Dry-fly Fishing For Trout Isn’t That Difficult

Dry-fly Fishing For Trout Isn’t That Difficult

Despite the fact that many people have made a lot of money convincing anglers how complicated it is (which sells magazines, books, videos and such), it really just boils down to a few things.

You must be able to make an accurate cast, where the fly lands softly and you’re not creating much commotion. The thing is, that doesn’t have to be a 50-foot hero cast. It doesn’t even have to look pretty. A 20-foot cast in the zone, where you’re aiming slightly above the water so your leader extends and quietly drops the fly to the surface, is the low price of admission…

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Re-Reading The Rise

Look carefully at a riseform. Small waves are created by the movement of the fish. These waves are not uniform in height across the riseform–there is a high and a low side. An arrow drawn from the low to high side of any riseform points in the direction the fish is moving at the time of the rise.

This high/low feature of the riseform is similar to what happens when you stick your hand in flowing water. Water piles up on the upstream side. The faster the water, the higher the pile. In moving water, trout act just like our hand or any other type of current obstruction. Water is pushed up in front of their noses as they rise, creating the high side (always in the direction they’re facing). At the same time, their bodies function as a sort of shield against the current, resulting in the low side...

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Product Buzz

We review the Montana Fly Company Boat Box, Fishpond Cutbank Gear Bag and the Magnitude Textured Infinity Clear Tip Floating Fly Line from Scientific Anglers. “I’ve used a number of clear tips over the years, and frankly, many of them were pretty disappointing–they sank or fell apart, and lost their effectiveness pretty quickly. This fly line is completely different…” The Best Fly Rods of 2025. “This spring we reconvened at the unofficial home waters of Field & Stream–the Upper Delaware River–to put a new collection of fly rods through the wringer.” GearJunkie reviews the Leatherman Rebar Tool. “For $90, you can get yourself a real brute of a multitool.” The Yellow Dog 5-Weight Fly Rod Invitational. Yellow Dog rolls out what is easily the most thorough and comprehensive fly rod market review done to date: “a detailed, performance-driven evaluation and one of the most thorough fly rod reviews ever assembled.” Excellent, high-end work by their team. Watch the video. Kirk Deeter’s analysis on the 5-Weight Fly Rod Invitational. Dometic Stackable Coolers. “Its all-new Recon series of modular coolers stack nearly as neatly as Legos, squeezing the most out of any pickup bed or car trunk so you can pack everything you need and maybe even a few things you don’t.” Check out how onWater is providing insect hatch information to help time insect activity: “Cicadas in Brood XIV spend 17 years beneath the soil, feeding on tree roots and waiting. When they finally emerge, it’s not random. It’s biological clockwork. The trigger? Soil temperature…”

Fly-fishing News

Check out our new Angling Trade coverage on Flylab: For the past 20 years, Angling Trade has been an independent media brand, covering the business of fly fishing in North America. Someone on the Flylab team wrote this classic many years ago about “10 Ways to Consider Fly Shop Guy”–enjoy. Flylab founder Kirk Deeter on the Wet Fly Swing podcast: “Kirk Deeter, editor of Trout Magazine and one of the most recognizable voices in fly-fishing media, talks about the challenges facing today’s fisheries to the stories behind the stories he publishes–the role of journalism, conservation and storytelling in the fly-fishing world.” Essential Trout Skills. “You need two things to be an accomplished fly fisher. The first, of course, is knowledge. If you don’t know where the trout live, or what they eat, or which fly to choose, it’s awfully tough to enjoy consistent success…” From The Mission: Tying an Ed’s Hopper. “Apart from its tying ease and speed, the triggers are what I like about Ed’s hopper. Having thrown many a live hopper at fish that I couldn’t fish for, I’ve observed the way they rest on the water with legs splayed out. This is consciously mimicked so well by Ed’s Hopper…” Book Excerpt: “Blind Casting” from Rivers Always Reach the Sea by Monte Burke. “After dinner, we lingered at the table. Everyone remained quiet for a while, then Chouinard made a little noise in his throat. We all looked at him. He was leaning his chair back against the wall. He was staring at the bottle of Labatt’s Blue in his hand…”

Recent Press

“Fly fishing has become extravagant and pompous. I fish on weekends and saltwater. I don’t need to read about guys on 20k trips. Give me more flies, gear and technique with no BS…” – Rory, Flylab Fan

“I’d love to see a story about how anglers can transition into society successfully. What’s the key to sticking it to the societal man, while still being free inside?” – Jay, Flylab Fan

Jay, great idea–we’ll put this on the editorial road map.

“On Public Lands, I appreciate the nuanced takes.” – Patrick, Flylab Fan

“THANK YOU, GUYS, FOR PUTTING [your Public Lands newsletter] OUT THERE!! I WOULD LOVE TO BELIEVE THAT MY OTHER IDAHOAN’S BOMBARDING FEDERAL REPS CRAPO, RIESCH [sic] AND SIMPSON WITH HOW WE VIEWED THE ADMINISTRATION’S PLAN AS SHIT REALLY PAID OFF! KEEP THE GOOD WORK!! DON’T SHOUT FROM THE SHADOWS, CUZ IT WON’T MEAN A DAMN! MELLANCAMP.” – Doulgas, Concerned Public Lands Advocate

If you’re interested in taking public lands action: make your voice heard.

We’re always looking for Flylab feedback–send any comments, thoughts, suggestions, and we’d love to hear from you.

Removing Hyperbole From the Public Lands Debate

On Saturday evening, Mike Lee (R-Utah), withdrew his amendment that would have mandated the sale of 1.2 million acres of BLM land from the Senate’s budget reconciliation bill. A sober reminder that bi-partisan opposition is still the only effective way to hold elected officials accountable.

Worth reading: Kyle Frost over at Mountain Gazette removes about 99% of the hyperbole from the Public Lands debate. Read, send to your friends. Things covered and worth considering: 1. Yes, Mike Lee’s proposal was deeply flawed, unaccountable to its stated goals, purposefully vague and should’ve been rejected outright. 2. There actually is a housing crisis in western towns (“affordable” housing and infrastructure), although there was “no language ensuring either” in this bill. 3. From Headwaters Economics: “Ultimately, the appropriate use of public land–if any–should be part of a broader toolkit of housing solutions, not a standalone fix. Policies must meet communities where they are, with the right mix of land use flexibility, financial support and capacity-building to unlock durable, affordable housing outcomes.” 4. There probably is a sober and warranted discussion about housing challenges/solutions in all the western states, with a much narrower, thoughtful and considered scope (it’s a complex issue). 5. Ultimately, Mike Lee’s (R-UT) proposal was clownish, ill-conceived and presented as a land grab. He is not a serious person and should be strongly considered for office removal in 2028.

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Partner Spotlight

Small Craft Sales isn’t just another online classified website, it’s a community for all factions of water nerds tired of wading through scam-riddled cesspools like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace to find the perfect small vessel or a new home for their old boat.

“Anglers, whitewater rafters, kayakers and wooden boat geeks are passionate about their hobbies and know exactly what they want,” said Tim Romano, Founder of Small Craft Sales. “But finding it through unstructured classified sites can be a headache, and your listing can get lost in the clutter. Plus, these sites make it difficult to find your perfect vessel outside of your local area. Small Craft Sales is here to connect these passionate people and streamline the process of buying and selling small, specialty watercraft.”

During the launch: create a FREE boat listing.

If you’re a fly shop, outfitter, fishing lodge or outdoor brand and interested in becoming a new Flylab partner, learn more about our program here. Join the best partner network in fly fishing.

Country artist and former fly-fishing guide Colby Acuff is releasing a new outdoor docuseries, “Fin and Feather.” Episode One takes you to Arkansas’ famed White River, one of the South’s most storied tailwaters.