When beginning to wonder “Should I book a guide?” or even “WHY should I book a guide?” there is so much to consider! Unfortunately, I feel there are so many misconceptions around this. Many anglers fall into the unintentional trap of considering a guide to either learn a new spot or with an expectation of having the greatest fishing day (i.e. catching day!) they’ve had yet. There’s nothing wrong with having those aforementioned hopes, but there is so much more that guides can offer anglers beyond just that! Here are some reasons why you should use a fly fishing guide.
Read moreFly Fishing the “Mother’s Day Caddisfly Hatch” in Minnesota
“There are corners of this green footstool which men look upon with more than mere gratefulness - places that they feel deeply at home. Let all of them choose their own inviolate acres. Along the banks of the raging Rogue, or in the pineclad hills of Alabama. All of the close-to-earth hunting and fishing men know their chosen places.” -Gordon MacQuarrie
My “chosen place” is right here in The Driftless. To put a finer point on it, the southeast corner of Minnesota. Within a 60 mile radius of my house are over 700 miles of trout streams! My biggest decision each day is which stream to fish. Oftentimes, the only traffic I encounter is an Amish carriage or a farmer in a slow tractor.
Read more5 Things You Don’t Need in Fly Fishing
Fly fishing is an incredible sport, full of nuances and personal preferences. But let’s be honest—there are a lot of things we’re told we “need” that we really don’t. If you’re looking to simplify your setup and focus on what truly matters, here are five things you can ditch today.
Read moreFloat & Fly-Fish Remote Alaska: What To Expect
Remote Alaska has a certain allure to fishermen worldwide that’s hard to put into words. It’s more than simply a place to catch trophy fish, avoid the crowds, and bring home some salmon for friends and family. Thousands of fly-fishermen, sightseers, and guides (like me!) return to this magical place year after year for the feeling of belonging, of connectedness with nature in untouched landscapes; an emotion that’s increasingly difficult to experience in the busy world we inhabit. Fly-out, overnight raft trips in Bristol Bay are the best way many have found to combine this feeling with the joy of fly-fishing.
Read moreAtlantic Salmon: A historic season on the Mýrarkvísl
As I reflect on the 2024 fishing season, one word comes to mind: exceptional. This year, we landed an incredible 406 salmon on the Mýrarkvísl, making it one of the most successful seasons in the river's history. For those of us who have fished and guided here for years, this was not just a season—it was a celebration of what makes this river so special.
Read morePrepare Like a Pro: 5 Essential Tips for Your Guided Fly Fishing Trip
As a full time guide for multiple species in multiple states throughout the year and a world traveling angler, I find it to the utmost importance that when you’re booking your fishing trip of a lifetime that you want to be prepared. Lack of preparation or unrealistic expectations can lead to dissatisfaction. The last thing you want to spend your time and hard-earned money on is the wrong experience, so I’m here with offer tips to help you find the one that fits your needs and gives you the experience you’re looking for.
Read moreThe BEST Fly Fishing Podcasts!
Podcasts are special, especially those about fly fishing. Is it because we yearn for knowledge, and so many give us tips, insights, and expert advice to help us catch more fish? Maybe it’s because fly fishing podcasts are the perfect companion when driving to the river, or even a roadtrip to a new destination. Some provide incredible stories that resonate deep within us, whereas others appeal because they closely resemble a group of friends sitting around and talking shop, making us feel like we’re part of the group. There are lots of options for fly fishing podcasts today, and each one brings its own flair to the party.
Read moreEssential Fly Tying Tools: Top 5 Picks for Better Flies
Fly tying can be an intricate and rewarding craft that allows anglers to create their own flies, mimicking the natural food sources of fish. While the art of fly tying can be as simple or complex as you wish, having the right tools is essential for creating effective and quality flies. After years of experience at the vise, I’ve narrowed down my top five fly tying tools that every fly tier should have in their arsenal. I have listed them in no particular order. It is worth noting at this point that tying your own flies will not save you money, no! It will take you down the rabbit hole one which is as deep as that of fly fishing itself.
Read moreTop 5 Steelhead Flies for Lake Erie Tributaries: Must-Have Patterns for Success
Steelhead are an amazing species to target, especially if you’re in the Great Lakes region! This stunning fish was caught during an incredible outing with my friend Josh Miller from Trout Yeah Guide Service.
As many of you know, I live in Pennsylvania…so how are there steelhead? In my neck of the woods, huge rainbow trout are stocked in the tributaries of Lake Erie and spend most of their life in the lake. This time of year, they run upstream in tributaries, and are an amazing species to target with a fly rod. Are they steelhead? They are a migratory fish, though don’t spend any of their life in saltwater. Are they fun? Absolutely! More importantly, many of the flies and techniques we use are effective not only for these steelhead, but also for trout.
Read moreThe Best Fly Fishing Luggage
During my journeys around the world fly fishing, I am constantly tweaking my travel bags. No matter in the airport, at the lodge, or on the water, these packs are an important part of the experience. The wrong ones can drive me crazy, as they’re difficult to lug around the airport and don’t always hold the right gear for the trip. Yet some rise to the top, disappearing into the background and making the experience not only easier, but more enjoyable. Those are the travel bags I discuss in-depth.
Read moreThe Best Euro Nymph Flies
Perdigon flies are effective because they sink ultra-fast. Because of that, you can use smaller patterns that will get into a trout’s window faster than other types of patterns. This Peridgon features a flashy body and hot spot thorax to grab the trout’s attention.
What type of fly fisher are you? Maybe your motto is “Dry Fly or Die” and the Parachute Adams is a go-to during a hatch. Perhaps Kelly Galloup is your idol, and there’s always a streamer fly on the end of your line. Love fly fishing emergers? There’s no question it’s a favorite of mine, as it’s my most popular presentation for Trout Unlimited clubs and fishing groups. For those trout fly fishers that love to catch fish on a consistent basis, though, look no further than nymphing.
Anglers agree that trout eat most of their diet subsurface, concentrating on nymphs, bait fish, and other food sources that get delivered to them by moving water. Successful fly fishers maximize their catch rate by focusing on these food sources, especially when there is no hatch present. Nymphs are especially important, as they form a significant portion of their diet. Fly fishers have been imitating them for decades with patterns like the Hare’s Ear and Pheasant Tail. So where do Euro nymphs fit in, what exactly are they, and why are they so darn effective?
Read moreWhat is the Mop fly?
Can a pattern this easy truly disrupt fly fishing? Of course not, but the Mop fly sure created a bit of a speed bump that had fly fishers lining up either for or against this fish-catching pattern.
Fly fishing is known for its connection to nature. It’s known for being relaxing on one hand and equally challenging on the other. It brings us together; everyone loves a free coffee at the local fly shop! And fly fishing is especially steeped in tradition, heck Fly Fisherman magazine always called it “The Quiet Sport.” Then along came the Mop fly. Can one fly really disrupt the entire sport of fly fishing?
The short answer is “No,” but it can create a speed bump, which is exactly what the Mop fly did. Even personally, this fly had an impact. In 2015, just after the fly started gaining a following, I recorded a Mop fly tying video (found here). Yet I didn’t publish the video until the next year. Why? I knew that releasing a Mop fly video would alter my YouTube channel. And it did.
Read moreFly Fishing Gear for Dry Flies
The Sulphur (PMD) hatch is one that many anglers look forward to. Don’t just show up and fish, instead invest in your fly fishing time on the water with this gear to make for a more enjoyable experience.
Poetry in motion for fly fishers is watching a trout rise to a dry fly. This visual aspect of fly fishing is a style many prefer, especially apparent by the number of anglers that chase epic bug emergences like blanket caddisfly hatches on Montana’s Missouri River, the Hex mayfly in Michigan, and Penn Creek’s Green Drake hatch in central Pennsylvania. The simple approach is to show up and fish, yet the following pieces of gear will increase the number of fish you catch, plus make for a more enjoyable experience.
Read moreThe PERFECT Fly Rod for Fly Fishing!
Does the perfect fly rod exist? If you would have asked me 30 years ago, then I had an EASY answer for you: Yes, the perfect fly rod is a 9’ 5-weight. Yet I rarely fish that rod anymore, so what's changed? Let’s talk about using different fly line weight to chase different fish, plus I'm going to share with you some fly rods that are perfect (at least for me!).
Read moreCan Fly Fishing and Social Media Coexist?
What really helped me catch this brown trout: Social media, experience on the water, or doing my homework?
When looking at that gorgeous brown trout I caught while fly fishing, do you really think Instagram “helped” me catch it? That’s a good question, though many will argue that the wild trout was caught because of time spent on the water and doing my homework. Where do platforms like Instagram and TikTok come in? Continue reading as I make the argument that they did contribute to that trout.
Read more5 Fly Tying Tools You DON'T Need!
Look over your fly tying bench. What are some of the tools you can live without? In this blog, I feature some things in fly tying that are NOT needed.
Let’s be honest, there is a STEEP learning curve in fly tying. With all of the materials, techniques, tools, and nuances, it’s a hobby that takes time to learn. But have you ever looked around your bench and wondered how you accumulated so much STUFF?!? I just did so and realized there were 5 things I could live without.
Read moreDoes Fly Tying Save You Money?!?
So you’re thinking about getting into fly tying! You’ve done some research, checked out some YouTube channels (hopefully MINE), and even talked to a friend. But you have that one burning question: Is fly tying worth it?!? Trust me, you’re not alone, so let’s find out if tying flies is right for you.
Read moreThe Fly that KILLED Fly Fishing?!?
The Sucker Spawn was truly the first fly that nearly KILLED fly fishing for me. It’s a simple pattern that I originally tied for steelhead…but other species couldn’t resist. I talk about this fly specifically in this video: The Fly that KILLED Fly Fishing!
Let’s be honest, can a fly really KILL fly fishing? Of course not! Yet in fly fishing, many hold true to the belief that there is that perfect fly, the magic bullet, one that will catch EVERY fish in the water. Once finding that fly, will the experience be ruined for you…or enhanced? Let’s find out!
Read moreFirst Day of Trout: A Family Affair!
Fly fishing on the first day of trout is the PERFECT family tradition! This day was full of fun and the smiles above tell the story.
In fly fishing, traditions run deep. For some, it’s spending time with a best friend on the same water year after year. For others, it’s filling the box with that perfect dry fly (an X-Caddis, of course!). In Pennsylvania, our tradition falls heavily on the opening day of trout, in my case, a family affair!
Read moreEssential Flies for Winter and Early Spring
Love to fish in the winter and early spring? For me, the answer is a resounding “Yes!” Fewer anglers on the water, gorgeous scenery, plus that overall sense of calm. Throw in a few trout and life is good. As I discussed in a prior blog post, a major key is staying comfortable, but what about flies?
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