I’d rather fish larger nymphs, but there’s a corner of my fly box dedicated to flies that imitate tiny critters too. And trout seem to ask for them often enough.

Fishing extra-small nymphs is a little different than fishing the standard fare, and for many anglers it’s hard to have confidence in them. But a few refinements in tackle, rigging and onstream approach can help make the most of the itty-bittys.

Have you ever noticed that the very best outdoor stories always start off with the same three words? “Do you remember ...?”

The tale might be about almost anything - the time your father killed that nice buck, the night you and your friend were lost in the snowstorm, the day your young pup pointed his first covey (or retrieved his first duck, or ran into his first porcupine). To be honest, the actual story, the particulars, don’t matter all that much. Instead, it’s the unstated implication behind the question.