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Chapter Nine: Prospecting for Trout

The best techniques and expert advice for exploring new water

Advanced Fly Fishing Video Lessons From Orvis - Prospecting for Trout Chapter 9

What do you do on unfamiliar rivers when you don’t have a guide? Where do you start? What flies do you pick? What kind of water should you look for? Should you work upstream or down? This chapter will give you some tips on how to get started—and then where you go from there is up to you. Exploration is part of the fun.

Watch the entire chapter, or select segments below:

duration
viewed

  1. 1. What is prospecting for trout?

    0:41

  2. 2. How to plan a fishing trip.

    0:58

  3. 3. How to find a place to fish.

    1:19

  4. 4. What to do before you start fishing.

    1:23

  5. 5. Where should you fish first?

    1:17

  6. 6. A hot tip for finding trout.

    0:43

  7. 7. Fish in all kinds of weather.

    0:46

  8. 8. Tom’s Top 10 Trout Flies.

    3:33

  9. 9. How to pick the right fly.

    0:46

  10. 10. How to pick the right leader.

    0:55

  11. 11. How to modify a leader.

    1:38

  12. 12. What fly should you start with?

    0:54

  13. 13. Should you work upstream or down?

    1:19

  14. 14. How to swing a soft hackle.

    3:13

  15. 15. Follow Tom as he prospects in a river.

    7:47

  16. 16. Experiment and fish the way you want.

    0:28

Orvis Fishing Reports

The most complete report of fly fishing conditions in North America!

Our professional reports are updated weekly with stream and river flows, tides, recommended flies and equipment, and special fishing tips for the most important fly-fishing destinations in North America. Plan your next fishing trip knowing you'll arrive without any surprises—or discover some new fishing destinations in your area.