A rosy cheeked rainbow caught by Nate K.The grainy footage was captured on our family’s shoulder-mounted Panasonic Camcorder, technology so old that its probably come back into style with the kids wearing tight jeans and ironic mustaches. Hopping next to a pond on that Smoky Mountain morning, a towheaded kid fills the frame as [...]
The question was first voiced several hundred years ago when the grandfather of fly fishing pulled the first roughly-tied fly from the jaws of his primitive vice and mused, “Now what is this fly supposed to imitate and when should I fish it?” Echoing across the centuries, this same question can still be heard [...]
Photo by Mark Jessop of Troutfin Studio“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of 100 battles…” Sun Tzu, The Art of WarWhat is fly fishing if not a childlike game of war? We maneuver and position, count off our successful campaigns in [...]
(This article is a follow up to a previous article titled “Take a Moment and PAUSE” published first in July of 2016 and describing the 5 places around and in the river to identify what foods trout are most likely eating. If you haven’t read that article, take a moment to do so on [...]
Photo credit to Mark Jessop of Troutfin StudiosOften times, the angler who catches the most fish is the one who can best detect and swiftly respond to the lightning quick strikes or subtle takes of trout as they sip a passing fly from the current. The trout we pursue on the fly are a [...]
“No man steps into the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” Heraclitus 535 – 475 BC It is a quote that both excites and haunts me. Read one way, this quote can speak to the life-transforming power of the [...]
Tying into a big trout can be like jumping out of the gates on the back of a rodeo bull. White knuckles wrap around the cork of our rod as we hold on for dear life as the battle commences. Sown into every fiber of the trout’s body and reinforced over thousands of [...]
Photo by: Mark JessopFor many of us, “Keep your rod tip up!” summarized the entirety of our instruction in how to fight and land fish. In my youth, I would snap to Marine-like attention as this familiar call would fire across the river, and redouble the bend of my rod while straining against the fish [...]
The importance of the mayfly in the diet of trout cannot be overstated. In my work as an aquatic biologist studying and sampling trout waters across country, I've seen populations of Blue Winged Olive mayfly nymphs crowding Rocky Mountain streams topping numbers of 1,200 nymphs per square meter, slow moving herds of green drake [...]
Ascent Fly Guides redefines the fly fishing experience by blending expert guiding with the art of unreasonable hospitality. Our passionate, skilled guides do more than lead you to the fish—they welcome you into an unforgettable journey.
Are you tired of guessing which flies to buy at the shop or fish on the water? Join aquatic biologist Peter Stitcher and learn to Match the Hatch like a pro.
There is a reason that the most productive fly fishers in the world all Euro nymph. Join one of Ascent's Euro Nymphing Clinics and learn the technique to use these tungsten nymphs like a pro.
Three hours learning from one of our expert guides can save you three years of trying to learn on your own. Learn about the gear, stream safety, reading the water, basic entomology and matching the hatch, casting, and how to hook and land fish.
