When you work the Pusher, imagine the wings flexing and pulsing as you hand twist retrieve and pulse the rod tip on a three count. See the fly in your mind's eye and make it come alive in the dark. Then hold on tight . . . Continue reading Troutbitten Fly Box — The Harvey Pusher Night Fly (with VIDEO) at Troutbitten ..read more

There’s a process of evolution in our fishing that cannot be rushed. It’s better off being accepted. And yet, it might take the wisdom of age to ever understand that. I’d argue that most anglers pursue fishing for the time-out-of-mind experience. Many styles of fishing allow for it, but surfcasting draws me in unlike anything I’ve ever done. I think it’s the waves . . . Continue reading Seven Seasons and Then Peace — Lessons From the Salt, Summer 2024 at Troutbitten ..read more

A great fly rod responds to the angler. The slightest motions and refinements in the cast are transmitted to the rod, and it flexes — it responds in kind. The angler’s thoughts and instincts flow through a great rod, so our accuracy and adjustments become effortless. We can be in tune with a great rod and perfectly connect with its performance. With some time spent fishing a great fly rod, it becomes an extension of our will. The fly hits the target because we want it to. The leader lands with s-curves in the tippet because that’s what we decided. And the rod makes it happen. A go-to fly rod ..read more

The Perfect Parachute Ant is so effective and so versatile for me, that it's the only terrestrial I carry in my box, most days . . . Continue reading VIDEO: The Perfect Parachute Ant — Troutbitten Fly Box at Troutbitten ..read more

Are trout opportunistic feeders? Sure, but it depends on the opportunity. We choose the fly and decide how to present it. We then pick what water will receive the cast. And to inform those decisions, it’s critical to understand what we’re asking the trout to do. How big of an ask is it? And how opportunistic do we expect the trout to be? Here are a few examples . . . Continue reading How Big of an Ask? at Troutbitten ..read more

We made a Troutbitten beer and it’s ready to drink! We got together with our friends at New Trail Brewing company and brewed a Troutbitten Hazy IPA. We've been working on this project for over a year, and it's been a lot of fun to work with our favorite brewery. Being involved in the planning and brewing process was rewarding. Now it's time to have a beer.  Continue reading The Troutbitten Hazy IPA with New Trail Brewing Company is Here at Troutbitten ..read more

The shifts and evolutions that a river succumbs to is captivating to watch. It’s a slow motion reel in your mind, spanning twenty years of fishing around the same small island. Until one day, after the flood waters recede, you walk down the trail to find the whole island gone. I want an experience as close to what nature intended as possible on this twenty-first century planet. And messing with a river’s placement of things just isn’t for me. It's the river's decision. Keep it wild . . . Continue reading Play It As It Lies at Troutbitten ..read more

This video breaks down all of the important things about hook set direction, hook set distance and hook set timing. Setting the hooks is the most exciting part of the day. For all the time we spend planning, prepping, wading, tying, casting and drifting, it's all in anticipation of that brief moment when a trout eats the fly. You fooled a trout. So, don't screw it up. That's why the hook set matters most. And planning for the hookset, thinking about how a trout might eat the fly and how we will respond, makes all the difference. Continue reading VIDEO: HOW You Set the Hook Matters Most! — Hoo ..read more

Prospecting is a strategy for covering water. It’s about pace. The truth is, we’re searching for something on every cast, no matter what our approach is. But what we call prospecting is a bit different. It’s about canvassing an area, casting a wider net, searching for that next fish and then the next one. Then we take that data about where and how trout are feeding, and we use it to inform our next decision. Continue reading PODCAST: Prospecting for Trout — S11, Ep10 at Troutbitten ..read more

You’ve probably heard this a lot: "These trout have been caught on that fly before, so they won’t take it." Or this: “Once trout are caught on a fly a few times, they learn that it’s a fake. But trout don’t have to be caught on a fly to learn that it isn’t real. In fact, just seeing one bad drift after another is enough to put trout off of a particular pattern . . . Continue reading They Don’t Have to Eat It to Learn to Reject It at Troutbitten ..read more