All Posts By:

Jason Shemchuk
Lessons Learned (Stories)

Rock or Trout? How to Know For Sure.

Spotting fish is easy, until it’s not.  We all know what a fish looks like and when it’s obvious, sight fishing moves along nicely.  But mother nature has a tendency to make things tough.  There’s a reason these trout are so beautiful.  They blend in with their surroundings, and we all know “trout don’t live in ugly places.”  Rocks and stones along river bottoms combined with debris, vegetation, or branches do a good job of fooling us and helping trout.  There are lots of things we can do to help us spot fish and tell the difference but only a few ways to know for sure.  How can we be certain what we are looking at is not a rock?  There are only two guarantees.  Catch it or spook it.  Even though catching fish is the goal, both will improve your sight fishing game over time.  Here’s how…
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On January 4, 2022 • By
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Photo from Taylor Joyce.
Podcast

WOT 72: The South Holston River and Including Newcomers with Taylor Joyce.

We've all been there. Sometimes it's hard to remember our beginnings in fly fishing. We can forget the things we take for granted. When I began fly fishing I was "dry or die" out of ignorance, not preference. The mechanics of fly line, leader, and tippet were foreign. Tactics were nowhere in my crosscheck. I wish I had learned so many things, so much faster. The importance of a natural drift. Getting my flies down while nymphing.  When to switch flies, or just switch water.  And so many other tools I have picked up and am still gathering. About the only thing I had going for me was reading water (thanks Pop). But that's part of the journey isn't it?  Filling the toolbox.  Still, being in that place, and seeking progress, made a kind word of advice from another angler that much more special.
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On December 30, 2021 • By
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Wadeoutthere Philosophy

In Defense of Whitefish.

Whitefish get a bad rap.  They seem to find our flies at the least optimum times.  More specifically, any time we are fishing for trout.  Catching whitefish can be a let down because it is not what we are expecting when our attention is so singularly focused in targeting trout.  The more I fly fish though, the more I appreciate the different experiences that this sport brings us.  Whitefish may not be a beautiful, colored up rainbow, but that difference makes them special.   
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On December 20, 2021 • By
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Photo from Dana Osthoff.
Podcast

WOT 70: Rocky Mountain Golden Trout with Dana Osthoff.

Perhaps one of the more challenging and rewarding trout to chase is the golden.  I remember as a teenager backpacking into the Beartooth Mountains and deliberately passing on some of the lakes we knew held goldens.  They were brutal hikes to say the least.  I am happy Dana accepted the challenge and chased those beautiful fish, and am grateful to her for sharing her knowledge and experiences on the podcast.
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On December 16, 2021 • By
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