fly fishing

Why Fly Fishing?

Why Fly Fishing? By Rod Woten There’s just something about fly fishing. It’s really hard for me to put my finger on just one reason that I love fly fishing so much. As a fly fishing guide, one of my favorite kinds of trips are with someone who has never fly fished before but is […]

Catching Bass On The Fly

Catching Bass On The Fly By Rod Woten The largemouth bass may well be the most popular game fish in North America. Sure, Minnesotans love their walleyes and muskies have a strong following in certain areas. The one fish, however, that has devoted fans everywhere…from the ice belt to the Mississippi Delta and from the […]

Learning to Fly Fish Iowa

Learning to Fly Fish Iowa By Nathan Graham When you think fly fishing, I’ll bet you picture mountains, streams and waders – at least I do. However, some excellent opportunities exist right here in Iowa. All Iowans have access to either public or private ponds or lakes. When ponds or lakes are calm and the […]

Troutin’ About in Iowa

Troutin’ About in Iowa Use the word “trout” and “Iowa” in the same sentence and you’ll definitely get some funny looks. Trout are rarely the first fish that comes to mind when most think of Iowa. Fish more typically thought of, as “Iowa fish” are bluegills, catfish, largemouth bass, white bass and crappies. I never […]

Best of Both Worlds

When Van Halen released their 1986 hit song “Best of Both Worlds”, I highly doubt they had fly fishing in mind. That’s unfortunate because my favorite fly fishing rig, the “hopper-dropper”, gives me exactly what they’re talking about in their song. It allows me to catch Northeast Iowa trout in the two worlds that their […]

Fly Fishing for Stream Carp: Iowa’s Bonefish

By: Nick Johnson Arguably the hardest fight I have ever experienced on a fly rod did not come from a 4lb smallmouth bass, or a 20″ cutthroat trout, or even a pike, all of which I have landed on fly gear. No, the hardest fight came from an average sized common carp a few miles […]