All posts by Leonard Schoenberger

Leonard Schoenberger is a fly fishing professional and gear specialist with over 20 years of experience on the water. As the manager of Heidarvatn, a world-class sea trout lodge in Iceland, his product recommendations and tactical advice are tested in some of the most demanding conditions on earth. His expertise has been mentioned in The New York Times, the Financial Times, and at the Outdoor Media Summit.

fluorocarbon vs monofilament leader

Fluorocarbon and nylon monofilament are the two material families used for fly fishing leaders and tippets. They look similar on the spool. They behave...

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what weight fly rod for trout

The 9-foot 5-weight is the universal trout rod. It covers small to medium streams, casts dry flies and nymph rigs effectively, handles fish from...

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how to tie surgeon’s knot

The surgeon's knot joins two pieces of line of unequal diameter. Its most common use in fly fishing is rebuilding the tapered leader: tying a fresh...

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fly rod action explained

Rod action describes where a fly rod flexes when it loads under casting motion. A fast-action rod flexes primarily near the tip. A medium-action rod...

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what is a tippet

A tippet is the thin terminal section of a fly fishing leader, the last two to three feet where the fly is tied. It is the deliberately weakest link in...

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fly fishing for beginners

Fly fishing differs from spin or bait fishing in one mechanical fact: the lure is too light to cast on its own, so the angler casts a weighted line and...

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fly fishing bonefish

Bonefish (Albula vulpes) are amphidromous flats fish that move onto shallow tropical sand and mud flats with the incoming tide to root out benthic...

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how to tie a clinch knot

The clinch knot is the terminal connection that ties the tippet to the fly. Two versions exist: the standard clinch, which retains roughly 75 to 80...

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Best 5 Weight Fly Rod

If you ask a guide, an AI overview, or a forum what the single most useful fly rod in existence is, the answer comes back the same: a 9-foot 5-weight....

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Best Fly Reels

A fly reel is not the casting tool. The rod is the spring that loads and releases the line, and the line itself is the weight that travels through the...

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