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Trout Tips: Beaver ponds
I love fishing beaver ponds. My first-ever brook trout was pulled from the bottom of a high-country beaver pond with my grandfather standing watch over my shoulder, many, many years ago. Since then, especially in high-elevation meadow streams, I've been on the lookout for beaver ponds that more than likely hold trout. Trout Tips |…
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Fly tying: My Friend the Sticky Pad
Over the last couple of years, I've learned a lot from Tim Flagler, fly-tying extraordinaire. Not only has he, through his video tying series that we feature each Friday here on the TU blog, helped become a better fly tier, but I really enjoy some of the simple little tips he shares to make my…
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Fly tying: The Shakey Bealy
Fall weather is on us here in the West—snowfall is slated to put an end to a brutal fire season, and the aspen leaves are turning in earnest. It's one of the best times of the year to be a fly fisherman, and it's when I start to think about visiting my favorite Western river:…
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Trout Tips: Small water, long casts
Small-stream angling is generally considered the "short game" of fly fishing—it's rare that an angler would need to throw more than 20 feet or so. But that's not always the case, and it pays to "bring a driver" on small water, too—come equipped with your double-haul. Chances are, you won't need it, but when fish…
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Fly tying: Ian’s Brass Ass
Small nymphs in the size 18-22 range are my least-favorite flies to tie—I've got fat fingers, and my vision isn't what it once was, either. But these little flies can be absolutely deadly on spring creeks and tailwaters, and hitting these rivers and streams without small, unassuming midge nymphs and attractors is a mistake. Video…
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Trout Tips: Small stream stealth
Trout in small, backcountry streams are opportunists, but that doesn't mean theyr'e stupid. The old rule still applies: If you can see the fish, chances are, they can see you, too. When I fish small water, I like to put structure between me and the fish whenever possible, and I like to make my profile…
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Fly tying: The Peacock Caddis
Some flies just work, and there's no real explanation as to why that is. The Peacock Caddis is one of those flies, as Tim Flagler perfectly describes in the video below. Video of Peacock CaddisI like this fly for two reasons. First, I think any fly with that "insect green" color put forth by peacock…
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