Science - Due West Anglers

cutthroat caught below Twin Lakes on the Arkansas River, Colorado

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

Paid-members only

science

Exploring LaFontaine's Color Theory of Attractors

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

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

science

Big Flies For Big Fish... right?

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

fish pale pat's rubber legs fly patterns when fly fishing the stonefly molt

Members only

weird flies that work

The Stonefly Molt

swinging soft hackle for trout spey, fly patterns include hares ear, partridge, peacock, pheasant tail soft hackles

Members only

wet flies

Why Swinging Soft Hackles Works

It might be the oldest trick in the trout fly fishers playbook. Yet many people still don’t really know why swinging soft hackles work. It's hardly a natural presentation...

alpine

Alpine Flies: Darker as You Climb

Alpine fly fishing: the higher the elevation, the darker the fly

perfect trout fishery

Building the Perfect Trout Fishery (1 of 3)

How would you build the perfect trout fishery? It's like Roller Coaster Tycoon for Fly Fishing. Part 1: Site Selection

Nymphing with heavy flies or splitshot to get a trout's attention, ESN, indicator nymphing, fly fishing

nymphing Featured

Nymphing vs Turbulence

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

Members only

tarpon

More Clues on Fish Vision (Tarpon Edition)

We're diving into the wide world of tarpon vision, a place more vivid than humans might imagine...

Stream Temperature Guide for optimal trout temperatures, and predicting macroinvertebrate hatch timing

rainbow trout

An Angler's Guide to Stream Temperatures

Did you know that your thermometer can be useful to uncover all kinds of fly fishing clues? Bug hatches, fish preferences, fish behavior...

Flies displayed include: chubby chernobyl, clouser minnow, barr's meat whistle, popper, crazy charlie, and turneffe crab

behind the scenes

Behind the Scenes

Unveiling the creative process from idea to ink for Due West Angler's distinctive articles on fly fishing + science + conservation

Streamer fly fishing on the Animas River, Durango, Colorado

Members only

streamers

How to Match the Hatch with Streamers

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

anatomy Featured

Useful Biology: What A Fish Tail Teaches Anglers

We can learn clues about fish by simply understanding how tail shapes differ (Fly Fishing)

pink pookie fly pattern, pink grasshopper fly pattern, pink hopper fly

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...

mysis tailwater fly fishing, mysis fly pattern

colorado

History of the Mysis Fishery: Gaffe to Gold Medal

Gather around the fire and let me tell you a fly fishing tale of how mysis ended up feeding fish well downstream from the intended destination.

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.

pink fluorocarbon

Pink Tippet?

Comparing Pink Fluorocarbon Tippet vs Clear

how does trout memory work? they remember flies after large hatches like the salmonfly hatch

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...

Bass vision, how do flies like bass poppers, Mr Wiggly, Slumpbusters, other assorted bass flies look?

Members only

largemouth bass

More Clues on Fish Vision (Bass Edition)

Can fish see color? Bass don't see our flies like you'd expect...

clouser minnow fly pattern, do fish know when they get hooked?

behavior

Do Other Fish Know When A Fish Gets Hooked?

Let's talk about the social cues a group responds to, or doesn't respond to, when a fish gets hooked.

Eleven Mile Canyon stretch of the South Platte, Colorado, how do trout respond to fishing pressure?

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?

Fly fishing for largemouth bass with bass poppers and streamers

Members only

largemouth bass Featured

Understanding Warmwater Lakes

In warmwater fly fishing, especially bass fishing, we often just throw poppers and streamers with little emphasis on understanding the reasoning for these tactics

swim bladder

Swim Bladders and Pressure Changes

Let's take a closer look at how fish swim bladders might be influenced by atmospheric pressure changes (ie; storms, cold fronts)

Members only

conservation Featured

The Warmwater-Coldwater Connection

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

Paid-members only

cutthroat

How Did Cutthroat Trout Cross the Continental Divide?

Most cutthroat trout are found west of the Continental Divide, so how did they find their way to the east side of the divide? Science behind fly fishing