How to improve your clients casting November 2, 2016 – Posted in: Basics, Fly Casting

How not to improve your clients casting…. I’m sure most of you have watched how the self-proclaimed best fishing guide in the world, Hank Patterson, improves his clients casting. “NO! You’re doing it wrong, do it right. No, no, not like that, I said do it right!” Very funny, but not very effective. Unfortunately, some guides work with their clients not much more effectively. So how do you improve your clients casting? I have to…

Continue reading...

Taking Better Client Photos & Capturing Memories by Jon Ray March 17, 2016 – Posted in: Basics, How-To

Prep A simple trick for taking better on-the-water photos is to take one minute of prep time before each picture session. During this time, I like to make sure the fish is taken care of—and I think this is an important note. Make sure the fish you’re about to photograph is in clean, moving water, the net you’re using is deep enough to hold the fish, and the fish doesn’t seem stressed. After the fish… Continue reading

Continue reading...

Casting Angles February 16, 2015 – Posted in: Basics, Fly Casting

BY LEFTY KREH An important and often ignored principle for making the best presentation, getting distance or using various types of lines is the angle at which the fly line is directed on the forward cast. While many people cast at the same angle for most situations, you need to modify the casting angle dependent upon current fishing conditions. There is one angle that perhaps you should make most of your cast. That is directing…

Continue reading...

An Overview of “Application-Specific” Spey Lines and their Design – Posted in: Basics, How-To

BY WAY YIN I was recently had the pleasure of participating in a series of seminars with Scott MacKenzie, who most experts would consider the greatest spey caster – ever. Scott and I were telling our audiences that we felt this was the best time in history for people to get into Spey casting, as the quality of equipment (especially spey lines) has improved so dramatically over the past five years. Like the “trickle down…

Continue reading...

Streamer Tactics For Trout – Posted in: Basics, How-To

BY MICHAEL HATFIELD Streamers are patterns tied to imitate a larger food source such as a leech or baitfish rather than a small aquatic insect. Depending on the fish species you are targeting a streamer can be as small as, say a #8 micro bugger or something as large as a ten inch shad pattern. For trout, streamers normally don’t go much bigger than a few inches in length. Because of what these patterns are…

Continue reading...

How To Choose the Right Fly Line Weight – Posted in: Basics, How-To

How To Choose the Right Fly Line Weight BY LEFTY KREH Let me begin by saying that rod manufacturers design rods for the average person to use under average conditions. So unfortunately, most fly fishermen use only one weight of line on their favorite rod. Written on the rod blank or handle is a code number which indicates the line that the rod manufacturer suggests is best for most customers; i.e., 6 line. To most…

Continue reading...

Catching Brook Trout Out West – Posted in: Basics

Catching Brook Trout Out West BY BRIAN O’KEEFE Here in Oregon I really like the springtime, early season opportunities for brook trout in many lakes, and creeks. People who know western rivers may not know that a section of the Deschutes River, near Bend, Oregon, has a healthy population of big brookies. By big, I mean two to four pounds. They are cagey and hard to catch, but a few locals have them wired. I…

Continue reading...

Swinging for Steel – Posted in: Basics

Swinging for Steel By Mike Verhoef Even with the number of times I have seen a steelhead almost pull the rod out of a persons hand it still always reminds me of the favorite saying I heard a number of years back……”the swing is the thing but the tug is the drug”! Once this saying is passed on to the person who just experienced this memorable occasion it always puts a smile on their face,…

Continue reading...

Low Water Trout Tactics – Posted in: Basics

By Michael Hatfield In times of low water flow on a trout stream, fish can get very spooky because there isn’t the natural protection from their predators that the water normally provides. During these times, fishing can be difficult, but by following a few simple tips, success can still be achieved. First off, try to blend in with the surroundings. Now is not the time for a bright colored ball cap or a bright colored…

Continue reading...

Top Water Tactics for Smallmouth – Posted in: Basics

Capt. Leo Wright Leo Wright Guide Service, LLC Smallmouth fishing on the fly may be this fisherman’s favorite challenge. Don’t get me wrong, I love all species: the famed steelhead of West Michigan’s waters, bonefish on the flats of Belize, or striper in my native New England. If it’s fishing, I’m in. It’s written everywhere that smallmouth are about the hardest fighting fish, pound for pound. Having chased many species on a multitude of…