WARM WATER FLY FISHING
BLUEGILL FLIES
It’s hard to say what exactly you would call “bluegill flies.” Basically, if it is small enough to fit in a bluegill’s mouth, they will eat it. Done! That’s all you need to know. Well, not quite. When fly fishing for bluegill, presentation is the most important part,...
FLY FISHING FOR BLUEGILL
Fly fishing for bluegill might seem boring for some. We often assume that a big fish is better than a small fish. It’s surprising, then, how popular bluegill are with both conventional tackle and fly anglers. We recognize the unique perks that these fish provide and...
SMALLMOUTH BASS FLIES: COMPLETE GUIDE
Smallmouth bass flies have come a long way over the years. This arose from two main influences: the popularity and innovation in fly fishing streamers and the hundreds of designs and advances in general tackle smallmouth lures. The influence of general tackle would...
FLY FISHING FOR SMALLMOUTH BASS: COMPLETE GUIDE
Smallmouth bass, despite their relatively smaller size, are the absolute favorite species of many general tackle and fly anglers alike. Smallmouth are an absolutely incredible species to pursue with a fly rod. The environment they are found in, their aggressive and...
FLY FISHING FOR CARP: COMPLETE GUIDE
Fly fishing for carp has become a popular, dare I say trendy, area of the sport. As a kid, I remember watching guys walk along in the late spring, “pitch forking” carp, i.e., stabbing carp in the shallows and leaving them there dead or in the throngs of death. This...
CARP FLIES: A COMPLETE GUIDE
Carp flies “are like a box of chocolates”…. well, maybe more like chocolates. Forrest Gump’s mama probably didn’t do a lot of carp fly fishing, but she sure said something that applies to carp flies. Carp flies are like bonefish or steelhead flies; there is virtually...
GREAT LAKES CARP FLY FISHING
Fly fishing for carp on the Great Lakes, particularly Lake Michigan, can be one of the most enjoyable experiences a freshwater fly angler can have. We’ve all seen the photos and read the articles, but what is not mentioned in these articles is that fly fishing for...
MUSKY FLY FISHING: THE HUNT with RICK KUSTICH [PODCAST]
Musky fly fishing has become so popular that it is almost common to find someone in your fly fishing circle who fly fishes for muskies almost exclusively. The payoff with musky on the fly is a toothy fish with arguably the biggest appetite of any species taken on a...
CLOUSER MINNOW PATTERN: EXPLORING DIFFERENT TYING OPTIONS
The Clouser Minnow is one of those flies that is always there. It’s always there calling to you, saying, “You always know that you can catch some fish with me at any time. Stop messing around with the other stuff and just catch some fish. Tie me on.” Like the Woolly...
MUSKY MINDSET: MUSKY ON THE FLY WITH CHRIS WILLEN [PODCAST]
Musky on the fly has to do with mindset as much as anything. Dedication, skill, and knowledge all meet at the musky mindset. How we cover the water, what flies we use, how we tie our flies, and what we consider big all change with a musky mindset. In this podcast,...
THE EQUALIZER FLY PATTERN [VIDEO]
I’ve long been a major advocate of fishing flies that are versatile and that can imitate many different prey items, particularly when choosing a given bass fly to fill a specific niche. In general tackle, lures with an effective trigger and an overall profile that...
TROPHY RIVER SMALLMOUTH BASS ON THE FLY & MIKE SCHULTZ [PODCAST]
Smallmouth bass, particularly for fish seventeen inches and above, are tough to beat as a freshwater fly fishing experience. The fish are mean and tough. They live in some of the most beautiful and unique venues of the Unites States and even beyond. They are...
TROPHY CARP ON THE FLY & JOHN BARTLETT [PODCAST]
Trophy carp fly fishing is something that John Bartlett has specialized in for years now, and he is among the top carp fly anglers in the world when it comes to catching trophy carp on the fly. What makes a trophy carp? Well, that’s debatable, but we start with the...
FLY FISHING FOR STRIPED BASS AND OTHER GAME FISH OF CHESAPEAKE BAY CAPT. CHRIS NEWSOME [PODCAST]
The Chesapeake Bay fly fishing experience in Virginia has its own unique qualities. The species, such as striped bass, redfish, and seatrout, all have had to adapt to the state of the fishery in Virginia, which has declined over the years. However,...
ENRICO PUGLISI SHAD BAITFISH PATTERN FOR SALTWATER AND BASS [VIDEO]
Enrico Puglisi fibers and other fly tying materials have really given us a lot of great options tying a given baitfish pattern. They make fantastic-looking baitfish patterns like shad, bluegill, and other baitfish patterns, but at times they lack erratic action or...
ENRICO PUGLISI BLUEGILL AND SUNFISH BASS FLY [VIDEO]
Smaller fish never know what lies below the depths or what is lurking in the shadows. This was the case when I took my kids out to catch bluegills one summer and they kept catching a bunch of three to six-inch bluegills and sunfish. After they would land a fish, they...
THE ESSENTIAL HOLLOW FLEYE PATTERN [VIDEO]
The genius that is Bob Popovics has created some of the most game-changing fly patterns and techniques in modern fly fishing. His laboratory is the coastal striper water of the North-East, but his patterns have shaped the way we tie and the way we fish for species the...
POTATO CHIP GOBY CARP, BASS, AND BONEFISH FLY [VIDEO]
Gobies are succulent morsels in the world of the fish and are found quite often on flats. This can include saltwater flats for big bonefish or the rocky flats of the Great Lakes where carp and smallmouth gulp down these little fish. Fish can rarely eat just one, and...
UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT FLY ACTIONS IS KEY TO FLY FISHING SUCCESS
Fly anglers are known for their love of “matching the hatch”. This tendency is, of course, connected to fly fishing’s close development with insect hatches over the centuries. There are definitely times when a detailed PMD is the right fly for the...
CRAFT FUR HOLLOW FLEYE [VIDEO]
There are so many minnow patterns out there that it can make your head spin. Many of these patterns are simply profile fly patterns with limited action. Profile patterns, patterns that maintain profile and look extremely realistic in your hand, are very effective in...
HOPPER FLY PATTERN: MR. PEANUT HOPPER [VIDEO]
Hopper fly patterns are a ton of fun to fish. They’re not always the ticket, but when fish are looking for them, big fish are not shy about munching on them. Summer and fall mark hopper time in the northern hemisphere when the nymphs hatch and begin the first of five...