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Trico Spinner Falls in July: The 7 AM Window Every Tailwater Angler Should Plan Around
Fly FishingFly PatternsHatch MatchingTrout FishingRiver FishingSummer Fishing

Trico Spinner Falls in July: The 7 AM Window Every Tailwater Angler Should Plan Around

The Trico spinner fall on July tailwaters runs on the kind of clock you can almost set a watch by. When the air hits 68F over slick water on the Bighorn, Missouri, or South Holston, you get a 90-minute window of size 22 dry fly fishing, then a second act with drowned spinners that almost nobody fishes.

July 10, 2026 10 min read
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Mousing at Night for Big Brown Trout in Summer
Fly FishingAdvanced TechniquesTrout FishingSafetySummer FishingWater Temperature

Mousing at Night for Big Brown Trout in Summer

Mousing at night for big brown trout in summer is the ethical trophy option when daytime water is too warm to fish. Here's when to go, where the big ones hunt, how to work a waking mouse, and how to wade safely in the dark.

July 7, 2026 10 min read
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Hopper Season Setup: The Three-Fly Rig That Replaces Your Dry-Dropper in July
Fly FishingFly PatternsFishing TechniquesTrout FishingRiggingSummer Fishing

Hopper Season Setup: The Three-Fly Rig That Replaces Your Dry-Dropper in July

PMDs are done by mid-July on most freestones, and the dry-dropper that crushed in June starts getting refusals. The fix is a three-fly hopper rig: foam hopper as indicator, weighted jig 3-4 feet down, soft-hackle emerger 18 inches under that. Here's the exact hopper season setup, when to switch, and how to fish banks versus midstream.

July 3, 2026 10 min read
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How to Fly Cast in the Wind: 5 Adjustments That Actually Work (Without a Single Haul Lesson)
Fishing TipsFly FishingSkill DevelopmentFishing TechniquesTrout FishingNymphing

How to Fly Cast in the Wind: 5 Adjustments That Actually Work (Without a Single Haul Lesson)

Most advice on how to fly cast in the wind starts with "learn the double haul." That is useless when you are already in the river. Here are 5 adjustments intermediate anglers can make today, no haul required.

July 2, 2026 10 min read
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How to Fish the PMD Spinner Fall: The Evening Window Most Anglers Miss
Fly FishingFly PatternsHatch MatchingWater ReadingTrout FishingSummer Fishing

How to Fish the PMD Spinner Fall: The Evening Window Most Anglers Miss

The PMD spinner fall happens after most anglers have already broken down their rods. Here's how to read the last 30 minutes of light, find where spent spinners collect, and catch the biggest trout of the day on a rusty spinner pattern.

June 29, 2026 11 min read
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Yellowstone Fly Fishing in June 2026: A Week-by-Week Trip Planning Guide
Fishing PreparationFly Fishing TripsRocky MountainsRegional GuideHatch MatchingTrout Fishing

Yellowstone Fly Fishing in June 2026: A Week-by-Week Trip Planning Guide

Yellowstone fly fishing in June 2026 is a moving target. The freestones are blown, the Firehole is on fire, and every week shifts which river is the right call. Here's the trip-planning view: where to fish each week, where to base, what permits cost, and how to time the salmonfly-to-PMD-to-green-drake handoff.

June 22, 2026 9 min read
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Best Wading Boots 2026: Felt vs Rubber Sole
Fly Fishing GearTrout FishingSafetyConservationWade Fishing

Best Wading Boots 2026: Felt vs Rubber Sole

Picking the best wading boots for 2026 comes down to one decision before brand or price: felt or rubber sole. Here are three verified picks and where each one actually wins.

June 17, 2026 9 min read
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How to Fly Fish From a Drift Boat: A First-Timer's Guide to Your First Guided Float
Fishing PreparationFly FishingFishing TechniquesTrout FishingBeginner GuidesRiver Fishing

How to Fly Fish From a Drift Boat: A First-Timer's Guide to Your First Guided Float

Your first guided float on the Madison, Yellowstone, or Green is mostly about not getting in your guide's way. Here's how to fly fish from a drift boat like you've done it before: where to cast, how to set the hook, which seat to grab, and how much to tip.

June 17, 2026 12 min read
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Yellow Sally and Golden Stonefly Dry-Dropper for June Trout
Fly PatternsFly SelectionHatch MatchingTrout FishingRiggingSummer Fishing

Yellow Sally and Golden Stonefly Dry-Dropper for June Trout

The salmonflies are done. Now what? A rig-by-rig guide to fishing a yellow sally and golden stonefly dry-dropper through late June and July on western freestones, with timing notes for the Madison, Big Hole, Yellowstone, Henry's Fork, and Green.

June 16, 2026 10 min read
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Tributary Mouth Trout Fishing in Summer Heat: Finding Thermal Refuge When Rivers Hit 70°F
Fly FishingLocation StrategyWater ReadingTrout FishingConservationSummer Fishing

Tributary Mouth Trout Fishing in Summer Heat: Finding Thermal Refuge When Rivers Hit 70°F

Once the mainstem creeps past 68 degrees, your trout don't disappear. They pile up at tributary mouths. Here's how to find thermal refuge plumes, fish the mixing zone without cooking the fish, and which feeders to scout in late June before the river goes dire.

June 15, 2026 11 min read
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