Rivers

A collection of 42 posts

Members only

trout Featured

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

How long is a fish's recovery after getting hooked? 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

Members only

natural history Featured

The Story of the Cutthroat Trout Subspecies

This is the story of how Cutthroat trout spread across western North America and transformed into their distinct variations

Members only

secret season Featured

Winter Nymphing: The Dropshot Rig

Fly fishing for winter trout is all about low and slow. Implement the dropshot rig to nymph more effectively with midges and bwos during the secret season. These tactics work great whether euro-nymphing or indicator nymphing.

technical trout

Catch More Trout with These Articles

Fly fishing: Let's discuss everything from approaching the water, to rigging, flies, and dealing with picky trout.

steelhead

The Weird Biology of Half-Pounder Steelhead

Fly fishing: Let's take a look at the weird biology of half-pounder Steelhead

terrestrials

Silver Linings Fly Box: Grasshoppers and Drought

Fly fishing: There is one interesting byproduct of the drought that could serve to favor trout anglers when fishing hoppers

Members only

streamers

Match the Hatch: Streamers

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

climate change

Western Trout Rivers: An Angler's Prospectus

Fly fishing: Out west, with years of lingering drought, and now reports of declining trout populations in the holy-waters of Montana...

Rivers

At The Crack of 12

Fly fishing: The early bird gets the worm right? Consider this a night-owls manifesto

behavior

Sibling Rivalry? Behavioral Differences When Browns and Rainbows Share a Stream

Fly fishing: How do these species behave differently when living side-by-side? Even more importantly, how can that help your angling?

Members only

terrestrials

The Colorful World of Grasshoppers

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