Midges are a go-to fly in the winter, but how do you know which of the 8 billion midge patterns to pick? There's so many to choose from, and it feels like they're always dropping new ones, too!

Well, I took the time to simplify my own midge selection down to just a handful of patterns. Doing that helped me fish what I rig up with more confidently, but it also made choosing a fly A LOT eaiser. I spend less time worrying about my fly choice, and more time fishing. So, this week on Untangled, you'll learn what those 7 midges patterns are, and why they're the ones I so highly recommend.

You'll also learn about:

• How to control your hookset so you don't end up tangled in trees and bushes
• How to set the hook properly so you lose fewer fish
• The basic skills a fly angler needs to learn in order to progress quickly
• The one skill every fly angler needs to posses
• How to tell if small rivers and streams have fish in them

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Browse Our Fly Collections - CHECK THEM OUT

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#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

VIDEO - How to Cast A Fly Rod - WATCH IT NOW

VIDEO - How to Make A Roll Cast - WATCH IT NOW

If you want to make 2026 the year you take some giant leaps in your fly fishing abilities, then you should seriously consider keeping a fly fishing journal. Writing down what happens on the water, what flies you used, the weather, the water conditions -- it will all help you understand the interplay between various factors on the water, and it'll help you learn from both your successes and your failures. Today on Untangled, Spencer will walk you through the key details to write down, and how you can use this simple tool to help improve your experience on the water.

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

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There's more to trout fishing than rainbows, browns, cutthroats, and brookies. There's all sorts of interesting trout out there, just waiting for you! But when you get the chance to fish for these lesser-known trout, you'll probably get hung up on one thing: what flies do you need? Are there top-secret patterns that only work for these fish, but locals won't tell you about unless you buy 'em the right 12-pack? This week on Untangled, you'll learn about some of the rare trout species on the planet, and the flies we use to catch them.

You'll also learn about:

• Pros and cons of having multiple reels and spools with different line options on them
• Why your fly line sometimes gets stuck in your rod guides, and how to fix that with the nail knot
• Does hook gap size matter when fishing with streamers?
• Why you should let your streamers "die" when they initially get tagged by a trout
• What a short-strike is

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

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

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QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

This is the first-ever bonus episode of Untangled! Starting in 2026, we're dropping two episodes of your favorite fly fishing podcast every week! And this first episode is a new format we'd love some feedback on. At the start of each month, we're going to do a monthly fly fishing report. You'll learn what bugs are active, how to fish that month, tips and tricks for dealing with water conditions, and the fly patterns we recommend.

Not every episode of our extra show will follow this format. Some weeks will be interviews, others will be deep-dives into one topic, and others will be story-driven. But we'd like the first episode each month to be full of actionable information that'll help y'all out on the water. So if you like this format, and want to hear more of it, please let us know!

Finally -- this bonus episode of Untangled is ONLY available in audio format. You won't find this content on YouTube, Instagram, or any other social media.

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

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

Browse our 3-Pack Fly Collections - CHECK THEM OUT

Every angler loves a good fishing story, even if we tend to stretch the truth sometimes. But those stories are good for more than just reliving old times. You can learn A TON from your best catches, including exactly where and how you can improve. So, this week on Untangled, Spencer shares some stories (from VFC team and Skool members) about the best fish of 2025, and the lessons learned along the way.

You'll also hear about:

• How to tell if you're setting the hook too early or too late
• How to improve your hook set to lose fewer fish
• Why super-cheap fly rod combos generally aren't worth the money
• How to think about sneaking up on fish
• How much casting angles matter to your success

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

Have you ever had one of those days on the water where nothing seems to go right? You can't tie a decent knot, you lose all your flies, and you end up not catching fish? When it gets rough like that, what do you blame? Nature? Yourself?

Your answer to that quesiton likely exposes the kind of angler you are, and can help you learn how to become an even better one. This week on Untangled, Spencer shares stories and tips about the times his ego has gotten in the way of catching fish, and how you can avoid that same problem.

You'll also learn about:

• Why certain fly lines perform better on some rods than others
• The reality of being a fly fishing guide
• How to fish narrow, deep pools in tight canyons

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

There are a whole lot of reasons a fish won't eat your fly. Maybe you picked the wrong one, or you wore the wrong socks today. Or you forgot your semi-annual offering of used zebra midges for the river gods.

In all seriousness, there's often a much simpler reason fish aren't eating your fly: you've spooked them. This week on Untangled, you'll learn about how you end up spooking fish, even if you don't mean to, and a few tips for avoiding that.

You'll also learn about:

• How certain fly rods are designed for use in certain situations, and what you can expect when buying a 10' 4-weight to replace a 9' 5-weight
• How to tie flies that are more durable
• The pros and cons of using barbless hooks, and using them to make multi-fly rigs

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

EBOOK - How to Find Fish in Rivers - CHECK IT OUT

There's no NEED to stock your fly box full of hundreds of patterns, all in dozens of different sizes. Sometimes, though, a slightly different fly from what everyone else is using is just the trick to put more -- or larger -- fish in the net. This week on Untangled, you'll learn about 7 underrated fly patterns that we turn to when we need to change things up.

You'll also learn about:

• How to handle long stretches of getting skunked continuously, and how to grow from that
• How to match a fly line to your fly rod, based on what type of fishing you're doing
• Whether you should still fish with flies that don't look "perfect"

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

VIDEO - Winter Fly Fishing Master Class - CHECK IT OUT

GEAR - Fly 3-Packs - CHECK IT OUT