Fly Fishing Tips

The early morning air is filled with the enticing smell of a smoky hardwood fire, and the soft pops and crackles of burning wood echo through the stillness as another log is added to the flames. As I open my eyes to the rays of sunlight streaming through the hemlocks, I know my parents are already up, starting breakfast. The wonderful aroma of bacon sizzling on a camp stove drifts into the tent, pulling me from my sleeping bag. It’s hard to beat those childhood memories of camping at Hickory Run State Park back in the ‘60s, surrounded by family and the simple joys of outdoor life. Those early experiences remain some of my fondest and most formative moments in the great outdoors.

Camping was our family’s go-to vacation until my teenage years. As I got older, my adventures expanded from tent camping to backpacking with the Scouts and friends. We hit the Appalachian Trail and even made trips out to New Mexico. I can’t say exactly why I loved camping so much—it was just something we always did, and over time, it became part of who I was. Many of those trips naturally involved fishing. While my dad wasn’t a fly fisherman, he enjoyed trout fishing in Pennsylvania and bass fishing during our camping trips in Canada. I can still recall the unmistakable scent of DEET and pipe smoke while swatting at mosquitoes the size of small birds—somehow, even those moments are fun memories now.

Camping and fishing are a natural pair that enhance each other. It’s hard to say which came first—the chicken or the egg—but for many anglers, camping is the perfect way to complement a fishing trip. Some of the biggest advantages include staying closer to prime fishing spots, making last-minute trips possible, and the convenience of mobility, which means not being tied to one location for days. Many of Pennsylvania’s best wild brook trout streams and natural reproduction waters are found in remote...

By Dave Weaver

With the brood prevalent in central PA emerging this year, it's an auspicious time to tie up some cicada patterns.

I have fished the brood that emerges in SCPA/MD in 1987, 2004, and 2021 and took careful notes on emergence and fishing results. If you have never fished one of these 17 year broods, it's an amazing, sometimes frustrating, experience. Generally, it has been my observation that the bugs are not evenly spread across the regions indicated on emergence maps. Instead, they seem to emerge in great clusters here and there. You can expect to find them very dense on a section of stream, and a half mile up or downstream, there are none. Some sections with bugs see heavy fish feeding and other sections they seem to be ignored. You will have to explore and improvise.

For the 2021 brood, I tied up a large batch of cicada flies in anticipation. As is my preference, I used foam. These 17 year cicadas are different than the typical annual cicadas that are green over white. Instead, 17 yr bugs are smaller and black or dark gray with orange legs, orange abdominal ribbing, and clear wings with an orange tint. Their body length is about 1 to 1.25" so I tied my flies in that size on somewhat long shank nymph/streamer hooks that matched the body size. I secured the body to the shank using glue and orange floss as ribbing, much like a big hopper fly or a pencil popper. This was a mistake.

I had trouble with these flies when the hatch started as the hookup ratio was very poor. Curiously, I found that fallfish were getting hooked as they were more deliberate in taking the fly, mostly coming up from behind and inhaling the rear of the fly. Trout, by contrast, tended to be much more aggressive, often charging from the side blowing up on the fly or simply slashing it, and not getting hooked. There were days when it seemed like I only hooked maybe one in ten trout...

A very good overview from Tom Rosenbauer at Orvis on tactics for Wet Flies & Nymphs.


Check out more from the Orvis Learning Centre: https://howtoflyfish.orvis.com

Dave Rothrock and John Kolb fly fish a small spring creek and have plenty of action for a fun afternoon of fly fishing. The stream is a very challenging stream to fish with super spooky fish and very subtle takes. The stream challenged John and Dave. In the end, they managed to catch a good amount of fish. The dry dropper setup worked really well and a lot of fish were caught with either a sulphur dry fly or a sexy Waltz Worm.

By Brian McGeehan at Montana Angler Fly Fishing

No fly-fishing trip to Montana is complete without a visit to Yellowstone National Park. The world’s first national park, established by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1872, is as iconic for its wild trout populations as it is for its geysers, bison and grizzly bears. Anglers visiting Yellowstone have a broad variety of waters to fish, with backcountry outings offering some of the most exceptional fishing in the park.

The Yellowstone backcountry encompasses an incredible diversity of fishing opportunities within its 3,468 square miles, including alpine lakes, spring creeks, broad rivers and tumbling streams. The Yellowstone River alone provides countless angling opportunities as it flows from its headwaters in the Thorofare region to Yellowstone Lake, the largest freshwater lake above 7,000 feet in North America. It then plunges over a pair of massive waterfalls on its way through two distinct canyons before exiting the park near its confluence with the Gardner River.

For all of Yellowstone’s diversity, the truth is most anglers never venture more than a few hundred yards from the most popular access points and pullouts. For anglers seeking solitude and an escape from the crowds, hitting the trails to experience fly fishing in Yellowstone’s backcountry is well worth the effort.

First things first, Yellowstone National Park is managed by the National Park Service and has its own set of rules, regulations and requirements separate from the surrounding states of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. To fish in Yellowstone, you’ll need to procure a Yellowstone Park fishing license and abide by all park fishing regulations.

Yellowstone is home to two species of native cutthroat trout — the Yellowstone cutthroat trout and the...

ChatGPT is an innovative technology that has been in development for years. Artificial intelligence (AI) was once limited to science fiction and academic circles. However, it has become widely available to the masses in recent times. AI systems are now used for a variety of purposes, such as producing prize-winning art, writing college papers, developing recipes, proofreading texts, and much more.



As a self-learning model, ChatGPT can answer complex questions. I was curious to know how knowledgeable and precise ChatGPT is about fly fishing. Therefore, I asked a reasonably straightforward but subjective question about fly fishing patterns in Pennsylvania.

The questions I asked:
“List for me the top ten fly patterns for Pennsylvania.”

The answer:
As a language model, I do not have personal opinions or preferences, but I can provide you with some commonly recommended fly patterns for fly fishing in Pennsylvania based on expert advice and local fishing reports. Here are ten fly patterns that are popular in Pennsylvania:

1. Elk Hair Caddis: The Elk Hair Caddis is a versatile fly that imitates a wide range of insects, including caddisflies, stoneflies, and even mayflies. It is a good choice for fishing in both fast and slow-moving water.
2. Blue-Winged Olive: The Blue-Winged Olive is a common mayfly in Pennsylvania and a popular dry fly pattern for trout fishing. It is effective in a range of sizes and can be fished throughout the season.
3. Adams: The Adams is a classic dry fly pattern that imitates a range of insects, including mayflies and midges. It is a highly versatile fly that works well in a range of conditions and is a must-have in any angler's fly box.
4. Pheasant Tail Nymph: The Pheasant Tail Nymph is a versatile pattern...

As fly fishing anglers, we have different needs than other anglers. While we eye up and even scrutinize bigger ticket items this doesn’t leave much for friends and family to pick up for us during the Holidays. Here are some of my favorite accessories and many I keep as doubles so I can easily move between my fly fishing hip bag and pack vest.

Headlamp - Black Diamond Sprint 225 Headlamp
This isn’t just for night fishing, but for when you are hiking back to your vehicle. No fun stumbling through the brush at dusk. $49.95 at Amazon

Wader Chains - Yaktrax Traction Chains for Walking on Ice and Snow
These were my favorite buy over the last year and a recommendation from @Bruno . They are easy on and off. Most importantly really help on those slippery rocks. $29.95 at Amazon

Clip on Magnifiers - Clip on Fly Tying Flip Focal 2.25X Magnification
Nothing wrong with having a couple of these on the ready. If you can’t see the fly you can’t tie it to your line. $19.95 at Orvis or your local fly shop

Fishing Thermometer
An excellent tool to know what the temps are when you fish. Most important when temps are getting warmer in the early summer. $14.95 at Precision or your local fly shop

Orvis Hy-Flote® Fly Dip
I was in my local Orvis shop last month and this was recommended. I like it even more than some of the powder products. $10.95 at Orvis or Orvis Dealer

Handy Pak Net - Plastic Handle Leather Pouch Made in Pennsylvania
The folding net is a great concept and works well when you want to travel light. There are some wooden handle models as well. The cons of this net...