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,
December's here. Winter is officially at the door. Wild!
This week, I wanted to cover something that took me longer than it probably should have to really understand. It's not flashy. But getting it wrong can cost you fish.
Think of your reel's drag like brakes on a car. It controls how hard a fish has to work to pull out line. Too loose and the fish won't tire out. Too tight and you'll snap your tippet.
Remember learning to drive? You probably slammed the brakes too hard a few times. Or maybe you were too gentle and nearly gave your parents a heart attack as you rolled a little too close to the car in front of you. Dialing in your drag is the same kind of learning curve.
Here's a simple starting point. Pinch the line between two fingers and pull. You shouldn't have to squeeze hard, just a medium grip. You should be able to strip line out steadily. When you stop pulling, the reel should stop spinning. If it keeps going, your drag is too loose. If you need your whole hand to yank it out, it's too tight.
From there, adjust based on your setup. Lighter tippet and small dries? Back off a bit. Heavier tippet and streamers? Tighten it up. The goal is finding that sweet spot before a fish tests it for you.
As water temps drop and hatches thin out, midges become a go-to food source for trout. The Brassie is a dead simple pattern that imitates midge pupae rising through the water column.
It's just a wire body wrapped around a hook with a small peacock herl head. Nothing fancy. But that slim profile and subtle flash make it incredibly effective in clear, cold water. The wire body also adds a bit of weight, helping it sink quickly to where trout are feeding.
Fish it under an indicator or as a dropper below a larger nymph. Focus on slower runs and tailouts where trout stack up in winter. If trout seem keyed into smaller midge patterns, this is a great fly to try out.
I've followed Luke Nichols from Outdoor Boys for a while. He's an incredible outdoorsman and all-around great guy. He actually retired from YouTube earlier this year to spend more time with his kids.
But he just came back for one video. His friend Steve from My Life Outdoors has a wife battling cancer. So Luke headed into the Alaskan interior, built a shelter in a snowstorm with no tent or sleeping bag, and made this video to help support Steve's family.
It's a beautiful example of showing up for the people you care about. And the video itself is fantastic.
P.S. We're in the final stretch of fall, but there's still time to put my free 12-page Fall Fly Fishing Guide to work. It covers how trout behave in cooler water, what flies matter most, and adjustments that make a real difference. Grab it here. Winter guide coming soon!
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