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Falcon's Ledge / BLOG
April 14, 2019
in BLOG
by david

Pro Tips: How to Untangle A Knot in Your Leader

The Wind Did ItFly fishermen are masters of euphemism when it comes to tangled leaders. “Oh, look. I’ve got a wind knot,” an angler will say on the even the most flat-calm day. Sorry, my friend, but the wind had nothing to do with that knot, which was surely caused by a flaw in your casting motion. Such knots are usually caused by tailing loops (an easy-to-fix problem) or an overly violent acceleration or stop at one end of the casting motion. If you’re fishing a tandem rig, these flaws are compounded by the two flies’ tendency to spin around each other if given half a chance. But once you’ve made a mess of your leader, what do you do? When it comes to tangled leaders, I’ve always divided anglers into two camps: cutters and untanglers. Cutters believe that anything but the simplest tangle isn’t worth bothering with, so instead they...

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April 7, 2019
in BLOG
by david

Pro Tips: 5 Keys to Fishing During Spring Runoff

If you have lived in the West for very long, you know that it is a fool’s errand to claim that spring has sprung before you turn the calendar to May. Spring in the Rockies is glorious, if not temperamental. As I write this, it is 55 degrees and rising, not a cloud in the sky. It’s hard to imagine that one short week ago, snow was dumping from that same sky. But these mountains are moody, and so it goes. What does this beautiful weather mean for the angler, who is itching to get out and make the most of this long-sought-for sun? It means high water, everywhere. The run-off game is a long one, so here are a few tips for those of you who want to get out and fish even when the waters rage. 1. Fish the Edges. High water equals faster currents, and most fish are...

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March 24, 2019
in BLOG
by david

Video: BWO Buffet

This week we are sharing this cool video made by Gilbert Rowley and Phil Tuttle. It highlights the Blue wing olive hatches on the Green River. The Green River is a beautiful tailwater fishery below the Flaming Gorge Dam in northeastern Utah. It has is a gorgeous canyon with around 10,000 fish per mile. It gets some great hatches throughout the year and the BWO hatch is definitely one of them that you don't want to miss.  You can check out more great fly fishing videos at www.news.orvis.com. ...

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March 17, 2019
in BLOG
by david

Video Pro Tip: Use Your Hemostat to Tie a Clinch Knot

Tying the clinch knot at your kitchen table is ridiculously easy, and it’s one of the first knots that most anglers use. But what about when your hands are really cold or the light is too low for you to thread the tag end through the loop? Here’s a fast, simple way to tie the knot using a standard hemostat. (The narrator of the video above says “hemostats,” instead of the correct “hemostat,” but I’ll look the other way because of the useful info.)The video , from In the Riffle, is fairly low quality, but you’ll be astonished by how easy the technique demonstrated is.Written By: Phil MonahanCheck out more great blogs and fly fishing advice at www.news.orvis.com.  ...

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March 10, 2019
in BLOG
by david

Ask the Experts: How Do You Set Your Drag Before Fishing?

A few months ago, we introduced a new weekly “Ask the Experts” Column and asked you to pose some questions for our panel of experts. Our latest question for them to chew on is: “How Do You Set Your Drag Before Fishing?”Photo by Chad Shmukler, Hatch MagazinePatrick Fulkrod, The South Holston River Company (Bristol, Virginia): A super loaded question considering circumstances and variables. On an initial evaluation of my drag setting, I will always fish with it set a little on the lighter side: loose enough, but not so it will backlash. If or when I hook a good fish, I will tighten as needed. I feel it is always easier (or more forgiving) in a situation to add more drag, rather than to lessen the drag. Tim Linehan, Linehan Outfitting Co. (Troy, Montana): The analogy I’ve always used when discussing how to set the drag on your reel is that it’s based...

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February 24, 2019
in BLOG
by david

Video: How Does a Trout Catch a Fly? Marinaro’s “Edge of the Window Theory”

Poking around on vimeo, I stumbled on this fascinating video by English fly-fishing guide Paul Kenyon, explaining the theories of Vince Marinaro and others about how fish perceive our flies in the water. Starting from the concept of the relationship between fish’s “window” of sight and the “mirror” on the water’s surface, Kenyon arrives and some insights into how to design effective trout flies and why our artificial flies are sometimes ignored by feeding trout.Written By: Phil Monahan...

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February 17, 2019
in BLOG
by david

Fish Facts: Colorado River Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhyncus clarkii pleuriticus)

This Colorado River cutthroat, from southern Utah, displays dark, rich colors. Photo by Mike Hadley Considered one of the more beautiful trout in North America, the Colorado River cutthroat trout (Oncorhyncus clarkii pleuriticus) once inhabited the high-elevation streams and lakes of the Green and Colorado River basins in parts of five states. As was the case with many cutthroat subspecies, however, the arrival of European settlers in the West led to massive declines in CRCT populations. Where the fish are still found, anglers prize CRCT for their willingness to eat flies, the beauty of their high-country habitat, and their spectacular colors. The cutthroat-slam programs of both Wyoming and Utah require anglers to land a Colorado River cutthroat to complete the collection of native fish species. Range and Species History The Colorado River cutthroat is considered by most experts to have evolved from the Yellowstone cutthroat based on geographical isolation. The original range of the...

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February 3, 2019
in BLOG
by david

Pro Tips: What Does “Anodized” Mean for a Fly Reel?

Whenever you see advertising copy for a fly reel, it usually mentions that the metal is anodized. (For instance, the description might say that the reel is made from “anodized 6061 T6 aluminum.”) The copy might even note that there’s a special type of anodizing involved. If you’re not really sure what these terms mean, here’s a brief primer. Anodizing is a chemical process that creates a coating on the surface of a metal (usually aluminum), which makes the metal more durable and resistant to scratches and dings. Anodizing also increases corrosion resistance and makes the metal easier to dye. Reel manufacturers use aluminum because it is so light, but it’s also quite soft. Without anodizing, an aluminum reel would not be very durable.The most common method of anodizing involves dipping the aluminum in sulfuric acid and then running electrical current through the acid. This causes aluminum oxide to form on...

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January 28, 2019
in BLOG
by Spencer Higa

Summer Fishing in the Uintas

Summer fishing in the Uintas can be amazing. The snowpack can dictate when the rivers will be stable and fishable. When we have a great snow year the rivers usually are fishable around the first week of July. Most of our rivers are at high elevation so we have to wait a few weeks while the snow melts and the rivers aren't at dangerous levels. During this time we like to fish lakes. Fishing lakes hold some of the biggest fish and can be challenging trying to imitate the bugs that are present at the time. Some bugs that hatch on lakes in the spring are: Midges, Callibaetis, scuds and the occasional cicada.When the rivers settle down from runoff we have several small streams and rivers that we fish. We fish Rock Creek, Yellowstone river, Lake Fork, Uinta and Whiterocks. These small streams hold good numbers of rainbows, browns, brook...

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January 19, 2019
in BLOG
by david

Photo of the Day: Perfect Timing

Utahn Doug Roberts–who runs Old Moe Guide Service, based in the town of Dutch John, sent in this killer photo of a big brown getting ready to send a blue-winged olive down the hatch. Huge emergences of these olives occur during April and May on the Green River, bringing big trout to the surface to gorge after the long winter. Looks like a great place to kick off the spring!The Green River is a world-famous trout fishery and a beautiful canyon. It fishes well just about any time of year. We are happy to set you up with a day floating the Green River with our friends at Old Moe Guide Service.  It makes a great day of fishing as part of your trip to Falcon's Ledge Lodge to see the spectacular trout rivers Utah has to offer. Another day of your trip we can take you to fish the...

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