Troutbitten

We’re here to talk about fishing angles. Are you wading upstream or down? And are you casting upstream or down? What’s your preference? Why do you make that decision? When, if ever does it change? And does your casting direction always follow your wading direction? Sometimes, these preferences seem regional, while other times it’s specifically about the tactic -- meaning that swinging wet flies, for example, suits a downstream approach best. But sometimes, angle choice seems more like traditi...

Transcribed - Published: 31 May 2026

What’s the nymph really doing under there? How is it affected by the currents? And is the attached tippet dragging the fly unnaturally across, over, up or out of the natural, one-seam drift that our picky trout are waiting for? The challenge of nymphing is mercifully balanced by the frequency at which trout feed on these bottom dwelling food forms. So even if we get one in ten drifts just right, the rate at which we might fool fish makes this maddening quest for perfection more than worth it....

Transcribed - Published: 27 May 2026

For our Season 19 Intermission, my wife, Becky, joins me to check in on what's going on in the Troutbitten world. We talk about the upcoming leader sale in the Troutbitten Shop (May 24th), the Troutbitten Film Festival, guide season, changes to the Troutbitten Beer with New Trail Brewing Company and the Mono Rig book status. Then my son, Aiden, joins me for a short conversation about spring fishing. Resources VIDEOS: Troutbitten | Fish and Film | Category SHOP: Troutbitten | Category | Leader...

Transcribed - Published: 24 May 2026

There’s something about fishing that leads us to believe that we can figure out what the fish want to eat that day — at that moment. Really, we want to believe that. And maybe it’s true often enough that trying to figure ‘em out . . . is a smart strategy. But I’m sure you’ve also had the experience of getting back to camp and every one of your friends all caught fish — but they all caught them on different flies and different water types. And you’ve definitely met the guy in the parking lot ...

Transcribed - Published: 18 May 2026

How do you get deeper into the game? Is it a choice or just good fortune? We live a life on the water, and a couple of episodes ago we talked about burnout — how a lot of anglers dig in, fish hard, go all out for a few years, and then just fade away. That’s the end point for some people, but tonight we’re here to talk about the beginning. We want to consider the start of a fishing life, or more accurately, the start of a dedicated fishing life. Most people who become serious anglers have some...

Transcribed - Published: 11 May 2026

Dry dropper is great. Just put a nymph under that dry fly and get the best of both worlds. Right? Not so fast . . . The idea that you can have your cake and eat it too — that you'll get perfect drifts on the dry fly and the nymph — and that you somehow double your chances by dropping a nymph under the dry is not true. This is the big lie of dry dropper fishing. Here's the problem: In most cases, neither fly ends up with a great drift. Instead, both flies are compromised and their natural dr...

Transcribed - Published: 4 May 2026

A life on the water is an everyday thing. When we’re not fishing, we’re thinking about it. We’re preparing for it. We’re learning about it. I text with friends almost daily about river conditions and hatches. I drive beside the river just to see it — even though that route takes a few extra minutes. We've all seen die hard anglers living their life on the water -- and then it just goes away. Rising and fading interests are part of human nature. But we've also met plenty of anglers who lament ...

Transcribed - Published: 27 April 2026

For Season 19 of the Troutbitten Podcast, we're adding the video component, with the same conversation on both the audio and video side. So you'll still find the audio version of the podcast on Apple, Spotify and every other platform, and now you'll find a video of the podcast conversation on the Troutbitten YouTube channel. The new video format is full of creative possibilities, and we're excited about the future of the podcast. Incidentally, podcasts will now publish on Mondays at 3:30 p.m....

Transcribed - Published: 20 April 2026

This Troutbitten Skills Series and these platforms are an effort to pass along the idea that fly selection doesn’t have to be regimented or complicated. Instead, see flies for what they have in common. Find their similarities rather than their differences. Choose the elements that matter most to you. Find the components of a fly that create enough of a distinction to be the keys to a platform, and build around that idea. I do think some things are undeniable, and almost every angler is going ...

Transcribed - Published: 15 March 2026

It's time for the big-meal dry fly platform: hoppers and stoneflies. When we open our fly boxes, we’re looking for a solution. If trout are sipping tiny olives in a soft tailout, we probably reach for the low-riding, vulnerable look of a Comparadun or a Parachute. And if we see trout slashing at hovering, skittering Grannoms in a riffle, we probably choose an Elk Hair Caddis or similar. But what do we pick when the trout food is bigger — when trout are eating hoppers, stoneflies, cicadas or o...

Transcribed - Published: 8 March 2026

In this Riverside episode, I share an article that I published a few years ago, title, The Order of Everything. I also share some Troutbitten updates about my upcoming book, about the Troutbitten Shop, about the live podcast on March 28th at New Trail Brewing Company and the Troutbitten film festival happening later this year, in October. There's an order to everything to keep this Troutbitten project moving forward, and the work of these first weeks of 2026 had me thinking about one of my fa...

Transcribed - Published: 6 March 2026

A dry fly emerger is one that has part of the fly underneath the surface. It’s a highly effective form (meaning tout eat it) because it matches the most vulnerable state of things that trout see. In this episode we cover the dry fly platform of emergers. We look at what they are, how and why to use them and the differences in styles within this platform. We cover some history about how emerger design got to this point and what the future might hold. Once the emerger platform really caught on ...

Transcribed - Published: 1 March 2026

The down wing dry fly style is a perfect match for one of the most ubiquitous insects found in trout rivers across the planet: caddis. The down wing platform is also a first choice for matching many terrestrials, like moths and hoppers, and it finds it's way to stonefly patterns as well. But for this discussion, we cover the down wing and its progression into fly boxes, by looking at three standouts: the Elk Hair Caddis, the X-Caddis and the CDC & Elk. Because the arrival of each of these...

Transcribed - Published: 22 February 2026

With its simple form of wing, body and tail, the Comparadun is another template for the dry fly angle -- another perfectly adaptable platform. When the Comparadun hit the scene in the 1970’s, it was a significant departure from the norm. Anglers recognized this, but more importantly, the trout recognized this. The Comparadun became a hatch matcher. It became the closer, because the Comparadun specialized in fooling selective trout, with perhaps the most realistic profile of a mayfly out there...

Transcribed - Published: 15 February 2026

The parachute platform is our favorite style of dry fly and the favorite of many other anglers, because of its utility. Because it form is functional. Because it casts well, lands upright and keeps floating, even though heavy water. It fools picky trout and looks enough like an emerger and a spinner that you might get away with one fly, all the way through cycle. It's a great dry-dropper fly, it's easily adaptable. And perhaps its best quality . . . you can see the parachute post. For all of ...

Transcribed - Published: 8 February 2026

Season 18 is a unique look at dry fly styles, through the concept of platforms. By taking a fly shape, a form or a set of materials, we can adapt the elements like color, wing style, tailing material or hackle length to meet the moment. Within the fly platform, we vary its properties to the river conditions or to a specific hatch. In this seven part Skills Series for season 18, we cover these six dry fly platforms: 1: Upright Hackles 2: Parachutes 3. Comparaduns 4. Down Wings 5. Hoppers and S...

Transcribed - Published: 1 February 2026

We’re here to talk about approaching the river — approaching the trout — to put our boots in the best place, with a strategy for making the casts and catching fish. We focus so much on the drifting, on the presentation and the casting — on the technical aspects of getting all of those things just right — that it’s easy to overlook the skill that comes before all of that . . . And make no mistake, the approach is a skill. It’s about making a plan. It’s about choosing a piece of water and decid...

Transcribed - Published: 21 December 2025

Fly tying is more popular than ever. With the prevalence of high quality materials and excellent videos showing how to build flies, more fly anglers choose to tie their own patterns than ever before. All of us at Troutbitten have been tying our own flies from the beginning, so we each have preferences for the tools we use. That's what this podcast episode is all about. We discuss the essentials, like vise, scissors and a bobbin, along with some other tools and gear that each of us considers i...

Transcribed - Published: 15 December 2025

For this episode, we want to tackle a topic that’s been on our list for a long time — fly fishing myths and misunderstandings. We’re not here to argue about stuff or complain. We just want to acknowledge things that we hear repeated or we see in print or shown in videos — stuff that’s almost assumed as fact, when it’s often not true at all. We do think it’s important to try to clear the air about these myths and misunderstandings, because bad or incomplete information can really lead people d...

Transcribed - Published: 7 December 2025

Devin Olsen has had an immeasurable influence on the nymphing game. Having been embedded in the competition scene for two decades now, Devin knows competition nymphing form the inside. While reading Devin's book and watching his videos, it's obvious that he puts in the work. Instead of slavishly recycling the ideas of others, Devin is a unique thinker and a tireless tester on the water. I've always admired his work. I asked Devin to go in deep about competition nymphing styles, while specific...

Transcribed - Published: 30 November 2025

For our State of the Union 2025, my wife, Becky, joins me for a lighthearted look at what's going on in the Troutbitten world. We talk about the upcoming leader sale in the Troutbitten Shop (December 1). We talk about the book, the In Deep series, podcast plans, shop changes, a live podcast event, a Troutbitten Film Festival and the the New Trail Troutbitten beer. Becky and I also read a few listener comments. Resources VIDEO: Troutbitten | In Deep With John Shaner and Dry Fly Leader Design V...

Transcribed - Published: 27 November 2025

All of us at Troutbitten, along with so many anglers across the country, use a Mono Rig for most underwater presentations. The tight line advantage and the drift control possible for both nymphs and streamers is fun and effective. But a lot has changed . . . Five or ten years ago, most tight line anglers were using a Mono Rig leader build with a butt section thick enough to mimic the functions of a fly line. This is what we call a Troutbitten Standard Mono Rig, and it's a hybrid system. So wi...

Transcribed - Published: 23 November 2025

The spawning process is arguably the most important event of a trout's life. The best trout in the system spawn every year. And as long term anglers, we should understand the process -- not only because we then know how to give trout their space, but because the process is a fascinating look at a fish that we spend so much time chasing. We do not advocate fishing for actively spawning trout. But in many watersheds, it's easy to stay away from the redds and give trout plenty of room by simply ...

Transcribed - Published: 16 November 2025

Sometimes, the goal is to catch the biggest trout in the river. In those times, what's the best fly to choose? In this conversation, we talk through big trout situations, and we focus on the flies. If you’re really targeting a big trout, when does a streamer seem like the best choice, and what qualities in that streamer help not just get a trout’s attention, but convince them to eat the fly? Likewise, when might a dry fly have the best chance at fooling a big fish? And when is a wet fly or ny...

Transcribed - Published: 9 November 2025

Craig Matthews is one of the most prominent figures in fly fishing, with a career spanning half a century and an influence that is immeasurable. Making his home in Montana, Craig's fly shop, Blue Ribbon Flies, became an icon as he educated and helped generations of anglers find their way with a fly rod. Craig's many fly creations, like the Sparkle Dun and X-Caddis are in my fly box, and they're probably in yours. Craig also founded One Percent for the Planet, a collection of outdoor retailers...

Transcribed - Published: 2 November 2025

With this conversation, we're going back to spot burning. In Troutbitten Podcast Season 3, Episode 1, we talked through Secrets and Spot Burning ( March, 2022). And in that conversation we spent a lot of time on the first part — on what fishing secrets really are, whether they’re valuable, fun or just gatekeeping. (They’re valuable, by the way.) And we acknowledged that every angler has their own set of things they might want to be secretive about, whether that's patterns, tactics or . . . sp...

Transcribed - Published: 26 October 2025

We begin Season 17 with a conversation about fishing the 17 year periodical cicada this past summer. We talk about big flies, big water and big trout. For so many of us, it was the rarity of the event -- there’s no other chance for this kind of fishing, right here, in our home waters, for another seventeen years. That’s a big marker in time. Because when you look back that far, it seems like a whole different life. In truth, it’s was a whole different world all those years ago, without ...

Transcribed - Published: 19 October 2025

A top-tier river trout is a beast. The inherent nature of a river, with the endless obstacles, rocks, tree parts, current breaks, high gradient runs and undercut banks challenges the angler at every bend. So when you finally hook up with a Whiskey, a new game begins. It’s a match up between trout and fisherman. Who will win that fight? Bringing a trout to the net requires a series of accurate calculations, thoughtful moves and a good dose of luck. But with a few guiding principles and a bit o...

Transcribed - Published: 16 October 2025

In Deep is a video podcast series for conversations that dive into the details of focused topics -- no fluff, just concentrated, sometimes technical talk from experienced anglers and industry professionals. Our first In Deep guest is my friend, John Shaner. With a career spanning five decades, Shaner has worked for influential companies like Hardy and Cortland, while connecting with seemingly every fishy angler in the industry. Shaner is widely regarded for his technical fly fishing sk...

Transcribed - Published: 1 October 2025

Here we are at the end of the Blue Liner's Bible series. And we saved this one for listener questions and some of our own stories. This episode ties up some loose ends and brings it all back home. Because, I think we ended up right where we started, realizing that small stream fishing leads us into everything there is to love about fishing, and maybe helping to teach us some of the most important lessons of all. Wherever you are, wherever you fish, take some time to hike upstream into a narro...

Transcribed - Published: 31 August 2025

This one's about using streamers to find the biggest trout in the smallest waters. In previous episodes we worked though locating the right water for small streams. We've talked about dry fly tactics, nymph fishing and now, with episode five in this series, we’re ready to tackle streamer fishing on small streams. Our job for this episode is to highlight the changes we make, or the different strategies we might have, for fishing streamers in small waters vs the bigger ones. We also have a fair...

Transcribed - Published: 24 August 2025

In this fourth episode of the Blue Liner's Bible, we talk about nymphing on small waters. We discuss when and where we might turn to nymphs, and then we break down the adaptations for different styles. We cover dry dropper, mostly as a nymphing tactic. Then we discuss indicator nymphing and tight line nymphing with a Mono Rig. My friend, Austin Dando, joins me for an important look at the variety of nymphing tactics we use on small waters. Resources READ: Troutbitten | Favorite Small Stream L...

Transcribed - Published: 17 August 2025

We’re here to break down small stream dry fly fishing. We’re tackling dry flies first in this series, because fishing dries on small water puts you in a great position, with the necessary skills, to fish the other disciplines of nymphs, streamers and wets. In this episode, my friend, Austin Dando, and I walk through the gear, the approach, the casting, some philosophies and strategies for fishing dry flies on small streams. This topic is at the heart of the Blue Liner's Bible. It's a great co...

Transcribed - Published: 10 August 2025

We're back with Season 16, with episode two of the Blue Liner’s Bible. This one is all about finding the right water. We mean this in two different ways. First, you need to find a small stream that has public access (or you have private permission). But the stream also needs cold water and a good population of trout (hopefully they’re wild trout). That’s the first thing — find a good stream to fish. And honestly, that may not be as easy as it sounds. If you do start to explore new territory a...

Transcribed - Published: 3 August 2025

With cold flows and eager trout, mountain water and small stream fishing can provide the perfect setup, the perfect escape, if you’re willing to put in the effort. There are some truly wonderful things about small stream fishing, and learning to work these waters teaches us everything we need to know about fishing any trout water. But the challenges can turn many people off as well. Small stream fishing can be tough. In truth, you cannot fish the same way as you fish an average river. You ca...

Transcribed - Published: 27 July 2025

Welcome to the fourth annual Airing of Grievances on the Troutbitten Podcast. Buckle up. Because it’s time to clear the air about a few things, to complain about some other things and get all the frustrations out in the open. We look forward to this episode every year, because honestly, it’s a lot of fun. I know that listeners anticipate this one as well, and just like last year, we have a bunch of guest grievances to add to the mix. We’re here to complain. Why? Because acknowledging the ab...

Transcribed - Published: 22 June 2025

We talk a lot about our frame of reference in fly fishing. Wherever you get into the game, a lot of your baseline is set by whatever is popular or widely accepted at that moment in time. My friend, Matt Mickey, recently argued that Gen X anglers are uniquely positioned, that this generation has experienced development and had a wide variety of influences that will never be duplicated. We’ve learned through every form of media. We grew up in a time where good information was sparse, and most o...

Transcribed - Published: 15 June 2025

So . . . how was it? How many did you catch? This is always the question for every fisherman, right? Whether I’m talking to my friends about a fishing trip from last week, or as I walked in the door this evening, my wife asked the same question — how many fish did you catch? It’s a fair question. Because that’s the goal out there (usually). We go fishing to catch fish. But the answers we give can also reveal a different story. “Well, I caught eight this morning, but I missed another handful u...

Transcribed - Published: 8 June 2025

When you fish long enough, things break. That’s the nature of life, really . . . things fall apart. But if you're resourceful, you put them back together. Sometimes it’s out of necessity. Honestly, a couple decades ago, I simply couldn’t afford to go through gear as fast as it was wearing down, so I learned to patch waders, fix a fly rod, mend a fly line, resole my boots, sew tears in my fishing vest and fix my landing net. Likewise, we’ve all run into those moments on a fishing trip wh...

Transcribed - Published: 1 June 2025

This episode is all about breakthroughs. For each of us, as a personal account, what have been the biggest changes, or the biggest steps forward, in our fishing? I call these breakthroughs because they're the landmarks or discoveries or changes, along the way of learning, where we can look back and say, “Now that, really made a big difference.” We talk a lot about a life on the water. And really, each of us here at Troutbitten has fished for most of our lives. And the truth is, it’s not reall...

Transcribed - Published: 25 May 2025

For our Season 15 Intermission, my wife, Becky, joins me for a lighthearted look at what's going on in the Troutbitten world. We talk about the upcoming leader sale in the Troutbitten Shop (May 23rd). We talk about the New Trail Troutbitten beer, the upcoming book on Fly Fishing the Mono Rig and a bunch of videos on the Troutbitten YouTube channel. Becky also covers a couple favorite fishing terms near the end. :-) Resources VIDEO: Troutbitten | Fish and Film - Tight Line Tracking, Nymphs in ...

Transcribed - Published: 21 May 2025

The trout is prized as a gamefish because it’s picky. It’s selective. Often, it requires a refined presentation to fool a wild trout. And in large part, that’s the draw toward fishing for them. In every region, in every stream, trout habits can differ from others in neighboring watersheds. And across the fishing landscape, we find places and even moments when trout are more picky — more choosy — about what, where and how they want to eat their food. We’ve all seen fishing change in just a few...

Transcribed - Published: 18 May 2025

There are two ways to tell the experience of an angler: how he holds a fish and how he keeps his secrets. The latter is probably more important. A seasoned angler intuitively understands the vulnerability of a river. Spot burning is a real thing with real consequences. Good anglers understand this concept. Good people understand this concept. Every piece of river is someone else’s favorite place. So we respect the spots — for others, if not for ourselves. Here's the article: READ: Troutbitten...

Transcribed - Published: 16 May 2025

Let’s talk about fishing big rivers. For the most part, all of us here at Troutbitten are river anglers, meaning not much stillwater. Furthermore we’re mostly wade anglers. We spend most of our time wading rather than floating, because we enjoy it, and because in a lot of cases, wading gives us the best chance for success. But over the years I’ve noticed some misunderstandings about where and how we fish. I hear from a lot of reader, listeners and watchers of Troutbitten stuff. And one thing ...

Transcribed - Published: 11 May 2025

We spend a lot of time thinking about tactics and working on techniques. We devote our energies toward finding fly patterns, tying up our confidence flies and testing new flies. We research new waters and explore unfinished sections in familiar waters. We spend a lot of time doing fishy things. This is a life on the water. The guys and I have been talking a lot about reading water. It’s one of the biggest deficiencies we see while guiding — just choosing the right piece of a river for your ne...

Transcribed - Published: 4 May 2025

Here's a topic that starts with an interesting question: What puts more trout in the net? Is it knowing your water or knowing your tactics? Of course, the easy answer is . . . both. Refine your skills and learn your rivers. Then put all of that together, and you have a great formula, not only for catching trout but for having a lot of fun. The truth is, as frequent anglers we’re always involved in improving. It goes way beyond filling the fly box with new patterns. We know our deficienc...

Transcribed - Published: 27 April 2025

Here are twelve tips for delivering a fly into waters that are heavily canopied, with greedy branches, ready to grab your fly and make life difficult. The best small stream fishing happens in these places. We call it brush fishing. Learning to cast a fly on small streams forces an angler into proper form. There is no forgiveness, and every error comes with consequences. But the reward is there. Small streams demand real accuracy. We learn to punch the fly under limbs and around tree stumps. A...

Transcribed - Published: 25 April 2025

Across the country, there are rivers, creeks and streams stocked by the state, often referred to as put and take (they put trout in, you take them out). And especially early in the season, opportunities for stocked trout can be a solid choice. Other places stock fish under catch and release regs or delayed harvest. Also, some rivers, for various reasons, cannot support wild trout populations and they are entirely reliant on hatchery trout. In other places, it’s a mix of wild and stocked...

Transcribed - Published: 20 April 2025

What's your favorite fly rod? This most frequently asked question now has its answer in the Troutbitten Riverside Series. Riverside is a place for sharing and presenting stories and articles from the Troutbitten website. And one of the most popular articles at Troutbitten has been about the qualities to look for in a rod well suited for the Mono Rig. This past winter, I wrote the manuscript for my upcoming book, Fly Fishing the Mono Rig. And I adapted the fly rod article into a full chapter f...

Transcribed - Published: 14 April 2025

What's your favorite fly rod? This most frequently asked question now has its answer in the Troutbitten Riverside Series. Riverside is a place for sharing and presenting stories and articles from the Troutbitten website. And one of the most popular articles at Troutbitten has been about the qualities to look for in a rod well suited for the Mono Rig. This past winter, I wrote the manuscript for my upcoming book, Fly Fishing the Mono Rig. And I adapted the fly rod article into a full chapter f...

Transcribed - Published: 14 April 2025