This week’s picture is brought to you by Blake. Reportedly a great battle, Blake’s hoping he can find this fish again next year!

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Who hasn’t had one of those frustrating experiences where a big fish gets away and leaves you shaking your head? I certainly have, and occasionally at very bad times.

Although fast action rods in higher line weights certainly help you get your fly out there further it is good to remember that a lighter more supple rod will absorb shock better while fighting fish and will protect tippet and keep flies tightly hooked without pulling them out. Remember, however, that your rod needs to have enough power, especially in the butt section, to turn a big fish or it actually becomes a handicap.

I really like a medium action 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 foot 4 weight for most trout fishing situations with fish up to 18 inches or so. Soft 3 weights are great for smaller trout and medium 5 weights for larger ones. In salt water or salmon and steelhead fishing try going down a size for more shock absorbing action as long as you have the power to stop and turn fish.

Whenever possible, don’t let fish get downstream or near obstacles and pay attention to the angles that you’re using to pull on fish. If you’re pulling straight out of the fish’s mouth instead of back into the fish there is a far greater chance of the hook popping out.

Pay attention to how the rod is bending as well. Use the butt for more power, the soft tip to absorb shock, and different parts in between depending on the force the fish is exerting. Unless there are weeds or other obstacles, most pros keep the rod low not high, often even putting the rod under water to better absorb shock. Experiment with different rods and techniques for the different situations you find yourself in and pay more attention to landing fish effectively, it will make for more smiles and more great fish pictures in the end.

This week’s picture is brought to you by Ted. Ted pulled this nice bow out of Tulpehocken Creek in Pennsylvania.

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No time of year seems to get the fishing juices flowing in me more than the late Winter/early Spring. Snow and ice are finally melting, water is warming but isn’t roaring yet, and the fish know it’s time to wake up and eat.

Several hatches happen and various tactics work this time of year but here are possibly my 2 favorite ways to catch hungry Spring fish:

Blue Winged Olives - In my neck of the woods BWOs can start to show by the end of February and go into May. I love tossing olive Comparaduns, Sparkle duns, and Paramergers. It’s also usually effective to drop a Humpack Emerger or Barr’s Emerger about a foot behind the dry for picky fish. Look for the little sailboat-winged BWOs riding the currents as the water warms in the mid morning to mid afternoon. Fish will stack up on current seems to sip them in.

Lake Run Hogs - Many rivers and streams that flow into lakes have Spring runs of ginormous trout. Rainbows in various forms, including steelhead, cutthroats, and a few others are Spring spawners and travel up tributaries in search of good spawning sites. This is a great time to see and pick off a few of these monsters. I search out smaller tributaries with clear water and I like to watch for big bows that are on their way upstream or for browns that are following. They are usually aggressive and will attack streamers like Orange and Olive Blossum Specials, Slumpbusters, Egg-Sucking Leeches, and Zonkers. Please don’t bother fish on spawning beds though - anthropomorphize for a second if you need a reason to refrain.

With a foot of snow yesterday and today but good weather in the forecast, words can’t explain how ridiculously excited I am to get out to try these tactics! See you on the water.

This week’s picture is brought to you by the Father Son Duo Drew and Tom. They pulled these nice steelies on a typical cold January day on the Pulaski River in New York. Tough to beat big fish and no crowds.

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Hopefully I don’t sound smug or seem like I’m bragging in any way here, but some guide friends of mine and I have noticed that many if not most people we guide just don’t wade well. Our proficiency is probably mostly just a result of time spent in the river but here are some things to think about and to try when you venture into or across fast water:

1) Keep yourself turned to the side with your feet spread in heavy current. Water pushing on one leg, rather than both, will exert a lot less force and with a wide stance and most of your weight on your downstream foot you’ll be able to lean into the current and stay on your feet.

2) Take a kind of a practice step first to test the footing before actually stepping and putting all your weight on one foot. This will help you to find and stay off of unstable rocks.

3) From experience - don’t fish and wade at the same time. Unless you really can do 2 things at once this is just a bad idea. Just concentrate on wading while you wade, then stop, and then fish - works out better I promise.

4) Carry, and use, a wading staff. I have to say “and use” because I’ve seen people with wading staffs neatly folded up in their cases go for a swim. The best wading staffs for convenience and ease of carrying are the telescoping or collapsible variety.

5) Wear the best footwear. Felt soles are ok on freestone streams but for all purpose fishing, hiking, and serious wading I love boots with Aquastealth rubber soles. Go with Aquastealth soles and studs for maximum traction. Be wary of other “sticky rubber” that may turn hard. It won’t provide the same kind of traction in the long run. Almost all good wading boots come with felt, Aquastealth, and studded options for soles. Korkers have interchangeable soles so you can get all of these options for use in different situations.

6) Actually practice wading. For many fishing situations it is actually better to wade less but when things are slow practice walking on round rocks and in moderate currents.

7) This is the most important one - fish more! The more time you spend in the river the more natural it will become.

See you on but hopefully not in the water.

This week’s picture is brought to you by Alex. Alex netted this beauty among many others in a mid-summer dry fly fest on Chambers Creek in Washington.

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Even though out here in the West it’s still very much Winter, many tailwaters, spring creeks, and lower elevation waters should start to show signs of life in the next several weeks. Midges are usually the first really good hatches on these waters. Here’s a hatch timeline to follow for fishing early season midges:

In the morning it will probably be cold so fish won’t want to move far to eat. Start with larval patterns fished near the bottom in deep holding water. I like Rubber midges, Ghost midges, and Zebra midges.

As the water warms, fish will start to move to seams and other good feeding lies. Fish them with midge pupae and emergers like WD 40s.

As it gets warmer near mid day watch for noses breaking through the surface and go to parasol midges, dry midge emergers, and eventually single adult midge patterns. Don’t get in too big a hurry to fish dry midges, even though you may be seeing fish on the surface, you’ll probably still catch more just under the surface until they really get going.

In the early afternoon midges will start to form mating clusters and trout rises will start to be more splashy. Switch to midge cluster patterns like Griffith’s gnats, Double midges, and even small Renegades.

As the day and the hatch winds down some fish will move toward slow slicks, eddies, and foam lines to feed on spent midges. Flies like the Real Midge and CDC midges will often fool these picky feeders.

Following this timeline should help you to maximize your chances of capitalizing on early season midge hatches and will hopefully lead to some of your best fishing days of the year.