Untangled: Fly Fishing For Everyone | Ventures Fly Co. — Podcast

The Biggest Lie in Fly Fishing — There's No "Right" Way to Fish | Ep. 182 03.06.2026 43Min.

The biggest lie in fly fishing is that there's an exactly-perfect, foolproof, never-fail method to fish every piece of water, and that if you study or learn enough, you'll never get skunked. Here's the truth -- great anglers still get skunked, or at the very least, have TOUGH days on the water. But one skill they've mastered? The ability to sift through the advice that's out there, and learn how to apply it to their unique situations. On today's episode of Untangled, that's exactly what you'll learn. You'll get advice on how to implement fly fishing advice so you actually see results on the water. You'll also learn about: Whether mink eat trout, and how much impact mink predation can have on trout populations The knot we prefer to use for 99% of fishing here at VFC Why the knot you use DOESN'T really matter How to pick flies to use based on where you're going fishing 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 GEAR - Ultimate Fly Collection from VFC - CHECK IT OUT RESOURCE - The Study on Mink Predation - CHECK IT OUT

Untangled Fly Fishing Report | June 2026 01.06.2026 17Min.

June usually means high water, big bugs, happy fish, and the first days that are warm enough to think about wet wading. June's also the first month when some of the high country starts opening up, which means your favorite small streams and ponds are just a hike away. The most challenging thing about June fishing, though, is navigating the high water and finding the fish. Once you know what to look for, though, you can have some fantastic days out there. So, today on Untangled, we'll take a look at all the key info you need to know to have great days on the water this June. LINKS FROM THE SHOW Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE #LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE FLIES - Get the 3-Packs From VFC - CHECK THEM OUT Get the FREE Field Guide - CHECK IT OUT FLIES TO USE IN JUNE Parachute Adams, sizes 10-18 Parachute PMD, size 14 Green Drakes, size 10 Trusty Rusty, size 12 Last Chance Cripple, sizes 12-16 Sparkle Dun, sizes 16-20 Frenchie, sizes 14-18 Crackback, sizes 14-18 Elk Hair Caddis, sizes 14-18 Puff Caddis, size 14 Half-baked caddis, sizes 14-18 Hare's Ear, sizes 14-18 CDA Caddis, size 14 Stimulator, sizes 12-14 Yellow Sally, size 14 Prince Nymph, sizes 12-16 CDC Pheasant Tail, sizes 12-16 Pat's Rubberlegs, sizes 10-12 Royal Flush, size 12 Golden Stone nymph, sizes 12-14 Sow Bugs, sizes 14-18 Zebra Midges, sizes 14-18 Demon Midge, sizes 16-18 Perdigons, size 14-16

The Only 10 Flies You'll Ever Really Need | Ep. 181 27.05.2026 43Min.

How many flies do you have in your box right now? A few dozen? A few hundred? More than a thousand? Yeah, it's great to have a lot of flies on hand - but that many choices makes it easy to overthink your fly selection. That can lead to you switching flies too often, when the real reason you're not catching fish has to do with your presentation. So, today on Untangled, you'll learn a bit more about why it's a good idea to pare down your fly selection, and the 10 fly patterns you could catch 90% of trout with. You'll also learn about: How long flies should last before they fall apart Whether you should focus on fishing other types of flies (nymphs and streamers) during a hatch How to fish deep on a lake without sinking fly line 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 Year-Round Hatch Chart - CHECK IT OUT

The Most Valuable Fly Fishing Skill | Tip of the Week #10 25.05.2026 22Min.

What's keeping you from having consistent, repeatable success on the water? From fishing with the same sort of confidence you see guides approach it with, or anglers who've been fishing for decades. Is it really just time and honing a bunch of technical skills, like casting, or fly selection? That stuff helps. But the best anglers I know — the ones I say I wanna be like when I grow up — aren't necessarily the best casters, and NONE of them can tell you the latin name of every bug on the water. What they all have in common is simple — they're incredible at watching the water, and using what they see to inform how they tackle any given situation. More than anything, this is the skill that separates good from great anglers. Today on Untangled, I'll walk you through why this is so important, and how mastering the art of watching and waiting will make you a noticeably more successful angler. 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

The Bass Lessons That'll Make You a Better Trout Angler | Ep. 180 20.05.2026 1Std. 18Min.

Trout aren't the only fish to catch on a fly rod. From bass and pike to panfish and tarpon, there's almost no end to the critters you can catch with this style of fly fishing. Doing something so different from what you're used to, though, will definitely throw you for a loop - just like it did to Alex and Spencer. They just went on a trip to Florida for some bass fishing, and got some time in on the salt as well. What they learned made them realize just how much there is about fly fishing they don't know. And perhaps most surprising were all the lessons they observed that can help you be a better angler, no matter what you fish for. You'll also learn about: Tips for targeting bass on the fly How to cast streamers with sink-tip lines How to fish high, dirty water that you often get in runoff season Whether you should add floatant to cripples How flow rates and water temperatures impact fish behavior The aspect to change first when trying to match the hatch: size, shape, or color Whether fish see the blue light spectrum, and the impact that has on fly choice 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

Every Angler Has A Lake Like This | Fly Fishing Stories #6 18.05.2026 19Min.

You hear stories about some fisheries that are supposed to be excellent. Since you don't want to miss out on great fishing, and you figure that many people who talk up a spot can't be wrong about it, you plan a day to go see it. Then you make the trip there — whether it's a long drive, a hike, or both — and you can't quite figure out what all the fuss was for. Either you get skunked, you don't see many fish, or the fish you DO see feel impossible to catch. Well, maybe that was just a bad day. Every fishery has 'em. So the next time you go, you go with a friend who's fished it before, and he pulls out a pair of 24-inch fish, while you're left picking your flies out of trees and wondering why you gave up a Saturday of good college football for this. Spots like this tend to stick under your skin, to stay with you until you either figure them out, or the memory fades enough that you can quietly shuffle it into the bin of character-building experiences you don't want to go through again. There's one lake like this that I've fished for the better part of two decades, and against all my better judgement, I'm itching to go back this summer. It feels like unfinished business, but if I'm being honest, it's probably more about wounded pride. Still — there's a lot to learn from places like this. I bet you'll pick up a few of the lessons far quicker than I did. LINKS FROM THE SHOW Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT Get the FREE Field Guide - CHECK IT OUT GEAR - Shop the VFC Fly Collections - CHECK THEM OUT

Everything I Wish I Knew My First Year Of Fly Fishing | Ep. 179 13.05.2026 48Min.

What information do you ACTUALLY need to know if you're getting started in fly fishing? What's going to help you improve, and what's just going to add to the noise? Well, there are a lot of opinions on this topic. This week on Untangled, Spencer Durrant shares the 5 things he wishes he knew when he started fly fishing, A LONG time ago. You'll also learn about: Why and when you need to fish really small flies Why you should focus more on presentation than fly selection What wet flies are and how they're used Some tips on fishing streamers in runoff Why you shouldn't overthink technique 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 PODCAST - Wet Flies Explained - WATCH IT NOW

How To Cast Better In The Wind | Tip of the Week #9 11.05.2026 20Min.

When the wind picks up and you suddenly can't land your flies right where you want them anymore, what do you do? If you're anything like me, you probably make a few classic mistakes that are actively harming your ability to fly cast in the wind. Today on Untangled, you'll learn about the 3 big mistakes to avoid, and the things you should do instead, to battle the wind when it inevitably shows up. LINKS FROM THE SHOW Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT Get the FREE Field Guide - CHECK IT OUT GEAR - Shop the VFC Fly Collections - CHECK THEM OUT

Split Shot Is Killing Your Nymphing Game | Ep. 178 06.05.2026 36Min.

I used to HATE fishing with nymphs. What bugged me the most was dealing with split shot - taking it off, or putting it on my rig. You've gotta get those tiny slits in the shot lined up with your tippet, then crimp it down, and NOT drop it all in the river. It's not fun to cast with, either. The biggest problem is how much split shot actually effects your ability to feel what your flies are doing, and how they're drifting. By ditching split shot, you gain a TON of feedback and control over your rig. That means more fish in the net. Today on Untangled, you'll learn how to get your flies down deep without split shot, and why it's actively harming your nymphing game. You'll also learn about: Why you should put your own spin on fly patterns, if you tie your own flies Why a 6-weight rod is ideal for sink-tip lines and streamers How to spot the bugs when fish are rising, so you can accurately match the hatch 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 Pocket Nymphing Guide - CHECK IT OUT

Untangled Fly Fishing Report: May 2026 04.05.2026 23Min.

Get your dry fly rod ready, because May means some of the best hatches you'll see all year! In this month's fly fishing report, you'll leran all about the bugs that will hatch in May, the flies we recommend for imitating them, and a couple of pro tips for making the most of fishing before runoff hits. LINKS FROM THE SHOW Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT Get the FREE Field Guide - CHECK IT OUT GEAR - Shop the VFC Fly Collections - CHECK THEM OUT Recommended Fly Patterns Parachute Adams Parachute Purple Haze Blue Dun, Green Drake Parachute Trusty Rusty Parachute PMD Parachute BWO Sparkle Dun Klinkhammer Last Chance Cripple Hare's Ear Frenchies Gunslinger Crackback Puff caddis Elk hair caddis Missing link Foam caddis Pheasant tail CDA caddis Peeping caddis Griffiths Gnat Matt's Midge Zebra Midge WD40 Demon Midges Royal Flush Golden Stone 20-incher stone Pat's Rubberlegs

Caddis Hatch Tactics That Catch More Fish | Ep. 177 29.04.2026 48Min.

The caddis hatch sometimes get overlooked in all our excitement over mayflies and stoneflies, especially early in the season. But caddis hatches stay consistent throughout the summer, and they only become more important for trout as the season stretches on. Plus, the first big caddis hatch of the year can be an absolute blast if you hit it right. This week on Untangled, we'll take a detailed look at the caddis hatch: when these bugs start getting active, their lifecycle and behavior, and the flies we recommend for a successful day out on the water. 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 Shop The VFC 3-Packs - CHECK THEM OUT

Trout Were CRUSHING Flies Off The Ice | Fly Fishing Stories #5 27.04.2026 29Min.

If you really want to grow as an angler, sometimes that means you'll need to make some hard choices. You'll need to push yourself to try stuff you may not want to, or you'll have to find a way to power through the days on the water that, frankly, make you want to give up. On the other side of those hard times is the great fishing we always hear stories about. And in today's episode of Fly Fishing Stories, Spencer Durrant shares the tale of the day when he did just that - pushed through the bad weather and questionable conditions, and came out on the other side with an unforgettable day. LINKS FROM THE SHOW Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

The Best Time to Fly Fish Lakes (Nobody Talks About This) | Ep. 176 22.04.2026 40Min.

Ice-off is a magical time: it's when some of the biggest trout in any body of water come within easy casting distance of shore. That means it's one of the best times of year for you to tie into what could be your new personal best trout on a fly rod! So, to take advantage of this great fishing, this week's episode of Untangled is a deep-dive into all things ice-off fly fishing: why it's so productive, tactics to find and hook fish, as well as advice on gear and flies. You'll also learn about: How to find new places to fly fish The value of fishing water that gets a lot of pressure How and why the tips we talk about on Untangled apply to other regions of the country, not just the Rockies The best use cases for a 7wt rod How to effectively fish nymphs in lakes and rivers 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 Rigs & Knots Pocket Guide - CHECK IT OUT

How To Quit Guessing Where Fish Are | Tip of the Week #8 20.04.2026 21Min.

Alright, let's be honest for a sec — how often do you feel like you're catching fish more out of luck than skill? I remember feeling that way all the time when I started fly fishing. Honestly, that feeling didn't stop until I learned this one valuable lesson: if you pay attention to WHERE you catch fish, and not just what fly they ate, finding and catching fish really starts to click. It feels like something you're doing more on purpose, and less by good luck. Today on Untangled, I'll explain why paying attention to WHERE you catch fish is so important, and how it can help you have more predictable, repeatable success on the water. LINKS FROM THE SHOW Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT Get the FREE VFC Field Guide - CHECK IT OUT

Do Fly Patterns Really Matter? | Ep. 175 15.04.2026 1Std. 4Min.

How much does the pattern you pick matter for your success on the water? Is there an EXACT PERFECT FLY that'll work amazing in one situation, and if you don't pick it, you won't have as much success as you could've? Probably. But here's the thing - fly selection doesn't really matter that much. HOW you present that fly is what makes the most difference. To put this theory to the test, we spent an entire day fishing for four different trout species (browns, rainbows, cutthroat, and brookies) but we could only use 2 flies the whole day. No changing sizes, colors, or anything like that. We were locked in to the patterns we picked that morning. What we learned was just how much presentation matters to your success on the water. Today, Alex Stulce and Spencer Durrantn share the lessons they learned from this challenge, and how it can help you succeed on the water as well. You'll also learn about: Oversizing and undersizing the line on your fly reel How many state annual licenses Spencer and Alex have The one fly in Spencer and Alex's boxes that they consistently underutilize Some tips for teaching new anglers so they can find success on the water How to spot rising trout without spooking them How long Spencer and Alex like to fish certain stretches of river before moving on The merits of various knots LINKS FROM THE SHOW Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE #LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE VIDEO - Watch the Grand Slam How We Fish - CHECK IT OUT

The Best Mayfly Hatch Of All Time | Fly Fishing Stories #4 13.04.2026 20Min.

Have you ever fished in a hatch that feels like the stories we hear, usually from the old-timers, about the days when fish ate from a never-ending buffet of bugs? Where, if you're in the right place at the right time, you can catch fish until your arms fall off? I've had that opportunity once - and this is the story of the greatest mayfly hatch I've ever seen. LINKS FROM THE SHOW Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

The Pros & Cons of Indicator Nymphing | Ep. 174 08.04.2026 41Min.

There's about a million different ways to rig up a nymph rig. From indicators and drop-shot styles, to tight-lining it, or throwing a dry-dropper, how do you know which method is the best? Well, that depends on your situation, BUT - indicator nymphing is BY FAR the most versatile way to put flies in front of fish, and make them look real. So, today on Untangled, we're looking at the pros and cons of this style of fishing, and how you can better utilize it to help you put more fish in the net. You'll also learn about: Recommended rod & reel combos for fly fishing on lakes and ponds How to pack and travel with your fly fishing gear on an airplane Different setup options for fishing streamers 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 Nymphing Pocket Guide - CHECK IT OUT

Fly Rod Action Explained (Fast, Medium, Slow) | Tip of the Week #7 06.04.2026 31Min.

Say you're shopping for a new fly rod. You've probably heard them all described in different ways, but one common phrase you've seen is "this rod's action is fast" or "this has a sweet, soft action." What the heck does action mean? And how does it impact the way a rod performs on the water? Well, it's pretty simple! So in this Tip of the Week, we're breaking down what fly rod action is, how it impacts a rod's performance on the water, and how you can use this information to pick the right rod for any fly fishing job you might run into. LINKS FROM THE SHOW Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

Stop Changing Flies — Fix This Instead | Ep. 173 01.04.2026 43Min.

What's the real reason fish aren't eating your fly? Is it beause you didn't pick the PERFECT fly? There's a better one in your box, so you oughta spend 10-15 minutes looking for it, right? No. Not very often will that be the case. Instead, you're most likely not catching fish becasue your fly doesn't look real. Remember, your job is to put flies in front of fish, and make them look real! So today on Untangled, we're taking a deep dive into why presentation matters so much, and some simple tips to improve just how much your fake fly looks like the real thing. You'll also learn about: Why we don't often talk about fishing wet flies and soft hackles here at VFC How to match the right leader size to the right fly size Why it's important to play fish quickly and minimize your handling time Tips for catching brood-stock trout that have been dumped into community ponds 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 Finding Fish eBook - CHECK IT OUT

Untangled Fly Fishing Report: April 2026 30.03.2026 22Min.

The best blue-winged olive hatches of the year are right around the corner! And by the end of the month, you might see some Mother's Day caddis out and about as well! What this means is that you need to be prepared for the great spring fly fishing that April offers. With Untangled's April Fly Fishing Report, you'll be ready with all the knowledge about the hatches to expect, fly patterns we recommend, and tips and tricks for tackling the tricky weather and conditions this time of year. LINKS FROM THE SHOW Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT Get the FREE Year-Round Hatch Chart - CHECK IT OUT GEAR - Shop the VFC Fly Collections - CHECK THEM OUT VIDEO - Watch How We Fish in Spring - CHECK IT OUT RECOMMENDED FLIES FOR APRIL Parachute Adams 16-20 BWO 16-20 Matt's Midge 18-24 Griffiths Gnat 18-24 Sparkle Dun 16-18 RS2 16-18 WD40 16-18 Last Chance Cripple 16-18 Zebra Midge 16-20 Pheasant Tail 16-20 Hare's Ear 16-20 Fenchie 16-20 Gunslinger 16-20 Crackback 16-20 Micro May 16-20 Demon Midge 16-20 Elk Hair Caddis 12-16 CDA Caddis 16-18