-
Trout Tips: Arrow tube? Or rod tube?
Years ago, I was fishing the Cardiac Canyon stretch of the Henry's Fork over Father's Day weekend, thanks to the able boatmanship of well-known guide Rod Patch. I'd never fished this stretch before, but rod put me and my fishing partner on fat and happy Henry's Fork rainbows all day. It was epic. Rod set…
-
Trout Tips: Wait for it…
A bonus for waiting and watching. Photo by Chris Hunt. I spent the weekend in Yellowstone National Park, catching the tail end of the fishing season and enjoying some glorious fall weather that, by late October, is usually only a memory for die-hard anglers who visit the park this time of year. And most of…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
Trout Tips: How the fly looks to fish
Remember, it's about how flies look to the fish. Photo by Chris Hunt. Some flies are meant to catch fish, and some flies are meant to catch anglers. I am always surprised by how some of the patterns I think are sure-fire winners because they look so snazzy turn out to be duds. And sometimes,…
-
Trout Tips: The value of midges
The venerable Griffith's Gnat. Editor's note: The following is exerpted from TU's book, "Trout Tips," available online for overnight delivery. More than 50 percent of a trout's food, in most places in North America, is comprised of midges—those tiny bugs that are seemingly everywhere. Some of us don't like fishing patterns that small, but remember…
Category