Fishy Fridays by Confident Angler: One fly fishing tip, one fly to try, and one inspirational post to get you fired up to fish this weekend. 🎣
Hey Reader,
How’s the fishing been lately? I’ve been hearing great reports from a few friends this week. I’m excited to hit the water again on Friday, and I’ve got some epic steelheading adventures coming up in the next few weeks. I’m stoked.
4 Tips For Fighting Fish Landing fish consistently is less about luck and more about how you handle the fight. Here are four fundamentals to practice this weekend:
1. Keep constant tension Priority number one, especially with barbless hooks. Slack is the enemy. When a fish runs toward you, reel or strip line quickly to keep pressure steady. When it runs away, let it take line but stay tight.
2. Get it on the reel quickly Once hooked, reel in slack until the fish is on the reel. With your drag set in that “just right” zone, let the reel do the work. Too loose and the fish will not tire. Too tight and you risk breaking off.
3. Fight with low side pressure Instead of holding your rod straight up, drop it to the side at about a 30–45° angle. This engages the stronger butt section of the rod and ultimately shortens the fight. A high, vertical rod tip actually gives the fish leverage to thrash and spit the hook.
4. Switch sides to turn the fish Fish can only swim where their head is pointed. By applying pressure on the same side they are facing, you steer them more effectively. Often, you will need to switch back and forth (sometimes quickly) as the fish changes direction. The goal is to maintain steady tension and let the rod and reel do the work to wear the fish down.
🪰 One Fly to Try This Weekend
Foam Cricket (Size 8–12) September is still prime time for terrestrials, and there is one pattern that might get overlooked by a lot of people: a Cricket. Yep, the humble and sometimes annoyingly loud cricket.
Crickets tumble into rivers during late summer afternoons, especially along grassy banks, and trout often can’t resist the easy meal. A buoyant foam body keeps this fly riding high, even in choppy pocket water, and the oversized profile makes it easy to track.
Spey casting is a lifelong skill. I have only been at it a few years, and I am still learning every time. On a recent rainy day in Oregon, I spent the whole time practicing casts. No hookups, just rhythm, timing, and small adjustments.
Steelheading is often like that. Long stretches without results, but the practice still matters. Each cast builds confidence, and the river itself is enough reason to keep showing up.