2 guys and a river by Dave Goetz and Steve Mathewson

Expensive fly fishing gear won't improve your catch rate. And least not significantly. In this episode, we provide an overview of the common fly fishing brands as well as some of the essential clothing and gear for safety and comfort while you're on the river. It's not an extensive list, but it's a start as you prepare your holiday wish list.

Learning to cast is the first act of the beginner fly fisher. For natural athletes, casting is almost an extension of their arm. And soon the fly fisher is casting 80 to 100 feet with grace and beauty. For the rest of us, however, the long cast is a long obedience in the same direction. For example, the double haul cast may take years to perfect. In this episode, we celebrate the shorter cast - the one you'll use to catch more fish.

You can read about fly fishing. Watch videos. And listen to podcasts (this one, hopefully!).  To become even moderately competent, though, you need to "do" fly fishing. There are no shortcuts. You need days on the river when you don't catch a thing. In this episode, we identify five big buckets or categories that you need to master (or at least become moderately proficient at) to catch fish and enjoy the sport.

Can you remember the first brook trout you caught? They're not the biggest fish in the river (except, perhaps, the ones you catch in Labrador), but the beauty and ease of catching a brook trout creates joy for even the most experienced fly fisher. This episode is not so much a how-to show as it is an "ode to brook trout fishing" episode. We're celebrating the wonder of brook trout and catching them on the fly.

Sophisticated fly fishers don't false cast, right? How many times have you heard someone say, “You won’t catch fish with your fly in the air. So, stop all the false casting"? Well, that's just plain wrong. Or at least only partially true. False casting is not just for beginners. It's for veterans as well. Recently, Hatch Magazine published an excellent article by Todd Tanner titled “The Truth about False Casting,” which identifies six good reasons for false casting. In this episode, we discuss each reason and apply it to specific situations while out on the river.

There's nothing like a fisheries biologist to clear up a few myths about the trout in your favorite stream. In this episode, we interview Driftless fisheries biologist Kirk Olson, who is lucky enough to work in four of the top trout fishing counties in southwestern Wisconsin: Monroe, Vernon, La Crosse, and Crawford counties, with more than 1,300 classified miles of trout streams. We cover topics like the problem of brown trout eclipsing brook trout in many streams, perpetual leases, and what percentage of the fish population the river kills each year.

Later beats earlier. That is one of best nuggets of insight when considering a time to fish the rivers in the Yellowstone ecosystem in the fall. Less crowds. More solitude. The possibility of runners. And even a few late mornings with a BWO hatch. In this episode, we discuss our fall fly fishing wisdom from almost fifteen years of fishing in Montana.

It's not just the early bird who gets the worm. Sometimes, so does the late bird. Many fly fishers leave way before dusk. We often do, especially if we've been fishing all day. But later in the day can produce some great moments on the river. And bigger fish. In this episode, we discuss the opportunities of fishing at dusk.

Look, look, look - that's solid advice for every fly fisher who wades into the river. In this episode, we identify several key ways to slow down to observe what's happening in the river before you step into it. Too often, we equate casting with fly fishing. It's better to pause before you sling your fly and observe what's happening at the pool you want to fish - as well as the ones above or below it.

Learning to fly cast is the first act of the newbie fly fisher. Fly casting well is fundamental to catching fish. It's a skill that is developed over time. But we've discovered that you never arrive. That is, we've noticed that our fly casting can get worse over time, if we don't keep honing the skill. In this episode, we offer 9 simple fly casting tips to improve your catching. In the end, it's all about the fish you catch, right?

We both got our early fly fishing chops from slinging flies into the bigger rivers in the inter-mountain West - the Madison, Gallatin, the Yellowstone, the Missouri, the Boulder, and others. In mid-life, we both moved to the Chicagoland area and had a rude awakening when fishing the spring creeks of the Driftless region. We caught fewer fish, and the rivers were not really rivers but small creeks. In this episode, we discuss the differences between the two regions to help fly fishers prepare for fishing either one.

There's no greater thrill than catching a trout on a dry fly. We love to fish streamers and nymphs, but when push comes to shove, we'd rather tie on a dry. In this episode, we recall a bunch of terrific days (or, in some cases, minutes) catching rainbows, cutthroat, or browns on a dry fly. We also layer in some key takeaways from each story to provide some practical help.

It takes a village to raise up a fly fisher. The first person of the village is likely a parent, friend, or acquaintance who walked beside us in the early, awkward days of learning to cast, read the river, and tie a basic knot. Next are the fly shop owners and guides who drip insight into us as we buy flies and purchase float trips. Then there is the army of Trout Unlimited volunteers who spent weekends improving our rivers and streams. And then there are the industry pundits and legends who publish books, videos, podcasts, and other helpful resources.

You've set the hook. Now what? In this episode, we offered up some of the best practices for netting and releasing your fish. One of the most important reminders is to monitor the interval between the time you hook the fish and when you release it - the shorter (obviously) the better.

“Trout do 80% of their feeding underwater.” We've repeated that platitude often over the years. In a recent issue of TROUT magazine, a publication of Trout Unlimited, Tom Rosenbauer labels that platitude a  "trout myth.” In this episode, we discuss seven points that Rosenbauer makes in the article and apply them to our fly fishing experience.

New resolutions are often tied to the new year. We've decided to release our resolutions near the beginning of the real fly fishing year - spring. We love fishing in winter, but we catch most of our fish and spend most of our days on the water in spring, summer, and fall. In this episode, we each offer up four resolutions for upcoming fly fishing season.

We hit the river a couple weeks ago and discovered once again that winter fly fishing is not like fishing in the other three seasons. A recent fly fishing newsletter helped put winter fishing into perspective with a few tips. We thought you might benefit from these as much as we did. Spring is coming!

Just like every other craft, a fly fisher must occasionally return to the basics of the art and skill of fly fishing. In this episode, we identify several key elements of fly fishing that we've had to relearn or remember. Just like writing or playing a sport, the veterans return to the essential skills again and again.

Steve spent some time in Alaska this summer, breaking his fly rod, catching a few rainbows, and netting a silver. Listen in as Dave interviews Steve about his Alaskan fly fishing experience while on a trip to visit family. Some things about fishing are always true, no matter where you fish: Some days are diamonds, some days are stone.

Steve screaming after almost stepping on a rattlesnake, Dave in his underwear, and buying bear spray at closing time - these and other crazy fly fishing stories make our last trip to Montana memorable. This is not a practical episode. Hopefully, it makes you recall some crazy memories of your own from a recent trip.

Every fly fishing trip can't be the best ever. Nor can every day on the river exceed your expectations. We recently had an "okay" fly fishing trip to Montana, if measured by the number of fish we caught. We caught fish, no doubt, but what made the trip memorable was the entire experience.

Make your fly fishing more simple. And thus more enjoyable. When first starting out, most of us feel overwhelmed with the many types of fly rods, sizes of flies, tippet weights, leader lengths, casting techniques, how long the tippet should be, and where to put the split shot when fishing nymphs. There's a lot to learn! But over time, it's important to simplify the sport as much as possible. In this episode, we discuss how we've tried to make fly fishing more enjoyable by simplifying our experience.

Fly fishing high mountain lakes requires a modicum of thought and preparation. In some ways, a "hike and fish" means packing lots of water, the right rod and flies, a rain jacket, and the right mindset. We don't fish a lot of high mountain lakes ... but when we do, we try to keep a few basics in mind.

It's the dog days of summer, and hopefully you are slinging some grasshopper patterns or other terrestrials to catch fish on the surface. In this episode, we've identified four buckets of dry fly patterns for summer fly fishing. We also offer up our three must-have dry fly patterns for this wonderful season.

Fly fishing with the summer crowds seems inevitable, if you plan to get out this summer. Warm weather and vacations bring out even more fly fishers to your favorite stream. In this episode, we offer several strategies to avoid the summer crowds, find a bit of solitude, and, hopefully, catch a few fish.

Quitters never win. And winners never quit. That's true. And it's also not true. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is to quit your favorite stream, creek, or stretch of river. In this episode, we wax not so eloquently on when it's time to walk away from what has been your favorite fishing spot. It may not be forever. But doing so may push you to find new water to fish.

Fly fishers who sling streamers tend to catch bigger fish. There's no scientific evidence to support this, of course, other than our anecdotal evidence. But we've had some terrific days on the river casting bigger flies that we fish on an active retrieve. In this episode, we provide an overview of our streamer fishing experience and provide some basic tips to getting started.

Most fly fishers despise driving up to where they expect to fish for the day and see three trucks alongside the creek. In this episode, we discuss our basic approach to fishing the four seasons. We try as much as possible to fish the edges of winter, spring, summer, and fall. There are fewer fly fishers, the hotel rates are cheaper, and the fishing can be spectacular.

Fly fishing spring creeks often demands more finesse than fishing freestone rivers. The water temperature is more consistent in spring creeks, and the food more ubiquitous. If you want to catch fish in a spring creek, your tackle must be lighter, and you need to be more stealthy.

Catching fish is the reward of fly fishing. And we both love and expect to catch fish every time we head out to the river. But there are some other perks of fly fishing. And in this episode, we list several, including "experiencing the nonsecular" parts of life, eating at small-town cafes, and the conversations about the great themes of life.

It takes a village to raise a fly fisher. In this episode, we admit once again to our persistent mediocrity as fly fishers. We give credit, however, to whatever skills we have to friends, guides, and others we've observed through the years. We offer up a handful of insights, including how to use the tip of your rod while streamer fishing and monitoring how deep your nymph is by observing the speed of your strike indicator.

Fly fishing the Yellowstone River late in the fall is a risk. If the weather suddenly turns right before your fly fishing trip, the roads in the Park may close. Or perhaps if the weather has been too balmy - the trout may not be rising. And since the main hatches and the hoppers have been …

Pickle Ball is not in our future. We continue to fly fish for a variety of reasons, including the sheer delight of spending a few hours on the river trying to convince trout that what we’re presenting is real. This is our first episode in a while, and we’re excited to back in the publishing …

The Yellowstone Flood of 2022 is not yet over, and already it is the most catastrophic flooding event of the Yellowstone River in recorded history. Major flooding on the Yellowstone River and its tributaries wiped out stretches of highway in Yellowstone National Park and in Paradise Valley to the north. Three inches of rain which …

Fly fishing with lighter rods makes sense only if the conditions are right. In recent years, each of us has purchased a lighter rod for smaller creeks. In this episode, we relay pluses and minuses of Fly Fishing with Lighter Rods LISTEN NOW TO “FLY FISHING WITH LIGHTER RODS” Great Stuff from Our Listeners Is …

Our fall fly fishing trip to Montana was one of the best on record. The previous year was a bust. In fact, we wondered if we should even return to Montana in the fall, whether our honey holes and favorite rivers were only memories. In Lessons from Our Fall Fly Fishing Trip to Montana, we …

John Maclean’s Home Waters is a memoir of his father, Norman Maclean, the author of “A River Runs Through It.” In this memoir, John reflects on his growing up as the grandson and son of two characters in the novella and movie. In Home Waters, we discuss what resonated with us about John’s unique perspective …

The East Gallatin River flows in a northwesterly direction through the Gallatin valley in Montana, north of Bozeman. From the perspective of a drone a couple thousand feet up, the river, which is more like a large creek, might look like ribbon candy. It winds in large S curves on the Montana flatland, with almost …

It’s September, and often during this month we find a way for our annual Montana fly fishing trip. It was fitting that in a year like 2020, there were some strange moments. In this episode, we discuss a series of “rapid fire” topics from our Montana fly fishing trip in a not-so-rapid-fire manner. One odd …

Fishing the transition of the season starts with a different set of expectations. The prolific summer hatches are mostly over. And the fall runners have yet to make their way up the river. In this episode, we discuss how to think about fishing the seasonal transition, which is September. And ways to make your days …

Hopefully, your next fly fishing trip is sooner rather than later. It has been a year of kicking the proverbial can of what we love to do down the road. The pandemic has delayed or postponed indefinitely a lot of plans. This next week, however, we plan to hit our favorite rivers in Montana. In …

The fly fishing etiquette mindset is a way of thinking that should permeate the actions of every fly fisher. In this episode, we read a thread from Trout Unlimited’s online forum about a fly fisher who was, in our opinion, quasi-bullied out of fishing on the Madison by four fishers. With the influx of new …

Fly fishing success is not just about your amazing chops: precision casting, reading the river, and overall fly fishing genius. There are factors out of your control that affect whether you catch fish. In this episode, we identify seven factors that may affect your day on the river. One factor is barometric pressure. Another is …

Fishing the film begins with a different mindset. We often think first about fishing on top of the surface or at the bottom of the river. In this episode, we discuss the “film” mindset” and offer four strategies for greater fly fishing success. One strategy is simply to let your soggy dry fly drift submerged …

Fish pics are ubiquitous. Instagram has every angle of fish pic you can imagine. But there’s more to shoot when you’re on the river than just pictures of your big brown trout. In this episode, we offer up twelve tips to photograph your entire fly fishing experience. We begin the episode with what is perhaps …

If you’ve never felt the violent strike of a brown trout on a streamer, you haven’t really lived. In this guide to fly fishing with streamers, we interview Dave Kumlien, Montana outfitter and former fly shop owner, on a wide ranging topics related to fishing streamers. This truly is the complete guide to fly fishing …

Salmo trutta tend to dominate wherever they live. Also known as brown trout, salmo trutta often push out brook trout – or at least push them upstream. Brown trout thrive in warmer waters. In this episode we regale each other with stories of catching large brown trout (our love relationship) and also discuss the downsides …

“Duh! How did I not know this after all these years?” There are so many aspects of fly fishing that simply escaped us during the first few years of fly fishing. Frankly, we’re still learning new hacks or tips that seem obvious in retrospect. In this episode we offer up the first seven hacks or …

Fly fishing comfort in summer simply requires a few basic items of clothing. Certainly dry-fit clothing is at the top of the list. So is a water-resistant cap or hat. In this episode, we offer up our short list of basic summer wear. And we also reveal our deep disappointment that we may never be …

Small creeks in Montana are plentiful and full of trout. While the big rivers get all the press, it’s the smaller freestone creeks where some of the best fishing is. We love to fly fish the small creeks of Montana. In this episode, we recount how we first fell in love with small creek fly …

Midsummer fly fishing tips include taking a siesta in the middle of the day and trying your hand at catching trout with a size #22 Trico imitation. In this episode, we discuss a few of the changes that come when fishing in the dog days of summer. Be sure to add your midsummer fly fishing …

Parents, both mothers and fathers, play an inordinate role in the belief systems and destiny of their children. This weekend is Father’s Day Weekend, and so we wanted to share the lessons from our fathers while hunting and fishing in the great outdoors. In this episode, we select three lessons each (six total) that our …

Dry fly fishing is one of the great joys of the sport. One key element of success is where you cast your dry fly. It’s both art and skill. In this episode, we identify the eight places where you should cast your dry fly. None of this is new, but the episode is a good …

Like all of life, fly fishing has become increasingly complex: Just try to sort through the dizzying array of fly fishing rods before you purchase your next one. In this episode, we discuss our aspirations to simplify our fly fishing experience. What might that look like for you? LISTEN NOW TO “SIMPLIFYING YOUR FLY FISHING …

Fishing a new creek or river for the first time is exciting. But there’s also an intrigue of fly fishing a familiar place, a stretch that you’ve fished for years. In this episode, we recount a recent fly fishing trip to a spring creek that we’ve fished many, many times. There’s an intrigue of fly …

The best all around fly rod is up for debate. The answer is, of course, it depends. Many fly fishers have more than one rod, but if you had to choose, which would be the best all around fly rod? In this episode, we make a case for the nine-foot, five-weight or nine-foot six-weight rod …

Fly fishing success means different things to different people. For many of us, just a day on the river is success. In this episode, we identify six lists from our book “The Fly Fisher’s Book of Lists” and discuss their merits. One list that we discuss is “8 Adjustments to Make When Fishing Spring Creeks.” …

Stalking trout is a basic concept of fly fishing, but yet it’s often not part of the curriculum of new fly fishers. In this episode we identify six practices for stalking trout and tell a few stories when we found success for our efforts. Stalking trout is especially important on smaller freestone rivers and spring …

Flies that work anytime and anywhere are essential to your fly box. Yes, there may be some specialty flies that work only during specific hatches, but more often than not, the basics are pretty much all you need (most or at least much of the time). In this episode we discuss two dry flies, two …

Your next fly fishing trip may seem like years away in this moment in history, but soon enough, it will be time to plan. In this episode we discuss four questions to help winnow your options to make the best decision about time of year for your next fly fishing trip. We also discuss our …

Landing bigger fish is impossible if you simply try to rip in the fish like you would if you were spin fishing. In this episode we identify several tips that have helped us increase our catch rate when Moby hits our streamer or nymph. One tip is a different mindset, which comes only after …

Fishing emergers during a hatch is as fundamental as it gets. And yet, most new fly fishers rarely hear about this approach early on. In this episode, we start off with a couple great stories from recent trips when the stars were aligned, and we hit a hatch perfectly. But the fish were not hitting …

Soft river bottoms pose a unique risk to wade fishers. In this episode, Dave recounts a winter fly fishing experience in which he got stuck in the mud while trying to wade to a run. It was 31 degrees. Dave had no cell coverage. He had gotten wet. And his fly fishing partner was about …

Safe wading is rarely the first thought on a fly fisher’s mind as he or she plans for a day on the river. It should be. In this episode, we interview Dave Kumlien, a Montana outfitter for 40 years, former fly shop owner, and coordinator of Trout Unlimited’s Veteran Service Partnership. We start out this …

The hope of fly fishing is a day in the not too distant future when our fears have been suspended and we make our way upstream with only the next run on our mind. In this episode, we focus not on the present moment but days gone by when we endured hardship while also making …

Friendship makes the outdoors better. At least that’s our perspective, given that our outdoors friendship has lasted four decades. In this episode, we discuss the makings of friendship and how certain kinds of competitiveness can prevent friendship from forming. We also discuss how “idle” friendships can be reinvigorated or restarted again. The old advertising line, …

Yellowstone runners are the big brown and rainbow trout that move up from Hebgen Lake into Yellowstone National Park’s Madison River each fall. In this episode, we discuss Chester Allen’s delightful book, Yellowstone Runners: Chasing a dream fish in Yellowstone National Park during the Madison River’s Famous Fall Run. Allen is a terrific storyteller while …

Every day on the river is the chance to grow in your understanding of how to fish. Every item of gear that you purchase gives you some information about what to buy (or not buy) the next time around. In this end-of-the-year episode, we offer up our top 10 fly fishing lessons from a year …

Late season fly fishing can be challenging for a variety of reasons. One is obviously weather. Another is that the hatches are over with the exception of midges or the ocasional baetis. You’re typically fishing nymphs or streamers. In this episode, we reflect on several trips in late fall and what we learned during this …

All good things must come to an end, and this was the final day of our fly fishing trip in mid-September. Rain was in the forecast, so we hoped upon hope that there might be some baetis hatching on the Madison River at the mouth of Beartrap Canyon. Spoiler alert: There wasn’t a mayfly within …

After two terrific days on the Yellowstone River, we changed it up a bit. We headed to the Boulder River, south of Big Timber, Montana. This is the third of four episodes from a recent fly fishing trip to Yellowstone Country in Montana and northern Wyoming. We decided to call this episode One Fine Strange …

Our second day on the Yellowstone this fall was even better than the first. This is the second of four episodes from a recent fly fishing trip to Yellowstone Country in Montana and northern Wyoming. After a terrific cloudy day on the Yellowstone, we had One Fine Sunny Day on the Yellowstone. There is nothing …

We are not good at quitting. This is the first of four episodes from a recent fly fishing trip to Yellowstone Country in Montana and northern Wyoming. In August, after four wonderful years, we stopped publishing a weekly episode and writing a weekly article. We thought we were done. But then we had One Fine …

Every day of fly fishing has a beginning. And an end. There’s often a sense of sadness right before, and certainly, after the last run of the day. Not every “last run of the day” is packed with emotion, but we’ve had several experiences when the final moments of the day felt thick with meaning. …

Fly fishers gain confidence by fishing for brook trout. Brook trout are forgiving, and there’s nothing like an afternoon of catching 15 brook trout to increase one’s confidence. That’s only one of several strategies that we discuss to help newer fly fishers gain confidence. It’s easy to feel discouraged during a stretch of no fish. …

Strange sightings while fly fishing are part of the overall experience of the sport. In this episode, we recount watching a car float by while fishing the Yellowstone, a mink steal a duck from a nest, and a forest fire glow while on our way to fish Hebgen Lake. LISTEN NOW TO “STRANGE SIGHTINGS WHILE …

Trout lies are places in the river or stream where trout hang out. One of the most well-known lies is called the “feeding lie,” where trout sit in the current or pockets of water and grab insects or larger chunks of calories as they drift by. Often, a fly fisher can spot the feeding lie …

Hopper season is upon us. And from now until some time in early to mid-September, trout will be attacking grasshoppers that fall or are blown into the river. In this episode, we offer up an introductory conversation on fishing during hopper season, what to expect, and how to make the most of this most wonderful …

Animal encounters are a fact of life in the outdoors. We’ve discussed at length the precautions to take when fishing in grizzly country, but there are other types of encounters to avoid or at least to prepare for. In this episode, we discuss insects, birds, and even domestic cows. Animal encounters (and other kinds of …

Fly fishing trips are not easy to plan well, especially if you are heading to a new place. Two factors unravel the best laid plans: weather and whether there is a bite on. Through the years, we’ve had to fight against the tyranny of Steve’s hyper-planning and the chaos of Dave’s “Let’s just see what …

Fishing Rocky Mountain National Park is a different experience than is fishing the national parks in Montana for several reasons. One is that there are no grizzlies. Another is elevation: Fishing Rocky Mountain National Park is more demanding physically, simply because the lowest elevation to start hiking is around 7,800 feet. In this episode, we …

Lefty Kreh was actually both a lefty and a righty. One of the most beloved and popular American fly fishers, Lefty cast right handed, because he felt it was easier for the majority of folks (who were right handed) to watch him and learn. Lefty was an original. He was a World War 2 veteran …

Trout eat pretty much anything put in front of them, including their young. Much of fly fishing is focused on the insects, such mayflies, caddisflies, and stoneflies. But often trout are looking to consume a bigger chunk of calories. In this episode, we regale each other with stories of things we’ve heard trout eat. One …

Fishing Yellowstone National Park is a one of life’s great thrills. There’s nothing like hearing the shrill bugle of an elk in the fall while casting a hopper into the Yellowstone in early September. In his book on great fishing spots in Yellowstone, Richard Parks, founder and owner of Parks Fly Shop in Gardiner, Montana, …

Traditions in the great outdoors are routines with meaning. It’s one thing to make a single memory with a fly fishing or hunting trip. But traditions in the great outdoors create multiple layers of memories that enrich and give joy to life. In this episode, Steve and Dave interview Dave’s father on his family’s traditions …

Steve is the restless wanderer when he is out on the water. He makes a few casts in a run and then skips ahead to the next. He moves on. On a recent trip to the Minnesota Driftless, Steve spent almost the entire two days of fishing in one fine run. In this final episode …

You can’t make this stuff up – that’s a common expression after seeing or experiencing something unusual. On a recent fly fishing trip, we collected several strange moments that in aggregate made the trip one to remember. Steve had some apologizing to do after this trip. LISTEN NOW TO CRAZY MOMENTS FROM A RECENT FLY …

Buying a fly fishing rod should be easier than it is. It’s certainly easier to buy your second or third rod than it is your first. If you are purchasing your first rod, the brands and options are endless. In this episode, we attempt to cut out much of the noise on fly rods – …

Fishing where grizzlies and mountain lions live requires a heightened level of vigilance. It seems as if there have been more reports of mountain lion attacks the past year or two than in recent memory. Not long ago, a runner in Colorado was attacked by a young mountain lion while trail running west of Fort …

Landing larger trout takes a different skill set than what most of us practice on a regular basis. It takes a different set of chops to net a 22-inch rainbow than it does to rip out a 10-inch brook trout. Most of us have lots of experience landing smaller fish and rare opportunities of landing …

Joe Brooks was one of America’s greatest sportsman, and his contribution to the rise of fly fishing in America, including the conservation of our fisheries, is unparalleled. With this episode, we start a new series called “Legends of Fly Fishing,” in which we profile some of the great contributors to our sport. First up is …

You arrive first on the river. You have a couple miles of river to fish by yourself. The day is slightly overcast. Fishing reports have been fantastic. This is the day. You fish the first run. Nothing. Then the next. Nothing. You switch to streamers. Nothing. Then to nymphs. Nothing. Three hours later, you’ve had …

Scant attention is paid to fly care and presentation. So much of the focus is on fly rods, reels, waders, boots – and every other fly fishing gadget known to humankind. But without the fly itself, there is no catching. In this episode, we concoct a list of aphorisms – short witty statements about how …

Fly fishing tends to move from simplicity to complexity. You start out learning to cast. And you have one fly rod. You pick up a couple of attractor patterns. And you have one fly box. You purchase a vest, waders, and wading boots. And head to the river. Over time, however, you wind up with …

Spring dry fly fishing is one of the most delightful stretches of the fly fishing year. While there are other hatches, the two most dominant in most streams and rivers, of course, are Blue Winged Olives (BWOs) and Caddis. In this episode, we discuss patterns that we like, the use of an emerger with a …

It was a great day for skiing in late winter – a fresh foot of powder blanketed the landscape. But we were fishing. Recently, we got up before dawn and drove almost four hours to fish for a few hours on a stretch of the Blue River west of Madison, Wisconsin. The snow was fresh, …

Fly fishing is truly global, if for no other reason than most fly fishing products are created or assembled in other parts of the world. In this episode, we interview Peter Stitcher, who, along with his wife Jessica, is the co-founder of Ascent Fly Fishing in the Denver area. Peter designed his company with purpose, …

If we had it to do over again, we’d do a few things differently. In this episode, we ask the question, “What would we tell our 20-year-old fly fishing selves?” One answer is that we’d have spent fewer years as do-it-your-selvers. That is, we’d have pursued more fly fishing instruction in our 20s. We’d be …

For many fly fishers, fishing is more than the simple act of catching a fish. It’s not merely the transaction of hooking and landing a trout or salmon or bonefish. In this episode, we reflect on several quotes from Nick Lyon’s wonderful book, “Spring Creek.” The world of fly fishing has a few things to …

Fly fishing wading boots are the undisputed, most important safety purchase you’ll make for the sport. There are felt soles, rubber soles, rubber soles with studs, and rubber soles with aluminum bars. In this episode, we discuss our philosophy of wading boots, given the number of days we fish each year – and make a …