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Fly tying: Last Chance Cripple Hendrickson
As I watched Tim Flagler tie the Last Chance Cripple Hendrickson, I inadvertantly cringed at the language used in the video below. Fly tying may the last refuge for the antiquated term, "cripple." Meant to imitate a mayfly that, for some reason or another, is struggling to break loose of the water's surface film while…
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Trout Tips: Winter can offer hot fishing
One of the best days I ever experienced on Idaho's fabled Henry's Fork was also one of the coldest days I've every experienced on the water. It was one of those bitterly cold January days, but thanks to consistent water temperatures from an inflowing spring creek, the river was open and the fish were on…
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Fly tying: Managing materials
Crystal flash and tinsel are great for tying flies—particularly patterns that need to attract attention, like baitfish patterns, Woolly Buggers and other streamers. But handling those shiny materials can be a real pain. I can't count the times I've found strands of crystal flash that have managed to make it through the laundry cycle and turn…
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Getting started: From gear to fly
Editor's note: This is the second in an ongoing series meant to give those who are interested in learning to fly fish the perspective and advice needed to get started. More installments will follow. If you have specific questions about fly fishing, feel free to add a comment below, and we'll do our best to…
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New gear: Redington Butter Stick 8-weight
When I think of glass rods, I think of noodly little sticks meant to pluck backcountry brook trout from beneath overhanging willows or in tight quarters where a short backcast is as vital as a quiet presentation. But I have new appreciation for big glass after a day spent casting for tight-lipped reds and trout…
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Fly Tying: Egan’s Red Dart
Yes, it's still January, and here in Idaho, most of spring's upcoming runoff is either stacked a couple feet deep along our rivers, or it's yet to fall as still more snow. But when the weather does warm up, and that snow begins to melt, many anglers will be looking for the ideal high-water fly…
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Trout Tips: The ABCs of winter trout fishing
Not all trout water is created equally—particularly in winter. As Umpqua's Russ Miller points out below, there are different holding lies for trout in the dead of winter. Trout aren't likely to spend as much time moving about and chasing food as they are in secure, deeper waters where food is essentially delivered to them by…
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