Experts

Have a question you want answered? Email it to us at [email protected]. Question: I understand that you might want a really short rod for small streams and a 10-footer for float-tube fishing or steelheading, but when you’re buying a trout-weight rod (say 4 through 7), how do you decided whether you want an 8-1/2 footer or a 9-footer? Most companies...

I wrote a book titled 365 Fly-Fishing Tips for Trout, Bass, and Panfish but, in fact, if you include the short extra tips the book calls “bonus tips,” there are 399 tips altogether. It’s fortunate, at least in this one regard, that I’m now an old fly fisher: no one under, say, 55, is likely to have had time to collect so many genuinely useful tips...

Have a question you want answered? Email it to us at [email protected]. Question: Blood knot or surgeon’s knot, and why? Evan P., Berkeley, CA Answer: I am a blood-knot guy. It’s the one I learned first, and I’ve tied it enough that I can tie a blood knot well every time (pretty quickly, I might add). Plus, it’s a beautiful knot—elegant and...

How Do I Roll Cast? Learning how to roll cast is often one of the first lessons for a beginning fly angler. It's a casting technique that anglers of all skill levels use on a routine basis. Even though it's easy to learn, the roll cast works in a variety of situations. Whether you need to avoid branches or snags on your back cast, or you're looking to land...

In the low, clear flows of summer rivers, smallmouth bass can turn difficult. This is especially true if the water is clear and smooth, as in a pool. Under these conditions I try a series of tactics. Sometimes one or more of them work, sometimes none of them work. One that can work is going small. A fly tied on a size 12, 1X long hook is small for...

We talk to world record holder and all around expert saltwater fly fisher Nathaniel Linville about tarpon and permit, how techniques, flies and gear are changing, and the history of fly fishing in the Florida Keys.

Devin Olsen talks with MidCurrent publisher Marshall Cutchin and answers your questions about euro-nymphing and other techniques. Recorded May 6, 2020 Watch on Facebook Where to Buy Books and DVDS: https://www.tacticalflyfisher.com/books-dvds/ Download Videos: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/adaptiveflyfishing/404238322

Question: "What safety precautions should I take when I go out fishing?" Answer: We seldom think anything is going to happen to us out fishing, but you never can tell. Most people who enjoy the outdoors recommend not going by yourself if you’ll be fishing where there aren’t other people around, but even if you’re going with a friend, here are some...

Question: “When a trout takes a large, say size 8, dry fly, do you set the hook that same as you’d set it for a much smaller size, say 20 or 22, dry fly?” - Will J Answer: Before I address you and your fine question, Will (and I mean “fine” in both the sense of “excellent,” and the sense of “discriminate” as in “a fine distinction”)...

I’ve been lucky enough to hook and land some big trout this year, and I usually give myself 30 seconds or so to take a couple photos of the recovering fish in shallow water. During those moments — that trout is about to rocket away — the fish always looks gorgeous to me. Later, when I’ve gotten home and download the photos, I sometimes notice that...