<![CDATA[Maple CountryAnglers - Fly Fishing Articles]]>

<![CDATA[Maple CountryAnglers - Fly Fishing Articles]]>Tue, 07 Apr 2026 22:57:56 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Rediscovering Dry Fly fishing]]>Tue, 07 Apr 2026 17:34:50 GMThttps://www.maplecountryanglers.com/fly-fishing-articles/rediscovering-dry-fly-fishing

In the era of Euro Nymphing, jig and articulated streamers, and thousands of productive new nymph patterns, the dry fly is often cast aside as a much less effective method for fly fishing for trout. Many younger generation fly fishers have very little experience fishing a dry fly and a good number seasoned anglers have moved towards fishing subsurface almost exclusively. After years of guiding, competing, and fishing all over North America, I’ve concluded that many, if not most anglers that I do see dry fly fishing simply do not have the skill to consistently fool a fish. Accurately and delicately presenting a fly to a trout who has left his comfort zone and is feeding on the surface is a challenge and skill that many fly fishers do not possess. Dry fly fishing can be the best method for catching trout on certain days or during hatches, but you must be willing to try and able to execute.

I am as guilty, maybe more so than anyone, of not fishing a dry fly enough. I spent years learning the intricacies of euro nymphing, at the expense of both the fun and effectiveness of the dry fly. I have, on occasion, waded into a river of rising fish and attempted to catch them with a nymph. I’ve seen lots of other anglers do the same. Pretty dimwitted right? When I think back to some of my more memorable days on the water, they often involve dry fly fishing. In fact, the biggest wild brook trout I have laid eyes on was hooked while prospecting with a dry fly, along with tons of other beautiful trout and salmon caught over the years.

I categorize dry fly fishing in three categories. Hatches, prospecting, and dry dropper fishing. The dry dropper rig has so many different uses that I have written articles in this magazine on that topic alone, so we will focus on the first two.

Fishing a hatch is one of the most challenging aspects of fly fishing. Get things right and you will have a most memorable session, but get it wrong and it can be terribly frustrating. Starting with technique, the angler must be able to cast their fly to rising fish, without spooking them. Herein lies the problem for most anglers, not enough practice. Sloppy and excessive false casts, poor form that lands the fly, leader or fly line too hard on the water, inaccurate casts, inability to perform both aerial and on the water mends, and poor leader construction (often too short and heavy) that does not allow the dry fly to float naturally will kill your chances. Its over for most before it even started. If you get your presentation dialed, determining what fly to use is the next challenge. Often the trout will take most well presented flies, at other times or on particular rivers, they are keyed into a specific insect and it will take observation and plenty of fly changes to get things right. When the hatch ends you very well may not have figured out the puzzle, or been able to execute, but you will have made progress in becoming a better angler.

Prospecting with a single dry can also be an extremely effective way to fly fish. It may also be the most overlooked technique. There have been plenty of days that no insects seemed to be coming off or rises spotted, but lo and behold trout were willing and eager to rise to a dry fly. My wife, on more than one occasion, has shown me up as she casts a single dry fly over likely water and gets eat after eat, while I start with what I thing will work for the conditions and do not catch nearly as many fish subsurface. Generally when prospecting with a dry fly, you’ll want to fish riffles, runs, flats, milder pocket water, and structure like logs, overhanging bushes and boulders while covering a good amount of water. Unlike the longer leaders and delicate presentations required when fishing a hatch, you’ll want a leader you can control easily and mend well, since you are trying to achieve longer drifts over likely water. Plopping the fly down on the water can actually get the trouts attention since they will be holding deeper and closer to cover than when they are up in the column and weary of predators as they are when feeding at the surface during a hatch.

Dry fly fishing is where many of us started fly fishing. Whether you are coming full circle and rediscovering the joys of dry fly fishing, or started your fly fishing journey with other methods, investing the time to fish a dry fly will be worth it. Good luck on the water!

]]><![CDATA[Feel The Flow]]>Tue, 07 Apr 2026 17:20:59 GMThttps://www.maplecountryanglers.com/fly-fishing-articles/feel-the-flow

There are few things more appealing than easing into a productive wild trout stream on a comfortable spring or fall day. Give me 3 or 4 hours, enough time that I don’t need to check the clock, and can meet the river and trout on their terms. Enough time that I can dial in what the fish want, and more importantly dial out everything else. I’m trying to achieve pure focus. Be in tune with nature, and let my subconscious free. When I am fishing my best this is the state I am in. I know the fish will bite my fly and I flow through the river. Often my fishing is shorter, and I need to power fish the productive water, force feed the trout a few of my most productive flies with perfect drifts, tangle with a few fish and leave. While this short term approach is successful because of skill and determination, I am not able to get into the flow of the day and end up leaving the river wanting more and catching less.

Flow state is something you hear many athletes of all sports refer to. Many of the most successful athletes in any sport refer to this feeling of achieving total focus and concentration. The task becomes seemingly effortless, and the athlete will feel in total control. I know this feeling and it is almost like a drug. In my college soccer days at Umaine, games would be a similar experience, though I always had trouble locking in during practice, and I was known as a gamer, but a poor practice player. I believe nature can sense your flow state, or perhaps its the other way around. If you are forcing things, stressed, rushed, or overthinking that could be what the fish and animals pick up on and therefore don’t react to our flies as willingly. I believe the same is true for deer hunting.

Its not easy to achieve this flow state while fishing, but when you do fishing becomes easy and the fish seem to come to you, not the other way around. For me the biggest thing is time, being rushed doest allow me to lock in, and I promise if you are fighting your way through your fishing session and forcing things you will not be as successful on the water.

When I can achieve flow state the river becomes almost like a terrain park at a ski resort. I flow through the river casting to each feature, I intuitively know when to change tactics, how to approach each feature, and when to change files or move on. For me when I was competing for Fly Fishing Team USA, if I felt that I was able to get into the flow state I almost always had top finishes in the sessions. The fish came to me regardless of who had fished the beat already, or how many fish it had put up previously.

Just a few weeks ago I was able to win the Ditch Pickle Classic Fly Fishing Tournament for the third year in a row. The tournament is a large catch photo release tournament for bass that takes place over two days. Plenty of time to get into flow state. During the tournament I have a feeling of inevitability, I know that I will catch the 7 best bass. It is not if, but when. Often two anglers in a boat can fish the same fly, same retrieve, same line, but one may consistently catch 2-3 times the fish of the other. I think this comes down to the mental state of mind, confident, relaxed, and focused. I’d encourage all fly anglers to check the tournament out next year. It is such a fun weekend on a world class bass fishery, Lake Champlain.

Next time you are out fishing do your very best to wholly immerse yourself in the moment. Give your utmost focus to the fishing experience. Tap into your surroundings, note any patterns, solve the puzzle of the day, and flow through the river like a Jedi.

]]><![CDATA[Top 3 Locations for Big Early Season Brown Trout]]>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:07:33 GMThttps://www.maplecountryanglers.com/fly-fishing-articles/top-3-locations-for-big-early-season-brown-trout

In my July 2025 my monthly column I wrote about targeting trophy trout, with lots of tips and tactics to help you be successful. This month I’ll go over my three favorite water types to locate these fish in early spring. April into early May is the most consistent time of the year to target wild trophy trout in the northeast. I am talking about Brown Trout over 20 inches, some much larger. As you get into Maine the same principles will apply to trophy Brook Trout. It took me years to figure out how and where to catch these rare fish, but once I figured out some secrets, putting these mega trout in the net something I’ve been able to consistently do during the early season.

To begin with, it is important to talk ethics. I am hesitant to give away all of my secrets in order to protect these fish. Large trout are responsible for a huge portion of the successful breeding that keeps wild populations sustainable. These populations are always fluctuating based on individual years weather events, stream flows and temperatures. The number of giant trout is small, particularly in freestone streams that are not connected to a lake, and all care should be made to release these fish. These fish are true survivors and have overcome predators, anglers, drought, floods, ice jams and a warming climate. Taking one of these fish home to grill and show your friends can have impacts on the health of the fishery down the road. I urge all anglers, not only fly fishers, please consider this when fishing. Use barbless hooks, artificial flies or lures, handle the fish with care, and if you choose to take a picture do it quickly and over the water, and hold the fish out of the water for no longer than 6 seconds.

Brown Trout in early spring tend to be more predictable in both where they are found and in how often they feed. Big Browns tend to eat more consistently in cold water than smaller trout. Their locations tend to be more predictable and when you find a large fish in a particular location early in the season, you often will be able to return to that place the next spring and find a big fish again.

Over the seasons I have located quite a few locations that will consistently hold a large fish or two and I’ve identified a pattern as to what to look for and where to find them. The number one thing a large brown is looking for is cover. Springtime is all about high water so many locations that hold a large fish in early spring will not have one when the water drops and they are too exposed.

Here are my top 3 locations to find a trophy trout in early spring.

Pools that have fast whitewater at the head are a go to for me. I use a heavily weighted jig streamer, or large nymph to drop quickly below the whitewater and often find the biggest fish directly under the white bubbles.These are challenging locations to naturally present the fly or detect strikes. Often many drifts are required to get it right.
The second water type to look for is a fast and deep riffle/run with a large boulder protruding into the riffle. This will create a deep area of slack water and often there will be a hole carved out underneath the boulder that a big brown trout will sit in. Casting well above the boulder and allowing the fly to sink to depth just as it passes the point of the boulder will produce a big fish. I have one rock that I know I can find a fish in every year, but I have to hit the sweet spot when the water is low enough to wade across but high enough to still be holding the big brown.
The last location is a deep pool with a sandy tail out. Usually there is some kind of log or tree in the pool as well. Early on, the big browns will sit on that sand feeding and warming in the sun, but can dive into the deep pool at any sign of danger. Extreme stealth and a thoughtful approach is key to these fish. Most of the time they have been spooked before you even make a cast.

This time of year is all about quality over quantity. The opportunity to tangle with the largest fish of the season is high, but so too are your odds of being skunked. Target these water types to up your odds this spring. Good luck on the water!

]]><![CDATA[Alaska Part 3]]>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:05:10 GMThttps://www.maplecountryanglers.com/fly-fishing-articles/alaska-part-3

The first 2/3 of our Alaska expedition was marked by breathtaking scenery and complete solitude. We made our way through the rugged mountains and into the flat abyss of endless tundra. It was sad to see the mountains slip away, and even sadder when we saw our first people. As the land flattened the river did as well allowing guide boats, from a fishing lodge 30 miles down stream to navigate the river with small john boats and jet props.

It was a really sad moment when we met the first boat on the river, actually one of the lowlights of the entire trip. From that moment on boot tracks were mixed with bear, moose and caribou, and the sound of engines was not uncommon. The boats seemed so much less authentic of a way to experience the river from our perspective, after being totally alone and reliant on ourselves and the river to navigate.

Coincidentally, I almost drown minutes after seeing the first guide boat. My boat partner and I had beached the raft on the bottom of an island to fish a braid in the river. As soon as the guide boat moved on I began fishing the narrow braid where a gravel bar dropped into a deep bend with logs on both sides creating a fast moving tailout before joining the main channel which created a deep, fast moving seam and eddy. I spotted two big fish sitting on the gravel bar just in front of the drop into the pool. These types of locations was where I was finding the biggest trophy rainbows. I cast a jig streamer onto the gravel flat about 2’ in front of the fish and immediately a big rainbow at the fly. It shot down into the pool then towards the logs on the near side tailout. I stepped into the river to attempt to keep the fish out of the log, which I did, but it rapidly continued down into the big water where the braid met the side channel. At this point I made a really stupid decision. I waded down along the log instead of going back up and around it on dry land. As I waded in the water dropped off and I was swept off my feet. I attempted to grab hold of the log but failed and swam down the river into the churning eddy at which point I was unable to swim back to shore and began to sink. I remember seeing my boat partner Andy running down the bank toward me and thinking he may be too late so save my life. My waders were filling with water and I had a hip pack and gun around my chest. I often wear an inflatable emergency rescue tube on my hip, and remember thinking id like to pull it, but the CO2 canisters were not allowed on planes. I was sinking and swimming for my life when my feet finally touched bottom and I waded out. Remarkably, yet so stubbornly stupid, I had not let go of my rod and I still had the fish on, and yes I landed the 20+” Rainbow. I happened to have a Go Pro, and the footage can be viewed on my instagram page.

That evening and the next were the lowest of the trip. Knowing I was only a day or two float from being out and having 5 days left in the tundra made me a bit homesick for a couple hours before bed. One of our other group members also had a scary drowning experience when he stepped out from the boat and the bank gave way, sweeping him under the boat in deep water. Thankfully he was holding the bowline and pulled himself up. The last scary moment of the trip was when a Brown bear spent way too long just outside of our tent in the dark. I woke to hearing it grunting and growling feet away from me. Close enough I could hear it slobber as it breathed. I laid on my cot with gun in hand, going over in my head where the other tents were located, planning how on earth I could safely protect myself should it try to enter the tent.

As we got lower on the river we hit the Silver Salmon. Fresh out of the ocean these fish were big, mean, and fought like hell. Throwing a pink streamer or gurgler on the surface while stripping as fast as you could produced savage takes. You would actually see the wake of the fish coming for your fly. One of the highlights of the trip for sure. It was a fitting way to end the adventure of a lifetime, though I suspect I’ll be back out there exploring another wild river in the future.

]]><![CDATA[Alaska Part 2]]>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:01:32 GMThttps://www.maplecountryanglers.com/fly-fishing-articles/alaska-part-2

I was quite ready to leave bear central campsite. After the bear encounter the previous evening, my adrenaline levels were through the roof. It was kind of like shooting a big buck, focused when you shoot, followed by full body shakes when its over, except it took hours to come down.

We had a big float ahead of us that day, 12 miles of the most amazing scenery. Some memorable fish were caught including watching a giant male sockeye turn and eat a pink streamer followed by 3 or 4 ridiculous attempts to net it from the moving boat before jumping out and chasing it down the river only to net it and have it flop back out of the net and then have to do it all over again. After that fish we made a rule, no salmon from the boat! My boat partner Andy got a really nice king, and I landed a trophy Rainbow and Dolly Varden tight line nymphing a small streamer. We did have a sketchy incident with the last boat in the group. They got hung up in a double strainer on a narrow technical piece of water. I think they were distracted because they were fighting a big rainbow. Long story short they lost an oar and the backup oar was downriver on another boat. Thankfully we found the oar floating down the river ahead of them and were about to send up the drone to locate them before they came bouncing around the bend using their net and a single oar to navigate. Not a good scenario 100 miles in the wilderness. They were pretty shook up, and it sounds like they were pretty fearful of flipping the boat and drowning in the fast deep current.

Our campsite that day was the best of the trip, surrounded by mountains and loaded with fish. After days on edge, something felt right about where we had gotten. I am not a real religious person, but I do believe we are connected to the earth, or something greater than ourselves. Being at that place and at that time was one of those moments. Sitting around the campfire, I decided to grab my binoculars and glass the mountains. I could see a tiny patch of snow way off in the distance with the naked eye. When I glassed the patch of snow I was amazed to see a perfect smiley face in the snow! It was as if nature was letting us know that all was going to be ok and we were welcome in this place. That night I left the tent in the early pre dawn hours and watched a brown bear fishing about 100 yards away.

From then on the days began to blend together. The weather got very warm and sunny. 20 hours of sun a day for a week was a lot. All of us were prepared to suffer through cold temps and heavy rain. Instead were were battling sun burn, bloody chapped lips and cracked hands. Animal sightings dwindled, after a day or so I was missing the excitement of seeing bears. Clearly they didn’t approve of the weather either. You could not step foot on a piece of river bank without fresh tracks, but all of the animals were moving at night. We had a pack of wolves come through one of our camp sites while we were sleeping.

While the animal sightings decreased, thankfully the fishing was getting better. Dolly Varden were so plentiful you could catch hundreds upon hundreds if you chose to. We began seeing more silver colored sockeye which were turned into sushi. Big Chum salmon also began showing up and would eat a streamer more aggressively than the Sockeye or Kings. The novelty of catching massive colored up salmon had kind of worn off and it got to the point where we were trying not to catch them. The males grew huge gnarly teeth that would rip your hands apart, and it would take a long time to land one, especially if you were fishing with your 6 wt trout/charr/grayling rod. We had a ton of fun mousing in the evenings. It all was a matter of how you chose to fish. We even did some dry fly fishing for grayling. A few of my favorite days were when we spent two nights at a single campsite, which gave us a full day to explore miles long braids and tributaries. Our campsites on the two day stays were strategically selected based on satellite images to make sure we had access to good wade fishing water. The braids and tributaries were loaded with spawning salmon while trophy Rainbows and Dollie’s munched on eggs and provided amazing sight fishing in shallow clear water. It was a fun change from the main river which had now probably tripled in size from its start at the outlet of the lake.

]]><![CDATA[Alaska Adventure Part 1]]>Fri, 12 Sep 2025 13:03:02 GMThttps://www.maplecountryanglers.com/fly-fishing-articles/alaska-adventure-part-1

Tranquil, awe inspiring perfection, pure contentment- mixed with daily doses of fear, adrenaline, and intensity. 100 miles of river, untouched or altered by man. Millions of fish, massive Brown Bears. So far from the nearest road, house, town or person that our group of 8 felt like the only people in the world. Hope, that this place would stay this wild forever. Hope, at times, that we would make it out unharmed.

Our 13 day DIY river expedition in Western Alaska was all I could have hoped for, and more. The trip began rather slowly, 48 hours of traveling and waiting, only to get delayed by weather on the last and most exciting leg. Finally, sometime after noon, we got word the clouds had lifted to 500’, enough for the float planes to fly. 2 hours later I was standing on the sunny shoreline of the most beautiful lake I’d ever laid eyes on. 10 MM strapped to my chest, I had been admittedly afraid of a bear encounter. We’d already seen 4, 3 within 400 yards of us on the flight in. The work of inflating and packing the 4 rafts while schools of red Sockeye Salmon swam at our feet put the thought of bears on the back burner. The plan was to row 3 miles to a gravel bar and camp for the night. We left the lake, an amazing thing to be able to simply row into the river with no dams, and quickly found lots of fish and lots of bears. The first one I saw reminded me of an elephant coming up the bank. Luckily all of them ran the other direction when they saw us, that wouldn’t be the case later on.

We soon passed our campsite pin with no gravel bar to be seen, the satellite map was not up to date, and it was starting to get late. We had seen 9 bears and wanted to find a site with an open area so they wouldn’t stumble in on us. Finally around 11:30 PM desperation set in and we found a semi opening on the river bank where we could get the four tents up before it was totally dark. We scared a bear off as we pulled in, but thankfully, had no other issues.

The next day found us floating to the mouth of a tributary and setting up camp for 2 days. This campsite was bear central. I saw 3 separate sets of mother Brown Bears with cubs walking in on the campsite in only the first evening there, and had tracks 5 paces from our tent in the night. The fishing was getting better as well, and we had a very memorable day catching Dolly Varden, Grayling, Sockeye, and the elusive large rainbow.

Then we had a visit from an angry bear. Four of us were chatting around the campfire at noon while the rest of the group was down river fishing. One of the guys suddenly asked “is anyone else in camp with us?” Turning around I saw trees shaking about 12 yards away. I drew my gun and we approached yelling. A large male grizzly slowly stood in front of us. We all agreed its head was the size of a large beach ball. He dropped down and began scratching the ground and urinating before half circling the camp. We weaved around two tents and I met him at 7 yards. No one had bear spray and I directed one of the guys to a can in a tent. He joined me in the standoff. We stared down the bear shouting and acting big and tough for a while. He had evil dark eyes, I’ll never forget those eyes. I remember saying, “if he takes one more step spray him and if he doesn’t stop I’ll kill him.” Finally he ambled off slowly. We figured he didn’t go far, but I felt quite good about staring one of my biggest fears in the face and staying calm, collected, and focused. 2 hours later I faced the bear again. I had walked into the river to fish about 20 yards upstream from camp in the direction he had gone. As soon as he heard us splashing he came out of the bushes 20-25 yards from me. I recognized him immediately and knew this was a more serious situation. He started slowly down the bank towards me and I fired my gun at his feet. He didn’t flinch. I fired three more rounds into the water in front of him before the splashes made him turn. He crossed the river, about 25 yards wide in this stretch, and walked past us on the opposite bank. We fired one more into the water to discourage him from returning. I was worried he would come back at night. Thankfully, he did not. Next month, I will have more stories from our Alaska adventure. I will also have the video of me shooting at the bear on my instagram page, stay tuned.

]]><![CDATA[DIY Fishing Trips]]>Thu, 22 May 2025 18:00:08 GMThttps://www.maplecountryanglers.com/fly-fishing-articles/diy-fishing-trips

“You don’t know if you don’t go” the saying I’ve come up with that has lead to many a great adventure. Making the decision to “just go” is one of the hardest parts for many people when it comes to taking that fishing trip you have been thinking about. The fear of the bad weather, poor fishing, or the unknown holds many people back. I see this all the time with guiding. People book a trip and then a few days before the trip the weather man says that theres a chance of rain or wind and suddenly they are asking me if we should re schedule. The end result is nearly always the same, we fish regardless, and the clients have a great time that they nearly missed out on. The same goes for taking off on that fishing trip you’ve been thinking about. Not every DIY trip will result in the best fishing you’ve ever had, but I guarantee you’ll become a better angler, and make lasting memories. Bailing on your plans to do chores around the house surely wont.

Planning a DIY fishing trip does not need to be a complicated thing. Your goal is to explore new areas and waters, have fun, and catch some fish along the way. Pick an area you have interest in, whether a couple hours away or across the country, you have the freedom to choose. The only thing different is the drive time.
Next, secure lodging and make a plan. I prefer camping, so I look for a campground, or public land that allows camping, otherwise locate your preferred lodging online. For those who prefer to plan ahead, do some e-scouting via the internet and mapping apps, call around to a few fly shops, contact the local fisheries biologist, and you will have a pretty good idea of where to fish and how. Often, if I am traveling to multiple areas, I have shown up in a fishy town and simply located the nearest fly shop. Buy some files, tippet and a license, and ask them where to camp and fish. Simple as that.
You’ll next need to consider what gear you will need to bring. I always bring at least 3 rods, at the very least 2 euro nymphing rods, one as a backup if I break the first, and a 4 or 5 wt rod with floating line. If I’ll be fishing lakes, I throw in a 10’ 6 wt. Extra rods, reels, fly lines, flies etc all are in an Orvis travel case and three rods are ready to go in my roof top fly rod rack. Occasionally, I throw in my vice and fly tying kit, packed into a Fish Pond tying bag. Next I have a large tote for waders, boots, pack, life jacket and net. I always bring a second pair of waders. I tend to fall in the river a lot, and have torn plenty of waders on a trip. A dry backup pair is nice to have. If my wading boots are not pretty new I throw in an extra pair as well because I seem to blow out at least a pair per season. On the east coast I throw in two raincoats, west coast only one. 2 pair of sunglasses are a must. Camping and cooking gear is organized in two totes. All appropriate clothing and footwear is in a water proof bag and I am good to go. Lastly, If I am in grizzly country, a hand gun or bear spray.
Finally, when you get to your destination it is vitally important to keep an open mind, a positive attitude, and be flexible. These are often the key to a very memorable trip or not. Things will not always turn out the way you expect or hope. The weather can be tough, or the rivers could be high and dirty. If you encounter fishing pressure, remember people tend to fish the popular spots, that you read about in books or online. 75% of the people want to fish the famous stretch or pool that is within 100 yards parking area. I promise if you walk a little ways or get creative with where you park you can find solitude on most of the famous rivers, or try a tributary of said famous river. Worst case scenario you may need to drive further or even pack up and move to a new location. As long as you consider it part of the adventure, good things will happen, fish will be caught, fun will be had ,and new rivers and lakes will be explored. This year’s grand adventure is a 2 week DIY Float in remote Alaska. We will be dropped by float plane with rafts and gear in the bush and be picked up near the ocean 110 miles later. I’m sure you’ll hear about it in a future column.

]]><![CDATA[Fly Casting- Accuracy vs Distance]]>Wed, 09 Apr 2025 13:46:33 GMThttps://www.maplecountryanglers.com/fly-fishing-articles/fly-casting-accuracy-vs-distance

Much has been said recently regarding distance fly casting, with some big names in the industry really putting down the need to cast at distance. One very well known name in the industry even went as far as to say of fishing with a 5 wt fly rod “its absolutely stupid to throw a 40 foot cast with the goddamn thing, its just stupid, you’re going to fish 20’ away from you”, which inspired me to write this article. The truth of the matter is that it depends on the situation and having the ability to cast distance will put more fish in the net, but what is more important?

I’d venture a guess that none those reading this article live on the Madison River in MT, known as the 50 mile riffle, and fish exclusively from a drift boat. Perhaps in that situation we could get away with throwing 20’ casts. For the rest of us, a solid cast that will put a fly where we want it at close and intermediate distances (around 50’) should be a reasonable goal.
In most fresh water fishing scenarios getting close enough to the fish to make an accurate short to intermediate cast should be the goal. That could mean putting a nymph in a 1’x3’ pocket in a small stream from 12’ away, casting 35’ to a rising fish without spooking it, or hitting a 4’ lane in a riffle at 50’ because the inside bend is too deep wade closer. In all of those scenario’s accuracy is more important than distance. Miss the pocket small pocket and your fly hooks a branch or a rock, land the fly on the rising fish and spook it. You get the point.

There are times however when distance is necessary and you’ll be happy you spent the time mastering the fly cast. For instance this past year in a large fly fishing only bass tournament, I discovered that the largest smallmouth bass were very boat shy but willing to eat a top water fly. It was necessary to double haul 80-100’ casts to catch the largest fish. Sure the smaller bass would eat the fly closer to the boat but not a single large bass. My partner in the boat could only cast 50 to 60 feet. Fishing the same fly, I was able to win the tournament, while he placed around 15th overall, we both caught fish but my 7 highest scoring fish were much larger than his 7. Low river levels and big rivers also make distance casting necessary. Fishing the famed upper delaware river for large wild brown trout on a low water year recently was tricky because as soon as the drift boat got anywhere near the fish they stopped rising. There was little hope of catching one on the dry fly if you could not bomb an accurate 75’+ cast. Then there is always the far side of the river, too deep or fast to wade closer, that pocket on the far bank you know is holding a big trout, if only you could reach it. I’ve pulled many a fish from the far side of the river by casting at distance. Sure, with conflicting currents and obstructions the efficacy of the drift is diminished, but perhaps a reach cast and a quick mend can give you the 4 second drift it takes to fool that trout on the far bank. I’d rather have the ability to give myself a chance, than never be able to try at all.

So what is more important? Accuracy for sure. Most of our freshwater scenarios will allow us to get close enough to make the cast, but accuracy is what will be the difference between catching the fish or not. One lesson I like to teach while guiding is fishing a very easy wide riffle where clients can hook a fish anywhere in a large area. Working on technique we get the drift right and hopefully put some fish in the net. Next I bring them to a smaller, broken section of river where suddenly just putting your fly on the water will not work. Now they have to focus on accuracy above all else to catch a fish, it really drives home the point that casting accurately is vital even if you’re fishing at close range. Once you have mastered the near and intermediate casting skills, then it’s time to give distance casting some attention. After all, there is always a giant lurking on the other side of the river.

]]><![CDATA[Fishing Egg Patterns]]>Tue, 11 Feb 2025 13:38:48 GMThttps://www.maplecountryanglers.com/fly-fishing-articles/fishing-egg-patterns

April can be a tough month on the trout stream, but there is one pattern in particular that will up your odds of success from late fall through early spring. The mighty Egg, a naturally occurring, high calorie trout food, that stands out and draws fishes attention. When presented properly, this fly will be the most consistent pattern in your fly box at a time when trout are still quite lethargic from cold water temps. I’ll explain how to fish these flies as well as the colors I prefer.

My eyes were opened to the egg this past March at the US Fly Fishing National Championships, I was forced to commit at least half of my time to fishing eggs due to cold winter weather. Eggs were accounting for a majority of the fish caught, and for some competitors, eggs were the only fly they fished. I had to become and egg fisherman fast, a fly I’d fished sparsely on my home waters.

The most important part of fishing eggs is the drift. Eggs are located on the river bottom, bouncing and rolling along the substrate SLOWLY. Your egg fly must do the same if you are to have success. Throwing an egg under an indictor and hoping the distance from bobber to fly is the same as the water depth is not going to be very effective. Most of the time the fly will be suspended above the river bottom and drifting at the speed of the surface current and not the natural eggs. Lethargic trout just are very unlikely to eat this type of presentation. Your best tactic will be to euro nymph the egg with a direct connection from leader to fly. I found out the hard way that just because you have an egg tied onto a euro leader, does not mean it will look correct to the fish. The strike zone and mid column drifts that work so well for much of the season when bugs and trout are active will not be as effective. The absolute key is slowing down the drift. I discovered this could be done in two ways and some days fish preferred one drift over another. The first is to slow roll the egg along the river bottom by ever so slowly leading the flies. This works much better when you can see the egg in shallower or clear water. The second is to invert your drift so that as the fly drifts past you, your rod tip is upstream of the fly and the leader is imparting almost no drag on the egg whatsoever, allowing the egg to bounce along the bottom naturally. You are then looking for a subtle tightening of your leader above the water to indicate a trout has eaten the egg. For some readers this may be too far “into the weeds” to understand but if you can simply slow your drift as much as possible you will have more success.

Egg color is another important factor. I found that that fluorescent orange, yellow, and salmon pink are three must have colors. Some like white, pink, blue, and reddish orange as well. I prefer to stick to three so that I am not spending half my time rotating colors. On some days you’ll find that it matters a lot, and they will be keyed into one color. I also like the material to have UV glow when you put it under a UV light. One day, while practicing for the competition, my teammate and I fished the same egg leap frogging each other up the river. I caught around 45 to his 5 or 6. When we got back and compared the eggs, which looked identical, my material had a UV glow under a light, while his did not.

Lastly, weight is required to get the egg to the bottom. I prefer to tie eggs with copper or pink tungsten beads in a few different weights depending on depth and river flow. Another option is an unweighted egg behind some split shot or a heavy nymph. Either way that fly needs to attain depth quickly.

Coming back from nationals last year I was excited to try eggs on my home trout. I picked a small stream with pocket water leading up to a water fall. Never had I caught a fish in the pocket water at that time of year, but could usually get one below the falls. With an egg I caught 3 in the pocket water and 2 at the falls. I repeated this success over and over throughout the month of April, and cannot wait to get out and “egg up” more wild trout in 2025.

]]><![CDATA[Flooding Impacts on Our Wild Trout]]>Wed, 17 Jul 2024 19:01:17 GMThttps://www.maplecountryanglers.com/fly-fishing-articles/flooding-impacts-on-our-wild-trout

One year ago to the day Vermont again experienced massive flooding thanks to Hurricane Beryl. The damage was quite devastating again for many of the same communities that got hit last year, and extended east into New Hampshire and Maine. Devastation of homes, businesses and property have been tough to look at, but how have wild trout been affected?

I have been asked this question a lot over the past year. Most people assume that fish could not survive in these conditions. Well, it turns out that a lot of water is pretty good if you are a fish. In fact, since last summers flooding (we have had many other smaller high water events in the past years well) and prolonged period of wet weather, the wild trout fishing has been the best I can remember. We have seen more large trout than in recent memory and greater numbers of all age classes of fish in just about every stream we have visited. Even some of the rivers that saw the most devastating flooding, have been fishing great. Surely there have been moralities to trout during extreme flood events, but these trout have grown and evolved in ever changing river environments and know where to go and how to survive.

How can this be when so much pollution, sediment, and debris has floated down the rivers? I think the answer has a few key factors. Higher flows and large amounts of cool ground water seeping into the rivers allow the streams to stay cool even during extreme heat. Fish have not been under thermal stress and there has been more area for trout to spread out from one another. They are not confined to deep holes and springs and can occupy the entire river all summer. High and dirty water also hide the trout from predators such as osprey and mink. Increased flows bring lots more food into the drift from dislodged earthworms and grubs to aquatic insects. Minnows and crayfish are easier for larger trout to prey upon in high stained water. in short, aside from surviving the short window of raging flooding, the fish are very happy and feeding heavily. Last fall the trout were shaped like footballs and having that extra body mass allowed more of them to survive the winter. On top of all of these factors, fishing pressure in way down or almost non existent because the average angler does not like to fish high flows or muddy water. Therefore less fish are being killed and eaten.

The big challenge we have had has been navigating high flows and finding windows to fish a particular stream. This can be tough for new clients who have never waded a river before and may trips have been cancelled. We have been on smaller streams much more and have been constantly looking for the rivers that are starting to clear up and drop. When the water is stained but not muddy the fishing can be very good. 1-3’ of visibility is perfect, and you can often get away with fishing big nymphs and streamers, but do not overlook dry flies and terrestrials.

Though high water and floods provide an opportunity for trout to flourish in many cases, not everything is all roses. Major floods have the power to transform the rivers in both good and bad ways. Some rivers may be unrecognizable and have all new pools and channels. Wade with caution. These changes may be positive or negative. Often pools are scoured out and deepened, but just as many may be filled in with new sediment. You may need to discover new productive areas of river. Likewise new wood may have entered the river from bankside trees collapsing or existing woody debris may have been washed away. There are many instances of river habitat degrading following a flood. To make matters worse road, bridge and culvert repairs made by town road crews in a hurry to get roadways passable often channelize and remove in stream structure making habitat worse and actually making future flood events more damaging by allowing the water to move faster down stream.

Natural flood plains free of roads, buildings and agriculture allow flood waters to rise unimpeded into the surrounding lowlands, slowing the flow of water and debris, and mitigating erosion and damage downstream. They also filter the water and provide even more places for fish to escape raging floods. This all translates into better habitat for fish and more resilient rivers, with less catastrophic and costly damage to property. It would benefit us all to re-think building in these flood plains in the future. There is opportunity to use what we have learned from these flood events to build more resilient rivers, floodplains and infrastructure and decrease the devastation we are seeing with more and more frequency.

]]>