Articles in ‘Ask Brook’
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I’m Hooked! Easy, (painless?) hook removal.
First, a disclaimer. Try this stuff at your own risk. I’ve never hooked myself good enough to need any method other than the “pull if out” method of hook removal. However, I have seen articles in fly fishing magazines that describe the “string”… more
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How do you keep flies floating?
I’ve been fly fishing for about six years now and like most folks started keeping flies afloat with generous applications of gel floatant. I moved from Orvis’ brand to Gink and Aquel which I pretty much use interchangeably based upon what’s… more
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I’ve hooked the big fish! Now what?!?!
I’d like to go on record as saying I’ve never hooked a seriously big fish. I don’t fly fish salt (yet) so I have not had a big striper or tarpon rip line off my reel. The largest trout I’ve had in my net was eighteen inches and while he was a fat… more
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Why am I standing where I should be fishing?
A couple of years ago I went on my first guided trip. I was looking to learn nymphing and figured I could run up the learning curve a bit if I hired a guide who was experienced in nymphing. Ross and I hooked up with a guide on the Farmington River… more
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What is a reach cast? Why do I need it? How do I do it?
I’ve needed a reach cast in my casting arsenal for some time. But until recently I’ve not really been able to get the whole thing done in a manner that was effective. A recent video clip I watched from Joan Wulff would have been very helpful a few… more
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What are the best flies for hatchery trout?
With the frigid winds blowing through the woods of New England it’s hard to believe that opening day will be upon us before we know it. As TU members, we certainly do enjoy fishing for wild trout in small streams but there’s also going to be plenty… more
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I’m sick and tired of my day job! How do I become a fly fishing guide?
Well if this isn’t “the” question that you ponder as you sit behind your desk each day then either you have a job that’s better than fishing or you have a wind knot in your imagination. Trading in all this drudgery for the glamorous life of a fly… more
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This is the time of year for small flies. How do I improve my hooksets?
This is the time when small flies are most helpful for catching fish — midge hatch anyone? Midcurrent recently posted some helpful hints on how to improve your chances of hooking fish on these small flies. On small hooks, the hook-up rates goes… more
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Currents are wreaking havoc on my drifts. How do I do this whole mending thing?
There are many fishing situations that you’ll find yourself in when a line mend is not required. But often, a mend is helpful. And in some cases, with complex currents between you and your quarry, they’re absolutely necessary. Recently,… more
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What knots do I need to know?
Brook Reveals the 3 Must-Have Knots — In Brook’s opinion, a fly fisher needs knots that perform three functions: Add Tippit to a leader – if you don’t do this, your 5x leader will quickly become a 3x leader Connect a fly to the tippet… more
