I recently enjoyed reading and shared a brief review of "Fly Fishing Evolution: Advanced Strategies for Dry Fly, Nymph, and Streamer Fishing" by George Daniel. As mentioned in my review, this is a great read for the advanced angler looking for new ideas on improving their game.

As a big fan of George and all the work he does for the sport this book is another fine addition to that contribution. You will be able to find George this winter presenting at the Fly Fishing Shows in Edison and Lancaster. You can sign up for his news letter at his website Livinonthefly.

I have been provided a brand new hard copy of "Fly Fishing Evolution: Advanced Strategies for Dry Fly, Nymph, and Streamer Fishing." I’m going to be offering the book and George is including a dozen of his favorite nymphs with a Fulling Mills box as part of the drawing.

If you don’t win the drawing, you still have an opportunity to order the book on Amazon here.

What you need to do to enter:
Simply reply to this thread with "Paflyfish I’m In" and nothing else. If you do not use only "Paflyfish I’m In", you will be disqualified. This thread will be closed Wednesday, December 20 at ~8:00 am and the drawing done that day.

Fine Print:
This is a free drawing...

All-

I've been debating posting about my most recent trip to Maine, and how I wanted to share it for a little bit now. I finally decided to actually write up a quick story of the trip, the planning and the results. Don't expect a stream report, but more of an anecdote

Back in 2022, I went on a dedicated fishing trip with a buddy up to Maine in September. I'd been to Maine twice before with my wife, and fished albeit sparingly compared to a typical fishing trip.

It was the first time we both had gone up together to fish for brook trout, we hired a guide and got after it. Hundreds of cast, more than a handful of flies lost, and miles of streams hiked, we really immersed ourselves in the fishing up in Maine. We had plenty of success, after all the finicky brown trout of PA gave us some good practice before we tried our hand at the brook trout in Maine. Countless fish that would be personal best in PA were plentiful.

After a tough day of fishing for myself, where I definitely lost more fish than I caught, we arrived at the last pool for the night. I decided that tossing a streamer would be the best way to fish the deep tannic water. After several casts, a brook trout that most PA fly fisherman dreamt of made his presence known.


After that fish swam off, I was hooked. The diversity of Maine's watersheds and the fish that call them home are far different yet familiar to that of PA. Something about being in the middle of nowhere, fishing water that cut through the dense balsam forests just felt right. I knew that the fish I caught might've not been the biggest brook trout out there, but that fish is up there in my all time favorite catches.

About this same time of the year we are in now, in the early winter of 2022 after the trip, I started planning to go back north. This time would be a primarily DIY trip, going back to places we fished in the fall and exploring new...

I always enjoy the quality and cinematic efforts by the guys over at Allegheny Native with their Pennsylvania Fly Fishing videos. Much of the video they shoot is in far out of the way areas of Northern Pennsylvania that always inspires me to jump in my car. This video has a little twist with many of the shots having been filmed on a 16mm. Video is hard enough, but filming on darker cloudy days in tree covered streams with 16mm film? That's a tough one to pull off.

Follow the guys at: https://www.alleghenynative.com/

"Fly Fishing Evolution" by George Daniel is an extensive guide for intermediate and advanced anglers, delving into the intricacies of nymphing, dry fly, and streamer tactics. George Daniel, the Director of the Joe Humphreys Fly Fishing Program at Pennsylvania State University, is a highly regarded figure in the fly fishing community and is known for his exceptional angling skills. He is one of the most passionate and exceptional leaders in the sport of fly fishing today. His knowledge and drive to educate anglers have been his focus for over twenty years. His new book is another reflection of that dedication he shares with anglers.

The book is structured into three main parts, each dedicated to a specific fishing technique, offering insights into gear, patterns, tactics, and presentations. The general flow of the book is easy to read and provides thoughtful insight with clear explanations. Specific illustrations and photographs help enhance the presentation. This colorful approach adds to the engagement of the book.

The three main parts cover:

• Nymphing: Explores nymphing tools, patterns, and key concepts, including suspension tactics and tightline/Euro tactics.
• Dry Fly: Covers tools, patterns, and the art of casting and presenting dry flies.
• Streamers: Discusses streamer tools, patterns, and various presentation techniques.

There are new topics and concepts to be explored for any angler. I found so many familiar ideas enhanced with his approach. For the intermediate and advanced angler, many of us get set in our ways; the book offers plenty of ideas on how to expand your capabilities.

What I Liked:
The book's strength lies in its organization, where George breaks down complex tactics into simple, rudimentary steps without losing the depth required...

Have you ever found yourself standing in a fly shop, holding a shiny new fly line and wondering how exactly it was made? What kind of complex manufacturing processes and innovative designs go into creating those weight-forward tapers that make casting so smooth? Well, wonder no more! In this exclusive behind-the-scenes look, we take you inside the production facilities of RIO Products, one of the most respected and innovative fly line companies in the world.

The journey starts on the factory floor, where we see industrial machines spinning top-secret composite materials into the finely-tuned cores that give RIO lines their legendary performance. Engineers test out prototypes, tweaking taper designs and lengths until they achieve the perfect balance of power and precision. Skilled production workers meticulously assemble each line, their trained eyes inspecting for even the slightest defect.

But it takes more than just technical mastery to create a world-class fly line. You'll hear from the designers whose relentless field-testing and refinement result in lines honed to excel in real on-the-water conditions. From prototype to finished product, it's this relentless pursuit of perfection that makes RIO a leader in the industry.

So come along and satisfy your curiosity about how fly line goes from raw materials to that flawless final form. With unprecedented access to RIO's state-of-the-art production facilities and the inside scoop from their talented team, we reveal the innovation and care that makes these lines revered by anglers across the globe. You'll never look at fly line the same away again!

From the Fly Fish Food Youtube Channel! Fly tying tutorials and some odd's and end fishing stuff.

Life has been very good lately, but very busy with my daughter getting married last week and a move coming up. All good things and no problems. I made the last minute call to get away for a break and fit in a few days away for some fall fishing. The weather, water and time were perfect. Having moved a year ago I really missed my backyard fire-pit. Part of my plans for fishing included a fire, a steak, and some bourbon. The trip turned out perfect and had a bonus of some nice fall colors to add to the atmosphere.


Thursday
The weather was beautiful for an early fall morning - sunny with temperatures in the low 70’s. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but it was nice to see the leaves turning. I started up off Tunnel Road and there were a few people around but clearly not like the spring. The water was running at about 220 CFS, clear and around 62 degrees. Hatches were a mix of BWOs and caddis.

I tried a lot of different tandem rigs, but had my best luck with a caddis and zebra midge combo. I caught a few smaller bows that seemed like fingerlings that were stocked. I moved to a lower section of the special regs for the afternoon. By 6:00 pm the caddis really picked up along with BWOs, and BWO spinners.

The evening came together with a nice fire, steak and some Basil Hayden.


Friday
Maurice joined me in the morning for the morning assault. The weather turned cloudy and dropped to the low 60’s. I was very optimistic for the day. We went back to the Special Regs section but had a slow go. I picked up a nice 16” bow on a black wooly bugger - looked like a fish that was stocked a few miles below in the spring. It was a very slow morning.

The fall season offers some great weather and outstanding fly fishing after the heat of the summer. Trout behavior and hatches change during the autumn months, but there are plenty of angling opportunities if you know what to do. If you are looking at extending your fly fishing season this fall then join Derek Eberly and Dave Kile for a presentation on Fall Fly Fishing in Pennsylvania. - Recorded on September 21, 2021

Detailed instructions for tying Walter Wiese's GFA Hopper.Recipe:
Hook: 2X-long hopper hook (here, a Dai-Riki 280), sizes 6-14.
Thread: UTC 140 Denier, tan.
Underbody: Peacock herl.
Body: Craft Foam, 2mm, tan.
Wing: Bleached elk hair, cleaned and stacked.
Hot spot: Bright Craft Foam, 2mm.
Legs: Striped round-rubber legs, medium.

Visit the Tightline website: https://www.tightlinevideo.com

#flyfishing #trout #dryfly

By Brian McGeehan at Montana Angler Fly Fishing

Montana’s rich and varied wild trout fisheries offer anglers year round fishing opportunities. While it is difficult to elevate any one time of the year as the “best” time to fish the Big Sky state’s blue ribbon rivers, there is no doubt that the most anticipated time of year coincides with the emergence of the legendary salmonfly hatch.

Salmonflies, which derive their name from their salmon orange abdomens as adults, are the largest aquatic insects found in our local rivers. They are a type of stonefly that are found in rocky and swift flowing rivers and are part of the Pteronarcys genus. Salmonflies dwarf most other aquatic insects and often exceed 2 inches in length. It is the large size of the insect that garners so much attention from fly fisherman. While smaller trout will spend their day hunting much smaller morsels of food; large trout tend to eat large meals less frequently. Most of the year anglers in search of truly large trout need to fish subsurface patterns such as streamers that imitate small fish. The salmonfly hatch is one of the rare times when even the largest fish in the river will be tempted to feed on the surface to intercept the oversized adult insects.

As juveniles salmonflies spend 3-4 years as immature nymphs in the river before hatching into adults. Although the nymphs can be a year round food source, they become much more accessible to trout just before the emergence when they migrate towards the banks.

Salmonflies begin hatching in lower elevation rivers that warm faster such as the Smith and as late as mid July on the Upper reaches of the Yellowstone River inside of Yellowstone National Park. Although the hatch can be encountered in different rivers over the course of several weeks, on any one section of river they are only on the water as...

I had a great time with the awesome folks from Perkiomen Valley Trout Unlimited (PVTU) last Saturday at Longacres Farm! It was exciting to see families, kids, and dedicated TU members all joining in the fun.


PVTU member, Rick Nyles, organized the day's activities, and the Sky Blue Outfitters Guide Team, including expert caster Derek Eberly, volunteered to teach casting techniques throughout the day. Also everyone had the pleasure of hearing from Dave Rothrock, of the Ranting Angler, who shared his knowledge on drop shot fishing techniques and led an entertaining entomology program right by the stream.

To raise funds for chapter projects, there were silent auctions and raffles with a great selection of prizes to choose from.

Let's talk about the food—it was simply exceptional! We were treated to a mouthwatering pig roast, accompanied by delicious salads, side dishes, and desserts. Kudos to Rick and other organizers for making sure we were well-fed and happy!


After the scrumptious lunch, Bryan Fulop, the Chapter President, provided us with important...

Tom Rosenbauer shares some simple details on how to keep your flylines in great shape. To watch more of Tom's videos you can check out the YouTube channel here: Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing.