Big Y Fly Fishing Blog

Beyond the Dry Fly: Understanding Caddis Below the Surface For many fly anglers, caddis season means one thing: tying on an Elk Hair Caddis and waiting for trout to start rising. Few sights in fly fishing are more exciting than a fish charging across the current to crush a skittering...

The salmonfly hatch is one of the most anticipated events of the year. Big bugs, aggressive eats, and fish looking up all day—it’s what many anglers wait for all winter. But the anglers who consistently do well aren’t just showing up when the hatch starts. They’re prepared well before the first bug crawls out.

Spring is one of the most productive—and often overlooked—times to fish stillwaters. As ice comes off and water temps begin to rise, trout transition from winter lethargy into active feeding modes. The key is understanding where they are in the water column and how they’re feeding.

Here are three techniques that consistently produce in spring.

Winter trout fishing gets a reputation for being “hard,” but the truth is a little more nuanced. The fish don’t become smarter, trickier, or impossible—they just feed less often and in shorter windows. Once you understand why and adjust your tactics, winter can be one of the most peaceful, rewarding times to be on the water.

Below is a friendly, practical guide to getting started (or motivated) for winter trout fishing

Fly fishing knots can feel overwhelming. Every book, blog, or YouTube video seems to recommend something different, and many beginners assume they need to memorize a dozen knots just to get started.  Fly fishermen LOVE to overthink fly fishing.  In reality, fly fishing is pretty simple and pretty easy.

If there’s one part of fly fishing that confuses almost every beginner, it’s leader and tippet sizes. What does 5X mean? Why are leaders different lengths? Do I need fluorocarbon? It can feel like a secret code — but the good news is that once you learn the basics, it all becomes simple and consistent.

This guide breaks down exactly what leader and tippet are, how X-sizing works, how long your leader should be, and how to choose the right setup for the fishing you’re doing.

How Do I Cast a Fly Rod? A Beginner’s Guide to Fly Casting Basics Learning to cast a fly rod is one of the most rewarding parts of fly fishing. It looks elegant when done well, but don’t let that intimidate you—fly casting is simply a set of smooth, repeatable...

Fly fishing can look intimidating from the outside — all the fancy casts, long leaders, and mysterious bug names. But the truth? It’s one of the most enjoyable, beginner-friendly ways to get outside, unwind, and catch fish. You don’t need expensive gear. You don’t need elite casting skills. You just need a few basics and a willingness to try something new.

If you’ve ever walked past a river and seen someone making long, elegant loops of line through the air, you’ve witnessed fly fishing—the art-forward, sometimes frustrating, often addicting cousin of conventional fishing. But what actually is fly fishing, and why does it look so different from the bobbers-and-worms approach most folks grew up with?

Dry Fly vs. Nymph: How to Choose the Right One for the Day Fly fishing gives you endless options—but when it comes to dry flies vs. nymphs, the choice can make or break your day on the water. Dry flies offer visual excitement and surface strikes, while nymphs will consistently...

There is a strange group of anglers that prefers fishing in the worst conditions.  Wind, snow, rain, sleet, all in the depths of winter.  No one ever describe the Washington Coast as pleasant in the winter, yet a dedicated group of anglers descends upon the Pacific Northwest every winter looking...

Using a two-handed (spey or switch) rod to catch steelhead is one of the most enjoyable ways to spend some time on the water.  The biggest hurdle for folks is that the setups are confusing.  We will show you the three most common setups for two-handed steelhead fishing.  Rods We...