The Point-and-Dropper Rig: Two-Fly Tight-Line Tactics
The two-fly tight-line rig is about strategy, not the leader: which fly rides point, which the dropper, how spacing changes with depth, and when to change depth vs. fly.
The journal · Page 2 of 12
Blog.
River guides, fly selection, and field notes from the South Platte. Written from the water, not a desk.
Page 2
142 posts · page 2 / 12
Best Trout Streamer Rods for Colorado Tailwaters: Six Worth a Look
Six trout streamer rods for Colorado tailwaters, sorted by 6wt vs 7wt, sink-tips, South Park wind and swing weight, plus the upgrade I'd make from my Vice.
The Blue-Line Setup: Gear & Tactics for Small Colorado Creeks
The rod, reel, leader, flies, and on-water tactics I use to fish small Colorado blue-line creeks — short soft glass, dry-dropper rigs, and a stealth game built on moving slow.
Leading vs. Following Your Flies on a Tight Line
Drift control on a tight line: when to lead the rig and meter the pace, when to follow the current, and how to stay in light contact without towing the flies off the bottom.
How to Cast 20 Feet: Why the Short Game Catches More Trout
Most of the trout I catch come inside 30 feet, not on a hero cast. Here's how to be deadly up close — accuracy, drag-beating presentation casts, and tight-quarters tactics.
Sight-Fishing: How I Actually Spot Trout in Clear Water
Half of sight-fishing is just seeing the fish. Here's how I read light, pick lenses, and spot trout on gin-clear South Platte tailwater.
Fly Lines Explained: Weights, Tapers, and the Thing That Actually Casts
Fly line weights, the AFFTA grain system, WF vs DT tapers, and the 'lines run heavy' reality — why the line you choose matters as much as the rod, explained simply.
Leaders and Tippet for Tailwater Trout: The Skinny End of the System
Leader anatomy, the X-rating system, fluoro vs nylon, and the long, light rigs that fool wary trout on Colorado tailwaters like the Dream Stream.
Fly Fishing in Movies & TV: What Hollywood Gets Right (and Hilariously Wrong)
A fly fisher's honest, affectionate roast of fly fishing on screen — from A River Runs Through It to Mending the Line to Yellowstone, and the tropes that make every angler wince.
Reading the Bottom: Where Your Flies Should Be on a Tight Line
Reading water tells you where trout hold; reading the bottom tells you where your flies will tick. Spotting buckets and shelves, then setting weight and tippet to ride the slot.
Are Expensive Fly Rods Worth It? The $300 vs $1,000 Question
An honest breakdown of what separates a $300 fly rod from a $1,000 one — modulus, swing weight, recovery, warranty — and where the money is real versus marketing.
Your Sighter Is an Instrument, Not an Indicator
On a tight line, the sighter isn't a bobber — it's a gauge. Here are the five things my euro sighter reports on the South Platte: contact, angle, depth, speed, and the take.