The Blue Liner's Bible -- Finding the Right Water Artwork

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The Blue Liner's Bible -- Finding the Right Water

August 03, 2025 • Domenick Swentosky • Season 16 • Episode 2

We're back with Season 16, with episode two of the Blue Liner’s Bible. This one is all about finding the right water.

We mean this in two different ways. First, you need to find a small stream that has public access (or you have private permission). But the stream also needs cold water and a good population of trout (hopefully they’re wild trout).

That’s the first thing — find a good stream to fish. And honestly, that may not be as easy as it sounds.

If you do start to explore new territory and get into the small stream game, you’ll quickly understand what we mean, first hand, when we say that the exploration is part of the reward. The failure to find good water on one trip makes the next trip, where you find what becomes one of your favorite places in the world, even more special

So we’ll talk about that tonight — how to choose your next adventure. Identifying primary and secondary water, and kind of how to balance that risk vs reward.

Meaning, you could fish the small stream that everyone talks about in Montana or Pennsylvania, because you can be sure that trout are present in good numbers. But would you rather take the chance on the stream that no one mentions? It has all the variables you’re looking for in your research, and because it has no name, you can be sure no one else will be there

Understanding those variables and knowing good sources for research is part of our topic here tonight.

And then, the other part of finding good water is from an on-stream perspective. Once you’re there, what section should you choose? And even within that section, what water types should you target the most? Do you expect trout in the deep pools or the riffles, in the fast water, or the slow, shady, deep undercuts?

A lot goes into these choices as well. Much of it is seasonal. Some of it is about matching your tactics and your fly choices, and another part is just experience and instinct. Again, all of this stuff is why we love small stream fishing.

None of it is laid out for you. A good fly shop will not lead you to these places. And even a good friend, with the best intentions, may not have even half the intel that you really need for a good day of small stream fishing. Like we said last time, the small stream game is do-it-yourself in nature.

So, that’s what we have lined up. My friend, Austin Dando, joins me for a good look at finding the right small stream water.

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