Ralph ScherderFeb 85 minChoosing and Using the Right FlyThe right fly can produce a banner day. The wrong fly can leave you fishless and frustrated. A few years ago, I was having a rough outing...
Ralph ScherderJun 22, 20216 minHoppers and Droppers, Oh My!Hopper fishing defies the most basic rules of fly casting. No need for those elegant, wistful casts, and nobody cares about the perfect,...
Ralph ScherderJun 17, 20216 minBass on the Fly: A Popper PrimerBass thrive almost everywhere in the United States. Here in Pennsylvania, we’re fortunate to have generous populations of both largemouth...
Ralph ScherderJun 4, 20216 minIs there Really "One Floatant to Rule Them All"?Earlier this spring, I purchased several brands of fly floatant to use in an experiment to see which ones worked best is specific...
Ralph ScherderMay 10, 20215 minHow to Fish Emergers and Cripple FliesEmergers and cripple flies are terms used to describe several types of fly patterns that aren’t meant to ride hide on the water’s surface...
Ralph ScherderApr 9, 20215 minThe April Caddis: Fishing and Tying GrannomsClouds of Grannoms filled the morning air. They came out of the water in waves, one huge flurry after another. There were so many...
Ralph ScherderApr 5, 20214 minSmall but Mighty: Fishing the Zebra MidgeI wish I had discovered the effectiveness of tiny flies when I was younger and had younger eyes instead of only within the past five...
Ralph ScherderApr 2, 20214 minIn the Fly Box: Hot Head Wooly BuggersThere are so many variations of Wooly Buggers available today that sometimes it’s hard to keep track. As new materials are developed and...
Ralph ScherderMar 25, 20217 minLow Water Tactics: Fishing the Buffalo Creek DHALOWith only half a day to fish last week, I opted for home waters. I was due to pick my two kids up at daycare that afternoon, so I didn’t...
Ralph ScherderFeb 24, 20218 minMasking Hatches and Selective TroutMasking hatches are “usually” a large fly that’s emerging about the same time as a smaller fly. The smaller fly is usually less obvious,...
Ralph ScherderJan 30, 20213 min4 Tips for Fishing with "No See Ums"I can match almost any hatch, but the “no see ums” are the toughest of all. To me, the term “no see ums” describes any insects that are...
Ralph ScherderJan 25, 20213 minWhat Does Fly Line Weight Mean?The first fly lines ever used were made of woven horsehair and, eventually, woven silk fibers. I imagine many a fly fisherman back then...
Ralph ScherderJan 19, 20215 min6 Tips for Tying Better FliesFly tying is a craft, and like any craft, you don’t start out an expert. It takes plenty of trial and error to improve your skills. And...
Ralph ScherderJan 18, 20217 minFly Tying: Do's and Don'ts of Getting StartedThe arrival of my first fly tying kit opened up a world of possibilities for me. Not only did I get to feel the joy associated with...
Ralph ScherderJan 13, 20214 min5 Tips for New Fly FishersLast week, I posed this question on the Keystone Fly Fisher Facebook page: If you were to give someone new to fly fishing one piece of...
Ralph ScherderNov 6, 20204 minBlue-Lining Fall TroutBlue lines on a map typically represent streams or some other type of water, but to anglers they mean much more. In modern vernacular,...
Ralph ScherderMay 16, 20204 minOne is Good, Two is Better: Using Tandem RigsI used to be a dedicated one-fly nympher, always fearing I'd spend more time untangling two flies on my leader instead of actually...
Ralph ScherderApr 2, 20204 minSwinging Streamers and Wet FliesThe traditional way to fish streamers and wet flies, and perhaps most common, is to swing them. This is probably how they were originally...
Ralph ScherderFeb 18, 20194 minWinter TroutA mid-January warm front got me thinking spring. And by “warm front,” I mean that for the first time in almost two weeks, daytime...
Ralph ScherderOct 26, 20184 minHooking and Landing Big FishI’ve been fortunate to catch many big fish on a fly rod in my lifetime. Even still, for as many that have found the bottom of my net,...