You hear stories about some fisheries that are supposed to be excellent. Since you don't want to miss out on great fishing, and you figure that many people who talk up a spot can't be wrong about it, you plan a day to go see it.

Then you make the trip there — whether it's a long drive, a hike, or both — and you can't quite figure out what all the fuss was for. Either you get skunked, you don't see many fish, or the fish you DO see feel impossible to catch.

Well, maybe that was just a bad day. Every fishery has 'em. So the next time you go, you go with a friend who's fished it before, and he pulls out a pair of 24-inch fish, while you're left picking your flies out of trees and wondering why you gave up a Saturday of good college football for this.

Spots like this tend to stick under your skin, to stay with you until you either figure them out, or the memory fades enough that you can quietly shuffle it into the bin of character-building experiences you don't want to go through again.

There's one lake like this that I've fished for the better part of two decades, and against all my better judgement, I'm itching to go back this summer. It feels like unfinished business, but if I'm being honest, it's probably more about wounded pride.

Still — there's a lot to learn from places like this. I bet you'll pick up a few of the lessons far quicker than I did.

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What information do you ACTUALLY need to know if you're getting started in fly fishing? What's going to help you improve, and what's just going to add to the noise?

Well, there are a lot of opinions on this topic. This week on Untangled, Spencer Durrant shares the 5 things he wishes he knew when he started fly fishing, A LONG time ago.

You'll also learn about:

• Why and when you need to fish really small flies
• Why you should focus more on presentation than fly selection
• What wet flies are and how they're used
• Some tips on fishing streamers in runoff
• Why you shouldn't overthink technique

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When the wind picks up and you suddenly can't land your flies right where you want them anymore, what do you do? If you're anything like me, you probably make a few classic mistakes that are actively harming your ability to fly cast in the wind. Today on Untangled, you'll learn about the 3 big mistakes to avoid, and the things you should do instead, to battle the wind when it inevitably shows up.

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I used to HATE fishing with nymphs. What bugged me the most was dealing with split shot - taking it off, or putting it on my rig. You've gotta get those tiny slits in the shot lined up with your tippet, then crimp it down, and NOT drop it all in the river. It's not fun to cast with, either.

The biggest problem is how much split shot actually effects your ability to feel what your flies are doing, and how they're drifting. By ditching split shot, you gain a TON of feedback and control over your rig. That means more fish in the net. Today on Untangled, you'll learn how to get your flies down deep without split shot, and why it's actively harming your nymphing game.

You'll also learn about:

• Why you should put your own spin on fly patterns, if you tie your own flies
• Why a 6-weight rod is ideal for sink-tip lines and streamers
• How to spot the bugs when fish are rising, so you can accurately match the hatch

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Get your dry fly rod ready, because May means some of the best hatches you'll see all year! In this month's fly fishing report, you'll leran all about the bugs that will hatch in May, the flies we recommend for imitating them, and a couple of pro tips for making the most of fishing before runoff hits.

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Recommended Fly Patterns

• Parachute Adams
• Parachute Purple Haze
• Blue Dun, Green Drake
• Parachute Trusty Rusty
• Parachute PMD
• Parachute BWO
• Sparkle Dun
• Klinkhammer
• Last Chance Cripple
• Hare's Ear
• Frenchies
• Gunslinger
• Crackback
• Puff caddis
• Elk hair caddis
• Missing link
• Foam caddis
• Pheasant tail
• CDA caddis
• Peeping caddis
• Griffiths Gnat
• Matt's Midge
• Zebra Midge
• WD40
• Demon Midges
• Royal Flush
• Golden Stone
• 20-incher stone
• Pat's Rubberlegs

The caddis hatch sometimes get overlooked in all our excitement over mayflies and stoneflies, especially early in the season.

But caddis hatches stay consistent throughout the summer, and they only become more important for trout as the season stretches on. Plus, the first big caddis hatch of the year can be an absolute blast if you hit it right.

This week on Untangled, we'll take a detailed look at the caddis hatch: when these bugs start getting active, their lifecycle and behavior, and the flies we recommend for a successful day out on the water.

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If you really want to grow as an angler, sometimes that means you'll need to make some hard choices. You'll need to push yourself to try stuff you may not want to, or you'll have to find a way to power through the days on the water that, frankly, make you want to give up. On the other side of those hard times is the great fishing we always hear stories about. And in today's episode of Fly Fishing Stories, Spencer Durrant shares the tale of the day when he did just that - pushed through the bad weather and questionable conditions, and came out on the other side with an unforgettable day.

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Ice-off is a magical time: it's when some of the biggest trout in any body of water come within easy casting distance of shore. That means it's one of the best times of year for you to tie into what could be your new personal best trout on a fly rod! So, to take advantage of this great fishing, this week's episode of Untangled is a deep-dive into all things ice-off fly fishing: why it's so productive, tactics to find and hook fish, as well as advice on gear and flies.

You'll also learn about:

• How to find new places to fly fish
• The value of fishing water that gets a lot of pressure
• How and why the tips we talk about on Untangled apply to other regions of the country, not just the Rockies
• The best use cases for a 7wt rod
• How to effectively fish nymphs in lakes and rivers

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