This week, my guest is Thomas Larsen [45:47] from the Orvis Outfitters team. Thomas is a stillwater expert and gives us some great tips on how to find trout, and how to target them, when you don’t have the benefit of a watercraft. Maybe you don’t have a boat, can’t afford a raft, or backpack to high mountain lakes—this podcast is for you.

In the Fly Box this week, lots of good comments and questions as I have been gone for a couple weeks so the mailbox is filling up.

Thanks from a listener to turning him onto the Griffith’s Gnat dry fly

Euro nymphing seems just too efficient for me.

Am I being irrational by fishing less effective indicator rig?

A customer relates a great trip he had with Orvis-endorsed Brown Trout Flyfishing

What are the five or six “must have” items (after getting a fly rod outfit) you suggest for someone new to fly fishing?

Please give me five or six recommended flies for starting out.

I had a snapping turtle eat a trout as I was landing it.

What effect do catch and release fishing efforts have on fish populations?

For fishing the beach and canals and creeks in Florida or the Carolinas, what is the best all-around fly line?

I want to tie my own leaders. What sizes of tippet do I need? And can I tie my entire leader with surgeon’s knots?

Is a wire shock leader too much for lake trout? And what flies should I use?

How long does it take trout to recover after a spell of warm water?

If I can only catch trout on Rapalas and crankbaits but not on flies, what other types of flies should I try?

Great advice from a beginner on how much he learned about fish behavior by fishing dry flies

If fish can always see tippet, why is there a difference in effectiveness between tippet sizes?

What should I do if my fly line is cracked?

What is the difference between a standard clinch knot and improved clinch knot?

Why, when I catch multiple fish out of the same run, is the third or fourth fish often bigger than the first ones?

A guide attached my leader to my fly line loop with a clinch knot and the coating on the loop cracked. Should I cut off the loop and put my leader on with a nail knot?

This week, my guest is author, You Tube personality, and author Tim Cammisa [34:00]. We have a spirited discussion on fly patterns—which of the most common ones are untouchable, and which do we modify with different materials and techniques. And are they even the same fly if we modify them?

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

For streamer fishing for smallmouths, should I use my existing 6 weight or should I get a 7-weight rod?

Is the 10-foot 3-weight Euro nymphing rod the same as a 10-foot crappie jigging rod? If not how is it different? And is Euro nymphing really fly fishing?

Where do you use split shot and where do you use tungsten putty? Or is it purely personal preference?

I have been tying clinch knots by pulling on the tag end and it seems to be very strong. Do you think I am doing it the wrong way?

Can I use a Duncan Loop to attach a leader directly to a fly line?

Should I use a sinking line for streamer and nymph fishing?

How can I improve the durability of Dragon Tail flies?

Do striped bass prey on trout in freshwater rivers?

If I use a Berkely Gulp on my fly rod, is it technically a fly?

I am fishing for tiger muskie from shore. What type of line do I need?

Our rivers in Tennessee have an abundance of non-toxic salamanders. Do you think trout eat them, and if so how can I develop a fly to imitate them?

This week, my guest is Steve Davis, chief scientists for the Everglades Foundation [49:31]. Steve gives us an update on the Everglades restoration project, which will benefit fisheries and clean water throughout Florida and not just in the Everglades. And it’s an optimistic report, which we don’t always have when we report on conservation issues. So stay tuned for some good news—for a change!

In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions of interest to most fly fishers, including:

What are the pros and cons of a loop-to-loop fly line to leader connection as opposed to a nail knot?

What rod should I get for small stream trout and panfish?

I want to give back to the fly-fishing community.

What organizations should I look to?

Tell me the realities of moving from a vest to a sling pack. Are eyes really important on saltwater patterns?

With improvements in rod technology, is a new Clearwater rod better than an older TLS Power Matrix rod?

What is your opinion on tippet length if I tie my own leaders?

Do trout and carp coexist in rivers and do they push each other around? I

s fishing for hatchery trout “cheating” and will I not learn anything useful fishing for them?

What is the product life cycle of a fly rod? Can you explain the differences between the various types of glues for fly tying?

I can catch fish on nymphs without an indicator, but I am having trouble when using one. What should I do differently?

I know fly lines are made to industry standards. Do the same standards exist for fly rods?