Just because you can see the trout, doesn’t mean they’re always easy to catch. Some days, the trout will make you want to pull your hair out as you painfully watch your flies ignored over and over, as they drift within inches of the trout you’re sight-fishing to. Below are a few tips to help fly anglers catch more shallow water trout while sight-fishing.

Invertebrates do not necessarily swim or drift upright in the water column.  this has been witnessed during various biology/ entomology studies. Thus, trout rarely see a view of an upright mayfly, stonefly, or caddisfly drifting toward them with their wing case shown in perfect balance.

So why use Jig hooks? This excerpt from an article penned by Lance Egan explains it well! Lance Egan has designed and tied many flies readily available in most fly shops globally.

Mayflies are the only insects to metamorphose a second time after gaining functional wings. Firstly from nymph to a winged, dull coloured sub imago, known to fisherman as the "dun", secondly shedding the entire skin to reveal the shiny imago, known to fishermen as the "spinner".

Caddisfly larvae occur in a wide range of habitats from fast flowing mountain streams and gently flowing lowland creeks to freshwater ponds, dams, lakes and reservoirs. Slower, warmer, less oxygenated waters with loose sandy or silty substrata tend to have a lower species diversity.

It’s all about the cast. Dry fly fishing requires precise, controlled casting and a near perfect turnover of your leader and tippet on to the water. Trout seem to have a 6th sense in some rivers!

The first thing to consider is the weight of the fly line which is the nuts and bolts of casting, essentially the unloading of energy stored in a bent rod and then transmitted through the line.

Euro nymphing techniques offer the angler the ability to see more takes, and the overall behaviour of feeding trout.

So go on adventure, its all about the journey and when doing so, don’t forget all the reasons behind your previous successes on that familiar water. Carry that knowledge with you on all your new adventures and you will very quickly feel more confident, using that former success as criteria for decision making when looking at that unknown river, creek or stream.

So you want to tie flies? Good! It is a great hobby! A my personal favorite of mine. Like any other hobby, skill comes with experience and experience comes from doing it and making mistakes, there’s no rules in fly tying so get creative and have a go.

magine a world where you need to get a fly down to the fish, but all you have is a floating fly line. In that world, the perfect solution would be our Sonar Sinking Leaders. Luckily for you, we live in such a world.

The best thing about still water fly fishing in my opinion is the unpredictability in the behaviour of trout and often their food selectivity, more so the unintentional ability to often confuse the fisherman completely!

Taking the standard fly line out of the equation is the first order of business for contact nymphing tactics, line sag equals drag, and drag is death to a dead drift. The leader is a huge part of the Euro setup and getting it right is key.

Many fly fisherman swear by certain colour selections, whether you’re fishing for Trout, Kingfish or Murray Cod its seems every has their choice of colours. For me having a science background (M.Sc Physics from UNSW), I dont have a favourite colour or two, I select my fly colours based on the science and it works.

A brief universal tutorial about the selection of rods weight to suit both conditions and size of targeted fish.

Author: Franta Hanak owner of Hanak Competition.

The epitome of modern luxury, our beautifully proportioned chalets are light, airy and expansive spaces where you can retreat from daily life and fully absorb the natural surroundings.

Cory is a well rounded fly fisherman, and his YouTube channel: Old Dominion Trout Bum, highlights his experiences on the water.

Euro Fly selection is all about weight (sink rate) and size rather than having numerous different patterns in your fly box.

Reel Fly Fishing purchase operational equipment and terminal tackle form Compleat Angler Sydney.

Simply put they are the best in the business.

These rods were designed, continuously tested and refined to perfection by Luboš Roza, one of the best competition fly fishermen in the world (a multiple World and European Championship winner) in close cooperation with František Hanák, an expert in targeting trophy fish.