The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast (Tom Rosenbauer, The Orvis Company)

I'm always confused by the science and physics of tides and how they vary and how they influence fish in salt water.  So I went right to the best source I know on all things saltwater related--Dr. Aaron Adams, director of Bonefish Tarpon Trust and one of my favorite fishing buddies.  Fishing with him is like fishing with Mr. Wizard (excuse me for dating myself here) and Aaron does not disappoint in our interview.  He takes the sceince behind tides and makes it clear and digestible to those of us who just like to fish in salt water.  There are some specific tips for fly fishing related to tides as well, and Aaron suggests some ways that fly fishers in particular can use tide predictions to have more success on the water.  It was a fun podcast for me as I learned a ton.

In the Fly Box,  I also answer a listeners question about how and why tailwater rivers are different and some tips on fishing them.

This week, my guest is captain Drew Price [56:13], an expert on fishing large, multi-story, multi-species lakes. Drew has pioneered methods of catching unusual and fascinating freshwater fish like bowfin, gar, and freshwater drum. He also loves to fish for trout, bass, and carp but there are days on his home water, Lake Champlain, when those popular fish may not cooperate. And it's fun to fill your life list with new species, some of which may live in your own back yard. If you're looking for a new challenge, want to escape summer's crowded trout rivers--or if your rivers are too warm--learn about how you can fish large lakes for all kinds of cool fish.

In the Fly Box this week, we have lots of thought-provoking questions, including:

What should I pack for my trip to Alaska, and how should I pack my waders?

Why did they use heaver stuff, like size 8 wet flies and 3X leaders, back in the 1930s through 1950s?

Why am I missing brown and rainbow trout striking my leech pattern?

Why am I missing small cutthroat trout on my dry flies?

I see large brown trout very close to me in a heavily fished river, but they won't take any of my flies. Are they spooked?

Tips from a listener on how to store rods and other tackle Why do some rods not have hook keepers?

What fishing fiction do you recommend, beyond Big Two-Hearted River and A River Runs through It?

For fishing hopper patterns, should I go long and fine or short and heavy with my leader?

I caught some big rainbow trout but also saw some huge suckers in the same river. How can I catch those suckers on a fly?

Where is the best place to set down your rod and reel when switching flies or leaders?

If I see some debris on my nymph, should I clean it off?

How does the hard-sided Orvis stripping basket compare to collapsible mesh versions?

When I release trout, should I try to feed them mealworms or something to make up for them losing a meal?

Stream Access Now! This is the title of a very useful guide produced by Back Country Hunters and Anglers (available on their web site or on the Orvis Learning Center) that gives you the stream access laws for all 50 states, plus some fascinating essays on the varying ways states treat stream access. It’s also the title of this week’s podcast with Rob Parkins, Public Waters Access Coordinator for BCHA. Rob details how laws vary from state to state, how you can find access points, and dos and don’ts of fishing on both public and private lands. It’s essential knowledge for the traveling angler, particularly if you don’t fish with a guide and are unsure of the legality of entering a stream in a state where you have not fished before. In the Fly Box this week, we have the usual mix of great questions and suggestions from listeners: If my fly comes back with empty caddis cases on the hook, does that mean the caddis hatches are over and I should not fish a caddis? Are sea-run Pacific steelhead any more delicate than Great Lakes steelhead? If I harvest a deer, should I try to use any of the hide for fly tying, and how do I deal with it? Is it OK to fish a click-and-pawl reel for smallmouth bass, and does reel “balance” matter? Why don’t people fish much with winged wet flies anymore? How do I keep my Double Bunny Rabbit strips from getting stiff? How can I see my dry fly when looking into strong glare? What is the best camera for capturing the brilliant colors of fish?

In this episode, Tom is joined by Peter Kutzer of the Orvis Fly Fishing School to revisit a subject that we have covered in the past, but is still requested: common casting mistakes. We've all made them, in this podcast learn how to identify and fix them.

This week, my guest is Tim Landwehr [43:50], of Tight Lines Fly Fishing Company in De Pere, Wisconsin. Tim has decades of experience guiding for smallmouth bass and is co-author of a book on fly fishing for smallmouths. He shares some innovative and modern techniques for catching difficult smallmouths under all conditions, some you have probably never heard of or thought about.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions, including:

When I am Euro nymphing, why do trout always take my fly on the swing, after it has finished its dead drift?

I have trouble seeing my beetle imitations on the water. What can I do?

Why did trout, after refusing countless dead drifts during a spinner fall, take my fly as I stripped it back to me?

If you had to fish nymphs that only imitated one order of insects, which one would it be?

If I simplify my nymph collection to more generic imitations, will I do as well as if I worry about imitating specific insects?

What is the difference between a Comparadun and a Sparkle Dun and which one is better?

If I have the same guide two days in a row, should I tip him or her both days?

How many indicators should I carry for a day of fishing?

Do you prefer the Helios 3 D or F model in a 9-foot, 5-weight rod?

A fly shop owner told me not to submerge my reel. Was he right?

What is the best way to store dry flies?

A listener gives another good reason to always tie or buy three flies of the same pattern

How can I eliminate wind knots in my dry dropper rig? What is the best way to fish in the surf?

We're giving Tom a day off and have asked resident author Paul Fersen to read a story he wrote about for Gray's Journal called Full Circle. 

This week, in an addition to a long FLy Box section, I go a little off topic as I interview Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods and The Nature Principle, who introduced the term Nature Deficit Disorder to the world, and has perhaps done more than anyone else in modern times raise awareness of how important it is to get ourselves and our children outside more often.  He’s one of my role models and it was a great honor to interview him for the podcast.  And, of course, we do talk about getting kids and grandkids out fishing and give you some tips on how to do it.  This is a podcast you may want to recommend to friends who don’t fish, as it’s one of the most important things people can do for their children.

Tom talks a lot, and it finally caught up with him He has a bit of larygitis this week, but takes one for the team and answers a phone request for a largemouth bass episode. 

In the fly box: Do fish see color? We also take a phone request for a series on fishing different regions of the United States and beyond.

This week, my interview is with Kip Veith [38:55], Orvis-endorsed guide and author of The Orvis Guide to Musky on the Fly, which has just been released.  Fresh from lots of research and in the middle of his season, Kip has some great tips for those of you who want to chase this giant freshwater predator--and fall is known as the best time to chase them with a fly rod.

In the Fly Box this week, we have lots of interesting questions and some great tips from listeners, including:

I have some flies I tied that I don't like and want to salvage the hooks to use again.  What's the best way to do this?

With big pike flies, I have trouble getting the fly moving on the first few false casts.  How can I do this easier?

My floating line is sinking.  What can I do to make it float, and if I can't make it better can I use the line for streamer fishing?

My yarn indicators won't float.  What am I doing wrong?

How do you do the Joe Humphreys Bow-and-Arrow Cast?How do I use a BIgEye dry fly as a sliding dropper?

I lubricate my clinch knots with Chapstick.  Why doesn't the knot hold?

My Dad raises chickens.  Do you think I can use some of their feathers for fly tying?

When do most anglers change their leaders?

A tip from a listener on preventing gel floatant from exploding when you change altitude.Can I go from 5X to 7X using a tippet ring?

A great tip from a listener on how to politely engage someone on the river who is using poor fish-handling technique.

How do you cut Body Wrap when making Game Changers? 

Interview starts at 32:13

We’ve done a bit with trout Spey on the podcast, but never one specifically on flies for trout Spey.  Luckily, Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions, who produces the best fly tying videos, has become a trout Spey addict and in the podcast he talks about tactics and tying special patterns for Trout Spey.

In the Fly Box this week, we have the following tips and questions:

• When king salmon move into a pool, do they push the resident trout around?
• During high water, do trout swim around a lot?
• A great tip on tilting your head for better glare reduction with polarized lenses
• Are long-shank hooks a good or bad idea for pike fishing?
• Why aren’t there more white trout flies?
• Why is it tough to catch trout in the Northeast during the winter?
• What advantages does a 10-foot 8-weight H3 rod offer over a 9-footer?
• I have heard that a heavier rod helps you land bigger fish.  Won’t a lighter rod offer better tippet protection?
• Is there one line that will work for both Lake Texacoma and Gulf Coast salt water?
• Is UV resin toxic?  Does it have a strong smell?

This week, my guest is Austin Boswell [37:57], owner and guide for Eastern Oregon River Outfitters. I wanted to talk to Austin because I'm doing a two-part series on why young people are suddenly getting into fly fishing after many years of it being mostly an older person's pastime. I got into fly fishing at a young age, but in those days all the fly fishers I knew were older, and today we're seeing a great influx of young people taking up the sport. Why? I don't have any answers so for the next two podcasts I am going to be interviewing two fly fishers under the age of 30 to find out why it is so intriguing to them.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some interesting questions and comments, including:

I found my fly line wrapped over itself on my reel. How did that happen and how can I prevent it?

My normally easy-to-approach brook trout have become really spooky in the low water of summer. Will they be easier once the water levels come back up? Is my fly line scaring them and what can I do?

How long do felt soles last?

When did Orvis stop impregnating bamboo rods and why?

A great quote on harvesting fish by blogger and author Bill Robichaud

Is there a standard for reel foot sizing?

Are the reel feet different in different-sized reels?

What taper model are the various Recon models based on?

Why do my Chubby Chernobyl flies not float well?

Do trout eat woolly bear caterpillars?

How do I cast an open loop when using indicators or dry droppers?

Why do caddis flies and midges have a pupa stage and mayflies don't?

How do I mix dubbings with different textures in a coffee grinder?

This show on winter fly-fishing was originally posted on 28 January, 2011. Before we had interviews, the Flybox, or even call-ins, it was just Sir Tom rambling into a microphone. 

Don't forget there are hundreds of shows from our archives that are freelly available on your podcast reader and at howtoflyfish.orvis.com.

Warning—this week's podcast with biologist Michael Miller [36:28] is not exactly uplifting, in fact it's downright depressing. I feel that neonic pesticides are the main reason we have seen dramatic declines of insects on our trout streams and may be even more of a threat to invertebrate populations than climate change. But it is a problem we can remedy more easily than climate change because it's mostly a problem in the United States (Canada and the EU have either banned or greatly restricted their use). I hope this podcast makes all of you take action and raise your voices to get the EPA to ban these dangerous chemicals.

On a happier note, we have some wonderful questions in the Fly Box this week, including:

It's great to hear that Tom gets skunked as often as the rest of us.

Why did I see mayflies when I was a mile from the nearest stream?

Do bright fly lines spook fish?

Why were fish slashing at my streamer without me hooking them?

I am having problems casting a 15-foot leader

Where should I take my sons fishing in the Bozeman/Livingston area if I can't afford a guide?

 If I hook a fish deep in its throat, should I try to get the fly out or cut the tippet?

Can I get closer to fish in a riffle?

What are Tom's top 5 trout flies?

I am losing a lot of fish on my 10-foot 3-weight rod. What should I do differently? Where do big trout tend to live in a river?

 If I am catching just small fish will there be any big fish around?

I can't get my floating line to float well, even after cleaning it. What can I do?

This week I give Ten Tips for Trout Anglers to Beat the Heat, I think a timely topic with the weather we have had lately.  In the Fly Box, we also talk more about fly lines for bass, when to change a dropper fly if only one pattern is working, whether it is OK to harvest small brook trout for lunch, how to decide amongst the thousands of attractor patterns, best flies for perch, “RADD” (river ADD), how to practice for trout on your local panfish lake, and best rods for kayak fishing.

This week’s podcast is a discussion with Captain Tuck Scott, head guide at Bay Street Outfitters of Beaufort, South Carolina. Tuck gives us solid tips on choosing flies for saltwater inshore species, concentrating on redfish and speckled sea trout. Of course we would be remiss to discuss fly selection without some advice on how to present them, and Tuck also shares his advice on how to fish various types of baitfish and crustacean imitations. Tuck is also going on the road! He is bringing his Maverick flats boat to various Orvis retail stores and giving free seminars on how to fish from a flats boat—how and when to take your shots, how to adjust to changing conditions—and most importantly, how to build a team with your guide. You can see Tuck in person based on the schedule below ORVIS GREENVILLE, SC FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2019 11:00 AM 1:00 PM ORVIS CHARLOTTE, NC SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019 12:30 PM 2:00 PM ORVIS ASHEVILLE, NC SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2019 12:30 PM 2:00 PM ORVIS ATLANTA, GA SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2019 11:00 AM 1:00 PM ORVIS ALPHARETTA SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2019 11:00 AM 12:00 PM ORVIS CHARLESTON SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2019 11:00 AM 1:00 PM Store location to be announced. ORVIS RICHMOND, VA THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2019 11:00 AM 1:00 PM ORVIS MANCHESTER, VT SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2019 11:00 AM 12:00 PM ORVIS MANCHESTER, VT SUNDAY, MAY 26, 2019 11:00 AM 1:00 PM

• When water is low and the sun is bright, what tactics do you recommend for Great Lakes steelhead?
• Four great fly-tying tips from a tier in the UK
• I am looking at the 10-foot Helios rods.  For all-around fishing, should I get the 3-weight F model or the 4-weight D model?
• A guide from the mid-Atlantic shares tips on targeting snakeheads
• A young fly tier asks for advice on a moderately priced vise for tying bass flies
• Why do my 9-foot 6X knotless leaders keep breaking?
• A new fly fisher from Ohio recounts a wonderful experience he had on the river
• A listener provides some great tips on rooftop rod carriers
• A listener asks for suggestions for a book on the history of trout in North America

***This is a Backcast Episode from March of 2014. Tom will be back from vacation with new episodes soon!*** This week we have what I feel is one of our best podcasts ever—an interview with Colby Trow of Mossy Creek Fly Shop on his advanced tactics for catching smallmouth bass. I learned a ton in this podcast and it makes me want to head south to chase some right now. And in this extra-long podcast there are plenty of fly box questions: Using a stomach pump on trout, how to keep your indicator from sliding, whether bright silver and gold beads are a thing of the past, how to find secondary feathers on a goose wing, and good substitutes for deer hair on a Comparadun wing.

Editor’s Note: To celebrate the kickoff of the 2019 Giant Fly Sale, here’s a great backcast epiaode about choosing the right fly for a given situation. This week, I interview aquatic biologist and fly fisher Peter Stitcher, who not only has a great way of organizing fly boxes (a question I have always neglected to answer properly), but he also has some great guidance on how to figure out what is in the river and how to pick a fly from your box that will do the best job of imitating that insect—without any detailed knowledge of entomology. If you learn his acronyms PAUSE and MATCH, I am convinced you will have all the knowledge you need to be more successful. Listen to the podcast to learn what these acronyms mean.

This week I have no guest interview but a ton of questions waiting in the podcast mailbox so I did an all-Fly Box podcast to catch up on questions. By popular demand, I've started to recommend some books on the podcast. This week I recommend my three favorite books on trout biology and natural history.

In the long Fly Box this week, we have these great questions and tips from listeners:
A tip on putting a four-piece rod together
A tip on where to park your rod when landing a fish
Can I use my 9-foot, 5-weight rod for saltwater fishing in the Bay area?
Do you think we are in danger of interfering with the natural spread of species, for instance by removing musky from lakes that were not there historically but have spread there naturally?
Why do I keep breaking off large trout on a 3X tippet?
A very generous offer from a listener to pay for a guide trip for a young listener (from a past show) who has taken 60 trips for trout and has not caught one yet.
Should I use a sinking or intermediate line for stripers in the Bay area?
Are there any casting techniques I should practice before throwing bigger flies in salt water?
A tip from a listener (after getting a tip from me) on the proper way to insert Orvis studs in wading boots.
A great tip from a listener on using yellow sticky pads to keep coiled leaders in place.
While stripping in my coiled line gets tangled. How can I fix that?
How long do you use a fly before changing? And when do you decide to move?
Do you believe "Right to Roam" laws like they have in Scotland would be beneficial to Americans?
How do you properly de-barb a hook?
What midge patterns should I use in Wisconsin?
What would a well-rounded fly rod quiver for the eastern United States look like?
I keep bumping my rod guides when taking apart my rod. How can I fix that, and how can I fix a loose guide?
A caller letting me know that a co-host on one of our live events mis-spoke about how to assemble a rod.
I can catch fish on a Parachute Adams and swung wet flies in a small stream but can't catch them on nymphs. What am I doing wrong?
A listener who fixed a problem with breaking 4X tippet tied to a size 6 hook makes a suggestion on some great products.
I am curious to buy a bamboo or fiberglass rod. Where should I start?
What fly-fishing magazines does Tom read?

This week my guest is Henry Cowen [@49:05], author of the new book Fly-Fishing for Freshwater Striped Bass, which is really a complete guide to chasing these great gamefish. They get huge, they often feed in shallow water, and are just about the perfect fish to chase with a fly rod. You'll learn their seasons, how to present your fly, and what tackle and flies you'll need to chase them.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions from listeners, including:
How do newer Orvis rods compare to older ones like the All-Rounder?
Any tips for casting from a kayak?
How do the Orvis Hydros and Pro lines compare? Their tapers look very different
What do you think of Bob Wyatt's philosophy on trout in the book What Trout Want?
What direction should I cast when fishing streams?
Can all bead head patterns be tied with tungsten beads?
Why are my head cements too thick?
When looking for a new river to fish, what structure should I look for?
A tip from a listener that sometimes beaver activity seems to attract trout.
Does it matter which direction I twist my dubbing?
How will the 17-year cicada affect fishing?
Can I tie a piece of tippet to the main tippet above my lower fly with a clinch knot?
Why do people always tie their heavier nymph on as the lower fly? I have better luck tying the heavier nymph above my smaller fly.
Can I use the Palomar Knot to add a second fly above my lower fly without removing the lower fly?

• A suggestion from a listener on a way to spot small dry flies if you have trouble seeing them on the water
• Do you ever fish under bridges?  Is it worth it?
• When tying in palmered hackle, what is the point in tying hackles in tip-first?
• What is your philosophy for selecting a dry fly when using a dry/dropper rig?
• I recently caught some nice fish on the edges of strong whirlpools.  Have I been missing something, and what suggestions do you have for fishing this kind of water?
• If trout aren't actively feeding in higher water temperatures, what difference does it make if we stop fishing at 68 degrees?
• I fish two different streams and the fly size recommendations for each one is different.  Why such a discrepancy?
• What knots do you suggest for tying a 65-pound fluoro shock tippet to a 20-pound class tippet for pike?
• Do you think construction a half mile upstream of a spot has scared all the trout away?
• Is it OK to move the fly when you mend?  Is it OK to mend when fishing a dry fly?
• Should you come in from the top of the eye or from the bottom when tying a knot to your fly?
• I am only catching smaller smallmouth bass in a spot.  How can I find the bigger ones?

In this week's podcast we first talk about nets and bluegills. I'm not getting many nice short, concise, specific questions for the Fly Box  section so I haven't had many to answer lately.  Please send your nagging questions to podcast@orvis.com or call me at 802-362-8800 and leave a message letting me know what you'd like to hear about.  And in the main part of the podcast, Should I Stay or Should I Go? (what do you want to bet James will have some music to go along with that?) we talk about when to move and when to stay put, on everything from trout streamers, nymphs, and dries, to Atlantic salmon, bonefish, and steelhead.

We all get occasional aches and pains from casting, or as we get older we worry about getting them. Dr. Jason Smith [51:14] is an expert in sports medicine and has worked with many professional athletes in developing routines from strengthening muscles and connective tissue. He has some great advice on avoiding casting injuries, types of therapy to alleviate the pain of these issues, and also some easy exercises to avoid injury in the future. Fly fishing is supposed to be fun and any way we can take the pain out of it is welcome advice.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some controversy and some great questions, including:

If I am fishing an articulated fly in a place where only a single hook is allowed by law, should I cut off the back hook or the front hook?

I’ve tried night fishing without any success. What do you suggest?

If I am using a dropshot rig in very deep, fast water, how many split shot is too many?

A tip from a listener about a great suggestion for casting he got from George Daniel

If I am fishing two or three flies, is there any rule as to where I should place my heaviest fly?

I only have a 5-weight and a 10-weight rod and I want to fish for bass.

Can I use my 10-weight for bass fishing?

It’s still hard to reconcile catch-and-release fishing for ecological reasons with a carbon footprint from cross-country trips. And I heard that there is at least an 11% mortality rate in catch-and-release fishing.

Do trout eat whirligig beetles and water striders? And what do they tell me about a trout stream?

How should I adjust my fishing tactics when it rains?

I fish a catch-and-release pond with picky fish and heavy fishing pressure. If no one fished this pond for a year, would the trout get less selective?

A listener takes me to task for saying I try to avoid fishing for stocked trout. And then asks me what I would do if I lived in an urban area where there were only put-and-take fisheries for trout.

A listener is confused by the different sizes of aquatic insects and asks if the same ones hatch in different sizes.

A physicist weighs in on how to stalk trout, knowing how the physics of refraction works.

A listener gives me a list of the rods he owns and asks if there is something missing in his arsenal, especially for small streams.

Chris Wood, TU’s President and CEO, chats with Colorado Volunteer, Sharon Lance, about conservation issues in Colorado, why it’s important to get kids involved in fly fishing and why its never a good idea to have your spouse teach you how to fish.

This week’s podcast is not about using alternative methods to a bobber or strike indicator.  It’s how to make your fishing more effective—and more fun—when you do use a bobber.  And my special guest is Ben Sittig from Colorado, better known to those of you who follow You Tube and Instagram as The HUGE Fly Fisherman.  His videos and posts are helpful but funny, and as he admits, a bit snarky.  But in a good way and his advice is solid.  Ben talks about how, by concentrating on the indicator itself we don’t realize what is going on beyond it, down where our flies are drifting, and offers some solid advice.  And then we run out of bobber stuff to talk about so we both get up on our respective soap boxes and talk about the state of the world of fly fishing, particularly when it comes to social media.  I hope you find our ramblings entertaining.

In the Fly Box this week we have lots of interesting questions.  One of the best batches in a long time.  Maybe I’m training you to ask questions I can answer or maybe it’s just because everyone is fishing and has some great thoughts in their heads.

• When you make a heavier fly rod, do you use the same taper and just add material?
• How to I kill off carpet beetles in my fly-tying capes?
• Why can I catch brown trout in four to five feet of water but not in those 10-foot pools?
• I have to drive over two hours to catch trout.  How can I learn more about fly fishing?
• Is it easier to hook trout on a Tenkara rod than on a conventional rod?
• Is there any function in different eye types on hooks?
• Do you know of a good way to make an adjustable nymph dropper for a dry/dropper rig?
• Why won’t trout that are feeding on smaller flies eat my Stimulator?
• What is the best way to add four feet of level tippet to a fly line when streamer fishing?
• How far do stocked brown trout move?
• Why can I only catch trout on olive streamers when my river has sculpins in it?
• Why does my tippet get twisted when I fish big foam flies?

I frequently get questions about Stillwater trout fishing, and although I love it I am not very good at it. So I enlisted one of the best Stillwater teachers I know, Phil Rowley, and asked him to discuss something more advanced that relates to Stillwater trout fishing. The result is a very detailed discussion of fishing nymphs, especially midge imitations, on a very long leader. With this technique you can fish surprisingly deep—if you are patient! In the Fly Box this week we have the following questions: Is there any value in underlining a fly rod? How do I get foul odors out of my waders? How do I target stripers and smallmouth when the water is over 70 degrees and trout are also present? What is your go-to technique in a trout stream if you don’t see anything feeding? If you could only select one sequence, would you pick odd or even sizes of fly rods? My lower back is killing me after a long day of fishing. What can I do to alleviate this problem? How do I approach a stretch of river with deep pools and virtually no current? How can I teach my friends to recognize a strike to a nymph? Is it safe to bring the line/leader connection inside my rod guides? I am going to the Yellowstone area. Is it worth it to hire a guide?

In the fly box this week we have questions on making your own braided leaders, boorish behavior on trout streams, the effect of melting snow on fishing, how to test a new fly, the ethics of using a guide to find a spot and then fishing it on your own (don’t do it), and a mystery caller at the end.

This week I also share an interview with Jeff Skelding, executive director of the Friends of the Upper Delaware River (FUDR). This is a very effective regional conservation organization that after years of difficult relations with local public officials, state and regional water authorities, and highway departments, has gradually formed very effective partnerships with them. We can all learn from their advice and experience when it appears that conservation and property seem to be at odds. It does not have to be a zero-sum game.

Scott Sadil [41:39], author and Fly Fishing Editor of Gray’s Sporting Journal, is a pioneer in fishing the surf in Baja, and in his many years of experience he’s learned a ton of valuable tips. Even if you never plan on fishing Baja, you’ll find his advice helpful for finding fish along a wide beach, choosing which flies and tackle to use, and learning new techniques for moving the fly.  

In the Fly Box this week, we have some fascinating questions from listeners, including:

I am having trouble casting a size 6 fly with lead eyes on my 5 weight. What can I do to correct this?

I am struggling with my distance casting. Any tips for helping with this, and for fishing large tailwaters?

When I hook panfish and bass along a shoreline, they always head for shore yet carp always swim to deep water. Why?

My Royal Wulffs don't float properly when I drop them in a glass of water. What can I do to help?

What kind of flies and colors do you suggest for fishing the surf in Costa Rica?

How should I dispose of old waders that leak?

Is there one rod I can use for surf fishing, largemouth bass, and streamers for trout?

If you float a river in a canoe of kayak by yourself, how do you get back upstream at the end of the day?

 Should I use a 7-weight or 8-weight rod for throwing big streamers for trout?

How should I fish freshwater rivers that are tidal for bass and pike? And how do I get wire onto the end of my leader for the pike?

Why do people use a Bimini Twist? I would think it just pushes the weak spot in a leader further back.

 Is bug spray harmful to fish?

If I am hiking into high alpine lakes, should I hike in my wading shoes?

Todays guest might make you mad. If you’re a trout angler he will certainly make you feel uncomfortable. Doug Thompson [37:29] is the author of The Quest for the Golden Trout, and the book is not what you think it might be from the title. He is a professor in geoscience and environmental studies and does research in geomorphology and hydrology. In examining critically what we do to ensure trout fishing, Douglas Thompson gores some sacred cows, including our obsession with stocking trout, non-native species we introduce, the way we manipulate the physical structure of rivers to benefit trout, and even the fishing tackle industry itself. You might think this book would make me angry, but it’s carefully researched and argued and has made me look differently at the structure of our entire trout-fishing industry.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and tips, including:

How do I repair an exposed thread and a bent ferrule on my bamboo fly rod?

How do I know when it's time to replace my sinking line?

How can I distinguish between weighted and unweighted flies? Do people fish for walleye and American shad with a fly rod? If so how do they do it?

Why do I foul hook fish when fishing with two nymphs?

Which floating line is best with my 10-foot 3-weight Clearwater?

Do you have some tips for casting with a sinking line?

A tip on feeling better about getting skunked

A story about why we should always debarb our hooks

What does Tom do when he is in a slump?

• Can I use flies for ice fishing?
• I mostly fish lakes and am having problems on streams.  With long casts I get drag and with shorter casts I worry about spooking fish.  What should I do?
• Can I work downstream with a streamer and then work back up through the same water with a dry dropper?
• Is there a risk in tippet material breaking down in sunlight when it is on a tippet holder exposed to the sun?
• I see people catching trout on worms but I can't seem to fool them on flies.  What am I doing wrong and do you have any tips?
• Is it legal to raise jungle cock for feathers in the US, and is anyone doing it?
• A listener corrects me on a statement I made regarding using molted feathers from songbirds to tie flies.
• Do you have any tips for traveling to Chile to fish at Magic Waters?
• If I see water striders and small baitfish in a pool, does that mean there won't be any larger trout there?
• How much life can I expect from a leader I made myself?
• Can I tell the difference between wild and hatchery trout by looking at them?
• I can't seem to catch more than two trout from any one pool.  What am I doing wrong?

This week I give you a 10-step plan for getting a kid into fly fishing.  These are proven methods based on my experience and that of others I've talked to in the course of researching a book called Family Friendly Fly Fishing that I'm working on.  I've also added three additional tips for getting teenagers into fly fishing.

In the fly box items this week we talk about the old 10 o'clock to-1 o'clock casting technique, casting into the wind with big poppers and other bass flies, attaching a new fly line to backing that's already on a reel using a loop, and the correct size sink tip fly line to buy. and "new school" vs. "old school" fly fishing 

This week my guest is Neville Crabbe of the Atlantic Salmon Federation [39:13]. He tells us the details of a major project to eradicate smallmouth bass from the famous Miramichi River, one of the most productive salmon rivers in the world. We all love smallmouths, but they don't belong in this river system and were introduced by misguided anglers.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions, including:
How should I fish an emerger? Can I fish it by itself?
Any tips on catching grass carp?
What's on Tom's bucket list for destinations?
Will packets of desiccant gel help keep my fly boxes dry?
Will cracks in my fly line change its grain weight?
Why do fish keep "bumping" my swung wet flies?
Any tips for fighting trout in shallow water?
Why do steelhead roll?
What is that little ring on the back end of the Chubby Duo Hopper fly?
What are the differences between the various trout species?
When Tom fishes with guides, does he use his own flies?
Will a two-handed rod help my casting when I have tennis elbow?
What fly line should I use for fishing for carp, bass, and pike in 10 to 15 feet of water?

In this week’s podcast, I interview my old friend Brian O’Keefe, founder of Catch Magazine, on tips for catching warm weather steelhead.  Brian is one of the best anglers and teachers around, and I think it’s a particularly helpful interview full of good solid information.  Plus it’s always fun to have Brian on the podcast.  In the fly box, we talk about “buddy fish”, the utility of stripping baskets, a recommended rod for moving up from trout fishing, plus other short topics. 

• Has anyone ever caught two fish at once on a two-fly rig?
• Can I use dog hair to tie flies?
• I want to chase redfish, pike, steelhead, Pacific salmon, and muskie.  Will an 8-weight rod handle all those species?
• Can I use the 10-foot sinking Salmon poly leader for trout?  Can I cast it on a 6-weight?
• What can I tie with hen saddle patches?
• What switch rod would you recommend for striped bass fishing in the surf?
• What is the weight relationship between non-toxic wire and lead wire?
• I live in Switzerland.  What should I expect regarding European fly hatches?
• I keep losing big trout when they run downstream.  Do you have any suggestions on how I can land more of them?
• A great tip on joining Trout Unlimited's Citizen Science Initiative
• Can I use a popper/dropper rig for bass?

Interview segment begins at 43:02

I get regular and frequent questions on the differences between nylon and fluorocarbon tippet—when and where to use them, appropriate knots, special properties, and shelf life.  I used to be involved in the development process of tippet and have visit many places where tippet is made.  But that was years ago and a lot of progress has been made since my time in product development.  So I invited Josh Jenkins, R&D manager at Scientific Anglers, to talk about recent innovations in tippet material.  Josh is intimately involved in the development and testing of tippet for both Orvis and Scientific Anglers, and his knowledge is far greater that mine.  I think you’ll learn some surprising tips on both tippet material construction and knots because I learned a lot in speaking with Josh.

The Fly Box this week is a little different.  This one was recorded live at The Fly Fishing Show in Edison New Jersey.  Rather than telling you what kinds of questions were asked (none of which were prompted or ones I had heard beforehand) I’ll let you discover these on your own.  You never know what might happen in New Jersey…

This week, continuing our series of podcasts on winter fly fishing for trout, I interview George Daniel, author and guide. George is also an Orvis ambassador and field tester, and teaches fly fishing at Penn State. As you'll discover, there are many similarities with winter fishing in other parts of the country, along with some flies and techniques a bit more appropriate for the Northeast.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some great tips and questions, including:
Do you use touch dubbing, split thread dubbing, and composite loop dubbing techniques?
I'm looking for a fly line to fish streamers for bass, trout, and panfish. Which line should I get?
What leaders do I need for my Clearwater Trout Spey setup, for both Skagit and Scandi lines?
What's your technique for catching largemouth bass, and what are your favorite flies?
Why can't I get my dubbing noodle to behave?
Which intermediate line should I get for fishing streamers and indicators in four to eight feet of water?
A great tip on a method for wetting marabou and other materials without putting them in your mouth.
I went fishing before a cold front and got skunked. I thought fishing was supposed to be good before a cold front.
What line and leader and tippet would you use for trout in lakes in 15 feet of water?

My guest this week is Sascha Clark Danylchuk, science advisor for KeepEmWet.org. Sascha is an angler and a scientist who has studied the effects of various catch-and-release techniques and has also kept up with the scientific literature on the subject. There is a lot of false and misleading information on the interweb regarding catch-and-release and she sets us straight on a number of topics. I thought I was well-versed on this subject but I learned a lot, and will modify my own practices in the future based on our talk. In the Fly Box, we have the usual mashup of topics, including the following: Two inexpensive ways of making wet-wading shoes suggested by listeners Will a good mender outfish a good caster? Do nymphs work in high mountain lakes? What is a good sink-tip option for a 4-weight rod on small streams? How to catch trout in very deep plunge pools at the base of a waterfall. How do I get sand out of my ferrules? Is it ethical to catch a bunch of big trout by nymphing at night on a full moon? Why do trout keep splashing at my Chubby Chernobyl? Should I spend the same amount of money on a trout reel as I spend on my rod? A great tip for keeping the hair on an Elk Hair Caddis from slipping around the hook. How can I catch the big brown trout in a small infertile stream in Oregon?

Hi- This is Jamie Hathaway. I produce both the Orvis fishing and hunting podcasts. I thought you might like to hear Reid Bryant's interview with Tom over on the Orvis Hunting and Shooting Podcast. 

Subscribe to the Orvis Hunting and Shooting Podcast on iTunes or at www.orvis.com/podcasts!

Reid Bryant shares the booth with Orvis legend and avid hunter Tom Rosenbauer. Best known for his fly-fishing books, fly patterns, and host role with the Orvis Fly-fishing Podcast, Tom is a wealth of knowledge about Orvis and the sporting resources of southern Vermont. Reid and Tom discuss, dogs, ducks, and the symbiotic nature of being a fly angler as well as a bird hunter.

Wow! About 250 entries and over 500 votes in our first podcast giveaway contest to win an Access Fly Rod! Congrats to troutbumpk!

In this episode, Tom gives some tips on teaching others to fly fish and also introduces a new segment to the show: The Flybox. We get a lot of requests that can't quite fill a whole podcast, so Tom is going to address those in this new segment!

Tell us what you think! Email us at podcast@orvis.com, come by OrvisNews.com and leave a comment on the blogs, tweet us @OrvisFlyFishing or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/orvisflyfishing

This week I ramble a bit with fly tying expert Tim Flagler, the hands and the voice behind those great Tightline Productions you enjoy every week.  We did intend to talk about material substitutions and we do, but we also go off topic here and there.  Also in this week’s Fly Box:  Does one spooked fish ruin an entire pool?  Can I start right out fly fishing in salt water with no other fishing experience?  How do I avoid a rat’s nest in the sink when cleaning my fly line? How to become a commercial fly tier.  Best materials for parachute wings.  And, finally, advice from an experienced commercial airline pilot on how to travel with fly tying materials without being pulled out of the security line.

Chris Wood, TU’s President and CEO, talks with Massachussetts TU volunteer Warren Winders about sea-run brook trout and why a small stream in the midst of a cranberry bog in Massachusetts is key to this population of sea-run brook trout.

• A great tip from a listener on how to estimate a fly line size using a kitchen scale.
• Does UV resin dry completely?
• Can I add head cement to the head of my Elk Hair Caddis?
• What is the protocol for tipping at a fly-fishing school?
• When you carry extra lines to the river, do you put them on extra spools or carry extra reels?  And where do you put them?
• I have some 20-year-old tippet I was given. Should I use it?
• Do you have any recommendations for easily transferable materials that can be used for fry flies as well as streamers?
• A tip from a listener on how to safely carry a full-size camera when fishing.
• Where do baby carp hide? I never see them.
• Does adding split shot make it harder to hook fish?
• A tongue-in-cheek story about using songbird feathers on flies.
• I want to buy a house on a trout stream. What should I know before I do this?

This week begins a month of habitat/conservation podcasts as a celebration of Earth Month. We start the series off with Steve Davis [43:25], Chief Science Officer for the Everglades Foundation, and instead of talking about the boring aspects of Everglades Restoration like funding and politics we're delving deep into the science of how the water will be stored and cleaned, which plants aid in the cleanup, and how this process will aid in more fresh water to Florida Bay and the Everglades, and less polluted fresh water to estuaries on both coasts of Florida. We'll also talk about immediate benefits, but also how it will take seven years to completely fill the reservoir. And yes, we will talk about fly fishing topics this month in the Fly Box.

This week we have some great tips and questions, including:

I have a 5-weight, 6-weight, and 10-weight rod for fishing in the Mississippi. I may be catching fish up to 20 pounds. Do you think an 8-weight will handle them?

Three great tips from a listener on fishing from a canoe.

Is there a database where I can plug in the fly-tying materials I have and have it tell me what fly patterns I can tie?

What flies can I use India hen backs on?

I have trouble with my back cast hitting the water when I wade waist deep. How can I correct this problem?

 I have been stumped by fish rising once and then not rising again for a long time. What are these fish doing and how can I target them?

 What are your thoughts on intermediate lines for tarpon? Should I get tarpon flies in bigger hooks like 3/0 to 5/0?

Will a bit of bucktail under my pine squirrel streamers help to keep them from fouling?

 A listener asked a bunch of specific fishing questions to a chat bot for a trip he was going to take to Grand Lake Stream in Maine and asked me to critique the answers he received.

How should I kill and keep the occasional stocked fish I want to eat?

If you see a nymph in the water that you want to imitate, how would you go about creating a pattern to match it?

Are hooks trending to shorter shanks and wider gaps? Is this a good thing?

Catch-and-release fishing for trout is not a conservation tool. It’s a way to manage trout populations for larger fish, based mainly on sociological or even political pressures. Sometimes it doesn’t even produce larger fish, and it can backfire when it inflames local anglers. Tim Traver [38:50], author of Lost in the Driftless, has spent years studying the effects of fishing regulations on both fish and human populations and I think your eyes will open to the limitations of regulations like “fly-fishing only” or “catch-and-release”.

In the Fly Box this week, we have lots of interesting questions and comments from listeners, including:

What can I do to avoid crowds on a heavily pressured eastern trout stream?

What is the best way to carry a net when using a sling bag?

A listener has some great comments on why bamboo rods are so special.

Why am I consistently breaking off large brown trout using 6X tippet?

If I don’t have a fishing backpack or vest, how can I carry a net?

How can I fish very fast water effectively with a dry dropper rig?

If most fish food is dull colored, why do we use so many wild colors in our flies?

A listener makes some great points on why fishing close to home is desirable.

A physicist weighs in on what a trout can see from underwater.

Can I effectively Euro-nymph with my 9-foot, 5-inch Blackout rod?

What are some good uses for squirrel tail in fly tying?

What is everyone doing in the northeast for fly fishing during the drought?

Chris Wood, TU's President and CEO, interviews Scott Yates, TU's Director of the Western Water Project. Together, they discuss the various water challenges that exist in various Western states and talk about how TU works to achieve a balance that is good for landowners and fish.

From river flows to irrigation, their conversation touches on some of the hottest current water debates in the West.

• I keep getting accused of "flossing" Pacific salmon when fly fishing for them but I see them aggressively take my flies.  What are your thoughts on this?
• What purpose does dubbing serve on a dry fly?  Does it add buoyancy?
• A listener thanks us for the podcast on knots and also on our support of policies to address climate change .
• I recently opened a box of my grandfather's tackle from 1944 that includes a bamboo rod, gut leaders, flies, and a silk fly line.  Should I use them?
• What sort of performance should I expect from the new Orvis Superfine bamboo fly rod?
• What impact will the recent disastrous floods in North Carolina have on the future of fly fishing?
• I want to purchase a vintage Orvis bamboo fly rod.  Would one be a reliable fishing tool?
• When I switch dry flies, should I be more concerned with size, pattern, or color?
• What can I do to prevent the unnatural curves in saltwater flies after they are used?
• My brother and I were using the same streamer in a slow-moving river.  I caught a bunch of fish and he didn't but I was casting my streamer at a different angle to the current.  Do you think this made the difference? 

• Is the Orvis Tippet Knot a suitable substitute for the blood knot?
• Do you think there is a chance that dry-fly purism will come back?
• Does a saltwater line cast worse in fresh water?
• Can you suggest a use for the fluffy material at the base of a Coq de Leon feather?
• Do you have any tips for dry flies in salt water?
• A listener suggests some kind of national organization to purchase public lands that are planned on being sold as part of the inflation reduction act.
• Will there be Orvis Pro Wading Boots in size 15?
• What is it that Tom brings on the water that most people might not have in their pack or vest?
• I keep catching landlocked salmon of the same size.  Can you suggest a way to target the bigger ones?

When Ernest Hemingway was a kid, he took great pride in catching trout on worms and jerking them out of small streams as quickly as he could. Later in life, he lived near excellent trout fishing in Sun Valley but didn't really like it much. He owned a lot of fly-fishing gear, but it didn't get much use. This week, I interview Hemingway Scholar Paul Hendrickson, author of the terrific book Hemingway's Boat, and we learn some interesting things about the man, including the sad story of why he finally gave up trout fishing for good, and how he influenced how we fight big fish on fly rods today.

In the Fly Box this week, we have many interesting questions and tips, including:
Am I missing out by not using split shot on my nymph rigs?
I spot fish from one angle, and then when I move into better position to fish, I can't see them. What can I do?
A tip on setting the hook based on current speed
My parachute hackles keep coming out at the tip. What can I do to prevent this?
An update from a young man whose parents did not approve of his fly-fishing habit
Are there advantages or disadvantages in using glass beads for fly tying?
How can I store longer pheasant tails and turkey feathers?
Should I use moth balls on my tying materials?
Do you see any disadvantages in using UV cure resin to attach slotted beads to hooks?
What type of single-handed rods are best for Spey casting?
A guide told me that stomach pumps are bad for fish. Do they really cause mortality in trout?
Should I use a loop knot on small dry flies?
When I try to do a dubbing loop, the materials wrap around the thread instead of getting trapped in it. How can I fix this?
A tip on keeping hands and feet warm by keeping your core warmer.

• Can I use a poly leader in salt water for stripers?
• Why do I find fewer and smaller fish in low water conditions later in the season?
• How often do you find yourself adjusting indicator depth in medium and large rivers?
• What should I do with the reject flies from my tying bench?
• Is a bow-and-arrow cast stealthier than a roll cast in small streams?
• I see large crayfish in a stream.  Why don't I see smaller crayfish?
• Are fiberglass rods more sensitive than graphite rods?
• Do creek chubs compete with brown trout?
• What can I do to keep the wings on my parachute flies at 90 degrees once I start fishing them?
• I found I could double haul better with some Orvis rods I tried than with entry level rods I have.  Is it simply the difference between a premium rod and my current lower level rods?
• I keep breaking off coho salmon.  What could I be doing wrong?
• Can I fish egg and worm patterns and streamers with my 7-foot, 4-weight rod?
• A tip from a listener—if you want to find out where trout live in a particular river, observe them from a bridge.
• Is there an organization devoted specifically to smallmouth bass?

On this week’s podcast, we discuss man-eating Chinook salmon, the ethics of going back to a spot a guide has taken you to, what BWOs are, possible cranefly hatches, stomach pumps, and I make an apology to the SUP crowd.  Then we have a great interview with Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.  Whit brings to light some boring-sounding legislation that is important to anyone who loves the outdoors, and gives us a good general overview of why they are important—like thousands of acres of public land that is inaccessible to taxpayers and what is being done about it.

This week, my guest is Orvis product developer Jesse Haller [43:48], who besides being responsible for products like nets, wading shoes, and fishing packs and vests spent many years as a fishing guide. Jesse discusses how to pick the right net, some cool tips and carrying a net, how to plan your netting before you get a fish close to you, how to get the fish in the net with a minimum of fuss—and some great tips on releasing the fish you've caught.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some fascinating questions and some helpful tips from listeners, including:

Do you think it's a good idea to blacken your tippet close to the fly with a sharpie?

What conditions decide whether you should fish a large or a small streamer for bass?

A listener has a conundrum about booking a guide who used to work for another outfitter.

Some great tips from a listener about safety when bluelining in the Smokies.

What advice do you have for fishing out of a canoe? I have trouble finding trout in larger rivers, coming from a small stream background. What should I do?

Where can I find trout in winter?

What should I do about families with kids throwing rocks in the water when I am fishing?

How can I fish small midge emergers just under the surface?

During a heavy hatch, is it better to look for an individual fish or prospect a likely seam or run?

A great tip on a device for letting people know where you are when fishing the back country.

If I am running multiple midge nymphs, should I use a light or heavy tippet?

What is the best beginner outfit for saltwater fly fishing?

We haven't done a salt episode in a while... and we know a whole bunch of you folks fish salt. Tom's favorite time of year to do so is in the fall. Here are some great tips he's learned over the years.

This is a bit different from regular shows. This is the audio from a Facebook LIVE video show Tom did last week about Orvis' new snips and he also takes questions on various topics.

The sound quality is not as high as other shows.

If you want to skip the snips presentation, skip ahead about five minutes. You can see the video version and other videos at https://www.facebook.com/pg/orvisflyfishing/videos

There's some real positive news in the world of trout these days, from the mitigation of acid mine drainage in wild trout streams to replacement of perched culverts to an unprecedented funding opportunity for habitat projects. Chris Wood [38:36], president and CEO of Trout Unlimited, takes us through some ongoing and upcoming projects that have him excited and optimistic.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some very helpful tips and interesting questions from listeners, including:

I want to sell some of my flies. Should I start an online store or go through a local fly shop?

Why don't light-colored flies like the Light Cahill work in my streams? I

s there a database of older Orvis rods?

Brown trout from a larger river spawn in a tributary that holds a good population of native brook trout. Should I feel bad about fishing for those spawning brown trout?

For a small stream fly rod, I am looking at a 10-foot 3-weight and a 7 ½ foot 3-weight. Which should I choose?

How do you keep the body thin when tying a Comparadun or Sparkle Dun?

 I fish small streams with tricky current. When it gets windy, should I fish a longer or shorter leader?

The trout got active when the wind blew some seeds into the water. Is that typical?

A great tip from a listener on using a balanced leech and an indicator in plunge pools.

My friend just fishes Clouser Minnows and outfishes me when I use my fancier Game Changers and Dahlberg Divers. Am I wrong to be wasting my time on these more complicated patterns?

 What is the best way to get the leader knot out of the guides before you start fishing?

What recommendations do you have for fly fishing for crappie?

A terrific tip from a listener on a different way to rig a dry dropper.

How do I feel about yarn flies for gar and egg flies for carp?

I want to replace my fluorocarbon with nylon. Will I notice the difference?

This is a special time of year for me as it is the start of trout season in my hometown. I treat today like a religious holiday. it seems appropriate then that I should interview my mentor, and someone who many view as a fly-fishing god, Lewis Coleman. Lewis has taught some of the best in the world his techniques and he will share some of those with us today. 

There is no fly-box section in this show as I wanted to give Lewis as much time as we could to go over his insight into spey casting, how he is pushing the limits in Tenkara and all about how he runs his lodges all around the world. We are lucky to have him on the show.

This week we have a great interview on redfish (and also speckled trout and snook) with Captain Dave Hunt from Florida.  In the Fly Box, we also talk about grayling, brass and tungsten beads, and about the question of whether the term 'dry fly rod" is valid today.  Plus I tip our listeners off to an exciting new development on the web--but you'll have to listen to find out!

My guest this week is Alex Waller [41:36] from New Zealand. You've likely seen his great videos on Orvisnews.com or on You Tube, in his channel Trippin on Trout. Alex shares his techniques for fishing nymphs in late fall and winter with us, and his techniques are a bit different than what most of us use, so you make pick up some tips for your own trout fishing wherever you live. And because he often fishes for migratory rainbows coming out of giant Lake Taupo, his techniques will play well with Great Lakes "steelhead".

In the Fly Box this week, we have a host of interesting questions, including:

What is the most buoyant natural material for dry flies?

Does adding UV resin to dry flies affect their buoyancy?

What is the best way to carry and store tube flies?

Is there a universal rule for what size nymph you can use on a dry dropper?

How do I keep my hook gap clear of materials so I don't miss strikes?

What should I do when a big fish shakes its head when fighting?

If black is the most visible color for flies, why do some anglers prefer black hooks when fish are spooky?

If black is most visible in murky water, why do some people recommend bright flies under these conditions?

I am stuck in the rolling plains of the Midwest, four hours from a trout stream. Can I still go fly fishing?

A local river is highly pressured with very clear water, so everyone uses tiny midges.

Would a bigger fly work sometimes?

What is the best upgrade I can make to my Clearwater outfit, without spending hundreds of dollars?

Do you ever swing wet flies in small streams?

If so what leader do you use?

When do you use a strike indicator instead of a dry dropper?

And what kind do you use?

I have a floating line for striped bass fishing and have done well with it. What other line would you recommend?

What do you suggest if I want to try night fishing for striped bass?

• Any tips on finding places to fly fish close to home?
• A tip from a listener on how to get studs in wading boots to mount properly
• What about kapok dubbing and wing burners?  What are your thoughts on using them?
• How can I fish a small mountain stream when it gets murky?
• Should I wear my wading jacket inside or outside of my waders?
• How should I read the water in rivers for bass?
• Is there an advantage to shorter rods when fishing for bass in rivers?
• I caught two rainbows that looked exactly the same.  Could it have been the same fish?
• Do graphite rods get slower over time?
• What advice do you have for getting a fly rod for a 5-year-old?
• How do fish get rid of flies when you break them off?
• I fished a river and all I caught was creek chubs.  Is that a good or bad sign, and is it worth going back to that river?
• I have problems when I cast bigger flies.  What should I do to practice with big flies?
• Are prescription progressive polarized glasses worth the extra cost?

This week we talk fly fishing with Chris Pandolfi, vocalist and banjo player for The Infamous Stringdusters, a multiple award-winning bluegrass band (including the 2018 Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album, “The Laws of Gravity”). Chris tells us what it’s like trying to fit in fly fishing while on the road, how the band supports Trout Unlimited, how fishing has influenced his music, and offers some great fly-fishing tips for novices. Speaking of tips, in the Fly Box this week we have the following questions: What are some tips for winter tailwater fishing in the Northeast? What can I do when the bass don’t bite? How do I catch suckers on a fly? Can I use my 6-weight for carp? What do you do when you’re rowing and someone hooks a fish? How do I find information on small streams in my area? How do I move on from tying big streamers to smaller trout patterns? Is there a good way to practice setting the hook? What is a good place to visit to fish small trout streams in the winter? How much information can I ask my local fly shop for, without being a pest? Why are fly rods today so stiff? What is the best way to fish nymphs in water ranging from one foot to ten feet deep while floating? What is the best way to practice casting when I have a variety of rods?

This week I am delighted to have biologist John McMillan back as my guest. John gives us a detailed view on the affect of water temperature on a trout's metabolism, particularly at the upper end of their safe range. In this summer of low flows and high water temperatures nearly everywhere in North America, it's a critical topic. And as usual, John puts his critical eye on how we, as anglers, can mitigate these effects by changing our fishing behavior. John is never without optimism, and I think you'll enjoy his discussion and learn more about trout biology and how we can be more responsible anglers.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and tips from listeners:
Why did my guide tell me to use heavier tippets? Why did she suggest this would put less stress on the fish?
A suggestion from a listener on getting an old bamboo rod and refurbishing it to bring one back to life.
What is the difference between hen and partridge?
How do I know where to find trout streams?
What size should I tie my ants in?
A new way of tying a clinch knot with heaver hooks is suggested by a listener
Why, when fishing with a dry dropper, do I only catch browns on the nymph and only cutthroats on the dry?
What do you suggest for catching pressured largemouths in summer?
A belated Father's Day message
Can I use the Euro nymphing method from a drift boat or float tube?
Why am I having trouble mending at 30 feet with a dry dropper?
When tying a Chubby Chernobyl, how do you get the legs to separate?
When you see a large mammal like a beaver or otter in the river, is it time to move on?
Why do I catch myself with my fly when casting?
Is it OK to dry my waders and boots in the sun?
How should I handle my gear for air travel?
Why do I keep losing fish when using bead head flies?
Does using a frog pattern change the flex of my rod?
Why do Scandinavians hold their rods so high when playing a fish?

There's no such thing as streamer season.

That’s the rallying cry of Courtney Despos, director of education and guide for Trouts Fly Fishing in Denver.  Courtney is a self-professed streamer fanatic and she fishes them all season long, even in the dead of winter when most people are dragging nymphs along the bottom.  Courtney shares her tips on winter streamer fishing, showing us how you can be successful fishing these flies all year long—as well as her tips for keeping warm when winter fishing.

In the Fly Box this week, we have the usual mashup of questions that range all over the place, including:

• When I am fishing a hopper/scud combination, why do I have trouble hooking fish on the hopper even though the trout appear to be taking it?
• A past fan of very fast rods details why she now enjoys rods with a more moderate action.
• A listener gives a detailed plan for killing carpet beetles in fly-tying materials
• Has anyone ever made a fly rod out of aluminum?
• When is the second season of the Orvis TV show going to launch?
• What are some good casting drills for the off season?
• A plea from a listener in Louisiana for fly tiers to use nutria fut
• What is a good entomology book for the Sierra region?
• What is your opinion on furled leaders?
• What are your thoughts on fluorocarbon?  What sizes should I carry?
• Further advice from a taxidermist on curing hides for fly tying
• I need some advice on fighting large trout in a tight stream
• A specialist in opthamology and visual sciences weighs in on dizziness after being in a drift boat
• Can I use my 9-foot 6-weight bass rod for trout?
• Why does the loop in my clear intermediate line keep cracking and what can I do to fix it?
• Do whitefish and trout live in the same places?
• Can I use my 9-foot 8-weight rod uplined to a 9-weight for trout in northern lower Michigan?

• If I break a section of a rod, why won't a section from a different rod fit it?  Are the diameters different in different types of rods?
• Are there benefits to fishing nymphs without an indicator?
• When fishing, are you more likely to change the fly size up or down if the one you're using is not working?
• Am I missing some flexibility by not carrying two rods when wade fishing?
• What is the best way to fish for a trout that lives under a bridge?
• When I get a tangled mess I usually cut everything off and re-tie.  Should I be carrying a safety pin to untangle my leader?
• I am having problems with drag when fishing straight upstream.  Do you have any tips to help this?
• I keep foul-hooking small brook trout when using a dry dropper.  Why does this happen and what can I do to avoid it?
• I accidentally dropped my fly box in the river.  I don't see any rust on them, but should I throw all of them out?
• What is "attitude" when discussing the choice of dry flies?
• What is your current recommendation on the noise created by studded boots or metal wading staffs?
• I have gone on 8 saltwater fly-fishing trips and have been skunked on 6 of them.  It's a combination of bad guides and bad weather.  What can I do to avoid this?
• What is the best way of getting my fly off a branch if I don't want to wade in and spook the pool?

In this week’s podcast we talk to Chris Strainer, owner of Crosscurrents Fly Shop in Craig, Montana.  Chris fills us in on how to beat both the heat and the crowds on one of our most popular trout rivers, the Missouri.  He has some great tips on this, as well as suggestions for fall fishing opportunities when the crowds are gone and the weather is cooler. 

In the Fly Box we talk about mending with a dry fly, fishing emergers and wets upstream, prospecting with smaller flies, losing fish when they jump, protecting rubber legs on crab patterns, casting fatigue, big fish on light rods…and many other crazy topics.

Phil Monahan of OrvisNews.com has called the development of gas resources in the Marcellus Shale the "Pebble Mine of the East."

Hear Chris Wood, CEO of Trout Unlimited, and his guest, TU's Elizabeth Maclin, VP for Eastern Conservation discuss what the Marcellus Shale project entails, what "hydro-fracking" is and the potential impact on coldwater resources of Northern Appalachia.

This week I have a special guest, Brian O'Keefe, who owns the fantastic electronic magazine called Catch Magazine, along with his business partner Todd Moen.  Brian has been in the fly fishing business as long as I have, and he's one of the best fly-fishing photographers out there.  He's traveled all over the world to photograph some of the most exotic fly fishing locations, as well as plenty of cool places closer to home.  We ramble a bit about the old days, but the podcast is mainly about tips for the novice fly-fishing photographer.  This podcast is longer than usual so I left out the usual Fly Box section, which will return next week.  Lots of good questions these days so I have a good list of topics to cover!

This week, we chat with Bob Irvin [Interview starts at 42:00], president of American Rivers, an organization that does solid work protecting the aquatic resources we all love.  Bob and I talk about the Clean Water Act and the Clean Water Rule--what these laws have done for us in the past, how they are currently managed, and threats to their effectiveness.  It's not as much fun as talking about trout or steelhead, but it's important stuff to all of us.

In the Fly Box this week, listeners offered the following tips and questions:

What kind of water is best for Euronymphing? 

Can you do it in really slow water for panfish?The booties on my waders are too tight for two pairs of socks.  How can I keep my feet warm winter steelheading?

I have some streams in my neighborhood that people say used to hold brook trout.  How can I find out if they still live there?

A suggestion that keeping the index finger on the top of your rod grip helps with sensitivity.

What is the best fly line to use when trying to cast the entire line?

Can I Spey cast for smallmouth bass?

My dad really outfished me using a Rapala.  I tried all kinds of streamers but no luck.  Is there a fly that is as good as a Rapala?

When I wade waist-deep I have trouble with my casting.  What can I do to fix this?

How can you reconcile our obsession with drag-free drifts and the effectiveness of a swung wet fly?

I have a bunch of old fly lines.  How can I tell what they are, and how can I mark them?

If you have a local stream that you fish often, how long should you rest it between fishing trips?

I am fishing for smallmouth and shoal bass during the day in weedy, rocky water.  What's the best technique to use?

A tip from a listener on a great indicator you can make yourself.

Can you clarify the confusion behind the term "dropper"?

• How do I keep my fly line from wrapping around my rod when I am tying on a new fly?
• A listener is looking to add a 7-weight rod for bass fishing and throwing trout streamers and looks for advice.
• Can I use a 6-weight sinking or sink-tip line on both my 5-weight and 7-weight rods?
• Do you know of any good fly-fishing books for a 6-year-old?  And what is the best first saltwater fly-rod fish for kids?
• Is there a difference between Zonker strips and Rabbit strips?
• Why have I gotten occasional bite-offs from large brown trout?  
• Do you have any tips for casting wiggle-tails?  I have trouble casting them.
• Do you think eyes make a difference on pike flies?
• Can I legally keep songbird feathers that I find under my bird feeders?
• A tip for using toothpicks at the fly-tying bench.
• When tying a clinch knot, does it matter if you twist the fly or wind the tag end around the standing part?
• Any tips for the bow-and-arrow cast?
• How many more casts should you make in a small pocket if you miss a fish?
• Would it be unethical to target swarms of trout during spawning season?
• A listener gives a tip for tying a clinch knot at the bend of a hook to attach a dropper.
• If I move a trout on a streamer but do not connect, does it make sense to come back for that fish later in the day?

This week my guest is Land Tawney [25:52], CEO of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, and we discuss recent issues regarding public access on rivers in Colorado, Montana, and New Mexico. This is a timely topic, as public access advocates just won a big court victory in New Mexico (Phil please link to your blog post). I hope the podcast will get you up to speed on how stream access is handled by states, and I think you’ll see some positive news on all the great work Back Country Hunters and Anglers and other public access groups have been doing on our behalf. In the Fly Box this week, we have these questions and tips from listeners:

A tip from a listener on another natural material to use as a trailing shuck.

Is it wrong for me to ask a fly shop to let me test a fly line before I buy it?

How do you choose between using head cement or UV cure epoxy?

What do you think about using perfection loops to attach tippets instead of using a tippet ring?

What does Tom research before fishing new water?

A tip from a listener about another way to organize fly-tying materials.

A request for a podcast on tying classic salmon flies.

A listener expresses his disappointment in my not mentioning organizations like Casting for Recovery or Project Healing Waters in a discussion on the spiritual nature of fly fishing.

In this episode, Orvis Vice-Chairman, Dave Perkins and I interview Whit Fosburgh about the impacts on our saltwater fisheries by recreational and commercial fishing and what the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is doing to help protect them. 

I had a lot of interesting emails this week and a couple of phone calls, so there is a bit of an extended Fly Box  section to answer all of your great questions.

Ever wanted to take a fishing trip to Montana (who doesn't)? For a first trip to the Rockies, generally I suggest people center in the greater Yellowstone area because of the vast amount of public land and great trout streams in that area, which includes portions of Wyoming and Idaho as well as Montana. This week I have enlisted a real expert on that area (not a tourist like me). Joe Moore [@48:55] is a longtime guide and owner of Big Sky Anglers located right in the middle of downtown West Yellowstone. Joe gives us some great tips on timing, tackle, and suggested rivers. Essential knowledge for your post-Covid road trip.

Lots of great questions in the Fly Box this week, including:
How much backing should I put on my 6-weight reel? Is there such a thing as too much backing?
How do I get my significant other into fly fishing?
How can I fish for freshwater stripers in deep, murky water?
Can I use barbless hooks for bass, pike, and musky?
What is the best method for taking water temperatures?
How important is it that nymphs drift in the upright position?
I am taking a high mountain backpacking trip and only want to take one rod. Should I take my 3-weight or my 5-weight?
What is that little spring behind the jaws of my vise?
Do "triggers" on fly patterns work?
Do weed guard interfere with solid takes?
Do jig hooks really hang up less often that standard weighted patterns?
How can I repair a fly line with a cut in it?
Do you know anyone who has switched from casting right-handed to casting left-handed?
Why are triploid trout stocked?
Can I use a sinking poly leader for striped bass fishing?

1.  Should I buy a 4-weight or a 5-weight rod for trout?
2. Whatever happened to that little barbed thingee that goes into the end of a fly line to attach a leader?
3.  An alert about a proposal by a meat packing plant to withdraw 700,000 gallons of water a day from the springs that feed the headwaters of Fishing Creek.
4.  Are wet flies a legitimate strategy when you have trout rising downstream of your position?
5. How do I get a large trout close to my net if my leader is long?
6. What could I have done to catch a smallmouth bass in deep, clear, swirly water?
7.  What mouse pattern is best and how should I fish it?
8.  A great list of tips on why starting out in a small stream will build your skills for fishing tougher, more technical waters later.
9.  My father wants to remove the brush along our stream to make it easier to cast and for my kids to splash in the river.  Should I try to talk him out of it?
10. What is the best way to remove wind knots from my leader?
11. A listener asks me about my top 3 places to fish
12. I foul hooked a brook trout in the belly but it was only a flseh wound.  Do you think the fish will survive?
13. Should I match my leader length to my rod length?

This week the main event is a chat with John Herzer, owner of Blackfoot River Outfitters and one of the savviest anglers and guides I know.  John talks about late fall and winter fishing in the Missoula area, although the solid tips he gives would work anywhere in the world when you encounter colder conditions.  Also in the Fly Box we discuss wet flies vs. nymphs and when to use them, single-handed steelhead rods that also work for bass and salt water, night fishing for rainbow trout (don’t), native fish species, and my brilliant career picking flies out of carpets.

This week, it was my great pleasure to interview Nick Lyons, who I consider to be the godfather of modern fly-fishing books. Nick has edited and published books by some of our most famous fly anglers--Lee and Joan Wulff, Lefty Kreh, Dave Whitlock, and Swisher and Richards. He was also my first editor and I have so much to thank him for. Nick tells stories of the early days of fly-fishing books--his successes and failures and his journey through the past half-century of fly fishing.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions, including:
When fishing an in-line dropper, I have problems with the dropper slipping off my upper hook. How can I fix this?
I want to fish flies for sauger along the bottom. What type of fly should I use?
My hunter friend has offered me some duck and goose feathers. What feathers should I ask him to keep?
Any tips on catching stocked trout in a pond?
What line would you recommend for trolling from a float tube?
Why is trout fishing more productive in Montana than in North Carolina?
Do you think those big "American-type" articulated streamers will work in Finland?
What kind of stream fish can I catch with a fly rod in northern Alabama?
A tip on finding trout at the mouth of cold-water feeder streams in summer.
Are "planted" and "stocked" trout streams the same thing? And do stocked trout ever reproduce naturally?
Can I attach backing to a welded loop with just a clinch knot?

My guest this week, Sarah Baker [35:40] is a woman who has a job most of us would envy—she studies and manages the populations of wild, native brook trout in the mountains of northern Georgia. Learn more about these southernmost populations of brook trout, their life history, and where you can find them (no spot burning, just some general areas to investigate for yourself).

In the Fly Box this week, some great questions that range the spectrum of fly fishing, such as:

A listener is confused by recommendations for sinking lines for an Alaska trip

Can I tie flies smaller than size 18 with the regular jaws in my tying vise?  Do I need to purchase midge jaws?

Someone told me not to use water-based head cement on size 20 and smaller flies. Why?

If I know I have a reasonable fly and good drifts, does it make sense to spend more than a half-dozen casts in one spot?

I am a newbie and other than the typical questions about what fly to use, what other questions should I ask in a fly shop that will be helpful?

If I want to try Spey casting with my single-hand fly rod, what fly line would be best?

Can smaller Spey patterns be used for trout and bass on a single-handed rod?

I am taking my first saltwater trip to Turks and Caicos. I have an 8-weight freshwater outfit. Do I need to get a special saltwater rod and line?

Can I use a 450-grain Depth Charge line on my 10-weight rod? And besides fishing for striped bass, what other saltwater applications are there for this line?

I am having trouble with my Clinch Knots breaking in cold weather. What am I doing wrong?

Any advice for tying on a size 22 Zebra Midge in cold weather?

Originally posted February 5. 2012.

In the fly box this week, we talk about where fly tying materials come from, getting wet flies to swing deeper, fishing logs, and fishing small flies under water. In the main topic, we discuss different kinds of trout and how to fish for them--hatchery vs. wild, and pressured trout streams vs. remote trout streams. We've had some great suggestions for podcast topics lately so keep them coming

This week, after a special introduction from my son who visited the studio this week,  two self-described carp addicts talk all about carp fishing, from finding them to presentation tactics to tackle and flies.  I interview my co-worker Tim Daughton, who is by far the most experienced carp fly fisherman on our staff--to put it more precisely he's obsessed with carp fishing and will pass up trout fishing most times to chase carp.  We've had lots of requests to do more podcasts on these very challenging fish, available to most people in urban and rural locations throughout the world.  In the fly box, we ramble from how much to spend for a fly rod to when to replace a fly line to fishing in foul weather to a few steelhead tips.  And a couple more.

This week we explore the topic of whether you should fish upstream or down, not only what direction you should move but also which way you present your fly.  The podcast will tell you exactly which direction to fish every time you go out by using a simple formula (just kidding—did you really think it would be that easy?) 

In the fly box we answer questions about setting the hook (again), what length rod to use (again), adding tippets to knotless leaders (again), what to do about minnows sinking your dry flies (aha!  A new one and a fun one, too), and how to improve your roll cast by using a different line.  I keep answering those repeated topics because it seems they are universal questions and sometimes a different question or slant on a question may make it more clear to listeners.  Have fun!

• How should I treat CDC feathers I got from a friend who hunts waterfowl?
• A listener asks why people who write into the Fly Box don't just go out and try the things they are asking about.
• A spooky Halloween story from a listener
• How do I avoid a size 12 dry fly twisting on a 6X tippet?
• What is the best Orvis rod for hopper fishing on western rivers?
• Can I keep my fly rods set up all season?  Do I need to wax the ferrules?
• How can I do a better job of hooking trout on a downstream cast?
• Am I missing something by not using tapered leaders when fishing for bass and panfish?
• If a 6X leader makes a size 12 fly twist, why don't we just use 1X and 2X leaders on all of our flies, down to a size 24?
• How can I get a single nymph down into deep, fast water without using split shot?
• Would a longer rod help keep my Clouser Minnows from hitting the rocks behind me on my back cast?
• I have a 5-weight rod and want to fish for bass, carp, and suckers.  Should I get a 6-weight or a 7-weight rod?

This podcast is an interview with an old friend and fishing buddy, Mike Connor of Bullsugar.org. Mike is a fishing guide whose livelihood has been threatened by the inaction and foot-dragging of politicians on the Lake Okeechobee/Everglades water issues, as Mike’s home waters are at the mouth of the St. Lucie River. We don’t like to talk politics in the podcast but unfortunately this issue, one of the biggest environmental issues in the United States, needs a political solution as the science has been completed, the funds have been approved by voters and Congress—but somehow not much has happened. Of course we also talk lots of fishing in this podcast, with a clarification on what the Tactical Fly and hook series is, why few flies are colored white, the five easiest but effective trout flies to tie, lots of discussion on head cements for fly tying, more on sight-fishing for trout, casting off to the side,—and other earth-shaking issues.

This week I don’t have much of a Fly Box, because I just have not been getting many questions from listeners.  Where are you?  I’m lonely here.  But I do have a big interview with the great Joe Humphreys, a savvy, iconoclastic fly fisher that I’ve admired for many years.  He has a unique take on nymph fishing and has never used an indicator, so you may get some new ideas on how to fish nymphs on this one.  By the way, Joe will be at Orvis Pittsburgh this Saturday and Sunday morning, so if you want to see him in action or ask some questions, get over to Orvis Pittsburgh.

This week the main topic of the podcast is the issue of etiquette on our more crowded trout streams, in particular the conflicts that have arisen due to the popularity of fishing from drift boats and the issues that have developed both with boat and wade anglers. My guest is Wade Fellin, Montana native, lifelong fishing guide, and lodge owner. Wade gives some examples of recent poor etiquette he’s seen on his home river, the Big Hole, and how these kinds of conflicts can be avoided. We also explore some ways that clients as well as guides can help mitigate these issues. In the Fly Box this week, as usual we have some interesting questions (and tips) that I hope will be of interest to everyone. Some of the topics we explore are: What do you think of flies with spinner blades in front of them? Are Tenkara rods good in small brushy streams? Should I be worried about fishing in a lightning storm with my graphite rod? What are your thoughts about orientation on articulated hooks? What can I do about CDC getting slicked back on my flies? Is swinging flies for smallmouths a valid tactic? Can I swing wet flies with my level competition line? What can I do about red dye running from materials on my flies? Is it OK to use a level leader when surf and jetty fishing? What can we do about fish in heavily fished areas getting mangled mouths? Can I catch catfish on a fly? I have heard people say they catch trout with 80-foot casts? What is a practical casting distance?

• I can't seem to get my fly deep enough in bass lakes with my floating line.  Should I get a sinking line for my 8-weight and fish surface flies with my 5-weight?
• A listener asks for help from listeners in ways to lessen the pain of losing his beloved fishing dog
• I fished a river that has always been full of trout and didn't see a thing.  What happened to the fish?
• Should I apply my dubbing with clockwise or counterclockwise twists?
• Can I tie my dropper onto the tag end of my improved clinch knot?
• What are your thoughts and comments on how long a trout stays spooked?
• Why do you prefer a sling pack and where do you put your net?
• Do resident brook trout in a river get pushed around by migrating steelhead?  Do they still feed?
• I didn't catch any fish in high, cold water.  What should I have done?
• What do you think about tying a loop in the end of my tippet and attaching flies with a girth hitch?
• Why don't people use landing nets for striped bass?
• I saw an anti-reverse fly reel on EBay.  What do you think of them?

This week we take a trip Down Under to talk to guide Angus Reynolds [41:21] in Australia. Angus customarily guides trout anglers, but because of the recurring drought in Australia he has been pursuing alternate species and carp are one of his major targets. I thought we could learn some techniques to try on our North American carp, which are the same species, and Angus has some interesting tips on fishing a sunken dry fly for them. He also tells some great stories about catching Murray cod and eels on a fly rod!

In the Fly Box this week, we have some interesting questions and comments, including:

Can I use my 11-foot, 3-weight Helios Blackout rod for trout Spey? If so, what grain weight should I use?

When should I use jig hooks and slotted beads as opposed to regular nymph hooks and beads?

Do you have some tips for Eastern stillwater trout fishing? Is it much different than what they do in the West?

Is there a reasonable do-it-yourself repair kit for fly rods I can take into the field with me?

Does UV resin attract trout? And are UV materials really attractive to trout?

A listener from the UK says the whole idea of public water in North American blows his mind. He asks if it is really true that we can fish any river we want?

A listener takes me to task for insinuating that people who use Euro nymphing techniques are only after racking up numbers of fish.

What is the difference between graphite and fiberglass rods for small streams, and which is better?

If I see a beaver on one end of a pond and an otter on the other, which one should I stay away from when fishing?

A listener shares his experience of brown trout favoring one fly on his nymph rig and rainbow trout the other fly.

• A listener looks for advice on how to carry his fishing gear on a plane.
• How do I fish plunge pools? Why don't I catch anything in the deep spot below the waterfall?
• What rods do I need for fishing both small streams in Smoky Mountain streams and steelhead fishing in Ohio?
• A listener gives advice on the Orvis Dropper Rig Fly Box and why you need to check local regulations before you use a 3-fly rig.
• A listener relates a story of his great customer service experience
• Why did trout smash my size 20 dry fly but not connect?
• Will smallmouth bass and rainbow trout hold in the same water?
• What knots do you recommend for different presentations and why?
• What is the best way to get my fly under the mangroves without hanging up?

Interview starts at 51:28

This week’s podcast is a spirited discussion with Dr. Andy Danylchuk, Professor of Fish Conservation at UMass Amherst, Science Advisor for Keep Fish Wet (www.keepemwet.org) and Research Fellow for Bonefish Tarpon Trust. My question to Andy was about the effectiveness of catch-and-release as a conservation tool, and as always when talking with a scientist it depends on your definitions. Like “What is conservation?” and predictably that varies with a person’s values and experiences. I thought it was a thought-provoking conversation and hope you do was well.

In the Fly Box this week, we have these questions and tips:

• How do you put the hackle on a Stimulator?
• What’s the best way to be ready for smaller cutthroats or big bull trout at the same time?
• How can I maximize my success when fishing with my 4-year-old?
• How can I plan  trip to fish the Rocky Mountains?
• Why do I keep losing fish?
• Where do natural fly tying materials come from?
• What is the best way to cast big streamers or nymph rigs?
• What rod do you recommend for fishing Chesapeake Bay?
• A tip for a great, inexpensive seine for trout streams
• Where do you draw the line between ethical and unethical use of electronics when fishing?
• What do you think of ultra-light fly fishing?
• Should I get a saddle or cape for tying flies?
• Do you recommend upgrading to a premium fly-tying vise?
• Can you explain the difference between tailwaters, headwaters, and freestone rivers?

Dave is one of the best young voices in fly fishing [38:14]. He's the real deal—he is a fishy guy and can handle a fly rod with the best of them, but he's also a teacher of writing at the college level and a published author. (His new book is terrific and the title is Calling After Water.) Dave gives us what I consider a mini master class on how to write about fly fishing so that your stories are engaging, concise, and fun. I know you will find many useful tips in this podcast.

In the Fly Box this week, we have an assortment of great questions from listeners, including:

What are the benefits of tube flies?

Can I nymph fish for steelhead with a Spey rod?

Is there a benefit from using UV fly-tying materials?

What is the best way to attach pre-made droppers to my leader?

Tippet ring, surgeon's knot, or blood knot?

Why do people look down on swinging wet flies for trout?

How can I fish a bigger river without wasting my time trying to fish it all?

Is it better to go to a smaller streamer when fish are just bumping the fly?

How can young people help to improve our environment?

Tom sits down with Orvis' new fly guru, Jesse Haller to discuss (of course) flies as well as competitive fly fishing. / / In the Fly Box, Tom takes your questions ranging from scented flies to broken rods.

This week I have an interview with Frank Willets of Pere Marquette River Lodge on Michigan steelhead fishing.  Frank grew up fishing in Michigan and knows the ins and outs of Great Lakes steelheading intimately.  I know you’ll pick up some tips and this one is sure to be controversial because on the PM they use the chuck & duck method quite often and make no bones about it (they also swing flies in the traditional manner).  We’ll also answer questions on why you seldom see hatches, how to play steelhead, pre-treatments for dry flies, “must fish” rivers for swinging flies, two-handed rods for the Florida surf, streamers in low water, what part of a deer hide to save, and other bizarre questions only a fly fisher could love.

My guest this week is Josh Nugent of Out Fly Fishing Outfitters, an Orvis-endorsed outfitting service and fly shop in Calgary [@52:23]. Josh is a lifelong student of fly fishing and actually did a college-level study on the eye movements of expert fly casters. His findings will open your eyes (no pun intended) to some little tricks that will improve your casting accuracy.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and comments, including:
Will stocked trout move around after they are initially stocked?
How do I keep from losing my droppers when using barbless hooks?
Can you give me some tips in fishing for bass in ponds in early season?
Where do our fly-tying materials come from? Are they just repackaged products from other industries?
How do I keep my rod sections from coming apart?
A listener suggestion for books on hatches in east Tennessee from a question on a previous podcast
I want to fish for smallmouths in a river and stripers in the ocean. What fly line should I get?
What fundamentals go through your head on every single cast?
A listener (and professional fisheries manager) takes me to task for badmouthing triploid trout.
I am having trouble hooking fish in a lake when using a sinking line from my kayak. What am I doing wrong?
I have an old South Bend bamboo rod. How should I fish with it?
How do I eliminate "creep" in my cast?
How can I get Dragon Tails to hold up better?

As part of Trout Unlimited's weeklong emphasis on the Snake River salmon and steelhead restoration plan, my guest this week is Chris Wood [50:25], president and CEO of Trout Unlimited. Our topic is the plan to remove four dams on the lower Snake River, a monumental project that offers great benefit to this river's historic anadromous fishery, which has been in great decline over the past 50 years. When I first heard of this, I thought it would be a pipedream to even think of removing these dams that supply hydropower, transportation, and irrigation. But Chris has convinced me that those beneficial uses can now be replaced with alternative means, and there is a real possibility of seeing these dams removed in our lifetime. Hopefully, he'll convince you as well.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and tips shared by listeners, including:

How can I land large trout on tiny size 22 nymphs?

What can I do to move a big fish that sulks on the bottom?

Can you share a few of your DIY hacks for your fly-tying desk?

A tip from a listener never to buy or tie just one of a particular pattern.

Can I use an old Battenkill 3 reel on my new Clearwater 10-foot 3-weight for Euro nymphing?

If you hook a fish deep in the mouth, is it OK to leave the fly in the fish?

What is the best way to fish a dry fly directly downstream?

Are there special casts I can use? Why did the brown trout in my stream disappear around the middle of October?

Why do trout eat my nymphs after they have been hanging below me for 10 seconds?

What is a formula for a 15- or 18-foot knotted leader?

If I see creek chubs in a pool, should I expect brook trout will be there as well?

What is Tom's opinion on the practice of stocking cutthroat trout in eastern rivers?

A tip for keeping Sink Putty from sliding up your leader.

What are Tom's thoughts on what social media has done to fly fishing?

What are some techniques for catching trout that live in undercut banks?

Our climate is changing, and regardless of whether you think it's human caused or natural it is changing. If you don't believe that you need to get outside more. John Gierach [58:00], thoughtful guy that he is, wanted to talk about this subject and how he deals with changes that have happened in his lifetime, and what we can all do to deal with climate change and still enjoy fly fishing, because as he says "we still gotta live" and to some of us fly fishing is life. I

n the Fly Box this week we have lots of questions, many of them quite basic but still fun to answer because you can always give them a new twist.

What is the best rig to catch trout with worms? (I hope he meant worm flies and not real worms)

What can I do to keep my Depth Charge line from tangling?

I am moving to Texas and want one rod for inland bass and one for inshore saltwater. Is there one outfit that can do this?

Am I better off buying one high-end rod or several lower priced rods if I fish in a variety of trout situations?

Can you overline bamboo and fiberglass fly rods?

I have a dog that likes to chase rocks and sticks.

Any tips on how to train a dog to be a good fishing companion?

 Is there any way to tell a trout rise from a chub rise?

I am confused by fly line numbers and hook numbers. Can you explain them?

What do fish deep in a lake take my Pat's Rubber Legs fished quickly? What do the fish think it is?

 How do you fish your Rabbit's Foot Emerger patterns?

What do I do with my rod when tying on a new fly or landing a fish?

Is there a better knot than a clinch knot for tying on size 18 to 22 flies?

My welded loop has cuts in it. What can I do to fix that?

What kind of dry/dropper arrangement do you use when there is nothing visibly hatching?

A good tip from a listener on walking the banks of your favorite rivers in low water to get a sense for the bottom structure.

Can you tell the difference between a male and female trout by looking at the anal fin?

• Why do I have trouble Euro nymphing in slow pools when I have such good luck in faster water?
• I catch steelhead from Lake Ontario tributaries during the colder months but I don't catch trout there during the summer.  Why?
• I am having trouble casting a Euro rig.  What tips can you give me?
• How can I wean myself off my spinning rod when it's so much more successful that my fly rod?
• What are your thoughts on the Non-Slip Mono Loop for dry flies?
• Have you ever tired the Australian Braid Knot as a replacement for the Bimini Twist?
• Which is more important in choosing a line size—the size of the fish or the size of the fly?
• Can trout spill over a dam into streams below?
• Can you give me some tips on catching cutthroat trout?
• How can I tell if there are trout in a small stream?
• I am 17 and can't afford a hackle cape.  Is there any way to save money on a cape,  and what color would you recommend I start with?
• Is it so bad if I want to keep a few wild trout to eat?  Why the big emphasis on catch and release?
• What is that protrusion on the opposite side of the spool from a reel handle?  It can't be a counterweight.
• If I have a medium-fast 5-weight rod, will a 6-weight line make it more of a medium action?
• I lost 30-40 fish in the tail of a pool swinging flies.  What was I doing wrong?
• How do you select deer hair for Comparadun wings?

On the podcast this week I am all by myself--it's a topic I've been asked to address before and didn't require a special guest.  It's entitled "10 Things I Wish I had Known About Fly Tying when I Started", and although fly tying is a never-ending journey, I thought I would share some thoughts with listeners with the hope they will pick up on these tips, tricks, and materials quicker than I did--although some of them were not even around when I started tying almost 50 years ago!  Also in The Fly Box this week we talk about the "X" system for describing hook shank length, whether to crimp the barbs on saltwater hooks, strategies for filling fly boxes during the winter, when to let a dead fish float away, how to remove the smell of head cement from recently tied flies (a great listener suggestion!), and how to determine which side of a feather is the "shiny" side.

This week my guest is Paul Bruun [39:50], a legendary figure in fly fishing who has been involved with the fly-fishing world even longer than me.

On Thursday, June 30th, he received the Izaak Walton Award from the American Museum of Fly fishing for a lifetime of contributions to our sport. Paul is a guide, writer, newspaperman, and he developed the famous South Fork Skiff, which has recently been resurrected and redesigned by the famous Adipose Boatworks Company in Montana. Paul is a wonderful storyteller and he tells us about what it was like to learn fly fishing in South Florida in the 1960s—not an easy task!

In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and suggestions from listeners, including:

I am too slow in striking to small mountain trout. Is there a way I can fix that?

A listener alerts us to a water issue on an Oregon tailwater

A listener is confused by the differences in pound test and diameter on leader butts and wants to know if there is a rule-of-thumb for the correct leader butt section.

Do you think the studs on my wading boots are spooking trout?

Do trout in different micro-habitats in the same river choose different insects?

How small of a river is too small to use trout spey equipment? And should I use a Scandi or Skagit setup?

Is it useful to be able to cast with either your right or left hand?

I see larger fish suspended a foot from the surface over deep water. What are they doing there?

A listener suggests that a previous question about not being able to hook rising trout during a caddis hatch may have been due to mountain whitefish, which have a much smaller mouth than trout.

I am getting lost flies and a pigtail at the end of my leader when using a clinch knot. What should I do? Is there a better knot?

What is the best way to store fly rods in their tubes?

With many trout rivers into serious runoff this month, and more to come as western snows melt, listeners have been asking for an early season stillwater podcast.  This week I was lucky enough to interview Phil Rowley, one of the most knowledgeable stillwater anglers in the world and co-host of "The New Fly Fisher" TV show on World Fishing Network.  I know I learned a lot in the show and I am sure you will as well.  As an added bonus, there are some extra video tips from Phil, courtesy of "The New Fly Fisher".

This week's podcast is a recording of a live interview I did with Sue Doroff [48:56], co-founder and outgoing president of The Western Rivers Conservancy, which does amazing work throughout the West by buying valuable riparian land, making the surrounding habitat more natural and resilient, and enhancing public access to many of our important trout, salmon, and steelhead rivers.  You'll learn how Western Rivers finds these areas, the financial model for how they do this, and how most are eventually transferred into public ownership.  It's fascinating story of how a small organization punches well above its weight.

 

In the Fly Box this week, we have lots of questions and valuable tips from listeners, including:

• How to use forceps to smooth down weighting wire
• How to easily reverse your tying thread using a dubbing needle
• How do I get deer hair to behave?
• Any tips for attaching eyes to Game Changers?
• Why can I catch trout from tiny streams on dry flies but not on nymphs?
• Advice on the differences between Helios and Recon rods
• How do I get into commercial fly tying?
• How far do stocked trout travel?
• Can I catch a carp on my 8 ½ foot 5 weight rod?
• Can I use split shot with streamers?
• Advice on a fiberglass rod for bass and panfish
• Do I need to adjust water type or tactics for browns vs. rainbows?
• A great tip from a listener on how to avoid losing beads and hooks under your tying table
• What should a non-angler do when going fishing with a fly fisher?
• How can I prevent losing fish on size 24 flies?  Should I keep the barbs on?
• Does how you tie a clinch knot have any bearing on how it rides in the water?
• A listener suggestion for another great writer of fly-fishing essays

This week's podcast guest is especially exciting to me as he is one of my literary heroes. John McPhee [24:10] is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author (Annals of the Former World), and in his numerous other books he has written about such diverse topics as nuclear energy, the merchant marine, basketball, Alaska, bark canoes, oranges, continental drift, flood control, tennis, farmer's markets, and many other eclectic topics. Whether or not you are interested in a subject, you can be sure you will be when you finish reading one of his books you will be fascinated. John has also been a staff writer for The New Yorker since the 1960s. In our interview, he talks about his two favorite fish to catch on the fly rod--the American shad (which he wrote an entire book about, The Founding Fish), and the chain pickerel, which he did not write a book about but did pen a short essay on in his collection of stories The Patch. (I doubt is anyone in the world who would count those two fish in combination as their favorites--but he is never conventional.) I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I enjoyed talking to him. In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and tips: A reminder from a listener that I wrote an encyclopedia of fly fishing Some great tips from a listener on using tippet rings A question about what constitutes a watershed when concerned about transporting aquatic invasives A suggestion from a listener on ways to offset your carbon footprint when taking fishing trips Which is a better rod for fishing the surf and jetties--a traditional 9-foot 9-weight rod or a two-handed rod? Do you always recommend using a net? A listener calls me on the carpet for my flippant remark about manhandling carp. A great thought from a listener that sometimes taking photos of fish hinders the moment.

This week we visit with Captain Dave Pecci about early spring fishing in the Charlotte Harbor area of Florida. WE also talk once again about the current water quality issue in Florida. You may all be sick of hearing about it, but other than climate change the Everglades issue is one of the most serious immediate threats to both our freshwater and saltwater ecosystems. But don?t worry, we also talk about catching redfish, speckled trout, and snook. In The Fly Box this week we cover a broad range of topics, from the Eastern Green Drake hatch to small-stream steelhead tactics to the advantages of fiberglass rods.

This week, we go into great detail about the life cycle of caddisflies and the various species found in the eastern United States. Tom Ames [33:05], author of the book Caddisflies is my guest and although we go into great detail on the various types of caddisflies, don't let it overwhelm you, as imitating these insects is merely a matter of observing what stage of their life cycle is present and what the trout are eating. It's not something you can predict in advance—you need to arrive at the river and then figure out the puzzle by your powers of observation. But this podcast does get geeky so be prepared!

Our Fly Box questions this week are much more basic, a good counterbalance to our discussion of caddisflies. Questions and tips include:

I want to go beyond my typical attractor patterns and match some hatches. What basic flies do you recommend?

A great tip from a listener on fixing rough fingertips for fly tying

Tom's thoughts on the Murdich Minnow fly

What three lines should I get for fishing lakes?

Why don't more people wear PFDs?

What color of Clouser Minnows should I get for smallmouth bass?

Can I tie my second Euro nymph fly onto the bend of the other fly, or can I leave a tag end long on the knot to the first fly and use that?

Several rod selection questions

Can I double haul with my bamboo fly rod?

Is it a good idea to pinch the line against the cork to put added pressure on a running fish?

Tips from a listener on wearing felt boots on a trail and drying out wading boots.

What rod is best for practicing my casting skills?