Fly Fishing Techniques & Tips

Drag on a dry fly or nymph can be insidious when fly fishing. Sometimes it is barely visible to the fly fisher, either on a visible dry fly or on an indicator when nymph fishing. But it can be enough to cause a trout to refuse your fly. Learn how to recognize this tricky "micro-drag" and how to avoid it

A day on a trout stream does not always turn out like you plan it. Watch what Dave Jensen encounters on a trout stream, and how he modifies his flies to meet the challenge. It's always fun to improvise, and if you don't occasionally make a bold move when fly fishing you could be missing much of the fun.

Most people have enough trouble fishing small dry flies without the added complication of gathering darkness. But trout often feed on small flies at dusk, and if you don't have any tricks up your sleeve you might miss out on some great dry-fly fishing for trout. Dave Jensen gives us some great tips on how to fish small flies.

Trout rising to insects do not always make a big splash. Sometimes the disturbances they make on the surface of a river are more subtle. Dave Jensen gives some very useful tips and how to spot trout feeding on the surface.

Fishing streamers is not always casting large flies in deep water and heavy cover with a sinking fly line. Sometimes streamer flies are effective in shallow riffles and edges, especially when you use smaller flies and a floating line.

Well known angler and television host Conway Bowman explains why he loves fly fishing for bass and how it opens up options for anglers in most parts of the country. Bass waters are plentiful, easy to access, offer real excitement.

Here's a great video from Bonefish & Tarpon Trust. Learn the best bonefish catch and release practices from BTT Bahamas Initiative Manager Justin Lewis. Proper fish handling is essential to the survival of your catch, and to the overall health of the fishery.

Orvis product developer Jesse Haller describes the three factors that affect how fast your flies sink--fly weight, tippet diameter, and how the flies enter the water--and shows you exactly how to set up and cast to maximize the time your flies spend in the strike zone. These tips can help open up a different style of nymphing and increase your ability to catch fish in different water conditions.

The combination of a nymph and a dry fly as a dry/dropper rig is a common tactic. But did you ever think of fishing a dry/streamer combination? With a high-floating dry fly, you can fish a small streamer dead drift, and then when the flies begin to drag you can give the streamer some action to cover more water. Dave Jensen explains how to rig up and fly fish with this combination of flies.

In Part 2, Dave Jensen shows you where to find trout in small streams when you know someone else has already fished a pool. The video is worth careful study in fly fishing because it shows you secret little nooks and crannies that will produce trout on dry flies and nymphs.

When fly fishing a stream, it's always good to know if another angler has been there before you. Although it's always best to have water that has not seen another angler all day ahead of you, on crowded streams that is not always the case. In part 1, Dave Jensen shows how to maximize your fishing time when following other anglers in sections of water that have already been fished.

Conway Bowman shows how to catch largemouth bass in "bad neighborhoods"--using sinking lines to get down to where bass may be hiding. Catching bass in rocks and downed trees when they are in deeper water does not mean you have to resort to spin tackle. It's all about covering water and making brave, accurate casts.

The best trout are often in places where other anglers don't even attempt to make a cast. Dave Jensen shows you how to cast in heavy brush, using the steeple cast and also a modification of this useful fly cast. These tips will make you second guess walking by that spot that you know holds a big fish, but looks impossible to get a cast into.

World famous shark angler and conservationist Conway Bowman shows how he rigs his flies for giant mako sharks. The same rigging technique works well for smaller sharks, pike, muskie, and barracuda--any species where you need strong bite protection.

Casting to rising trout can definitely be a challenge. Depending on the water conditions and the habits of the feeding trout, you could have your work cut out for you when it comes to presenting the fly so that the fish will eat. Dave and Amelia Jensen are back with some tips and tactics to help you navigate this sometimes tricky scenario.

In this installment, Dave Jensen shows why a typical indicator nymphing set up just doesn't always get the job done. With a little knowledge and some minor leader changes, you can effectively reach where a fish is feeding better than you could with an indicator. Having these skills will help you to be a more versatile fly fisherman and will allow you to target those hard to reach, difficult fish.

In lakes and streams, having a strategy to catch cruising trout when fishing with a fly is essential. The suggestions here work with both nymph fishing and dry-fly fishing.

Most people think that trout feed behind sunken logs, brush, or willows, but smart fly anglers know a better place. Find out in this video.

Sometimes an indicator setup is the best way to catch trout on nymphs--especially when the trout are in deeper water. You may not be able to see the fish as Dave Jensen could here, but you can still use the philosophies shown here in places where you suspect a trout may be feeding.

People often worry about catching big trout on light fly rods. Dave Jensen shows just how much pressure you can put on a 5-weight fly rod and a size 14 dry fly.

Amelia Jensen shows why it is sometimes a mistake to use large attractor dry flies. Many times, especially in clear trout streams, a smaller dry fly with a long leader is more effective on spooky trout.

Sometimes it's all about being in the right place at the right time. But smart fly fishers read the water and look for trout feeding on nymphs and dry flies in very discrete places on a river or pond. This video shows you one of those places.

Learn ways to find and catch trout when rivers are murky or stained. Fly fishing can often be spectacular when the water is slightly dirty, so don't give up just because conditions aren't crystal clear.

Successful fly fishing in lakes for trout is often a matter of finding the food supply. The food is typically in shallow water along the edges, and this video shows you how to find these edges and how to catch trout using a simple method that works almost anywhere.

Amelia Jensen shows great technique for catching big trout with a fly rod in small streams. It's not so much about what she says as what she does that teaches so much. Notice how she keeps her rod at a horizontal angle, and how she uses her entire body to fight the fish, moving quickly along the bank when needed. And netting technique is so important at the final moment. See how she gets the fish in just the right place in the current, waits for the right moment, and then nets the trout in one precise, deliberate move.

You won't find numerous trout feeding every time you fish a trout stream, but when many fish are feeding there are ways to find the one that is more likely to take. Dave Jensen gives us some clues of finding the trout most likely to eat your fly. It's a great fly-fishing lesson.

Amelia Jensen shows great technique for catching big trout with a fly rod in small streams. It's not so much about what she says as what she does that teaches so much. Notice how she keeps her rod at a horizontal angle, and how she uses her entire body to fight the fish, moving quickly along the bank when needed. And netting technique is so important at the final moment. See how she gets the fish in just the right place in the current, waits for the right moment, and then nets the trout in one precise, deliberate move.

Amelia Jensen shows great technique for catching big trout with a fly rod in small streams. It's not so much about what she says as what she does that teaches so much. Notice how she keeps her rod at a horizontal angle, and how she uses her entire body to fight the fish, moving quickly along the bank when needed. And netting technique is so important at the final moment. See how she gets the fish in just the right place in the current, waits for the right moment, and then nets the trout in one precise, deliberate move.

This is a great time of year to fine-tune your fly-fishing terrestrial game. Dave and Amelia Jensen share some tips on making your presentation with ants, beetles, and hoppers. It's one of the most exciting forms of dry-fly fishing for trout.

Ever wondered what goes through an experienced fly-fisher's mind when faced with a difficult trout? Watch as listen as Dave Jensen ponders a difficult situation.

Watch Dave Jensen as he demonstrates that it is not always your best cast that catches a nice trout--accuracy is far more important that style and form when presenting the fly to feeding trout.

Dave Jensen shows just how tough it can be to land a big trout in water where there are large obstacles or woody debris.

Dave Jensen shows what to do when you don't have the right fly in your box.

Accuracy is important for more than trout and bonefish. In this video, Dave and Amelia Jensen show how an accurate cast gets you closer to cover--and also how it can help you pick off the bigger pike first!

Watch Dave Jensen as he demonstrates that it is not always your best cast that catches a nice trout--accuracy is far more important that style and form when presenting the fly to feeding trout.

This is one of the strongest connections for adding a piece of tippet to the rest of your leader.

When a trout turns around and takes your fly swimming downstream, hooking them is often problematical. Dave and Amelia Jensen show us a great trick for hooking more of these tricky fish.

For tarpon, pike, musky, snook--or wherever else you need to attach a heavy shock tippet to a fly--the Improved Home Rhode Loop Knot is quick and easy to tie. Watch Pete Kutzer as he demonstrates how to tie this essential knot.

The Orvis Knot is a quick, easy, and reliable knot for attaching a fly to a tippet.

Gravel shelves are some of the most likely places to find trout. Dave and Amelia Jensen show us the best way to find them and how to present your flies to these trout hotspots.

Learn how to fish undercut banks in trout streams--places you will often find the biggest trout in a stream.

Most people don't consider shooting fly line an advanced tactic, but many veteran anglers don't shoot line at the point of maximum efficiency for a great cast and maximum distance. Watch Pete Kutzer as he shows us how to maximize the efficiency of your cast.

Getting a nymph down into a deep pocket in fast water is not easy because your nymph has little time to sink. Expert Dave Jensen offers some valuable tips.

Everyone knows how to make a back cast, but few people are capable of turning a back cast into a fishing cast with a proper delivery. Pete Kutzer shows his tricks for making the back cast turn over perfectly.

Dave Jensen explains the rationale behind choosing a nymph--both when there is a hatch going on, and when trout are lying deep with no visible hatch.

Casting large flies is not always easy, even with a bigger fly rod. But there are tips and tricks that can help you get your fly out to where fish are feeding.

Catching trout in backwaters is a refined art. Watch superb anglers Dave and Amelia Jensen as they teach us tactics for catching what are often the biggest trout in any stretch of water.

The Perfection Loop is an essential fly fishing knot. Learn how to tie strong, secure loops to add a fly to a heavy shock tippet from master knot tier Pete Kutzer. The Perfection Loop is usually used to add a loop to a leader but the technique makes this loop another tool in your arsenal.

Fly fishing with nymphs without using indicators: sometimes you need more stealth, especially when trout are visible in the water. When indicators spook trout, you need special techniques to catch them. This video shows you how to catch trout under difficult conditions.

How to fish nymphs with droppers when trout are not feeding on the surface but also not in deep runs. This is a great technique when there is a sparse hatch but trout are not feeding on the surface. At times, fishing a nymph in mid-water is more effective than getting the fly right on the bottom.

Fly fishing with deep nymphs works for catching trout in streams throughout the year. Regardless of water conditions, fishing nymphs close to the bottom with a strike indicator is always effective.

The Belgian Cast (a.k.a. the Oval Cast) is a big help when you're trying to cast heavy flies or a double-nymph rig. Because the oval cast keep the line in constant motion, there's no "snap back" at the end of the forward or backcast, which could cause the flies to tangle.

How to attach a bite tippet to your leader. This is a fine alternative to the Slim Beauty knot, when attaching wire when fly fishing for pike, musky, bluefish, barracuda, and any other fly-rod species with sharp teeth.

The Slim Beauty Knot is a great knot for attaching a heavy shock tippet to lighter line. It can be used with heavy monofilament or wire. It's an essential knot when fishing for pike, muskies, tarpon, snook, barracuda, or bluefish--and all other fish with sharp teeth!

Fly fishing with droppers allows you to fish both dry fly and nymphs matched to current hatches, trout behavior, and water conditions. Learn how to set up droppers for fly fishing with nymphs.