The three Mastery Series videos from Doug Swisher form a great foundation for anyone who wants to learn fly casting and then become a better trout fisherman. Released in 1986, Basic Fly Casting, Strategies for Selective Trout, and Advanced Strategies for Selective Trout, each showcase Swisher’s extensive fly-fishing knowledge and instructional ability. All were filmed with the best equipment available at the time. Considering the advancements that have been made, the camera work is amazingly… Continue reading
We know that in fly casting we are throwing the weight of the line and our lure, the fly, just goes along for the ride. The rod matches the weight (mass) of the line we are casting. The profile or shape of the line has significant influence on how the fly is carried and presented to the fish. The fly line “taper” refers to the overall shape of the fly line. Let’s take a… Continue reading
Gary Borger has been a fly fishing promoter and educator for over 40 years. Combining Borger’s background as a biology professor and practical fly-fishing experience, we are presented a very comprehensive look at general trout fishing and a detailed overview of fishing dry flies. Borger delivers his information in a relaxed, simple-to-follow way. Some of the equipment may be dated, but the concepts presented are still totally valid today. Released in 1983, Fly Fishing for… Continue reading
The Billy Pate Tarpon Series is the first of a number of blog reviews of the Scientific Anglers series of fly-fishing videos from the 1980’s. These videos featured a number of top fly-fishing talents, several of whom are still active today. We’re sure you will enjoy viewing these and although some of the content is dated, many of the concepts presented are as sound today as they were nearly 40 years ago. Some of… Continue reading
So, you just got a new fly line and can’t wait to try it out. You don’t have time to run over to your local stream or pond, so you’ll just give a try on your lawn, that’s OK, right? Well, it really is not a good idea. In fact, it is a really bad idea. A session of lawn casting can actually ruin that shiny new, hi-tech fly line you just shelled out… Continue reading
Usually when we discuss line management in fly fishing terms, we refer to line control on the water and handling line while wading or in a boat. Today, we are going to look at line management in a different way. In short, what do we have to do to preserve the life of our fly line and achieve optimum performance? During use, fly lines pick up material that is in the water. This happens… Continue reading
A key phrase from Scientific Anglers these days is Failure is not an Option. This refers to being able to rely on the integrity of your terminal gear- line, leader, and tippet to be secure out of the box and not let you down in some manner. There are already enough variables in place that affect hooking and landing fish. Still, there are times when a little extra work will be needed on the consumer… Continue reading
Recently I was tagged on a Facebook rant. The outburst was pointed at fly-fishing people over-promoting themselves by abusing the many marketing tools available this day and age. The short message was accurate in many respects. Luckily for me I was tagged as one of the “good guys” that don’t go overboard. I’m part of the generation that grew up without computers. I was late to get an email address, a laptop, and a cell phone.… Continue reading
Basic Knots for Fly Tackle Scientific Anglers pioneered a concept that underlies all other decisions in fly tackle selection: The Balanced System. By this, we mean your tackle-rod, reel, line, leader and tippet should be balanced for better performance. The Balanced System You can easily select balanced components for your system because the fly tackle industry follows a common standard when labeling products. For example, most rod manufacturers label the proper line weight right on… Continue reading
