 | Rigging Intruders
Originally, Intruders were rigged by running the leader or tippet material through the hook eye externally along the top of the fly through a small loop of back or stiff mono tied in at the rear of the hook and then through a small section of tubing. The hook was then tied on and pushed into the junction tubing which was in turn stabbed onto the hook shank, similar in some respects as to how tube flies are rigged.
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 | Looped Tippet Droppers
When fishing without indicators I use either a dropper tied off a Triple Surgeon’s Knot or probably my favourite system, a section of tippet looped around the main leader I call the ‘Looped Tippet Dropper.’ A system borrowed from Czech or European Nymphing.
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 | Pontoon Boat Control
At times rear anchored pontoon boats spin and sway around the rear anchor, challenging your presentation control and patience. Adding a second anchor cleat to the front frame of your pontoon boat provides a simple cure to annoying spin and sway.
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 | Line to Leader Connection
For the last few years, I have made use of The Shimazaki Leader Splicer Kit to make the leader to line connection. It is absolutely a "no knot" connection. Dave Whitlock has written a few articles about "no knot" connections using Zap a Gap or Crazy Glue.
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 | Using Water Temperature to Locate Stillwater Trout
Water temperature is one of the methods for the stillwater fly fisher to eliminate non productive water. No matter the species all fish have a preferred temperature range where they are most active.
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 | Dropper Basics
Many provinces, states and other jurisdictions around the world allow fly fishers to use more than one fly on a dropper system. Droppers provide the fly fisher with a number of benefits including quickly determining the pattern of choice, using attractor style patterns to draw fish to a more imitative offering and determining feeding depth.
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 | Indicator Management
From time to time I hear of instances where fly fishers loose their Quick Release indicators during a strike as a result of leader breakage and the subsequent loss of the indicator peg.
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 | Reading the Rise
Few events get fly fishers excited as the rise or roll of a fish, especially when it is in casting range. This excitement often becomes a disadvantage as fly fisher’s may choose the wrong presentation technique.
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 | Pre Turnover Positioning
Pre turnover conditions make selecting the right area critical to success. Trout are often localized in specific areas. In early spring focus upon shallow dark bottomed areas that are less than 10 feet deep.
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 | It's All In The Hands!
Despite the surplus of fly patterns available today the key to catching stillwater trout on a consistent basis is a result of the animation the fly fisher imparts to the pattern
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 | Going deep? Then take it slow!
To be successful imitating the myriad of stillwater food sources retrieves must be slow and varied. As a result a wiser choice would be utilizing a slow sinking intermediate or Stillwater line.
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 | Confidence, clear and simple!
It’s not presentation, pattern or luck that makes a good fly fisher. Granted all of these characteristics and more is a definite asset. Angler confidence is the one key that brings it all together.
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 | Rough Wind
We hope that there is just enough of a breeze to ripple the surface. Under this cover foraging trout feel comfortable enough to cruise into the shallows. There are those days however that our helpful breeze turns into a full blown gale.
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 | Long Leader Basics
Floating lines are a pleasure to cast and are perhaps the most versatile of all presentation tools. In stillwaters anglers can cover a variety of depths simply by varying the overall length of their leader.
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 | Fly Lines for Pacific Salmon
Every autumn millions of migrating salmon return to mate, spawn and die. Near my home we are fortunate to have many opportunities for all five species of Pacific Salmon.
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 | It’s All About Depth
Over the years much has been documented about selective and opportunistic behavior. Most fly fishers consider this discussion to be focused upon trout when they feed. Selective and opportunistic behavior also pertains to where trout hold in a lake.
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 | Believing What You See
Too often fly fishers wait until the undeniable tug that signals a fish. However, many times trout leisurely inhale the fly as they do the natural food source leaving the angler with only visible clues to signal the strike.
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 | Non-Slip Loop Knots
For the majority of my presentations I favor the Non-Slip Loop knot. Unlike other loop knots such as the Duncan Loop the Non-Slip Loop knot does not close tight when a fish strikes.
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 | Quick Release Indicators
Duping challenging fish is one the most rewarding tests in fly fishing. There are times however when even a creeping slug paced retrieve is too fast.
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 | Choosing Chironomids
Figuring out exactly what pattern to tie onto the leader is one of the constant challenges facing fly fishers. For the stillwater angler chironomid pupa take this challenge to new heights.
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 | Weighted or Not?
The first argument might be a focus upon organization by placing weighted flies in their own fly box but this has been a personal demon for years.
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 | Large Hooks Small Flies
The late Gary LaFontaine once told me that trout are instinctively conditioned to look for traits and characteristics that suggest food. This wisdom from Gary made sense to me for if trout looked for negative cues our hooks would never pass muster.
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 | Theory of Attraction
As most of us are painfully aware trout do not feed all of the time. Some might argue that they never seem to feed when they are on the water!
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 | Indicator Colors
Despite the protests of some strike indicators are a key component within many fly fishers kit bags or vests. During the early season pre turnover fishery when trout are trapped in shallow water due to winter stratification strike indicators are critical to success.
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 | Fly Patterns for Clarity
Unencumbered by currents, suspended matter and debris stillwater trout inspect patterns with ruthless scrutiny.
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 | Wind: Friend or Foe?
Granted, strong wind is unwelcome even unsafe but in most circumstances wind is an appreciated visitor to the seasoned stillwater angler.
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 | It’s Just a Little Algae!
Algae is one of a number of key cover components for stillwater trout.
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 | Dealing with Change
Fishing deteriorates and the plucks and grabs to the fly cease. How can anglers cope with this change?
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 | Getting the Drop
Fly fishers visiting a lake for the first time wonder where they should start. Where are the most likely interception points for a close encounter of a trout kind?
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 | Firmly Planted
Fly anglers must have total control over how their offering appears to the trout. This means fishing from a firmly anchored platform be it boat, float tube or pontoon boat.
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