(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
Jig Hooks
When nymphing, I tend to use barbless jig hooks. I first heard about them from competitive fly fishing anglers, who incorporate them with slotted tungsten beads into anchor flies in a Euro-nymphing set-up. So, I bought some and fished them. I caught fish. So, I bought more sizes. I really like this style of a