This Troutbitten Skills Series and these platforms are an effort to pass along the idea that fly selection doesn’t have to be regimented or complicated. Instead, see flies for what they have in common. Find their similarities rather than their differences. Choose the elements that matter most to you. Find the components of a fly that create enough of a distinction to be the keys to a platform, and build around that idea.

I do think some things are undeniable, and almost every angler is going to classify a parachute the same way. That might be true for upright hackles and down wings too.

But I’m sure you’ve noticed that the further we got into this season, the less specific each platform became. And again, that’s just because there are only so many things you can put on a dry fly and still have it be successful.

Most of the more recent flies designed take their cues from what came before them. Honestly, I assume that will hold true going into the future too.

My friends Bill Dell, Austin Dando and Matt Grobe join me for the conclusion of Season 18.

Resources

PODCAST: Troutbitten | Fly Tying - Essential Tools and More (S17 Ep9)
READ: Troutbitten | Pattern vs Presentation
PODCAST: Troutbitten | Fishing Dry Flies - Dry Fly Skills Series (S12)

Visit

Troutbitten Website

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Troutbitten Facebook

Thanks to TroutRoutes:

Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at
https://maps.troutroutes.com

Thanks to Skwala

Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at
https://skwalafishing.com/

It's time for the big-meal dry fly platform: hoppers and stoneflies.

When we open our fly boxes, we’re looking for a solution. If trout are sipping tiny olives in a soft tailout, we probably reach for the low-riding, vulnerable look of a Comparadun or a Parachute. And if we see trout slashing at hovering, skittering Grannoms in a riffle, we probably choose an Elk Hair Caddis or similar.

But what do we pick when the trout food is bigger — when trout are eating hoppers, stoneflies, cicadas or other big bugs on the surface that are twenty times the size of a Blue Winged Olive? Those trout aren’t looking for snacks. They’re hunting for dinner — for the main course. And we need a platform or a style to match the moment.

The hoppers and stoneflies platform is a major departure from the delicate mayfly imitations we’ve covered in this series. This platform isn't about perfectly matching the wing of a Hendrickson or the subtle flutter of an October Caddis. It’s about presenting a substantial, high-calorie meal that gets attention. Whether it’s a Golden stonefly clipping across the hoppy water of a bouldered run, or an unlucky grasshopper blown onto the surface from a grassy bank, these are not subtle bugs. They make a splash. They struggle. And in the best moments, they draw explosive strikes.

With this platform, we substitute subtlety for buoyancy. Hackle is traded in for rubber legs, and dubbing is often replaced by closed-cell foam. In this episode, we break down this big-meal platform. We’ll look at a parts list, cover some pros and cons about material choices, and look at the particulars of the platform itself.

My friend, Matt Grobe, joins me for a detailed look at another of our favorite dry fly platforms.

Resources

PODCAST: Troutbitten | Fly Tying - Essential Tools and More (S17 Ep9)
READ: Troutbitten | Pattern vs Presentation
PODCAST: Troutbitten | What's the Deal With Emergers? S11, Ep4
PODCAST: Troutbitten | Fishing Dry Flies - Dry Fly Skills Series (S12)

Visit

Troutbitten Website

Troutbitten Instagram

Troutbitten YouTube

Troutbitten Facebook

Thanks to TroutRoutes:

Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at
https://maps.troutroutes.com

Thanks to Skwala

Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at
https://skwalafishing.com/

In this Riverside episode, I share an article that I published a few years ago, title, The Order of Everything. I also share some Troutbitten updates about my upcoming book, about the Troutbitten Shop, about the live podcast on March 28th at New Trail Brewing Company and the Troutbitten film festival happening later this year, in October. There's an order to everything to keep this Troutbitten project moving forward, and the work of these first weeks of 2026 had me thinking about one of my favorite concepts for a day on the water . . .

A lot goes into a good fishing trip. It’s a flexible framework of pieces and parts mixed in with a little fortuitous intuition. That first trout to the net is rarely luck. And when you start to lose count of how many fish have come to hand, you can be sure that luck has had very little to do with it.

The overarching principles of how to catch a trout — the headers of the outline — are these:

1. Find Trout
2. Don’t spook them
3. Have a Solid Presentation
4. Choose a Reasonable Pattern
5. Fight Fish Fast

For me, when the day is tough, if it’s lunchtime and I haven’t yet touched a fish, if I’m losing faith in my strategy and I’m wishing more than fishing, I often gather my wits around this checklist of five.

Here's the full article:

READ: Troutbitten | The Order of Everything

The LIVE Podcast

Also, Tickets are on sale for the Live Podcast on March 28th at New Trail Brewing in Williamsport, PA.

BUY TICKETS HERE

Visit

Troutbitten Website

Troutbitten Instagram

Troutbitten YouTube

Troutbitten Facebook

Thanks to TroutRoutes:

Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at
https://maps.troutroutes.com

Thanks to Skwala

Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at
https://skwalafishing.com/