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I realise that you only need about 5 or 10 fly patterns but I just love them so much, I have hundreds, many of my fathers, and some of my grandfathers, who started just after WW1, enjoy the sport and safeguard your waters. All the best from the U.K.

The funny thing is that euro nymphing is vastly easier than traditional fly fishing. It simply opens up more tactics to optimize your drift and makes them more effective.

Great Stuff!  I recently found your channel and have enjoyed it immensely.  I  endorse EVERYTHING that you say here.  I have been fly fishing for about 60 years.  For a few years, I was obsessed with “matching the hatch.”  To a certain extent, it was fun.  I had to learn a lot about entomology.  And, that has paid off for me.  I carried dozens of different patterns in different sizes and colors every time -- even though I realized that I wasn’t going to use 96% of the flies in my vast, hoarder’s collection on any particular day.  Instead of organizing my flies into the flies that I would actually use on a particular day at a particular time of year, I simply lugged them all along with me every time.  Then, through experience, I began to wise up.  I gradually began to realize that I don’t need to match the hatch precisely.  In fact, I began to realize that I only need about 25 to 30 flies, many of the same type, in different sizes.  I found that I caught just as many fish without the “paralysis of analysis,” which greatly enhanced my enjoyment.  I am now a committed “minimalist.”

As for rods, I will admit that I have been a collector of expensive rods from Winston, Sage, and Orvis.  And, while I do enjoy fishing them, I have come to understand that the rod is probably the Second LEAST IMPORTANT part of fishing.  And the LEAST IMPORTANT piece of gear is the reel.  And, yes, I actually fish with $800 to $1000 dollar reels.  I enjoy fishing them.  But, the truth is, I do not need these.  I have found many $100 to $300 dollar reels that are perfectly fine, made by reputable companies, such as Orvis.  But, these reels aren’t CHEAPLY made.  And, there is a huge difference between CHEAP and INEXPENSIVE.  

The MOST IMPORTANT elements in catching fish, in order of importance, are the following:
1.) Fly (size, shape, and color – IN THAT ORDER)
2.) Presentation (maybe tied with number one.)
3.) The Leader/Tippet
4.)  The Line (Don’t go cheap on this.  High quality lines actually do make a difference in my humble opinion.)

Waders:  They will ALL leak after a couple of years – depending on how much you fish and the terrain that you cover during your expeditions.  As is my nature, I was sucked into buying expensive waders for several years.  But, I have found that the $300 dollar waders hold up almost as well as the $900 dollar models.  The important thing to consider is CUSTOMER SERVICE when they inevitably do leak.  Orvis is TOP NOTCH in this department.

So, you don’t need to break the bank.  Keep It Simple.  Don’t over think it.  Now, go catch some fish, and have FUN!

Excellent episode. I think the biggest thing I've learned from fishing as much as possible the past few years is to find the ways you enjoy fishing best and then hone your skills. Swinging flies and dry droppers plus streamers here and there are my favorite ways to fish. So that's what I do! Perhaps I'd catch more and bigger tight lining and indicator nymphing (I do both when it's called for) but I fish for enjoyment rather than sheer numbers and inches. I catch enough and big enough here in NorCal to be truly grateful. Thank you Spencer! And hit some honey lemon tea. We need you!!!

you guys are doing a spectacular job. keep up the good work! btw, the small fish / big fish wing-eating analogy had me laughing out loud. 😂🎣

Love the videos and podcasts. I look forward to them each week. I also love watching your master classes.

Great show as usual 👍😎

We love you Spencer!!!!!

I always enjoy your videos...look forward to them each week. I would like to see more of the location videos, those are my favorites. Thank you.  Plm

I live in Texas, and there aren’t any trout near me, but I travel for work across all the lower 48 states. This trip was the first time I could actually fly fish. Caught me an 18 inch rainbow off a wooly bugger in Nevada. I’ve caught bigger fish off of regular rods, but this rainbow on the fly rod was definitely the most fun I’ve had fishing. Still new, and got a lot more to learn.

What a great resource. I really appreciate this channel. It gets me excited to go fish, and try new things on the water.

Very nice straightforward video.  Btw, I never heard the phrase "on the fly" used this way...😊

Most of my flies I found at yard sale. One of my rod and reels came from Walmart (typical 5/6) and one came from my uncle when he passed at 85 years old. Point being I catch fish with all of it and have a blast doing it.

When I started listening to this video, it reminded me of a conversation that I had with my first guide which I hired for an out of state flyfishing trip. I was new and was telling him about all the gear/equipment that I had purchased to start flyfishing. He said, “It appears that you have Gear Acquisition Syndrome, otherwise known as GAS!”

New to the channel and to fly fishing, been out to kern and San Gabriel River to hone my skills but still haven’t caught anything 😂 still can’t wait to get back out and give it another go. I listen to every podcast try my best to do it right keep up the great work 🙏

This is encouraging. I started a year ago with a pretty inexpensive set up and have been practicing my cast like crazy and fishing here in the az desert for anything that will bite what ive tied on and ive been having a blast. Cant wait to put a little more time up at the trout streams

I’ve been exclusively fly fishing for about a year and a half, but would say I have spent so much of my free time doing it year round, that I’d consider myself to have at least five years of experience.  

I’ve caught hundreds possibly over a thousand fish in that time.  I have two inexpensive Aventik 3wt Rod reel combos that cost 80 bucks.  I also have an Okuma 5et rod I picked up for 60 bucks paired with an old Orvis Battenkil click pawl that my father gave me.

These setups have been more than capable and reliable.  The two things I have learned are worth spending money on are the line and the flies.   I use 120dollar Scientific Anglers amplitude textured line.   So my line cost 1 and a half times my entire rod/reel.  However, if you haven’t honed your casting technique you won’t notice the difference.  I imagine the same thing applies to expensive rods.  

Practice casting on the water, and around obstacles, and spend as much time on the water fishing as you can, and you’ll begin to learn where and when to cast.  That will yield more fish than a pair of waders.

It always cracks me up when I see people at the creek in 95 degree weather wearing full waders/boots, etc., and standing on the bank sending horrible casts that turn into horrible drifts.

I use an old military sling bag to hold the essentials: drying agent en floatant, tippets, indicators, hemostats, leaders, fly box, nippers, water and the net with magnet clip hangin on the side. I dry my used flies by poking them onto my rope cap, wet wade with cheap and lightweight trekking shoes and zip off pants which saves drying time for the next days fishing. I fly fish for my enjoyment and the surroundings are a part of that. I don't live in a country with rocky streams in forests or mountains, we don't even have trout here. I can drive for a few hours to the next country over and stand in a stream between forested hills and see wild beavers and trout. I pack up my motorcycle with a tent,clothes and the fly fishing kit I mentioned and I enjoy just being there. You don't need more gear than you use, you don't need to learn to streamer fish for pike if you want to dry fly for trout. It's a hobby not a competition so go out there and enjoy yourself and don't let gear stop you.

love it! All the best from Denmark