Montana, Wyoming and Idaho are considered the golden triangle of fly-fishing in the U.S. - but cooler night-time temperatures all over the country are causing anglers to begin anticipating the arrival of fall and better fly fishing results.

In fact, fishing reports from the higher elevations of the Shenandoah National Park in western Virginia (just a few hours drive for me) are starting to reflect increased activity of the native brook trout.

Cooler stream temperatures, the abundance of natural food and the trout’s need to feed for the coming spawning season all work together in the fly fisher’s favor. Finding several brookies actively feeding on the surface in each pool isn’t at all uncommon in the remote headwaters of the cool mountain streams of the Appalachians.

If large hoppers are present in any quantity, the trout will be hitting them. If not, small ants and newly emerging chironomide midges will be the species to imitate. Time to plan a weekend camping and fly-fishing trip!

Just a quick “heads up”…
I’ve begun putting together a series of fly fishing lessons that will eventually be available as a complete set.

The first of these, a step-by-step lesson describing how to execute an overhead cast, has just been posted on this web site.

Fly Fishing - the Overhead Cast…

I came across a great fly fishing story today that was written so well it was really easy to imagine myself in the stream beside him.

This guy is a great story teller, so anyone will enjoy reading of his day on the river in search of brown trout and the Trico hatch, early this month. If you haven’t been on the water in a while, you can live vicariously through his story.

It’ll surely bring back memories of some of your own trips. If you’re a novice fly fisher, you can probably also pick up a few fly fishing tips .

See for yourself at: “Somewhere I can walk alone / And leave myself behind.”

I recently wrote about varying your line weight to match the conditions you’re fishing in.

Choosing the proper fly line weight is important because in fly fishing it is the line that is being cast, rather than the lure. The dynamics between the length and action of your fly rod, the weight of the line and the size of the fly are all important for accurate flycasting, for control of distance, and for delicate presentation of your fly pattern.

An excerpt from Brett Fogle’s Fly Fishing Secrets, covers how to choose fly line weight (and, indirectly, rod size) based on the sizes of fly you plan to use - even going so far as to recommend specific line weights for different conditions.

Lately I’ve been reading a blog from a fly fisherman in Glasgow, Scotland - Urban Flyfishing on the Kelvin.

I think what originally interested me is the fact that it is urban fishing - right in Glasgow. He can easily wade in for a couple of hours right after work, while every one else is fighting the evening rush hour traffic (assuming there is any rush hour to speak of in Glasgow).

I live very near just such an urban river (the James River in Virginia) - but have never fished it. Well, at least not this far downriver. When I fish the river, I always drive four hours to Mouth of the James and make a weekend of it - camping on the banks of the river, brewing morning coffee in the dark, wading in just at dawn, and hopefully having fresh fish for breakfast.

As good as that is… the idea of being able to be in the river within 15 minutes of walking out my front door is intriguing.

He talks about his fishing experiences on the Kelvin River, and includes plenty of photos, but what really makes it entertaining is his witty style. There are hilarious stories about his misfortunes with leaky waders, his experiences with local outfitters, fishing jokes, and even his relationship with his “significant other”.

Surely you can identify with this post where he explains his attempts to get a “kitchen pass” so he can go fishing.

More Fly Fishing Stories …