Due West Anglers (Fly Fishing)

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fly fishing dry flies, hoppers, attractors, purple chubby, chernobyl ant, color theory of attractor flies, gary lafontaine

Fly Color and LaFontaine's Color Theory of Attractors

Our final dive into the maddening world of LaFontaine's color theory of attractors

Which hopper fly is the best fly pattern? Color combinations for chubby chernobyls, dave's hopper, morrish hopper and others

The Colorful World of Grasshoppers

Fly tying: What are the best colors for tying and fishing grasshoppers. Check out our breakdown.

fly fishing Clear Creek, Colorado

geography Featured

Who Claims the Title as Headwater State?

How does water move across the West? Which state is the West's true headwaters state?

Special Bulletin

Special Bulletin

Breaking news from the due west newsroom

fly fishing dragonfly nymphs, stillwater fly fishing, lake fly fishing, dragonflies, streamers

The Stonefly Equivalent of Stillwater

Everybody loves stoneflies, but what about big bugs in stillwater?

Releasing a Rainbow trout from the San Juan River Tailwater, New Mexico. Fly Fishing

conservation concept

Conservation Concept: Shifting Baseline Syndrome

Grandpa might have been right after all: The fishing just ain't what it used to be...

fly fishing for carp, blind casting for carp, denver south platte, woolly bugger, egan's chartreuse headstand

Blind Casting for Carp

What is the best approach when water is too murky, or you can't see any fish? Chances are slim, but never hopeless...

Flies and Lines for Drop-Offs

Flies and Lines for Drop-Offs

Losing flies on drop offs? Not catching anything? It might be your choice of fly line..

USGS Gauging Station on the Dream Stream, South Platte River, Colorado

Tracking the End of Runoff with Hydrographs

when to expect clear conditions after runoff?

fly fishing story about alpine trout, nighttime walleye, rip-rap, headlamps, clouser minnows, balanced leeches, and chasing fish

Story From The Road: Rip-Rap

A story tracing spring bites from alpine trout to nighttime walleye. Rip-rap, headlamps, and the alchemy of chasing fish on the fly

cutthroat caught below Twin Lakes on the Arkansas River, Colorado

cutthroat history

A Lesson From History: The Extinct Yellowfin Cutthroat

The Southern Rockies used to be home to multiple subspecies of cutthroat trout, including the Colorado River, Rio Grande, Greenback, Bonneville, recently rediscovered San Juan, and extinct Yellowfin cutthroat. You may well know about the recovery of the Greenbacks...

Fly Fish Food perdiworm fly pattern, perdigon, san juan worm, euro nymphing, euronymphing, tightline nymphing fly pattern

weird flies that work

Weird Flies That Work: Perdiworm

Another weirdo that works great!

fly fishing hoppers, attractors, dry flies, royal wulff, chubby chernobyl, which colors work and why?

Paid-members only

Exploring LaFontaine's Color Theory of Attractors

this goes way beyond bright day, bright fly...

What is the best fly fishing pack? Sling pack vs backpack vs vest vs chest pack vs hip pack. Fly fishing pack shootout

Sling, Back, Vest, Waist: Which Pack is Best?

Picking a pack: the ultimate game of trade-offs

Home Waters

These days I'm watching seasons unfold on an algae mat, a place with no glamorized re-telling, no shadow casting, no-one haunted by these waters

When fly fishing for muskie, northern pike, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, are larger flies better for catching big fish?

Big Flies For Big Fish... right?

Big flies equals big fish, at least that's what we're all told. Is it actually true?

Fly fishing for Bonefish, Carp, Bass, Permit, Pike, Tarpon, they are all surprisingly connected

The Warmwater-Saltwater Connection

Can local warmwater fisheries help fortify the angling skills necessary for saltwater fly fishing?

left handed vs right handed fly fishing, how to get a good drift, dead drift success, fly casting, how to cast fly line

Lefty or Righty? It Affects Your Drift

Have you ever thought about how your casting arm affects your fly presentation?

fly fishing nymphs, dry flies, wet flies, streamers, fly fishing trout, atlantic salmon, steelhead

Protecting A Fishery With Ineffective Angling?

Why would you limit your fly fishing tactics to help the fish? Hear me out...

pfas impacts on water, wildlife, and people

The PFAS Saga Is Insane

pfas chemicals are nasty, so are the companies that made it

fly fishing with barry reynolds, the insect crisis oliver milman, umpqua jigged flashtail minnow, umpqua flashtail whistler

Offseason: 2 Reads & 2 Flies

Offseason selections for readers and tiers

land conservation, city paradox, urban development, sprawl

conservation concept

Conservation Concept: The City Paradox

how cities can support and invade wilderness

best flies for carp, fly fishing for carp, fly patterns for carp

Carp Flies Don't Have To Be Dull

Story From The Road: Good Guide / Bad Guide

Story From The Road: Good Guide / Bad Guide

a post-mortem ranging from the exceptionally good to the comically atrocious fly fishing guide

support small business, fly fishing news, fly fishing magazine, independent writing

due west insiders Featured

2025: Year of the Insiders

how to support the independent writing at Due West Anglers