It’s the middle of summer, and you’ve finally finished up enough work or chores that you can run off to the river for a bit, and do some fishing. But when you pull up, you realize you haven’t fished since before spring runoff, and your fly boxes are full of tiny little dry flies and nymphs. That doesn’t seem like a problem — but it is! The bugs hatching during summer are different from what was coming off in spring, and these summer fish will be keyed in on big insects that look like they belong...
Jul 09, 2025•57 min
Do you often find yourself stuck deciding between throwing dry flies, or tossing nymphs? Well, you don't have to be! The dry-dropper rig lets you fish BOTH at once, allowing you to cover two parts of the water column in a single cast. A dry-dropper is one of the most effective ways to catch trout and bass in rivers and lakes, and it's what most of us here at Team VFC use, too. This week on Untangled, Spencer will take you through how to set up this rig, some of its pros and cons, and the flies h...
Jul 02, 2025•53 min
How often do you walk by water that you think is too fast to hold fish? Would you be surprised if I told you that the water you THINK isn't all that great, is some of the best water on the entire river? In this week's episode of Untangled, you'll learn all about how to fish the pockets within that faster water. From identifying pocket water, to understanding why fish hold there, to a few tips for effectively catching fish from it, you'll end this show ready to tackle even more of your favorite r...
Jun 25, 2025•51 min
What do you do when you run into a fish that just refuses EVERYTHING you throw at it? You get a bunch of good drifts, you assume you're using the right fly, but the fish just ignores your bugs, and acts like you're not even there. What's the next step in a situation like that? Well, this week on Untangled, Spencer Durrant walks you through the steps he uses to troubleshoot those days on the water that go beyond getting skunked. They feel like the fish took your dignity! And if you want to avoid ...
Jun 18, 2025•47 min
There's no such thing as a "magic fly" that works 100% of the time. BUT - the Adams dry fly might be the closest we'll ever get to that kind of silver bullet. So, what is it about the Adams that makes this fly so effective? It's been around for over 100 yeaers, and anglers today love it as much as they did back in 1922. This week on Untangled, you'll learn all about how the Adams was developed, how it's changed over the years, and why it's still such an effective fly. You'll also learn about: Wh...
Jun 11, 2025•45 min
There's one bug that fish will eat that completely changes how you approach and fish a river. Stoneflies -- one of the major aquatic insect species alongside caddis, mayflies, and midges -- are an integral part of a fish's diet, but they're hugely important from around June through August. This week on Untangled, you'll learn everything you need to know about stoneflies: where and when they hatch, how to fish 'em, and our favorite patterns here at VFC. You'll be ready to make the most of this in...
Jun 04, 2025•53 min
Cutthroat trout are the meanest, nastiest, gnarliest trout that ever roamed planet earth! Okay, they're not. In fact, they've got a reputation for being kinda easy to catch. But cutthroat are so much more than just eager dry fly eaters. They're one of the West's native trout, they're hugely important to some of the most unique ecosystems on earth, and catching them in the high country is one of the sport's greatest experiences. This week on Untangled, you'll learn why so many anglers hold the cu...
May 28, 2025•51 min
One of the toughest decisions you've gotta make is what fly to tie on, and sometimes, that task feels IMPOSSIBLE! One of the best ways to feel confident about picking flies is to learn as much as you can about the food that fish eat. Aquatic insects are a HUGE part of a fish's diet, and caddisflies are a bug that's almost always on the menu. But we don't give caddis the attention they deserve. In fact, most anglers don't know just how important caddis are, or how much they actually matter to tro...
May 21, 2025•47 min
Pools - the slow, deep sections in a river - always look so inviting! They're so deep and mysterious, they've just GOTTA hold tons of fish, right? Well, they do - but catching fish from these pools ain't always easy. If you're anything like me, you've probably left pools feeling like you could've done better, even if you put a few in the net. This week on Untangled, you'll learn how to fish pools. The tips and tactics I'm teaching are the same ones I used when guiding, and that we've taught to t...
May 14, 2025•42 min
Do you need to use different tactics, flies, and strategies when you're fishing for stocked trout versus wild ones? We hear a version of that question ALL THE TIME here at VFC, and it makes sense. For a lot of people, the most consistent trout fishing they have easy access to are stocked fish. So, we're taking a deep-dive into the world of stocked and wild fish. We'll look at all the differences between the two -- their appearance, behavior, and the flies and strategies we recommend for them. Yo...
May 07, 2025•50 min
Catching fish on a dry fly is like MAGIC -- when it actually happens. As much fun as dry fly fishing can be, it also presents some unique challenges you have to overcome. You need to find your fly after you cast it, you need to make an accurate cast, and none of that matters if you don't have the right fly in the first place. This week on Untangled, Spencer Durrant covers ten of the most important (and frequently asked) dry fly questions we get here at VFC. You'll learn about everything from imp...
Apr 30, 2025•51 min
Have you ever been casting to a trout that's acting as cantankerous as a toddler who missed his nap? You've tried EVERYTHING, but nothing will get the fish to calm down, eat your fly, and spend a few minutes in your net. What do you do in that situation? Pack up and go home? Admit defeat - yet again - to an animal with the brain the size of a strawberry? Well, after this week's episode of Untangled, you'll have another trick to try. This episode shares ten fly patterns that most anglers overlook...
Apr 23, 2025•41 min
Brook trout might be the most gorgeous fish on the planet. Sure, they're usually small, and where you find one, you'll often find 300 more -- but they're pretty, and they'll almost always eat a fly. But did you know brook trout AREN'T actually a trout? And that in some places in the world, they can grow to well over 10 pounds? This week on Untangled, you'll learn all about brook trout. From their life history to a few tricks on finding your own trophy brookie - and some killer fly patterns - thi...
Apr 16, 2025•43 min
The more you know about aquatic insects, the more fish you'll catch. Aquatic insects are the backbone of a fish's diet, so if you know how their prey acts and behaves, you'll be able to make your fake flies look even more convincing! Mayflies are one of the most abundant aquatic insects on the planet, and they're a HUGE part of a trout's diet. This week on Untangled, you'll learn all about what mayflies are, where they hatch, what they look like, what flies to use to imitate them, and how to be ...
Apr 09, 2025•48 min
Riffles are the buffet line of the river. They're jam-packed with both food AND hungry fish, but a TON of anglers just skip this type of water. They think riffles are too shallow to hold fish. This week on Untangled, Spencer Durrant walks you through everything you need to know about riffles. You'll learn how to identify one, WHY fish and bugs hang out in them so much, and how to present your flies in a riffle. You'll also learn about: Proper etiquette for fishing on different rivers How to put ...
Apr 02, 2025•43 min
Rainbow trout are known for their acrobatics, and for growing so big they look like more like a football than a fish. You can also catch rainbows in LITERALLY every state in America. But how often do you treat rainbows as just an afterthought? We're busy chasing browns, or cutthroat, or brookies, but rainbows don't always get the love they should. And that's a shame, since some of the BEST fish I've ever caught on a fly rod are rainbows! This week on Untangled, we're taking a deep dive into rain...
Mar 26, 2025•50 min
You want to become a better angler. You'd like to catch more fish, definitely catch bigger fish, and feel confident in any river you find yourself fishing. So, what skills should you focus on if you want to make that leap? Well, as I looked back on my own experiences, I found 7 skills that helped me quit feeling overwhelmed and outgunned. If you focus on these 7 skills, you'll avoid A LOT of the mistakes I made, and you'll be able to fish with confidence no matter where you are. You'll also lear...
Mar 19, 2025•53 min
The early-season hatches you find during spring are some of the BIGGEST challenges you'll face in fly fishing. And after a winter where you've been cooped up and dreaming of fishing, the last thing you want is to get frustrated because these hatches are SO TOUGH to fish. This spring, you won't be the angler who can't figure out the fish. This week's episode of Untangled takes a deep dive into 8 of the essentially fly fishing skills that will COMPLETELY change how successful you are this spring. ...
Mar 12, 2025•46 min
Spring fly fishing is here! But how confident are you that you have the right flies for the job? If you don't have the right flies, you could be missing out on what I think is the BEST fly fishing you'll have all year. In this episode of Untangled, I'll walk you through the 14 must-have fly patterns I use every spring. You'll learn their names, the sizes and colors I recommend, and the real-life bugs these flies imitate. You'll also learn about: The major differences between cheap and expensive ...
Mar 05, 2025•39 min
Brown trout have a reputation for being the smartest - and PICKIEST - fish in the river. If you've ever had one reject your fly, you know it feels like a personal rejection! But here's the good news: once you understand brown trout behavior, their favorite foods, and where they live, catching them is MUCH easier! In this episode of Untangled, we'll break down everything you need to know about brown trout. You'll leave with the tactics you need to know to catch a trophy! You'll also learn about: ...
Feb 26, 2025•47 min
Have you ever heard of "trash" or "junk" flies, and wondered what the heck they are? If a fly is considered "trash," should you even be using it? Well, here's the thing: these so-called trash flies FLAT-OUT CATCH FISH! Seriously, these trash flies are some of the most effective patterns out there! And in this episode of Untangled, Spencer walks you through what trash flies imitation, why they're controversial, how to fish them, and why they deserve a spot in your fly box. You'll also learn about...
Feb 19, 2025•53 min
Catching trout is often the focus of most fly fishing media. But not all of us live near great trout fishing! You might live next to a farm pond full of panfish, or on the coast near striped bass. So, all the trout-centric fly fishing content can get kinda old. Here's what most folks don't immediately understand, though -- the skills you need for trout fishing overlap with the skills you need for almost every other fish! Bonefish, bass, tarpon, roosterfish, taimen, musky, pike -- these are all v...
Feb 12, 2025•51 min
Have you ever wanted to go fly fishing in some incredible place, but you're unsure if you'll ever be able to afford it? I mean, with how expensive eggs are, traveling to fish is just out of the question - right? Not necessarily. If you're willing to make a few compromises, you can have an AMAZING fly fishing trip for relatively cheap. In this episode of Untangled, Spencer Durrant will walk you through the process he uses to plan fishing trips, including a half-dozen trips to Alaska while he was ...
Feb 05, 2025•40 min
We all dream of catching a fish that we'll never forget. You know the kind - a big one, or one that required a crazy cast, or maybe just one that surprised you. Often, these unforgettable fish are what keep us coming back to the river. But what exactly makes some fish stand out more than others? In this episode of Untangled, you'll hear five stories about fish that Spencer hasn't forgotten. From those five fish, Spencer put together a step-by-step guide to help you make your own unforgettable fi...
Jan 29, 2025•49 min
Have you ever wondered WHY a fish rejects your fly? Well, we know that presentation matters, but is there something about the fly itself that makes a trout decide to eat - or reject it entirely? Well, you can find some answers to those questions when you look at exactly how trout see your flies. Their vision is great, but not without its faults. Understanding how trout view the world will give you more tools with which you can better fool fish. In this episode of Untangled, Spencer Durrant walks...
Jan 22, 2025•44 min
We spend A TON of time talking about dry flies, nymphs, and streamers. But there's another type of fly out there that doesn't get enough love. This fly is supposedly the easiest to use, AND it's the favorite of some of the world's best anglers. I'm talking about wet flies, or soft hackles (they're the same thing). In this episode of Untangled, you'll learn what soft hackles are, what they imitate, why you'd want use them, and how to fish them. This is another trick you can add to your skillset t...
Jan 15, 2025•38 min
Have you ever been told that you HAVE to get a perfect, drag-free drift if you want to catch fish on dry flies? What about the need to keep your rod tip sky-high when you're fighting a fish? Or that you'll catch big fish if you're using big flies? These may sound like they're rules, but there are actually NO RULES in fly fishing. There are only guidelines, and just a few at that. On this episode of Untangled, you'll learn about some of the "rules" in fly fishing, and WHY and WHEN you should brea...
Jan 08, 2025•45 min
What fly fishing skills will ACTUALLY move the needle and make you a better angler? Well, if you asked 5 different anglers, you'd probably get 20 different answers! And trying to master 20 new skills in a single year sounds like too much for it to be of any use. On today's episode of Untangled, Spencer will share the 5 skills that have made the biggest difference in his own fishing. These are things he's still working on, and they're aspects of the sport that ALL of us can learn and improve on. ...
Jan 02, 2025•52 min
What flies are go-to patterns for winter fly fishing? And how do you know which flies you should be fishing in winter, anyways? On today's episode of Untangled, Spencer Durrant walks you through which aquatic insects are most active in the winter, the flies we use to mimic them, and a few tips for how to fish them. This list of the 12 best winter fly fishing flies will have you set to start catching trout and bass! You'll also learn about: Why you need wading boots, and advice on buying them Why...
Dec 26, 2024•48 min
When the fish are eating everything EXCEPT your fly, what do you do? How do you save yourself from getting skunked? Well, there's a simple process you can use to troubleshoot your way out of a bad day on the water. On today's episode of Untangled, Spencer Durrant will walk you through the five steps that will almost always help you put a fish in the net. You'll also learn about: Tips for setting the hook when fishing with dry flies Why a dry-dropper rig is so versatile Your main goal as a fly an...
Dec 18, 2024•40 min
