Techniques

Question: Is there a secret to mending a fly line? I just can’t seem to get it right. Help! —Doug Smith, CO (via the Ask MidCurrent form) Answer: If there’s one skill that separates average fly anglers from consistently successful ones, it’s mending. While it might not be as glamorous as a perfect cast or a perfectly timed strike, mending is perhaps...

There’s something magical about tarpon. From the way that they roll in the waves, to the way they stare knowingly at you when you’re getting ready to release them, everything about a tarpon is enchanting and even inspiring. Tens of thousands of words have been written about these majestic fish, and Megalops atlanticus has been a muse for writers like...

When you’re streamer fishing in high and off-color water, the rules of “gentle” trout presentations go out the door. Trout, like other fish, possess a repertoire of senses for feeding. In clear water, trout may use sight (just one option) as a means to locate food. But when their ability to see food is limited there are other means–taste smell...

Question: Why do some fly fishers (especially older guys) scoff at using strike indicators, often referring to them as “bobbers”? Is it better to fish without an indicator? If so, how do you do it? —Ryan B., via email Answer: Although indicators had been invented decades earlier, it wasn’t until the 1970s—when Dave Whitlock became an indicator...

Many fly fishers plan their entire year around particular insect hatches. They’ll mark their calendars, plan vacations, and duck-out on birthdays and anniversaries at the slightest hint that the long-awaited bugs have arrived. However, there is another type of “hatch” that is often overlooked, though under the right conditions, it can produce as much...

Although most anglers don’t consider lake trout a fly-fishing quarry, casting streamer patterns for these predatory char is a lot of fun. Spring, when they are found in shallow water, is one of the best times to target them. Unlike later in the year, when lakers follow the thermocline and go deep, for four to six weeks after ice-out, lakers hold in the...

Question: I recently underwent knee surgery, so I’m not as nimble as I used to be. I’m a little nervous about wading in rivers, especially during the high water of spring. What are the best ways to stay safe and avoid an unintentional swim? —Cody G., via email Answer: Wading is an essential skill for fly anglers seeking access to productive water, but...

Excerpted from Tim Cammisa's Tying Euro Nymphs and Other Competition Favorites (Stackpole Books, 2025). Let’s talk about a critical component of fly fishing with Euro nymphs: confidence. This was something so many of the anglers I interviewed spoke of—their ability to select a fly they know fish will eat, then execute with it on the water. How do they...

Question: I'd appreciate a discussion on monofilament vs multi-strand thread. Also, How do twisting or untwisting thread help and cause the thread to move toward the eye or away from the eye? —Don from Bozeman, MT, via our online form Answer: Fly-tying thread seems like a fairly uncomplicated topic. I mean, you just wrap it around the hook to hold all the...

I have been fly fishing with my dad since I was a little rug rat. When I reflect on my childhood, fishing was everything. If I wasn’t catching fish, I was probably catching snakes or lizards in the backyard. You can’t teach kids the natural desire to roll around in the dirt and try to outsmart critters, but what you can do is make an environment...