• The #1 Reason Trout Don't Eat Your Fly | Ep. 158
    Dec 17 2025

    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

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    47 mins
  • 7 Sneaky Good Winter Flies You Should Be Fishing | Ep. 157
    Dec 10 2025

    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

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    43 mins
  • The Biggest Nymphing Breakthroughs Nobody Talks About | Ep. 156
    Dec 3 2025

    80% of a fish's diet is underwater, which means nymphing is a crazy effective way to put fish in the net. So, this week on Untangled, Spencer and Alex share everything they learned while filming their Nymphing Master Class. From insight on why fly pattern doesn't matter, to tips on picking the right strike indicator, you'll leave this episode ready to put all these tips into practice out on the water.

    LINKS FROM THE SHOW

    Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

    QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

    #LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

    VIDEO - Nymphing Master Class - CHECK IT OUT

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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Fly Fishing Gear That's A WASTE Of Money | Ep. 155
    Nov 26 2025

    What gear do you ACTUALLY need for fly fishing? And what stuff is just a waste of money? Sure, that fancy reel looks nice, and you'd probably look just like Indiana Jones in that hat. But will that stuff help you put more fish in the net? Or will it just drain your wallet?

    This week on Untangled, you'll learn about the gear that Spencer thinks isn't worth the cash, AND you'll get a detailed list of the essential items for your time out on the water.

    You'll also learn about:

    • Tips for pre-tying leader onto flies to make it easier to rig up on the water
    • How to set up a dry-dropper rig so your flies don't have drag
    • Advice on fishing with streamers both on the strip and under an indicator

    LINKS FROM THE SHOW

    Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

    QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

    #LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

    The VFC Starter Packs - CHECK THEM OUT

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    48 mins
  • Stop Changing Flies. Fix THIS Instead. | Ep. 154
    Nov 19 2025

    Fish, especially trout, really don't care about your fly pattern. Alright, A FEW fish do. The pickiest ones, and every single trout in the Henry's Fork. But most fish care WAY more about how the fly is presented, than whether you picked the exact perfect fly.

    This week on Untangled, you'll learn why presentation matters FAR MORE than pattern, and a few tips for perfecting how the fish see your fly.

    You'll also learn about:

    • How to react when fish start jumping out of the water on lakes, and the rigs for fishing to them
    • How to get your flies deep in the water without split shot
    • How to cast nymph rigs with split shot on them
    • How to find the right depth for nymphing, no matter what river you're fishing

    LINKS FROM THE SHOW

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

    Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

    QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

    #LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

    VIDEO - How to Cast Indicators, Split Shot, and Double Nymph Rigs - CHECK IT OUT

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    47 mins
  • Fly Fishing With Streamers: The Beginner's Guide | Ep. 153
    Nov 12 2025

    The world of fly fishing with streamers is full of weird terminology, interesting tactics, and new techniques. That makes picking it up, especially as a beginner fly angler, a bit challenging. Here's the truth, though -- streamer fishing is A LOT simpler than it appears. If you can catch fish on dry flies and nymphs, you've already got most of the skills you need!

    This week on Untangled, you'll get a crash course in fly fishing with streamers. From casting to setting the hook, you'll end the show ready to hit the water with confidence!

    You'll also learn about:

    • Why you should upgrade your fly rod as quickly as you can afford to
    • Why your flies suddenly stop catching fish on certain pieces of water
    • Tips for successfully fighting larger fish in rivers

    LINKS FROM THE SHOW

    Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

    QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

    #LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

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    51 mins
  • What to Do When the Fishing Sucks | Ep. 152
    Nov 5 2025

    You've picked a great fly, found some wonderful water, and made tons of good drifts through fishy-looking water. Everything is coming together -- except for the whole catching fish thing. So, what do you do on days like this, when NOTHING you do makes the fish notice your flies? When the fishing sucks, what's the play? Well, this week on Untangled, you'll learn how Spencer and Alex approach these tough days, and tips you can use the next time the river throws you a curveball.

    You'll also learn about:

    • VFC's new 6-weight fly rod release, and other products in the pipeline
    • Why we have so many different imitations of the same bug, and the value of using different flies
    • How to decide which fishing technique (dries, streamers, nymphs) to use on any given day
    • Tips for cold-weather fishing
    • Tying your own leaders
    • A few tips for fishing streamers in late fall and early winter

    LINKS FROM THE SHOW

    Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

    QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

    #LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

    Join the Fly Tying Mega-Kit Waitlist - JOIN NOW

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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • What Your Fly Fishing Guide Wishes You Knew | Ep. 151
    Oct 29 2025

    Dropping the money on a guided fly fishing trip is a serious commitment - but with the right planning, you can get the most out of your time (and money) spent on the water! Getting the msot out of a guided fishing trip really comes down to communication -- both with the guide, and yourself. This week on Untangled, Spencer (a former guide and outfitter) walks you through how to have an incredible experience with your guides!

    You'll also learn about:

    • How to effectively set up and fish a double-dry fly rig
    • What to do when your dropper nymph is pulling your dry fly underwater, but you want a small dry fly up top in your dry-dropper rig
    • Why you need wading boots, and what features to look for when buying them
    • The situations when you need to keep fly line off the water completely
    • How and when to use strike indicators

    LINKS FROM THE SHOW

    Get the FREE Rigs & Knots Pocket Guide - CHECK IT OUT

    Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

    QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

    #LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

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    54 mins