Rivers

A collection of 50 posts

fly tying

Weird Flies That Work: Stanky Leg

the fly fishing equivalent of a tube jig

nymphing Featured

Nymphing vs Turbulence

The nymphing angler is locked in a perennial quest to fish deeper because rivers fight back...

Rivers

Down But Not Out: Runoff

6 favorite flies for fishing runoff, when the rivers are running high, and dirty.

Members only

streamers

Match the Hatch: Streamers

Fly fishing: We all know about the bugs... but what about the baitfish?

conservation concept

Conservation Concept: Ecosystem Services and Externalities

Exploring the concept of ecosystem services and environmental externalities

skunked

The Skunk Set Me Free

Getting skunked, catching nothing, was never an acceptable outcome.... until I realized different

Members only

big fish

5 Tips for Landing Those Big Fish

To be a true angler you need to experience the heartbreak of losing a big fish. Here's how to stack the odds in your favor so that doesn't happen...

secret season

4 Simple Items for Warmer Hands

Cold water is great for trout, not so much for your hands

grasshoppers Featured

Pink Grasshoppers Really Do Exist

In our never-ending quest to explain why unexpected colors work as fly patterns I found some insights in an unlikely place... the museum...

fly rod

Instant Favorite: TFO Axiom II-X Fly Rod Review

This fly rod has become an instant favorite, reviewing the tfo axiom 2-x fly rod

Members only

trout

Crash Course in Picky Trout Behavior

Fly Fishing graduate school: Understanding a picky trout can be the difference-maker when trying to present flies to these stubborn fish.

indicator nymphing

More Indicator Secrets

Have you ever felt like your indicator rig was moving too fast? As if sliding over the water's surface and preventing your flies from presenting deeper?

pattern hangover

Fish Memory and Pattern Hangover

You missed the big hatch, but if you know a little about how trout brains work you might know that you're window of opportunity hasn't fully closed yet...

salmonflies

Improving the Salmonfly Dry Fly

We walk through tying a modified 64 Impala fly pattern and clarify how to customize this recipe to match the hatch beyond the original

from the road

Story From the Road: Third Time Makes the Pattern?

Usually great stories start with full cars, open roads, and rigged rods, but this one starts different. This one starts with an internet troll.

private waters

Let's Talk about Private Waters

The comparison of fishing pressured public waters to private regulated-access waters is enlightening for anyone interested in fish behavior.

Members only

fish behavior

The Science of Rest: Trout Get Burnout Too

Do fish remember being caught? And how long would it take to reset the timid behavior of previously hooked fish throughout an entire fishery?

Members only

behavior Featured

Tips for Streams with Low Fish Density

Lets take a look at how we approach rivers based on fish density and discuss what fishing rivers with fewer fish per mile have to offer

exploring

Frontiers in Angling

Let's take a look at those new fisheries, and how anglers can uncover new and unexplored frontiers in angling

Members only

sculpin Featured

Phantom Sculpins of the South Platte

Why would a trout eat a sculpin fly in a river without sculpin?

tailwaters Featured

The Double Tailwater Phenomenon

"Tailwater" is almost a mythical word in Western fly fishing. What about double tailwaters?

Members only

conservation Featured

The Warmwater-Coldwater Connection

Conservation: Let's take a look at the surprising way that warmwater can support coldwater fisheries

safety

The Three Unforgivable Sins of Safe Wading

Stay safe when wading by avoiding these unforgivable sins.

Members only

conservation concept

Conservation Concept: Artificial Boundaries

Borders are everywhere. Not only natural but also artificial borders. The two don't always play nice...

secret season

Winter Fly Fishing: Protect the Tippet

Protect that tippet at all costs