What It Really Takes To Get Good At Fly Fishing — From A Guy Who Fishes 200 Days A Year | Ep. 195

You can catch just about anything on a fly rod — pike, bass, carp, bluegill, escaped aquarium fish in Florida, and even gar! Everyone talks about how fun these fish are to catch, but for most anglers, trips for permit, tarpon, salmon, dorado, and the like, are out of reach. The travel and cost makes them tough for an average angler to do more than dream about. But there's one fish that checks a lot of the same boxes those exotic fish do. This fish grows to ENORMOUS sizes. It fights like an angry toddler pulling you back to the candy aisle at the grocery store. And this fish isn't always easy to catch. And here's the best part — for a lot of us, they're just a short drive and hike away, swimming in thousands of lakes across the country. Today on Untangled, I'll tell you what this fish is, why I've fallen in love with chasing them, and how you can catch one all on your own. You'll also learn about: The differences between wet flies and soft hackles When and why to fish a wet fly or soft hackle fly Tips for finding water that's less pressured, but still has trout in it Spencer's thoughts on tight-line nymphing LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Everyone says that if you're gonna catch big fish, you gotta fish big flies. And big flies usually means tossing streamers! So you grab a woolly bugger, or maybe a meat whistle, or if you're feeling like living on the edge, a slumpbuster. You head off to the river, start tossing these flies in spots that look promising, and BAM — something freight trains your fly like it owes it money. This is when things fall apart. You're so excited to hook something on a streamer, and your immediate instinct is to fall back on how you were taught to set the hook — hold the line tight and raise the rod tip! The only problem is, that's exactly the WRONG WAY to set the hook when fishing with streamers. So today on Untangled, we'll go over the correct technique for setting the hook, and some other tips for getting the most out of fishing with streamers. LINKS FROM THE SHOW Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE #LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

Sometimes, the biggest fish in the river are caught on the tiniest of flies. And we're not talking size 18 or 20 flies, either - think stuff as small as 26, 28, and even 30! Today on Untangled, Spencer is joined by his longtime friend and dry fly expert Ryan McCullough, for another installment of the Everyday Angler series, which features conversations with anglers across the fly fishing world who don't always get a voice in the industry. Ryan is one of Spencer's fly fishing mentors, and the person Spencer credits with getting him addicted to fishing dry flies. LINKS FROM THE SHOW VFC Field Guide - Get a free copy here! Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE #LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

My daughter is almost a year and a half old. And don't worry — she's not some sort of prodigy who's already casting a fly rod. She's as stubborn as her dad, but thankfully as adorable as her mom, and just as sweet. I know she's way too young to really remember some time on the water, and she's certainly nowhere near being let loose with a fly rod. But if there's one thing I've learned since becoming a dad, it's how much fun it is to share things you love with your kid. So earlier this summer, I loaded my daughter into the truck and we set off for my old stomping grounds — the same creek where I spent all my growing-up years. My daughter might not remember this day, but I know I'll never forget it. LINKS FROM THE SHOW Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE #LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE Get the FREE Field Guide - CHECK IT OUT

After 200 episodes of Untangled, we decided it was time -- for a LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE! We opened the doors to 20 fans of VFC and spent the night telling stories, answering questions, and sharing those Live Reel Life moments that keep us coming back to the water. Everyone in attendance had the chance to ask their fly fishing questions to Alex and Spencer live, getting real-time feedback for the problems they're currently facing. Some of those include: What to do when no bugs are hatching How to plan trips around catching a specific kind of trout Whether fly choice or presentation is more important How to mend fly line This is an episode you can't afford to miss! LINKS FROM THE SHOW VFC Field Guide - GET A FREE ONE HERE GEAR - Hats - CHECK THEM OUT GEAR - T-Shirts - CHECK THEM OUT GEAR - Fly Rods - CHECK THEM OUT Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE #LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE