MidCurrent Staff

Question: I live in Texas and fish mostly for bass, but when I’m fishing streamers for trout, I feel like I need a way to "trigger" strikes. Can you help? —Chad, TX (via the Ask MidCurrent form) Answer: There are lots of different ways to strip streamers, and talking to a bunch of anglers about their favorite retrieves might yield a variety of different...

Question: I have always used an improved clinch knot to tie on my fly, but I was recently told that sometimes the regular clinch is better. Is this true, and when should I not improve the knot? —Bob B., Portland, OR (via the Ask MidCurrent form) Answer: Every time you mention the clinch knot, people come out of the woodwork to tell you why the knot is...

Question: Is an emerger better than a dry fly? I was looking for this article but can't find it. Can you help me? —Terry, Southern California (via the Ask MidCurrent form) Answer: Trout often feed near the surface during insect hatches, but they don’t always target fully emerged adult insects. Many times, rising fish ignore high-floating duns and focus...

There’s no graceful poetry in casting musky streamers, deer hair divers, or triple-jointed monstrosities that resemble something coughed up by a raccoon. These aren’t flies—they're payloads. And unless the angler makes a few key adjustments, these payloads can feel more like projectiles than flies. Casting big bugs on a fly rod isn't about elegance...

Question: I have no problem hooking largemouth bass, but I keep losing them during the fight. What can I do to land more fish? —Braden from Newberry, SC (via the Ask MidCurrent form) Answer: Hooking a largemouth bass on the fly is only half the battle. Keeping that bass on the line through jumps, dives, and boat-side thrashes takes a certain amount of...

Pursuing sharp-toothed fish like pike, musky, barracuda, and jungle predators demands more than just a standard fly setup. These apex hunters hit hard, fight dirty, and can destroy gear (and fingers) without a second thought. Specialized equipment is the difference between a trip to remember and a gear-failure horror story. Toothy fish aren’t subtle. Your...

Question: I've been fishing a sinking-tip line and big streamers this spring, and at the end of each retrieve, I struggle to get the heavy tip out of the water to re-cast. What's the best way to do this? —Geoff from Little Rock, AR (via the Ask MidCurrent form) Answer: Fishing with sinking-tip lines allows you to target fish that hold deep in heavy...

Question: How do you fish caddis-pupa imitations? Just like a regular nymph? —Nick, St. Louis, MO (via the Ask MidCurrent form) Answer: Spring brings prolific caddisfly hatches on many trout rivers, and trout often feed heavily on the pupa stage. Unlike mayflies, adult caddisflies don’t linger on the water—they fly off almost immediately—so trout...

Question: I keep hearing that I should stretch my fly line before I fish. How and why would I do that? —Bob from Vallejo, CA (via the Ask MidCurrent form) Answer: When you pull your fly rod from its case after a period of inactivity—whether it's been days, weeks, or months—your line has been quietly developing memory that manifests as stubborn coils...

Question: I am fairly new to fly fishing and can't cast very far yet. I'm excited to fish my first spring hatches but I'm worried I won't be able to reach the fish. How close can I wade to them to make it easier? —Greg from Somerset, NJ (via the Ask MidCurrent form) Answer: Okay, so you’ve spotted a rising fish, but it's too far away for you to make a...