Untangled: Fly Fishing For Everyone | Ventures Fly Co.

The largest cutthroat trout ever officially caught was a 41-pounder back in 1925. Rumors persisted of fish in excess of 60 pounds, but like any good fish, those ones got away before they could be weighed...

These giant cutthroat were once thought to be lost forever. By the 1940s, they were gone from the landscape, and our chance to fish for giant, prehistoric fish was basically gone. 

But that's where this story really starts, and gets all sorts of interesting. In this episode of Untangled's Fly Fishing Stories, you'll learn all about the world's largest cutthroat trout...

Summer is the time for throwing big foam bugs and large droppers, right? 

Well, yes - but there are a couple of dry flies that get chronically overlooked by anglers - myself included. So today on Untangled, you're going to learn what these flies are, why you should add them to your box, and tips for getting the most out of them when you tie one on. 

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Lake fishing can be intimidating. Where do you cast? What are you looking for that tells you fish will be in one spot versus another? And do you use the same flies you use on rivers and streams?

Well, fishing lakes is A LOT simpler than it appears, and this is actually the best time of year to give it a shot. So today on Untangled, you'll learn four quick tips for getting the most out of your time on stillwater this summer! 

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It's hard to not fall in love with small streams. They're gorgeous, the fish are generally fairly willing to eat, and they're a GREAT place to escape the crowds for a bit. As summer drags on, though, small streams don't always continue to be this fairytale place to fish. The water levels drop, fish get spooky, and you feel like you're back at square one, looking for a solution to this problem. It boils down to understanding where fish move during the summer, what they're looking to eat, and the best times to be out on the water. Today o...

It's hot, windy, dry, and there's a few people out on the water. The biggest hatches of the year are winding down. Mosquitoes have made their unfortunate return. Despite all this, fishing in July can be just as rewarding as a nice hot plate of fresh wings. You just need to be prepared with the knowledge of what bugs are out, and what the fish are doing, so you can take advantage of the fact that trout still gotta eat! Today on Untangled, we'll look at what to expect in July, and give you the tools you need to g...

What makes a day on the water great? Is it really all about how many fish you caught? I mean, I know we're going fishing to catch fish, but is that ALL a day on the water is about? I think a lot of anglers would say no, they appreciate the solitude, the quiet, the beauty, the challenge. But at the end of the day, if you walk back to your truck and you got skunked, you feel like you failed, right? Or at the very least, that you got beat. 

I'm not here to say that c...

Nymphs are supposed to be heavy and sink straight to the bottom, where the fish spend most of their time - right? Yes, that's what MOST nymphs are designed to do. But some are tied without any weight at all, and they're great for using when the fish are a bit picky, feeding during a heavy hatch, or you just want to switch up how you're approaching the water. 

Today on Untangled, you'll learn all about the merits of weightless nymphs, and why they're a style of fly you should consider having in your box. 

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Finding good wading gear that works for your stlye of fishing, AND that's within your budget, feels almost impossible sometimes. It's tough to know what exactly you need from your waders and boots. 

Well, Spencer has spent the past decade reviewing gear for fly fishing magazines, and he's been fly fishing for over 20 years. Today on Untangled, he's going to share the particular features he looks for in waders and boots, and how you can use that knowledge to find the PERFECT set of wading gear for you. 

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You never expect a trip to nosedive, especially when you've planned it for the better part of a year, you're traveling across a few states to get there, and you're going with two of your best friends. As the old saying goes, though, no plan survives first contact with the enemy. In our case, we just didn't understand that we even had an enemy, or how far south things could actually go. 

This is the story of the trip we all have at some point, but few of us ever remember fondly. 

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Do you have a fly box that's full of go-to patterns for your local creek? And maybe another one that's stuffed with all the right flies for the tailwater you visit a few times a year? 

And let's be honest for a sec — when's the last time you used EVERY fly in those boxes? How many of those patterns are there mostly for emotional support? Or do they just weigh down your pack and make it hard to find the pattern you're looking for?

I think the secret to a good fly box isn't variety of...

Have you ever heard someone say something like "Oh, the flows on the river are good today, that means the fishing will be great!" And you're a bit too embarrassed to ask why flows matter? Maybe you've even heard the phrase "CFS" thrown around too? 

Well, high and low water flows have different impacts on how the fishing is. Too high, and it's tough, or impossible, to fish. Too low, and the water's too warm for trout. Learning how to read flow charts, though, gives you the power to hit the water at just the right time. 

The biggest lie in fly fishing is that there's an exactly-perfect, foolproof, never-fail method to fish every piece of water, and that if you study or learn enough, you'll never get skunked. 

Here's the truth -- great anglers still get skunked, or at the very least, have TOUGH days on the water. But one skill they've mastered? The ability to sift through the advice that's out there, and learn how to apply it to their unique situations. 

On today's episode of Untangled, that's exactly what you'll learn. You'll get advice on how to implement fly fi...

June usually means high water, big bugs, happy fish, and the first days that are warm enough to think about wet wading. June's also the first month when some of the high country starts opening up, which means your favorite small streams and ponds are just a hike away. 

The most challenging thing about June fishing, though, is navigating the high water and finding the fish. Once you know what to look for, though, you can have some fantastic days out there. 

So, today on Untangled, we'll take a look at all the key info yo...

How many flies do you have in your box right now? A few dozen? A few hundred? More than a thousand? Yeah, it's great to have a lot of flies on hand - but that many choices makes it easy to overthink your fly selection. That can lead to you switching flies too often, when the real reason you're not catching fish has to do with your presentation. So, today on Untangled, you'll learn a bit more about why it's a good idea to pare down your fly selection, and the 10 fly patterns you could catch 90% of trout with. 

What's keeping you from having consistent, repeatable success on the water? From fishing with the same sort of confidence you see guides approach it with, or anglers who've been fishing for decades. Is it really just time and honing a bunch of technical skills, like casting, or fly selection? 

That stuff helps. But the best anglers I know — the ones I say I wanna be like when I grow up — aren't necessarily the best casters, and NONE of them can tell you the latin name of every bug on the water. 

What they all have in com...

Trout aren't the only fish to catch on a fly rod. From bass and pike to panfish and tarpon, there's almost no end to the critters you can catch with this style of fly fishing. Doing something so different from what you're used to, though, will definitely throw you for a loop - just like it did to Alex and Spencer. They just went on a trip to Florida for some bass fishing, and got some time in on the salt as well. What they learned made them realize just how much there is about fly fishing they don't...

You hear stories about some fisheries that are supposed to be excellent. Since you don't want to miss out on great fishing, and you figure that many people who talk up a spot can't be wrong about it, you plan a day to go see it.

Then you make the trip there — whether it's a long drive, a hike, or both — and you can't quite figure out what all the fuss was for. Either you get skunked, you don't see many fish, or the fish you DO see feel impossible to catch.

Well, maybe that was...

What information do you ACTUALLY need to know if you're getting started in fly fishing? What's going to help you improve, and what's just going to add to the noise?

Well, there are a lot of opinions on this topic. This week on Untangled, Spencer Durrant shares the 5 things he wishes he knew when he started fly fishing, A LONG time ago. 

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When the wind picks up and you suddenly can't land your flies right where you want them anymore, what do you do? If you're anything like me, you probably make a few classic mistakes that are actively harming your ability to fly cast in the wind. Today on Untangled, you'll learn about the 3 big mistakes to avoid, and the things you should do instead, to battle the wind when it inevitably shows up. 

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I used to HATE fishing with nymphs. What bugged me the most was dealing with split shot - taking it off, or putting it on my rig. You've gotta get those tiny slits in the shot lined up with your tippet, then crimp it down, and NOT drop it all in the river. It's not fun to cast with, either. 

The biggest problem is how much split shot actually effects your ability to feel what your flies are doing, and how they're drifting. By ditching split shot, you gain a TON of feedback and control over your r...

Get your dry fly rod ready, because May means some of the best hatches you'll see all year! In this month's fly fishing report, you'll leran all about the bugs that will hatch in May, the flies we recommend for imitating them, and a couple of pro tips for making the most of fishing before runoff hits. 

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The caddis hatch sometimes get overlooked in all our excitement over mayflies and stoneflies, especially early in the season. 

But caddis hatches stay consistent throughout the summer, and they only become more important for trout as the season stretches on. Plus, the first big caddis hatch of the year can be an absolute blast if you hit it right. 

This week on Untangled, we'll take a detailed look at the caddis hatch: when these bugs start getting active, their lifecycle and behavior, and the flies we recommend for a successful day out on the water.

If you really want to grow as an angler, sometimes that means you'll need to make some hard choices. You'll need to push yourself to try stuff you may not want to, or you'll have to find a way to power through the days on the water that, frankly, make you want to give up. On the other side of those hard times is the great fishing we always hear stories about. And in today's episode of Fly Fishing Stories, Spencer Durrant shares the tale of the day when he did just that - pushed through the bad weather...

Ice-off is a magical time: it's when some of the biggest trout in any body of water come within easy casting distance of shore. That means it's one of the best times of year for you to tie into what could be your new personal best trout on a fly rod! So, to take advantage of this great fishing, this week's episode of Untangled is a deep-dive into all things ice-off fly fishing: why it's so productive, tactics to find and hook fish, as well as advice on gear and flies. 

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Alright, let's be honest for a sec — how often do you feel like you're catching fish more out of luck than skill? 

I remember feeling that way all the time when I started fly fishing. Honestly, that feeling didn't stop until I learned this one valuable lesson: if you pay attention to WHERE you catch fish, and not just what fly they ate, finding and catching fish really starts to click. It feels like something you're doing more on purpose, and less by good luck. 

Today on Untangled, I'll explain why paying attention to WHERE you...

How much does the pattern you pick matter for your success on the water? Is there an EXACT PERFECT FLY that'll work amazing in one situation, and if you don't pick it, you won't have as much success as you could've? 

Probably. But here's the thing - fly selection doesn't really matter that much. HOW you present that fly is what makes the most difference. To put this theory to the test, we spent an entire day fishing for four different trout species (browns, rainbows, cutthroat, and brookies) but we could only use 2 flies the whole day. N...

Have you ever fished in a hatch that feels like the stories we hear, usually from the old-timers, about the days when fish ate from a never-ending buffet of bugs? Where, if you're in the right place at the right time, you can catch fish until your arms fall off?

I've had that opportunity once - and this is the story of the greatest mayfly hatch I've ever seen. 

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There's about a million different ways to rig up a nymph rig. From indicators and drop-shot styles, to tight-lining it, or throwing a dry-dropper, how do you know which method is the best?

Well, that depends on your situation, BUT - indicator nymphing is BY FAR the most versatile way to put flies in front of fish, and make them look real. So, today on Untangled, we're looking at the pros and cons of this style of fishing, and how you can better utilize it to help you put more fish in the net. 

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Say you're shopping for a new fly rod. You've probably heard them all described in different ways, but one common phrase you've seen is "this rod's action is fast" or "this has a sweet, soft action." 

What the heck does action mean? And how does it impact the way a rod performs on the water?

Well, it's pretty simple! So in this Tip of the Week, we're breaking down what fly rod action is, how it impacts a rod's performance on the water, and how you can use this information to pick the right rod f...

What's the real reason fish aren't eating your fly? Is it beause you didn't pick the PERFECT fly? There's a better one in your box, so you oughta spend 10-15 minutes looking for it, right?

No. Not very often will that be the case. Instead, you're most likely not catching fish becasue your fly doesn't look real. Remember, your job is to put flies in front of fish, and make them look real! So today on Untangled, we're taking a deep dive into why presentation matters so much, and some simple tips to improve just how much...

The best blue-winged olive hatches of the year are right around the corner! And by the end of the month, you might see some Mother's Day caddis out and about as well! 

What this means is that you need to be prepared for the great spring fly fishing that April offers. With Untangled's April Fly Fishing Report, you'll be ready with all the knowledge about the hatches to expect, fly patterns we recommend, and tips and tricks for tackling the tricky weather and conditions this time of year. 

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In this special episode of Untangled, Spencer and Alex are joined by Ryan Kelly, longtime guide on Utah's Green River, and one of the best fly fishing photographers currently working. You might know Ryan from Instagram (@GreenRiverFlyFisher) and you've probably seen his shots of fish rising to eat dry flies. Today, Ryan shares all that he's learned from a decade of watching fish eat through a camera's lens (as well as his two decades of guiding experience) to help you understand what trout are ACTUALLY doing during a hatch. 

Why do they ignore flies? Why do they g...

When do you ACTUALLY need tippet smaller than 4x? And if you need to size your tippet down, what's the best way to do it? In this Tip of the Week, you'll learn all about why we use certain sizes of tippet, why it's important to play fish quickly, AND you'll learn all about the different situations and tactics for sizing down your leader to get picky fish to FINALLY eat your fly. 

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There's more to small dry flies than just the bugs ON the surface. There are also other types of insects fish eat that sit just in the surface film, or even slightly below it. These bugs are called emergers, and they're still fished just like you would with a dry fly. But there's a few things to know about how, when, and where to use these flies that'll help you really get the most out of them. So, today on Untangled, you're getting a crash course in everything you need to know about emergers! 

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When a trip goes pear-shaped right from the start, what do you do? Do you pack up early, head home, and get back to work? Or is it worth pushing through high water, iced-over lakes, muddy roads, and enormous distances just for the hope of finding water that might be fishable?

In this latest Fly Fishing Story, Spencer Durrant takes you on a journey across the Pacific Northwest as he and his friend Ryan McCullough try to find fishable water during spring runoff. What they ended up finding just might surprise you. 

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It sure would be awesome if fish always ate a big ol' grasshopper! But they spend A TON of time eating small flies. In particular, they'll eat tiny dry flies a lot during spring and fall. So, how do you take advantage of the big fish that you see rising to eat what looks like tiny specks out there on the water? 

Well, a lot of anglers mistakenly write off using tiny flies, because they seem like they're too much work. You need angel-hair thin tippet to tie them on, you need a magnifying glass to find th...

Have you ever been in an amazing hatch, with bugs going off EVERYWHERE and fish eating with reckless abandon, only to leave the river empty-handed? The fish didn't just not eat your flies, they flat-out IGNORED you. What's up with that? Aren't these hatches supposed to be the stuff of legend that fly fishing is all about? 

Well, yes, they are. But if the hatch is TOO good (too many flies on the water at once) it's tough for your fake one to stand out. If the fish can't see it, how are they supposed to eat i...

Picking the right fly is one of those things in fly fishing that's made out to be A LOT harder than it actually is. You don't need a degree in entomology, you don't need to have every aquatic insect memorized, and you certainly don't need to be some sort of expert to pick the best fly for a given fishing situation. Instead, you just need to rely on two simple tips that'll help you move forward in your fly selection process, even while you continue to learn more about what fish eat. 

In this week's show, you'll a...

What bugs are hatching this month? What flies should you have in your box? And what can you expect from the weather? You'll get the complete rundown of what to expect from March fly fishing in this monthly fly fishing report from Untangled. With detailed descriptions of upcoming hatches, fly patterns you should tie or buy, and a few pro tips on ways to catch more fish this month, this is a can't-miss episode of Untangled. 

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Winter is almost over (if it ever started where you live) which means that spring dry fly fishing is right around the corner! Some of the best fishing you'll have all year long ain't that far off. That means RIGHT NOW is a great time to prep for these hatches, which is the goal of today's episode. You're going to learn all about the timing of spring hatches (including Hendricksons, Quill Gordons, Blue-Winged Olives, and Skwalas), as well as the principles behind rigging your flies, so you can successfully fish any hatch you run into this spring. 

Y...