• What fly line should I use on my Helios 2 rod for dry-fly fishing?
• What can I do to prevent my tippet from kinking?
• What can you do when small stream trout refuse your fly?
• I have been using heavier tippet and seem to be doing just as well as with lighter tippet.  What is your take on this?
• Is there a big difference between various brands of tippet material?
• Can I just add a tippet ring to my 9-foot 4X leader to make a nymph leader?
• Should the butt section of my nymph leader be made from fluorocarbon?
• What should I take on a multi-day fishing trip that I would not normally think of?
• Why am I foul-hooking so many trout and whitefish this year?
• What do you think of furled leaders?
• What rod should I get for my 8-year-old daughter?  What rig should I start her out with?
• What do you think of Crocs as inexpensive wading shoes?
• What can you tell me about an older Orvis rod I purchased?
• How can I tighten the drag on an older spring-and-pawl fly reel?
• What is the deal with all these multi-fly rigs? Am I missing something by using a single fly?
• Do people fish for trout with poppers?
• Do I need sinking agents as well as flotants?
• At the end of my drift I stripped in a dry fly and got strikes. Should I change my setup and move my flies a bit?

This episode was originally published on November 20th, 2023.

Todd Tanner [43:02] is a lifelong fly fisher and journalist and spent years as a guide on the Henry's Fork, one of the best (and toughest) dry-fly rivers in the world.  He also prefers not to fish nymphs.  Todd shares his 12 tips on improving your success with dry flies this week, and they are solid and helpful.
 
In the Fly Box this week, we have a great and varied selection of questions and tips from listeners, including:
I don't see any brook or brown trout in the usual places this fall. Are they all upstream spawning?
Two great tips from a listener for beginning fly tiers.
Is a 10-foot 4-weight a good rod for both Euro nymphing and dry-fly fishing?
A great tip from a listener on how to prevent your dry fly from getting too soaked before retrieving it for the next cast.
A listener makes the point that watershed-level stream restoration is often not possible.
If my stream is stocked with rainbows, will I find them in other parts of the river system and will they survive?
Can I use a less expensive spool of fluorocarbon spinning line instead of the expensive stuff sold for fly fishing?
If I use only the tip of a CDC feather, can I use the remaining fibers for something else?
Kudos from a listener on a wonderful experience he had in the Orvis retail store in Atlanta
What kind of insects are most common in infertile streams?
Is there a reason Orvis makes a 10 ½ foot and 11-foot H3 rod and not a 10-footer?
A great rattlesnake story from a listener
I found a whole bunch of trout rising in a seam and tried everything but could not catch them. I tried all kinds of dries and nymphs and changed my tippet and my angle of approach. What do you think the fish were eating? 

• Do you have any advice to help me catch more trout on dry flies?
• Does it matter that jig flies ride upside-down?
• Why can't I catch a fish on a Pheasant Tail nymph?
• What is the best color for a background on a fly-tying table?
• How do you keep track of the leader and tippet you have on a fly line?
• How long with rivers in North Carolina take to recover from the devastating floods?
• Why has trout fishing been so lousy in the Northeast this spring?
• What should I do when trout are feeding on tiny flies? Small dries are too small for me to see.
• Should I work a small bass river upstream or down?
• I don't do well on dropoffs. How should I fish them?
• What is the difference between Helios F and D versions, and what is the difference between the 9-foot and 9-foot 5-inch Helios 5-weight models?
• A listener takes me to task for making fun of conventional bass anglers.

This episode was originally published on February 5th, 2024.

My guest this week is Charity Rutter [39:50], a great friend and longtime guide in the Great Smoky Mountains.  She and her husband Ian have just finished a great book (I read the manuscript and loved it) and although it won't be available until April, you can pre-order it  here: 

https://randrflyfishing.com/store/fly-fishing-guide-to-great-smoky-mountains-national-park/

Charity shares her secrets for making more out of your time on small waters, and although she concentrates on her area, she has fished small streams throughout North America and her tips will help you no matter where you fish.

In the Fly Box this week we have a nice assortment of questions and tips on fly fishing and fly tying, including:

Why do you hate hook keepers so much?

Is it true that you should not hook your fly onto your stripping guide?

A listener recounts his first experience with selling flies he tied himself.

A number of people chide me for not using a wading staff—yet.

Will it hurt my fly line if I stretch it first before fishing?

A listener gives some good advice on how to get out of a dangerous situation while wading, and how to prevent your waders from acting like a sea anchor.

A tip from a listener on how he deals with litter during a day of fishing and one on how he carries rods on the back seat of his vehicle.

A listener tells me how pleased he was with Orvis reel repair service.

Should I wear socks when wearing the new Pro Approach Hikers in salt water?

Can I Euro nymph in lakes and ponds?

A tip from a listener on making more durable peacock herl bodies.

Where should I put the heavy section of mono on a shock leader?

A listener shares a tip on playing darts during the winter to keep those casting muscles in shape

I used rubber soled wading shoes on slippery rocks and had poor traction.  Should I stud them or just get a pair of felt-soled boots?

In a remote lake with an inlet and outlet, will trout move into the outlet as well as the inlet?

How can I keep my dropper and tippet from slipping off my barbless hook when fishing with a dry dropper?  And what knot is best when attaching a dropper to a hook bend?

I have a 9-foot 5-weight rod and want a rod for fishing for panfish and streamers for trout.  What rod should I get next?