Skills & How-To

A Guide to Photographing Your Fly Fishing

Fly fishing can create memories that last a lifetime. It's something Angelica Talan previously touched on in her 'Creating Memories One Fish at a Time' post, where she shared how fly fishing became her and her daughter's haven — a source of happiness, a chance to bond, and a way to de-stress. You might view fly fishing the same way, which is why you enjoy doing it over and over. So it is important to photograph your adventures, preserve those memories, and document your catch at the same. With

9/29/2020Lorraine J Hall

The Overlooked Skillset

The other day I met Certified Casting Instructor Susan Thrasher at a Nashville park to test for my Gold Fly Casting Skills Challenge. About halfway through the challenge, I noticed a man had stopped to watch us. When we decided to take a short break and get out of the sun for a few minutes, he approached Susan. It was obvious she taught fly fishing, he said. It was always something he had wanted to try, and did she have a card? How many times have you been approached by someone on the river, or

12/15/2019Jen Ripple

Tips to Improve Your Warm Water Lake Fishing

The natural home of a fly rod is the river setting, but fly rods should not be limited to river fishing. They are also great tools for warm water species in lakes. When you start targeting lakes, you open up a whole new set of fishing opportunities and challenges for catching fish. There are literally lakes everywhere, and in states where poor access laws can be an issue, lakes provide an excellent way to get out and fish while not having to worry about trespassing. Certainly, we would never

7/9/2019Dun Magazine

4 Flies Every Trout Angler Should Know How to Tie

There are a lot of great flies in the bins of your local fly shop. These days, in fact, there are so many flies that it’s difficult to choose the right one. The four flies below are our go-to trout flies. They work for us no matter what trout fishery we happen upon. In addition, they can easily be tied in the local dive motel near your favorite stream or with your fly tying friends at the shop. We have attached some of our favorite videos from across the web for you to tie them yourselves and l

6/19/2019Dun Magazine

Latest

12 Do's and Don'ts for Shopping in a Fly Shop

The first time that I wandered into a fly shop I was with my family, and most likely just doing the “tourist thing”. I’m pretty sure that I was a respectful customer (I try to be nice), but if I knew then what I know now, I would bet that the fishy roads that I’ve traveled might have been a bit different (easier?). Here are the things that I wish I had known WAY BACK WHEN … 1-6 … The Do’s #1 Do be upfront with your skill level Try not to feel embarrassed or reluctant to admit where you are in

5/23/2019Geri Meyer

Hook Anatomy

Eye: The eye of the hook is where the tippet is tied. The eye can be up-turned, down-turned, or straight. In general, Spey style and salmon hooks have up-turned eyes, dry fly and wet fly hooks have down-turned eyes, and streamer, bass and saltwater hooks have straight eyes. The orientation of the hook eye is largely aesthetic and only comes into play when a knot used to attach the fly to the tippet is affixed to the shank and not the hook eye. Shank: The shank is where the fly is tied and can

5/13/2019Dun Magazine

The Crazy Art of Backing Up a Trailer

Position yourself for success. If you’re new to backing up a trailer, choose a time when the boat ramp is empty. Saturday during the summer is probably not the best time to practice your backing up skills. The Do’s 1 See it You have to be able to see the trailer to back it up. In the beginning, it can be helpful to open the tailgate or liftgate and lay down a seat or two to get a better view of where the trailer is going. Launch ramps are sometimes curved, and at times can be steep. Being ab

11/5/2018Dun Magazine

What to Wear Under Your Waders

What is the universe made of? What genetic changes made us uniquely human? Are we alone in the universe? What does a Scotsman wear under his kilt? What should I wear under my waders? These age-old questions, specifically the wader question, have haunted many a human. How many times have you stood over your suitcase, every dresser drawer open, and every item of outdoor clothing you own strewn across your bed? It embarrasses me to say that this happens almost every time I pack for a fishing trip.

3/21/2018Dun Magazine

The Do's and Don'ts of Layering

No way to get around it, the seasons are changing and winter is upon us. Unless you live in the deep south, you’re going to need to bundle up this winter. Knowing what to do, and just as important, what not to do, is vital in keeping yourself safe and warm on the water this winter. The Do’s Do - Start with a base layer. This layer is meant to trap warm air next to your body and pull sweat away from your skin. The most overlooked of all layers, this one is right up at the top as the most import

11/15/2017Dun Magazine

Spic N Span

Why would you ever want to take the time to clean your fly tying materials? detrimental insects improved materials handling material preservation Several methods are available to protect your beautiful naturals. Let me share some tips from Wayne Luallen, fly tier and Fly Fisher International 1991 Buszek Memorial Fly Tying Award recipient. Benefits gained by cleaning feathers and furs include removing dirt, oils and fats, detrimental insects and pesticides. Have you watched a fly tier nosh on

9/2/2017Donna Luallen

The Loop to Loop Connection

The loop-to-loop connection is one of those simple, but really complicated things. Once you are comfortable making this connection, you can use it for all sorts of things. The most common use for the loop-to-loop connection is connecting your leader to the fly line. Gone are the days of having to know how to tie a nail knot just to go fishing. A loop-to-loop connection is also used when connecting your fly line to backing and it can be used to connect bulky bite tippet to your class tippet wh

6/30/2017Dun Magazine

Putting your fly rod together

I love it when you learn a new trick to something that you’ve been doing your whole fishing career. Many of you already know this one, but for those of you who don’t – you’re going to thank me for putting in something so basic. It will be an “A-Ha!” moment. Assemble your rod from the tip down. This way of assembling your fly rod removes the step of having to try to find a place to set the butt section of the rod during assembly. If you’re like me and a bit neurotic about scratching your rod,

6/30/2017Dun Magazine