2 Guys and a River

The Wisconsin Driftless region is known for its small spring creeks and bucolic, dairy-cows-and-old-barns setting. Recently, we escaped from the Chicago ‘burbs for a day to fish one of those creeks called the Blue River, a small stream just west of Madison, Wisconsin. Technically, it was winter, but it felt like spring. The day couldn’t … Continue reading "S2:E38 One Fine Day on the Blue River" The post S2:E38 One Fine Day on the Blue River appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

If you haven’t yet made plans for a fly fishing trip this year, you’ll want to listen to this episode. Our fishing year is typically comprised of a series of short trips and at least one longer trip. We are do-it-your-selfers, so planning is essential. One important element is contingency plans: making sure you have … Continue reading "S2:E37 How to Plan Your Next Fly Fishing Trip" The post S2:E37 How to Plan Your Next Fly Fishing Trip appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Fly fishing physics are always at work if you’re at work on the river. From casting to striking to reeling to mending – the laws of physics won’t be denied. And the better you understand fly fishing physics, the more fish you might catch. Click now to listen to “Fly Fishing Physics 101.” Listen to … Continue reading "S2:E36 Fly Fishing Physics 101" The post S2:E36 Fly Fishing Physics 101 appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Organizing your fly box is generally not a top priority until you’re on the river, scrounging for a size #20 BWO in your fly box, and realize you lost the last one on the previous trip. There are several ways to organize your fly box, depending on the number of flies you have, the different … Continue reading "S2:E35 Organizing Your Fly Box" The post S2:E35 Organizing Your Fly Box appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Fly fishing spring creeks is a snap for those of you who cut your fly fishing teeth on the gorgeous eastern or midwestern creeks of the United States. We didn’t. We learned to fly fish on the freestone rivers in the West. You can imagine the shock to our system when we started fly fishing … Continue reading "S2:E34 Fly Fishing Spring Creeks" The post S2:E34 Fly Fishing Spring Creeks appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Fishing the wild places is one of the great thrills of the sport. Yes, it’s a lollipop if you are well off enough to fly fish Patagonia, Russia, and New Zealand, but there are many wild places near where you fly fish. Something about the chance of fishing the wild places gives us hope. There … Continue reading "S2:E33 Fishing the Wild Places" The post S2:E33 Fishing the Wild Places appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

More money, more vacations, more fly fishing – who doesn’t want more of the good life? In this episode, we deconstruct the fly fishing myths of more – more days on the water, more fish, and more bigger fish. Don’t get us wrong: we both want to fly fish more this year. But the mindset … Continue reading "S2:E32 Fly Fishing Myths of “More”" The post S2:E32 Fly Fishing Myths of “More” appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Nymph fishing tactics can confound beginner fly fishers. If you’re just starting out, you may ask: How many split shot should I use? How far up should the strike indicator be? Why am I snagging on the bottom all the time? Click on “Nymph Fishing Tactics for Beginners and listen to our episode for beginner … Continue reading "S2:E31 Nymph Fishing Tactics for Beginners" The post S2:E31 Nymph Fishing Tactics for Beginners appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Fly fishing expectations for the new year are in the air (or they should be!). We’re ready to make this next year our best ever, as we seek to find ways to get more days on the water. We’re not professional fly fishers or guides, so our days fly fishing will not be legion (we … Continue reading "S2:E30 Fly Fishing Expectations for the New Year" The post S2:E30 Fly Fishing Expectations for the New Year appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Fly fishing lessons do not necessarily involve expense. They’re all about learning, growth, and becoming better at the sport. In this episode, we look back on 2016 and discuss what we learned most from our days on the water. Click now to listen to “This Past Year’s Fly Fishing Lessons” in your browser. Listen to … Continue reading "S2: E29 This Past Year’s Fly Fishing Lessons" The post S2: E29 This Past Year’s Fly Fishing Lessons appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Willow Creek is a gorgeous tailwater stream that flows out of Harrison Reservoir about an hour west of Bozeman, Montana. The willow-thick creek makes its way to the Jefferson River, which eventually flows in the Missouri. This fall, we spent a day fishing streamers on Willow Creek, and it became one of several highlights of … Continue reading "S2:E28 One Fine Day on Willow Creek" The post S2:E28 One Fine Day on Willow Creek appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Catching big fish is no doubt a signal of skill. Then again, it may not be. A 10-year-old on a guided fly fishing trip can hook and crank in the largest rainbow that the guide has ever seen on that stretch of river. That’s not really skill. Or maybe it is: It’s the skill of … Continue reading "S2:E27 The Myths and Truths of Catching Big Fish" The post S2:E27 The Myths and Truths of Catching Big Fish appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Fly fishing satisfaction is situational. And personal. Folks fly fish for many reasons. There’s no single marker of fly fishing satisfaction, with the exception of “catching lots of and big trout.” Click now to listen to “The Markers of Fly Fishing Satisfaction.” Listen to our episode “The Markers Fly Fishing Satisfaction” Great Stuff from Our … Continue reading "S2:E26 The Markers of Fly Fishing Satisfaction" The post S2:E26 The Markers of Fly Fishing Satisfaction appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

A fly fishing buddy (if you can find a good one) can improve your game. You’ll catch more fish. You’ll have to work through the dreary competitive stage, but eventually, you’ll have a partner to shoot the pic of your humongous brown and regale you at dinner about the ones you hooked but lost. Click … Continue reading "S2:E25 Benefits of a Fly Fishing Buddy" The post S2:E25 Benefits of a Fly Fishing Buddy appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.

Fly fishing gear matters. It just does. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive or the brand of choice of the fly fishing literati, but the right fly fishing gear can make a good trip great. In this episode, we discuss our fly fishing gear and how it performed during our most recent trip … Continue reading "S2:E24 Assessing Our Fly Fishing Gear" The post S2:E24 Assessing Our Fly Fishing Gear appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.