Untangled: Fly Fishing For Everyone | Ventures Fly Co.

Latest Episodes:

What to Do When the Fishing Sucks | Ep. 152 Nov 05, 2025

Show notes

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

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The Truth About Fly Fishing Guides (From a Former Guide) | Ep. 151 Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

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

From Small Streams to Big Rivers: 5 Fly Fishing Tips That Work | Ep. 150 Oct 22, 2025

Show notes

If you've spent most of your time fishing on small streams, making the jump to fishing bigger rivers can be intimidating. Where do you cast? Where are the fish holding? And do they still eat the same flies they do in small streams?

This week on Untangled, we'll answer all those questions, and more, as you learn the 5 key tips for fishing big rivers.

You'll also learn about:

Why you can't use a 7 or 8-weight rod for small stream fishing with dry flies
How to keep fish from getting off when you're using barbless hooks
How to use woolly buggers underneath indicators to mimic crawdads, leeches, and other common fish food

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Get the FREE Finding Fish eBook - CHECK IT OUT

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

Stop Guessing! How to Know What Fly to Use | Ep. 149 Oct 15, 2025

Show notes

After a long day of fishing, when the trout refused EVERY fly you threw at them, how often have you gone home and looked up some information about the best flies to use during a certain time of year? And when you've done that, have you ever thought, "Well, this is all interesting, but how much does it apply to MY local river?"

Well, the short answer is, probably a lot. The longer answer is that as you learn to identify bug trends and aquatic insects, you'll dramatically level up your fly fishing skills.

So, this week on Untangled, we're breaking down fly selection into its basic parts, so you can learn how to pick the right fly the next time you're on the water.

You'll also learn about:

Why tapered leaders are the ideal choice for nymphing
Why you might start out a day catching fish, only to quickly stop catching them for the rest of your time on the water
The impact that cloud cover has on fly selection and fly color choices

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

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

How to Become a Great Fly Angler (Without Overthinking It) | Ep. 148 Oct 08, 2025

Show notes

How do you become a "great" fly angler? And what makes an angler "great" anyways? In this week's episode of Untangled, Spencer and Alex chat about the one trait all the best anglers they know have in common, and how you can set realistic goals to help you achieve your own level of greatness in fly fishing.

You'll also learn about:

How to cast flies in the wind
Whether the color of clothes you wear on the water impacts how many fish you catch
How to plan fishing trips to places you've never been, and when you have a limited time to go fishing

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Get the FREE Finding Fish eBook - CHECK IT OUT

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

VIDEO - Find New Places to Fly Fish - WATCH IT NOW

Should You Keep Your Fly Fishing Spots A Secret? | Ep. 147 Oct 01, 2025

Show notes

Us fly anglers share A TON of things: new fly patterns, casting techniques, wing sauce recipes. But we're pretty guarded when it comes to our favorite fishing holes. And why is that? Why is there so much secrecy around where we go fishing? Well, it's not just because we're keeping all the fish for ourselves. There's actually quite a few good reasons to keep fishing spots a secret, the most important of which might just be the adventures you can have while discovering new water on your own.

This week on Untangled, you'll learn how keeping fishing secrets can benefit both anglers AND fish. You'll also learn about:

Pre-tying rigs before getting to the river, to cut down on rigging time
Why you go from consistently catching fish in one spot, to catching no fish, even if you're using the same flies
How to teach your spouse/significant other to fly fish

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Get the FREE Finding Fish eBook - CHECK IT OUT

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

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

VIDEO - Find New Places to Fly Fish - WATCH IT NOW

The Best Flies for Fall Fly Fishing: 10 Must-Have Patterns | Ep. 146 Sep 24, 2025

Show notes

You don't need to overhaul your fly box for fall fishing. Some of the patterns you used all summer won't work anymore (hoppers and stoneflies fall off the menu during fall) but you likely have everything you need right in your box. Just a few bugs are on the menu during fall, which makes matching the hatch a breeze! This week on Untangled, I'll share the 10 patterns I never leave the house without when I'm fishing in the fall.

You'll also learn about:

My personal expecatations for a day on the river
How to cast your fly rod when using a strike indicator
What kind of fish can you catch on a 5-weight rod? Is it enough for use in big rivers, chasing bigger fish?

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

VFC Fly 3-Packs - CHECK THEM OUT

Why You're Not Catching Fish [And How To Fix It] | Ep. 145 Sep 17, 2025

Show notes

If you're consistently struggling to catch fish, you're probably trying to figure out why. Are your casts bad? Poor fly selection? Are the planets just aligned against you? While all that CAN have an impact, you're often struggling to put fish in the net because of one problem: you're not focusing on the fundamentals.

In this week's episode of Untangled, Spencer Durrant walks you through the three basics of fly fishing -- casting, fly selection, and presentation -- and why you need to focus on those when nothing else seems to be working.

You'll also learn about:

Casting single dry flies, and setting up rigs for single dry fly fishing
How much tippet to use when setting up multi-fly rigs
What to do when you don't catch fish from water that looks PERFECT

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

Fall Fly Fishing Explained: 4 Tactics for ALL Anglers | Ep. 144 Sep 10, 2025

Show notes

While everyone else is obsessing over pumpkin spice and college football, YOU'RE out on the water, because you know fall is one of the best times of the year for fly fishing!

And if you didn't know that? Well, this week's episode of Untangled has you covered. Fall is one of the best times to bust out the dry fly rods, target big fish on small bugs, and hunt for that new personal best. You just need to know how to overcome some of the hurdles that this season will throw at you. Today's episode walks you through 4 tips for successful fall fly fishing.

You'll also learn about:

Tips for seeing small dry flies in low-light conditions
Why some fish seem to eat any dry fly, no matter what's actually hatching
How to ensure your fly cast has the proper timing to create tight, accurate loops

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

Fish Fighting Fundamentals for Fly Anglers (Beginner to Advanced) | Ep. 143 Sep 03, 2025

Show notes

So, you've picked out a fly, made a cast, and hooked a fish -- now what? Is there a mantra you can chant to help you land the trout? Some spell to calm your nerves?

It's honestly not that complicated. Fighting and landing fish on a fly rod requires some understanding of how to use your rod and reel to their full extent. Once you figure that out, you'll have A LOT fewer stories about the big one that got away!

This week on Untangled, you'll learn all you need to know about fighting and landing fish on a fly rod.

You'll also learn about:

How to deal with drag on your dry-dropper rigs, and how to improve your presentation with them
How to rig up your nymphs in a double-nymph or dry-dropper-dropper rig
What to look for in a guided fly fishing trip when you're a beginner angler

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