Category Archives: Trout Fishing

Fly Fishing | Wet Fly vs. Dry Fly

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Anglers new to fly fishing often have questions regarding the real difference between a wet fly and a dry fly. The way a fly is made dictates whether it will float on top of the water, sink, or ride completely or partially submerged. Different fish look for food at different parts of the water column, and most fish also look for different food sources at different levels of the water, so a variety of fishing flies is needed for a successful day on the water; fly selection will depend on the weather, season, type of water, and type of fish you’re after.

You can make or buy flies that look like worms, vegetation, crustaceans, terrestrial insects, aquatic insects, flesh, small mammals, small birds, baitfish, small reptiles and amphibians, and spawn. A dry fly is buoyant and usually represents adult terrestrial or aquatic insects. These are mostly used in freshwater. Dry flies typically move around with the water’s current and wind, like insects would. They are most often used with a floating line and the angler allows the fly to drift and move naturally. Some insects move a bit on the surface of the water; in this case, the angler should work the line to impart the same natural movement of the fly. Some examples of dry flies are the Orange Stimulator, which looks like a grasshopper or caddis fly; the Blue Wing Olive Dry Fly; the Adams; and the Royal Wulff.

A wet fly sinks beneath the surface and works at different levels of the water column depending on what is attached. They typically imitate pupa, baitfish, larva, drowned or dead insects, nymphs, and other prey. These, too, are usually freshwater flies. Some examples of popular wet flies are the Professor, the Wooly Worm, the Grizzly King, and the Partridge and Orange.

Nymph flies look like the immature stage of small crustaceans and aquatic insects. They are typically freshwater flies and examples include the Biot Midge and Brook’s Montana Stonefly. Emerger Flies, normally used for catching trout, are made to imitate the not-quite-adult aquatic insect hatching and is leaving the water.

Streamer flies are more diverse and can be used on either freshwater or saltwater fish. They are made to resemble large aquatic prey or baitfish. Examples of popular streamer flies are the Mickey Finn, Muddler Minnow, Schenk’s White Minnow, Wooly Bugger, Black Conehead Egg Sucking Leech, Royal Coachman Bucktail, Clouser Deep Minnow,  and Articulated Streamer.

Terrestrial flies are meant to imitate crustaceans, non-aquatic insects, and worms that could fall into the water and become food for the fish. An example of a terrestrial fly is the Dave’s Hopper, one that looks like a grasshopper.

If you have additional questions regarding the use of a wet fly vs. dry fly, fill out the form at the right and a skilled anglers will contact you to answer your questions.

How to Remove a Hook from a Fish Stomach

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How to remove a hook from a fish stomach

How to remove a hook from a fish stomach is a tip every conscientious angler hopes to master. No matter how strictly we adhere to catch and release fishing practices, on occasion a fish we intend to release swallows a fishing hook, which can result in serious harm to the fish when an attempt is made to extricate the hook. If you are certain the fish will die if you remove the hook and return it to the water, you may choose to keep the fish for consumption if keeping it does not break the law. Another option is to leave the hook as is and release the fish in hopes it will survive.

That being said, anglers can improve their success rate of successfully extricating a swallowed hook by adhering to a few simple practices:

  • Do NOT pull on the line or hook harder than absolutely necessary – If the hook is deep in the throat or below, additional applied pressure will result in more damage to the fish.
  • Cut the fishing line – Attempt to cut the fishing line as closely as you can to the fish hook as any additional fishing line could create problems.
  • Quickly release your fish – Let the fish go right way if it is active and strong. When a fish is sluggish, you can attempt to slowly move it through the water to get water flowing over the fish’s gills. If this action revives the fish, immediately release it. If it remains extremely sluggish, you can place it in your live well with a chemical additive designed to revive a fish, and once it comes around, you can release it at that time.

How to remove a hook from a fish stomach takes practice. Whether or not a fish dies due to a hook in their stomach can depend on carefully utilizing the above techniques. Some fish with an ingested hook, such as Bass, are more likely to survive than others. The good news is that it is not uncommon for a fish to get the hook out all on their own and many fishermen find the hooks intact on the bottom of their live wells.

If you have any tips of your own on How to remove a hook from a fish stomach, please share them with the rest of our readers by posting a comment below. For additional fly fishing tips, or information on world class fishing opportunities around the globe, fill out the form on the right.

Fly Fishing | How to Land Fish

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How to Land a Fish

How to land fish is an acquired skill that takes considerable practice, however it does help to understand a few basic principles. Landing a fish isn’t always as easy as some people would think. There are two ways to land fish: with a net and without a net. Either way can pose difficulties depending on the size and strength of the fish; the trick is to do it carefully to prevent injury to the fish.

When you are using a net, always make sure the fish is good and tired before you make the attempt. Secondly, always net the fish from the front; if you try to do it from behind, the fish will sense the net and will thrash and surge in panic to try to get away. When you come from the front with the net, the fish will actually move right into the net in its fright, which makes it super easy for you. Just make sure the net is big enough for your fish.

How to land fish without a net requires a different technique altogether. The secret is to have a stretch of shoreline in mind where you can beach the fish. Look for smooth, flat, ground right at the water’s edge, with a sandy or pebbly surface. This is a lot easier than trying to land a fish on big boulders or mud. Once you know where you’ll land it, play the fish until it’s too tired to fight you too much and slowly pull it into shallow water. Hold it in the water there until it falls onto its side, then slide it up onto the “beach” by hand or pull it up using the line.

To use this fishing technique, place your hand right above its tail and push it up. This placement absorbs any movements the fish will make and will decrease the flopping around the fish can do, which will, in turn, reduce injuries to the fish.

How to land fish without ever touching a net or land is also an important technique to understand. In fact, landing your fish with this method means the fish doesn’t even leave the water. It’s actually pretty common to do this in the U.S. with Trout. Reel the fish in close when it is tired. Run your forefinger and thumb down the trace to the eye of your hook, and lift with a twist. This should release the fish. If it doesn’t immediately swim away, or if you had to take it out of the water to get the hook out, hold it gently under the water facing upstream. This forces water over the gills and will wake the fish up enough that it should be ready to swim away within a minute.

If you have additional questions on how to land a fish, fill out the form on the right to speak with an experienced angler in your area.