There are some truly wonderful things about small stream fishing, and learning to work these waters teaches us everything we need to know about fishing any trout water. But the challenges can turn many people off as well.Small stream fi
The Airing of Grievances -- Four
Welcome to the fourth annual Airing of Grievances on the Troutbitten Podcast. Buckle up. Because it’s time to clear the air about a few things, to complain about some other things and get all the frustrations out in the open.We look forward to this episode every year, because honestly, it’s a lot of fun. I know that listeners anticipate this one as well, and just like last year, we have a bunch of
Is Gen X the Greatest Fly Fishing Generation?
We talk a lot about our frame of reference in fly fishing. Wherever you get into the game, a lot of your baseline is set by whatever is popular or widely accepted at that moment in time. My friend, Matt Mickey, recently argued that Gen X anglers are uniquely positioned, that this generation has experienced development and had a wide variety of influences that will never be duplicated.We’ve learned
Caught, Lost and Missed Trout -- Keeping Track
So . . . how was it? How many did you catch? This is always the question for every fisherman, right? Whether I’m talking to my friends about a fishing trip from last week, or as I walked in the door this evening, my wife asked the same question — how many fish did you catch?It’s a fair question. Because that’s the goal out there (usually). We go fishing to catch fish. But the answers we give can a
Gear Fixes
When you fish long enough, things break. That’s the nature of life, really . . . things fall apart. But if you're resourceful, you put them back together.Sometimes it’s out of necessity. Honestly, a couple decades ago, I simply couldn’t afford to go through gear as fast as it was wearing down, so I learned to patch waders, fix a fly rod, mend a fly line, resole my boots, sew tears in my fishi
Our Most Important Breakthroughs
This episode is all about breakthroughs. For each of us, as a personal account, what have been the biggest changes, or the biggest steps forward, in our fishing?I call these breakthroughs because they're the landmarks or discoveries or changes, along the way of learning, where we can look back and say, “Now that, really made a big difference.”We talk a lot about a life on the water. And reall
Season Fifteen Intermission -- Catching Up With Leader Sales, Books, Beers, Videos and Plans
For our Season 15 Intermission, my wife, Becky, joins me for a lighthearted look at what's going on in the Troutbitten world. We talk about the upcoming leader sale in the Troutbitten Shop (May 23rd).We talk about the New Trail Troutbitten beer, the upcoming book on Fly Fishing the Mono Rig and a bunch of videos on the Troutbitten YouTube channel.Becky also covers a couple favorite fishing te
Why Are Some Trout So Selective?
The trout is prized as a gamefish because it’s picky. It’s selective. Often, it requires a refined presentation to fool a wild trout. And in large part, that’s the draw toward fishing for them.In every region, in every stream, trout habits can differ from others in neighboring watersheds. And across the fishing landscape, we find places and even moments when trout are more picky — more choosy — ab
Riverside -- A Fisherman's Thoughts On Spot Burning
There are two ways to tell the experience of an angler: how he holds a fish and how he keeps his secrets. The latter is probably more important.A seasoned angler intuitively understands the vulnerability of a river. Spot burning is a real thing with real consequences.Good anglers understand this concept. Good people understand this concept.Every piece of river is someone else’s favorite place. So
Fishing Big Rivers-- Thoughts, Tips and Strategies
Let’s talk about fishing big rivers. For the most part, all of us here at Troutbitten are river anglers, meaning not much stillwater. Furthermore we’re mostly wade anglers. We spend most of our time wading rather than floating, because we enjoy it, and because in a lot of cases, wading gives us the best chance for success.But over the years I’ve noticed some misunderstandings about where and how w
Learn to Read the River Like a Trout
We spend a lot of time thinking about tactics and working on techniques. We devote our energies toward finding fly patterns, tying up our confidence flies and testing new flies. We research new waters and explore unfinished sections in familiar waters. We spend a lot of time doing fishy things. This is a life on the water.The guys and I have been talking a lot about reading water. It’s one of the
Know the River or Know Your Tactics? What Puts More Trout In the Net?
Here's a topic that starts with an interesting question: What puts more trout in the net? Is it knowing your water or knowing your tactics?Of course, the easy answer is . . . both. Refine your skills and learn your rivers. Then put all of that together, and you have a great formula, not only for catching trout but for having a lot of fun.The truth is, as frequent anglers we’re always involve
Riverside -- Twelve Small Stream Fly Casting Tips
Here are twelve tips for delivering a fly into waters that are heavily canopied, with greedy branches, ready to grab your fly and make life difficult. The best small stream fishing happens in these places. We call it brush fishing.Learning to cast a fly on small streams forces an angler into proper form. There is no forgiveness, and every error comes with consequences.But the reward is there. Smal
Strategies For Stocked Trout
Across the country, there are rivers, creeks and streams stocked by the state, often referred to as put and take (they put trout in, you take them out). And especially early in the season, opportunities for stocked trout can be a solid choice. Other places stock fish under catch and release regs or delayed harvest. Also, some rivers, for various reasons, cannot support wild trout populations and
Riverside: The Best Fly Rods for the Mono Rig, Tight Line and Euro Nymphing
What's your favorite fly rod? This most frequently asked question now has its answer in the Troutbitten Riverside Series. Riverside is a place for sharing and presenting stories and articles from the Troutbitten website. And one of the most popular articles at Troutbitten has been about the qualities to look for in a rod well suited for the Mono Rig.This past winter, I wrote the manuscript fo
Streamer Presentations #10 -- Strategies, Tips and Scenarios
This season has been all about options for moving the streamer. Our focus has been on the animations available to attract and then sell the trout on the streamer presentation. In this season finale, we talk about river scenarios and share some tips and strategies that help tie all of the previous episodes together.We discuss the following:How different fly designs suggest fishing them different wa
Streamer Presentations #9 -- The Tight Line Dance
The tight line dance is another collection of movements to the streamer loosely grouped together into a system or framework for covering many water types and gaining reactions from the trout. It's all about taking the advantages of a tight line, Mono Rig system to the streamer game and using contact to control every aspect of the streamer's course through the river.We use a visible strea
Streamer Presentations #8 -- The Crossover Technique
With episode seven of this Troutbitten Skills Series, we’ve finally come to the point where we’ve covered all the different ways to move a streamer and give it some animation. Now it’s time to put all of that together.This whole series has been about what motions might sell the presentation. Because how we move the streamer fools the next trout. And there’s such a wealth of options that it can be
Streamer Presentations #7 -- Speed Leads and Lane Changes
Speed leads happen mostly in one lane, and they go faster than their parent current. Lane changes are exactly what they sound like — the fly is traveling in one lane, and then we deliberately bring the fly over to a nearby lane and travel down that one.The speed lead is a term coined by our friend, Josh Stewart. Way back in 2017, I published a few articles about low-riding streamer presentations,
Streamer Presentations #6 -- Jigging Styles (Slack, Contact and Pendulum Jigging)
We've covered many animations in these series. We’ve talked about the streamer head position and its direction, about cross current movement vs holding one lane. We've covered jerk strips, glides, slides, fast, slow, quick or smooth, we talked about drop rates and a lot more.And now, we're here to talk about one of the most basic movements performed on any fly, lure or bait — jiggin
Streamer Presentations #5 - Give Swings a Chance
This steamer presentation is what streamer anglers probably do most — swinging the flies. From what I see on the water, what I read in articles and watch in videos, I think it’s fair to say, swinging is a pretty popular look.But it’s also fair to say that swinging is what we do the least. I think part of that is regional.Swinging streamers is a good tactic. It’s not our preferred method, but that
Streamer Presentations #4 - Glides and Slides
For us, streamer fishing is best when we actively and intentionally move the fly. But with glides and slides, our animations are often subtle, because sometimes these are the most natural or convincing looks.Rolling the bottom, gliding mid-current along a knee-deep riffle or slow-sliding off the bank — all of these maneuvers are just as enticing, and they catch just as many trout as flashy retriev
Streamer Presentations #3 - The Head Flip
The Head Flip is a pivot. It’s a simple change of the streamer's head angle, from down and across to up and across, or from upstream to downstream. This pivot doesn’t necessarily move the fly out of its area, but the motion might seem pretty dramatic to a trout. The Head Flip shows trout an opportunity for an easy meal, and it might signal a moment of vulnerability. It's one of our favor
Streamer Presentations #2 - The Jerk Strip
The ability to move the fly with the rod tip and not just the line hand is a fundamental skill that opens creative options for the streamer angler.Almost two decades ago, Kelly Galloup’s first streamer book changed the way anglers thought about moving a streamer. All these years later, the jerk strip isn’t just one way to move the streamer. It’s a technique for using both hands, in concert, synchr
Streamer Presentations #1 -- What We Control
This season is a ten-part Troutbitten Skill Series, all about Streamer Presentations. We've been looking forward to this one for a long time.We spend a lot of our time dead drifting dry flies and nymphs. But with streamers, we’re trying to make them look alive. Instead of no motion, we move the fly. And this is exactly why we love to fish streamers. Because we get tired of dead drifting. And
Pre-Trip Efficiencies
We're talking about how to shorten your time at the tailgate or the trunk. Just get your waders on, your boots laced, and get to the river. It should be as simple as that, but it’s not uncommon for anglers to waste a half hour or more just getting ready to go fishing.Most anglers hate this wasted time. In fact, all of this preparation just to go fishing puts a lot of anglers off in the firs
Ten Years of Troutbitten
We're here to celebrate ten years of Troutbitten.December 8th was the tenth anniversary of the first article ever published on Troutbitten. All those years ago, I never expected this Troutbitten business — this media company — to become what it is. Honestly, I had no intentions other than to write and publish stories about fishing, simply because I love the process of writing and I enjoyed fi
Brown Trout, Rainbows, Brook Trout, Cutthroat -- What's the Difference?
This discussion is about the differences between trout species. How are the habits of brown trout different than rainbow trout? Where do brook trout tend to hold and feed vs brown trout? What about cutthroat? Do they have different tendencies or habits than their counterparts?Because the habits of these trout are different, our target water changes too, as do our fly patterns and our approach.The
Season 13 Intermission -- Leader Shop, Videos, Podcast Plans, Books and More
For our Season 13 Intermission, my wife, Becky, joins me for a look at what's going on in the Troutbitten world. We talk about the upcoming leader sale in the Troutbitten Shop (December 6th). We talk about upcoming podcast and video plans, books, fly rods and more. ResourcesSHOP: Troutbitten | Category | Leaders VisitTroutbitten WebsiteTroutbitten InstagramTroutbitten YouTubeTroutbitten Faceb
Why Do Some Rivers Hold Big Trout?
I fished for two decades before I finally realized that not every river, not every creek or stream has big fish. For most of my early days of fishing, I thought there was a different class of fish in some of my favorite waters that I simply never encountered. And I liked to think that if I fished certain ways at certain times, I would finally catch those fish.But many years later, after more exper
Why We Fish
Tonight we’re here to talk about why we fish. It’s a simple question. Why do we commit so much of our free time and efforts, our thoughts and our daydreams . . . to fishing?Why, after all these years, do we keep coming back?Why, when we could do hundreds of other things — with three hours on a weekday evening or every daylight hour on a Saturday, from dawn to dark — why do we choose to lace up the
Barbed Hooks or Barbless? Does It Really Matter?
We’re halfway through Season 13, and tonight we have a discussion that’s been on our backburner for quite a while -- barbed hooks or barbless, and does it really matter?Should we always fish barbless? Maybe not. The answer isn’t that simple. So the Troutbitten guys are here for a conversation and a few thoughts about barbs on hooks.Each one of us has fished for long enough that we’ve used both bar
Finding Your Confidence Flies
Every angler needs a set of flies to call their own. Among the thousands of patterns, options and choices out there, eventually, we sort out a handful of confidence flies.Our faith in these flies gives us conviction when choosing them and tying the knot. We’ll fish THIS fly in THIS water. That’s what will catch the next trout. And if it doesn’t, then we’ll change something — maybe the water type,
The Ethical Angler -- What Does That Mean?
What's right and wrong? That's what ethics really boils down to. Certainly, there are nuances about how much space to give other anglers on the river or how long we should hold a trout out of the water for a picture. But doing the right thing and being an ethical angler is probably best achieved by asking ourselves one question: Does this action makes things better or worse? And are you
The One or Two Fly Debate, Across Fishing Styles
The Troutbitten guys are here to talk about two flies. Why do we fish two dry flies, two streamers, wets or nymphs? Why don’t we? Why might we fish with just one fly instead? Multiple fly rigs are a common solution to fishing problems, but extra flies on the line can certainly create more issues than they solve.The one or two fly debate, across fishing styles -- this is our topic. What works, when
Why Do We Catch Trout In Patches?
The full Troutbitten crew is back for season thirteen. In this fall and early winter season, our theme is casual conversations. After three years of podcasting, we've recorded many episodes that go deep into the weeds on one specific topic. We've also dedicated full seasons to the Skills Series format, where a topic like night fishing or tight line nymphing is broken into multiple episod
Fishing Dry Flies -- Dry Fly Skills Series #7
For this final episode in the dry fly skills series, we work through some scenarios that anglers frequently encounter. Because, just like nymphing, fishing streamers and fishing wets, we fish dry flies for many different reasons and in many different ways.We addressed some of this in episode one, and in this final episode, we complete the bookend by thinking about how things layout and going throu
Rise Forms and Hook Sets -- Dry Fly Skills Series #6
In the last couple of weeks we talked a lot about choosing the next fly, when to change, and what informs our decision about what to change to — basically, how do we develop that next theory about what fly, water type and presentation style we want to test.Last week we talked about watching how trout are rising to naturals, how they are taking our fly or even how they’re rejecting it. That inform
All About the Flies -- Dry Fly Skills Series #5
Here we are at the part of the season where we address everybody’s favorite question — what fly are you using?We’ve argued for years that the leader is the most consequential element in the system — much more important than the fly. That said, the fly must be reasonable.Most anglers are so focused on the flies because it’s the easiest thing to change. We’re quick to blame the pattern. And it’s a l
Casting and Mending -- Dry Fly Skills Series #4
Our discussion here is about casting dry flies, and that’s where all good fly casting starts. With a dry fly, there’s no weight at the end of the line to help us out. No split shot, no tungsten bead, conehead or bobber. Refining the dry fly stroke truly teaches us what the fly rod is built to do.Ten and two. Acceleration and crisp stops between two points. Pause and allow turnover to happen. Feel
Catching Up, With Leader Sales, Videos and Troutbitten Plans
For our Season 12 Intermission, my wife, Becky, joins me for a lighthearted look at what's going on in the Troutbitten world. We talk about the upcoming leader sale in the Troutbitten Shop (August 21). We talk about the New Trail Troutbitten beer, the event and the video. And we talk about the Fish and Film series on YouTube.Becky and I also answer a bunch of fun questions from listeners.Reso
Dry Fly Leader Design and Adjustment -- Dry Fly Skills Series #3
The leader should match the moment and match the angler. It should match the fly, the river and the wind conditions. Adjustments are necessary, and when they're performed often enough they become intuitive.An objective look at real goals for the dry fly, along with the true capabilities of the leader materials at hand, will lead anyone down the path toward a great leader formula for dry flies
Dry Fly Skills #2 --Drag Free Drifts and Animation
The drag free drift -- a high percentage of the time, that’s what catches trout on top. So aiming for perfection on a dead drift sets the baseline. And if you get those great drifts, but they won’t eat it, try some animation. Think slight, small and subtle for those movements to the fly, and you just might fool some trout that are keyed in on motion.Everything works sometimes. So we’re ready to tr
Dry Fly Skills #1 -- When and Why
Season twelve begins. It’s a seven-part skills series dedicated to dry fly fishing. My friend, Matt Grobe, joins me to build the framework — a method and a system — for presenting dry flies to trout.In this first episode, we ask when and why we fish dry flies. What’s the reason we might choose to fish dries over streamers, wets or nymphs?We argue that dry flies are the heart and soul of fly fishin
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