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Nonprofit of the Month: The Mayfly Project

Will Poston
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Nonprofit of the Month: The Mayfly Project

For this installment of “Nonprofit of the Month,” we talked with the folks at The Mayfly Project. Using fly fishing, The Mayfly Project mentors American foster children, with the hope that fly fishing can give these kids positive outdoor experiences. Follow along to learn more about what The Mayfly Project does!

Flylords: If you had to summarize The Mayfly Project in a sentence or two, what would you say?

TMP: The Mayfly Project mentors children in foster care via the sport of fly fishing. We connect youth to the outdoors, teach them about the value of conservation efforts, and provide fun during a most chaotic time in their lives.

Emma Brown, Denver Project

Flylords: Care to tell us how the Mayfly Project started?

TMP: The Mayfly Project (TMP) was founded by Jess and Laura Westbrook in Little Rock, Arkansas in 2015. Jess learned about mentoring children in foster care during church one day and decided fly fishing would be the best tool to help them cope with their difficult lives and to provide support. They were planning to keep this program local to Arkansas until they met Kaitlin Barnhart.

Around the same time TMP was founded, Kaitlin, of Sandpoint, Idaho was taking children in foster care fly fishing and networking to bring more awareness of the mental health benefits of fly fishing for foster children specifically. Kaitlin saw Andrea Larko’s design that Jess had her create for TMP and she immediately reached out to Jess. After many hours on the phone, Jess and Kaitlin decided together that with Jess’s background in finance and Kaitlin’s background in mental health, they could create a national nonprofit that would serve children in foster care across the country. The program design quickly emerged, with input from environmental scientists, case workers, mentoring programs, and the fly fishing community.

Flylords: Tell us a little bit about America’s foster care system. How can fly fishing help these children?

TMP: The American foster care system is overwhelmed with children who need stable foster homes and adoptive homes. The system meets the basic needs of the children in foster care, but offers little opportunity for fun experiences or outdoor opportunities to foster children. Because the children are moved around so frequently, and well protected by the state, they don’t often get to participate in sports teams or activities where they can feel like a “normal” child. The Mayfly Project meets the children where they are at—we make sure that if a child starts a project, they get to finish it. We provide a 1:1 mentor ratio because we know that the children thrive with the attention and care provided by our mentors. Fly fishing is often prescribed for those who are finding ways to manage PTSD and anxiety symptoms, and children in foster care often have had traumatic experiences they need extra support to manage and overcome. Beyond the healing properties of fly fishing and time with helpful mentors, foster children build self-confidence through river adventures and are thrilled to join in a cycle of healing the environment through TMP’s Conservation Initiative.

Austin, Texas Project

Flylords: Can you describe your average program or experience for foster care children? What are the ‘stages’?

TMP: A project consists of a minimum of 5 outings, scheduled out every 2-3 weeks. The program is designed to build upon the sessions and the stages are named after the life cycle of the Mayfly. The first outing the mentees learn about tying knots, how to set up a fly rod, and how to tie flies. The second outing they learn the basics of casting, setting the hook, and catch and release tactics. We will start children on a pond at this stage and they have an opportunity to catch warm water fish. The last three outings are designed around fishing rivers and learning about trout, depending on the location of the project. Mentees learn about protecting against invasive species and cleaning up the rivers during these phases as well. At the final outing, the children receive all of their own gear to continue to pursue fly fishing—everything from a brand-new fly rod to a fly bag filled with goodies.

Flylords: Are some activities more effective than others?

TMP: We have a new curriculum that we use as a tool throughout the project; it details everything the mentees need to know about fly fishing, the mental health benefits of fly fishing, and about taking care of the environment. We also have an invasive species identification game and a button incentive program, where the mentees are rewarded for their efforts to learn and participate in our conservation initiative. Every child is different and comes to TMP with various experience levels with time outdoors—some mentees have never fished before or even been to a river, so its crucial we meet them where they are at and educate them while making the project as safe and fun as possible for them.

Terry Miller, Oregon Project

Flylords: What is the end goal of these programs?

TMP: The end goal of our project is for the children we mentor to be self-sufficient with fly fishing and to understand that the public lands and outdoor spaces are places they can go to find mental rest. The children are able to tie their own knots, set up their own rods, match the hatch with the flies they choose, and safely catch and release fish. Beyond the ability to fish, our mentees learn about why we take care of the ecosystems we are privileged to enjoy, and also why time outdoors is beneficial to them.

Flylords: Can you tell us about some impactful stories about Mayfly project participants

TMP: We have so many success stories from kids who found great value from our projects, but some of our favorite stories are from kids who didn’t actually want to participate. They came to the project with either mixed feelings about fishing, or so angry they just didn’t want to be around anyone. But after the initial outing, they immediately bought in to what we were providing them. Once the child realizes that fly fishing can be their ‘thing’, something that makes them feel good about their accomplishments, they are sold on it. We have had foster children near the end line of aging out of the system and since participating in The Mayfly Project they are found running to the river or lake to fly fish after work or school.

One child that sticks out in my mind was one of the ones reluctant to participate at first. He was the last one out of the van and rolled his eyes when the lead mentor was giving instructions. But he quickly turned into a completely different kid when he started to learn that casting was something he was good at. By the third outing, this child was running out of the group home van to get to us, and would out-fish every other mentee at the outings. On our last outing, he brought his dad (they had a supervised visit), and when his dad was not around he said, “Fly fishing has changed my life and made me feel peaceful, I think my dad could really use fly fishing too in his life.” We are honored to have these experiences and to work with such a unique population.

Flylords: How many children has the Mayfly Project mentored? Likewise, how many states is the Mayfly Project active in?

TMP: We have mentored 362 children and plan to mentor close to 500 by 2020. We have projects in 24 states and will be in 28 states by 2020, with some states having a multitude of projects as well. We currently have 268 mentors across the country. Click on this link to check out some of our talented mentors!

Flylords: Describe the mentor-selection process:

TMP: We assign lead mentors to our projects, after they go through an extensive interview and training process. Mentors apply for our projects through our Take Action (ADD LINK) section on our website. We do a phone interview with each mentor, check their references, and they have an extensive background check conducted. Each mentor is added to the team after approved by our lead mentors and given our training materials. Our mentors understand the need for a solid commitment because we’re working with a population that is not only fragile, but needs people to show up for them. We have a policy that we never cancel a project outing, so if for some reason a bunch of mentors can’t make it, we’ll drive long hours to fill the gap. We have the best mentors on our teams and are thrilled to have that number increasing. This project truly does take a village!

Kyla Kulp, North Idaho Project

Flylords: Any new projects in the works?

TMP: In 2019 we’ve launched, or are getting ready to launch in these states: California, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia. In 2020 we plan to add Alaska, Ohio, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Maine, as well as a few new projects in states already established.

Krystina Bullard, Little Rock Project

Flylords:How can other fly fishermen get involved? Granted, not everyone can devote as much time as others, are there other ways to help further the Mayfly Project?

TMP: We are always looking for mentors, gear donations, and support sharing our success with the world. As we are building projects we are in need of financial contributions, grant opportunities, and private donors who want to team up with us to help us change the lives of children who need it most. We truly believe in the term #flyfishingfamily and are thankful to have support in many forms! To learn how to get involved or help, be sure to contact us and check at our giving page!

 

https://theflylords.com/2019/06/30/nonprofit-of-the-month-bonefish-tarpon-trust/

This interview was conducted by Flylords’ Conservation Editor, Will Poston

The Beginner’s Guide to Fly Fishing

Dan Zazworsky
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The Beginner’s Guide to Fly Fishing

Fly Fishing for Beginners – A Fly Lords’ Guide

So you want to get started fly fishing? Congratulations you have come to the right place to join in on one of the coolest outdoor pastimes out there. Fly fishing is a great way to connect with the outdoors and recharge no matter your experience level. Now we know fly fishing can seem like quite the challenge to learn, but hopefully, after a read through this guide you’ll be well on your way to hooking into fish on the fly!

This guide is meant to be a very high-level view of fly fishing as a whole, and if you want to learn more about any of the subjects we mention, check out our library of how-to fly fishing articles, here.

Table of Contents

What is Fly Fishing

Basic Guide to Fly Fishing Equipment

Flies

Casting Basics

Intro to Fly Fishing Lingo

Styles of Fly Fishing

Wading Vs. Floating

What is Fly Fishing

What Is Fly Fishing Flylords

Fly fishing is a style of fishing that traces its roots back centuries and different styles developed simultaneously around the world as human tried to figure out ways to trick fish who ate lures too small and light to catch with normal hook and line methods. At its most basic, with fly fishing, you are using the weight of the line to cast your fly out into the water. Most commonly people associate fly fishing with trout, and while that is very true, countless species can be targeted around the globe using a fly rod and reel.

Basic Guide to Fly Fishing Equipment

Fly Fishing Rod and Reel

Rod & Reel

The rod and reel are the most important parts of any fly fishing set up. With any style of fishing, there are multitudes of different rod styles and reel styles but for the purposes of this post, we will speak in more general terms. Fly rod size is designated by the term “weight”, rod weight is associated with the weight of the fly line. When you are matching a reel to your new fly rod, you want to make sure that it is designed to fit the weight line you

Fly Line Casting

Fly Line & Backing

Fly lines are all designated by weight, either on a scale of 1-12 (1 being the lightest) or one a scale based on grain-weight, utilizing the same scale as gunpowder. Most lines are typically 90 feet in length and are made up of 3 main sections: the head, the taper, and the running line. The head is the heaviest and thickest part of the line and helps to turn over your leader and flies. The taper is the in-between section that tapers from the head to the running line. The running line is the thinnest and typically, the longest part of the line, during normal casting you will typically not interact with the running line except as it shoots out of the end of your rod. The fly line is the workhorse of any fly fishing setup as it is the main reason your rod is able to propel your flies forward in the air.

Backing is the line that goes on a reel before you put your fly line on. It fills the space in the reel and allows you to fight fish if they run farther than the length of your fly line. Most reels can hold 175 yds-250 yds of backing.

Leader and Tippet Fly Fishing

Leaders & Tippet

Your leader is the section of fluorocarbon or monofilament that connects your fly line to your fly. Like fly lines, leaders are tapers from the thickest section (the butt section) to the lighter and thinner tip section. Leaders vary in length depending on what fish you’re targetting but most are between 7.5 ft-12 ft. Pre-tied leaders are sold all around the fly fishing industry and are sized using a scale of 0x-8x, 0x being the strongest and stiffest, and 8x being feather-light. Many fly anglers choose to tie their own leaders which allows anglers to customize them. Typically a short strong leader will turn over flies easily, but you sacrifice stealthiness as it will be easier for fish to see. When targetting spookier fish, you will want to use a longer lighter leader to make it the most difficult for a wary trout to see!

Tippet is the name given to stretches of either monofilament or fluorocarbon that you tie to the end of your leader to lengthen it or repair sections that were cut off while rigging. Tippet is sold on spools that are based on break-strength and on the same 0x-8x scale as leaders. We recommend keeping a solid range of tippet in your fly fishing pack so you are as prepared as possible to repair any leader that starts wearing down.

To learn how to choose between Monofilament and Fluorocarbon, check out our in-depth article, here!

Wading Gear

Wading Gear

If you are going to be fly fishing year-round, you’re going to need some durable wading gear. Wading gear typically consists of a set of breathable chest waders and wading boots. Some anglers in colder climates prefer to use neoprene waders during the winters, but for the best all-around performance, you’re going to want breathables. Most modern waders are stockingfoot, which means your feet go into neoprene booties sealed to the wader material, which requires the purchase of a wading boot. Wading boots are constructed with thick stiff soles to aid while wading in current or on longer hikes.

Accessories

As with any hobby, of course, there are countless accessories you can purchase to help you out on the water. The most basic accessories you’re going to really need is a fly pack or vest to help you haul your fly boxes out onto the creek and a landing net. These come in dozens of styles and designs so we really recommend testing a few out at your local fly shop and find which matches your fishing style and body shape best. Choosing a net to carry with you is really based on what type of fishing you’re going to be doing and how big the fish is that you plan on landing. Just make sure the basket of the net is rubber or rubber-coated which will protect the fish you are filling your net with!

Flies

Fly Fishing Flies

Dry Flies

Dry flies are probably what you may associate most with fly fishing. They are typically smaller in size and utilize various materials to float high on the surface of the water. Typically constructed of foam, hair or feathers, they rely on the surface tension to stay afloat. They are mainly designed to mimic different bugs resting on the surface of the water that make excellent snacks for fish.

Nymphs

These flies are designed to mimic exactly what their name suggests, nymphs (small macro-invertebrates) which float in the water column or cling to rocks in a river. Nymphs should reside in every fly angler’s fly box as trout tend to feed below the surface far more often than they do off the surface.

Streamers

Streamers are designed to mimic prey fish in the water. These will remind you most of conventional lures like Rapala’s that mimic baitfish in the water to get a predatory response out of a fish.

Casting Basics

Overhead Cast

This is the basic cast that most other fly casting styles are based upon. Its a simple overhand cast using the weight of the line and line speed to deliver your fly to its intended target.

Roll Cast

This is the second most used fly cast during any day on the water. It utilizes the action and flexibility of your rod to propel your line forward. This cast is perfect for any time there is no open space behind you to make an overhand cast.

Fly Fishing Lingo

Intro to Fly Fishing Lingo

As with any hobby or sport, fly fishing is replete with “lingo” and turns of phrase that really only make sense if you fly fish. Our good friends at Redington Fly Fishing have put together what might be the greatest “Fly Fishing Lingo Dictionary” we have ever read. So next time you get confused about what your guide, fly fishing buddy or fly shop employee is saying, give the dictionary a check!

Styles of Fly Fishing Boat

Styles of Fly Fishing

Having been developed by different people groups all over the world, fly fishing has developed countless different styles and strategies. The big ones you will probably hear about first are 2-Handed Casting (Spey Rod Fishing), Nymphing, Dry Fly Fishing, Saltwater and Tenkara.

Two-handed casting utilizes longer, heavier rods and lines and is used to fish large rivers where long casts are needed to properly cover the water. Traditionally this style is used for targeting Salmon and Steelhead in large rivers, but smaller and lighter rods have been developed to target trout with the same strategy.

Nymphing, Euro-Nymphing or Tight-Line Nymphing is a style of fly fishing that utilizes a long (usually 10+ feet), lightweight rod and a long leader to precisely deliver nymphs to trout. This method can be highly effective in pocket water and fast-flowing streams and rivers. If you want to learn more about nymphing for trout, check out our in-depth article, here!

Dry Fly Fishing is probably the style of fly fishing that you are most familiar with. It simply involves fishing a dry fly to fool a trout that is feeding on insects on the surface of the water. This method is most effective during the warmer months but hatches do occur during the winter.

Saltwater fly fishing is a recent development as far as fly fishing history is concerned, especially in the Americas and tropics. It is almost entirely based in streamer fishing, delivering flies designed to look like baitfish, shrimp, crabs, etc… to hungry saltwater fish! If you don’t have good access to trout streams or bass ponds, the salt holds a plethora of fly fishing adventures!

Wading and Floating Fly Fishing

Wading Vs. Floating

Fly fishing on foot and by boat, both have their pros-and-cons. Wade fishing allows you to move quieter and control the entire approach, however, you are limited by how deep you can or are willing to wade. Fishing from a boat opens up a lot of water that may be inaccessible on foot, but you then have to worry about boating logistics. One of the biggest benefits to fly fishing out of a boat is the ability to cover a large amount of water (be it in a river or lake) with ease and without the need to get in a car to move fishing spots. If you get the chance, give fly fishing from a boat a shot, and if you don’t have access to one, consider hiring a guide for a float to expand your fly fishing horizons!

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Water Conservation Efforts Highlighted in National Fish Habitat Partnership 2019 List of Waters to Watch

Dan Zazworsky
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Water Conservation Efforts Highlighted in National Fish Habitat Partnership 2019 List of Waters to Watch

The fishery conservation organization, Fish Habitat Partnership, just released their “2019 10 Waters to Watch List“, which is “assembled by the nation’s leading authorities on aquatic conservation, is a collection of rivers, streams, and shores that will be cleaner and healthier habitats for the many fish and wildlife species and people who call these areas home.” If any of the water on the list are nearby to you, you should give them a visit and see how you can get involved to continue to foster positive progress for the fish that call the waters home!

Via FishHabitat.org:

The National Fish Habitat Partnership (www.fishhabitat.org) has unveiled its list of “Waters to Watch” for 2019.  This annual list represents a collection of strategic conservation efforts implemented on rivers, streams, estuaries, and lakes to protect, restore, or enhance their current condition.

These voluntary, locally-driven projects represent some of the top conservation activities in progress implemented by 20 regional Fish Habitat Partnerships throughout the country. These projects are carried out under the goals and objectives of the 2nd Edition of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (2012).

The conservation projects are designed to conserve freshwater, estuarine, and marine habitats essential to the many fish and wildlife species that call these areas home. These examples of conservation have been fundamental to the overall success of the National Fish Habitat Partnership since 2006.

These conservation efforts are working to reverse persistent declines in our nation’s aquatic habitats. Having featured over 110 partnership projects since 2007, these “Waters to Watch” aim to show that science-based, on-the-ground conservation efforts can make a difference in improving fish habitat across the United States.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service provides both funding and technical assistance to the 20 Fish Habitat Partnerships across the country to aide in implementing aquatic conservation projects nationwide. “We can’t do this work alone!  We rely heavily on these 20 unique and innovative partnerships to help us improve fish habitat and achieve our shared conservation goals,” said David Hoskins, Asst. Director of Fish and Aquatic Conservation, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

“These projects are representative of some of the best collaborative initiatives in conservation today.” Said Ed Schriever, Chair of the National Fish Habitat Board.  “The leveraging of resources through our partnerships is remarkable and proves that we can collectively achieve more to benefit fish habitat.”

People interested in learning more about the National Fish Habitat Partnership and partner projects happening across the U.S. can find out more information on how to get involved on our Partnerships page; http://www.fishhabitat.org/the-partnerships/.

The 2019 “Waters to Watch” list and associated Fish Habitat Partnerships:

  1. Alexander Creek, AK – Mat-Su Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership
  2. Amargo Creek, NM – Desert Fish Habitat Partnership
  3. Coal Creek, WY – Western Native Trout Initiative
  4. Crews Creek, GA – Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership
  5. Elephant Butte Reservoir, NM – Reservoir Fish Habitat Partnership
  6. Megler Creek, WA – Pacific Marine and Estuarine Partnership
  7. Spasski River and Hoonah Native Forest Partnership, AK – SE Alaska Fish Habitat Partnership
  8. Sullivan Gulch, OR – Pacific Marine and Estuarine Partnership
  9. Tainter Creek, WI – Fishers and Farmers Partnership/Driftless Area Restoration Effort
  10. Upper Green Valley Creek, CA – California Fish Passage ForumFor more information on project maps and descriptions of the “Waters to Watch” list for 2019, Visit: http://bit.ly/2LodYvT.

Visit the “Waters to Watch” page on our website to view our archived projects:  http://bit.ly/1HeYzWj.

Visit http://assessment.fishhabitat.org/, to use our interactive habitat data mapper, supported by USGS.

About the National Fish Habitat Partnership:

Since 2006, the National Fish Habitat Partnership has supported 852 projects benefiting fish habitat in all 50 states. The partnership works to conserve fish habitat nationwide; leveraging federal, state, tribal, and private funding resources to achieve the greatest impact on fish populations through priority conservation projects of 20 regionally-based Fish Habitat Partnerships. For more information, visit:

http://fishhabitat.org/

http://www.facebook.com/NFHAP

https://twitter.com/FishHabitat

Ryan Roberts
National Fish Habitat Partnership Program Manager

Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies
1100 First Street, NE (Suite 825)
Washington, DC 20002
PH: 202-838-3466
Fax: 202-350-9869
www.fishhabitat.org

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Want To Fish In Alaska And Help Protect Bristol Bay, Check Out This Giveaway

Will Poston
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Want To Fish In Alaska And Help Protect Bristol Bay, Check Out This Giveaway

Want a chance to visit and fish Alaska? Well, check out this giveaway. Better yet, this giveaway, which is sponsored by Trout Unlimited, benefits efforts to protect Bristol Bay. The trip is hosted by Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge on the crystal clear Kvichak River. Flights, meals, and everything fishing related is included! What are you waiting for, submit an entry!

To enter, follow this link to submit your entry, and a portion of each entry will directly benefit Trout Unlimited’s efforts to protect Bristol Bay from Pebble Mine.

For more info on Trout Unlimited’s campaign, click here.

Also, be sure to check out our previous articles about Pebble Mine:

https://theflylords.com/2019/02/28/pebble-mines-draft-environmental-impact-statement-released-grim-outlook-for-bristol-bay/

https://theflylords.com/2019/04/03/pebble-mine-update-and-call-to-action/

Photos courtesy of @alaskaflyout.

This article was written by Flylords’ Conservation Editor, Will Poston.

Nehalem River in Oregon Receives New Protections

Dan Zazworsky
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Nehalem River in Oregon Receives New Protections

The Nehalem River in Oregon is home to some of the best wild salmon and steelhead runs int he lower 48 states and just received new protections as an Oregon State Scenic Waterway. The river system is the second largest river system in the area behind the mighty Columbia. With wild salmon needing our help more than ever, it’s amazing to see a “salmon stronghold” like the Nehalem getting the protections it deserves, to preserve these steelhead and salmon for generations to come.

From The Wild Salmon Center:

“The State Scenic Waterway designation allows the state to reserve our natural waterways for their scenic, habitat and recreational values that Oregonians hold dear. The designation includes a management plan, determined by input from an advisory committee, that would encourage wise use within a quarter-mile of the river’s bank.”

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6 Ways to be More Stealthy on the Water

Katie Burgert
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6 Ways to be More Stealthy on the Water

Catching fish isn’t just about knowing which fly to use. Before you even make a cast, it’s important to make sure you haven’t scared all the fish away.

Granted, this is easier said than done, and is sometimes out of your control. Trying to stay under the radar on a glassy spring creek is, by default, going to be harder than on a turbulent, tumbling mountain stream.

Regardless of where you’re fishing or what you’re targeting, there are a few good rules of thumb to follow in order to stay undetected by your quarry.

Photo: Kiyoshi Nakagawa

  1. Discreet Indicators

If you’re nymphing, one of the easiest ways to scare off every fish in sight is to use a giant, obvious indicator. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to work around this. First is to just skip the indicator altogether. While tightline nymphing isn’t suited for all rivers and runs, if you can get away with it, it’s a great way to keep fish from catching onto you. 

If you really do need some form of indicator for your style or location, there are still ways to be discreet. One of the best options is a dry-dropper setup. Not only is the dry fly less intrusive than a traditional indicator, it also gives you the chance to catch a fish on the surface. This is one of the best setups for stealthy nymphing.

Still, it might sometimes be advantageous to use a regular indicator. If the water is rough enough that keeping a dry fly on the surface is difficult, a dry-dropper will get annoying pretty quickly. In this case, choose the smallest, lightest, or least colorful indicator you can still see while fishing. Yarn ones work great, but if you really want to use the standard plastic bubble style, try to keep it small and either clear or white.

Photo: Kiyoshi Nakagawa

  1. Work upstream

This doesn’t really apply if you’re swinging wet flies or streamers, where walking downstream is beneficial but is great for standard dry fly or nymph rigs. 

Since fish tend to face upstream, both to get water over their gills and to catch morsels of food, you’re much less likely to be spotted from downstream. If you move upstream as you fish, you’ll always be downstream of the fishing you’re targeting, and the fish will see your fly before they see you.

Additionally, working upstream prevents gravel, dirt, debris, and ripples from being sent downstream right toward the fish. If you’re downstream from the run you’re fishing, anything you kick up will be sent back into the areas you’ve already hit, leaving clear and unobstructed water where you’re casting.

  1. Avoid Excessive False Casting

Casting is one of the most fun aspects of fly fishing, and it’s tempting to fancy yourself a shadow-caster after seeing A River Runs Through It. So, it’s often a bummer to find out that in reality, you should be casting as little as possible while still getting your fly to its destination.

Excessive casting causes all sorts of problems. Apart from risking a line tangle every time you bring the line forward or back, keeping your line in the air too long gives fish the opportunity to notice that something’s up.

Fish may directly spot the line, notice the line’s shadow, or see the fly occasionally tapping the water if you bring your cast too low. All these things will clue them in and may cause them to stop feeding. Additionally, every time you cast a little more line out, there’s a chance you’ll fumble the cast and end up with coils of fly line floating over your target. If you can keep most casts to just one or two strokes, you’re much more likely to keep the line under control and the fish unaware of your presence.

  1. Watch Your Shadow

While many people focus on avoiding bright colors, which isn’t a bad idea by any means, keeping track of your shadow may be more important and easier to forget.

Bright colors may scare fish, but they need to look up and see you directly to notice them. On the other hand, shadows that block the light the whole way down the water column will alert fish regardless of where they’re looking.

You probably won’t be able to manage your shadow all the time, since sometimes there’s only one good way to access a particular run. But, if you have the chance to lay low with the sun in your face, you should take advantage of casting your shadow behind you instead of right onto the fish.

Photo: Nolan Dahlberg

  1. Practice Good Mending

In an ideal world, your fly would land softly and always flow at the current’s speed. Unfortunately, this rarely happens.

Rivers have lots of small currents and seams, and a fly frequently lands across multiple different water speeds. Because of this, mending is a fact of life, especially for dry fly fishermen.

Although you may not be able to control whether mending is necessary, you can control how you mend. Practice makes perfect, and that’s probably the best way to make your mending more subtle. A sloppy mend not only leads to repetitive corrective mending, but also means your line is probably slapping the water and worse, your fly is dancing all over the place.

By practicing your on-the-water mending, or learning to get your line in a good position before it even hits the water, you can make sure fish have no idea you’re there.

  1. Be Slow and Smooth

Maybe the most common sense, but also ignored, piece of advice for stealthy fishing is to simply be more stealthy. This means walking, casting, and moving your body slowly and smoothly.

Fish are constantly on the lookout for predators, and fishermen are included in that group.

Moving quickly or sharply will be a dead giveaway that you’re there, and most of the time isn’t necessary. You may be tempted to aggressively trudge upstream toward your next run to get first dibs, but if you take your time, you’re more likely to actually find fish once you get there.

In addition to being seen while moving, if you’re walking quickly and without care, you’ll probably be making a ton of noise as well. While opinions differ on whether talking and other above-water noises scare fish, banging rocks around while you walk is sure to alert them to your presence. When in doubt, slow down. 

This article was developed by Flylords’ content team member, Katie Burgert.

https://theflylords.com/2019/07/18/5-easy-tips-to-improve-your-bow-and-arrow-cast/

https://theflylords.com/2019/07/15/fly-fishing-streamers/

https://theflylords.com/2019/07/15/huge-brown-caught-on-trout-spey-rod/

Mayfly Swarms Take Over the Midwest

Dan Zazworsky
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Mayfly Swarms Take Over the Midwest

Over the past 2 weeks, it there have been prime conditions along the Mississippi River for massive mayfly hatches. These annual phenomena garner a lot of public interest as the dead mayflies can stack up in almost snowdrift-like piles along roadways and covering bridges spanning the waterways the flies are hatching out of. Now you’re probably thinking you’ve seen a dense hatch or two, but these are of epic proportions!

In the past, swarms like these have caused traffic jams, baseball game delays, and can even appear on weather radar because they get so dense. We really hope at least a few anglers were able to cash in on these hatches, and before you say “warm water fish don’t eat dry flies”, you should give it a try, you’d be surprised what fish will do when its literally raining free protein!

Millions of these mayflies recently piled up on a dam in Welch, Minnesota during one of the hatches. Can you imagine the size of that cloud?!

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How To Tie: The Woolly Bugger

Dan Zazworsky
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2
How To Tie: The Woolly Bugger

In this How-to video, Tim Flager of Tight Line Video is back to show us how to tie a woolly bugger, one of the most simple, yet effective flies that has stood the test of time.

Learn about this Fly

This Fly is one of the most recognizable flies in any anglers box. Coming in many colors, and style variations, the Wooly bugger is the foundation of streamer fishing and is an easy go-to whenever targeting big fish. The wooly bugger is a fan favorite amongst the entirety of the fly fishing community, due to its ability to imitate just about anything that swims like baitfish, sculpin, leaches, or even crayfish.

Due to their simple components, as well as easy to learn tying method, learning how to tie a woolly bugger is a great way to start tying for any angler looking to get into making their own flies, but unsure where to start.

Ingredients:

 

This article was written by Wills Donaldson

Video courtesy of Tightlinevideo

https://theflylords.com/2019/05/08/how-to-tie-the-zebra-midge/

https://theflylords.com/2018/12/21/how-to-tie-squirmy-wormy/

 

New High-Tech Fish Tags Alert Researchers When a Salmon is Eaten

Dan Zazworsky
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0
New High-Tech Fish Tags Alert Researchers When a Salmon is Eaten

New acoustic tags being implanted in Canadian Atlantic Salmon are designed to let researchers know when a salmon has been eaten by a predator. Each tag is coated with a special polymer that breaks down harmlessly in a predator fish’s stomach and then transmits a signal notifying researchers that the juvenile salmon had been eaten. The research study these were developed for studies the effect of predation (Read: fish getting eaten) on the Atlantic Salmon populations of Nova Scotia’s Stewiacke River.

The new tag developed by InnovaSea. Photo: Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

Atlantic Salmon have been facing the challenge of a burgeoning Striped Bass population that arrives every summer during their annual migration up the Atlantic Coast. The migration, unfortunately, coincides with the annual ocean-bound run of juvenile salmon. To the Stripers, the juvenile salmon make a great snack, and this has salmon conservationists concerned…

Read the rest of the story, here on CBC News.

Source: CBC News.

Featured image from @TroutVibe on Instagram!

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Why You Need to Fly Fish Norway

Dan Zazworsky
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3
Why You Need to Fly Fish Norway

Norway as a fishing destination really doesn’t need much of an introduction, for generations, Scandinavia has been a trout and salmon destination. But, with newer, budget airlines offering awesome flight prices, now is the time to start looking at Norway for your next fly fishing adventure. From sea trout along the coast to wild, native brown trout, to giant Atlantic Salmon, this country has everything.

Wild, Native Brown Trout

For most American anglers, the Brown Trout is sometimes a revered trophy. They have colonized countless miles of streams around the world, but their native range lies in Europe. The fish we were targeting were in small mountain streams with giant waterfalls and beaver dams creating deep tannic water. It felt like we were blue-lining for native brook trout in the Smoky Mountains, but in fact, we were casting to bite-size native brown trout. These fish have inhabited these streams and rivers for thousands of years and its truly something special for any angler to get their hook into one

The Scenery

No matter how the fishing is going, it’s impossible to ignore the beauty of the spots you will get to fish. We were landing brown trout above and below these falls. Most of Norway is mountainous home to bright blue glacial rivers and crystal clear small waters, it’s about as picturesque as fishing scenery can get.

Stephan Dombaj of The Fly Fishing Nation with a 42 lb Norwegian Salmon at Oldero Lodge, Norway

The Salmon Fishing

As the giant Atlantic Salmon above illustrates, Norway has some of the healthiest and strongest returning runs of Atlantic Salmon on Earth. This fish was caught up at Oldero Lodge, which is situated on a private island in the middle of one of the legendary Norwegian salmon rivers. Since Norway is home to so many great rivers, it’s not hard to find an area with lower-cost access that still holds wild healthy Atlantic Salmon populations as they make their annual run upstream to their home waters. Check out this article on how the monster Salmon above was landed, here!

The Public Access

Once we figured out we would be traveling and fishing in Norway, we began researching how licensing works in the country and it almost works smoother than some US states. Norway has a fantastic fish management system, allowing regions to regulate themselves. Most regions require you to simply pay a small fee for access to the rivers in that area. The coast of Norway is 100% public access, requiring no license to fish, and similarly to many US states, all that is required is that you stay within the tidal zone while wading. To read more about getting a fishing license in Norway, check out this blog from Fishspot.no! 

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