Scott Stanko

Another spring has arrived, and it kicked off with some incredible dry fly fishing. I can’t remember another March 5th when I was able to fish a dry fly from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., with big fish consistently rising throughout the day on the Bitterroot. A stretch of warm weather at the end of February triggered the Skwala hatch earlier than expected, signaling the start of the season. I had the chance to guide my neighbor Jake for the day, just the two of us, and we were pleasantly surprised...

After a sun-soaked November in Louisiana, December finally brought clouds and rain. Once a few rough weather days passed, we were able to get back out during calm, overcast low-tide conditions, which provided plenty of tailing shots at red fish and black drum. They’re definitely harder to spot under cloud cover, but with patience and focus, it can still be done. While cloud cover can influence fly-fishing success, it hardly matters if you’re willing to pick up a spinning rod. The Robinson...

This November’s weather in Louisiana was truly one for the books. We had three straight weeks of sunshine and light winds, interrupted only by a brief cold front that pushed even more fish into the shallows. We fished everything from narrow creeks and pond mouths to wide-open bays packed with schools of fish. The tides couldn’t have been better, steady falling water all day. The northwest wind forced out so much water that by afternoon we were seeing 18 inches or more of exposed mud below the...