Have a rain jacket ready. With the spring rains upon us, I want to emphasize that some of my best fishing days have come in the rain. Trout are less cautious when it’s overcast, and, they put on the feedbag when rain starts. And, there are fewer anglers out, which is a plus. I remember
Soft-Hackled Frenchies
(Oct. 13, 2016 edit: I’m starting to call these “Glam Frenchies” because they’re so in-your-face.) Soft-hackled Frenchies rule. They catch plenty of trout, both new stockies and grizzled veterans. Sometimes, trout want a very simple fly with few details, as it means there’s less to which they can object. Sometimes, “busy” flies with many strike
Orvis Helios 2
I’ve been fishing for a few weeks with the Orvis Helios 2 fly rod. Wow. I never before have owned an Orvis rod and my current arsenal is from Sage: a 11′ 3-wt. specialty ESN rod and a Sage 000-wt. for the Swift. I a while ago dumped my 5-wt. and 8-wt., since I found
Water Temperatures
It’s on. Freestones are hitting the right water temps. As I’ve blogged before, water temperature is a key factor to trout behavior. And, it’s a fundamental driver of what your fishing strategy may be for the day. As cold-blooded creatures, trout are greatly influenced by the water’s temperature. For me, the magic temperature range is