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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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Trout Tips: Dapping
When I was a kid, the first fly-fishing technique my grandfather ever shared with me was "dapping." Rather than burden a 10-year-old with all the details of a complex fly cast, he would simply pull about three feet of fly line through the tip-top and put a hopper or some high-floating dry fly on my…
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Trout Tips: Small stream structure, part II
Trout in austere, backcountry creeks are oppotunists. The very thing that makes these streams so appealing to anglers—cold, cystal clear waters, amazing viewscapes, a wild, largely untouched setting—is what makes life so tough on small-stream trout. Food is scarce, and just about anything that looks like food will get a look from backcountry trout. In…
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Trout Tips: Pace of play
The world-famous Ridge Pool on the River Moy in Ireland. Editor's note: The following tip is from TU's new book, "Trout Tips," available now for overnight delivery. If you are working from upsream to down, say, swinging streamders for steelhead or salmon, it's important to cast, sweep, take a few steps, and cast again. In…
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Trout Tips: Small stream structure
I hear from a lot of anglers who prefer chasing big trout on big water that small-stream fly fishing is easy and that the fish aren't as sophisticated as big-water trout. This may be true, in some instances, but I'm here to tell you that you'll need more casts in your toolbox to effectively cast…
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Trout Tips: Small-stream fly patterns
I love small-stream trout fishing. High summer, when it finally arrives in the Rockies, is the perfect time to get into the backcountry and chase trout in smaller waters. In the video above, we cover some basic small-stream fly patterns that I like to use. I've always been a fan of using flies on small…
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Trout Tips: Rifle-shoot that cast
Editor's note: The following is experpted from TU's new book, "Trout Tips," which is available for overnight delivery. When prospecting for trout, don't flock-shoot and cast to the top of the run where you think there might be a fish and let your fly drift throught the whole run. Split the pool or run into…
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