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Q&A Friday | Approaching New Lakes

Jan 01, 2021

Another Friday, another episode of Q&A Friday on the Fly Fish University Podcast

In case you didn't know by now, each and every Friday a new podcast is published, answering questions from anglers all over the world! On today's episode of Q&A Friday, we cover how to approach new lakes effectively, whether to clip the front or the back hook on streamers, and how to enjoy fly fishing with your spouse.

CLICK HERE to listen on Apple Podcasts, or listen below for all other devices!

 

 
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Stuck Inside & Wish You were Fishing? 5 Things to Keep you Sane

Dec 30, 2020

Spending a lot of time inside this winter and wishing you were fishing instead? You're absolutely not the only one! Even if we can't travel too far to go fishing at the moment, there are still things we can do as anglers to pass the time and beat the winter blues. 

1) Clean & Organize Fly Lines - Because we all know that the last thing we want to do in the midst of fishing season is clean and organize all of our fly lines, wintertime is a perfect opportunity for some care and maintenance. Pick yourself up a good fly line cleaning kit and check your backing knots while you are on the job. This is a quick, easy way to extend the life of our fly lines!

2) Organize your Fly Boxes - I am the first person to admit that organization and cleanliness has never been my true strong suit, but when it comes to fly box organization I am incredibly particular. I have, however, been one to get into the habit of sticking flies on my hat or onto the foam patch in my boat...

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5 Christmas Ideas for the Fly Fishing Enthusiast | Fly Fish University Podcast

Dec 23, 2020

How do you shop for the fly fisherman that seemingly has everything?

 Last minute shopping for someone who loves fly fishing and stuck on what to get them? If you like to live dangerously AKA starting your Christmas shopping at 2pm on the 24th, you're not alone. Here are five Christmas gift ideas for the fly fishing enthusiast in your family or friend circle:

1. A gift card to your local fly shop - While I am not typically one to purchase gift cards as a Christmas present, there are a few reasons why a gift card to a fly fishing specialty shop is a great Christmas idea. The most relative is that fly fishing nuts know what they want, what they need and what they like. There are few things more fun than a guilt-free shopping spree at a local store, and no better way to support a local small business. 

2. A great pair of nippers - While more of a novelty than anything, a good pair of nippers makes for an excellent fly fishing gift. There are a ton of...

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Hook Positioning on Articulated Streamers (Front vs. Back)

Dec 22, 2020

Does the hook belong at the front or the back? A quick opinion...

If you live somewhere (like me) that permits the use of one hook and one hook only on your fly patterns, you must be diligent in deciding exactly where the hook will be positioned on larger flies. Streamer patterns with hooks tied in tandem are effective as your chances of hooking fish are greatly increased regardless of how the fish eats the fly, but what if you're limited to just one? 

First, let's look at how predators eat their food...

If I were a predatory species such as a bull trout, and I wanted to make mince meat of a small coarse fish such as a sculpin, what would be the safest and easiest plan of attack? Immediately you might think that devouring the fish tail-first would be the obvious option, but there is one major inhibitor to this: digestion.

If I were this bull trout (which I'm not, although I'd imagine life would be pretty fun if I were), I would obviously need to digest my food...

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Why Chasing Trophy Trout is a Mind Game

Dec 21, 2020

The psychology of fly fishing for the trout of a lifetime...

My heart rate increased ever so slightly as my fly tracked across a beautiful, boulder-strewn tailout. It was a picture perfect morning in Alaska, the last day of my trip, and I was determined to find the biggest rainbow trout of my life. I made a cast down and across, stepping into my swing to allow the fly to sink for a couple of seconds. Though I couldn't see past the end of my Skagit head, I knew that my fly had to be approaching the boulder I'd been eyeing up since I stepped into the head of the run. 

Shocked that my swing had yielded no results, I let the fly hang directly downstream of me for a count of five. Just about the moment my mind began wandering as I watched an eagle flying across the river, the line came tight and pulled from my hands. In a blur, the fish made a blistering run downstream and immediately took me into my backing. 

The next few minutes felt like hours as I did my best to keep my...

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Winter Run by Todd Moen | Cinematic Sunday

Dec 20, 2020

Undoubtedly one of the best steelhead fly fishing videos found anywhere on the internet...

If you are like myself, then there is nowhere you'd rather find yourself on a cold winter's day then immersed knee-deep in fast-flowing glacial water in search of fresh winter steelhead. The serenity of wintertime, coupled with the challenging conditions we are often faced with, offer a perfectly contrasting experience that is occasionally interrupted by a turbo-charged rainbow trout straight from the ocean. 

I have been a long-time fan of Todd Moen's work, and "WINTER RUN" is undoubtedly one of the finest films I have ever seen on the topic of fly fishing for steelhead. Todd's cinematography is above and beyond captivating, it would be an understatement to say that I have watched this film at least once or twice (so far today...)

 

CLICK HERE to view Todd's work at Catch Magazine.

Enjoy!

Jordan Oelrich

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A Simple Tip for Fly Box Organization

Dec 19, 2020

Colour-coding your boxes for cleanliness and organization...

Years ago I drove a 2001 Nissan Xterra. It was my ultimate fishing rig, I could bring it anywhere I wanted to and spent more time than I care to admit sleeping in the back of it during fishing trips. However, had you look in the back of it, you would have thought it was something straight out of the TV series Hoarders

While I'm the first to admit that organization has not been my strongest suit for most of my life, one thing I will never slip up on is the organization of my fly boxes. For one reason or another (I think it's called O.C.D), I will always keep my fly boxes in perfect order. 

What's the one guideline that keeps my boxes organized? COLOUR CODING!

Yes, I colour code the flies in my boxes. I always have, and I likely always will. It allows me to know exactly where to look before I even open the box, and reminds me exactly where to put the fly I was just using before tying on...

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Q&A Friday | Retrieval speed, weighted presentation & gear fishing

Dec 18, 2020

Welcome to another episode of Q&A Friday on the Fly Fish University Podcast!

In case you didn't know by now, every Friday we do an episode called Q&A Friday on the Fly Fish University Podcast that answers questions from readers and listeners all around the world! On today's episode of Q&A Friday, we cover how to know when to vary retrieval speed, adding additional weight to your presentations, and when fly fishing is not your best option!

CLICK HERE to listen on Apple Podcasts, or listen below for all other devices!

 

 
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A Quick Bull Trout Fact!

Dec 17, 2020

In case you've ever wondered how these predators can devour such impressive sized meals...

Ok - this will be super quick, but I just came across a picture of a bull trout in my archives and find this too cool not to share. I always find it interesting how nature works, the incredibly intelligence that each species of fish, bird, animal is designed with to help them fill their position in the food chain. 

So here it is...

The maxillary point of a fish's jaw is essentially where the lower and upper jaws meet. On a rainbow trout, this corner can be found almost directly underneath the center of their eyeball. 

On a bull trout? 

Their maxillary actually extends backwards past their eye. What is the point of this? When devouring a large meal, as they are known to do, this allows them to actually flare their jaws open to a much greater degree. This is an attribute of many predatory species, but something that I still find incredibly impressive!

Use these photos for...

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How to get your Kids into Fly Fishing | Fly Fish University Podcast

Dec 16, 2020

Creating an enjoyable experience for your little (or not so little) ones on the water...

The first memory I have of being alive (literally) is hooking a rainbow trout on a small lake outside of Kamloops, BC where I lived in a lakefront cabin with my dad. I was right around 2 years old, it was early spring and the lake was still partially frozen with large sheets of ice floating freely around the middle. I hooked the fish on a spinner, it made one jump and actually landed itself on a piece of ice floating in the lake. 

We had to pry the fish off of the ice and put it into the small bucket I brought with us in the canoe before making our way back to shore, frozen to the bone. As we approached the shoreline, by a series of unfortunate events, we actually ended up flipping the canoe in just a couple feet of water. I remember the chill that stayed in my bones long after I made my way out of the frigid water, and also know why I still wear a life jacket to this day!

Though this...

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