What's the real reason fish aren't eating your fly? Is it beause you didn't pick the PERFECT fly? There's a better one in your box, so you oughta spend 10-15 minutes looking for it, right?

No. Not very often will that be the case. Instead, you're most likely not catching fish becasue your fly doesn't look real. Remember, your job is to put flies in front of fish, and make them look real! So today on Untangled, we're taking a deep dive into why presentation matters so much, and some simple tips to improve just how much your fake fly looks like the real thing.

You'll also learn about:

• Why we don't often talk about fishing wet flies and soft hackles here at VFC
• How to match the right leader size to the right fly size
• Why it's important to play fish quickly and minimize your handling time
• Tips for catching brood-stock trout that have been dumped into community ponds

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The best blue-winged olive hatches of the year are right around the corner! And by the end of the month, you might see some Mother's Day caddis out and about as well!

What this means is that you need to be prepared for the great spring fly fishing that April offers. With Untangled's April Fly Fishing Report, you'll be ready with all the knowledge about the hatches to expect, fly patterns we recommend, and tips and tricks for tackling the tricky weather and conditions this time of year.

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

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VIDEO - Watch How We Fish in Spring - CHECK IT OUT

RECOMMENDED FLIES FOR APRIL

• Parachute Adams 16-20
• BWO 16-20
• Matt's Midge 18-24
• Griffiths Gnat 18-24
• Sparkle Dun 16-18
• RS2 16-18
• WD40 16-18
• Last Chance Cripple 16-18
• Zebra Midge 16-20
• Pheasant Tail 16-20
• Hare's Ear 16-20
• Fenchie 16-20
• Gunslinger 16-20
• Crackback 16-20
• Micro May 16-20
• Demon Midge 16-20
• Elk Hair Caddis 12-16
• CDA Caddis 16-18

In this special episode of Untangled, Spencer and Alex are joined by Ryan Kelly, longtime guide on Utah's Green River, and one of the best fly fishing photographers currently working. You might know Ryan from Instagram (@GreenRiverFlyFisher) and you've probably seen his shots of fish rising to eat dry flies. Today, Ryan shares all that he's learned from a decade of watching fish eat through a camera's lens (as well as his two decades of guiding experience) to help you understand what trout are ACTUALLY doing during a hatch.

Why do they ignore flies? Why do they get leader shy? Why do so many anglers have trouble catching picky fish eating dry flies? Those, and many more questions, are answered in this show.

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When do you ACTUALLY need tippet smaller than 4x? And if you need to size your tippet down, what's the best way to do it? In this Tip of the Week, you'll learn all about why we use certain sizes of tippet, why it's important to play fish quickly, AND you'll learn all about the different situations and tactics for sizing down your leader to get picky fish to FINALLY eat your fly.

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There's more to small dry flies than just the bugs ON the surface. There are also other types of insects fish eat that sit just in the surface film, or even slightly below it. These bugs are called emergers, and they're still fished just like you would with a dry fly. But there's a few things to know about how, when, and where to use these flies that'll help you really get the most out of them. So, today on Untangled, you're getting a crash course in everything you need to know about emergers!

You'll also learn about:

• How to size new waders and boots when buying them
• Some tips on how to find waders and boots that are worth spending your money on
• How to pick a new fly rod in a weight other than 5-weight
• The lines and reels Spencer uses for streamer fishing
• Spencer's recommendations for fly flines for those looking to start fishing streamers

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

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Browse the VFC 3-Packs and stock up on Emergers! - CHECK THEM OUT

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#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

When a trip goes pear-shaped right from the start, what do you do? Do you pack up early, head home, and get back to work? Or is it worth pushing through high water, iced-over lakes, muddy roads, and enormous distances just for the hope of finding water that might be fishable?

In this latest Fly Fishing Story, Spencer Durrant takes you on a journey across the Pacific Northwest as he and his friend Ryan McCullough try to find fishable water during spring runoff. What they ended up finding just might surprise you.

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It sure would be awesome if fish always ate a big ol' grasshopper! But they spend A TON of time eating small flies. In particular, they'll eat tiny dry flies a lot during spring and fall. So, how do you take advantage of the big fish that you see rising to eat what looks like tiny specks out there on the water?

Well, a lot of anglers mistakenly write off using tiny flies, because they seem like they're too much work. You need angel-hair thin tippet to tie them on, you need a magnifying glass to find them in your box, and you have next to no hope of seeing them while they float, right? They've gotta be more trouble than they're worth?

Well, not really. Once you understand how to fish small dry flies, you open up a new world of fish you can catch — including some giants.

So, in this first part of a two-part episode, we're taking a deep dive into fishing small dry flies. You'll learn how to rig them up, how to pick the right one, and other tricks of the trade to make these microscopic hooks work in your favor.

You'll also learn about:

• Why you should upgrade your fly rod when you can, and what features to look for
• How to tell if you have a good, drag-free drift on nymphs when fishing directly upstream
• Why fish refuse dry flies that are too large for what's currently hatching

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Get the FREE Year-Round Hatch Chart - CHECK IT OUT

Browse the VFC 3-Packs and stock up on Cripples! - CHECK THEM OUT

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

Have you ever been in an amazing hatch, with bugs going off EVERYWHERE and fish eating with reckless abandon, only to leave the river empty-handed? The fish didn't just not eat your flies, they flat-out IGNORED you. What's up with that? Aren't these hatches supposed to be the stuff of legend that fly fishing is all about?

Well, yes, they are. But if the hatch is TOO good (too many flies on the water at once) it's tough for your fake one to stand out. If the fish can't see it, how are they supposed to eat it?

That's where this little cheat code comes in: it's called unmatching the hatch, and it can be the difference between putting fish in the net, and going home skunked.

Today on Untangled, you'll learn all about unmatching the hatch, including when and how to use this tactic as dry fly season gets underway.

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

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Get the FREE Year-Round Hatch Chart - CHECK IT OUT