2 Guys And A River

Two-fly combos are a staple for many fly fishers. Whether fishing nymphs or dries, rigging up with two flies (the top fly and the dropper or trailer) often increases the odds of success. This is especially true when fishing nymphs in the spring or fall spawning season. We often will tie on an egg pattern … Continue reading "S2:E49 Our Favorite Two Fly Combos" The post S2:E49 Our Favorite Two Fly Combos appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Canfield Creek is a gorgeous spring creek fishery in southeastern Minnesota. We love fly fishing in the area, because there seems to be less pressure on the creeks than there is in southwestern Wisconsin, which is also part of what is called the Driftless. We live in the Chicago area, so it’s a bit of … Continue reading "S2:E48 One Fine Day on Canfield Creek" The post S2:E48 One Fine Day on Canfield Creek appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Trying to net your son’s first big brown – and causing him to lose the fish – may require psychotherapy for him later in life. We all have a fly fishing net, and we probably use it more or less, depending on the size of fish or where we fish. In this episode on how … Continue reading "S2:E47 Fly Fishing Net Gains and Losses" The post S2:E47 Fly Fishing Net Gains and Losses appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Unlimited fly fishing sounds too good to be true. No doubt, most of us would love an extra couple days each year on the river. But if you had the chance to do unlimited fly fishing would you? The topic raises some great questions about the role of leisure and when it moves from joy … Continue reading "S2:E46 The Limits of Unlimited Fly Fishing" The post S2:E46 The Limits of Unlimited Fly Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Dangerous moments are not always recognized fully in the moment. Several years ago while we fished the Wyoming Bighorn, the temperature dropped 25 degrees in a two-hour period. We drifted the Bighorn while stopping to wet-wade periodically. At the mid-point of the drift, however, we were shivering, unprepared for precipitous drop in temperature. In addition … Continue reading "S2:E45 Our 5 Most Dangerous Moments on the River" The post S2:E45 Our 5 Most Dangerous Moments on the River appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Fly fishing proverbs are everywhere. In conversations at the fly shop. In stories after a big day on the river. And in books from our sport’s great fly fishing legends. In this fun episode, we lift ten fly fishing proverbs from the sayings of some of our great fly fishers and regale each other with … Continue reading "S2:E44 10 Fly Fishing Proverbs for the Soul" The post S2:E44 10 Fly Fishing Proverbs for the Soul appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Casting upstream is the default mode for newer fly fishers. It’s how we are taught: stand in the river or on the bank near the bottom of the run, and cast upstream. And then mend your line as it drifts in the current. That’s certainly one approach. But there are other ways to catch fish … Continue reading "S2:E43 Casting Upstream or Downstream?" The post S2:E43 Casting Upstream or Downstream? appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Fishing emergers during a hatch is not the first thing to come to mind for newer fly fishers. Yet, it can be productive. In this episode, we discuss four reasons to throw on an emerger pattern when a hatch is in full swing. Listen now to “Fishing Emergers During a Hatch” Great Stuff from Our … Continue reading "S2:E42 Fishing Emergers During a Hatch" The post S2:E42 Fishing Emergers During a Hatch appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Taking great fly fishing photos is much easier in an age of Instagram and Snapchat. No matter the apps and technology, though, there are a few principles that can help you up your game. We are not professional photographers, for sure, but in this episode, we offer nine commandments for better fly fishing photos. Through … Continue reading "S2:E41 Better Fly Fishing Photos" The post S2:E41 Better Fly Fishing Photos appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Trout feeding behavior is not an exact science. And yet there are some signals that can help you select which flies to use. In this episode we discuss the four responses of trout when feeding on or near the surface. Listen to The Clues of Trout Feeding Behavior now. Great Stuff from Our Listeners At … Continue reading "S2:E40 Clues of Trout Feeding Behavior" The post S2:E40 Clues of Trout Feeding Behavior appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

A new fly fishing season brings new expenses. It may be finally time to buy a new pair of waders. Or a new duffle bag or a pair of wading sandals. Too bad you didn’t purchase them last fall when some gear went on sale! In this episode, we discuss the new fly fishing season … Continue reading "S2:E39 Gearing Up for a New Fly Fishing Season" The post S2:E39 Gearing Up for a New Fly Fishing Season appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

The Wisconsin Driftless region is known for its small spring creeks and bucolic, dairy-cows-and-old-barns setting. Recently, we escaped from the Chicago ‘burbs for a day to fish one of those creeks called the Blue River, a small stream just west of Madison, Wisconsin. Technically, it was winter, but it felt like spring. The day couldn’t … Continue reading "S2:E38 One Fine Day on the Blue River" The post S2:E38 One Fine Day on the Blue River appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

If you haven’t yet made plans for a fly fishing trip this year, you’ll want to listen to this episode. Our fishing year is typically comprised of a series of short trips and at least one longer trip. We are do-it-your-selfers, so planning is essential. One important element is contingency plans: making sure you have … Continue reading "S2:E37 How to Plan Your Next Fly Fishing Trip" The post S2:E37 How to Plan Your Next Fly Fishing Trip appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Fly fishing physics are always at work if you’re at work on the river. From casting to striking to reeling to mending – the laws of physics won’t be denied. And the better you understand fly fishing physics, the more fish you might catch. Click now to listen to “Fly Fishing Physics 101.” Listen to … Continue reading "S2:E36 Fly Fishing Physics 101" The post S2:E36 Fly Fishing Physics 101 appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Organizing your fly box is generally not a top priority until you’re on the river, scrounging for a size #20 BWO in your fly box, and realize you lost the last one on the previous trip. There are several ways to organize your fly box, depending on the number of flies you have, the different … Continue reading "S2:E35 Organizing Your Fly Box" The post S2:E35 Organizing Your Fly Box appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Fly fishing spring creeks is a snap for those of you who cut your fly fishing teeth on the gorgeous eastern or midwestern creeks of the United States. We didn’t. We learned to fly fish on the freestone rivers in the West. You can imagine the shock to our system when we started fly fishing … Continue reading "S2:E34 Fly Fishing Spring Creeks" The post S2:E34 Fly Fishing Spring Creeks appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Fishing the wild places is one of the great thrills of the sport. Yes, it’s a lollipop if you are well off enough to fly fish Patagonia, Russia, and New Zealand, but there are many wild places near where you fly fish. Something about the chance of fishing the wild places gives us hope. There … Continue reading "S2:E33 Fishing the Wild Places" The post S2:E33 Fishing the Wild Places appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

More money, more vacations, more fly fishing – who doesn’t want more of the good life? In this episode, we deconstruct the fly fishing myths of more – more days on the water, more fish, and more bigger fish. Don’t get us wrong: we both want to fly fish more this year. But the mindset … Continue reading "S2:E32 Fly Fishing Myths of “More”" The post S2:E32 Fly Fishing Myths of “More” appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Nymph fishing tactics can confound beginner fly fishers. If you’re just starting out, you may ask: How many split shot should I use? How far up should the strike indicator be? Why am I snagging on the bottom all the time? Click on “Nymph Fishing Tactics for Beginners and listen to our episode for beginner … Continue reading "S2:E31 Nymph Fishing Tactics for Beginners" The post S2:E31 Nymph Fishing Tactics for Beginners appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Fly fishing expectations for the new year are in the air (or they should be!). We’re ready to make this next year our best ever, as we seek to find ways to get more days on the water. We’re not professional fly fishers or guides, so our days fly fishing will not be legion (we … Continue reading "S2:E30 Fly Fishing Expectations for the New Year" The post S2:E30 Fly Fishing Expectations for the New Year appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.