Troutbitten

Dry Fly Platforms - The Outliers and The Wrap Up - The Troutbitten Fly Box

15 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This Troutbitten Skills Series and these platforms are an effort to pass along the idea that fly selection doesn’t have to be regimented or complica...

Dry Fly Platforms - Hoppers, Stones and Foams - The Troutbitten Fly Box

08 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's time for the big-meal dry fly platform: hoppers and stoneflies.When we open our fly boxes, we’re looking for a solution. If trout are sipp...

Riverside: Find Fish, Feed Fish, Fight Fish - The Order of Everything

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this Riverside episode, I share an article that I published a few years ago, title, The Order of Everything. I also share some Troutbitten updates ...

Dry Fly Platforms - Emergers - The Troutbitten Fly Box

01 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A dry fly emerger is one that has part of the fly underneath the surface. It’s a highly effective form (meaning tout eat it) because it matches the ...

Dry Fly Platforms - Down Wings - The Troutbitten Fly Box

22 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The down wing dry fly style is a perfect match for one of the most ubiquitous insects found in trout rivers across the planet: caddis. The down wing p...

Dry Fly Platforms - Comparaduns - The Troutbitten Fly Box

15 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

With its simple form of wing, body and tail, the Comparadun is another template for the dry fly angle -- another perfectly adaptable platform.When the...

Dry Fly Platforms - Parachutes - The Troutbitten Fly Box

08 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The parachute platform is our favorite style of dry fly and the favorite of many other anglers, because of its utility. Because it form is functional....

Dry Fly Platforms - Upright Hackles - The Troutbitten Fly Box

01 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Season 18 is a unique look at dry fly styles, through the concept of platforms. By taking a fly shape, a form or a set of materials, we can adapt the ...

Approaching the River

21 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We’re here to talk about approaching the river — approaching the trout — to put our boots in the best place, with a strategy for making the cast...

Fly Tying -- Essential Tools and More

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Fly tying is more popular than ever. With the prevalence of high quality materials and excellent videos showing how to build flies, more fly anglers c...

Fly Fishing Myths

07 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For this episode, we want to tackle a topic that’s been on our list for a long time — fly fishing myths and misunderstandings.We’re not here to ...

In Deep with Devin Olsen - Tight Line Tactics and Competition Influence

30 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Devin Olsen has had an immeasurable influence on the nymphing game. Having been embedded in the competition scene for two decades now, Devin knows com...

Troutbitten State of the Union, Fall 2025 - Catching Up With the Shop, Book, Videos, Events and More

27 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For our State of the Union 2025, my wife, Becky, joins me for a lighthearted look at what's going on in the Troutbitten world. We talk about the ...

Have Mono Rig and Euro Nymphing Styles Gone Too Far?

23 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

All of us at Troutbitten, along with so many anglers across the country, use a Mono Rig for most underwater presentations. The tight line advantage an...

The Spawning Process of Trout

16 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The spawning process is arguably the most important event of a trout's life. The best trout in the system spawn every year. And as long term angl...

What Flies Catch Big Trout?

09 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes, the goal is to catch the biggest trout in the river. In those times, what's the best fly to choose?In this conversation, we talk throu...

In Deep - Fishing Simply, With Craig Matthews

02 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Craig Matthews is one of the most prominent figures in fly fishing, with a career spanning half a century and an influence that is immeasurable. Makin...

Back to Spot Burning - Evolution?

26 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With this conversation, we're going back to spot burning. In Troutbitten Podcast Season 3, Episode 1, we talked through Secrets and Spot Burning ...

Big Flies for Big Trout - Cicada Wrap Up

19 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We begin Season 17 with a conversation about fishing the 17 year periodical cicada this past summer. We talk about big flies, big water and big trout....

Riverside -- Fighting Big Fish -- Keep 'Em Down

16 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A top-tier river trout is a beast. The inherent nature of a river, with the endless obstacles, rocks, tree parts, current breaks, high gradient runs a...

In Deep -- Dry Fly Leader Design with John Shaner

01 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In Deep is a video podcast series for conversations that dive into the details of focused topics -- no fluff, just concentrated, sometimes technical t...

The Blue Liner's Bible - Questions and Stories

31 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Here we are at the end of the Blue Liner's Bible series. And we saved this one for listener questions and some of our own stories. This episode t...

The Blue Liner's Bible -- Bigger Trout, and Streamers on Small Streams

24 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This one's about using streamers to find the biggest trout in the smallest waters. In previous episodes we worked though locating the right water...

The Blue Liner's Bible -- Nymphs On Small Streams

17 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this fourth episode of the Blue Liner's Bible, we talk about nymphing on small waters. We discuss when and where we might turn to nymphs, and ...

The Blue Liner's Bible -- Dry Flies On Small Streams

10 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We’re here to break down small stream dry fly fishing. We’re tackling dry flies first in this series, because fishing dries on small water puts yo...

The Blue Liner's Bible -- Finding the Right Water

03 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We're back with Season 16, with episode two of the Blue Liner’s Bible. This one is all about finding the right water.We mean this in two differ...

The Blue Liner's Bible --The Good and Bad of Small Stream Fishing

27 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With cold flows and eager trout, mountain water and small stream fishing can provide the perfect setup, the perfect escape, if you’re willing to put...

The Airing of Grievances -- Four

22 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the fourth annual Airing of Grievances on the Troutbitten Podcast. Buckle up. Because it’s time to clear the air about a few things, to c...

Is Gen X the Greatest Fly Fishing Generation?

15 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We talk a lot about our frame of reference in fly fishing. Wherever you get into the game, a lot of your baseline is set by whatever is popular or wid...

Caught, Lost and Missed Trout -- Keeping Track

08 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

So . . . how was it? How many did you catch? This is always the question for every fisherman, right? Whether I’m talking to my friends about a fishi...

Gear Fixes

01 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When you fish long enough, things break. That’s the nature of life, really . . . things fall apart. But if you're resourceful, you put them bac...

Our Most Important Breakthroughs

25 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is all about breakthroughs. For each of us, as a personal account, what have been the biggest changes, or the biggest steps forward, in o...

Season Fifteen Intermission -- Catching Up With Leader Sales, Books, Beers, Videos and Plans

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For our Season 15 Intermission, my wife, Becky, joins me for a lighthearted look at what's going on in the Troutbitten world. We talk about the u...

Why Are Some Trout So Selective?

18 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The trout is prized as a gamefish because it’s picky. It’s selective. Often, it requires a refined presentation to fool a wild trout. And in large...

Riverside -- A Fisherman's Thoughts On Spot Burning

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There are two ways to tell the experience of an angler: how he holds a fish and how he keeps his secrets. The latter is probably more important.A seas...

Fishing Big Rivers-- Thoughts, Tips and Strategies

11 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Let’s talk about fishing big rivers. For the most part, all of us here at Troutbitten are river anglers, meaning not much stillwater. Furthermore we...

Learn to Read the River Like a Trout

04 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We spend a lot of time thinking about tactics and working on techniques. We devote our energies toward finding fly patterns, tying up our confidence f...

Know the River or Know Your Tactics? What Puts More Trout In the Net?

27 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Here's  a topic that starts with an interesting question: What puts more trout in the net? Is it knowing your water or knowing your tactics?Of c...

Riverside -- Twelve Small Stream Fly Casting Tips

25 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Here are twelve tips for delivering a fly into waters that are heavily canopied, with greedy branches, ready to grab your fly and make life difficult....

Strategies For Stocked Trout

20 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Across the country, there are rivers, creeks and streams stocked by the state,  often referred to as put and take (they put trout in, you take them o...

Riverside: The Best Fly Rods for the Mono Rig, Tight Line and Euro Nymphing

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What's your favorite fly rod? This most frequently asked question now has its answer in the Troutbitten Riverside Series. Riverside is a place fo...

Streamer Presentations #10 -- Strategies, Tips and Scenarios

30 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This season has been all about options for moving the streamer. Our focus has been on the animations available to attract and then sell the trout on t...

Streamer Presentations #9 -- The Tight Line Dance

23 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The tight line dance is another collection of movements to the streamer loosely grouped together into a system or framework for covering many water ty...

Streamer Presentations #8 -- The Crossover Technique

16 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With episode seven of this Troutbitten Skills Series, we’ve finally come to the point where we’ve covered all the different ways to move a streame...

Streamer Presentations #7 -- Speed Leads and Lane Changes

09 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Speed leads happen mostly in one lane, and they go faster than their parent current. Lane changes are exactly what they sound like — the fly is trav...

Streamer Presentations #6 -- Jigging Styles (Slack, Contact and Pendulum Jigging)

02 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We've covered many animations in these series. We’ve talked about the streamer head position and its direction, about cross current movement vs...

Streamer Presentations #5 - Give Swings a Chance

23 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This steamer presentation is what streamer anglers probably do most — swinging the flies. From what I see on the water, what I read in articles and ...

Streamer Presentations #4 - Glides and Slides

16 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For us, streamer fishing is best when we actively and intentionally move the fly. But with glides and slides, our animations are often subtle, because...

Streamer Presentations #3 - The Head Flip

09 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Head Flip is a pivot. It’s a simple change of the streamer's head angle, from down and across to up and across, or from upstream to downstr...

Streamer Presentations #2 - The Jerk Strip

02 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The ability to move the fly with the rod tip and not just the line hand is a fundamental skill that opens creative options for the streamer angler.Alm...

Streamer Presentations #1 -- What We Control

26 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This season is a ten-part Troutbitten Skill Series, all about Streamer Presentations. We've been looking forward to this one for a long time.We s...

Pre-Trip Efficiencies

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're talking about  how to shorten your time at the tailgate or the trunk. Just get your waders on, your boots laced, and get to the river. It ...

Ten Years of Troutbitten

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're here to celebrate ten years of Troutbitten.December 8th was the tenth anniversary of the first article ever published on Troutbitten. All t...

Brown Trout, Rainbows, Brook Trout, Cutthroat -- What's the Difference?

08 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This discussion is about the differences between trout species. How are the habits of brown trout different than rainbow trout? Where do brook trout t...

Season 13 Intermission -- Leader Shop, Videos, Podcast Plans, Books and More

04 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For our Season 13 Intermission, my wife, Becky, joins me for a look at what's going on in the Troutbitten world. We talk about the upcoming leade...

Why Do Some Rivers Hold Big Trout?

01 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I fished for two decades before I finally realized that not every river, not every creek or stream has big fish. For most of my early days of fishing,...

Why We Fish

24 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight we’re here to talk about why we fish. It’s a simple question. Why do we commit so much of our free time and efforts, our thoughts and our ...

Barbed Hooks or Barbless? Does It Really Matter?

17 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re halfway through Season 13, and tonight we have a discussion that’s been on our backburner for quite a while -- barbed hooks or barbless, and...

Finding Your Confidence Flies

10 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Every angler needs a set of flies to call their own. Among the thousands of patterns, options and choices out there, eventually, we sort out a handful...

The Ethical Angler -- What Does That Mean?

03 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What's right and wrong? That's what ethics really boils down to. Certainly, there are nuances about how much space to give other anglers on ...

The One or Two Fly Debate, Across Fishing Styles

27 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Troutbitten guys are here to talk about two flies. Why do we fish two dry flies, two streamers, wets or nymphs? Why don’t we? Why might we fish ...

Why Do We Catch Trout In Patches?

20 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The full Troutbitten crew is back for season thirteen. In this fall and early winter season, our theme is casual conversations. After three years of p...

Fishing Dry Flies -- Dry Fly Skills Series #7

15 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For this final episode in the dry fly skills series, we work through some scenarios that anglers frequently encounter. Because, just like nymphing, fi...

Rise Forms and Hook Sets -- Dry Fly Skills Series #6

08 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the last couple of weeks we  talked a lot about choosing the next fly, when to change, and what informs our decision about what to change to — b...

All About the Flies -- Dry Fly Skills Series #5

01 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Here we are at the part of the season where we address everybody’s favorite question — what fly are you using?We’ve argued for years that the le...

Casting and Mending -- Dry Fly Skills Series #4

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our discussion here is about casting dry flies, and that’s where all good fly casting starts. With a dry fly, there’s no weight at the end of the ...

Catching Up, With Leader Sales, Videos and Troutbitten Plans

18 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For our Season 12 Intermission, my wife, Becky, joins me for a lighthearted look at what's going on in the Troutbitten world. We talk about the u...

Dry Fly Leader Design and Adjustment -- Dry Fly Skills Series #3

11 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The leader should match the moment and match the angler. It should match the fly, the river and the wind conditions. Adjustments are necessary, and wh...

Dry Fly Skills #2 --Drag Free Drifts and Animation

04 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The drag free drift -- a high percentage of the time, that’s what catches trout on top. So aiming for perfection on a dead drift sets the baseline. ...

Dry Fly Skills #1 -- When and Why

28 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Season twelve begins. It’s a seven-part skills series dedicated to dry fly fishing. My friend, Matt Grobe, joins me to build the framework — a met...

Prospecting for Trout

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

 Prospecting is a strategy for covering water. It’s about pace. A lot of what we do, day to day on the water, is searching. We’re looking for act...

The Airing of Grievances -- Three

16 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The third annual Airing of Grievances on the Troutbitten Podcast has arrived. Some of this is playful and some is serious.Complaining’s not a bad th...

Set the Hook! All About Different Hooksets

09 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There are many different ways to set the hook while fly fishing for trout, because there are many different ways to fish for those trout. One size doe...

The Further You Walk, the More You Leave Behind (a Story)

02 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Here's a story about the solitude that so many of us seek on the water — how the full experience of planning for a trip, driving before dawn, w...

The Troubles With Club Fishing

26 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're here for a tough conversation. This one's about fishing the pay-to-play setup of a club.These are the troubles with club fishing . . ....

How Woodsmanship Catches Fish

18 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There's an intangible quality built into the best anglers. It's about being comfortable and natural around the water. It's about having...

Boat Fishing -- How Everything Changes When Floating a River

12 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're here to talk about floating down a river, about why we like boats, how floating is so much different than wading, how some opportunities ar...

What's the Deal With Emergers?

05 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Like anything else in fishing, you can take the emerger concept just about as far as you want. You get technical, or you can spin up a couple wet flie...

The Ethics of Guiding -- More Harm Than Good?

27 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

My friends join me for a tough discussion. What are the benefits of guiding? What are the good things? How does it help anglers? Does it actually help...

Fishing Through a Caddis Hatch

21 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Two years ago we did a full episode on Hatches. That discussion was a broad, overarching look at how the bugs — the insects that trout eat — dicta...

The Stages of an Angler

14 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How many times have we heard the supposed stages of an angler? First you want to catch a fish, then you want to catch a bunch of fish, then you want t...

Feed Drop -- Troutbitten On The Untangled Podcast

07 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I was happy to be a guest on the Untangled Podcast with Spencer Durrant. We talked mostly about Nymphing tactics for beginners. We also talked a littl...

Catching Up -- Patagonia, Leader Sales, Live Streams, Beer, Hosted Trips and More

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this interim episode, Becky and I look back on what has happened in 2024 so far, and we set the table for what’s to come. We talk about Patagonia...

Critical Nymphing Concepts #7 -- Animating the Nymph

25 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Here we are with our final installment, part seven of our series on critical nymphing concepts.Almost all of our focus throughout this series has been...

Critical Nymphing Concepts #6 -- Line on the Water

18 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is about tension and slack. It's about how we manage fly lines and leaders on the water while nymphing.Remember, each of these episo...

Critical Nymphing Concepts #5 -- Weight: The Fundamental Factor

11 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This discussion is all about weight. It’s the fundamental factor in nymphing. Because as soon as you choose to leave the surface, once you clip off ...

Three Ways to Dead Drift -- Critical Nymphing Concepts #4

04 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode features what might be the most important concept of nymph fishing. There are three different ways to present a dead drifted nymph to the...

Suspender Advantages -- Critical Nymphing Concepts #3

28 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the third part of this critical nymphing concepts series, we consider the advantages and disadvantages of fishing with a suspender. We cover the fo...

More Influence or Less? -- Critical Nymphing Concepts #2

21 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this second episode of our Critical Nymphing Concepts series, my friend, Austin Dando, and I walk through the idea — the concept — of having mo...

Critical Nymphing Concepts #1 -- The Three Questions

14 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This Season Ten skills series is about the critical concepts of nymphing. In seven episodes this season, we're covering the what and the why of n...

A Troutbitten Glossary

24 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For this final episode of Season Ten and of 2023, we wanted  to have some fun. In this episode we walk through a bunch of Troutbitten . . . terms, wo...

Bad Habits That Hurt

17 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’re here to talk about bad habits — things that aren’t personal style but just bad form. These are bad habits that come with a consequence. Th...

Fishing With a Camera

10 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This one is about taking photos and videos on the water, about camera gear, about keeping that gear safe but available, and even a few tips on taking ...

Our Favorite Rivers

03 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some favorite rivers meander and roll through stunning scenery and enchanting tracts of wilderness. And most trout fishermen quickly realize that the ...

What Works When and Why? -- Mono Rigs and Euro Nymphing Styles

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is a conversation about tight line leader styles. We share what we like best, what works for each of us and what does not. This is Part T...

Coffee and Secrets (a story), and Catching Up

19 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Here we are in the middle of season nine, and we’re doing something a little different. This is like an intermission between sets.My wife, Becky, is...

Tight Line, High Stick, Euro Nymph, Mono Rig -- What's the Difference and How Did We Get Here?

12 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over the years, nymphing has grown up a bit. There's more information, more styles and more acceptance of those styles than ever before. While ny...

The Stuff You Don't Need

05 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes, an angler's love for gear becomes more important than the fishing itself, until the goal becomes a bigger collection of fishing gear i...

Turning Around the Toughest Days — How to Save a Slow Fishing Trip

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How do we handle tough days? How can we turn it around and start catching fish? When the going gets tough, how do we fix it? What are the strategies? ...

Trout Fishing and the Spawn

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This conversation is about spawning trout. Specifically, we tackle the ethics of fishing during the spawn, whether it’s right or wrong to fish for t...