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Trout Tips: Dress flies so you can see them
Sometimes it's just as important for you, the angler, to see your fly as it is for the fish to see it. Photo by Chris Hunt. Editor's note: The following is an excerpt from TU's book, "Trout Tips," available online or in our annual gear liquidation sale, along with seasons one and two of TU's…
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Fly tying: Black Bear Green Butt
It's tough for me to get really excited about steelhead flies this fall--Idaho's steelhead run as been dismal, so much so, that I haven't bothered to make the trip to Salmon to swing flies. The last thing the few fish that made it home need is another angler harassing them. Video of Black Bear Green…
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Fly tying: Making your own fine-tipped bodkin
As a fly tier that tries to do things as affordably as possible—yet still have quality tools and materials to craft the best possible flies—I'm always on the lookout for tips and tricks to achieve my goals. Video of Fine Tipped BodkinBodkins are simple tools—just a sharp stretch of wire attached to a handle. But,…
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Trout Tips: Up or down? Dry or wet?
It's OK to have a plan to fish a stretch of water. Just be ready to change it if the river tells you something different. Photo by Chris Hunt How you approach a stretch of trout water depends largely on how you intend to fish it. Generally speaking, if you're planning to swing streamers, fishing…
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Fly tying: Brace yourself
When finishing tied flies to get rid of any stray materials or to simply make the fly look better, it's important that you don't just "free hand" it. Not all of us are Cool Hand Luke—we need a little help to be precise when we go after small fibers with a pair of tying scissors…
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Trout Tips: For streamers, sometimes bigger isn’t better
Smaller streamers have their place when chasing aggressive fall trout. There was a definitive nip in the air as we drove up into the central Idaho backcountry last week in search of migrating bull trout. Irrigated hay fields sported fresh "snow" from the sprinklers, and the cottonwoods along the river were definitely shifting from deep…
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Fly tying: Freestyle Fall Favorite
It's a little tough this year to get excited about steelhead season here in Idaho—if there's a season at all, thanks to what could be the smallest return of ocean-going rainbow trout to the Clearwater and Salmon rivers in 40 years. Nevertheless, steelhead flies are some of the most enjoyable to tie, and there are…
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