Explore every episode of the podcast Troutbitten
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What Flies Catch Big Trout? | 09 Nov 2025 | 01:09:26 | |
Sometimes, the goal is to catch the biggest trout in the river. In those times, what's the best fly to choose? In this conversation, we talk through big trout situations, and we focus on the flies. If you’re really targeting a big trout, when does a streamer seem like the best choice, and what qualities in that streamer help not just get a trout’s attention, but convince them to eat the fly? Likewise, when might a dry fly have the best chance at fooling a big fish? And when is a wet fly or nymph the best choice? Size, shape, weight, color, flash — whether it’s a dry fly, nymph, wet fly or streamer, what are the qualities of a pattern that we have confidence will interest bigger fish? My friends, Austin Dando, Dr. Trevor Smith, Bill Dell and Matt Grobe join me for a great conversation. Resources READ: Troutbitten | Category | Big Trout Visit Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| In Deep - Fishing Simply, With Craig Matthews | 02 Nov 2025 | 01:09:03 | |
Craig Matthews is one of the most prominent figures in fly fishing, with a career spanning half a century and an influence that is immeasurable. Making his home in Montana, Craig's fly shop, Blue Ribbon Flies, became an icon as he educated and helped generations of anglers find their way with a fly rod. Craig's many fly creations, like the Sparkle Dun and X-Caddis are in my fly box, and they're probably in yours. Craig also founded One Percent for the Planet, a collection of outdoor retailers, now approaching one-billion dollars donated to preserving and enhancing trout rivers across the country. Craig has authored nine books, the latest of which is titled Pheasant Tail Simplicity. It is a wonderful book that details the mysteriously attractive nature of pheasant tail flies for trout, while also sharing stories and philosophies around a simple approach to this sometimes complicated game of fly fishing. I'm pleased to present my interview with Craig Matthews . . . Resources BOOK: Pheasant Tail Simplicity Visit Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| The Blue Liner's Bible -- Finding the Right Water | 03 Aug 2025 | 01:00:21 | |
We're back with Season 16, with episode two of the Blue Liner’s Bible. This one is all about finding the right water. We mean this in two different ways. First, you need to find a small stream that has public access (or you have private permission). But the stream also needs cold water and a good population of trout (hopefully they’re wild trout). That’s the first thing — find a good stream to fish. And honestly, that may not be as easy as it sounds. If you do start to explore new territory and get into the small stream game, you’ll quickly understand what we mean, first hand, when we say that the exploration is part of the reward. The failure to find good water on one trip makes the next trip, where you find what becomes one of your favorite places in the world, even more special So we’ll talk about that tonight — how to choose your next adventure. Identifying primary and secondary water, and kind of how to balance that risk vs reward. Meaning, you could fish the small stream that everyone talks about in Montana or Pennsylvania, because you can be sure that trout are present in good numbers. But would you rather take the chance on the stream that no one mentions? It has all the variables you’re looking for in your research, and because it has no name, you can be sure no one else will be there Understanding those variables and knowing good sources for research is part of our topic here tonight. And then, the other part of finding good water is from an on-stream perspective. Once you’re there, what section should you choose? And even within that section, what water types should you target the most? Do you expect trout in the deep pools or the riffles, in the fast water, or the slow, shady, deep undercuts? A lot goes into these choices as well. Much of it is seasonal. Some of it is about matching your tactics and your fly choices, and another part is just experience and instinct. Again, all of this stuff is why we love small stream fishing. None of it is laid out for you. A good fly shop will not lead you to these places. And even a good friend, with the best intentions, may not have even half the intel that you really need for a good day of small stream fishing. Like we said last time, the small stream game is do-it-yourself in nature. So, that’s what we have lined up. My friend, Austin Dando, joins me for a good look at finding the right small stream water. Resources Visit Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| What to Love About Small Stream Fishing | 14 May 2023 | 01:08:31 | |
This podcast is about small stream fishing — specifically, what we love about the places, the fish, the tactics and the experience of fishing smaller trout waters.
Resources READ: Troutbitten | Right Here
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Good Wading, Better Fishing -- How Wading Skills Change Everything | 07 May 2023 | 01:28:21 | |
This episode is about wading a river. Good wading. Better wading. Confident wading. Because, for a river angler, nothing is more important. Good wading is not just walking from place to place, it's an almost constant, fluid motion, and fly fishing requires great footwork along the way.
Resources READ: Troutbitten | It's Wading, Not Walking
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| High Water, Dirty Water, Muddy Water | 30 Apr 2023 | 01:27:01 | |
What can we do when the rains come, when the snow melts, or when the floodgates open?
Resources READ: Troutbitten | Dirty Water -- Tight Targets
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| What Is More Difficult? Fishing Dry Flies or Nymphs? | 23 Apr 2023 | 01:13:11 | |
We have a fun conversation for this episode, about what’s more difficult — nymphs or dry flies. This is not a talk about which tactic is better. And this discussion isn’t even about which one we might like more.
Resources READ: Troutbitten | The Nymph Angler is Sustainable Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Angler Pressure TWO -- What It Does to the Fishing | 16 Apr 2023 | 01:10:02 | |
This is the second episode of our two part discussion on angler pressure. Last time, we talked about how fishing pressure affects the fish — how they respond to more fishermen placing more casts and drifts in the waters around them — how trout change, both short term and long term.
Resources READ: Troutbitten | Front Ended -- Can We Stop Doing This to Each Other? Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Angler Pressure ONE -- What It Does to the Fish | 09 Apr 2023 | 01:17:44 | |
Season 7 of the Troutbitten Podcast begins with a two-part discussion on angler pressure. This is a big one. It’s a topic that everyone in the fishing world loves to talk about. People complain about angler pressure, and they have theories about how it changes things.
Resources READ: Troutbitten | Front Ended -- Can We Stop Doing This to Each Other?
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Fish It Anyway -- A Story | 26 Mar 2023 | 00:11:50 | |
Troutbitten is about the pursuit of fishing tactics. It’s about discovering new techniques and improving our skills. We don’t want to hope something will happen out there. We try to make it happen. And that element of fly fishing, where there’s always something new to try, is what is so attractive to those of us who dedicate much of our lives to the river. READ: Troutbitten | Fish It Anyway Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Catching Up -- Spring 2023 | 19 Mar 2023 | 00:13:45 | |
Season Seven will begin on April 10th. But in between seasons, I want to catch you up on a few things that are going on with Troutbitten.
VIDEO: Troutbitten | Mono Rigs and Euro Leaders -- Micro Thin or Standard?
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Winter Fly Fishing Skill #8 -- Full Crew Conversation with Stories and Tactics | 05 Mar 2023 | 01:17:38 | |
Here we are at the end of Season 6 -- the Troutbitten Winter Skills Series. This is episode 8 of the series, and I’m here with a full crew of friends to wrap things up, to hear some stories and dig into a few more tips for fly fishing in the winter months.
Resources READ: Troutbitten | Category | Fly Fishing in the Winter Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Winter Fly Fishing Skills #7 -- Problems and Solutions | 26 Feb 2023 | 00:56:09 | |
My good friend, Austin Dando, joins me to address many of the troubles with winter fishing. In this Winter Skills Series, we’ve been through the tactics, with dry flies, streamers and nymphs. We've talked about how to stay warm out there, and we’ve saved this topic for last.
READ: Troutbitten | Category | Fly Fishing in the Winter
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| The Blue Liner's Bible --The Good and Bad of Small Stream Fishing | 27 Jul 2025 | 01:08:40 | |
With cold flows and eager trout, mountain water and small stream fishing can provide the perfect setup, the perfect escape, if you’re willing to put in the effort. There are some truly wonderful things about small stream fishing, and learning to work these waters teaches us everything we need to know about fishing any trout water. But the challenges can turn many people off as well. Visit Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Winter Fly Fishing Skills #6 -- Dry Fly Fishing in the Winter | 19 Feb 2023 | 01:04:55 | |
With this Troutbitten skills series on winter fishing. We’ve covered locations and expectations, where to find trout, and their wintertime habits. We did two full podcasts on staying warm from head to toe. We talked about fishing nymphs in these waters, streamers in these waters, and now we’re ready to talk about dry flies.
Resources READ: Troutbitten | Category | Fly Fishing in the Winter Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Winter Fly Fishing Skills #5 -- Streamer Fishing in the Winter | 12 Feb 2023 | 00:58:12 | |
A streamer is not only a great change-up in the winter, it can be the best fly in your box - if you fish it well. There are some changes to make for a wintertime streamer approach, versus the warmer seasons. And those nuances in presentation make all the difference.
READ: Troutbitten | Category | Fly Fishing in the Winter
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Winter Fly Fishing Skills #4 -- Nymphing in the Winter | 05 Feb 2023 | 01:02:37 | |
In this episode, we dive deep into winter nymphing strategies. Specifically, we highlight what is different and what is unique about nymphing in the winter versus other seasons.
Resources READ: Troutbitten | Category | Fly Fishing in the Winter
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Winter Fly Fishing Skills #3 -- Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes | 29 Jan 2023 | 01:03:49 | |
Here's a full podcast dedicated to staying warm, from head to toe. Because sometimes, staying warm and functional in the winter is far more important than the tactics. The cold becomes our biggest challenge. This episode is about keeping the cold out, the heat in and fishing hard — all day long, in even the roughest weather. More specifically, it's about regulating your body heat while on the river.
Resources READ: Troutbitten | Category | Fly Fishing in the Winter Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Winter Fly Fishing Skills #2 -- Your Hands | 22 Jan 2023 | 00:52:39 | |
Cold. That is what defines winter fishing. We acknowledged in the last podcast that the cold — or really the inability to deal with it — is one of the main reasons anglers stay home. So that’s why I think any in-depth discussion about winter fishing really has to start with how to stay warm. If you’re so cold that you can’t function normally, you just won’t fish well.
READ: Troutbitten | Category | Fly Fishing in the Winter Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Winter Fly Fishing Skills #1 -- The System and The Plan | 16 Jan 2023 | 01:08:05 | |
Season Six of the Troutbitten podcast begins. This is an eight part Skill Series about fly fishing in the winter months, and episode one is an overview of the series, along with details about where to find trout and in what water type we should expect them to eat. This episode is about our approach, with advice on time of day, fly strategy, covering water to suite the river and reading what the trout want for the moment. I'm joined this season by my co-host, Austin Dando. This Skills Series format is designed with less conversation and more detail.
In This Episode, We Cover the Following
READ: Troutbitten | Category | Fly Fishing in the Winter
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Fishing Buddies | 18 Dec 2022 | 01:14:09 | |
For the finale of Season Five of the Troutbitten Podcast and to wrap up 2022, we’re closing the curtain with an episode about fishing buddies — why we need them, how to find them and how to keep them for a lifetime.
READ: Troutbitten | Fish With Friends
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| What to Trust | 11 Dec 2022 | 01:08:13 | |
One of the most captivating aspects of fly fishing is the seemingly endless variety of approaches, tactics and strategies that are available with a fly rod in our hands. There are so many things to learn that put trout in the net. And we quickly understand that there’s a lifetime of education for us if we want it.
Resources READ: Troutbitten | Find Your Rabbit Hole Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Strategies for Fly Fishing In the Wind | 04 Dec 2022 | 01:15:10 | |
Wind challenges our cast and changes our drifts more than any other element. It forces us to adapt our presentations, and it makes some of our favorite styles impossible. But there is always a way to beat it. There’s always a way to make things work. And no matter how rough the wind, there are strategies not just for fighting through it, but for fishing well and catching trout. That’s what this episode is about. Forget the forecast. Just fish. We Cover the Following
READ: Troutbitten | Podcast | Dealing With Weather and Fighting the Elements
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Listener Q&A -- Mono Rigs, Tough Days, Trout Range and More | 27 Nov 2022 | 01:11:47 | |
The Troutbitten crew answers questions from podcast listeners. These questions range from gear talk to ethics, from fly selection to reading a trout river. And while most of our podcast episodes are narrowly focused on one theme, this one is spread out across topics.
Resources READ: Troutbitten | Podcast | The Versatile Angler Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| The Airing of Grievances -- Four | 22 Jun 2025 | 01:18:23 | |
Welcome to the fourth annual Airing of Grievances on the Troutbitten Podcast. Buckle up. Because it’s time to clear the air about a few things, to complain about some other things and get all the frustrations out in the open. Visit Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Streamer Presentations -- All About the Head of the Fly | 20 Nov 2022 | 01:20:25 | |
The longer we toss around streamers, the more we realize that it’s the most subtle changes in presentation that make a difference. Faster or slower? Sure. But how about letting the fly free fall in the current? What about a slight cross lead before reestablishing a strike-zone path in one seam? Or let’s try sliding a streamer off the bank with a broadside look, because that often draws a strike when nothing else does.
Resources READ: Troutbitten | Category | Streamers
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Freewheelin' Two -- Stories and Experiences | 13 Nov 2022 | 01:09:58 | |
The Troutbitten guys and I sit down to share a few stories — moments and experiences — from a life on the water.
Resources READ: Troutbitten | Category | Stories
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Strategies for Fishing Low and Clear Water | 06 Nov 2022 | 01:16:18 | |
In this episode, my Troutbitten friends and I talk about one of the toughest conditions we face — fishing in low, clear water. It’s something that can happen in any season and in any trout river. Many anglers shrink from the challenge. They walk away or never string up the fly rod, using the excuse that trout are simply too spooky or they just aren’t eating. But I promise you, that is not true. Trout are eating in these conditions. It just takes a calculated approach to bring them to hand. The truth is, low and clear water is a difficult challenge But if you accept these river conditions as a chance to learn and improve, then the extreme, sensitive nature of trout in low and clear water will force you to refine your approach, your cast and your drift. Everything about your presentation in low water must be thought through. Success requires caution, planning and a willingness to strike out. But that’s how you become a complete angler — by fishing when it’s tough. And by fishing hard. We Cover the Following
Resources READ: Troutbitten | Category | Spooky Trout
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Catch and Release: Always or Sometimes? And How C&R Changes Things On The Water | 30 Oct 2022 | 01:01:14 | |
Is catch and release a good idea all the time or just some of the time? In this episode, we consider the ways that the practice of catch and release changes the experience of fishing for us — how our approach shifts when the goals are different. A lot has changed in the last fifty years. Releasing the trout we catch has become commonplace, especially in the world of fly fishing. In many regions, on many rivers, C&R has become the expected norm. We’ve come a long way. And it’s fair to say that the average fly angler for trout doesn’t fish for meat as much as they do for the sport — for the challenge of fooling a fish. We Cover the Following
READ: Troutbitten | Are We Taking the Safety of Trout too Far?
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Weight In Fly Fishing: Beads, Shot, Sinking Lines and More | 23 Oct 2022 | 01:11:55 | |
In this episode, we talk about weight and fly fishing. Because if you’re not fishing a dry fly on the surface, then weight, in some form or another, is part of the presentation. There are all kinds of weight options, of course, from wire ribs on a wet fly and heavy wire hooks, to lead wraps and tungsten beads on a nymph or coneheads on a streamer. Sinking lines, sink tips and even poly leaders will get you down. And of course there’s split shot, in a few different forms, along with drop shot. Something has to get you through the surface and down deeper. As soon as your target zone is under the water, how you’ll get the fly into various parts of the water column becomes the question. And getting near the river bed is often critical to success. All of these weight types are useful. Weight is weight. And I’ve often put it this way: Weight is the original sin of fly fishing. If you aren’t fishing dry flies, then you’ve already left the purist plantation behind. So accept it. Surrender to it, and enjoy the rewards of fishing flies where trout usually eat them anyway. Embracing tungsten beads but thumbing your nose at split shot makes me chuckle. Insisting that a sinking line is superior to a conehead streamer for getting down defies logic. Oh for sure, the presentation may be very different, and that’s why we use all options. Choosing one form of weight over another form doesn’t make you a better angler. It doesn’t make it more FLY fishing. It just makes you an efficient angler. So in this discussion with my Troutbitten friends, we walk through the various ways to get a fly under the surface. We’ talk about the advantages and disadvantages of each style of weight and talk about our preferences. We Cover the Following
Resources READ: Troutbitten | Split Shot vs Weighted Flies Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| The Spooky Trout -- What Scares Fish and How to Avoid Spooking Them | 16 Oct 2022 | 01:15:08 | |
Success on the water starts with finding fish and not spooking them. No one ever caught a scared trout. All the tactics, the flies and the habits of river trout that we focus on mean nothing if the fish are on high alert and out of the mood to eat.
Resources READ: Troutbitten | Category | Spooky Trout
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Fly Tying and the Complete Angler | 09 Oct 2022 | 01:08:00 | |
This episode of the Troutbitten Podcast is about tying flies. It's about the way that aspect of fly fishing changes everything for us. Most of us wish to be a complete angler -- one who is well rounded, ready for anything and versatile. By tying flies, we get closer to that goal, because tying flies engages us in a deeper way. We’re more connected, more invested in what we tie to the end of the line. With a few turns of monofilament through the hook eye, we are attached to our own creations and our own solutions. In this episode my friends join me to talk about why we tie flies, why it's important and how it gives us an advantage on the river. We discuss what we like to change in fly patterns, how we adapt our flies to the conditions and much more. Because, for each of us, tying flies is part of our life on the water. We Cover the Following
Resources READ: Troutbitten | Category | Troutbitten Fly Box Visit: Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Fly Fishing Through the Fall Season | 02 Oct 2022 | 01:08:03 | |
The Troutbitten Podcast is back for season five. My full crew of friends returns, joining me for some great conversations about fly fishing for river trout. We’ll tackle a little bit of everything this season — with streamers, nymphs, wets and dry flies. And while there will be plenty of tactics talk, I’m sure we’ll get into some good stories and experiences on the river too. Episode one kicks this season off with a discussion about fly fishing through the fall season, from the late summer turn of the equinox, heading into the beginning of fall, to the end of the spawning season, which around here signals the beginning of winter. Fall fishing offers renewed hope and opening opportunities, along with a change of scenery. As the foliage turns, so do the habits of wild trout. Our favorite fish loses some of its characteristic inhibitions. More water, less light and the instinct to fatten up create unique opportunities for every angler who is willing to meet the trout on their own terms. While hatches may be sparse, the underwater game opens up to those with the skills to present a nymph, streamer or wet fly with precision. Trout chase. They migrate. They feed and they procreate. Fall fishing offers a style of fishing that is unequaled in any other season. We Cover the Following
Resources READ: Troutbitten | Full Days of Early Fall Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Roundtable Review and Wrap Up -- Dry Dropper Skills Series #5 | 09 Sep 2022 | 00:56:11 | |
This is our full crew review of dry dropper styles. And it wraps up this Troutbitten Skills Series on dry dropper fishing. Because, as we’ve seen, what seems like a pretty simple thing — just adding a nymph under a dry fly -- actually creates some complex situations. You can absolutely fish a dry dropper and keep your life easy. Fly fishing does not have to be complicated. So dangling a nymph from a buoyant dry and casting it to the river without much thought will catch trout. But for many of us, the complexities are what keep us interested. Solving problems, seeking answers, understanding a system and tweaking it for the moment is fun. Because those tweaks, those adjustments, make a difference. And when we start catching more trout, when the opportunities increase, we take notice. We learn what good drifts look like — on both the nymph and the dry fly. Then we improve. And that . . . is the simple joy of fishing. So remember, the next time someone mentions fishing dry dropper, ask them what style . . . because there’s a lot of room for variety. -- -- -- In 2019, I published a full series on these Three Styles of Dry Dropper on the Troutbitten Website. You can find them here: READ: Troutbitten | Three Styles of Dry Dropper This podcast series is an excellent companion for the article series. Because “fishing dry dropper” can really mean a lot of things. And each of these styles has many moments when it's the clear winner. So, the next time someone talks about dry dropper fishing, ask them what style -- because there's a lot of room for variety. Visit: Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Tight Line Dry Dropper -- Dry Dropper Skills Series #4 | 04 Sep 2022 | 00:54:00 | |
This episode covers an extremely effective style for presenting both a nymph and a dry fly -- I call it tight line dry dropper, and this may be favorite way to fish. I like methods that provide excellent control. And a tight line rig -- with direct contact as the primary feature -- is built for exactly that. It feels like we can make something happen rather than hoping to get lucky with a trout. With tight line dry dropper, we get the contact and control of a tight line nymphing rig and the excitement of a dry fly rig. It’s very different than the other styles of dry dropper because it’s built on a Mono Rig. And the catch rate, for where this rig applies, is often doubled or even tripled. Watch the nymph tuck in, exactly on target and see the dry fly land downstream of the nymph. You’re tight to the dry — from rod tip to fly — as it bobs and weaves back toward you. With the dry fly in touch with the nymph and our rod tip in touch with the dry fly, strike detection to the nymph is excellent. So we set when the dry twitches, jiggles or dips. And when a trout comes for the dry, you’re close enough to see him coming. It takes discipline not to set the hook too early. When he eats, you’re immediately tight to the fish, with no slack. You’re connected to a trout on a tight line only a rod length or two away, and the fight is on. Tight Line Dry Dropper is a great way to fish. In 2019, I published a full series on these Three Styles of Dry Dropper on the Troutbitten Website. You can find them here: READ: Troutbitten | Three Styles of Dry Dropper This podcast series is an excellent companion for the article series. Because “fishing dry dropper” can really mean a lot of things. And each of these styles has many moments when it's the clear winner. So, the next time someone talks about dry dropper fishing, ask them what style -- because there's a lot of room for variety. READ: Troutbitten | The Mono Rig Visit: Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Is Gen X the Greatest Fly Fishing Generation? | 15 Jun 2025 | 00:59:48 | |
We talk a lot about our frame of reference in fly fishing. Wherever you get into the game, a lot of your baseline is set by whatever is popular or widely accepted at that moment in time. My friend, Matt Mickey, recently argued that Gen X anglers are uniquely positioned, that this generation has experienced development and had a wide variety of influences that will never be duplicated. We’ve learned through every form of media. We grew up in a time where good information was sparse, and most of us are largely self-taught. So it makes me wonder, will that kind of experience ever happen again? Meaning, fifty years from now, when the twenty-somethings are seventy-something, will they have the same depth of experience? Sure, they’ll have time on the water, but will they be missing some important things? And if, let’s say, modern anglers new to the game are missing some things, is it possible to go back and get them? That's what this episode is all about. My friends, Trevor Smith and Matt Mickey join me for a great discussion. Resources READ: Troutbitten | How To Stay in the Fly Fishing Game for a Lifetime Visit Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Standard Dry Dropper -- Dry Dropper Skills Series #3 | 28 Aug 2022 | 00:54:18 | |
Standard Dry Dropper is the industry standard for a reason. Because it’s what you get when you simply add a nymph on behind the dry fly. Sometimes, that pairing is perfect, and with a good cast and even better mending skills, this standard setup catches trout all day long. But other times, the addition of the nymph, without some planning and attention to detail, creates a situation where neither the dry nor the nymph is setup to fish very well. And we are stuck with hoping something will happen instead of making it happen. Standard Dry Dropper is a useful style that solves a lot of problems. Especially if you surrender to the idea that the nymph is the primary fly being fished. Aim to land both flies in one seam. Get the nymph upstream of the dry fly and drifting in line. Then keep the tension of the dry fly with good mending. Treat it like and indicator and never be satisfied with a dragging setup. All of this sets up a lot better by staying as close as possible to the target, observing the differences in surface currents and staying active throughout the drift. Be willing to make changes. That’s the key to success. In 2019, I published a full series on these Three Styles of Dry Dropper on the Troutbitten Website. You can find them here: READ: Troutbitten | Three Styles of Dry Dropper This podcast series is an excellent companion for the article series. Because “fishing dry dropper” can really mean a lot of things. And each of these styles has many moments when it's the clear winner. So, the next time someone talks about dry dropper fishing, ask them what style -- because there's a lot of room for variety. READ: Troutbitten | Three Parts of an Ideal Indicator Leader -- And One Great Formula Visit: Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Light Dry Dropper -- Dry Dropper Skills Series #2 | 21 Aug 2022 | 00:49:07 | |
Fishing a nymph under a dry fly is rarely as simple as adding a nymph and casting it out there. Some forethought into what your objectives are, measured against your options for rigging and fly selection, goes a long way toward filling the net with trout. Do you want to fish the nymph or the dry? That’s the first question to ask. Each dry dropper style allows for the opportunity to catch trout on both flies, but only Light Dry Dropper is tuned for fishing the dry fly at its best. While Standard Dry Dropper and Tight Line Dry Dropper are great for fishing the nymph first, Light Dry Dropper is perfect for offering the dry fly as a primary choice. And sometimes, the frequency of takes on the added nymph is stunning. With this Skills Series on the Troutbitten Podcast, my friend, Austin Dando, joins me to dissect this Light Dry Dropper style. Because “fishing dry dropper” can really mean a lot of things. And each of these styles has many moments when it's the clear winner. In 2019, I published a full series on these Three Styles of Dry Dropper on the Troutbitten Website. You can find them here: READ: Troutbitten | Three Styles of Dry Dropper This podcast series is an excellent companion for the article series. Because “fishing dry dropper” can really mean a lot of things. And each of these styles has many moments when it's the clear winner. So, the next time someone talks about dry dropper fishing, ask them what style -- because there's a lot of room for variety. READ: Troutbitten | Dry Fly Fishing -- The George Harvey Leader Design Visit: Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Three Styles of Dry Dropper -- Dry Dropper Skills Series #1 | 13 Aug 2022 | 00:39:07 | |
With season four of the Troutbitten Podcast, we're back to the Skills Series format, with tightly packed, tactical episodes that cover one topic in depth. This season, we're digging into the three styles of dry dropper. This first episodes is an overview of the three styles, along with a good discussion about why and when we enjoy fishing dry dropper in the first place. Dry dropper sounds like a great idea. Just add nymph below a dry fly and catch fish on both offerings, right? But it's not that easy. And there are some real consequences. I argue that it's impossible to fish both flies perfectly, so by recognizing three distinctly different styles of rigging and fishing dry dropper, we make choices -- what fly will we prioritize and how will we get great drifts? In 2019, I published a full series on these Three Styles of Dry Dropper on the Troutbitten Website. You can find them here: READ: Troutbitten | Three Styles of Dry Dropper Now, with this Skills Series on the Troutbitten Podcast, my friend, Austin Dando, joins me for a deep dive beyond the framework of these styles. This podcast series is an excellent companion for the article series. Because “fishing dry dropper” can really mean a lot of things. And each of these styles has many moments when it's the clear winner. So, the next time someone talks about dry dropper fishing, ask them what style -- because there's a lot of room for variety. Visit: Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| The Troutbitten Project -- Past, Present and Future | 24 Jul 2022 | 00:11:58 | |
We’re in between podcast seasons and on a bit of a summer break. But I wanted to keep in touch here. I’d like to tell you more about the Troutbitten Project -- about all of the branches, what’s coming next and how all of this ties together. Season Four of the Troutbitten podcast begins on August 14th. It’s a five-part tactical series on Dry Dropper styles. We followed the same platform — or style — in season two, when we covered the Nine Essential Skills of Tight Line and Euro Nymphing. These are compact, informational episodes that detail one narrowly focused topic. I’ll be joined again by my friend, Austin Dando, to build through the framework of this fun, effective style. And by the end of the series, you should have a thorough understanding of the three styles for dry dropper. Maybe you’ve never thought of dry dropper this way. But the point is, there are three drastically different ways that we fish dry dropper. The rigs, the casting, the tactics and the intentions for each style are unique to each method. And sure, there’s some crossover, but in many ways, these styles are more different than they are similar. I call them Light Dry Dropper, Bobber Dry Dropper (or standard dry dropper for you purists out there) and Tight Line Dry Dropper. READ: Troutbitten | Series | Three Styles of Dry Dropper So that podcast series — Season Four — begins August 14th. But now’s a good time to mention that this full Dry Dropper series already exists on the Troutbitten website. The Three Styles of Dry Dropper is a four part series that I published on Troutbitten a few years ago. That series gets a lot of traffic every year, and I receive a lot of questions on the styles. So there’s more to be said, and I think it’s the perfect choice for our second installment of the skills series format on the podcast. Here’s the point: everything at Troutbitten ties together. None of it stands alone. Troutbitten started as a fishing blog eight years ago. Then it became the place where I published my tactical articles and best stories. Because as the traffic grew, ad revenue from the site added up to more than I could make with magazine placements and book contracts. By following that route, I maintained the copyright to my own works, so I can still do things like this — taking the Dry Dropper Styles series and building a podcast around the topic. It ends up that the choices I made years ago, fortuitously setup everything that Troutbitten has grown into. And because it’s so much more than a website now, I refer to all of this as the Troutbitten Project.
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Feed Drop -- Troutbitten on the Wade Out There Podcast | 17 Jul 2022 | 01:35:32 | |
Hey Troutbitten friends, Season three of the podcast is finished, and season four begins in just a few weeks. But in this time off, I have something special for you. I was recently a guest on the Wade Out There podcast with Jason Shemchuk. We had a fun discussion about family, kids and fly fishing. Then we got technical about streamer tactics, presentations and efficiencies. Jason started Wade Out There in 2019 as an author and artist focused on fly fishing for trout. He recently published episode 100 of the podcast, and I’m happy to be his first repeat guest. That’s the conversation I’m sharing here. You can find all of Jason’s excellent work over at WadeOutThere.com. And you can easily find his podcast series through any service or podcast player. So I hope you enjoy listening to my talk with Jason Shemchuck. I’ll also be back next week in your podcast feed with a short episode about the Troutbitten project. So until then . . . fish hard, friends. Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| The Versatile Angler | 03 Jul 2022 | 01:14:52 | |
Versatility is a Troutbitten mantra. It’s the way we fish. In fact, it’s why we fish a fly rod, because whatever way the trout wish to feed, we can show them flies that represent that food form. And while some anglers hit the river with one thing in mind, with one fly box and one set of tools, it’s our ability to adapt, to adjust and modify our approach, that makes a lifetime on the water so interesting. Sure, we focus on our favorite tactics, and we may spend the next half a year just perfecting our dry fly game in tight cover. But once these skills are learned, then knowing that we can throw anything at any time, having a full set of skills at the ready, is a rewarding and enjoyable approach to fly fishing for trout. Pursuing this kind of versatility also keeps us in the game for a lifetime. We are forever working on the next idea, refining new casts and another approach. Eventually, we develop such a facility with these skills that we begin to combine them, breaking free from the common and standard approach and landing on new ways to get a dead drift or move a streamer. Creation becomes the goal. Design becomes our drive. And experimentation leads to more answers that lead to more questions. All of it is our reward for being a versatile angler. But of course, nothing comes easy either. The beginning angler should probably refrain from branching out too much at first. Because too much versatility becomes confusing. It leads to frustration. There are stages. There are tools. There are systems for being versatile on the water. And there’s a time for all of it. So that’s what we’re here to talk about tonight. Here for our season three finale is a full house: Austin Dando, Trevor Smith, Josh Darling, Bill Dell and Matt Grobe. We Cover the Following
READ Troutbitten | Fly Shop Fluorocarbon Too Expensive? Try Invizx
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| An Introduction to Night Fishing for Trout | 26 Jun 2022 | 01:29:52 | |
I've been building the Night Fishing for Trout Series here on Troutbitten for many years. It's an ongoing series of chapters that cover some of what I’ve learned about trout after dark.
READ: Troutbitten | Category | Night Fishing
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| The Airing of Grievances | 18 Jun 2022 | 01:26:55 | |
So, you know how you see something from far away and it looks really great? It’s almost perfect. But if you look a little closer, even from a long distance, you might start to find a few things that aren’t quite right. But it’s good . . . it’s still pretty good. When you get even closer, you notice more problems. And when you’ve been around it for a long time, you can’t help but see many, many things that could be better. Well . . . that’s the fly fishing industry. And I don’t just mean the companies and the big names either. I mean the whole thing: the full scale, from Instagram hashtags and big internet groups to the few anglers that hang out at your local bar. The industry trends, these habits, these practices — some of them just seem wrong. And the gear, the ads, videos and articles, — a lot of it kind of steers people in the wrong direction. So we thought we’d have a little fun with this and call out as many issues as we can fit into one podcast. Yes, we’re here to criticize and complain a bit. But it's all in good fun. And quite honestly, I think most of the things we’ll bring up could certainly benefit from a fair dose of constructive criticism. Think of this as a cleansing. It’s a chance to bring everything out into the open — from the dark corners and into the sunlight. I'm joined by my friends Josh Darling, Austin Dando, Trevor Smith, Matt Grobe and Bill Dell. We Cover the Following
READ: Troutbitten | What to Trust
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| What's the Deal With Junk Flies? | 12 Jun 2022 | 01:05:00 | |
What might commonly be referred to as a junk fly makes its way to the end of my line pretty often. And for certain times of the year, through the summer and through the winter, I lean on junk flies as my go-to staples. But my understanding of junk flies has evolved over time. I get it now. You can’t just put any kind of bright, flashy materials on a hook and fool trout. There’s a reason why trout eat these flies. And there’s a reason why these patterns shine for so long and then fall off at the end of a season. There’s also a huge difference between the way stocked trout respond to some junk flies vs the way wild trout respond. We fish junk flies because they are fun. Because trout move to them more than other flies, sometimes. And because we can often see the fly in the water, allowing us to sight fish and learn something different. What is a junk fly? Why and when do they work? These are the questions for this podcast. I'm joined by the Troutbitten crew: Matt Grobe, Josh Darling, Trevor Smith, Bill Dell and Austin Dando. We Cover the Following
READ: Troutbitten | Super Fly -- The Story of a Squirmy Wormy Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Why Do We Miss Fish, and Why Do We Lose Fish on a Fly? | 05 Jun 2022 | 01:24:39 | |
We all miss fish and lose fish on a fly. Why does it happen? Is it an accident? Is it avoidable? And how can we improve our hookup and landing ratio on the water? If you’re at the point where you’re worrying about why you are missing and losing fish, then really. . . you know you’re already doing a lot of things right. Fooling trout is the hard part. Fly fishing is not easy. And trout — especially wild ones — are not forgiving. They don’t grant you much grace. And rarely do trout take lousy presentations. So if you trick a fish into taking your fly, then pat yourself on the back. And when you start to fool them often enough that you notice a trend of missing or losing fish, then again, just know that you’re doing a lot of things right. Convincing trout that a fake fly is the real thing is tough. The rest? Well, it all comes a lot easier. So, of course we want to land our trout. Missing and losing fish is frustrating after a while, because we sense there’s more that we can do to keep fish buttoned up. And really . . . there is. There are observable causes for trout missing the fly, just as there are mistakes we make on our end that result in another miss or a lost trout. Like everything else in fishing, there’s a lot of nuance to this topic. Reasons and strategies for missed and lost trout change whether it’s dry flies, nymphs, wets or streamers. Maybe a trout refuses our dry fly in a quick swirl as it rejects the pattern in a last second decision. It looks like the trout ate, so we set the hook and even feel the hook touch the fish, but we still miss it. This is not a hook setting error. It’s a presentation error. The fish refused the fly. The same happens with our streamers. And this is where I think we see it the most. When trout charge the streamer and maybe even strike it — but if they don’t eat it, then no amount of perfecting the hook set will catch that fish. So there’s a lot to see and understand, and this conversation helps bring a lot of that to light.
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Caught, Lost and Missed Trout -- Keeping Track | 08 Jun 2025 | 00:54:13 | |
So . . . how was it? How many did you catch? This is always the question for every fisherman, right? Whether I’m talking to my friends about a fishing trip from last week, or as I walked in the door this evening, my wife asked the same question — how many fish did you catch? It’s a fair question. Because that’s the goal out there (usually). We go fishing to catch fish. But the answers we give can also reveal a different story. “Well, I caught eight this morning, but I missed another handful underneath. And when I was fishing dry flies, I had a few refusals. While fishing streamers, another three fish slammed my fly but didn’t eat it. And I lost the biggest trout of the day when he popped off during the fight.” Every angler has these same kinds of stories. So I think we’d all agree that the primary goal out there — the first and most important goal of fishing — is to fool a fish. To make that trout believe that what you’re offering is worthwhile — to trick a trout. Honestly, I think that’s a large part of why most of us choose trout fishing in the first place — because as a species, they're picky and hard to fool. So we convince a trout or make them curious enough to eat the fly (or at least almost eat it). But then . . . as we all know, what happens next is variable. Sometimes we’re late on the hookset, sometimes trout reject the fly at the last second, or maybe the fish wins a quick battle and spits the fly. But all of those incidentals don’t change the fact that we fooled a fish, even though it didn’t end up in the net. We achieved that primary goal. I think everyone here counts fish to some extent. But what are we really keeping track of, and why? I like to say that every fisherman counts. I mean, you know if you catch zero, one or two trout, right? I keep track of things as a measurement of what’s working and what is not. And to me, the stats are a lot more detailed than just fish to the net. What a trout ate, where he ate it, how he took the fly and how was I fishing the fly when he ate it? Those stats matter too. Long ago, while night fishing, I started keeping track of trout caught, trout lost, and trout missed. I still do this, and as I said a few minutes ago, I think most anglers do this to some extent. The count doesn’t need to be perfect or precise. But when we miss a trout, that’s good information, because we fooled a fish. And when we lose a trout, we can be even more sure that we gained their interest. So caught, lost and missed. Why do we catch ‘em. And why do we miss or lose some trout? More importantly, what does that tell us, or how does it inform our next change? That’s what we’re here to talk about tonight. My friends, Matt Grobe, Bill Dell and Josh Darling join me for a great discussion. Resources READ: Troutbitten | Nobody Home, Nobody Hungry Visit Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Learning a River and Discovering Its Secrets | 29 May 2022 | 01:17:03 | |
You can’t really learn a river until you’ve learned to fish. You need some confidence in your skills to cover a section of new water, to fish it well and then walk away with some opinions about what that river holds rather than asking questions about your techniques and decisions. Learning a river comes by dedicating your time. You must give a part of your life to a river to learn it from top to bottom. And yes, it takes seasons on the water just to crack the surface. (And it probably takes a decade or more to crack the code.) But for many of us, for those who live a fly fishing life, who dedicate our free time to pursuing trout and learning the game, the questions that a watershed asks are seductive. Why do you find fewer large trout in the lower island section in the fall? What river conditions are required for trout to move to the shallows and comfortably feed after dark? When should you expect the Sulfur hatch, and are there two sizes or just one? These questions have answers. And the more we fish one waterway, the more details we discover, the more data we enter into a catalog of knowledge about a favorite trout stream. Rivers are an ever-changing, complex ecosystem of life, water and land. They are influenced by weather, surrounding community development and sometimes the anglers themselves. Nothing is static. Nothing is truly predictable. But there’s also no denying the habit of trout. And once you spend time wading with these fish, observing their habits and watching how the changes affect their behaviors, then time itself finally stacks in your favor. The observant angler becomes part of that ecosystem. And we begin to predict the paths of trout by instinct. Achieving that level of knowledge is a rare reward. But it is attainable. And the journey toward that knowledge is a respectable pursuit. I’m joined again by the Troutbitten crew, Trevor Smith, Matt Grobe, Bill Dell, and Austin Dando. I can tell you that each of these fishermen know their local waters exhaustively, from to deep to shallow, from bank to bank, winter, spring, summer and fall. They know the rhythms of their waters. We Cover the Following
Resources READ: Troutbitten | Dry Flies on the Mono Rig
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| A Fly Fishing Life, and Doing the Hard Things | 21 May 2022 | 01:13:41 | |
Living a fly fishing life, being Troutbitten, is something that you can’t shake off. Your mind always churns over something tactical, like a fresh spin on an old streamer retrieve. Or maybe you’re daydreaming about the upstream reaches above the water that you chose last weekend -- fishing past dusk before walking out, a mile and a half, under the stars, by yourself, full of the satisfaction that good exploration brings. And you know there’s more to find — still miles of river toward those headwaters. So the questions and that allure of discovery taps you on the shoulder all week long, reminding you of what's to come. The next fishing trip is something to look forward to. And that’s the secret to happiness — always something to look forward to. Something to work on. Something to improve. Something to achieve. These are life goals. And fly fishing for trout, like so many other great pursuits, gives our life a purpose, just by giving us the next thing to look forward to and the next thing to work on. This is why we choose a fly fishing life. This is Troutbitten. And I’d guess that most of our listeners want the same. But here’s the thing: There’s a difference between wanting it and working for it. I think everyone imagines themselves deep into the middle of a sweetheart spot, with no one else around, casting and fishing for big wild trout that are eating our flies and coming to hand. Maybe it’s the rising trout at dusk, or a frenzied streamer bite in the morning as you cover water quickly. Whatever your favorite scenario, these are the idealized moments we imagine when we think of a fly fishing life. And, of course, those moments are there for us. We get a lot of them. And yet, the amount of effort it requires to get there, the preparation, the planning, the failure and frustration requires hard work to get through all of it, and on to those best moments. Doing the hard things. That’s what this podcast is about. What are those hard things? How do we enjoy them? And what kinds of things are overlooked but seem to make all the difference? We Cover the Following
READ: Troutbitten | Al the Things
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||
| Rude on the River, Front Ended and the Golden Rule | 15 May 2022 | 01:12:20 | |
In the last podcast, episode 7 of season 3, we talked about finding your water and finding space. And we acknowledged that everyone wants this. Everyone. I don’t know any fisherman who sets out to fish beside a bunch of strangers for the day. Because part of the experience we seek is getting away from everything else in life, for just a bit. No matter where you are, having some space and some water to call your own is a primary draw. So when you do find a section of river, when you’re deep into the process of dissecting a riffle, run or pool, one of the worst and most frustrating things that can happen is having another angler walk in on you. Specifically, when they wade into the water you are fishing or that you planned to fish very shortly. It’s no fun. It can be maddening. And it can absolutely ruin your day. In some ways, this experience is inevitable. If you fish often enough, you’re going to get front ended, probably sooner than later. And how should we deal with it? Is there really any good way to open a dialogue with someone who rudely jumps in front of you? Does it ever end well? And how much water should we expect to be granted? What’s the standard, anyway? Also, if you round the bend on your walk in, and you see another angler set up in exactly the same water you planned to fish, where should you go? What’s the acceptable distance? How much room should we give each other on the river? Just like the previous episode, this podcast deals with space on the river. But this time, it’s not about finding space as much as how we share it. Sometimes, we’re forced to share more than we’d like. Other times, there’s simply no question that another angler has broken the code. And how do we deal with that? This is our topic.
Resources READ: Troutbitten | Front Ended -- Can We Stop Doing This to Each Other?
Thanks to TroutRoutes: Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at Thanks to Skwala Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at | |||