Category Archives: 2026 Schedule and Events

Many thanks to Hammonasset TU and a question about color

A big round of applause for the Hammonasset chapter of TU for hosting me last night. A small but intimate and involved group made it a fun evening and a smooth presentation. As usual, I forgot many of the names, but I recognized the faces, and I appreciate everyone who came out to talk trout fishing for striped bass. Can’t forget to say thanks for the pizza, and also thanks to the gentleman who gifted me the articulated flies — those will see action next summer for smallies!

The presentation machine keeps rolling with three gigs next week at Thames Valley TU, Capitol District (Albany, NY), and Farmington Valley TU. I’ll post a reminder Monday. Hope to see you there!

I was asked about color in striper flies last night. Without writing an essay: I like a little yellow in any fly that imitates fatty, oily bait like menhaden or herring or anchovies. I like certain colors for certain conditions: some white at the change of light, black in stained water, grey and fluorescent yellow on an easterly blow. I love blending colors using buckail and saddles, and sometimes I choose flies by feeling — as in, that’s the fly that feels right tonight. Sometimes color is irrelevant — it’s profile and presentation. I choose and blend colors that please me. Confidence catches fish!

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Tomorrow night, Thursday Oct. 10: “Trout Fishing for Striped Bass” at Hammonasset TU

Hope to see you tomorrow night for “Trout Fishing For Striped Bass — How to catch the stripers that everyone can’t.”  Hammonasset TU meeting, everyone welcome, 7pm at the QRWA building at 540 Oregon Road in Meriden, CT. For more information, please visit the Hammonasset TU website.

We’re going to talk about some of the tactics and strategies for catching those difficult bass. (If you fish for trout, you’re already ahead in the game.)

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“Trout Fishing for Striped Bass” at Hammonasset TU, Thursday, Oct.10

Everyone’s invited to see me present “Trout Fishing For Striped Bass — How to catch the stripers that everyone can’t” at 7pm, Thursday, October 10, at the Hammonasset TU meeting. The venue is the QRWA building at 540 Oregon Road in Meriden, CT. For more information, please visit the Hammonasset TU website.

Anyone can catch aggressive, willing-to-chase striped bass. But what about the stripers that are holding on station — or larger bass that that are not willing to chase a stripped fly? Many of the answers can be found within traditional trout and salmon tactics. 

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New presentation: “The Little Things 3.0”

Hot off the presses! “The Little Things” series is one of my most popular fly fishing programs. In this third installment, we cover more of the seemingly insignificant things that can have a huge impact on your catch rate. This is all new material, geared for both veteran and rookie fly anglers, covering fresh and saltwater, and popular species from trout to stripers to steelhead to smallmouth and more. Pay attention to the little things, and you may become one of the 10% who catches 90% of the fish. To contact me for a booking, click here.

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Steve Culton Fall 2019/Winter 2020 Speaking Engagements

Fall means BTS — Back To School, and Back To Speaking. I’ve got four gigs lined up so far, one more potentially lined up for 2020, and of course the show circuit — details on that front when I get them. In the meantime, come one, come all, come say hello:

Tuesday, October 15, 7:00pm, “West Branch Farmington River,” Thames Valley TU, North Franklin Fire House, 5 Tyler Drive, North Franklin, CT. Here’s the TVTU website.

Wednesday, October 16, Capital District Fly Fishers, 140 VFW Road, Albany, NY. Presentation Subject TBD. The link to their Facebook page is here.

Thursday, October 17, “The Little Things 3.0,” Farmington Valley TU, Whinstone Tavern, Stanley Golf Course, New Britain, CT. You can find their website here.

Tuesday, November 19, Nutmeg TU, 7pm, Port 5, Bridgeport, CT. Presentation subject TBD. You can find their Facebook page here.

I’m working on “The Little Things 3.0” quite possibly as you read this.

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More events/appearances: the South Shore Fly Casters in Hull, MA, are looking to bring me in sometime in the winter.

It looks like I will once again be doing the Fly Fishing Show in 2020, in Marlborough, MA and Edison, NJ. We’ve discussed the possibility of me doing a class as well as talks. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, I really need to go fishing. You know?

 

Only three guide days open through August 13

If you’re looking to head out with me midsummer — wet flies, nymphing, hopper/dropper, whatever — the pickings are slim: I have two mid-day half days open on Monday July 15 and Tuesday July 16, and either a full or half day open July 22. That’s it. You know where to find me.

I love summertime on the Farmington.

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Speaking Engagements for Fall and a New Presentation

I’m marking up my calendar with speaking engagements, and you should be too. So far, it’s a busy October.

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Tuesday, October 15 at Thames Valley TU (subject tbd).

Wednesday, October 16 Capital District Fly Fishers (Albany, NY, not confirmed but very likely, subject tbd).

Thursday, October 17 Farmington Valley TU (subject tbd).

Speaking of speaking, I will have a new presentation ready for fall: The Little Things 3.0. More seemingly insignificant things that can have a huge impact on your fishing. Giddyup!

…rehearsing and nursing a part, we know every part by heart… (Bonus points if you can ID the classic cartoon theme song that’s from!)

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Thanks Russell Library and nymphing tip of the day

Many thanks to the Russell Library for hosting me last night. We had a small but enthusiastic crowd for “The Little Things,” and if you were part of the group, thanks for coming out. Here’s a segment from the chapter on nymphing — three little things to help you catch more fish the next time you’re out on the water.

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“The Little Things” and fly tying demo Wednesday May, 1 Russell Library, Middletown

I’ll be presenting one of my most popular fly fishing programs, “The Little Things,” at the Russell Library in Middletown, CT, Wednesday May 1 from 6pm-8pm. I’ll kick things off with a short fly tying demo, then we’ll go straight into the program, and finish with Q&A. This presentation is all about seemingly insignificant things that can make a huge difference in your fishing success. Everyone is welcome — hope to see you there! Here’s a link to the Russell Library website.

Want to catch more fish? Want to catch bigger fish? This is a good place to start.

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Wet Flies at Legends on the Farmington

What a swell time yesterday tying and teaching at Legends. Many thanks to Sal for hosting, and the same shout out to the group for making my job easy. This was an all day event, featuring wet fly theory/tactics/strategies in a classroom setting, and most of all, lots of tying. We managed to bang out a half dozen soft hackles, wingless wets, and winged wets. Always nice to have a full class — not to mention a full glass at the end of the day.

The late afternoon view from the great room at Legends. You can’t tell from the photo, but it was a perfect day for staying inside (windy and cold) and tying wet flies. I was digging the fireplace.

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