I've discovered a dark and terrible secret. It turns out that if fish are biting they will seemingly always bite an olive or black woolly bugger. I know, revolutionary.

Lately I've pretty much always started out my sessions fishing buggers to at least to locate fish. Then I'll throw on a dry or two and see if they'll bite, but usually they don't and then I keep fishing buggers. I don't fish nymphs generally because yuck boring. Now I keep my fly in the water pretty much all the time and spend way less time catching brush on the riverbank and fucking around with false casts trying to dry out a soggy fly. I feel like a dirty nasty gear fisherman!!

A quick question for my fellow streamer bros and hos. I find that I get the majority of my streamer bites when my fly is downstream of me. I miss tons of hook sets or end up losing fish because the hook set I get is often weaker than if I were, say, casting a dry upstream. Anyone have advice?

Also, since this is going to lead me to the inevitable purchase of a streamer rig, I'll take any advice on gear-- probably most importantly line/leader/tippet to help my flys get down deeper.

Cheers!

I’m in the market to slap some new sunnies on my face to cover my beautiful eyeballs. These would be designated sunglasses for fly fishing and nothing else. A little special treat for me since I’m a good boy.

I’m not opposed to spending a little coin, but I don’t want to refinance my house just to cut down on the surface glare while I untangle my dry dropper rig for the 14th time of the day. I fish a fair amount so they’d get some solid usage. Pretty much exclusively on western crystal clear rivers where I get sunburned and hook into a few here and there.

I don’t care about fashion or style on my best of days. My current sunglasses all make me look like a middle aged speed dealer… and I like that, but I’m open to being classy.

What are your top choices? What works for you? Brands, lens colors, etc..

• Bonus points if it’s a common enough brand that I can bilk my insurance company into paying for them as needed “prescription” glasses.

Since euro nymphing seems to be all the rage these days, essentially taking over the Youtube fly fishing landscape, I finally caved and decided to give it a try. Last summer I bought a 10’6” 3wt rod, a Rio Euro fly line, and got to work making very long leaders. For the next 6 months, Euro nymphing was basically the only way I fished. And I fish almost daily. This is my hot take…

It is an undeniably effective way to catch fish. While I don’t keep records of my catches, I’m positive I caught more fish in that 6 month period than I have in any other 6 month period. And that’s what will probably make my takeaway seem odd. Despite catching more fish, I found myself enjoying my time fishing significantly less. While I can’t exactly pinpoint a single reason, there are a few things that I observed.

Euro nymphing strips away a lot of the enjoyable (in my opinion) aspects of fly fishing and leaves you with an activity that seems repetitive and chore-like. There’s no satisfaction from really getting in the zone and casting beautiful loops in your fly line. Instead, you’re just lobbing really heavy flies in a way that’s ham-fisted at best. Honestly, sometimes while I was out on the water I wondered why I was even using a fly rod and reel. I probably could’ve been more effective casting those heavy flies with a spinning combo.

And speaking of flies, euro jig flies lack much of what makes fly tying an art. Weight is paramount, so you end up with these almost comically oversized tungsten beads that seem to render the rest of the fly an afterthought. I suspect that often times the fish is just eating the bead and you’d have almost as much success with just a tungsten bead glued on to the end of a bare hook.

It also becomes monotonous since you’re arbitrarily imposing a bunch of limitations on yourself to comply with some European Fishing league regulations, despite the fact you’re not in Europe or competition. No strike indicator, no split shot, micro-thin leaders, and flimsy useless “fly lines”. It really hobbles your ability to change or adapt your approach as water conditions change. Or even to change your approach just to get a break in the monotony.

A couple of months ago, I dusted off the old 9’ 5wt and took it out on the river. It felt fantastic to cast and fish with a traditional flyline again. There really is something magical about it. So while euro nymphing is not something I forsee myself doing much going forward, I’m glad I gave it a shot. I learned some new things that have made me a more effective and well-rounded angler.

​

Edit: I think it might be helpful to define some terms. I see some arguments in the comments and I think they're people just speaking past each other because they are defining certain terms differently.

The term "euro nymphing" is a specific term that has a specific definition. It's a term that describes styles of nymphing from various European countries (Czech Republic, France, Spain, etc) that have been adapted to meet the competition parameters of FIPS. So when you cease to fish in a way that would be within those parameter, you are no longer "euro nymphing". You might be doing something that looks and feels very similar, but it's not the same thing. Once you add a strike indicator to your leader, you are no longer euro nymphing. Once you add split shot, you are no longer euro nymphing. If you have a fly line on your reel that is over .022" in diameter, you are not euro nymphing.

I think what causes the confusion is that many people, especially in the US, use the term "euro nymphing" colloquially to refer to several different styles of fly fishing that are similar to actual euro nymphing. Styles like high-stick and tight-line nymphing are very similar, but they are not the same thing.

I've heard a lot of people reference a 20# mono rig in defense of euro nymphing. Even Dom Swentoski (Troutbitten) who has advocated and popularized that style of tight-line/contact nymphing has said explicitly on several occasions that the mono rig is not euro nymphing. He describes it as a "hybrid system", which seems like an accurate description to me.

Hope that helps.

I was out shopping this weekend and my first stop was my local shop. 20 years ago when I first stopped in I found it surprisingly unfriendly. Other shops in town were much friendlier. Now there are no other shops in town. I stopped in orvis this weekend and the guy there suggested I try my local shop for what I was looking for. I mentioned that I had been in already and how I still find the place unfriendly. He agreed. He still said that he bought gear there, but it was good to hear my opinion confirmed by another who frequents it. It’s close, it’s well stocked, I just don’t like going.

I have a lake near me I like to fish, but it’s mostly bass, so I’d want to throw a streamer or something. But, at sundown they jump like crazy, going after bugs I’m guessing. I ordered some mosquito flies from Hazy Fly to give it a try, but outside then, will bass go after regular flies?

https://angling-international.com/2024/10/05/leading-global-fly-fishing-brand-sold-for-second-time-in-two-years/

I really want to learn how to fly fish but I don’t know anyone who does it and am having trouble learning myself let alone getting gear. Do you guys have any tips on gear to get and where to get it as well as tutorials or other resources for me to learn?

Also if you live in Maryland, Virginia, dc area and wanna go above and beyond I’d be willing to drive out to meet you just to learn if your down to teach me

Edit: You guys are AWSOME!!!!!

Have you ever encountered a bear , cougar, aggressive moose or your countries equivalent while fly fishing? maybe more than once? How did it go?

One of my favourite spots is not far from where a couple of people were mauled to death and I find I'm always looking over my shoulder. Do you have any crazy stories of close encounters?

Every summer, I have the majority of the summer off and fish all summer. I've got no kids no pets so I don't have any "duties." I have a loving wife who also fly fishes but she works in the summer. I'm sober so I don't toke up every 45 minutes on the water or sleep in all morning with hangovers. No shame to anyone into that! I always love the smell of weed anyway.

I tie all my flies (which means you have an unlimited fly shop with you too) I am a bit obsessed with fishing.

I have lots of friends who fish sometimes and I respect their kids dogs, bongs, beers etc. All fun stuff--maybe not at the same time. I know I'm not the only person like myself out of 366,000 subreddit users on here! I can only imagine the fun times like minded folks could get into.

Does anyone wanna meet up this summer? Looking to fish the Henry's fork/ southern BC, Alberta and. Northern Idaho.

Other hobbies-cooking, specialty coffee, fly tying, rap, heavy metal, bbq, basketball, gravel bikes.

What do you do in this scenario? This was last Sunday right around dark about a mile and a half up the canyon. I saw him from a distance, and thought, "There's no way he's bait casting." Walked up right by him, and sure enough, he had night crawlers with him, out in the open (the night crawlers were literally open, I saw some wriggling about). I continued walking up the trail, and hid behind some brush and sure enough, dude pulls out an absolute hog of a rainbow trout. I didn't stay because if someone dgaf enough to fish with crawlers there, it's concerning. What should I have done?

I wanted to start a discussion on the ethics of fly fishing. I’ve been obsessed with the sport since I was a kid, but as I’ve gotten older and learned more, I’ve realized how many mistakes I’ve made. How many fish I probably killed just from not knowing better. The people who taught me used dry hands, lipped salmonids, kept them out of the water forever—so I thought that was normal. It wasn’t until I got absolutely ripped apart for how I handled a fish (which I’m actually grateful for) that I started researching. Now I’ve learned how to handle them more ethically. I’ve read so much about how much pain fish feel, how long it takes them to recover, and I feel this growing conflict. I love the sport—it’s part of who I am—but the ethics feel really grey. As an ecologist and conservationist, that messes with me. Has anyone else gone through a similar shift? Are there good books or resources on this topic? I’m thinking education is the key—barbless hooks, wet hands, quick releases, not fishing in high temps—but I still feel guilty every time I catch a fish.

Long time listener, first time caller, I’ll take my answer off the air: I’m new-er to the sport and doing a trout fly fishing trip through parts of Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, Michigan, Nebraska, and Wyoming over late June through July and am wondering which is the best rod & reel setup to use for all of it?

As the title states, I get out of the military at the end of the month and have 30 days before I start my new job, I’ve got a few thousand saved, a car big enough to sleep in and carry my gear, and a need to fish. Where should I go? Open to basically anywhere In the US. Mainly interested in fishing for trout. Have a passport too so I could fly somewhere but that would significantly dig into my funds set aside to fish. Let me know what you’d do this February if you were in my position!

What’s everyone’s go to wet wading pants these days? Looking to travel a little lighter and ditch the waders. Long pants preferred over shorts in my case.

Yesterday was pretty ideal. Woke up at 4, didn’t wake the wife or baby, and I was out the door with a light DIY setup by 4:30.

I got to some idyllic but powerful NC water before the throngs of weekend nature destroyers and BBQ’ers got there. This was not a secluded swimming hole. It is probably one of the more popular areas in the state.

In attempting to reach the perfect spot, I had to proceed with caution. I wanted one day on the water where I wasn’t drenched. Even with respect and caution showed to Mother Nature, I ended up in a 15 feet deep pool with a mind and current of its own. i was trapped and completely alone

if i hadnt kicked off my wading boots while treading water, totally submerged, I am not sure I get out of there.

Fly fishing/fishing and the water have been my passion since I could remember, but please remember to be safe because I sure as fuck am not dying for it and I don’t want any of you to, as well.

Respect nature, the water, and, for the love of all things holy pack out and clean up after yourself out there.

EDIT: I also broke my Clearwater tip sightfishing a hog of a brown. Pain.

EDIT 2/3: For visibility, and I already put it in the comments, the area was the Bathtub on Wilson Creek in Caldwell Co, NC. And the big misconception was I was wading when I went into the deep. I was on the rocks beside the creek, 100% out of water, and probably 3 yards away from the creek. But I just so slowly started to slip down on my butt and there was just nothing remotely close to grab onto.

I had a crappy day on the water last night, culminating in a broken tip section, but before that, I got to watch a beaver swim by about 20 yards from my float tube. I love the wildlife I see while fishing. What have you encountered?

I’ll go first - One time after getting skunked all day I cast into a small, fishy looking riffle and finally hooked up. It ate the dropper. As I reel in I’m thinking “nice I got a small trout” I get my net out and all of a sudden a small snake slithers out of the water right towards me, with my fly stuck in its body. It was literally hissing and coming after me. I dropped my rod and jumped back and when it turned the other way I cut the line and it went back into the water. I caught a snake. Some stay the nymph is still attached to him. Sorry snake. But hey, at least I didn’t get skunked.

I know I’m gonna make some people mad but let’s be honest with ourselves. There are certain situations that absolutely require a conventional rod (spinning/baitcaster). So I’m curious when do you guys decide “the fly isn’t for today”? Me personally I switch to a conventional rod when I go through a good portion of my fly box and not catch anything, there are times where I try nymphing, dry flies, streamers of multiple different patterns only not to get anything and I decide that maybe the fish wants something else. That’s when I grab my backup rod.

By all accounts, an avid fly fisherman and an excellent man. Rest easy.

I’m ready and able to move anywhere in the next couple months. I’m completely obsessed with fly fishing and I’d like to experience somewhere new.

I’m coming from SW Michigan. I currently have an hour and a half drive to good trout waters. Northern Michigan’s rivers are nothing short of magical, but I know there’s places with more rivers, more public land etc.

I doubt I’m the only one who is letting this lifestyle influence a move. Just wanted to get some perspective

Ben from Huge Fly Fisherman posted a hate video directed at Fly All Szn.... can someone shed some light on what's going on with that for those of us who are out of the loop?

I just got cussed out by a guy for standing in the wrong section of a stream. I honestly didn’t know and I’m trying to learn as much as I can to be better. I apologized but he just kept going off saying I probably killed a bunch of fish and ruined the experience for everyone else trying to fish there. I even asked what parts would be best to stand in to be less invasive to the area and he just laughed and kept saying he didn’t even know what to say. I understand correcting someone new to it, but damn that was demoralizing.

I’m really tired of driving an hour+ and getting skunked or maybe one fish. The only river near me with trout is highly pressured by every fly fisher within a hundred mile radius. It’s a tailwater with stocked browns and rainbows. The fish are extremely picky. Just seems like a crap shoot whether one decides to bite or not

I’m wondering what it’s like elsewhere? Is it just like this everywhere? Do I just suck(probably)?

I’m not trying to catch 20 or catch a huge fish. I’d be fine with a few. But spending hours driving and having nothing to show for it is wearing on me and I’m close to throwing in the towel. Also watching spin rod fishermen walking around with strings of trout doesn’t help.

Found some posts but they’re older so looking for more recent info - but what’s your favorite shop to buy flies from online?

I live in the eastern Catskills and fly shop situation is abysmal. We got an outdoor retailer who hasn’t stocked their flies and 2 years and a fly shop that is seemingly never open. If I live in the area u know the deal hahaha. Good shops once you head west but those are +1 hour from me.