Size 20s

When I occasionally stomach-pump trout these days, I’m seeing a clear pattern. They’re feeding on small bugs. That’s surprising to me. I read online about these major mayfly and caddis hatches starting to happen on our freestones. So, I would think that the fish would be full of bugs in sizes 14 to 18. There

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