Podcasts by Category

Life on the water. Troutbitten is a deep dive into fly fishing for wild trout in wild places. Author and guide, Domenick Swentosky, shares stories, tips, tactics and conversations with friends about fly fishing through the woods and water. Explore more. Fish hard. And discover fly fishing at Troutbitten.com — an extensive resource with 1500+ articles about trout, friends, family and the river.
- 143 - Streamer Presentations #3 - The Head Flip
The Head Flip is a pivot. It’s a simple change of the streamer's head angle, from down and across to up and across, or from upstream to downstream. This pivot doesn’t necessarily move the fly out of its area, but the motion might seem pretty dramatic to a trout. The Head Flip shows trout an opportunity for an easy meal, and it might signal a moment of vulnerability. It's one of our favorites animations to a streamer. We Cover the Following What it is and why it worksBest water typesAngles to ...
Sun, 09 Feb 2025 - 142 - Streamer Presentations #2 - The Jerk Strip
The ability to move the fly with the rod tip and not just the line hand is a fundamental skill that opens creative options for the streamer angler. Almost two decades ago, Kelly Galloup’s first streamer book changed the way anglers thought about moving a streamer. All these years later, the jerk strip isn’t just one way to move the streamer. It’s a technique for using both hands, in concert, synchronized, for presentations that are impossible to achieve any other way. Move the fly with the ro...
Sun, 02 Feb 2025 - 141 - Streamer Presentations #1 -- What We Control
This season is a ten-part Troutbitten Skill Series, all about Streamer Presentations. We've been looking forward to this one for a long time. We spend a lot of our time dead drifting dry flies and nymphs. But with streamers, we’re trying to make them look alive. Instead of no motion, we move the fly. And this is exactly why we love to fish streamers. Because we get tired of dead drifting. And we love to think about everything we can do with a streamer to make a trout eat the fly. A lo...
Sun, 26 Jan 2025 - 140 - Pre-Trip Efficiencies
We're talking about how to shorten your time at the tailgate or the trunk. Just get your waders on, your boots laced, and get to the river. It should be as simple as that, but it’s not uncommon for anglers to waste a half hour or more just getting ready to go fishing. Most anglers hate this wasted time. In fact, all of this preparation just to go fishing puts a lot of anglers off in the first place. And the colder it is, or the longer you plan to be out there fishing, or the more...
Sun, 22 Dec 2024 - 139 - Ten Years of Troutbitten
We're here to celebrate ten years of Troutbitten. December 8th was the tenth anniversary of the first article ever published on Troutbitten. All those years ago, I never expected this Troutbitten business — this media company — to become what it is. Honestly, I had no intentions other than to write and publish stories about fishing, simply because I love the process of writing and I enjoyed fishing. I like being creative. In this episode, we talk about history and upcoming plans. Where has ...
Sun, 15 Dec 2024 - 138 - Brown Trout, Rainbows, Brook Trout, Cutthroat -- What's the Difference?
This discussion is about the differences between trout species. How are the habits of brown trout different than rainbow trout? Where do brook trout tend to hold and feed vs brown trout? What about cutthroat? Do they have different tendencies or habits than their counterparts? Because the habits of these trout are different, our target water changes too, as do our fly patterns and our approach. The guys from the Troutbitten crew join me for a great conversation. Resources READ: Troutbitte...
Sun, 08 Dec 2024 - 137 - Season 13 Intermission -- Leader Shop, Videos, Podcast Plans, Books and More
For our Season 13 Intermission, my wife, Becky, joins me for a look at what's going on in the Troutbitten world. We talk about the upcoming leader sale in the Troutbitten Shop (December 6th). We talk about upcoming podcast and video plans, books, fly rods and more. Resources SHOP: Troutbitten | Category | Leaders Visit Troutbitten Website Troutbitten Instagram Troutbitten YouTube Troutbitten Facebook Thank You to Pre-Roll Ad Sponsors: Skwala and Orvis
Tue, 03 Dec 2024 - 136 - Why Do Some Rivers Hold Big Trout?
I fished for two decades before I finally realized that not every river, not every creek or stream has big fish. For most of my early days of fishing, I thought there was a different class of fish in some of my favorite waters that I simply never encountered. And I liked to think that if I fished certain ways at certain times, I would finally catch those fish. But many years later, after more experience and after finally fishing all of the ways that are supposed to help you find the biggest ...
Sun, 01 Dec 2024 - 135 - Why We Fish
Tonight we’re here to talk about why we fish. It’s a simple question. Why do we commit so much of our free time and efforts, our thoughts and our daydreams . . . to fishing? Why, after all these years, do we keep coming back? Why, when we could do hundreds of other things — with three hours on a weekday evening or every daylight hour on a Saturday, from dawn to dark — why do we choose to lace up the boots and string up the fly rod? In all the seasons of this Troutbitten podcast, we’ve ofte...
Sun, 24 Nov 2024 - 134 - Barbed Hooks or Barbless? Does It Really Matter?
We’re halfway through Season 13, and tonight we have a discussion that’s been on our backburner for quite a while -- barbed hooks or barbless, and does it really matter? Should we always fish barbless? Maybe not. The answer isn’t that simple. So the Troutbitten guys are here for a conversation and a few thoughts about barbs on hooks. Each one of us has fished for long enough that we’ve used both barbed and barbless flies. We’ve also used barbs on lures and bait hooks, because we all grew up...
Sun, 17 Nov 2024 - 133 - Finding Your Confidence Flies
Every angler needs a set of flies to call their own. Among the thousands of patterns, options and choices out there, eventually, we sort out a handful of confidence flies. Our faith in these flies gives us conviction when choosing them and tying the knot. We’ll fish THIS fly in THIS water. That’s what will catch the next trout. And if it doesn’t, then we’ll change something — maybe the water type, maybe the presentation, maybe the rig. Or maybe we’ll reach for the next confidence fly. Some ...
Sun, 10 Nov 2024 - 132 - The Ethical Angler -- What Does That Mean?
What's right and wrong? That's what ethics really boils down to. Certainly, there are nuances about how much space to give other anglers on the river or how long we should hold a trout out of the water for a picture. But doing the right thing and being an ethical angler is probably best achieved by asking ourselves one question: Does this action makes things better or worse? And are you helping or hurting the woods, the water, the fish and other anglers? The best ethics probably happen when n...
Sun, 03 Nov 2024 - 131 - The One or Two Fly Debate, Across Fishing Styles
The Troutbitten guys are here to talk about two flies. Why do we fish two dry flies, two streamers, wets or nymphs? Why don’t we? Why might we fish with just one fly instead? Multiple fly rigs are a common solution to fishing problems, but extra flies on the line can certainly create more issues than they solve. The one or two fly debate, across fishing styles -- this is our topic. What works, when and why? What’s the upside? What’s the downside? Resources READ: Troutbitten | Tangle Free Ta...
Sun, 27 Oct 2024 - 130 - Why Do We Catch Trout In Patches?
The full Troutbitten crew is back for season thirteen. In this fall and early winter season, our theme is casual conversations. After three years of podcasting, we've recorded many episodes that go deep into the weeds on one specific topic. We've also dedicated full seasons to the Skills Series format, where a topic like night fishing or tight line nymphing is broken into multiple episodes to try and cover it well. But this season, we're ready to hit record and just riff on a topic. For epi...
Sun, 20 Oct 2024 - 129 - Fishing Dry Flies -- Dry Fly Skills Series #7
For this final episode in the dry fly skills series, we work through some scenarios that anglers frequently encounter. Because, just like nymphing, fishing streamers and fishing wets, we fish dry flies for many different reasons and in many different ways. We addressed some of this in episode one, and in this final episode, we complete the bookend by thinking about how things layout and going through some strategy and thought processes. Now that we’ve spent a good bit of time on leader desig...
Sun, 15 Sep 2024 - 128 - Rise Forms and Hook Sets -- Dry Fly Skills Series #6
In the last couple of weeks we talked a lot about choosing the next fly, when to change, and what informs our decision about what to change to — basically, how do we develop that next theory about what fly, water type and presentation style we want to test. Last week we talked about watching how trout are rising to naturals, how they are taking our fly or even how they’re rejecting it. That information goes a long way. It’s often the predominant factor for choosing an appropriate fly s...
Sun, 08 Sep 2024 - 127 - All About the Flies -- Dry Fly Skills Series #5
Here we are at the part of the season where we address everybody’s favorite question — what fly are you using? We’ve argued for years that the leader is the most consequential element in the system — much more important than the fly. That said, the fly must be reasonable. Most anglers are so focused on the flies because it’s the easiest thing to change. We’re quick to blame the pattern. And it’s a lot easier to clip off one fly and tie on another than to really break down your approach, you...
Sun, 01 Sep 2024 - 126 - Casting and Mending -- Dry Fly Skills Series #4
Our discussion here is about casting dry flies, and that’s where all good fly casting starts. With a dry fly, there’s no weight at the end of the line to help us out. No split shot, no tungsten bead, conehead or bobber. Refining the dry fly stroke truly teaches us what the fly rod is built to do. Ten and two. Acceleration and crisp stops between two points. Pause and allow turnover to happen. Feel the rod load and watch it all happen with the fly line in the air. Once you have that timing, y...
Sun, 25 Aug 2024 - 125 - Catching Up, With Leader Sales, Videos and Troutbitten Plans
For our Season 12 Intermission, my wife, Becky, joins me for a lighthearted look at what's going on in the Troutbitten world. We talk about the upcoming leader sale in the Troutbitten Shop (August 21). We talk about the New Trail Troutbitten beer, the event and the video. And we talk about the Fish and Film series on YouTube. Becky and I also answer a bunch of fun questions from listeners. Resources VIDEO: Troutbitten | Fish and Film - One Morning For Versatility VIDEO: Troutbitten | Beer and...
Sun, 18 Aug 2024 - 124 - Dry Fly Leader Design and Adjustment -- Dry Fly Skills Series #3
The leader should match the moment and match the angler. It should match the fly, the river and the wind conditions. Adjustments are necessary, and when they're performed often enough they become intuitive. An objective look at real goals for the dry fly, along with the true capabilities of the leader materials at hand, will lead anyone down the path toward a great leader formula for dry flies. While many anglers might consider the leader as an afterthought, we believe the leader is the mos...
Sun, 11 Aug 2024 - 123 - Dry Fly Skills #2 --Drag Free Drifts and Animation
The drag free drift -- a high percentage of the time, that’s what catches trout on top. So aiming for perfection on a dead drift sets the baseline. And if you get those great drifts, but they won’t eat it, try some animation. Think slight, small and subtle for those movements to the fly, and you just might fool some trout that are keyed in on motion. Everything works sometimes. So we’re ready to try anything. But we spend the most time with tactics that produce with the highest rate of retur...
Sun, 04 Aug 2024 - 122 - Dry Fly Skills #1 -- When and Why
Season twelve begins. It’s a seven-part skills series dedicated to dry fly fishing. My friend, Matt Grobe, joins me to build the framework — a method and a system — for presenting dry flies to trout. In this first episode, we ask when and why we fish dry flies. What’s the reason we might choose to fish dries over streamers, wets or nymphs? We argue that dry flies are the heart and soul of fly fishing. The visual aspect is fun and exciting. And the pleasures of top water fishing should not b...
Sun, 28 Jul 2024 - 121 - Prospecting for Trout
Prospecting is a strategy for covering water. It’s about pace. A lot of what we do, day to day on the water, is searching. We’re looking for activity. We’re trying to find feeding fish. Sometimes we’re looking to find the fish themselves, and other times, we know the trout are there, but they won’t eat, so we’re faced with the choice to change tactics or change flies . . . or we can move on and look for the next opportunity. All of that can fairly be called prospecting. But for this ...
Fri, 21 Jun 2024 - 120 - The Airing of Grievances -- Three
The third annual Airing of Grievances on the Troutbitten Podcast has arrived. Some of this is playful and some is serious. Complaining’s not a bad thing if it accomplishes something productive -- or if it’s kinda fun. Or if it draws attention to some of the absurdities around you. Some things need to change. Because there are plenty of influences and influencers leading us all down a road to nowhere, or really, to a place that loses the depth of this fishing experience — of what we love abo...
Sun, 16 Jun 2024 - 119 - Set the Hook! All About Different Hooksets
There are many different ways to set the hook while fly fishing for trout, because there are many different ways to fish for those trout. One size does not fit all. So we adapt our hook sets to suit the situation. In this episode, we cover what is meant by a trout set. We address the differences between hook sets for dry flies, wets, streamers and nymphs. We talk about setting distance, setting speed, setting direction, whether we should pause before a hook set, and many other broad and fine...
Sun, 09 Jun 2024 - 118 - The Further You Walk, the More You Leave Behind (a Story)
Here's a story about the solitude that so many of us seek on the water — how the full experience of planning for a trip, driving before dawn, walking in and exploring a river valley provides a respite from our daily life. It’s a chance for a clear mind and for renewed energy. "The Further You Walk, the More You Leave Behind" is about what we recover when we commit to full days and long distances, and how even after we return, we are changed. In this episode I also share information about the...
Sun, 02 Jun 2024 - 117 - The Troubles With Club Fishing
We're here for a tough conversation. This one's about fishing the pay-to-play setup of a club. These are the troubles with club fishing . . . One club leads to the next. One private stretch invites another down the road. So clubs lead to the loss of public water for the average angler. And that’s not good. The manufactured fishing scenario of most clubs can teach anglers the wrong things, with easier fishing that does not translate well outside of the clubs. That then leads to unrealistic ...
Sun, 26 May 2024 - 116 - How Woodsmanship Catches Fish
There's an intangible quality built into the best anglers. It's about being comfortable and natural around the water. It's about having an instinct and a guiding intuition on a river that informs decision without even giving it much thought. It's an innate knowledge of the environment and what will happen next. Knowledge of the woods, water, weather and the trout comes together with ease and adds up to something that is hard to identify. In this episode, we call it woodsmanship, outdoorsmans...
Sat, 18 May 2024 - 115 - Boat Fishing -- How Everything Changes When Floating a River
We're here to talk about floating down a river, about why we like boats, how floating is so much different than wading, how some opportunities are uniquely available and how others are shut off too. It’s the companionship and teamwork, along with the effort and commitment required to get down the river. It’s about a good lunch and friendly banter as much as the novel approach to tactics and the pure advantage of accessing more water. From the put in to the take out, boating changes everythi...
Sun, 12 May 2024 - 114 - What's the Deal With Emergers?
Like anything else in fishing, you can take the emerger concept just about as far as you want. You get technical, or you can spin up a couple wet flies, float them in the film, and keep things simple. I’ve often argued that you don’t have to match the hatch when fly fishing. I think it’s a fun approach, but having exactly the right shade of dubbing to match the most prevalent insect is rarely necessary. Most often, you can fish caddis imitations during a mayfly hatch and do pretty well, beca...
Sun, 05 May 2024 - 113 - The Ethics of Guiding -- More Harm Than Good?
My friends join me for a tough discussion. What are the benefits of guiding? What are the good things? How does it help anglers? Does it actually help people and make our sport or this fishing scene better, or does it just put money in the guide’s pocket and put more pressure on the trout? Also, what kinds of guided trips are there? Different types of guided trips are offered across the country. Some cater to the first timer, introducing new anglers to the fly rod. Other trips feature educat...
Sat, 27 Apr 2024 - 112 - Fishing Through a Caddis Hatch
Two years ago we did a full episode on Hatches. That discussion was a broad, overarching look at how the bugs — the insects that trout eat — dictate many of the habits of trout. We argued that knowing the hatches, following the emergence and being ready for these events is not only a lot of fun, it drastically improves your success on the water. Trout don’t miss the hatches, and neither should we. At the same time, none of us here think the pattern matters all that much — usually. While we a...
Sun, 21 Apr 2024 - 111 - The Stages of an Angler
How many times have we heard the supposed stages of an angler? First you want to catch a fish, then you want to catch a bunch of fish, then you want to catch a big fish, then you want to catch the toughest fish, and then you just want to catch a fish again. This is a clever way to look at a life on the water. But is it really true? This is our topic. We also expand on some other stages that anglers go through, and we think about the beginning stage — why it’s so hard at first, how anglers g...
Sun, 14 Apr 2024 - 110 - Feed Drop -- Troutbitten On The Untangled Podcast
I was happy to be a guest on the Untangled Podcast with Spencer Durrant. We talked mostly about Nymphing tactics for beginners. We also talked a little about a fishing life and the fly fishing industry. You can listen to that full episode here in the Troubitten Podcast feed Follow the Untangled Podcast hosted by the Venturing Fly Company YouTube channel. https://youtu.be/AWoagPJ0JPc?si=EjXoavzV8pGg9NEI Visit Troutbitten Website Troutbitten Instagram Troutbitten YouTube Troutbitte...
Sun, 07 Apr 2024 - 109 - Catching Up -- Patagonia, Leader Sales, Live Streams, Beer, Hosted Trips and More
In this interim episode, Becky and I look back on what has happened in 2024 so far, and we set the table for what’s to come. We talk about Patagonia, videos, articles, podcasts, livestream podcasts, one-on-one sessions, hosted trips, guide season, the next Troutbitten Leader Sale and a Troutbitten beer. Thank you for being part of this Troutbitten community. Resources READ: Troutbitten | One-On-One Virtual Skills Sessions READ: Troutbitten | The First Troutbitten LIVESTREAM Podcast On YouTu...
Wed, 13 Mar 2024 - 108 - Critical Nymphing Concepts #7 -- Animating the Nymph
Here we are with our final installment, part seven of our series on critical nymphing concepts. Almost all of our focus throughout this series has been on achieving dead drifts. We aim for natural looks that imitate what the real bugs do most. So we try to stay in one lane, we try to find the right speed and the right depth. Most of the articles on Troutbitten about nymphing also assume we’re aiming for dead drifts. It's the same with the videos. Why? Because dead drifts usually work best. ...
Sun, 25 Feb 2024 - 107 - Critical Nymphing Concepts #6 -- Line on the Water
This episode is about tension and slack. It's about how we manage fly lines and leaders on the water while nymphing. Remember, each of these episodes — all of these concepts — apply to all styles of nymphing. So we might choose to lay line on the water with an indicator rig (and sometimes mend it) just like we might choose to float the sighter with a tight line rig. My friend, Austin Dando, joins me to walk through the tight line advantage of keeping line off the water and what happens whe...
Sun, 18 Feb 2024 - 106 - Critical Nymphing Concepts #5 -- Weight: The Fundamental Factor
This discussion is all about weight. It’s the fundamental factor in nymphing. Because as soon as you choose to leave the surface, once you clip off the dry fly and fish anything else . . . weight is necessary. Even wet flies have some weight. They’re designed not to float but to break the surface with at least the weight of the hook. With streamers, of course, weight is required to get the flies to whatever depth is necessary — and we do that with all types of weight, whether that’s a sinkin...
Sun, 11 Feb 2024 - 105 - Three Ways to Dead Drift -- Critical Nymphing Concepts #4
This episode features what might be the most important concept of nymph fishing. There are three different ways to present a dead drifted nymph to the trout -- three ways to imitate what trout commonly see from the naturals. While trout eat dry flies in one plane (the surface) the complexity of currents underneath introduces more difficulty, simply because trout might be looking for food in multiple ways. My friend, Austin Dando, and I break down one of my favorite topics in fly fishing -- t...
Sun, 04 Feb 2024 - 104 - Suspender Advantages -- Critical Nymphing Concepts #3
In the third part of this critical nymphing concepts series, we consider the advantages and disadvantages of fishing with a suspender. We cover the following Indicator styles and why the type mattersNot all indicators are created equalChoosing tight line or indy, or combing bothWhat you lose by adding and indyWhat you gain by adding an indyComplications of an indy styleWhat is commonly missed when using an indyReading an indicatorA few more tips . . . Resources READ: Troutbitten | It'...
Sun, 28 Jan 2024 - 103 - More Influence or Less? -- Critical Nymphing Concepts #2
In this second episode of our Critical Nymphing Concepts series, my friend, Austin Dando, and I walk through the idea — the concept — of having more influence or less over the flies. Meaning, who or what is in charge of the nymphs? Is it you or the river? And do we want to have more influence over the flies or less? What looks more natural? Which choice — which method — fools more trout? We cover the following What is influence and what's in charge of the nymph's path?Does less influence loo...
Sun, 21 Jan 2024 - 102 - Critical Nymphing Concepts #1 -- The Three Questions
This Season Ten skills series is about the critical concepts of nymphing. In seven episodes this season, we're covering the what and the why of nymphing. The techniques we work on are physical skills necessary to get great drifts and fool fish. But these nymphing concepts are about putting a reason behind everything we do. Why do we make the changes? How do we adapt to meet the preferences of trout for the moment? This is the other side of the coin. And once you put all of this together, you...
Sun, 14 Jan 2024 - 101 - A Troutbitten Glossary
For this final episode of Season Ten and of 2023, we wanted to have some fun. In this episode we walk through a bunch of Troutbitten . . . terms, words, sayings, phrases . . . and talk about what all of this means. Let’s call it a Troutbitten glossary. If you’re lucky enough to have your own group of long-time fishing friends, then I’m sure you have your own phrases too — your own idioms and ways of talking about things. It’s all a lot of fun. Long-time listeners understand what it me...
Sun, 24 Dec 2023 - 100 - Bad Habits That Hurt
We’re here to talk about bad habits — things that aren’t personal style but just bad form. These are bad habits that come with a consequence. These are, quite simply, mistakes. And in every case, there’s a much better way to do things. We meet anglers from all over the country and the world, we often see these bad habits from good anglers. And inevitably, these are some of the key things that hold people back from going further — from catching more trout. These are deal breakers -- ba...
Sun, 17 Dec 2023 - 99 - Fishing With a Camera
This one is about taking photos and videos on the water, about camera gear, about keeping that gear safe but available, and even a few tips on taking a good fish selfie. Photography is something that we see most anglers get into, at least a little bit. I’ve often described the fish selfie as the grand compromise of catch and release fishing. We don’t kill the trout and take it home to show it off to friends anymore. But we do want to share some of the best trout and our most memorable situat...
Sun, 10 Dec 2023 - 98 - Our Favorite Rivers
Some favorite rivers meander and roll through stunning scenery and enchanting tracts of wilderness. And most trout fishermen quickly realize that the pursuit of wild trout takes them into some of the most beautiful valleys on earth. But some other favorite rivers run through towns or behind old factories. Maybe they’re paralleled by a highway or narrowly channeled by railroad tracks on either side. These places can be just as special, just as meaningful and treasured, for what they hold — fo...
Sat, 02 Dec 2023 - 97 - What Works When and Why? -- Mono Rigs and Euro Nymphing Styles
This episode is a conversation about tight line leader styles. We share what we like best, what works for each of us and what does not. This is Part Two for the podcast that we two weeks ago, titled, “Tight Line, High Stick, Euro Nymph, Mono Rig -- What's the Difference and How Did We Get Here?” While that first episode laid out a history of tight line tactics, this conversation is focused on how we use these leaders. How do we fish the different leader builds for tight lining? What are the ...
Sun, 26 Nov 2023 - 96 - Coffee and Secrets (a story), and Catching Up
Here we are in the middle of season nine, and we’re doing something a little different. This is like an intermission between sets. My wife, Becky, is here, and we’ll catch up on a few Troutbitten things, like updates to the Recommended Gear page and the upcoming fall leader sale. I also have a listener email to share that really gets to the heart of what we all love about being out there on the water. And then, I read one of my favorite Troutbitten stories from the archives. It’s tit...
Sun, 19 Nov 2023 - 95 - Tight Line, High Stick, Euro Nymph, Mono Rig -- What's the Difference and How Did We Get Here?
Over the years, nymphing has grown up a bit. There's more information, more styles and more acceptance of those styles than ever before. While nymphing was once seen as that thing you did when trout wouldn’t eat dry flies or wets, more anglers than ever choose nymphing first — as their go-to method for catching trout in all seasons. Because nymphing provides a unique complexity unlike anything else in fly fishing. And anglers who are dedicated to the craft take particular joy in seeing their ...
Sat, 11 Nov 2023 - 94 - The Stuff You Don't Need
Sometimes, an angler's love for gear becomes more important than the fishing itself, until the goal becomes a bigger collection of fishing gear instead of a collection of good fishing experiences. We’ve all seen this out there. And sometimes we have to actively fight that urge to want the next thing or believe that our deficiencies on the river can be solved with more gear. The truth is, too much stuff gets in the way. Simplifying our approach, our fly selection and gear selection, usually w...
Sun, 05 Nov 2023 - 93 - Turning Around the Toughest Days — How to Save a Slow Fishing Trip
How do we handle tough days? How can we turn it around and start catching fish? When the going gets tough, how do we fix it? What are the strategies? So, most things don’t turn out the way you had them planned. That’s life. But as you’re driving the dirt road toward your favorite trout water, thoughts and plans unfold in your mind. And while preparing for a destination trip, you expect success. Once you’re finally traveling halfway across the country to that river you’ve wanted to fish...
Sun, 29 Oct 2023 - 92 - Trout Fishing and the Spawn
This conversation is about spawning trout. Specifically, we tackle the ethics of fishing during the spawn, whether it’s right or wrong to fish for trout that are actively in the process of making the next generation of trout. Moreover, where do these ideas of what’s ethical or not come from, and why are the expectations confusing for a lot of anglers? Is it okay to be on the water while trout are spawning, or should we simply stay away during the spawning season and let trout do their thing...
Sun, 22 Oct 2023 - 91 - How Has Fly Fishing Changed?
Everything changes. That’s the only constant. And in the fly fishing world, the tactics, the gear and how we share all of this information changes, even though what the trout eat and how they eat it pretty much stays the same. That time frame, that snapshot, from where you entered the fly fishing world, shapes what you do on the water. And it’s amazing what just twenty calendar years does to that snapshot. Because a lot of your understanding about what is common, accepted or frowned upon is ...
Sun, 15 Oct 2023 - 90 - Night Fishing for Trout -- Nymphs, Wets and Pushers
In this six-part series we’ve covered locations, water types, weather, water and light conditions. We’ve talked about the gear, about flashlights and headlamps and glow in the dark stuff. We’ve considered what a good night plan looks like, having a strategy and then adapting. Tactically, we’ve talked about drifting vs swinging flies, about three levels of the water column, about where to expect trout might feed the most after dark, and we’ve walked through top water patterns, emergers and st...
Sun, 24 Sep 2023 - 89 - Night Fishing for Trout -- Topwater, Emergers and Streamers
This is the episode you’ve all been waiting for. Tonight, we talk about fishing the top water. And yes, that means mouse patterns — sometimes. We also dig into a fly style that we feel is often more effective, the mouse emerger concept at night. And we talk about fishing streamers after dark. We cover the effectiveness of many different top water and streamer styles. And we discuss how the emerger concept combines the best of both fly platforms. We get into our favorite patterns ...
Sun, 17 Sep 2023 - 88 - Night Fishing for Trout -- Planning and Adapting Locations and Tactics
All fishing trips benefit from a good plan, and most of us couldn’t stop planning, hoping and dreaming about an upcoming trip if we wanted to. Our night fishing plans are a good beginning. Aimed toward solving the mysteries after dark, these plans are formed around expectations and based on the conditions. Where are the trout, and how are they feeding? Building flexibility into our plans helps solve these questions. It’s our willingness to adapt, to walk around the bend, to work upstream in...
Sat, 09 Sep 2023 - 87 - Night Fishing for Trout -- Swinging and Drifting
We night fish with many different fly types: surface patterns, mouse emerges, streamers, wet flies, nymphs and Harvey Pushers. And all of these flies can be presented in two very different ways — drifting and swinging. There’s a lot of variety within these two categories. There are many ways to do both. And every fly type may seem to have its best or most effective presentation, drifting or swinging, but when that’s not working, the first and easiest thing to do, before changing the fly type...
Sun, 03 Sep 2023 - 86 - Night Fishing for Trout: Lights -- Natural and Artificial
In this second part of the Night Fishing for Trout Skills Series on Troutbitten, we consider light. First the naturals, like moonlight and starlight, then we discuss city lights and other artificials, like our own flashlights and headlamps. Lastly, we’ll discuss the use of glow-in-the-dark stuff, like fly lines, indicators and more. I'm joined by my night fishing friends, Austin Dando, Trevor Smith and Josh Darling. Night fishing always comes down to what we can see and what we can’t. Of co...
Sun, 27 Aug 2023 - 85 - Night Fishing for Trout: People, Places and Things
This season is a skills series about fishing for trout after the sun goes down. And for the next six episodes, we’ll break down the night game into an outline that roughly follows the topics of a series that I published on Troutbitten, titled, Night Fishing for Trout. My night fishing friends are joining me for this episode -- Josh, Trevor and Austin. These are the only night fishing companions I’ve ever had. Because the truth is, most anglers simply will not fish in the dark very often. But...
Sun, 20 Aug 2023 - 84 - Summer Catch Up '23 -- The Fishing, The Shop, Videos and More
We’re in between podcast season, and it's time for an update about what’s going on with Troutbitten. My wife, Becky, joins me to talk about the past, the present and the near future. The summer Troutbitten Shop leader sale launches on Monday morning, July 31st. All Troutbitten leaders will be back in stock: Harvey, Standard, Thin and Micro Thin Mono Rigs, Full Kits and Standard Sighters. Also in the shop are new hats and tee shirts in collaboration with New Trail Brewing Company. My Guide S...
Sat, 29 Jul 2023 - 83 - The One With Sloop - Stories With a Troutbitten Friend
Every Troutbitten regular knows about Sloop. We’ve referred to our friend on nearly every podcast, especially in the last few seasons, as it’s become a running contest to see how we can sneak in a Sloop John B reference. So we’re excited to have John here. Because what we all find so rewarding about this life on the water are the friendships. We form deep bonds with people because they are . . . fishermen. Because they too are captivated by the trout, by the places trout take us and by the r...
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 - 82 - The Airing of Grievances 2
We're back for the annual airing of grievances, here to call out what's wrong in the fly fishing industry. Some of our grievances are lighthearted silliness that doesn't really matter, but it’s fun to roast or to call out. But there’s another kind of grievance too. Because a lot of the stuff going on in the fly fishing industry isn’t really good for anyone — or maybe it’s only good for a few. Because the industry — and by that I mean you, me, the fly fishing companies, and all the media arou...
Sun, 25 Jun 2023 - 81 - Why We All Love Big Trout
This episode is about big trout -- what they mean to us, why we chase them, and how catching a top tier wild trout often leaves a bookmark in the story of our fishing lives. We love big trout because they give us the shakes. Because they elude us. Because they are rare. And because fooling a top tier trout serves as an accomplishment that we know comes from persistence and from knowledge gained over seasons of fishing. Time. That’s what it always comes down to. Because big trout don’t show ...
Sun, 18 Jun 2023 - 80 - That's Not Fly Fishing -- What It Is, What It Isn't, Who Cares
“That’s Not Fly Fishing.” How many times have you heard this at the bar or seen someone write it on social media? When the way you are fishing isn’t up to someone’s standards, when it doesn’t align with their own preferences, it seems that this frequent argument comes out easily — That’s not fly fishing! Of course, there is no single definition for what fly fishing is. The fly rod is a tool. Flies are the bait. And how anglers choose to use them is where personal creativity comes in. It’s th...
Sun, 11 Jun 2023 - 79 - This Is The End -- A Story
This episode is a brief pause in season seven of the podcast to share something that I published to Troutbitten in the early years. The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of emotion and activity. The days were filled with energy and adrenaline, as my youngest son's Little League baseball team won the league championship. They battled through two weeks of playoffs and took the title in the last series, where every game was decided in the final inning. I've coached Little League for nine y...
Sun, 04 Jun 2023 - 78 - Vest, Pack or Something Else? Carrying Your Gear
What’s the best way to carry your gear? Should you use a vest, a chest pack, hip pack, sling pack or something else? How you choose to carry gear is a personal and situational choice. It has everything to do with what you need to carry, and how far you like to walk. Do you need to carry extra layers and a raincoat, and how many tactics do you want to be ready for? Streamers, nymphs, dry flies and wets . . . or just dries? We have more choices than ever before, but it pays to think about eff...
Sun, 28 May 2023 - 77 - Talking About Tippet -- Size, Strength, Length and Rigging
The leader might be the most important piece of gear that we have -- more consequential than the rod, the fly line, or even the fly itself. And of course, at the tail end of the leader is the tippet. All anglers must make decisions about tippet every day. What size and strength? What type of tippet? And how long should the tippet section be? Because, what might seem like a small decision, can have a big impact on the presentation of the fly, leading to failure or success. Some of these deci...
Sun, 21 May 2023 - 76 - What to Love About Small Stream Fishing
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. These are trout streams that are no wider than the dirt road that you drove in on. And for every blue ribbon trout river, for every destination water that is raved about in the guidebooks and makes every angler’s bucket list, there are numerous tributaries to these main rivers that are mostly overlooked. We see this everywhere we ...
Sun, 14 May 2023 - 75 - Good Wading, Better Fishing -- How Wading Skills Change Everything
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. I meet a lot of anglers who approach a river all wrong. They wade into a spot, set up, and then cast to every piece of water they can reach (at all angles) before picking up and wading again to repeat the proc...
Sun, 07 May 2023 - 74 - High Water, Dirty Water, Muddy Water
What can we do when the rains come, when the snow melts, or when the floodgates open? Rivers rise in many different ways. From quick and heavy summer thunderstorms, to the steady light rain that remains for days at a time. There’s the gradual release of melting snowpack and then heavy rains on that same snow that pushes high volumes of cold water into the rivers. Then too, there’s the generation of hydroelectric dams where the river might triple in flow, on a schedule. In all of these ways,...
Sun, 30 Apr 2023 - 73 - What Is More Difficult? Fishing Dry Flies or Nymphs?
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. What is more difficult? Nymphs or dries? This is a valuable exercise and an important discussion . . . Just because nymphing might usually produce more trout, doesn’t mean it is easier. And how many trout we catch on each style is not the point. Try getting true, convincing dead dri...
Sun, 23 Apr 2023 - 72 - Angler Pressure TWO -- What It Does to the Fishing
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. And now, we’re building on those thoughts and offering some solutions. Because if trout are adapting their habits in response to us, then we must modify our own approach to stay one step ahead of the fish. I used...
Sun, 16 Apr 2023 - 71 - Angler Pressure ONE -- What It Does to the Fish
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. In this episode, we discuss how angler pressure affects the fish. And for the next episode, the topic will be how angler pressure affects the fishing. One topic sets up a good conversation of the other. Angler pressure probabl...
Sun, 09 Apr 2023 - 70 - Fish It Anyway -- A Story
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. But there’s another side to this love of pursuing trout. And I once wrote it down in an article this way: "There are two sides to every ...
Sat, 25 Mar 2023 - 69 - Catching Up -- Spring 2023
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. Just a few years ago, Troutbitten was the website only. I wrote and published articles three times a week. Now it’s a multi-media company with many branches — there’s the podcast, the videos, the online shop, hosted events and, of course, the guide business. Here's what's going on in the Troutbitten world . . . Resources VIDEO: Troutbitten | Mono Rigs an...
Sun, 19 Mar 2023 - 68 - Winter Fly Fishing Skill #8 -- Full Crew Conversation with Stories and Tactics
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. This is a great conversation with my best fishing friends. And this discussion is a nice endcap on a full season dedicated to fly fishing in the winter months. We Cover the Following More streamer tipsRiggingAccess issuesWinter preparatio...
Sun, 05 Mar 2023 - 67 - Winter Fly Fishing Skills #7 -- Problems and Solutions
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. There are a host of reasons that anglers stay home in the winter. Some are legitimate -- there's no good solution for the problem, and you learn to deal with it the best you can. We talk about some of those. But other pe...
Sun, 26 Feb 2023 - 66 - Winter Fly Fishing Skills #6 -- Dry Fly Fishing in the Winter
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. Specifically, this conversation is dedicated to what is different or unique about fishing dry flies in the winter, versus other times of the year. My friend, Austin Dand...
Sun, 19 Feb 2023 - 65 - Winter Fly Fishing Skills #5 -- Streamer Fishing in the Winter
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. In this episode my friend, Austin Dando, and I share our best tips for fishing streamers in the winter. We Cover the Following Why, when, where and howGear for winter streamersThe flies and the linesBenefits of fishing streamer...
Sun, 12 Feb 2023 - 64 - Winter Fly Fishing Skills #4 -- Nymphing in the Winter
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. With fewer hatches and with trout that are less willing to move for a fly, presenting a nymph to winter fish is often our best strategy. But having success requires a refined approach, and winter nymphing can seem like the toughest of the year. However, with a great presentation and a good understanding of where fis...
Sun, 05 Feb 2023 - 63 - Winter Fly Fishing Skills #3 -- Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
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. In This Episode, We Cover the Following How to regulate heat with layers and zippersStaying m...
Sun, 29 Jan 2023 - 62 - Winter Fly Fishing Skills #2 -- Your Hands
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. In next week’s podcast, we’re going to get deep into all of it — keeping your whole body warm, from head to toe. And not just...
Sun, 22 Jan 2023 - 61 - Winter Fly Fishing Skills #1 -- The System and The Plan
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 f...
Sun, 15 Jan 2023 - 60 - Fishing Buddies
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. We talk about what makes a good, bad or great fishing companion and share some experiences about a few would-be friendships gone wrong. We Cover the Following What qualities are needed in a great river companion?How to meet new fishing friendsWhy do we need fishing friends?How m...
Sun, 18 Dec 2022 - 59 - What to Trust
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. So we combine our time on the water with conversations that we have with friends. We read books and articles. We watch videos. Maybe we listen to podcasts. And yes, we might even l...
Sun, 11 Dec 2022 - 58 - Strategies for Fly Fishing In the Wind
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. Here are our best strategies for fly fishing in windy conditions. Wind does not ...
Sun, 04 Dec 2022 - 57 - Listener Q&A -- Mono Rigs, Tough Days, Trout Range and More
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. This is an entertaining conversation, with both stories and tactics. We Cover the Following How far do trout move for a fly?Stories about bad days on the waterCarrying two fly rodsThe Mono Rig from a boatTippet protection as a...
Sun, 27 Nov 2022 - 56 - Streamer Presentations -- All About the Head of the Fly
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. I think most anglers start fishing streamers by casting and stripping, kee...
Sun, 20 Nov 2022 - 55 - Freewheelin' Two -- Stories and Experiences
The Troutbitten guys and I sit down to share a few stories — moments and experiences — from a life on the water. There’s no layout for this episode and not much direction other than to share some of the remarkable things that have happened to us while fishing — the things we’ve seen, places we’ve been and the stuff that has happened, simply because we were there, on the river, with a fly rod in our hand. From the beginning, Troutbitten has been about tactics, sure, but also about the experi...
Sun, 13 Nov 2022 - 54 - Strategies for Fishing Low and Clear Water
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. Th...
Sun, 06 Nov 2022 - 53 - Catch and Release: Always or Sometimes? And How C&R Changes Things On The Water
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 ...
Sun, 30 Oct 2022 - 52 - Weight In Fly Fishing: Beads, Shot, Sinking Lines and More
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....
Sun, 23 Oct 2022 - 51 - The Spooky Trout -- What Scares Fish and How to Avoid Spooking Them
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. Don’t spook the fish. Achieving that is different from season to season. It’s different in various water types. And acceptable distances from the trout change even with the angles by which you approach them. Being cautious, being aware and being ...
Sun, 16 Oct 2022 - 50 - Fly Tying and the Complete Angler
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 a...
Sun, 09 Oct 2022 - 49 - Fly Fishing Through the Fall Season
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 tu...
Sat, 01 Oct 2022 - 48 - Roundtable Review and Wrap Up -- Dry Dropper Skills Series #5
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...
Fri, 09 Sep 2022 - 47 - Tight Line Dry Dropper -- Dry Dropper Skills Series #4
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 e...
Sun, 04 Sep 2022 - 46 - Standard Dry Dropper -- Dry Dropper Skills Series #3
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 happ...
Sun, 28 Aug 2022 - 45 - Light Dry Dropper -- Dry Dropper Skills Series #2
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 Standa...
Sun, 21 Aug 2022 - 44 - Three Styles of Dry Dropper -- Dry Dropper Skills Series #1
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...
Fri, 12 Aug 2022
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