Cutthroat trout are the meanest, nastiest, gnarliest trout that ever roamed planet earth! 

Okay, they're not. In fact, they've got a reputation for being kinda easy to catch. 

But cutthroat are so much more than just eager dry fly eaters. They're one of the West's native trout, they're hugely important to some of the most unique ecosystems on earth, and catching them in the high country is one of the sport's greatest experiences. 

This week on Untangled, you'll learn why so many anglers hold the cutthroat in such high regard. From learning all about their life history and exploring their native range, to tips on how to catch them today, you'll end this episode ready to become part of the cutthroat's epic story. 

You'll also learn about: 

• Tips for picking the right rod to use when teaching little kids how to fly fish
• Why are there so many dry flies for sale when most of a fish's diet is subsurface?
• Tips for achieving the perfect mend

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Get the FREE Finding Fish eBook - CHECK IT OUT

Get the FREE Year-Round Hatch Chart - CHECK IT OUT

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

VIDEO - How to Mend Fly Line - CHECK IT OUT

One of the toughest decisions you've gotta make is what fly to tie on, and sometimes, that task feels IMPOSSIBLE! One of the best ways to feel confident about picking flies is to learn as much as you can about the food that fish eat. 

Aquatic insects are a HUGE part of a fish's diet, and caddisflies are a bug that's almost always on the menu. But we don't give caddis the attention they deserve. In fact, most anglers don't know just how important caddis are, or how much they actually matter to trout. 

This week on Untangled, you'll learn all about caddisflies -- what they look like, why fish love 'em so much, and a few of our favorite patterns. This gives you the information you need to go out and give the fish EXACTLY what they wanna eat. 

You'll also learn about: 

• How to tie your dry-dropper rigs so the dropper doesn't slide off your top fly
• Some tips for fishing during spring runoff 
• When and how you should use weightless nymphs (nymphs tied without beads) 

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Get the FREE Year-Round Hatch Chart - CHECK IT OUT

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

VIDEO - How We Fish: Spring Fly Fishing - CHECK IT OUT

Pools - the slow, deep sections in a river - always look so inviting! They're so deep and mysterious, they've just GOTTA hold tons of fish, right? 

Well, they do - but catching fish from these pools ain't always easy. If you're anything like me, you've probably left pools feeling like you could've done better, even if you put a few in the net. 

This week on Untangled, you'll learn how to fish pools. The tips and tactics I'm teaching are the same ones I used when guiding, and that we've taught to thousands of anglers here at VFC. I know they're gonna work for you! 

You'll also learn about: 

• How long to rest fish before casting to them again, if you've fished or waded through the hole before
• Using fast clips (or snap swivels) with flies
• How to tell what weight your fly line is
• The type of wading boots you need for slippery, tough wading conditions 

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Get the FREE Year-Round Hatch Chart - CHECK IT OUT

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

Get the FREE Finding Fish eBook - CHECK IT OUT

RESOURCE - AFFTA Fly Line Weight Chart - CHECK IT OUT

Do you need to use different tactics, flies, and strategies when you're fishing for stocked trout versus wild ones?

We hear a version of that question ALL THE TIME here at VFC, and it makes sense. For a lot of people, the most consistent trout fishing they have easy access to are stocked fish. So, we're taking a deep-dive into the world of stocked and wild fish. We'll look at all the differences between the two -- their appearance, behavior, and the flies and strategies we recommend for them. 

You'll also learn about: 

• How steep the learning curve is in fly fishing, and the two things you should focus on to lessen it 
• Why fish sometimes don't eat caddis dry flies, even if the caddis are swarming in the air above the river
• How many flies you should carry with you for a day of fishing
• What counts as a "caught" fish 

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Get the FREE Rigs & Knots Guide - CHECK IT OUT

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

RESOURCE - Paper about stocking trout - CHECK IT OUT

EBOOK - How to Read Rivers and Find Fish - CHECK IT OUT

VIDEO - Game-changing Presentation Strategies - WATCH IT NOW

VIDEO - Match the Hatch with Caddis Flies - WATCH IT NOW

Catching fish on a dry fly is like MAGIC -- when it actually happens. 

As much fun as dry fly fishing can be, it also presents some unique challenges you have to overcome. You need to find your fly after you cast it, you need to make an accurate cast, and none of that matters if you don't have the right fly in the first place. 

This week on Untangled, Spencer Durrant covers ten of the most important (and frequently asked) dry fly questions we get here at VFC. You'll learn about everything from improving your drift and presentation, to tricks for setting the hook on small flies. 

You'll also learn about: 

• The importance of tapered leaders, and why you NEED these 
• The leader setup Spencer recommends for streamer fishing
• Tips for improving the rigging up process so you can spend more time fishing 

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Get the FREE Year-Round Hatch Chart - CHECK IT OUT

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

Get the FREE Right Fly eBook - CHECK IT OUT

VIDEO - How to Fly Fish with Terrestrials - CHECK IT OUT

Have you ever been casting to a trout that's acting as cantankerous as a toddler who missed his nap? You've tried EVERYTHING, but nothing will get the fish to calm down, eat your fly, and spend a few minutes in your net. 

What do you do in that situation? Pack up and go home? Admit defeat - yet again - to an animal with the brain the size of a strawberry? 

Well, after this week's episode of Untangled, you'll have another trick to try. 

This episode shares ten fly patterns that most anglers overlook. When the chips are down and the fish refuse to cooperate, these are the flies you can turn to. 

You'll also learn about: 

• Sink-tip fly lines, and the best lines to use when fishing streamers in a river
• What to do when you're fishing a dry-dropper rig, but the fish aren't rising very much
• What flies are categorized as mayflies
• Some tips for fishing a dry-dropper rig effectively
• The differences between stocked and wild trout 

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Get the FREE Year-Round Hatch Chart - CHECK IT OUT

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

VIDEO - How We Fly Fish with Nymphs - CHECK IT OUT

VIDEO - Fly Selection Master Class: Mayflies 101 - CHECK IT OUT

PODCAST - Fly Fishing's Most Important Fly - CHECK IT OUT

VIDEO - Fly Selection Master Class - CHECK IT OUT

Brook trout might be the most gorgeous fish on the planet. Sure, they're usually small, and where you find one, you'll often find 300 more -- but they're pretty, and they'll almost always eat a fly. 

But did you know brook trout AREN'T actually a trout? And that in some places in the world, they can grow to well over 10 pounds? 

This week on Untangled, you'll learn all about brook trout. From their life history to a few tricks on finding your own trophy brookie - and some killer fly patterns - this is an episode you don't want to miss! 

You'll also learn: 

• Why you should (or shouldn't) use a strike indicator when fishing with dry flies
• How to approach a run you've already fished, after changing your rig
• Why Spencer never mentions the Royal Coachman or Humpy flies
• The three different types of flies that exist 

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Get the FREE Rigs & Knots Pocket Guide - CHECK IT OUT

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

Get the FREE Right Fly eBook - CHECK IT OUT

VIDEO - VFC Fly Selection Master Class - WATCH NOW

PODCAST - How to Fly Fish on Lakes - CHECK IT OUT

The more you know about aquatic insects, the more fish you'll catch. Aquatic insects are the backbone of a fish's diet, so if you know how their prey acts and behaves, you'll be able to make your fake flies look even more convincing! 

Mayflies are one of the most abundant aquatic insects on the planet, and they're a HUGE part of a trout's diet. This week on Untangled, you'll learn all about what mayflies are, where they hatch, what they look like, what flies to use to imitate them, and how to be successful during a mayfly hatch. 

You'll also learn about: 

• How to dial in the depth of your nymph rig EVERY time 
• What tenkara is and the pros and cons of this style of fishing
• How much the information we talk about on Untangled translates to trout streams across the country 

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Get the FREE Year-Round Hatch Chart - CHECK IT OUT

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

Get the FREE Right Fly eBook - CHECK IT OUT

VIDEO - Set Your Strike Indicator Perfectly - CHECK IT OUT

Riffles are the buffet line of the river. They're jam-packed with both food AND hungry fish, but a TON of anglers just skip this type of water. They think riffles are too shallow to hold fish. This week on Untangled, Spencer Durrant walks you through everything you need to know about riffles. You'll learn how to identify one, WHY fish and bugs hang out in them so much, and how to present your flies in a riffle. 

You'll also learn about: 

• Proper etiquette for fishing on different rivers
• How to put together an effective double-nymph rig
• The differences between stocked and wild trout

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Get the FREE Year-Round Hatch Chart - CHECK IT OUT

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

VIDEO - Finding Fish in Riffles - WATCH HERE

eBOOK - Finding Fish in Rivers - CHECK IT OUT

PODCAST - Complete Guide to Wet Flies - CHECK IT OUT

Rainbow trout are known for their acrobatics, and for growing so big they look like more like a football than a fish. 

You can also catch rainbows in LITERALLY every state in America. 

But how often do you treat rainbows as just an afterthought? We're busy chasing browns, or cutthroat, or brookies, but rainbows don't always get the love they should. And that's a shame, since some of the BEST fish I've ever caught on a fly rod are rainbows! 

This week on Untangled, we're taking a deep dive into rainbow trout. You'll learn about their life cycle, their feeding habits, the flies they like - even the best places in a river to look for them! 

If you want to hook into a big ol' rainbow trout this year, you've gotta listen to this week's show! 

You'll also learn about: 

• How to find new places to go fly fishing, even if you're traveling to somewhere you've never been before 
• Some tips on finding new flies to tie, and materials to tie those flies with
• The value of looking for, and discovering, new places to fly fish, all on your own 

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Get the FREE Rigs & Knots Guide - CHECK IT OUT

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

PODCAST - The Ultimate Guide to Brown Trout - LISTEN HERE

VIDEO - Find Your Own Fly Fishing Spot - CHECK IT OUT