Fly Fishing Life

Breaking The Rules
From natural to synthetic materials, Mary Kuss delves into why breaking the rules can lead to better flies—and better fishing.

Leaders & Tippet for Spring Trout in the West
Spring in the Rockies and beyond is a season of contradictions. One day, the rivers are low and clear, the n...

Choosing the Right Fly Tying Vise for You
Because the Best Vise Is the One You Actually Like Using
There’s a moment, somewhere between your hundredth ...

5 Knots For Building Leaders
In any type of fishing, the connection between you and the fish is only as strong as the knots you tie. This...

5 Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Fly Line
By the time most fly fishers realize their fly line needs replacing, it’s usually because a trout or bonefis...

Collective Consciousness In Fly Tying
Rewind to 1987. The first episode of The Simpsons airs. Smallmouth bass are gaining in popularity among fly-...

Mono vs. Fluorocarbon: What’s Between You and the Fish
There comes a time in every fly fisher’s life—when someone corners you in the carpark at the river, down at ...

Opening Day: April on the water = mud on the boots
Explore the charm of fly fishing's Opening Day in April across the Northeast and Midwest. Learn traditions, top states, and what to expect on the water.

Balancing Your Fly With Your Tippet
A neat cast, a perfect drift and the right fly won’t do you much good if your tippet is all wrong. Read on to match your tippet to your fly.

Decoding Your Fly Line Box
So, you're scrolling through the various lines available on our site or you've wandered into the fly shop, e...

Hitting It Right
Being successful at fishing in general, and fly fishing in particular, is largely a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

Part 3. Upping Your Odds for Winter Fly Fishing Success: Winter Flies
In Part 2 of this blog, we discussed snow, ice and safety; glare; and water conditions. In Part 3 of this series, we will look at:
- Productive Techniques – flies and set-ups to use in the various conditions