[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"learn-all-cards":3},[4,86,176,246,314,385,458,515,566,626,707,772,828,895,943,1007,1053,1131,1183,1262,1324,1390,1457,1544,1605,1647,1690,1751,1813,1886,1948,2010,2061,2122,2176,2223,2296,2373],{"id":5,"title":6,"applyCta":7,"authorId":11,"body":12,"cardType":55,"description":18,"difficulty":56,"discipline":57,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":60,"hook":69,"meta":70,"navigation":71,"path":72,"publishedAt":73,"readingSeconds":74,"regionTags":75,"relatedCards":76,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":80,"status":81,"stem":82,"track":83,"updatedAt":73,"version":84,"__hash__":85},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Farticulated-streamers.md","Articulated Streamers",{"label":8,"action":9,"target":10},"Try one on the Provo","open_water","provo-river",null,{"type":13,"value":14,"toc":51},"minimark",[15,19,22,45,48],[16,17,18],"p",{},"A standard streamer is one hook with marabou or feather behind it. An articulated streamer is two hooks linked by a small piece of monofilament or wire — the front body articulates against the rear body, creating waggling motion that single-hook streamers can't match.",[16,20,21],{},"Why it works:",[23,24,25,33,39],"ul",{},[26,27,28,32],"li",{},[29,30,31],"strong",{},"More motion in dead water."," Even when you stop stripping, an articulated fly continues to wiggle as the hinge flexes with the current.",[26,34,35,38],{},[29,36,37],{},"Bigger profile, less air drag."," A 4-inch articulated fly casts like a 2-inch streamer because the body sections drag separately through the air.",[26,40,41,44],{},[29,42,43],{},"Fewer missed strikes."," The trailing hook is positioned for short strikes — a fish that nips at the tail still gets the second hook.",[16,46,47],{},"Common patterns: Galloup's Sex Dungeon, the Heifer Groomer, the Drunk and Disorderly. Tied with marabou tails, schlappen wings, and rubber legs for maximum motion.",[16,49,50],{},"Setup: heavier rod (7wt or 8wt), 1x or 2x tippet, intermediate or sink-tip line. Cast tight to banks, root wads, and other big-fish structure. Strip in short pulses with extended pauses; let the articulation work in the dead time between pulls.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":54},"",2,[],"technique","3",[58],"fly","md",[61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68],"streamer","swing","presentation","leader","tippet","sculpin","structure","strip","Two-hook streamer rigs with a flexible joint between the front and rear bodies. Bigger profiles, more motion, fewer missed strikes.",{},true,"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Farticulated-streamers","2026-05-08","130",[],[77,78],"streamer-basics","the-hopper-dropper",false,{"title":6,"description":18},"published","learn\u002Fcards\u002Farticulated-streamers","advanced","1","Y4hmezQRo_vzhgjRWTd9e47t-JyhYqV5j4Wo8b3ADKk",{"id":87,"title":88,"applyCta":89,"authorId":11,"body":92,"cardType":157,"description":96,"difficulty":84,"discipline":158,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":160,"hook":163,"meta":164,"navigation":71,"path":165,"publishedAt":166,"readingSeconds":167,"regionTags":168,"relatedCards":169,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":172,"status":81,"stem":173,"track":174,"updatedAt":166,"version":84,"__hash__":175},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fchoosing-a-crankbait.md","Choosing a Crankbait",{"label":90,"action":91},"Find a bass-friendly lake","open_planner",{"type":13,"value":93,"toc":155},[94,97,103,123,129,149],[16,95,96],{},"A crankbait's job is to dive to a specific depth and stay there on retrieve. That's it. Get the depth wrong and you're fishing empty water; the prettiest finish in the world won't fix a 12-foot crank pulled across a 3-foot flat.",[16,98,99,102],{},[29,100,101],{},"Match depth to structure."," Three depth bands cover most lakes:",[23,104,105,111,117],{},[26,106,107,110],{},[29,108,109],{},"Squarebill (2-6 ft)."," Short, blunt-lipped, deflects off cover. Throw at laydowns, rip-rap, and submerged stumps where you're fishing in the shallows.",[26,112,113,116],{},[29,114,115],{},"Medium-diver (6-12 ft)."," Rounded lip, longer. The all-purpose bass crank — works on points, shallow humps, and weed lines.",[26,118,119,122],{},[29,120,121],{},"Deep-diver (12-25+ ft)."," Big spade-shaped lip, long body. Use on offshore humps, channel ledges, and summer fish stacked deep.",[16,124,125,128],{},[29,126,127],{},"Then pick color"," in this order: water clarity beats anything else.",[23,130,131,137,143],{},[26,132,133,136],{},[29,134,135],{},"Clear water:"," natural baitfish (shad, perch, bluegill patterns).",[26,138,139,142],{},[29,140,141],{},"Stained:"," chartreuse, firetiger, or any pattern with a bright belly.",[26,144,145,148],{},[29,146,147],{},"Muddy:"," solid colors — black, red, orange. Vibration matters more than color here.",[16,150,151,154],{},[29,152,153],{},"Size last."," Match the baitfish in the system. 2-2.5\" for tight-lipped fall fish, 3-3.5\" for general use, 4-5\"+ when you're hunting big fish on big water.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":156},[],"gear",[159],"spin",[161,162,67,63],"crankbait","swimbait","Pick by depth first, then color, then size. Get those three right and a crankbait fishes itself.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fchoosing-a-crankbait","2026-05-18","140",[],[170,171],"reading-bass-structure","the-inline-spinner-retrieve",{"title":88,"description":96},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fchoosing-a-crankbait","building","SU-y6ob8Ki-vsQozTlsyH2z_-ICbLDkJzYLv1kYz8RY",{"id":177,"title":178,"applyCta":179,"authorId":11,"body":181,"cardType":157,"description":185,"difficulty":230,"discipline":231,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":232,"hook":237,"meta":238,"navigation":71,"path":239,"publishedAt":73,"readingSeconds":74,"regionTags":240,"relatedCards":241,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":243,"status":81,"stem":244,"track":174,"updatedAt":73,"version":84,"__hash__":245},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fchoosing-a-spinner.md","Choosing a Spinner",{"label":180,"action":91},"Find a stream near you",{"type":13,"value":182,"toc":228},[183,186,189,222,225],[16,184,185],{},"An inline spinner is a piece of metal that spins around a wire shaft as you reel — flash, vibration, and a steady wobble that triggers strikes. Mepps, Panther Martin, Roostertail. They cover a huge range of water and species.",[16,187,188],{},"Three things to match to conditions:",[23,190,191,197,216],{},[26,192,193,196],{},[29,194,195],{},"Weight (1\u002F16 to 1\u002F4 oz)."," Match to depth. 1\u002F16 oz casts short and stays shallow — small creeks. 1\u002F4 oz reaches across a river and gets down 3–6 feet — medium-to-large rivers. Heavier than 1\u002F4 oz starts burying into structure on the retrieve.",[26,198,199,202,203,207,208,211,212,215],{},[29,200,201],{},"Blade type."," ",[204,205,206],"em",{},"Willow"," (long, narrow) spins fast in slower water; ",[204,209,210],{},"Indiana"," (oval, medium) is a balanced all-rounder; ",[204,213,214],{},"Colorado"," (round) creates the most thump and works in cold or stained water.",[26,217,218,221],{},[29,219,220],{},"Color."," Silver \u002F gold \u002F copper for clear water and bright sun. Chartreuse and white for stained water or low light. Match the dominant baitfish if you can see them.",[16,223,224],{},"The retrieve: cast across or up-and-across, let it sink for 1–3 seconds, then reel just fast enough to feel the blade thumping through the rod tip. Vary the speed; sometimes a stop-and-go triggers more strikes than a steady wind.",[16,226,227],{},"Where to fish them: pool tails, the seam below a riffle, deep slots through a run, undercut banks. The same lies trout hold in for a fly — spin tackle just gets the lure deeper, faster.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":229},[],"2",[159],[63,233,234,235,236],"pool","run","riffle","seam","Inline spinners catch fish, but the wrong choice catches none. How to pick weight, blade, and color for the water in front of you.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fchoosing-a-spinner",[],[242],"the-palomar-knot",{"title":178,"description":185},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fchoosing-a-spinner","k4QYnroOZVbralouXpJhhy0sXP6aa7xqoAr1YTwS_Jc",{"id":247,"title":248,"applyCta":249,"authorId":11,"body":251,"cardType":55,"description":255,"difficulty":230,"discipline":301,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":302,"hook":304,"meta":305,"navigation":71,"path":306,"publishedAt":166,"readingSeconds":167,"regionTags":307,"relatedCards":308,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":311,"status":81,"stem":312,"track":174,"updatedAt":166,"version":84,"__hash__":313},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fdrop-shot-for-trout.md","Drop Shot for Trout",{"label":250,"action":91},"Find a stocked stillwater",{"type":13,"value":252,"toc":299},[253,256,259,289,296],[16,254,255],{},"Most spin anglers reach for PowerBait or a spinner when they hit a trout lake. The drop shot quietly outfishes both — particularly when the fish are suspended in 8-20 feet of water and not eating off the surface or the bottom.",[16,257,258],{},"Setup:",[260,261,262,272,279,286],"ol",{},[26,263,264,267,268,271],{},[29,265,266],{},"Palomar knot"," a #6 or #8 octopus hook to your line, leaving an ",[29,269,270],{},"extra-long tag"," (12-18 inches).",[26,273,274,275,278],{},"Pass the tag end ",[29,276,277],{},"back through the hook eye from the front",". This makes the hook stand straight out, point up, perpendicular to the line.",[26,280,281,282,285],{},"Tie a ",[29,283,284],{},"1\u002F8 to 1\u002F4 oz drop-shot weight"," to the bottom of the tag — the cylindrical kind with a pinch swivel works best.",[26,287,288],{},"Bait the hook with a small soft plastic minnow (Berkley Trout Magnet, Z-Man Finesse ShadZ), or a worm slice.",[16,290,291,292,295],{},"Fish it like this: cast, count it down to bottom, then ",[29,293,294],{},"shake the rod tip in short twitches without moving the weight",". The bait quivers in place at exactly the depth you chose. Pause for 5-10 seconds between shake sequences.",[16,297,298],{},"Most takes feel like a tap or a sudden weight. Reel down to load the rod, then sweep-set — no need to swing for the fences.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":300},[],[159],[303,65,64,67,63],"drop-shot","A bass finesse rig that quietly destroys stillwater trout. Suspend a small bait six inches off bottom and shake — most strikes happen before you even retrieve.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fdrop-shot-for-trout",[],[309,310],"the-carolina-rig","powerbait-stillwater-setup",{"title":248,"description":255},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fdrop-shot-for-trout","GRSBFcgCanks2xsyMifFgGVZj6MCwsH6sPFNSUFiOA4",{"id":315,"title":316,"applyCta":317,"authorId":11,"body":319,"cardType":55,"description":323,"difficulty":56,"discipline":365,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":366,"hook":374,"meta":375,"navigation":71,"path":376,"publishedAt":166,"readingSeconds":377,"regionTags":378,"relatedCards":379,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":382,"status":81,"stem":383,"track":83,"updatedAt":166,"version":84,"__hash__":384},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fdry-dropper-for-pocket-water.md","Dry-Dropper for Pocket Water",{"label":318,"action":91},"Find a pocket-water river",{"type":13,"value":320,"toc":363},[321,324,327,353,360],[16,322,323],{},"Pocket water is the broken, white-and-froth stuff most anglers fish through on their way to the next \"real\" run. Underneath every plunge and behind every boulder is a small calm spot — a pocket — where a trout can sit out of the main current with food washing past. The trick is fishing each pocket with one or two perfect drifts before moving to the next.",[16,325,326],{},"A dry-dropper rig is built for this:",[23,328,329,335,341,347],{},[26,330,331,334],{},[29,332,333],{},"9-foot 4-5 weight rod."," Long enough for reach, light enough to mend in tight spaces.",[26,336,337,340],{},[29,338,339],{},"Tapered leader to 4X",", about 9 feet.",[26,342,343,346],{},[29,344,345],{},"A buoyant, visible dry"," as the indicator and primary fly. A size 12-14 Stimulator, Chubby Chernobyl, or hopper pattern floats reliably even in froth.",[26,348,349,352],{},[29,350,351],{},"A 16-24 inch dropper"," of 4X or 5X off the bend of the dry, with a tungsten-bead nymph (Frenchie, Perdigon, weighted hare's ear).",[16,354,355,356,359],{},"Fish it close: 15-20 feet of line out, rod tip high. Cast directly upstream into the pocket — don't quartering-cast across multiple currents. ",[29,357,358],{},"High-stick"," the drift: hold the rod tip up and lead the indicator dry with the rod, eliminating the slack and drag that fast water normally creates.",[16,361,362],{},"A good pocket gives you one to three drifts before the fish wises up. Cover ten pockets in a hundred yards. The fish that gets jumpy at a long-line presentation will eat a high-sticked dropper at his nose.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":364},[],[58],[367,368,369,370,63,371,372,233,373],"dry-fly","nymph","dropper","indicator","drag","lie","holding-water","Pocket water is fast, broken, technical, and full of fish. A short-line dry-dropper lets you cover ten lies a minute — and pick off the trout that other anglers walk right past.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fdry-dropper-for-pocket-water","170",[],[78,380,381],"the-drift-rig","eddies-and-soft-spots",{"title":316,"description":323},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fdry-dropper-for-pocket-water","bcgL9hHlTxq8UCGUQMIuIeXYZJ7H8HPoHXWp6ZVN1yQ",{"id":386,"title":387,"applyCta":388,"authorId":11,"body":389,"cardType":439,"description":440,"difficulty":84,"discipline":441,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":443,"hook":446,"meta":447,"navigation":71,"path":448,"publishedAt":73,"readingSeconds":449,"regionTags":450,"relatedCards":451,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":454,"status":81,"stem":455,"track":456,"updatedAt":73,"version":84,"__hash__":457},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Feddies-and-soft-spots.md","Eddies and Soft Spots",{"label":180,"action":91},{"type":13,"value":390,"toc":437},[391,398,401,404,430],[16,392,393,394,397],{},"Look at any fast river and you'll see pockets where the water ",[204,395,396],{},"looks"," still — a calm circle behind a boulder, a slack patch on the inside of a bend, a soft spot between two rocks where the current splits. These are eddies and soft spots. They're where fish save energy.",[16,399,400],{},"A trout fighting full current burns calories every second. The same trout sitting in an eddy spends almost nothing — and is positioned to dart out into the seam to grab food, then retreat. Eddies turn current into a feeding station.",[16,402,403],{},"Where to look:",[23,405,406,412,418,424],{},[26,407,408,411],{},[29,409,410],{},"Inside of any bend"," in the river. Current accelerates around the outside; water on the inside is slack.",[26,413,414,417],{},[29,415,416],{},"Behind any rock"," sticking up out of the water. Even basketball-sized rocks create soft spots big enough for a 16-inch trout.",[26,419,420,423],{},[29,421,422],{},"Below a downed tree or root wad."," Slack water plus overhead cover — premium real estate.",[26,425,426,429],{},[29,427,428],{},"Where a tributary enters."," The slower side of the merge is often a long eddy.",[16,431,432,433,436],{},"Fishing them: cast across the seam where the eddy meets the main current, ",[204,434,435],{},"not"," into the eddy itself. The fly drifts on the fast side, the leader sits on the slow side, and the fish — sitting in the eddy — sees the food drift past in its cone of vision. A drift through the seam is the most consistent shot in moving-water fishing.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":438},[],"concept","Look at any fast river and you'll see pockets where the water looks still — a calm circle behind a boulder, a slack patch on the inside of a bend, a soft spot between two rocks where the current splits. These are eddies and soft spots. They're where fish save energy.",[58,159,442],"bait",[444,236,235,63,445],"eddy","dead-drift","Slack water inside fast water. Where fish wait between bites.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Feddies-and-soft-spots","100",[],[452,453],"pools-runs-and-riffles","reading-a-riffle",{"title":387,"description":440},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Feddies-and-soft-spots","reading-water","A3GmKpAtT-keOR-pEMntqC10lfG-VUOtTxQAXX0KgSg",{"id":459,"title":460,"applyCta":461,"authorId":11,"body":463,"cardType":55,"description":467,"difficulty":56,"discipline":502,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":503,"hook":504,"meta":505,"navigation":71,"path":506,"publishedAt":73,"readingSeconds":507,"regionTags":508,"relatedCards":509,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":512,"status":81,"stem":513,"track":83,"updatedAt":73,"version":84,"__hash__":514},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Feuro-nymphing-101.md","Euro Nymphing 101",{"label":462,"action":9,"target":10},"Try it on the Provo",{"type":13,"value":464,"toc":500},[465,468,471,491,494,497],[16,466,467],{},"Indicator nymphing relies on a bobber to signal a take. Euro nymphing — also called tight-line, Czech, French, or Spanish — drops the bobber entirely. You stay in direct contact with the fly through a long, level leader, with a colored \"sighter\" section giving you a visual cue.",[16,469,470],{},"Why it produces in fast water:",[23,472,473,479,485],{},[26,474,475,478],{},[29,476,477],{},"Direct contact."," No slack from a floating indicator means the take registers instantly.",[26,480,481,484],{},[29,482,483],{},"No surface drag."," The fly line stays off the water; only the leader contacts the river.",[26,486,487,490],{},[29,488,489],{},"Heavy flies, fast sink."," You're fishing one or two beadhead nymphs that ride right on the streambed.",[16,492,493],{},"The basic setup: 10-foot or longer 3-weight rod, level monofilament leader (no fly-line connector), 6–8 feet of sighter material (high-vis multi-colored mono), a tippet ring, then 4–5 feet of tippet to your point fly. Optional dropper tag 18–24 inches up.",[16,495,496],{},"The motion: cast short — 20–30 feet of leader is plenty. Lead the rod tip with the drift, keeping the sighter lightly bent and hovering just off the water. Any pause, twitch, or sideways skate in the sighter is a take. Set with a short, sharp lift downstream.",[16,498,499],{},"Best in: fast riffles and pocket water where indicator presentations get blown out by surface drag. Worst in: glassy flats and spooky tailwaters, where the leader's profile spooks fish.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":501},[],[58],[368,64,65,445,63,235,234,370],"A different way to fish a nymph — no indicator, rod tip leading, line off the water. Catches fish where other rigs can't reach.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Feuro-nymphing-101","150",[],[510,511],"tying-on-a-dropper-rig","the-dead-drift",{"title":460,"description":467},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Feuro-nymphing-101","oSY2yDQIpr3RgwAzx4yEzE1oto_KxhYHzN8N2Juwulc",{"id":516,"title":517,"applyCta":518,"authorId":11,"body":519,"cardType":55,"description":523,"difficulty":230,"discipline":550,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":551,"hook":555,"meta":556,"navigation":71,"path":557,"publishedAt":73,"readingSeconds":558,"regionTags":559,"relatedCards":560,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":563,"status":81,"stem":564,"track":174,"updatedAt":73,"version":84,"__hash__":565},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fjig-fishing-for-trout.md","Jig Fishing for Trout",{"label":180,"action":91},{"type":13,"value":520,"toc":548},[521,524,527,542,545],[16,522,523],{},"A small (1\u002F64 to 1\u002F16 oz) marabou or hair jig fished under a slip bobber is a workhorse trout setup that catches fish when other tactics don't. Trout treat the slow-fluttering jig as a wounded baitfish or drifting nymph — easy meal, low effort.",[16,525,526],{},"Setting it up:",[260,528,529,536,539],{},[26,530,531,532,535],{},"Slip-bobber rig (see ",[204,533,534],{},"The Slip-Bobber Rig",").",[26,537,538],{},"Bobber stop set so the jig rides 1–2 feet off the bottom.",[26,540,541],{},"Jig tied to the line with a Palomar Knot. Black, white, or olive marabou; chartreuse or pink in stained water.",[16,543,544],{},"The cadence: dead-stick the jig in slack water, or twitch it every 5–10 seconds in slow-current spots. Watch the bobber. A take is usually a slow pull — the jig is light, so trout don't slam it like a heavy lure.",[16,546,547],{},"Where it works: tail-outs of pools where current slackens, soft eddies behind boulders, undercut banks where current breaks. Anywhere you'd dead-drift a nymph fly. A jig fished slowly in good water outproduces a fast-stripped lure on most days.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":549},[],[159],[552,553,63,233,444,554,67],"jig","bobber","current","A small marabou jig under a bobber catches trout most days, even when nothing else does. The setup, the cadence, and the where-to-cast.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fjig-fishing-for-trout","120",[],[561,562],"choosing-a-spinner","the-slip-bobber-rig",{"title":517,"description":523},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fjig-fishing-for-trout","BcRlkgRF2wm-RuaqVYebASG_fRMvfRMkigqvvY9S8qU",{"id":567,"title":568,"applyCta":569,"authorId":11,"body":570,"cardType":439,"description":614,"difficulty":84,"discipline":615,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":616,"hook":618,"meta":619,"navigation":71,"path":620,"publishedAt":73,"readingSeconds":74,"regionTags":621,"relatedCards":622,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":623,"status":81,"stem":624,"track":456,"updatedAt":73,"version":84,"__hash__":625},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fpools-runs-and-riffles.md","Pools, Runs, and Riffles",{"label":180,"action":91},{"type":13,"value":571,"toc":612},[572,579,589,595,609],[16,573,574,575,578],{},"Walk a freestone stream and you'll see the same three water types repeating: riffle → run → pool, riffle → run → pool. They alternate because of how flowing water erodes and deposits its bed. Knowing which one you're looking at tells you where the fish are ",[204,576,577],{},"and"," how to fish it.",[16,580,581,584,585,588],{},[29,582,583],{},"Riffles"," are fast, broken water spilling over rocks. The surface bubbles and breaks. Riffles oxygenate the water and dislodge insects — feeding factories. Fish don't sit ",[204,586,587],{},"in"," riffles (too much current to hold), but they sit at the top and bottom, picking off whatever drifts past. Best fished with a short cast and a drift-along-the-bottom nymph rig.",[16,590,591,594],{},[29,592,593],{},"Runs"," are the in-between water — fast enough to dislodge food, slow enough for fish to hold position. Knee-deep, broken-but-consistent surface. This is where dry-fly fishing peaks during a hatch. Fish hold mid-run, eating from clear feeding lanes. Cast upstream, dead-drift past, and watch.",[16,596,597,600,601,604,605,608],{},[29,598,599],{},"Pools"," are the deep, slow stretches at the end of a run. Big fish live here — they retreat to pools to rest, conserve energy, and avoid predators. Don't waste time fishing the middle of a pool: the holding fish aren't actively feeding. Cast the ",[29,602,603],{},"head"," (where the run dumps in) and the ",[29,606,607],{},"tail"," (where the pool spills back out). Both are seam water.",[16,610,611],{},"Most days, you'll find catchable fish in the run. Pools hold the fish-of-the-day; riffles hold numbers. Runs are where you'll usually be casting.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":613},[],"Walk a freestone stream and you'll see the same three water types repeating: riffle → run → pool, riffle → run → pool. They alternate because of how flowing water erodes and deposits its bed. Knowing which one you're looking at tells you where the fish are and how to fish it.",[58,159,442],[233,234,235,236,617,63,367,368],"hatch","Every stream is a sequence of three water types. Each one fishes differently.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fpools-runs-and-riffles",[],[453,381],{"title":568,"description":614},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fpools-runs-and-riffles","lJYlJfAIqCKXHyT6yj2lHOq7DcOmGkTG3UdB-JogYA8",{"id":627,"title":628,"applyCta":629,"authorId":11,"body":631,"cardType":55,"description":692,"difficulty":84,"discipline":693,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":694,"hook":697,"meta":698,"navigation":71,"path":699,"publishedAt":166,"readingSeconds":167,"regionTags":700,"relatedCards":701,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":71,"seo":703,"status":81,"stem":704,"track":705,"updatedAt":166,"version":84,"__hash__":706},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fpowerbait-stillwater-setup.md","The PowerBait Stillwater Setup",{"label":630,"action":91},"Find a stocked lake",{"type":13,"value":632,"toc":690},[633,640,643,673,676,687],[16,634,635,636,639],{},"This card is for stocked rainbow trout in lakes and ponds. Stockers come from a hatchery where they ate floating pellet food; PowerBait's scent and floating buoyancy hit the same triggers. ",[29,637,638],{},"Wild trout don't fall for this"," — match your tactics to the fishery.",[16,641,642],{},"The slip-sinker rig:",[260,644,645,652,659,666],{},[26,646,647,648,651],{},"Slide a ",[29,649,650],{},"1\u002F2 oz egg sinker"," onto your main line.",[26,653,654,655,658],{},"Tie on a small ",[29,656,657],{},"barrel swivel"," to stop the sinker from sliding to the hook.",[26,660,661,662,665],{},"Add a ",[29,663,664],{},"24-36 inch leader"," of 4-6 lb fluorocarbon.",[26,667,668,669,672],{},"Finish with a ",[29,670,671],{},"size 14 or 16 treble hook",".",[16,674,675],{},"Mold a marble-sized ball of dough onto the treble — completely cover the hook. Cast 30-60 feet out from shore (most stockers cruise that zone), let it sink. The egg sinker hits bottom; the buoyant dough floats the hook up off the bottom by however long your leader is.",[16,677,678,679,682,683,686],{},"Tighten until the rod just bows, set it in a rod holder, and ",[29,680,681],{},"leave a foot of slack"," out of the reel. Stockers eat without urgency. When the line starts feeding out, ",[29,684,685],{},"wait two seconds",", then close the bail and lift smoothly. No need to swing.",[16,688,689],{},"Bring a paper towel — your hands will smell like cheese for two days.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":691},[],"This card is for stocked rainbow trout in lakes and ponds. Stockers come from a hatchery where they ate floating pellet food; PowerBait's scent and floating buoyancy hit the same triggers. Wild trout don't fall for this — match your tactics to the fishery.",[442],[695,64,696,67],"powerbait","hookset","The reliable way to put a stocked rainbow in a creel. A simple slip-sinker rig with a small treble, set off bottom and forgotten about.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fpowerbait-stillwater-setup",[],[562,702],"worm-rigging-for-trout",{"title":628,"description":692},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fpowerbait-stillwater-setup","first-cast","ZcGW5oQ_NQLvr9NuYsd9xmGiojfJyy8LsKFiIRUmrf0",{"id":708,"title":709,"applyCta":710,"authorId":11,"body":712,"cardType":439,"description":716,"difficulty":84,"discipline":760,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":761,"hook":762,"meta":763,"navigation":71,"path":764,"publishedAt":765,"readingSeconds":766,"regionTags":767,"relatedCards":768,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":769,"status":81,"stem":770,"track":456,"updatedAt":765,"version":84,"__hash__":771},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Freading-a-riffle.md","Reading a Riffle",{"label":711,"action":91},"Find a riffle near you",{"type":13,"value":713,"toc":758},[714,717,723,732,735,755],[16,715,716],{},"A riffle is a stretch of stream where the surface breaks over rocks — fast water, broken into tiny waves and bubbles. Two things happen here that fish care about.",[16,718,719,722],{},[29,720,721],{},"First",", the broken surface oxygenates the water. Fish breathe more easily in a riffle than in a slow flat pool, especially when the water warms up in summer.",[16,724,725,728,729,731],{},[29,726,727],{},"Second",", the fast water dislodges insects and washes them downstream. Fish don't sit ",[204,730,587],{}," the riffle — the current is too strong to hold position efficiently — but they sit on the seam where the riffle slows into a flat or pool, picking off whatever drifts past.",[16,733,734],{},"Look for:",[23,736,737,743,749],{},[26,738,739,740,742],{},"The ",[29,741,607],{}," of the riffle, where the broken water flattens out. Fish hold here.",[26,744,745,748],{},[29,746,747],{},"Soft spots"," behind boulders inside the riffle itself — small pockets of slack water surrounded by fast current.",[26,750,751,754],{},[29,752,753],{},"Foam lines"," below the riffle. Foam tracks the same path floating insects take.",[16,756,757],{},"A clean cast lands above the seam and drifts through it without drag.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":759},[],[58,159,442],[235,445],"Where fish actually feed in fast, broken water — and where they don't.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Freading-a-riffle","2026-05-07","75",[],[511],{"title":709,"description":716},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Freading-a-riffle","WF8JepuQZvyF9lprukt98gOqbfqSgGIhWZNQ3aSmxsU",{"id":773,"title":774,"applyCta":775,"authorId":11,"body":777,"cardType":439,"description":781,"difficulty":230,"discipline":816,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":817,"hook":820,"meta":821,"navigation":71,"path":822,"publishedAt":73,"readingSeconds":167,"regionTags":823,"relatedCards":824,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":825,"status":81,"stem":826,"track":456,"updatedAt":73,"version":84,"__hash__":827},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Freading-a-tailwater.md","Reading a Tailwater",{"label":776,"action":91},"Find a tailwater near you",{"type":13,"value":778,"toc":814},[779,782,785,811],[16,780,781],{},"A tailwater is the river section directly below a dam. The dam releases water from deep in the reservoir — cold, oxygenated, and clear regardless of upstream weather. That single fact changes everything about how the river fishes.",[16,783,784],{},"What's different from a freestone:",[23,786,787,793,799,805],{},[26,788,789,792],{},[29,790,791],{},"Temperature stays cold all year."," Tailwaters fish through summer when freestones get too warm. Trout grow large because feeding rarely shuts off.",[26,794,795,798],{},[29,796,797],{},"Flow is regulated."," Releases are scheduled, not weather-driven. A river running 2,000 cfs at 10 AM might run 400 cfs by noon. Knowing the release schedule matters more than the weather report.",[26,800,801,804],{},[29,802,803],{},"Bug life is concentrated."," Cold-water tailwaters are heavy on midges and BWOs year-round; mayfly diversity is lower than a freestone but density is higher.",[26,806,807,810],{},[29,808,809],{},"Fish are pickier."," Constant pressure, slow-changing conditions, and clear water make tailwater trout the most selective in fresh water. 6x and 7x tippet, size 22 midges, perfect drifts.",[16,812,813],{},"Read tailwater the same way you'd read any river — riffles for bugs, runs for active fish, pools for big fish — but assume every fish has seen a hundred anglers this week. Presentation matters more than fly choice.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":815},[],[58,159,442],[818,617,819,445,63,554,235,234,233,65],"midge","bwo","Cold, clear, regulated water below a dam. Different rules than a freestone — and more selective fish.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Freading-a-tailwater",[],[452,511],{"title":774,"description":781},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Freading-a-tailwater","2rAyQv_8Nm8XitAdRXOe6wCLIrldYERZ-VquP7U66rk",{"id":829,"title":830,"applyCta":831,"authorId":11,"body":833,"cardType":439,"description":882,"difficulty":230,"discipline":883,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":884,"hook":885,"meta":886,"navigation":71,"path":887,"publishedAt":166,"readingSeconds":888,"regionTags":889,"relatedCards":890,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":892,"status":81,"stem":893,"track":456,"updatedAt":166,"version":84,"__hash__":894},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Freading-bass-structure.md","Reading Bass Structure",{"label":832,"action":91},"Browse lakes near you",{"type":13,"value":834,"toc":880},[835,842,845,877],[16,836,837,838,841],{},"Trout anglers read current and seams. Bass anglers read ",[29,839,840],{},"structure and edges",". The vocabulary is different but the principle is identical: fish hold where energy meets opportunity, and that means transition zones.",[16,843,844],{},"The big edges to find on any lake or pond:",[23,846,847,853,859,865,871],{},[26,848,849,852],{},[29,850,851],{},"Shoreline cover."," Laydowns (fallen trees), boat docks, overhanging brush, and rip-rap (rocky banks) shade water and ambush points. Bass use them like a trout uses an undercut bank.",[26,854,855,858],{},[29,856,857],{},"Depth breaks."," Where a shallow flat drops into deeper water — usually visible as a color change from a boat or on a depth map. Bass cruise the break and ambush prey crossing it.",[26,860,861,864],{},[29,862,863],{},"Weed lines."," The outer edge of a weed bed. Bass stage on the deep side of the weed wall, watching for baitfish exiting the cover.",[26,866,867,870],{},[29,868,869],{},"Points."," Land sticking out into the lake. Underwater, the point continues — bass move up and down points moving from shallow to deep on a daily cycle.",[26,872,873,876],{},[29,874,875],{},"Humps and saddles."," Underwater hills that rise from a deeper basin. Almost always hold fish, especially in summer when bass move offshore.",[16,878,879],{},"Start with the most obvious edges (visible cover, points) and work toward the subtle (humps, depth breaks). If you have a fish finder or a bathymetric map, the offshore structure is where the trophies live — and the pressure is lighter.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":881},[],"Trout anglers read current and seams. Bass anglers read structure and edges. The vocabulary is different but the principle is identical: fish hold where energy meets opportunity, and that means transition zones.",[159],[67,373,444,236],"Bass don't live everywhere in a lake. They live on edges. Find the edge between two things — and you've found the fish.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Freading-bass-structure","160",[],[309,891],"drop-shot-for-trout",{"title":830,"description":882},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Freading-bass-structure","Wqq0bbKGB9fN7rE7PZAkNEZjESqriO0Zpjlxjf66bhU",{"id":896,"title":897,"applyCta":898,"authorId":11,"body":900,"cardType":439,"description":904,"difficulty":230,"discipline":928,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":929,"hook":934,"meta":935,"navigation":71,"path":936,"publishedAt":73,"readingSeconds":937,"regionTags":938,"relatedCards":939,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":940,"status":81,"stem":941,"track":174,"updatedAt":73,"version":84,"__hash__":942},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Freading-rises.md","Reading Rises",{"label":899,"action":9,"target":10},"Watch for rises on the Provo",{"type":13,"value":901,"toc":926},[902,905,911,917,923],[16,903,904],{},"A trout rising at the surface is the most rewarding sight in fly fishing — and the most informative. The shape of the rise tells you what's actually being eaten and gives you the next thirty seconds of strategy.",[16,906,907,910],{},[29,908,909],{},"Splashy rise."," Water explodes; you see a tail or even the whole fish. Usually a chase — caddis or a stonefly skating across the surface, or terrestrials being swept by. Match with a high-floating, motion-friendly pattern: Elk Hair Caddis, a hopper, a stimulator.",[16,912,913,916],{},[29,914,915],{},"Head-and-tail rise."," A slow porpoising motion — head up, then a humped back, then a tail. The fish is suspended just below the film, eating emergers. Adult dry-fly patterns get refused here; tie on a CDC emerger or a trailing-shuck and fish it in the surface film.",[16,918,919,922],{},[29,920,921],{},"Sip rise or dimple."," A subtle swirl that barely breaks the surface, often soundless. Small adult mayfly duns or spinners. Match the size and silhouette as closely as you can — these fish are the pickiest.",[16,924,925],{},"Watch a rising fish for thirty seconds before casting. The cadence tells you the rhythm; the form tells you the fly. One sharp guess saves you cycling through three flies.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":927},[],[58],[930,367,931,932,617,933],"rise","dun","emerger","mayfly","Splash, sip, or dimple — what the rise form tells you about which fly the fish actually wants.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Freading-rises","110",[],[511,510],{"title":897,"description":904},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Freading-rises","TnD96XUottvF5Rq3Pt5AJBO0MMOBZE5xzNbEkPFL7hM",{"id":944,"title":945,"applyCta":946,"authorId":11,"body":948,"cardType":439,"description":952,"difficulty":56,"discipline":991,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":992,"hook":997,"meta":998,"navigation":71,"path":999,"publishedAt":166,"readingSeconds":888,"regionTags":1000,"relatedCards":1001,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":1004,"status":81,"stem":1005,"track":83,"updatedAt":166,"version":84,"__hash__":1006},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Freading-the-surface-film.md","Reading the Surface Film",{"label":947,"action":91},"Find a hatch-rich tailwater",{"type":13,"value":949,"toc":989},[950,953,956,982],[16,951,952],{},"The surface film is the air-water boundary held together by surface tension. Insects emerging from underwater to fly have to push through it — and that struggle is the most efficient meal a trout will ever eat. The bug can't escape upward (still pinned in the film) or downward (already shed its nymph case). Trout learn this fast.",[16,954,955],{},"How to read riseforms for what's actually happening:",[23,957,958,964,970,976],{},[26,959,960,963],{},[29,961,962],{},"Sharp splash + airborne fly:"," dun feeding. Fish a high-floating dry on the surface. They're committed and confident.",[26,965,966,969],{},[29,967,968],{},"Soft dimple, no visible bubble:"," emerger feeding. The fish is taking a bug suspended IN the film — body underwater, wing case at the surface. Switch to an unweighted emerger pattern (CDC emerger, sparkle dun with a shuck).",[26,971,972,975],{},[29,973,974],{},"Head-and-tail roll, no splash:"," subsurface emerger. The fish is taking bugs an inch or two below the film. Try a soft-hackle wet fly fished on a downstream swing, or an unweighted emerger with the wing case clipped flat.",[26,977,978,981],{},[29,979,980],{},"Loud slurp, no fly visible:"," trapped spinners. Spent mayflies in the film after the spinner fall. Try a Rusty Spinner or a Hi-Vis Spinner pattern.",[16,983,984,985,988],{},"To fish emergers in the film: floatant ",[29,986,987],{},"only on the wing case"," so the body sinks. Watch where you think the fly is, not where the rise was. Strike at any swirl, dimple, or hesitation in the drift — you usually won't see the fly when it gets eaten.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":990},[],[58],[993,932,367,931,930,994,995,996,617],"surface-film","cdc-emerger","sparkle-dun","trailing-shuck","Half the rises you see aren't fish eating dry flies. They're fish eating emergers stuck in the film — and switching to the right pattern changes everything.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Freading-the-surface-film",[],[1002,1003,511],"reading-rises","the-spinner-fall",{"title":945,"description":952},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Freading-the-surface-film","dXfrus10FqSLxezC1rbraNIBCD0UdCuA4iAJIVeR4DY",{"id":1008,"title":1009,"applyCta":1010,"authorId":11,"body":1011,"cardType":55,"description":1015,"difficulty":84,"discipline":1042,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":1043,"hook":1044,"meta":1045,"navigation":71,"path":1046,"publishedAt":765,"readingSeconds":449,"regionTags":1047,"relatedCards":1048,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":1050,"status":81,"stem":1051,"track":705,"updatedAt":765,"version":84,"__hash__":1052},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fsetting-the-hook.md","Setting the Hook",{"label":462,"action":9,"target":10},{"type":13,"value":1012,"toc":1040},[1013,1016,1022,1028,1034,1037],[16,1014,1015],{},"A trout takes a fly faster than you can blink. The hook-set is what turns a take into a fish. Match the technique to what you're fishing.",[16,1017,1018,1021],{},[29,1019,1020],{},"Dry fly."," When you see a rise on your fly, lift the rod tip up and slightly back. Smooth, not sharp — a yank tears the fly out of the fish's mouth. Many beginners blow takes by trying to set \"harder.\" Steady is right.",[16,1023,1024,1027],{},[29,1025,1026],{},"Nymph under an indicator."," Anything that isn't the indicator's normal drift is a strike. A pause, a dip, a twitch, a sideways skate — all of it. Lift the rod tip the moment the indicator does anything unusual. You'll set on rocks ten times for every fish; that's correct, not a problem.",[16,1029,1030,1033],{},[29,1031,1032],{},"Streamer."," Set sideways with a strip-set: instead of lifting the rod, pull hard on the line with your line hand while keeping the rod low. Trout often hit streamers on the strip itself, so you're already in position.",[16,1035,1036],{},"After the set: keep the rod bent (tip up, around 11 o'clock), let the reel drag absorb runs, and walk the fish to slower water to land it. Don't horse it — the leader breaks before the hook bends.",[16,1038,1039],{},"A trout that throws the fly was usually never hooked properly. Faster doesn't fix that — only tighter line and a smooth, committed lift do.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":1041},[],[58],[930,370,367,368,61],"What to do in the half-second after a fish takes — and how to not blow it.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fsetting-the-hook",[],[511,1049],"the-overhead-cast",{"title":1009,"description":1015},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fsetting-the-hook","DV4w_gdBSF9Z16DQKOzjSzUV1-VBzB8FdoktGSQWHW4",{"id":1054,"title":1055,"applyCta":1056,"authorId":11,"body":1058,"cardType":439,"description":1119,"difficulty":56,"discipline":1120,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":1121,"hook":1123,"meta":1124,"navigation":71,"path":1125,"publishedAt":73,"readingSeconds":167,"regionTags":1126,"relatedCards":1127,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":1128,"status":81,"stem":1129,"track":83,"updatedAt":73,"version":84,"__hash__":1130},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fsight-fishing-basics.md","Sight-Fishing Basics",{"label":1057,"action":9,"target":10},"Try sight-fishing the Provo",{"type":13,"value":1059,"toc":1117},[1060,1067,1070,1094,1097,1111,1114],[16,1061,1062,1063,1066],{},"Sight fishing flips the equation. Instead of casting blind to where you ",[204,1064,1065],{},"think"," fish are, you spot the fish first, watch how it's behaving, then make a single targeted cast. Catch rate goes up; pressure-per-fish goes down; the day becomes a hunt instead of a guess.",[16,1068,1069],{},"What you need:",[23,1071,1072,1078,1088],{},[26,1073,1074,1077],{},[29,1075,1076],{},"Polarized sunglasses."," Without them, you're looking at glare; with them, you see the bottom. Amber lenses for shaded water, copper for mixed light, gray for bright sun.",[26,1079,1080,1083,1084,1087],{},[29,1081,1082],{},"A high vantage."," Walk ",[204,1085,1086],{},"above"," the water. Stand on a bank or a boulder. Look down through the surface, not across it.",[26,1089,1090,1093],{},[29,1091,1092],{},"Patience."," A single fish takes 5 minutes to spot, 5 more to read its behavior. Rushing means you'll miss every fish you could have caught.",[16,1095,1096],{},"What to look for:",[23,1098,1099,1102,1105,1108],{},[26,1100,1101],{},"The dark slash of a fish's silhouette against gravel.",[26,1103,1104],{},"The white flash of a turning trout's belly.",[26,1106,1107],{},"Nervous water — a small wake or surface bulge from a fish moving below.",[26,1109,1110],{},"Shadows that don't match what's casting them.",[16,1112,1113],{},"Once you've spotted a fish, watch it. Actively feeding (small movements toward drifting food)? Holding still (resting)? Cruising slowly? Each tells you whether to cast and what to throw.",[16,1115,1116],{},"The cast: from a position where the leader lands ahead of the fish, not on top of it. Match the fly to whatever it's eating. One drift through the feeding lane is usually enough.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":1118},[],"Sight fishing flips the equation. Instead of casting blind to where you think fish are, you spot the fish first, watch how it's behaving, then make a single targeted cast. Catch rate goes up; pressure-per-fish goes down; the day becomes a hunt instead of a guess.",[58],[63,445,372,67,554,1122],"feeding-lane","Spotting fish before you cast. The visual half of fly fishing — and the most rewarding way to fish on a clear sunny day.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fsight-fishing-basics",[],[1002,381],{"title":1055,"description":1119},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fsight-fishing-basics","EA_ZkIO1KhHMc9d4anDqLp_7Ef8GCzXZXWfts_r__dc",{"id":1132,"title":1133,"applyCta":1134,"authorId":11,"body":1135,"cardType":439,"description":1139,"difficulty":84,"discipline":1172,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":1173,"hook":1174,"meta":1175,"navigation":71,"path":1176,"publishedAt":73,"readingSeconds":558,"regionTags":1177,"relatedCards":1178,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":1180,"status":81,"stem":1181,"track":456,"updatedAt":73,"version":84,"__hash__":1182},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fspring-creeks-vs-freestones.md","Spring Creeks vs Freestones",{"label":180,"action":91},{"type":13,"value":1136,"toc":1170},[1137,1140,1146,1152,1155,1167],[16,1138,1139],{},"Trout streams come in two flavors with very different characters: spring creeks and freestones. Knowing which type you're fishing changes how you approach the water.",[16,1141,1142,1145],{},[29,1143,1144],{},"Spring creeks"," are fed by underground springs. Water comes out of the ground at 50–55°F year-round, slow and clear, with stable flows that barely change between drought and flood. Bug life is dense and consistent — the same hatches at roughly the same time every year. Channels are gentle and weed-lined.",[16,1147,1148,1151],{},[29,1149,1150],{},"Freestones"," are fed by snowmelt, rain, and tributaries. Flow swings wildly with weather and season — high and muddy in spring, gin-clear and skinny in late summer. Water temps rise and fall with the air. The bottom is rocky and the channel cuts harder.",[16,1153,1154],{},"How that changes fishing:",[23,1156,1157,1162],{},[26,1158,1159,1161],{},[29,1160,1144],{}," = small flies, fine tippets, slow approach, perfect drifts. Fish see lots of stuff and inspect everything. Sight-fish where you can.",[26,1163,1164,1166],{},[29,1165,1150],{}," = bigger flies, heavier tippet, mobile fishing. Fish are opportunistic — they take what comes when it comes. Cover water rather than refining one drift.",[16,1168,1169],{},"Most great trout rivers in the West are tailwaters running through freestone-style canyons (cold water plus a freestone bottom). Those fisheries give you the best of both: tailwater reliability and freestone aggression.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":1171},[],[58,159,442],[617,63,445,554,235,234,233,933,818,65],"Two different kinds of trout streams, two different fishing strategies. How to read each one.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fspring-creeks-vs-freestones",[],[452,1179,453],"reading-a-tailwater",{"title":1133,"description":1139},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fspring-creeks-vs-freestones","zgAvtVcwFTMhxu4IKkxn__CLyfKkx-o0NQZ2jzt0ck4",{"id":1184,"title":1185,"applyCta":1186,"authorId":11,"body":1188,"cardType":439,"description":1250,"difficulty":230,"discipline":1251,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":1252,"hook":1254,"meta":1255,"navigation":71,"path":1256,"publishedAt":166,"readingSeconds":507,"regionTags":1257,"relatedCards":1258,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":1259,"status":81,"stem":1260,"track":456,"updatedAt":166,"version":84,"__hash__":1261},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fstillwater-bait-tactics.md","Stillwater Bait Tactics",{"label":1187,"action":91},"Find a stillwater near you",{"type":13,"value":1189,"toc":1248},[1190,1196,1199,1219,1225,1245],[16,1191,1192,1193,672],{},"A river puts the bait in the fish's lane for you. A lake doesn't — trout cruise wide circles through the basin, and a bait sitting in the wrong place sits there until you reel it in. The difference between a fast day and a slow one is ",[29,1194,1195],{},"depth, current substitute, and patience",[16,1197,1198],{},"Pick a depth based on temperature:",[23,1200,1201,1207,1213],{},[26,1202,1203,1206],{},[29,1204,1205],{},"Below 50°F:"," trout stay deep, 15-40 feet. PowerBait setup with a long leader, or a slip-bobber set deep.",[26,1208,1209,1212],{},[29,1210,1211],{},"50-65°F:"," prime range. Trout cruise 5-15 feet, often along shoreline drop-offs and weed lines.",[26,1214,1215,1218],{},[29,1216,1217],{},"Above 65°F:"," trout sink to the thermocline (often 25-40 ft in summer). Fish bottom rigs in the deepest accessible water or focus on dawn\u002Fdusk shallow cruisers.",[16,1220,1221,1224],{},[29,1222,1223],{},"Pick a \"current substitute\""," — something that moves the bait so it doesn't look dead:",[23,1226,1227,1233,1239],{},[26,1228,1229,1232],{},[29,1230,1231],{},"Wind drift."," Cast crosswind from a kayak or shore; let the wind move your bait sideways at 0.1-0.3 mph.",[26,1234,1235,1238],{},[29,1236,1237],{},"A slow figure-eight retrieve"," with PowerBait or worms. Reel two cranks, pause 20 seconds, repeat.",[26,1240,1241,1244],{},[29,1242,1243],{},"Inlet currents"," where a stream enters the lake — trout stack at the seam between still and moving water just like they would in a river.",[16,1246,1247],{},"Patience is the third leg. Cast, set the rod, wait 15-20 minutes per spot. If no signs of fish, move. Spend the day finding two productive zones and you'll fill the limit.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":1249},[],"A river puts the bait in the fish's lane for you. A lake doesn't — trout cruise wide circles through the basin, and a bait sitting in the wrong place sits there until you reel it in. The difference between a fast day and a slow one is depth, current substitute, and patience.",[442],[695,553,370,1253,67],"split-shot","Bait in a lake isn't bait in a river. No current to drift, no obvious lies — you have to know how trout move through still water before the bait works.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fstillwater-bait-tactics",[],[310,562,170],{"title":1185,"description":1250},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fstillwater-bait-tactics","0AjNnfZ6Q0jc_P1sszsBxZ4VeXSPy-NAFvFo8rk9FYc",{"id":1263,"title":1264,"applyCta":1265,"authorId":11,"body":1267,"cardType":55,"description":1271,"difficulty":230,"discipline":1314,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":1315,"hook":1316,"meta":1317,"navigation":71,"path":1318,"publishedAt":73,"readingSeconds":558,"regionTags":1319,"relatedCards":1320,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":1321,"status":81,"stem":1322,"track":174,"updatedAt":73,"version":84,"__hash__":1323},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fstreamer-basics.md","Streamer Basics",{"label":1266,"action":9,"target":10},"Fish a streamer on the Provo",{"type":13,"value":1268,"toc":1312},[1269,1272,1275,1286,1289,1309],[16,1270,1271],{},"Streamer fishing is a different game than dries and nymphs. Instead of matching a hatch, you're triggering a predator response — big trout that ignored tiny flies all day will chase a streamer they think is a fleeing baitfish.",[16,1273,1274],{},"The setup:",[260,1276,1277,1280,1283],{},[26,1278,1279],{},"A heavier leader: 7.5 ft, 0x or 1x. A bigger fly needs stiffer turnover.",[26,1281,1282],{},"6–12 lb tippet, much heavier than dry-fly fishing.",[26,1284,1285],{},"A streamer pattern — Wooly Bugger (size 6–10), a small sculpin, or a leech.",[16,1287,1288],{},"Three retrieves to learn first:",[23,1290,1291,1297,1303],{},[26,1292,1293,1296],{},[29,1294,1295],{},"Strip-strip-pause."," Two quick foot-long pulls, then a beat of stillness. The pause is when most takes happen — the fly drops, and a trout that was tracking it grabs the dying baitfish.",[26,1298,1299,1302],{},[29,1300,1301],{},"Slow swing."," Cast across, let the line bow downstream, and drift the fly across the run with built-in motion from the current. Set sideways with a strip-set when something hits.",[26,1304,1305,1308],{},[29,1306,1307],{},"Dead-drift to swing."," Cast upstream, dead-drift the streamer down past you, then let it swing at the end. Three presentations in one cast.",[16,1310,1311],{},"Where to fish them: deep pools (the fish you can't see), banks with overhead cover (undercut roots, downed trees), and dawn\u002Fdusk in low light. Streamers earn their keep when other approaches dry up.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":1313},[],[58],[61,62,63,64,65,233],"When nothing's rising, big flies on the strip can save the day. The basic rig and three retrieves to learn first.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fstreamer-basics",[],[510,1002],{"title":1264,"description":1271},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fstreamer-basics","zVSjOAuVxx4bmoNuLzCaIRT7CeAfH-dltE7Tpob2EQg",{"id":1325,"title":1326,"applyCta":1327,"authorId":11,"body":1329,"cardType":55,"description":1333,"difficulty":56,"discipline":1373,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":1374,"hook":1379,"meta":1380,"navigation":71,"path":1381,"publishedAt":166,"readingSeconds":1382,"regionTags":1383,"relatedCards":1384,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":1387,"status":81,"stem":1388,"track":83,"updatedAt":166,"version":84,"__hash__":1389},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fstreamer-retrieves-decoded.md","Streamer Retrieves Decoded",{"label":1328,"action":91},"Find a streamer-friendly river",{"type":13,"value":1330,"toc":1371},[1331,1334,1340,1350,1356,1362,1368],[16,1332,1333],{},"A streamer in the water isn't catching fish on its own — the angler is, with the retrieve. The same fly can move five different ways, and each speaks to a different fish in a different mood. Cycle through them until something works.",[16,1335,1336,1339],{},[29,1337,1338],{},"1. Strip-and-pause."," Two short, sharp strips (8-12 inches each), then a 1-2 second pause. The fly darts, then falls. Most strikes land on the pause when the fly is dropping like a wounded baitfish. Default retrieve for active, aggressive fish.",[16,1341,1342,1345,1346,1349],{},[29,1343,1344],{},"2. Swing."," Cast across-stream, mend once upstream, then ",[29,1347,1348],{},"do nothing",". The current pulls the line tight and swings the fly across. The fly's broadside profile and steady speed triggers trout that aren't actively feeding. Best on big browns in low light.",[16,1351,1352,1355],{},[29,1353,1354],{},"3. Dead drift."," Cast upstream, mend constantly to keep the fly drifting without drag, just like a nymph. Effective on hot, bright days when trout are tight to cover and need a meal delivered to their face. Often the only retrieve that works in mid-summer.",[16,1357,1358,1361],{},[29,1359,1360],{},"4. Slow crawl."," Six-inch strips spaced 3-4 seconds apart. The fly inches along, just barely working. Use when streamer-aggressive fish have seen too many fast retrieves; the change of pace turns followers into eaters.",[16,1363,1364,1367],{},[29,1365,1366],{},"5. Galloup-style jerk-strip."," Hard, long strips (16-24 inches), rod-tip strip-set on every hit. Brutal pace. The fly never stops moving. Triggers reaction strikes from big, predatory browns and pike in cold pre-spawn water.",[16,1369,1370],{},"Match your line to your retrieve: floating line for surface-and-swing work, sink-tip (Type III to Type VI) for getting deep on the strip-pause. The depth of your fly matters more than the pattern. Get it in front of the fish.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":1372},[],[58],[61,66,1375,63,62,445,1376,68,1377,1378],"wooly-bugger","mend","back-cast","haul","Strip-pause, swing, dead-drift, slow crawl. Streamer fishing isn't one technique — it's five, and the right one changes day to day with the water and the mood of the fish.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fstreamer-retrieves-decoded","180",[],[77,1385,1386],"articulated-streamers","the-mouse-pattern",{"title":1326,"description":1333},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fstreamer-retrieves-decoded","vY9DmxKVROgVzzbNTVoo686TtEUtDzssu9fzzdeNILk",{"id":1391,"title":1392,"applyCta":1393,"authorId":11,"body":1394,"cardType":55,"description":1398,"difficulty":84,"discipline":1445,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":1446,"hook":1449,"meta":1450,"navigation":71,"path":1451,"publishedAt":166,"readingSeconds":74,"regionTags":1452,"relatedCards":1453,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":1454,"status":81,"stem":1455,"track":174,"updatedAt":166,"version":84,"__hash__":1456},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-carolina-rig.md","The Carolina Rig",{"label":90,"action":91},{"type":13,"value":1395,"toc":1443},[1396,1399,1402,1430,1436],[16,1397,1398],{},"The Carolina rig separates the weight from the bait. The sinker stays glued to the bottom; the soft plastic floats 1-3 feet up, swimming naturally in the strike zone while you do nothing but drag.",[16,1400,1401],{},"How to tie it:",[260,1403,1404,1410,1417,1421,1427],{},[26,1405,1406,1407,651],{},"Thread a ",[29,1408,1409],{},"3\u002F4 oz bullet sinker",[26,1411,1412,1413,1416],{},"Add a small glass or plastic ",[29,1414,1415],{},"bead"," — this protects the knot and clicks against the weight, attracting fish.",[26,1418,654,1419,672],{},[29,1420,657],{},[26,1422,281,1423,1426],{},[29,1424,1425],{},"24-36 inch fluorocarbon leader"," to the other end of the swivel.",[26,1428,1429],{},"Finish with a 3\u002F0 or 4\u002F0 wide-gap hook and a soft plastic of your choice (lizard, creature, finesse worm, fluke).",[16,1431,1432,1433,1435],{},"Cast it long. Let it hit bottom. Then ",[29,1434,371],{}," with the rod, not the reel — slow, steady sweeps of the rod tip, taking up slack between each. Pause at every change in bottom (rocks, gravel-to-sand transition, a sunken log).",[16,1437,1438,1439,1442],{},"When you feel a \"thump\" or sudden weight, ",[29,1440,1441],{},"reel down"," to take up slack before setting the hook. The long leader means you need that contact before the hookset has any effect.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":1444},[],[159],[1447,1448,64,1253,67],"carolina-rig","swivel","Drag a soft plastic across the bottom on a long leader. The most reliable summer bass rig — and it works for big lake trout, too.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-carolina-rig",[],[891,170],{"title":1392,"description":1398},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-carolina-rig","jtqfLhvMGz5zejjaveGtqoiLIU9MzbB2W_x1PW_yLyo",{"id":1458,"title":1459,"applyCta":1460,"authorId":11,"body":1462,"cardType":55,"description":1466,"difficulty":84,"discipline":1534,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":1535,"hook":1536,"meta":1537,"navigation":71,"path":1538,"publishedAt":166,"readingSeconds":507,"regionTags":1539,"relatedCards":1540,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":71,"seo":1541,"status":81,"stem":1542,"track":705,"updatedAt":166,"version":84,"__hash__":1543},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-catfish-bottom-rig.md","The Catfish Bottom Rig",{"label":1461,"action":91},"Find a catfish river",{"type":13,"value":1463,"toc":1532},[1464,1467,1469,1495,1502,1505,1525],[16,1465,1466],{},"Catfish are bottom feeders that hunt with smell as much as sight. The rig is dead simple, but the bait choice and the location are everything.",[16,1468,642],{},[260,1470,1471,1477,1482,1489],{},[26,1472,647,1473,1476],{},[29,1474,1475],{},"1-3 oz egg sinker"," onto your main line. Heavier in current, lighter in slack water.",[26,1478,661,1479,1481],{},[29,1480,657],{}," below it.",[26,1483,1484,1485,1488],{},"Tie an ",[29,1486,1487],{},"18-24 inch leader"," of 20-30 lb mono.",[26,1490,668,1491,1494],{},[29,1492,1493],{},"circle hook",", size 4\u002F0 to 7\u002F0 depending on bait size and target fish.",[16,1496,1497,1498,1501],{},"A ",[29,1499,1500],{},"circle hook is non-negotiable"," — they set themselves on the fish's lip, hooking far fewer fish deep in the throat. This matters for catch-and-release and for the fish's survival.",[16,1503,1504],{},"Bait choices, in rough order of stink and effectiveness:",[23,1506,1507,1513,1519],{},[26,1508,1509,1512],{},[29,1510,1511],{},"Chicken liver"," for channels — slip a treble through it and a small wad of pantyhose to keep it on the hook.",[26,1514,1515,1518],{},[29,1516,1517],{},"Cut bait"," (chunks of shad, mullet, or sucker) for any flathead or blue cat.",[26,1520,1521,1524],{},[29,1522,1523],{},"Stinkbait or dip bait"," — molded onto a sponge or worm-shaped holder. The smell carries in the water; fish find it by following a scent trail upstream.",[16,1526,1527,1528,1531],{},"Cast to a deep hole, outside a current seam, or below a tributary mouth. ",[29,1529,1530],{},"Open the bail, set the reel down",", and wait. When line starts moving steadily, just lift — don't swing. Circle hooks do the work.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":1533},[],[442],[64,696,67,373],"A heavy sinker, a tough hook, and a smelly bait sitting still on the bottom. Catfish hunt with their noses — give the bait time to call them in.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-catfish-bottom-rig",[],[310,562],{"title":1459,"description":1466},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-catfish-bottom-rig","qdO1KQ5wFCNDbPGRKSrcSdHIksd880LB32GZn4nA-YE",{"id":1545,"title":1546,"applyCta":1547,"authorId":11,"body":1549,"cardType":1592,"description":1553,"difficulty":84,"discipline":1593,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":1594,"hook":1595,"meta":1596,"navigation":71,"path":1597,"publishedAt":765,"readingSeconds":1598,"regionTags":1599,"relatedCards":1600,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":1602,"status":81,"stem":1603,"track":705,"updatedAt":765,"version":84,"__hash__":1604},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-clinch-knot.md","The Improved Clinch Knot",{"label":1548,"action":9,"target":10},"See it on the Provo",{"type":13,"value":1550,"toc":1590},[1551,1554,1557,1584,1587],[16,1552,1553],{},"You'll tie this knot fifty times before your first fish. Get it down so your fingers can do it without your eyes.",[16,1555,1556],{},"The steps:",[260,1558,1559,1562,1568,1571,1578,1581],{},[26,1560,1561],{},"Pass the tippet through the eye of the hook. Pull about six inches through.",[26,1563,1564,1565,672],{},"Wrap the tag end around the standing line ",[29,1566,1567],{},"five to seven times",[26,1569,1570],{},"Pass the tag end back through the small loop near the eye of the hook.",[26,1572,1573,1574,1577],{},"Now back through the ",[29,1575,1576],{},"big loop"," you just made by step 3. (This is the \"improved\" part — without it, the knot slips on small hooks.)",[26,1579,1580],{},"Wet it (saliva works), then pull both ends slowly until the wraps coil down tight against the eye.",[26,1582,1583],{},"Trim the tag end short.",[16,1585,1586],{},"Common mistakes: too few wraps (won't hold above 4lb test), forgetting step 4 (knot slips), pulling tight without wetting (friction weakens the line by 20%+).",[16,1588,1589],{},"In the cold, your fingers stop working before you notice. Practice this knot at home until you can do it with gloves on.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":1591},[],"knot",[58,159,442],[65,64],"The only knot you need to tie a fly on. Holds, doesn't slip, fast in the cold.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-clinch-knot","70",[],[1601,1049],"your-starter-kit",{"title":1546,"description":1553},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-clinch-knot","Gjo4nv0UL4jUwNOR-dE3T1up-h58whJHRBFG6oo8Xr4",{"id":1606,"title":1607,"applyCta":1608,"authorId":11,"body":1610,"cardType":55,"description":1614,"difficulty":84,"discipline":1636,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":1637,"hook":1638,"meta":1639,"navigation":71,"path":1640,"publishedAt":765,"readingSeconds":1641,"regionTags":1642,"relatedCards":1643,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":1644,"status":81,"stem":1645,"track":174,"updatedAt":765,"version":84,"__hash__":1646},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-dead-drift.md","The Dead-Drift",{"label":1609,"action":9,"target":10},"See it live on the Provo",{"type":13,"value":1611,"toc":1634},[1612,1615,1618,1624,1631],[16,1613,1614],{},"A trout in a feeding lane sees thousands of natural insects float past every hour. They drift the way the current carries them — no swimming, no twitching — just food-shaped debris moving at the speed of the water around it.",[16,1616,1617],{},"A dead-drift is a cast that mimics that. Your fly travels downstream at exactly the speed of the surface current with no pull from your line.",[16,1619,1620,1621,1623],{},"The thing that breaks a dead-drift is ",[29,1622,371],{},". Your fly line, sitting on faster or slower water than your fly, tugs the fly off its natural path. The fly speeds up, slows down, or — worst — leaves a tiny V-wake behind it. To a trout, that wake reads as \"not food.\"",[16,1625,1626,1627,1630],{},"You fix drag by ",[29,1628,1629],{},"mending",": lifting the line off the water and re-placing it upstream of the fly. A clean mend buys you another two or three feet of clean drift before drag returns.",[16,1632,1633],{},"Most fly-fishing days come down to one question: how long can you keep your fly drifting like nothing's attached to it.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":1635},[],[58],[445,371,1376],"The most-talked-about cast in fly fishing. Here's what it actually means and why it matters.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-dead-drift","90",[],[453],{"title":1607,"description":1614},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-dead-drift","Jfr3YulXYevrUKjQPxehvPqGWN5Zooqhvy9rcK33fYw",{"id":1648,"title":1649,"applyCta":1650,"authorId":11,"body":1651,"cardType":55,"description":1655,"difficulty":84,"discipline":1680,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":1681,"hook":1682,"meta":1683,"navigation":71,"path":1684,"publishedAt":73,"readingSeconds":937,"regionTags":1685,"relatedCards":1686,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":1687,"status":81,"stem":1688,"track":705,"updatedAt":73,"version":84,"__hash__":1689},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-drift-rig.md","The Bottom Drift Rig",{"label":180,"action":91},{"type":13,"value":1652,"toc":1678},[1653,1656,1658,1672,1675],[16,1654,1655],{},"The bottom drift rig is the bait-fishing equivalent of a dead-drifted fly: bait travels naturally with the current, deep enough to find feeding fish. It's the setup that catches trout in heavy water where bobbers don't reach.",[16,1657,526],{},[260,1659,1660,1663,1666,1669],{},[26,1661,1662],{},"Tie a small (#10–14) bait hook directly to your line.",[26,1664,1665],{},"Pinch one to three split shot 12–18 inches above the hook. Heavier water needs more weight.",[26,1667,1668],{},"Bait the hook with a worm, salmon egg, single kernel of corn, or a piece of nightcrawler.",[26,1670,1671],{},"Cast upstream of the holding water you want to fish.",[16,1673,1674],{},"The drift: the rig sinks as it travels. Hold the rod tip up and feel the split shot ticking along the bottom. Fish typically take with a sharp pull rather than a subtle tap — bait flopping along the floor is too easy a meal to ignore.",[16,1676,1677],{},"When the rig hangs, lift the rod tip and shake; a stuck split shot usually pops free without you breaking off. Replace bait every two or three drifts — lost bait makes you a confidence-tester, not a catcher.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":1679},[],[442],[1253,64,234,233,554,371],"Bait fished on the bottom, drifting with the current. The simplest effective setup for trout in pools and runs.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-drift-rig",[],[562,242],{"title":1649,"description":1655},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-drift-rig","lOX10wDqSEyHfDZEwpt7DFLDDEIs5F95tKZfesmHC3M",{"id":1691,"title":1692,"applyCta":1693,"authorId":11,"body":1695,"cardType":1592,"description":1699,"difficulty":230,"discipline":1739,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":1740,"hook":1742,"meta":1743,"navigation":71,"path":1744,"publishedAt":166,"readingSeconds":74,"regionTags":1745,"relatedCards":1746,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":1748,"status":81,"stem":1749,"track":174,"updatedAt":166,"version":84,"__hash__":1750},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-egg-loop-knot.md","The Egg Loop Knot",{"label":1694,"action":91},"Find a steelhead river",{"type":13,"value":1696,"toc":1737},[1697,1700,1703,1731,1734],[16,1698,1699],{},"If you fish single salmon eggs, roe sacks, or sand shrimp for steelhead and salmon, the egg loop is non-negotiable. Piercing a soft bait with a hook destroys it; the egg loop traps the bait in a loop of leader instead, so it stays intact for cast after cast.",[16,1701,1702],{},"The tie:",[260,1704,1705,1712,1715,1722,1728],{},[26,1706,1707,1708,1711],{},"Pass the leader through the hook eye ",[29,1709,1710],{},"front to back",". Pull about 8 inches through.",[26,1713,1714],{},"Lay the tag along the hook shank pointing toward the bend. Hold it there with your thumb.",[26,1716,1717,1718,1721],{},"With the standing line, ",[29,1719,1720],{},"wrap 8-12 times around the shank and the tag",", working from the eye toward the bend.",[26,1723,274,1724,1727],{},[29,1725,1726],{},"back through the hook eye, back to front"," — same direction as your standing line.",[26,1729,1730],{},"Pull both ends slowly until the wraps tighten. The result: a small loop of leader hanging off the eye, bound to the shank.",[16,1732,1733],{},"To bait it: pull the loop open with one finger, slide an egg or roe sack inside, and let the loop snug back down. The bait hangs in the loop, the hook point rides clear.",[16,1735,1736],{},"On a hookset, the leader pulls tight against the shank, the loop opens, the bait slides off, and the hook drives into the fish. Worth the practice.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":1738},[],[442],[1741,64,65,696],"egg-loop-knot","The bait knot for steelhead and salmon. Holds soft baits without piercing them — clean drift, intact eggs, less time re-baiting.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-egg-loop-knot",[],[1747,702],"the-clinch-knot",{"title":1692,"description":1699},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-egg-loop-knot","z4jR9JeEOyJAhL00L3VusY9u6A4_5rvzsaw-Z4b58ZA",{"id":1752,"title":1753,"applyCta":1754,"authorId":11,"body":1755,"cardType":55,"description":1802,"difficulty":230,"discipline":1803,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":1804,"hook":1805,"meta":1806,"navigation":71,"path":1807,"publishedAt":73,"readingSeconds":558,"regionTags":1808,"relatedCards":1809,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":1810,"status":81,"stem":1811,"track":174,"updatedAt":73,"version":84,"__hash__":1812},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-hopper-dropper.md","The Hopper-Dropper",{"label":462,"action":9,"target":10},{"type":13,"value":1756,"toc":1800},[1757,1764,1767,1791,1794,1797],[16,1758,1759,1760,1763],{},"The hopper-dropper is a variant of the dry-dropper rig built around a giant terrestrial — a hopper, a beetle, an ant — as the indicator fly. The big foam-bodied dry floats high, lands with a satisfying ",[204,1761,1762],{},"plop"," (which fish hear), and supports a heavy nymph below.",[16,1765,1766],{},"Why it works in summer:",[23,1768,1769,1775,1785],{},[26,1770,1771,1774],{},[29,1772,1773],{},"Terrestrials are the dominant food source"," from June through September. Hoppers, ants, and beetles get blown into the water all day.",[26,1776,1777,1780,1781,1784],{},[29,1778,1779],{},"The plop draws attention."," Fish hear the splash, look up, and either eat the hopper ",[204,1782,1783],{},"or"," notice the trailing nymph drifting past.",[26,1786,1787,1790],{},[29,1788,1789],{},"The nymph below picks off cautious fish"," that won't commit to the surface fly.",[16,1792,1793],{},"Building it: tie a #8–12 hopper pattern (Chubby Chernobyl, Fat Albert, foam ant) to your leader. Tie 18–28 inches of 4x or 5x tippet to the bend of the hook. Attach a heavier nymph — Pheasant Tail, Hare's Ear, Copper John — sized 14–18.",[16,1795,1796],{},"The drift: cast across or up-and-across, let everything drift naturally. When the hopper dips, hesitates, or drags, set. Half the time it's a rock; half the time it's a fish on the dropper. Either way you'd never have known without setting.",[16,1798,1799],{},"Where it shines: midsummer freestone rivers with banks lined in tall grass, mid-elevation streams in late July, any tailwater after sunup once water temps stabilize.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":1801},[],"The hopper-dropper is a variant of the dry-dropper rig built around a giant terrestrial — a hopper, a beetle, an ant — as the indicator fly. The big foam-bodied dry floats high, lands with a satisfying plop (which fish hear), and supports a heavy nymph below.",[58],[368,367,370,63,617,64,65],"A buoyant terrestrial up top, a heavy nymph below. The summer rig that catches fish where dries alone get refused.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-hopper-dropper",[],[510,1002],{"title":1753,"description":1802},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-hopper-dropper","d9YTxHp5dHGK_0umHbimoF8mei5A8728dXFuVet6GqI",{"id":1814,"title":1815,"applyCta":1816,"authorId":11,"body":1817,"cardType":55,"description":1873,"difficulty":84,"discipline":1874,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":1875,"hook":1877,"meta":1878,"navigation":71,"path":1879,"publishedAt":166,"readingSeconds":558,"regionTags":1880,"relatedCards":1881,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":1883,"status":81,"stem":1884,"track":705,"updatedAt":166,"version":84,"__hash__":1885},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-inline-spinner-retrieve.md","The Inline Spinner Retrieve",{"label":1548,"action":9,"target":10},{"type":13,"value":1818,"toc":1871},[1819,1826,1829,1861,1864],[16,1820,1821,1822,1825],{},"A spinner doesn't catch fish because it goes through the water. It catches fish because it ",[29,1823,1824],{},"changes"," as it goes — speed up, slow down, hesitate, dive. Steady cranking ignores the lure's best tool.",[16,1827,1828],{},"The basic five-beat retrieve:",[260,1830,1831,1837,1843,1849,1855],{},[26,1832,1833,1836],{},[29,1834,1835],{},"Cast across-stream",", slightly upstream. Don't cast straight down.",[26,1838,1839,1842],{},[29,1840,1841],{},"Crank twice fast"," to start the blade spinning and lift the lure.",[26,1844,1845,1848],{},[29,1846,1847],{},"Pause for one second",". The lure flutters and drops; the blade stops, then starts again on the next pull. This is when most hits happen.",[26,1850,1851,1854],{},[29,1852,1853],{},"Vary the speed"," mid-retrieve. Slow-fast-slow lets the lure dive and rise like an injured baitfish.",[26,1856,1857,1860],{},[29,1858,1859],{},"End slow",", especially as the spinner swings into the bank or a slack seam. Trout will follow a spinner all the way in.",[16,1862,1863],{},"Track your rod tip with the lure. Hold it at 10 o'clock for shallow runs, 9 o'clock to let the spinner sink, 11 o'clock to keep it riding high over weeds.",[16,1865,1866,1867,1870],{},"If you're getting follows but no commits, ",[29,1868,1869],{},"add a pause"," — usually right at the moment a fish would normally lose interest, around the third or fourth crank.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":1872},[],"A spinner doesn't catch fish because it goes through the water. It catches fish because it changes as it goes — speed up, slow down, hesitate, dive. Steady cranking ignores the lure's best tool.",[159],[1876,63,554,236,444],"inline-spinner","A good spinner retrieve isn't a steady reel-in. It's a five-step rhythm that triggers strikes on the pause, not the pull.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-inline-spinner-retrieve",[],[561,1882,453],"where-to-cast-a-spinner",{"title":1815,"description":1873},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-inline-spinner-retrieve","Ql38A8QWoi5YVE9JNDx2p_eMKpzuO_tlbQ3BGAat40I",{"id":1887,"title":1888,"applyCta":1889,"authorId":11,"body":1891,"cardType":55,"description":1895,"difficulty":56,"discipline":1937,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":1938,"hook":1939,"meta":1940,"navigation":71,"path":1941,"publishedAt":166,"readingSeconds":377,"regionTags":1942,"relatedCards":1943,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":71,"seo":1945,"status":81,"stem":1946,"track":83,"updatedAt":166,"version":84,"__hash__":1947},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-mouse-pattern.md","The Mouse Pattern",{"label":1890,"action":91},"Find a trophy brown stream",{"type":13,"value":1892,"toc":1935},[1893,1896,1903,1905,1925,1932],[16,1894,1895],{},"Mouse fishing is a calculated obsession. You're chasing one fish — the biggest brown in the run — and almost everything about it is backwards from regular fly fishing. Daylight is bad. Bright moon is bad. A \"perfect cast\" is irrelevant. What matters is the wake the fly leaves behind it on the surface.",[16,1897,1898,1899,1902],{},"The window is ",[29,1900,1901],{},"the darkest two hours of the night",", in summer when water is warm enough that big trout are nocturnal hunters. New moon or heavy overcast is ideal. The middle of a hot, still afternoon is the wrong time — go home and sleep.",[16,1904,1274],{},[23,1906,1907,1913,1919],{},[26,1908,1909,1912],{},[29,1910,1911],{},"7-8 weight rod."," You're throwing a wet, water-logged fly and need backbone to land a 20+ inch brown in the dark.",[26,1914,1915,1918],{},[29,1916,1917],{},"Short, heavy leader."," 6-8 feet of 0X-2X. No need for delicacy. The fly is the size of a dock rat.",[26,1920,1921,1924],{},[29,1922,1923],{},"A deer-hair or foam mouse pattern."," Morrish Mouse and Mr. Hanky are workhorses. Buy them with rabbit-strip tails for extra wiggle.",[16,1926,1927,1928,1931],{},"Cast across-stream toward the bank. ",[29,1929,1930],{},"Strip slowly"," — one short pull every 2-3 seconds. The fly leaves a V-shaped wake. Big browns watch the wake before they commit; the take is often a heavy boil or an audible slurp, sometimes followed by 5 seconds of nothing before the line goes tight.",[16,1933,1934],{},"Set hard, on a long delay if you can manage it. The take feels nothing like a normal trout eat. Listen more than you watch.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":1936},[],[58],[61,63,373,372,1377],"Big trout eat mice. Most anglers will never throw one. Dead-of-night, slow strip across the surface — and the biggest browns in your river come out to play.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-mouse-pattern",[],[77,1385,1944],"streamer-retrieves-decoded",{"title":1888,"description":1895},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-mouse-pattern","B_e7EJPi4bL2tgt-lBk3j0pVOIhxlGWmcaMAK_exakI",{"id":1949,"title":1950,"applyCta":1951,"authorId":11,"body":1953,"cardType":55,"description":1999,"difficulty":84,"discipline":2000,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":2001,"hook":2002,"meta":2003,"navigation":71,"path":2004,"publishedAt":765,"readingSeconds":74,"regionTags":2005,"relatedCards":2006,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":2007,"status":81,"stem":2008,"track":705,"updatedAt":765,"version":84,"__hash__":2009},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-overhead-cast.md","The Overhead Cast",{"label":1952,"action":9,"target":10},"Practice on the Provo",{"type":13,"value":1954,"toc":1997},[1955,1962,1965,1991,1994],[16,1956,1957,1958,1961],{},"A fly rod casts the ",[204,1959,1960],{},"line",", not the fly. The line is heavy enough to load the rod and unfurl forward; the fly is just along for the ride. That's the single biggest mental shift coming from spin or bait.",[16,1963,1964],{},"The motion:",[260,1966,1967,1970,1976,1982,1988],{},[26,1968,1969],{},"Start with about 20 feet of line on the water in front of you.",[26,1971,1972,1975],{},[29,1973,1974],{},"Lift smoothly to 10 o'clock"," (your rod tip pointing slightly behind your shoulder). Stop hard. The line lifts off the water and shoots back behind you.",[26,1977,1978,1981],{},[29,1979,1980],{},"Pause."," This is the hard part. The line needs time to straighten behind you before you cast forward. Count one Mississippi, two if it's a long line.",[26,1983,1984,1987],{},[29,1985,1986],{},"Drive forward to 2 o'clock."," Stop hard again. The line shoots forward and unrolls. Let the leader land first, then the fly.",[26,1989,1990],{},"Lower the rod tip as the line settles.",[16,1992,1993],{},"The two killers of new fly casters: starting the forward cast before the back-cast straightens (you'll hear a whip-crack — that's your leader breaking), and bending the wrist at the bottom of the stroke (the line piles up).",[16,1995,1996],{},"Practice on grass before you practice on water. Twenty minutes in a backyard saves an hour of frustration on the river.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":1998},[],"A fly rod casts the line, not the fly. The line is heavy enough to load the rod and unfurl forward; the fly is just along for the ride. That's the single biggest mental shift coming from spin or bait.",[58],[64,63,445],"How to make a fly land where you want it without hooking yourself in the ear.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-overhead-cast",[],[1601,511],{"title":1950,"description":1999},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-overhead-cast","91NYC-5mvPEVDO5c3fDVQHXDbwkUlGGi9Xi2RGZ3EOs",{"id":2011,"title":2012,"applyCta":2013,"authorId":11,"body":2014,"cardType":1592,"description":2018,"difficulty":84,"discipline":2050,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":2051,"hook":2052,"meta":2053,"navigation":71,"path":2054,"publishedAt":73,"readingSeconds":2055,"regionTags":2056,"relatedCards":2057,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":2058,"status":81,"stem":2059,"track":705,"updatedAt":73,"version":84,"__hash__":2060},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-palomar-knot.md","The Palomar Knot",{"label":180,"action":91},{"type":13,"value":2015,"toc":2048},[2016,2019,2021,2038,2045],[16,2017,2018],{},"The Palomar is the standard knot for tying lures to braided line. It holds 95%+ of the line's stated strength — much better than a clinch on braid. It also works fine on monofilament and fluorocarbon.",[16,2020,1556],{},[260,2022,2023,2026,2029,2032,2035],{},[26,2024,2025],{},"Pull about six inches of line through the hook eye, then back through, creating a doubled section near the hook.",[26,2027,2028],{},"Tie a loose overhand knot in the doubled section. Don't tighten yet.",[26,2030,2031],{},"Pass the hook through the loop of the overhand knot.",[26,2033,2034],{},"Wet the knot, then pull both the standing line and the tag end at the same time to tighten.",[26,2036,2037],{},"Trim the tag.",[16,2039,2040,2041,2044],{},"The trick: the hook has to pass through the loop ",[204,2042,2043],{},"after"," the overhand is tied, not before. Get the order wrong and you get a tangle that won't seat.",[16,2046,2047],{},"Why it beats the clinch on braid: braid is too slick; clinch knots slip on it. The Palomar's loop-through-loop design grips through friction rather than wrap pressure.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":2049},[],[159,442],[65,64],"The strongest connection between line and lure, especially with braided line. The knot every spin and bait angler should know.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-palomar-knot","80",[],[1747],{"title":2012,"description":2018},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-palomar-knot","bfBm_2pS93KarAZc9BhBZVVsrFGp5xxxklMuDzE2Djo",{"id":2062,"title":534,"applyCta":2063,"authorId":11,"body":2064,"cardType":55,"description":2068,"difficulty":84,"discipline":2112,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":2113,"hook":2114,"meta":2115,"navigation":71,"path":2116,"publishedAt":73,"readingSeconds":937,"regionTags":2117,"relatedCards":2118,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":2119,"status":81,"stem":2120,"track":705,"updatedAt":73,"version":84,"__hash__":2121},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-slip-bobber-rig.md",{"label":180,"action":91},{"type":13,"value":2065,"toc":2110},[2066,2069,2072,2104,2107],[16,2067,2068],{},"A slip bobber is a float with a hollow center that the line passes through — letting the bait sink to a set depth, with the bobber sliding up the line until it hits a stopper. Way more flexible than a fixed bobber: you can fish six inches deep or twelve feet deep with the same rig.",[16,2070,2071],{},"Setting it up, in order from line to hook:",[260,2073,2074,2080,2086,2092,2098],{},[26,2075,2076,2079],{},[29,2077,2078],{},"Bobber stop."," Slide a small string knot or rubber stopper onto your line first. This is what sets your depth — slide it up the line for deeper, down for shallower.",[26,2081,2082,2085],{},[29,2083,2084],{},"Bead."," A small plastic bead next, between the stop and the bobber. Keeps the stopper from pulling through the bobber.",[26,2087,2088,2091],{},[29,2089,2090],{},"Slip bobber."," Thread the line through its hollow center.",[26,2093,2094,2097],{},[29,2095,2096],{},"Split shot."," A small split shot 8–18 inches above the hook gives the bait gravity to sink and pull line through the bobber.",[26,2099,2100,2103],{},[29,2101,2102],{},"Hook and bait."," A live worm, leech, minnow, or a piece of corn or PowerBait, depending on the species.",[16,2105,2106],{},"The cast flips out and the bobber lays flat at first. As the split shot pulls line through, the bobber stands upright — you know the bait has reached your set depth.",[16,2108,2109],{},"Where it shines: still water and slow pools where you want bait suspended at fish depth. A panfish on a dock pile, a trout in an eddy, a walleye over a weed edge. Adjust the bobber stop until you find the depth fish are holding at.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":2111},[],[442],[64,444,233],"Live bait at any depth, fished without dragging bottom. The setup that catches everything from panfish to trophy walleye.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-slip-bobber-rig",[],[242],{"title":534,"description":2068},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-slip-bobber-rig","eMYw2yIqtnYyWmEqVkz4NPEbB8sBXVwWQYn3w46elZA",{"id":2123,"title":2124,"applyCta":2125,"authorId":11,"body":2127,"cardType":439,"description":2131,"difficulty":56,"discipline":2166,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":2167,"hook":2168,"meta":2169,"navigation":71,"path":2170,"publishedAt":73,"readingSeconds":558,"regionTags":2171,"relatedCards":2172,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":2173,"status":81,"stem":2174,"track":83,"updatedAt":73,"version":84,"__hash__":2175},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-spinner-fall.md","The Spinner Fall",{"label":2126,"action":9,"target":10},"Watch for it on the Provo",{"type":13,"value":2128,"toc":2164},[2129,2132,2135,2138,2158,2161],[16,2130,2131],{},"A mayfly dun emerges, flies off, molts into a \"spinner\" (the reproductive stage), mates in flight, and lays eggs over the water. Then it falls — wings flat, body limp — to the surface, where it dies. That's the spinner fall.",[16,2133,2134],{},"Trout know spinner falls. Easy meal, high abundance, often at dusk when daylight is failing. They feed in calm lanes and slow currents where the spent bugs collect. The rises are subtle: a soft sip, sometimes barely a dimple on the surface. Easy to miss if you're scanning for splashes.",[16,2136,2137],{},"Three signals you're in a spinner fall:",[23,2139,2140,2146,2152],{},[26,2141,2142,2145],{},[29,2143,2144],{},"Mayflies in the air at dusk",", often in tight clouds dancing above the water. Watch just as the light goes flat.",[26,2147,2148,2151],{},[29,2149,2150],{},"Spent wings on the surface"," — flat, splayed, dead-bug shapes drifting in slow seams.",[26,2153,2154,2157],{},[29,2155,2156],{},"Soft, repeated rises in slow water"," with no splash. The same fish rising rhythmically every 5–10 seconds.",[16,2159,2160],{},"The fly: a low-floating Spent Wing pattern, a Rusty Spinner, or any pattern with the wings tied flat. Match the size of the natural and fish dead-drift through the visible feeding lane. Long fine tippets (6x or 7x) help — these fish inspect carefully.",[16,2162,2163],{},"Spinner falls happen on every mayfly hatch but get the least press because they require knowing what to look for. Once you've seen one and caught a fish in it, you'll never miss it again.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":2165},[],[58],[933,931,617,930,367,932],"After mayflies mate, they fall to the water dead. Trout gorge. Most anglers miss it because they're looking for splashy rises.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-spinner-fall",[],[1002],{"title":2124,"description":2131},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fthe-spinner-fall","MimasDI4tsf0qgawNmhAJbzgjWWAQBk9PDGWRiIKfPg",{"id":2177,"title":2178,"applyCta":2179,"authorId":11,"body":2180,"cardType":55,"description":2184,"difficulty":230,"discipline":2213,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":2214,"hook":2215,"meta":2216,"navigation":71,"path":2217,"publishedAt":73,"readingSeconds":937,"regionTags":2218,"relatedCards":2219,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":2220,"status":81,"stem":2221,"track":174,"updatedAt":73,"version":84,"__hash__":2222},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Ftying-on-a-dropper-rig.md","Tying on a Dropper Rig",{"label":462,"action":9,"target":10},{"type":13,"value":2181,"toc":2211},[2182,2185,2187,2205,2208],[16,2183,2184],{},"The dropper rig is the most efficient way to fish moving water. You float a buoyant dry on top — a Parachute Adams, an Elk Hair Caddis, a hopper — and dangle a heavier nymph 12 to 24 inches below it on a separate piece of tippet. Two flies, two strike chances per drift.",[16,2186,526],{},[260,2188,2189,2192,2195,2202],{},[26,2190,2191],{},"Tie your dry fly to the leader using an improved clinch knot.",[26,2193,2194],{},"Cut a 12–24 inch length of tippet, one size lighter than your leader tip (usually 5x or 6x).",[26,2196,2197,2198,2201],{},"Tie one end of that tippet to the ",[29,2199,2200],{},"bend of the hook"," of the dry, also with a clinch knot.",[26,2203,2204],{},"Tie your nymph to the other end of that tippet.",[16,2206,2207],{},"The dry doubles as a strike indicator. If it dips, pauses, or skates, set the hook — the nymph below has either found a fish or a rock. Most days, it's a rock; some days, it's the difference between zero fish and ten.",[16,2209,2210],{},"The signal the rig is wrong: your dry keeps sinking. The nymph is too heavy. Drop a fly size, or use a smaller bead head.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":2212},[],[58],[367,368,65,445,63,370],"Running a nymph below a dry — the workhorse rig that gives you a strike chance on the surface and below at once.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Ftying-on-a-dropper-rig",[],[1747,511],{"title":2178,"description":2184},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Ftying-on-a-dropper-rig","enRakaoGMRAc63-0vTk7ISg_PcSj9Yrtr4TjIR5Xsx4",{"id":2224,"title":2225,"applyCta":2226,"authorId":11,"body":2227,"cardType":439,"description":2231,"difficulty":230,"discipline":2286,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":2287,"hook":2288,"meta":2289,"navigation":71,"path":2290,"publishedAt":73,"readingSeconds":74,"regionTags":2291,"relatedCards":2292,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":2293,"status":81,"stem":2294,"track":456,"updatedAt":73,"version":84,"__hash__":2295},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fwhere-to-cast-a-spinner.md","Where to Cast a Spinner",{"label":180,"action":91},{"type":13,"value":2228,"toc":2284},[2229,2232,2235,2252,2255,2281],[16,2230,2231],{},"Fly anglers think about drift; spinning anglers think about retrieve angle. The same lies hold fish — but how you cover them is different. Where a fly drifts down through a seam, a spinner pulls across or up through it.",[16,2233,2234],{},"Two questions before you cast:",[23,2236,2237,2243],{},[26,2238,2239,2242],{},[29,2240,2241],{},"What's the fish facing?"," All flowing-water fish face into the current. Cast so the lure swims up in front of the fish (the most natural angle), then pull it past from below (escaping-baitfish profile).",[26,2244,2245,2248,2249,2251],{},[29,2246,2247],{},"What's the depth and speed?"," Match spinner weight (see ",[204,2250,178],{},") to depth, and match retrieve speed to current. Fast water + heavy lure + slow retrieve = lure swims at depth; slow water + light lure + fast retrieve = lure stays near the surface.",[16,2253,2254],{},"Where to throw:",[23,2256,2257,2263,2269,2275],{},[26,2258,2259,2262],{},[29,2260,2261],{},"Pool tails"," — cast across the tail, retrieve up through the slack water on the far side. Big trout hold here in the morning.",[26,2264,2265,2268],{},[29,2266,2267],{},"Seams below riffles"," — cast at the seam, retrieve along it. Fish stack on this transition.",[26,2270,2271,2274],{},[29,2272,2273],{},"Bank lies"," — cast tight to undercut banks and structure. Even a few feet off changes everything.",[26,2276,2277,2280],{},[29,2278,2279],{},"Mid-pool boulders"," — cast above the boulder so the lure swings past it on the retrieve.",[16,2282,2283],{},"A spinner catches fish in water where dead-drifted flies fail because the active retrieve covers more area faster.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":2285},[],[159],[372,67,236,554,233,235,234,444,63],"Reading water for hardware. Adapting the same lie-and-structure logic to lures that pull through the strike zone instead of drifting through it.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fwhere-to-cast-a-spinner",[],[561,452,381],{"title":2225,"description":2231},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fwhere-to-cast-a-spinner","7YDu2sSftpnjt9Zu4gikm2MClVRel_8MO_BMD6xlml0",{"id":2297,"title":2298,"applyCta":2299,"authorId":11,"body":2301,"cardType":55,"description":2361,"difficulty":84,"discipline":2362,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":2363,"hook":2364,"meta":2365,"navigation":71,"path":2366,"publishedAt":166,"readingSeconds":167,"regionTags":2367,"relatedCards":2368,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":71,"seo":2370,"status":81,"stem":2371,"track":705,"updatedAt":166,"version":84,"__hash__":2372},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fworm-rigging-for-trout.md","Worm Rigging for Trout",{"label":2300,"action":91},"See worm-legal water near you",{"type":13,"value":2302,"toc":2359},[2303,2309,2311,2331,2338,2352],[16,2304,2305,2308],{},[29,2306,2307],{},"Check regulations first."," Many trout streams are catch-and-release or fly-only. Worm fishing is fully legal on most general-regulation water, but state and stretch rules vary — confirm before you cast.",[16,2310,1274],{},[260,2312,2313,2319,2325],{},[26,2314,2315,2318],{},[29,2316,2317],{},"Light spinning rod",", 4-6 lb test main line.",[26,2320,1497,2321,2324],{},[29,2322,2323],{},"size 8 or 10 baitholder hook"," with two barbs on the shank to keep the worm anchored.",[26,2326,2327,2330],{},[29,2328,2329],{},"One or two #BB split shot"," 6-10 inches up the line from the hook. Add more in faster water, less in slower.",[16,2332,2333,2334,2337],{},"Hooking the worm matters. The goal is a hook that's mostly hidden inside the worm but ",[29,2335,2336],{},"leaves enough wiggle for it to move",". Two methods:",[23,2339,2340,2346],{},[26,2341,2342,2345],{},[29,2343,2344],{},"Threaded:"," thread the hook in through the head, slide it down the shank, and exit the side. About 1-2 inches of worm dangles past the hook bend.",[26,2347,2348,2351],{},[29,2349,2350],{},"Pinned:"," push the hook through the worm's collar (the thickened band 1\u002F3 down the body) only once. Lets it wiggle a lot but tears off easier on the cast.",[16,2353,2354,2355,2358],{},"Cast slightly upstream, ",[29,2356,2357],{},"let the worm dead drift"," with the current. The split shot bumps the bottom; the worm rides slightly above it, swimming. When the line stops or moves sideways, set the hook firmly — trout often inhale a worm and you have a small window before they spit it.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":2360},[],"Check regulations first. Many trout streams are catch-and-release or fly-only. Worm fishing is fully legal on most general-regulation water, but state and stretch rules vary — confirm before you cast.",[442],[1253,65,371,445,696],"A live nightcrawler is the deadliest small-stream bait there is. The trick is hooking it so it acts alive in the current, not dead at the end of a line.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fworm-rigging-for-trout",[],[380,2369,511],"the-catfish-bottom-rig",{"title":2298,"description":2361},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fworm-rigging-for-trout","SZr9Imbs6J0HRQFHXJ-BrB-DYPc3MY7i1Uzo9gBrhcU",{"id":2374,"title":2375,"applyCta":2376,"authorId":11,"body":2377,"cardType":157,"description":2381,"difficulty":84,"discipline":2425,"editorId":11,"extension":59,"glossaryRefs":2426,"hook":2427,"meta":2428,"navigation":71,"path":2429,"publishedAt":765,"readingSeconds":937,"regionTags":2430,"relatedCards":2431,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":79,"seo":2432,"status":81,"stem":2433,"track":705,"updatedAt":765,"version":84,"__hash__":2434},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fyour-starter-kit.md","Your Starter Kit",{"label":1548,"action":9,"target":10},{"type":13,"value":2378,"toc":2423},[2379,2382,2385],[16,2380,2381],{},"You don't need a quiver of rods, four reels, or a chest pack of fly boxes to start. A handful of things, all in the $250–$400 range as a complete kit, will catch trout on most rivers in North America.",[16,2383,2384],{},"The list:",[23,2386,2387,2393,2399,2405,2411,2417],{},[26,2388,2389,2392],{},[29,2390,2391],{},"9-foot 5-weight fly rod."," The do-everything trout rod. A 9' 5wt handles dries on a small stream, nymph rigs on a tailwater, and small streamers in any condition you'll fish in your first season.",[26,2394,2395,2398],{},[29,2396,2397],{},"Floating WF5F fly line."," \"WF5F\" matches the rod weight (5) and stays on top of the water (F = floating).",[26,2400,2401,2404],{},[29,2402,2403],{},"Tapered 9-foot 4x leader."," Pre-tapered, comes coiled in a sleeve. Tie a fly straight to the tip on day one.",[26,2406,2407,2410],{},[29,2408,2409],{},"Spool of 5x tippet."," When the leader gets short from changing flies, tie 18 inches of 5x to the end. Cheap, lasts a season.",[26,2412,2413,2416],{},[29,2414,2415],{},"A small fly box with five patterns",": Parachute Adams (dry), Elk Hair Caddis (dry), Pheasant Tail Nymph (nymph), Zebra Midge (nymph), Wooly Bugger (streamer). Sizes 14, 16, 18 in the dries; 16, 18, 20 in the nymphs.",[26,2418,2419,2422],{},[29,2420,2421],{},"Polarized sunglasses, nippers, hemostats."," That's it. The rest is optional for the first year.",{"title":52,"searchDepth":53,"depth":53,"links":2424},[],[58],[64,65,370,368,367,61],"The shortest list of gear that'll actually catch fish. Skip the marketing.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fyour-starter-kit",[],[1049,1747],{"title":2375,"description":2381},"learn\u002Fcards\u002Fyour-starter-kit","LUfXmdxtOWnvxfesMDfatUrOdNcR2So_4YY8hMqQ_9Y"]