After a few years of fly fishing, I noticed that I wasn't really doing any better. I decided to leave all my spinner gear at home and only bring my fly gear. It forced me to really look around and make good decisions for fly selection, presentation, etc. I was using the spinning gear as a handicap, and I needed to remove it to get better.
Hello I've only been watching this podcast for the past month I love it but I don't think you have covered what attracter patterns you should use when you don't see and fish as well what patterns are the best for graling thanks keep it up
Spencer, while I agree with some of your top five, I really think you're missing a few. If a fly fisher worked on all five of your tips, and made real progress, but doesn't know the likely lies of trout in a stream, they're not gonna be putting many fish in the net! Learning to read the water is certainly a top five skill to work on. For the great majority of the time, for most of us, we're not 'sight fishing' or casting to rising fish. We're prospecting. If you're on a sizeable stream that perhaps is new to you, and you're making perfect casts with perfect presentation, but to water that's too turbulent, or too still, or too....whatever....you're not gonna be successful. I would also push back on your 'pick the right fly'. The great Lefty Kreh often said that the very LAST thing to change is the fly. While I won't dispute that there are certain streams and times of year when very specific hatches occur, and you better have that specific bug, in several life stages, for the great majority of the time the right size and profile nymph dead drifted through a likely run is gonna work equally well, whether it's a Prince beadhead, a perdigon, or a pheasant tail. Lastly, in your top five, where are: Line management (including slack( Mending Proper positioning even before you make your cast Hooksets ??
I did a podcast to start 2024 where I talked about those exact skills. I reckoned it was worth it to build on the skills from that one and look ahead at some of the more intermediate skills for the anglers who've grown a bit in 2024. Hence this show.
@SpencerDurrant Fair enough. But, if one didn't know that, and only viewed this video, you might erroneously conclude that those other critical skills weren't a priority.
Please add bookmarks on your videos so we can skip all the flannel. The 1st of the 5 skills is not even mentioned until 8 minutes and 40 seconds into the video!
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Great video Alex ,keep your hooks sharp!!
After a few years of fly fishing, I noticed that I wasn't really doing any better. I decided to leave all my spinner gear at home and only bring my fly gear. It forced me to really look around and make good decisions for fly selection, presentation, etc. I was using the spinning gear as a handicap, and I needed to remove it to get better.
That is probably the best tip that I heard when I started fly fishing
I'm in this same boat right now. I've been sayin "I've got to leave the other gear at home" for months! 2025 will be the year I follow through.
Happy new year Mr Durrant, Mr stulce and everyone reading this
Another great episode. I love the reassurance to go deep with each style of fly fishing, instead of jumping from nymphs to dries to streamers.
While I tie up this quills I'll listen,I'm sure the content will be 🔥
I just need to fish more!
Get so caught in work and life and spend more time watching than doing! lol
I know you and Alex are super busy ,but id love to be on a pod cast with y'all ,a raw Q+A about Pennsylvania fly fishing and tying ..
I do feel a lot more confident about my New Year’s Eve selection of buffalo wings 😉👍. Thanks for the encouragement to keep getting better
Hello I've only been watching this podcast for the past month I love it but I don't think you have covered what attracter patterns you should use when you don't see and fish as well what patterns are the best for graling thanks keep it up
'patience is a fishermans biggest stranth and weekness'
Spencer, while I agree with some of your top five, I really think you're missing a few.
If a fly fisher worked on all five of your tips, and made real progress, but doesn't know the likely lies of trout in a stream, they're not gonna be putting many fish in the net!
Learning to read the water is certainly a top five skill to work on. For the great majority of the time, for most of us, we're not 'sight fishing' or casting to rising fish. We're prospecting. If you're on a sizeable stream that perhaps is new to you, and you're making perfect casts with perfect presentation, but to water that's too turbulent, or too still, or too....whatever....you're not gonna be successful.
I would also push back on your 'pick the right fly'. The great Lefty Kreh often said that the very LAST thing to change is the fly. While I won't dispute that there are certain streams and times of year when very specific hatches occur, and you better have that specific bug, in several life stages, for the great majority of the time the right size and profile nymph dead drifted through a likely run is gonna work equally well, whether it's a Prince beadhead, a perdigon, or a pheasant tail.
Lastly, in your top five, where are:
Line management (including slack(
Mending
Proper positioning even before you make your cast
Hooksets
??
I did a podcast to start 2024 where I talked about those exact skills. I reckoned it was worth it to build on the skills from that one and look ahead at some of the more intermediate skills for the anglers who've grown a bit in 2024. Hence this show.
@SpencerDurrant Fair enough. But, if one didn't know that, and only viewed this video, you might erroneously conclude that those other critical skills weren't a priority.
Please add bookmarks on your videos so we can skip all the flannel. The 1st of the 5 skills is not even mentioned until 8 minutes and 40 seconds into the video!