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Trust the fly
Editor's note: The following is excerpted from TU's book, "Trout Tips," available online for overnight delivery. Whether I'm fishing for striped bass in Massachusetts or trout in New Hampshire, my habit has been to choose a reliable fly pattern and stick with it. When not catching fish, I focus on presentation first and the fly…
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The Copper John
The Copper John is one of the most productive nymphs used for searching—this time of year, with runoff-swollen rivers and high, murky water, it's an excellent option for getting down deep and attracting trout. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbcC1k07XTU The fly, originally tied by its namesake, John Barr, isn't just a high-water fly, either. It's a quality attractor that…
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Backcountry bull trout featured in ‘Secrets’
Bull trout are the native char of the inland Northwest. They live in the coldest, cleanest water and thrive in the most far-flung places. They get big and surly. They chase gaudy streamers, prey on smaller fish and can be very challenging to pursue. They're also a vital indicator species when it comes to a…
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‘A Nation’s River’ highlights TU’s efforts in the Potomac headwaters
Dustin Wichterman lives trout. By day he manages Trout Unlimited’s restoration and protection work in the Potomac headwaters. Most of the rest of the time he’s either fishing for trout or dreaming about fishing for trout. And a big part of that dream is that one day the Potomac headwaters will again regularly churn out native brook trout pushing…
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Wrapping soft hackle
Soft-hackle patterns have earned a spot in my fly box. Over the last half-decade or so, they have gone from seldom-use curiosities from some hidden corner of a rarely opened fly box to my first choice on many waters here in the West. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsP43A2fr84 The sparser the better when it comes to soft hackles. Why?…
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Four-quarter fly fishing
For years and years, fly fishing for trout, for me, was a three-period game, not a four-quarter contest. It was hockey, not football (even though I’m not much of a hockey guy). Depending on the season, the time of day or the weather, I’d go to my fly boxes and choose a fly from one…
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Panfish … for the pan
Across the country, the panfish bite is on. Or it's about to be on, depending on where you live. And don't be shy. Take your limit. Especially of the small ones. Panfish, like bluegill, bream, pumpkinseed and almost all varieties of sunfish are prone to overpopulating and stunting in a lot of lakes and ponds.…
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