Welcome to the first issue of TroutStrike Weekly. It will land in your inbox every Sunday morning with three things: a tip you can use, a feature from the site, and one piece of gear I rely on.
One of the things I was most excited about this summer was launching the new Angler Profiles section on TroutStrike. It was a completely new style of writing for me, but it grew out of something I have been thinking about for a long time. I can't be on the water every day, so I want to learn from the people who can.
I started with two anglers who have had a tremendous influence on me as a fly fisherman: Cory Cuje of Old Dominion Trout Bum and Domenick Swentosky of Troutbitten. This week's feature is my conversation with Cory.
Until next week, keep learning,
Jeff
This Week's Tip
Tying on a standard tandem rig is the easy part. Keeping your nymphs at different depths is the challenge, and the sighter angle makes it happen. Steepen the angle, and the vertical separation between point and tag holds. Go flat, and both flies end up riding the same lane, which defeats the whole point of fishing two.
I thought I was sitting down with Cory Cuje to learn more about euro nymphing. Instead, I walked away thinking about teaching, curiosity, and what it really means to help another angler improve.
Cory's journey began when he was seven, watching his father fish the Beaverkill. Decades later, those early lessons still shape how he approaches trout fishing and teaches others. In our conversation, we talked about euro nymphing, gear, growth, discomfort, mentors, and why Cory believes the best anglers never stop questioning what they think they know.
But what stayed with me most was watching Cory interact with other anglers. His willingness to listen, encourage, and share what he has learned revealed something about the person behind Old Dominion Trout Bum that you don't always see through a camera.
Don't let the Euro Police tell you it's junk. It's not. Seaguar INVIZX is a fantastic option at a fraction of the price of "premium" fluorocarbon brands. I use the 4-pound most often for tightline nymphing. I use the 6-pound for jig streamers. Honestly, I prefer it over some of the more expensive spools at the fly shop.
Here's the breakdown:
4-pound = 4.5X
6-pound = 3X
If you need a thinner diameter, like a true 5X or 6X, then you need to go with the more expensive spools.
Get practical fly fishing tactics, fly tying ideas, gear insights, and stories from TroutStrike. Each email is designed to help you continue learning and become a better angler when you’re not on the water.
