Confidence in Fly Fishing Three quick stories come to mind illustrate this. First off let me say there have been plenty of times when I have been on both sides of the confidence equation. A few years ago, I was steelheading with a couple of fly fishing buddies. Unlike me, though there guys weren't purists. And we were using terminal gear. Although were just dead-drifting jigs, very similar to fly fishing, I felt about as coordinated as a monkey performing brain surgery. As the day wore on more and more steelies were caught. Huge steelies, the biggest I had ever seen! None by me. I could feel my confidence shrinking. And I mean my confidence in all kinds of things, like being able to read the river, being able to detect a strike. Things that had no connection to me using unfamiliar gear. The pressure inside my head built, until I HAD to catch a fish. I didn't catch one fish that day, although I finally had a strike, and set the hook so hard I jerked it right out of the fish's mouth. And I fished longer and harder than anyone else on the trip.

How To Choose the Right Fly Line Weight But with a longer leader, the more difficult it is to cast and there is a reduction in accuracy. Thus, a 9-foot leader is more accurate and easier to turn over than a 15-footer. Considering this, plus the fact that the splashdown of the line is what is frightening the trout, there is a simple solution. Use a fly line one size lighter than the rod manufacturer recommends. Jim Green, who has designed fly rods for years and is a superb angler, mentioned to me more than three decades ago that he almost always used a line one size lighter when fishing dry flies where the trout were spooky or the water was calm. I tried it and have routinely followed his advice. So, for example, if you are using a six weight rod, you can drop down to a five weight line with no problem. In fact, in very delicate fishing conditions, I often drop down two sizes in line weights. There is a reason.

Bass Fishing Tips Did you know that the Evening Secret (http://www.eveningsecretfishing.com/specialsecret/4_Fly_Fishing_Tips.php) is THE most effective technique for swarming fish to your fishing spot? We use it all the time with EXCELLENT and CONSISTANT results. Picking one of these 3 is not enough, however. You must take into account the lake you are fishing on before you select your lure. Especially you must consider if it is better to cover a smaller segment of water thoroughly or skim across a larger expanse as quickly as possible to find fish. Using a worm is slower, but extremely effective and is very seductive to Bass. They do best when the fish are schooled over a particular structure.

One-Million-Dollar Fishing Lure
Would you fish with a lure that costs $1,000,000? Neither would I! There are way too many ways to lose your fishing tackle, and I hate to lose a....

December 2, 2004
High Water!!.