2 Guys and a River

Strange sightings while fly fishing are part of the overall experience of the sport. In this episode, we recount watching a car float by while fishing the Yellowstone, a mink steal a duck from a nest, and a forest fire glow while on our way to fish Hebgen Lake. LISTEN NOW TO “STRANGE SIGHTINGS WHILE … Continue reading "S5:E10 Strange Sightings While Fly Fishing" The post S5:E10 Strange Sightings W...

Trout lies are places in the river or stream where trout hang out. One of the most well-known lies is called the “feeding lie,” where trout sit in the current or pockets of water and grab insects or larger chunks of calories as they drift by. Often, a fly fisher can spot the feeding lie … Continue reading "S5:E9 The Truth about Trout Lies" The post S5:E9 The Truth about Trout Lies appeared first o...

Hopper season is upon us. And from now until some time in early to mid-September, trout will be attacking grasshoppers that fall or are blown into the river. In this episode, we offer up an introductory conversation on fishing during hopper season, what to expect, and how to make the most of this most wonderful … Continue reading "S5:E8 Fishing Hopper Season" The post S5:E8 Fishing Hopper Season a...

Animal encounters are a fact of life in the outdoors. We’ve discussed at length the precautions to take when fishing in grizzly country, but there are other types of encounters to avoid or at least to prepare for. In this episode, we discuss insects, birds, and even domestic cows. Animal encounters (and other kinds of … Continue reading "S5:E7 Surviving Animal Encounters in the Outdoors" The post...

Fly fishing trips are not easy to plan well, especially if you are heading to a new place. Two factors unravel the best laid plans: weather and whether there is a bite on. Through the years, we’ve had to fight against the tyranny of Steve’s hyper-planning and the chaos of Dave’s “Let’s just see what … Continue reading "S5:E6 Fly Fishing Trips – Planning vs. Flexibility" The post S5:E6 Fly Fishing...

Fishing Rocky Mountain National Park is a different experience than is fishing the national parks in Montana for several reasons. One is that there are no grizzlies. Another is elevation: Fishing Rocky Mountain National Park is more demanding physically, simply because the lowest elevation to start hiking is around 7,800 feet. In this episode, we … Continue reading "S5:E5 Fishing Rocky Mountain Na...

Lefty Kreh was actually both a lefty and a righty. One of the most beloved and popular American fly fishers, Lefty cast right handed, because he felt it was easier for the majority of folks (who were right handed) to watch him and learn. Lefty was an original. He was a World War 2 veteran … Continue reading "S5:E4 Legends of Fly Fishing: Lefty Kreh" The post S5:E4 Legends of Fly Fishing: Lefty Kre...

Trout eat pretty much anything put in front of them, including their young. Much of fly fishing is focused on the insects, such mayflies, caddisflies, and stoneflies. But often trout are looking to consume a bigger chunk of calories. In this episode, we regale each other with stories of things we’ve heard trout eat. One … Continue reading "S5:E3 Surprising Things Trout Eat" The post S5:E3 Surprisi...

Fishing Yellowstone National Park is a one of life’s great thrills. There’s nothing like hearing the shrill bugle of an elk in the fall while casting a hopper into the Yellowstone in early September. In his book on great fishing spots in Yellowstone, Richard Parks, founder and owner of Parks Fly Shop in Gardiner, Montana, … Continue reading "S5:E2 Fishing Yellowstone National Park" The post S5:E2...

Traditions in the great outdoors are routines with meaning. It’s one thing to make a single memory with a fly fishing or hunting trip. But traditions in the great outdoors create multiple layers of memories that enrich and give joy to life. In this episode, Steve and Dave interview Dave’s father on his family’s traditions … Continue reading "S5:E1 Memorable Traditions in the Great Outdoors" The po...

Steve is the restless wanderer when he is out on the water. He makes a few casts in a run and then skips ahead to the next. He moves on. On a recent trip to the Minnesota Driftless, Steve spent almost the entire two days of fishing in one fine run. In this final episode … Continue reading "S4:E52 One Fine Day on One Fine Run" The post S4:E52 One Fine Day on One Fine Run appeared first on 2 Guys an...

You can’t make this stuff up – that’s a common expression after seeing or experiencing something unusual. On a recent fly fishing trip, we collected several strange moments that in aggregate made the trip one to remember. Steve had some apologizing to do after this trip. LISTEN NOW TO CRAZY MOMENTS FROM A RECENT FLY … Continue reading "S4:E51 Crazy Moments from a Recent Fly Fishing Trip" The post...

Buying a fly fishing rod should be easier than it is. It’s certainly easier to buy your second or third rod than it is your first. If you are purchasing your first rod, the brands and options are endless. In this episode, we attempt to cut out much of the noise on fly rods – … Continue reading "S4:E50 Basics of Buying a Fly Fishing Rod" The post S4:E50 Basics of Buying a Fly Fishing Rod appeared f...

Fishing where grizzlies and mountain lions live requires a heightened level of vigilance. It seems as if there have been more reports of mountain lion attacks the past year or two than in recent memory. Not long ago, a runner in Colorado was attacked by a young mountain lion while trail running west of Fort … Continue reading "S4:E49 Fishing Where Grizzlies and Mountain Lions Live" The post S4:E49...

Landing larger trout takes a different skill set than what most of us practice on a regular basis. It takes a different set of chops to net a 22-inch rainbow than it does to rip out a 10-inch brook trout. Most of us have lots of experience landing smaller fish and rare opportunities of landing … Continue reading "S4:E48 Landing Larger Trout" The post S4:E48 Landing Larger Trout appeared first on 2...

Joe Brooks was one of America’s greatest sportsman, and his contribution to the rise of fly fishing in America, including the conservation of our fisheries, is unparalleled. With this episode, we start a new series called “Legends of Fly Fishing,” in which we profile some of the great contributors to our sport. First up is … Continue reading "S4:E47 Legends of Fly Fishing: Joe Brooks" The post S4:...

You arrive first on the river. You have a couple miles of river to fish by yourself. The day is slightly overcast. Fishing reports have been fantastic. This is the day. You fish the first run. Nothing. Then the next. Nothing. You switch to streamers. Nothing. Then to nymphs. Nothing. Three hours later, you’ve had … Continue reading "S4:E46 Fishing When Nothing Is Working" The post S4:E46 Fishing W...

Scant attention is paid to fly care and presentation. So much of the focus is on fly rods, reels, waders, boots – and every other fly fishing gadget known to humankind. But without the fly itself, there is no catching. In this episode, we concoct a list of aphorisms – short witty statements about how … Continue reading "S4:E45 Fly Care and Presentation" The post S4:E45 Fly Care and Presentation ap...

Fly fishing tends to move from simplicity to complexity. You start out learning to cast. And you have one fly rod. You pick up a couple of attractor patterns. And you have one fly box. You purchase a vest, waders, and wading boots. And head to the river. Over time, however, you wind up with … Continue reading "S4:E44 Simplifying Your Fly Fishing Experience" The post S4:E44 Simplifying Your Fly Fis...

Spring dry fly fishing is one of the most delightful stretches of the fly fishing year. While there are other hatches, the two most dominant in most streams and rivers, of course, are Blue Winged Olives (BWOs) and Caddis. In this episode, we discuss patterns that we like, the use of an emerger with a … Continue reading "S4:E43 Spring Dry Fly Fishing" The post S4:E43 Spring Dry Fly Fishing appeared...

It was a great day for skiing in late winter – a fresh foot of powder blanketed the landscape. But we were fishing. Recently, we got up before dawn and drove almost four hours to fish for a few hours on a stretch of the Blue River west of Madison, Wisconsin. The snow was fresh, … Continue reading "S4:E42 One Fine Winter Day on the Blue" The post S4:E42 One Fine Winter Day on the Blue appeared firs...

Fly fishing is truly global, if for no other reason than most fly fishing products are created or assembled in other parts of the world. In this episode, we interview Peter Stitcher, who, along with his wife Jessica, is the co-founder of Ascent Fly Fishing in the Denver area. Peter designed his company with purpose, … Continue reading "S4:E41 Fair Labor Practices for Fly Fishing Products" The post...

If we had it to do over again, we’d do a few things differently. In this episode, we ask the question, “What would we tell our 20-year-old fly fishing selves?” One answer is that we’d have spent fewer years as do-it-your-selvers. That is, we’d have pursued more fly fishing instruction in our 20s. We’d be … Continue reading "S4:E40 What We’d Tell Our 20-Year-Old Fly Fishing Selves" The post S4:E40...

For many fly fishers, fishing is more than the simple act of catching a fish. It’s not merely the transaction of hooking and landing a trout or salmon or bonefish. In this episode, we reflect on several quotes from Nick Lyon’s wonderful book, “Spring Creek.” The world of fly fishing has a few things to … Continue reading "S4:E39 Nick Lyons, Fly Fishing and the Good Life" The post S4:E39 Nick Lyons...

Fly fishing wading boots are the undisputed, most important safety purchase you’ll make for the sport. There are felt soles, rubber soles, rubber soles with studs, and rubber soles with aluminum bars. In this episode, we discuss our philosophy of wading boots, given the number of days we fish each year – and make a … Continue reading "S4:E38 Our Simple Guide to Fly Fishing Wading Boots" The post S...