A Passion for Fly Fishing: My Story
I have been fly fishing and fly tying since I was 7 years old. At a very early age, in the Catskills of NY, my father taught me traditional fly fishing, as well as the fundamentals of nymphing for trout without a fly line (better known today as Euro Nymphing). It was on the banks of the Beaverkill River that I developed a passion for trout fishing and became a student of the sport. To this day, I am always working on my craft...striving to get better.
I am a well rounded fly fisherman, and my YouTube channel: Old Dominion Trout Bum, highlights my experiences on the water. Through my channel, I try to make you feel like you are fishing alongside me, as I explain and teach as each trout is caught.
Whether it is fly tying or Euro Nymphing, I’d like to pass on to you what I have learned from this wonderful sport.
Tight lines,
Cory Cuje
FAQs
Get answers to the most frequently asked questions.
The rod I choose is based on the typical weight of the fly I'll be using and the conditions/size of the stream. If I know that most of the time I'll be casting a 3mm tungsten bead or less, and occasionally going heavier - it's always a 2wt. If I am fishing heavy currents / high CFS, using mostly 3.3mm bugs (or more) and/or getting into a steady dose of bigger fish, I'll go with the 3wt
I prefer thin leaders or “micro” leaders made of straight .16mm (5x) or .18mm (4x). Approximately 18-24 ft of leader to 5 ft of sighter for a total length of 23-29ft to a 1mm or less tippet ring. The leader is all colored (fl yellow or green) to a pink/white bi-colored sighter. Sometimes, I will just go straight bi-colored. My preferred brand is Pezon & Michel Color Line, but others such as Sempe, Umpqua, or Adams are great, as well. Cortland Tri-Color makes a great, thin sighter material.
People may experience this when using thinner, supple leaders when Euro Nymphing. This is caused by rushing your cast. When this happens, you aren’t allowing your backcast to finish, leading you to become “disconnected”. This may cause it to wrap around the tip. Just S-L-O-W everything down. Wait for your backcast to finish, then go forward.
No! This is a common misconception. If you are feeling your bugs constantly bounce or tick the bottom, you have too much weight on. You want your bugs to be riding in the cushion of water just above the bottom.
One of the common misconceptions about how flies ride in the water is that they ride parallel to the bottom. They actually don’t. A traditional hook hangs straight down. A jig hook rides at more of a 45 degree angle. Riding this way actually puts the wing case in front and facing the fish. But honestly, bugs get tossed around in the current and come at the trout right side up, upside down, sideways and everything in between, so it doesn’t really matter. Putting the wing case on top of the jig hook is just more pleasing to the eye and much easier this way (for me).This also applies to shellbacks, darken backs, biots, etc… It’s really all personal preference.