It's New Year's day, so we're phoning it in a bit by looking back on the most read articles from last year. Even though we keep pretty tight tabs on which articles are well received by our readers, when you look back at a period as long as a year, there are often some surprises. The five articles that follow were the most read of those we published in 2013.

#5) This is Why You Sling Mice for Trout

While many of you already know that catching a trout on a fly pattern intended to imitate a mouse or other rodent is perhaps the most exhilarating way to do so, there are always some folks out there that find it hard to believe that trout seek prey as large as mice. The inspiration behind this article, a photo of an unintentionally killed trout that was revealed to have a staggering number of voles in its stomach, likely set those doubts aside for many fishermen out there.

#4) Nymphing: Get More Hookups

I'm always surprised to hear other fly fishermen remark that they very rarely nymph, due to its difficulty or perceived lack of efficacy. If for no other reason, nymphing should be one of every fly fishermen's go-to tactics particularly because it is so deadly effective. It is also simple to learn and become adept at nymphing. If you're struggling with nymphing or just want to up your catch rate, there could be one simple mistake you're making that's costing you hookups.

#3) IFTD 2013 Show Winners Announced

We spend a lot of time talking about gear and you spend a lot of time reading about it. The gear-obsessed fly fisherman is far from a rarity. IFTD, the International Fly Tackle Dealers Show, is the big annual event for gear manufacturers where countless products are introduced and showcased. At the end of each show, the best of show winners are picked in a wide range of categories.

#2) Joan Wulff Made Fly Fishing Hot Almost 70 Years Ago

Fly fishing has never seen more women in the sport than it does today. Women are a driving force of the industry and the largest growing demographic in the sport. But, if you think that we have only the fly fishing women of the last few years to thank for bridging the gender gap, think again. Joan Wulff, one of the most respected casters and instructors in the history of the sport, helped introduce women to the sport almost three-quarters of a century ago. And she did it with style.

#1) Tippet Rings: Use Them

It came as a fairly big surprise that our little tip intended to introduce or encourage folks to use tippet rings was our most read article of last year. Part of the reason for this is likely that it was published back in the spring, but our musings on tippet rings were also widely shared and discovered. We've been encouraging readers to not only save money on but also fish better leaders by quickly and easily building your own for some time, and adding tippet rings into the equation adds versatility and extends the life of both hand-tied and machine-extruded leaders, further maximizing your savings.