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...
Aug 13, 2022•39 min•Season 4Ep. 1
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 ...
Jul 24, 2022•12 min
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 episo...
Jul 17, 2022•1 hr 35 min
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 perfectin...
Jul 03, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Season 3Ep. 15
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. But I’m careful with that word “learned.” Sure, I’ve come a long way in the fifteen years or so that I’ve spent night fishing. And time on the water has taught me things both by fish in the net and through repeated failure. I’ve gone through a period of time where I dedicated a few years to night fishing as my pr...
Jun 26, 2022•1 hr 30 min•Season 3Ep. 14
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 comp...
Jun 18, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Season 3Ep. 13
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 ...
Jun 12, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 12
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 pres...
Jun 05, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Season 3Ep. 11
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 de...
May 29, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Season 3Ep. 10
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 headw...
May 21, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Season 3Ep. 9
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 ...
May 15, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Every angler wants to fish somewhere new — someplace untouched. We want novel experiences. Something about trout fishing, about catch and release and about throwing flies, attracts the explorer. Long term anglers are most often the adventurers. They’re the pathfinders — the ones who find the qualities of solitude and peace more important than fishing big-name waters or catching a bunch of trout. And these days, one of the most common complaints heard among fishermen is about crowded waters. Peop...
May 08, 2022•57 min•Season 3Ep. 7
This episode is about fly casting — why it matters more than anything, and how we can improve our accuracy and control over the system with just a few key adjustments. All fly fishing styles require good casting skills. My friends and I fish a Mono Rig for most underwater presentations. But this tight line approach for nymphs and streamers falls apart without the ability to cast and manage a long leader, through the air, exactly like a fly line. I say it all the time about tight line and euro ny...
May 01, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Season 3Ep. 6
This episode is about exploring the water types of a river to find hungry trout. And we’re thinking beyond just fast water, slow water, riffles, runs and pools. Sure, recognizing the basic features of the stream you’re fishing is a great starting point. But this is Troutbitten, so you know we’re going to take things a bit further. We want to know more. And what matters most is where trout are feeding -- and why. Find feeding fish. When we’re on the water, it’s priority one. The rivers we fish ar...
Apr 24, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Something electric happens when we hook into the fish of the day, the fish of the season or maybe the fish of a lifetime. Our hearts beat faster. The adrenaline pumps because the stakes are raised. This is the fish we’ve been waiting for, and we don’t want to lose the opportunity. And that feeling never fades. Across fishing styles and over the centuries, fishermen are captivated by these big-fish moments. And though the feeling never grows old, our ability to control our response and control th...
Apr 17, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 4
One of the greatest attractions to fly fishing can also present one of the biggest barriers. It’s the bugs. The aquatic insects that make up the bulk of a trout’s food base are intriguing, but they’re also somewhat mysterious The advanced angler explores the nuances of these bugs. Some insects are good swimmers and emerge fast, so a presentation outside of a pure dead-drifted nymph might be the trigger that turns trout on. Likewise, understanding the life cycle of a mayfly helps us realize why s...
Apr 10, 2022•1 hr 36 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Casting, drifting, swinging and stripping -- everything else is downtime. As Paul said, “Brother, there are no flying fish in Montana” — or anywhere else, for that matter. Flies in the water — that’s where we want them. A trout at the end of the line. That’s what we’re aiming for. But there are seemingly endless tasks required for a fishing trip. And how we approach those chores really defines the way our day will go — simply because our fly is either in the water . . . or it’s not. How we prepa...
Apr 02, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Season Three begins with a round-table discussion about fishermen's secrets and what happens when we give up the most sensitive of them -- spot burning. My full panel of fishing buddies is back for this third season: Austin Dando, Trevor Smith, Josh Darling, Bill Dell and now Matt Grobe. We kick off season three with one of the most contentious topics in fly fishing. Holding secrets is human nature. And some of us keep confidential our favorite flies, tactics and more. But when it comes to spots...
Mar 27, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Hello, friends. Season two of the Troutbitten podcast is finished, and season three begins soon. So in this off week, I have something a little special for you. Recently, I was a guest on the Wet Fly Swing podcast with Dave Stewart . So this is a feed drop of that episode in full. Dave runs a great show, and he’s been at it for a long time. I was happy to be a guest for the second time with Dave. And in this episode, we dig into a lot of streamer tactics, some nymphing techniques, and we have a ...
Mar 21, 2022•1 hr 21 min
Season Two concludes with a round table discussion for answering the most common questions about tight line and euro nymphing skills. My full panel of friends, Austin, Bill, Trevor and Josh join me to get deep in the weeds of the tactics, to clear up misconceptions, and offer their own ideas. As Episode nine published, I realized there were many questions left to be answered. Daily, I received messages about a variety of techniques discussed in these nine essential skills. And the same themes cr...
Mar 13, 2022•54 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Here we are at the finish line. In this ninth installment of this Troutbitten Skills Series, my friend, Austin Dando, and I walk through some of the best tips for putting it all together. Because this set of skills, performed in order and flowing from one to the next, results in a great drift that starts and finishes in a convincing, trout-catching presentation. Here are those nine skills: Angle and Approach Turnover and Tuck Cast Sticking the Landing Recovering Slack Finding Contact Locating th...
Mar 06, 2022•30 min•Season 2Ep. 9
The strike is the best part of fishing. It’s what we’re all out there waiting for, or rather, what we’re trying to make happen all day long. And the trout eats because we get so many things right. When the fish strikes, we strike back. Short, swift and effective, the hook finds flesh. Then we try to keep the trout buttoned up, and get it to the net. In this podcast episode, there are two types of strikes that my friend, Austin Dando, and I focus on. First, there’s the strike from a trout — the t...
Feb 28, 2022•35 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Part Seven of this Troutbitten Skills Series focuses on guiding the flies. Once the nymphs are cast and settled into the target seam, it's time to take them to the trout. Guiding the flies is a blend of two skills that I call leading and tracking. At the core, this skill of guiding the flies is fishing the flies. And this is what anglers tend to focus on most — for good reason. It’s the longest in duration. It’s the most active, and has the most room for variation. In truth, there are number of ...
Feb 20, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Part six of this Troutbitten Skills Series is about locating the strike zone. This zone of water -- this cushion near the bottom of the river -- is the default target and the baseline location for our flies. Most of what happens in a river occurs in the strike zone. It's where the trout spend most of their time. It's where the bugs and baitfish live. Understanding everything about the strike zone allows us to know exactly how and where we want to present the nymph. My friend, Austin Dando, joins...
Feb 13, 2022•39 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Part five of this Troutbitten Skills Series is about finding contact. Because after the tuck cast , after we stick the landing and begin to recover slack , we need to find contact on sighter. Contact is visual. It's about reading the sighter to know that we are in touch with the flies from rod tip to the nymph or split shot. It's not about touching or ticking the riverbed. Instead, the contact we're looking for is seen on the sighter. With contact, we know everything about the depth and speed of...
Feb 06, 2022•36 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Part four of this Troutbitten Skills Series focuses on recovering slack. To dead drift a nymph, we cast it upstream. And as the river flows downstream, it sends the fly back toward us, creating slack. Usually, we simply pick up that slack and maintain contact with the fly (sometimes directly, sometimes slightly). Slack maintenance is a critical skill. It’s line management. And if the goal is to be in contact with the nymphs and know where they are -- if this is a tight line rig -- then allowing ...
Feb 01, 2022•29 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Part three of this Troutbitten Skills Series focuses on sticking the landing. Because after putting ourselves in great position to present the fly, we shouldn't waste the perfect tuck cast and delivery. As the fly hits the water, all the elements of our system are in position and ready to drift. That's sticking the landing. Like a gymnast who tumbles, somersaults and then lands on two feet with no body movement, the best completion of a cast happens with no extra movement. Instead of landing and...
Jan 26, 2022•32 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Part two of this Troutbitten Skills Series focuses on the tuck cast. A good tuck is a turnover cast -- where the loops unfolds completely in the air. In fact, a tuck cast is a fly-first entry, and it's perfect for setting up the tight line advantage, where we keep everything up and out of the water that we possibly can. We tuck cast not just to get deeper, but to setup the fly, tippet, sighter and leader in the best possible position to drift the flies down one seam. Accuracy starts with a good ...
Jan 19, 2022•31 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Season two of the Troutbitten podcast comes in a new format. It's a mini-series of connected episodes that build out a set of specific tactics. The topic for this first skills series is the Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro Nymphing, and I'm joined by my friend, Austin Dando. (Season three will return to my full panel of friends, with longer form discussion about all things fly fishing.) These episodes are short, deeply tactical and packed with the how-to of just one technique -- a t...
Jan 17, 2022•28 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Episode 15 is for story telling. And I'm joined by my friends, Bill, Josh, Austin and Trevor to share memories and make a few plans. This is the final episode for season one of the Troutbitten Podcast. And at the tail end of this busy year, it's a great time for reflections and resolutions. My friends and I share a few lighthearted stories about the dumbest things we've ever done on the river. We also share who and what we miss most from years past. And lastly, we talk about what we want to chan...
Dec 27, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 15
