We've recently won a big battle for public lands, and my guest this week, Joel Pedersen [25:56] of Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, fills us in on what we've won and what we need to keep an eye on for the future. But the podcast is much more than that. Joel educates us on the differences between the major classes of public lands—National Forests, BLM land, National Parks, and Wilderness areas and just what uses are allowed on each—and who makes the decision on extractive industries in these vast tracts of land that WE as citizens and taxpayers own.

In the Fly Box this week, as usual we have some great questions that might benefit your own fly fishing, including:

I'm curious about who might be your successor on the podcast
A listener informs us why he thinks a 4-weight rod is a better option for smaller streams than a 3-weight.
Why do most of the hook eyes on flies orient horizontally? When would I want a fly with a vertically oriented eye?
I have the Orvis Essential Trout Fly Selection. What else would I need for fishing the great Arkansas tailwaters this summer?
Another listener asks if a 3-weight or 4-weight rod is better for small streams.
When my indicator is bobbing along in riffles, does that action hurt my presentation?
A good tip from a listener on how to get a stuck rod apart.
What are the pros and cons of using a stand-up paddleboard for carp and pike fishing, and what brand do you recommend?
I have not done well fishing as high water recedes. Is this typical?

• How can I tell what line is on my old reel?
• Should I get a 3-weight or 4-weight rod for small streams?
• Do those devices to remove flies from fish quickly really work?
• I have seen carp opening up their mouths and taking repeated gulps of food from the surface. Is this common and what do you call it?
• A fly shop told me that using tippet rings is not a good idea because I would break off fish. Is this true?
• A listener reports on conditions on the rivers in western North Carolina after the floods.
• I put a nick in my fly line and have to cut off the last 12 inches. Can I still use this line?
• My foam flies keep landing upside-down. How can I correct this?
• How should I fish streamers in clear pools where you can see right to the bottom?
• How should I cast to a fish that is directly below a branch trailing in the water?
• A suggestion from a listener on using a room dehumidifier to dry out waders and boots.
• Can I rig two flies on a blood knot, using both sides of the knot, one longer and one shorter?
• Would a 9-foot, 9-weight rod be the right one for fishing in Chesapeake Bay?  And can I use the same rod for steelhead in Michigan?
• I see a lot of goose feathers on my local golf course. Can I use these for biots on flies and which part should I use?
• What can I do with saltwater flies where the hook has gotten slightly rusty?

• 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?

• Is there a rule of thumb for how long it takes a sinking line to get to a particular depth?
• Can I fish in lakes with a shorter, softer fiberglass rod?
• How do I elegantly get the fly line out of my rod before I start casting?
• I catch trout in Alaska when they are eating eggs behind salmon, but at other times of year I can't catch them on dries or nymphs. Are they not in the same places at other times of year?
• How many different flies are there in the world?  s there a registry of them? And can they be copyrighted or trademarked?
• If I can't use gel flotant once my fly has gotten wet, why don't I just use the powder right off the bat and forget about the gel?
• I heard that when you cast a dry fly, you should pull back a bit at the end of the cast to develop some slack. But can this be executed in a smoother fashion?
• Why empty my wallet for a Helios rod when the Superfines are so good? What will a Helios do for me that a Superfine won't?
• Where can I find Hungarian partridge to tie smaller flies like size 16s?
• Is there a way you mark what line is on what reel so you don't have to use a magnifying glass to look at those tiny line markers?
• Is there a national registry of fly-fishing clubs?

• You say I can fish small streamers on my 5-weight rod. What do you mean by "small'?
• I am using the Albright knot for larger sections of my leader. What do you think?
• A tip from a listener on how not to launch small brookies into the bushes when you hook them.
• Why am I losing half of my fish when using barbless hooks?
• Is there any situation where you would use an Improved Clinch Knot as opposed to the regular Clinch Knot?
• A tip from a listener on how to tie big foam flies that won't land upside-down.
• How do you balance various passions, family, work, and still have the energy and time to get out on the water?
• How do you set up your emergers, and what is your go-to emerger fly?
• Where can I find split shot that does not contain lead?
• How do you feel about the relative perceived intelligence of hatchery fish as compared to wild fish?

• I have heard that you should only fish streamers upstream in smaller streams. Would that hold true for smallmouth bass as well?
• I have heard that you should avoid getting into a river to keep from spooking fish. Should I do this all the time?
• A great tip from a listener about how to keep track of what leader is on your reels or spools.
• I saw a small, stocked stream in a suburban area that appeared to have very small trout in it. Could these be wild trout so close to a city?
• What is the best connection to attach a tippet to a tapered leader?
• Do you think a 7 ½ foot 4-weight rod is too short for my daughter to use on a trip to the Grand Teton/Yellowstone area?
• Why did a fish try to eat my strike indicator numerous types and refuse the dry flies I changed to after it happened?
• How do I keep from losing fish when using barbless hooks?
• For making my own dry-fly leaders, should I use fluorocarbon or copolymer material?
• A tip from a listener on how to make cool fly-tying gadgets with a 3-D printer.
• A tip from a listener on how to organize beads and hooks on your fly-tying bench.
• Do people ever use tandem dry-fly rigs?

• How do I deal with leaders that get knotted up when I am ready to use them?
• When you have fished a section of water, how long do you stay there, switching flies and techniques? Or do you move on?
• From a listener, a great fly and technique for catching yellow perch. 
• A listener relays his approach for minimalist equipment when fishing close to home.
• What is your opinion using balsa wood for fly tying?
• My casting with a dry fly is OK, but I struggle with dry dropper and streamer rigs.  What can I do?
• Do trout get "lost" after being landed in another part of a river?
• A listener adds some corrections to the proposed selling off of public lands.
• When fishing a double nymph rig, do you put the bigger fly above or below a smaller fly?
• How do I keep my dropper from slipping off my barbless dry fly?  I don't like using separate droppers on the leader.
• If I mess up and tie a dry fly with oversized hackle and wings, will it matter?
• How many flies of a given pattern will you tie? What is the minimum number?
• Is there an easy way to get beads on a size 18 hook?

• Will you ever have a podcast on targeting yellow perch on a fly rod?
• Is there any need for a "shorty" Euro line if I want to Euro nymph with my regular weight-forward line?  Can't I just attach a very long leader?
• Are swimming holes "fish-free" zones or are they worth targeting in early season before the swimmers arrive?
• Where can I find Orvis BigEye hooks?
• When I fish in fast water I have problems shooting line because my excess line gets carried away by the current.  I don't want to use a stripping basket.  Is there another solution?
• I never use tippet, only leader material.  Do I need special tippet?
• What knot would you recommend instead of the Perfection Loop?
• I have problems catching flying insects over a trout stream and my hat doesn't work.  What would you suggest?
• How do you tell what fish are feeding on under the surface?
• Can you elaborate a bit on why you should make your first cast count?  How important is that and how do I do it without making a few bad casts first?
• When tying nymphs, I have trouble getting CDC to wind evenly.  And I don't like using a dubbing loop.  Any tips on how to make my CDC flies look better?
• What tips or recommendations do you have for getting into fly tying? 

• 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?

• Can I re-use an old Depth Charge running line with a shooting head, and if so how should I connect it to my heads?
• Can I put my reel in the water when landing a fish?
• Would the 7-foot, 9-inch Superfine Graphite rod be a good one for redeye bass?  Will it add to the fun factor?
• A listener has a question about getting around another angler while fishing public water surrounded by private land.
• A biologist answers a question from a previous podcast—where are all the baby carp?
• What is this Tenkara stuff all about? Can I use conventional flies on a Tenkara outfit?
• An anonymous listener please for listeners to contact their elected representatives regarding the defunding of the EPA's Office of Research Development.
• How do native brook trout get so high up in remote streams?  
• I can catch fish in low gradient brown trout streams on nymphs and dries but streamers don't seem to work. Why?
• Will floods that have increased flows tenfold in a river have a deleterious effect on the trout population?
• Can you recommend a good long dry-fly leader that is knotless?  Is it as good as a hand-tied leader?
• What kind of fly-fishing gear should I avoid using in salt water?

• 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?

• 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?

• What are some guides to western aquatic insects you recommend?
• What wading boots do you recommend for hiking into remotes ponds and streams?
• What water temperatures are ideal for trout, and are there certain temperatures to expect hatches?
• What do you think the effect of dry summers and falls has on small trout streams in New England?
• What time of year is best for crayfish patterns, and how should I fish them in smaller streams?
• My large indicator dry flies keep falling over and landing upside-down. What do you think is causing this?
• What can I do to preserve and clean the cork handle on my fly rod?
• Great tips from a listener on a chair for tying flies and some lighting and magnification tips.
• How should I wash my waders?
• How can I determine the line weight of an old fly line with no identifying marks?

• What are your thoughts on drop beads for saltwater flies?
• I am having problems with blood knots and leader sections ending up the right length.
• On which Orvis rods will overlining help?
• How can I get my fly deep enough to catch walleye on a fly?
• A listener has various questions about fishing for striped bass on Cape Cod.
• What line should I put on my new Orvis Superfine graphite?
• Two fly-tying tips and a first aid tip from a doctor.
• I am swinging 5 or 6 wet flies at the same time, all in line, and sometimes drop fish on the lower flies.  How can I fix this?
• How can you catch fish that are nearly impossible to approach in low, clear water?
• Some great tips from a listener on how to stay warm when winter fishing.

• 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 episode was originally published on January 30th, 2021

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?

This episode was originally published on January 14th, 2021.

My guest this week is Rachael Leinweber [39:38], general manager of The Angler's Covey fly shop in Colorado Springs. One in a series of podcasts about winter fly-fishing tips, Rachael has some great ones for us, and it's been interesting to see how each guide we've talked to has a slightly different take on effective winter tactics.

In the Fly Box this week, we have the following questions and tips:
Is there an easier way to balance a fly rod than buying a heavier reel?
How can I get my parents to approve of my fly-fishing passion?

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?

• How do I know when it's appropriate to use resin instead of head cement?
• I am very new to fly fishing and want to keep my initial fly selection simple. Do you think that's a good idea?
• Is it a good idea to tie a sacrificial mono loop at the end of my fly line to preserve the loop?
• What size dry flies do you use in the East for dry/dropper rigs?
• Are there more "vintage" Orvis reels that you still use?
• Are there notable distinctions between the various kinds of dubbing?
• I saw a single caddisfly on the snow recently.  Is this unusual?
• I had something snap my 12-pound fluorocarbon tippet in a clean break while fishing in salt water. What could have caused this?
• What do you keep on your fly tying desk, other than the typical tools and materials?
• What should I bring for a traveling fly-tying kit?
• Great tips from a listener on how to lessen backache when tying flies.
• How do you target cold, high rivers?

• Is there a performance difference between a hand-tied knotted leader and a knotless leader?
• A tip from a listener on the best way to begin your life as a fly tier.
• Do trout lose the rods and cones in their eyes when they get to be about 17 inches long?
• Are there any colors you would avoid when fishing a Sparkle Minnow?
• As a beginning fly tier, what tools and materials should I get first?
• What is the effect of major floods on small brook trout streams?
• A great tip from a listener on exactly what type and size of nitrile gloves are best for winter fishing.
• Can you give us a history of Superfine Graphite rods, and what is the new release like?
• If I use a 12-foot leader with a 9-foot rod, how can I easily land fish?
• If my waders end up frozen, will that hurt them?
• How can I fish in a river where everyone else is fishing indicators?  I don't like fishing indicators.
• Can I keep my fly rods in the trunk of my car over the winter?
• A listener has a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that trout can learn and that trout in rivers with a lot of fishing pressure have learned to avoid certain flies.  Is there any scientific research on this topic?

• What is a good chair for fly tying?
• What is a good light for fly tying?
• How do you organize your tying desk?
• What setup should I use to fish streamers in a narrow, brushy piece of water?
• A piece broke off the jaws of my fly-tying vise.  How can I prevent this from happening in the future?
• Why don't they make polarized sunglasses with clear magnifying inserts?
• A tip from a listener to always pack an extra pack with dry clothes in case you fall in.
• Should I recycle my hooks after all the dressing has fallen off a fly?
• I want a rod for pike and musky fishing.  What is the difference between the 10-weight and 11-weight Clearwater rods?
• Is it bad a stretch a leader by hanging a pair of forceps on it?
• For small stream trout, should I get a Battenkill Disc or Battenkill spring-and-pawl reel?
• If I want to practice casting to my "off" side prior to a float trip, should I practice casting with my left hand or use my right hand to cast over my left shoulder?

• Which river types are richer in insect life, and does that affect your success with dry flies?
• Why is there so much shame about fishing around brown trout redds but not the same with brook, rainbow, and cutthroat trout?
• How do you set up your leaders for striper fishing?
• Why don't we go through the eye of the hook twice on every knot, as we do for the Trilene Knot?
• Why is there so much spot burning with social media?
• A listener who had a life-threatening experience in a kayak gives us some great tips on being safe on the water.
• Any thoughts on organizing fly boxes?
• A listener tells us that washing CDC feathers will not let them float properly but I respectfully beg to differ.
• A tip from a listener on how to lessen line tangles when fishing from a pedal kayak.
• What is meant by "nervous water"?

Peter Laurelli [40:07] is a film-maker and fly fisher, and specializes in fly fishing from a paddleboard.  And not in just any place—Peter fly fishes off the northeast coast for striped bass and false albacore, and if you can fish from a paddleboard in these conditions you can do it anywhere.  Peter shares his tips on launching and landing a paddleboard, as well as tips for rigging a paddleboard for fly fishing, and of course approaching fish and playing and landing them.  If you want to see a sample of his fishing and filming in salt water you can see it here:
Surf & Inshore Fly Fishing - SIFF18: Four Years For Life  It includes some spectacular drone footage of striped bass and false albacore schools feeding on baitfish.

In the Fly Box this week we have some interesting questions, including the inevitable queries about what rod and reel to buy and how to handle issues with leaders.  Questions include:

Can I replace the tippet ring I use in my leader setup with a Perfection or Surgeon's Loop?
Can I use 6X or even 7X when hanging a size 14 nymph from a larger dry fly?
Can you recommend a quality reel for the fiberglass rod I own that won't break the bank?
What is your take on fishing tandem streamer setups?
I'm planning on taking my first tarpon fishing trip to Florida in June.  Is a 10- or 11-weight rod suitable or do I need to go to a 12-weight?
Can I use my Mirage LT IV for bonefish?
I want a rod for midwest trout and bass.  Can you help me pick one?
I typically modify my knotless leader back and forth.  But at what point should I replace my leader with a fresh one?
What are your thoughts on glow-in-the-dark fly lines for striped bass at night?
Which species does Tom always go barbless for, and which does he stick with a barbed hook?
What is your take on the no-targeting regulation proposed for striped bass?

This episode was originally published on January 27th, 2022.

This week, my guest is Orvis casting guru Pete Kutzer [47:31], and we talk about casts for difficult trout. Often you don't need great casting skills or special casts to catch trout, but there are times when a little razzle-dazzle will make the difference. Pete talks about those situations and what to do--and he also introduces a new way of making a Bow-and -Arrow cast that was new to me. I think anyone can benefit from Pete's advice.

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

What do you think about tying on eyeless hooks and making eyes out of silk bead cord?

What do you mean by the term "swinging flies"?

Can I target grass carp on a fly?

Can you ice fish with flies?

How do I fish a lake for trout from my kayak?

What do you think of the electric socks that are controlled by an app?

A great tip from a listener on avoiding spooking trout in small streams.

Can a figure-8 knot be used in fly fishing?

What do you recommend for a rod for fishing larger eastern rivers?

How can I correct a casting issue where my fly gets caught on my line-to-leader connection?

Do I need to buy a specific saltwater outfit for Belize or will my current steelhead rod work?

Do you recommend weed guards for fishing in Belize?

How much do brown trout move in the fall?

Do you think it's possible that a stocked tiger trout could have moved 30 miles from where it was stocked?

Can I overline my 3-weight rod by two line sizes for really short casts?

My wife has problems with glare on the water. Do you think there is something wrong with her eyes?

Which precautions should I take releasing trout in subzero weather?

This week's show is a Backcast episode from January 8th, 2021.

This week, we're continuing our series on winter fly fishing for trout.  I interview Antonio Rodrigues [42:50] manager of Front Range Anglers in Boulder, Colorado, and he has a different take on winter fly fishing, and some different methods.  I've found it fascinating to see how each guest approaches this differently and hope you pick up some tips as well.

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

What do you use for a fly box when surf fishing?

I have not had good luck with guide trips and want to know what you recommend so I get a better trip next time.

Are fly rods built on continuous blanks and then cut into sections, or is each section made separately?  And are sections interchangeable from one rod to another?

What is the purpose of adding flash to nymph patterns?

A tip on using special flies for casting practice.

What do I do about fishing places where lots of swimmers have been?

Are wire bite guards worth it?Can I tie a 3X tippet to a 3mm tippet ring?

Are all Orvis leader lengths built to the same basic taper or are they different?

Another suggestion on where to donate flies you don't want.

What uses do you have for magnets when fishing?

What do I use huge streamer patterns like the Manbearpig for, and how should I fish them?

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

Any kind of two-handed fishing is confusing for those of us who mostly fish with a single-handed rod. I asked the great Pete Kutzer [37:34]to simplify the selection of a rod, reel, line, leader, and tips for getting a start in swinging flies for trout and he then offers a number of tips for casting, attaching the leader, fly selection, and more. It's a great basic guide to getting started in this fun way to fish for trout.

 In the Fly Box, I thought we had some unusually interesting questions this week, including:

Will weed guards on my flies help me from catching on oyster bars?

If the tip of my hook gets bent over, should I try to put it back into shape?

Can I catch striped bass in New England in the winter?

What can you tell me about Orvis boron rods from the 1980s?

Can I get one rod for tarpon, bonefish, pike, muskie, giant trevally, triggerfish, snook, redfish, and dorado?

Why did you not mention the Davey Knot when you talked about knots a few weeks ago?

How can I keep my yarn indicators floating?

I am having trouble getting long downstream drifts with a dry fly. I keep moving the fly. What do you suggest?

I can't seem to catch any fish on scuds. When, where, and how should I fish them?

A tip from a listener on learning to fall safely.

Can I use a Skagit or Scandi line on my 10-foot 8-weight?

• 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?

Jessica Strickland [38:07] is Trout Unlimited's California Inland Trout director and is an expert on the historical and curent range of this rare trout species. Where do they live today as compared to their original range? Can you still fish for them, and do you need to hike for many miles or are they more acessible close to a trailhead? You'll learn the answer to these questions and many more in this interview.

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

For Colorado and Oklahoma trout fishing, should I get a 5-weight, 4-weight, or 3-weight rod?

Is there a rule for overlining a trout rod when it is longer than 9 feet?

Can I Spey cast with a single-handed rod?

The welded loop on my running line broke. What is the best way to make a new loop to attach it to my head?

Do you have any tips for catching stocked rainbow trout after they have been in the river for a while?

A great suggestion from a listener on how to educate other anglers from walking on trout redds.

My felt soles have not been working well. Are there different grades of felt on wading boots?

 What are the guidelines for tipping a guide?

When bushwacking should you carry your rod with the tip pointed forward or back? Can I leave the legs off small nymphs? I have trouble tying them in.

Can I tie a small fly on a bigger hook?

What are your tips for winter fishing in the Northeast?

• I have an old, heavy bamboo rod. I can't reel heavy enough to balance it. Is the balance between a rod and reel weight really that important?
• I am frustrated with fish eating my strike indicator. Should I tie a big egg pattern to act as a strike indicator?
• A suggestion for making a great cat toy out of old flies (with the hook cut off!) and a question about the use of cat hair in tying flies.
• What is the proper way to prevent drag? Should I mend my entire line or just the leader?
• A tip from a listener on how to keep fly line from wrapping around your rod tip.
• A tip from a listener on the best way to hang up your waders for the season.
• Why do waders often fail at the junction between the bootie and the upper?
• I just bought a drift boat and want to learn how to row. Should I hire a guide to take lessons on rowing?
• How do trout behave when the water gets higher and dirtier?

• 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?

• 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?

• 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? 

Tom is on a fishing trip this week. While on this trip he learned his friend and legendary fly-fishing author, John Gierach had passed away at 78. In his honor Tom asked me to post his last intervew with John from May of last year and to share this with all of you:

"John Gierach was one of the finest voices in fly fishing. He passed away suddenly last week. Always humble and kind, his writing never reached into navel gazing but he just told great, honest, and funny stories and like all great writers he never wasted a word. I once had the pleasure of spending a week sharing a cabin with him in Labrador and he was exactly the man in person that he was in his writing. We will all miss him greatly."

Here is the show descrption from May 19, 2023

• 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?

• Will the 10-foot 7-weight Helios D rod offer me enough tippet protection when using 5X for steelhead?
• My local wild trout stream has almost dried up this year.  Where do the fish go, and how long until this stream can recover?
• When wading deep, when I pick up the line and cast I notice I make waves in the water.  How can I eliminate this?
• When swinging wet flies in a tight stream I need to use a roll cast, but how do I make another roll cast after my flies complete their swing?
• I see fish on the bottom of a spring creek but I can't catch them using my tight line technique.  What do you think I am doing wrong?
• I was scolded by an outfitter when I changed direction when fighting a big fish.  He said it will wear a hole in their mouth and they will get off.  Was I doing it wrong?
• Can I go from a 4X leader with a tippet ring to a 7X tippet?  Will not having tapered sections in there be bad?
• I don't have much finger dexterity and have trouble saving my tippet scraps.  Do you have any suggestions?
• A listener reminds us that in lakes in Maine that are listed as fly fishing only, it is illegal to troll a fly.
• When trolling a fly from my canoe, how can I get my fly deeper?
• Which be the best Helios rod for fishing the Henry's Fork?

•  Will I find steelhead in the same places I find resident rainbows?
• How much time do you spend swinging a run for steelhead before moving on?
• A listener makes a case for the positive cost/benefit ratio of fishing with a guide.
• How much can a fly rod bend before breaking?
• Do trout seem to have an affinity for one color of nymph over another?
• How long does a frightened fish stay spooked?  And do hatchery fish differ from wild fish in this respect?
• If you use a barbless hook on a two nymph rig and attach the bottom fly to the bend, how do you alleviate the problem of losing the lower fly and tippet?
• Do you fish a streamer in the same way you would fish a spinning lure?
• How can I get smaller nymphs down into very deep, fast pockets in a river?
• What would I consider the best roll-casting rod Orvis makes?
• Do you have any tricks for hooking fish on a direct downstream presentation?

• 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?

• Do you have any tips for fishing really muddy water or is it just not worth it?
• Does a fish's sense of smell work better in warm water or cold water?
• A great story about a listener breaking off a big rainbow and then coming back later in the day, catching the fish, and getting his fly back.
• Any tips on a fly rod for a 6-year-old kid?
• I have been nymph fishing with a fluorocarbon leader.  Should I switch to a nylon leader when dry-fly fishing?
• Do you have any tips for setting the hook when fishing dry flies?
• Should I use side pressure when playing Atlantic salmon?
• Can I use Water Shed on my floating fly line?
• Any tips on catching smallmouth buffalo on a fly?
• My line and leader won't go straight at the end of the cast and end up curling in on the cast.  Any tips as to why this is happening?
• I'm taking my first saltwater fly-fishing trip.  Will the Battenkill Disc reel give me enough retrieve speed?

• I get conflicting advice on how close I can get to fish when tightline nymphing.  Can you give me some guidelines on how close I can approach them?
• Any tricks for seeing small flies in low light?
• I bought some Stimulators and see they have wire wraps on them.  Can I fish these as wet flies?
• I struggle to get a bite from river smallmouth bass in July and August and I could consistently catch them in spring.  Any suggestions?
• How can I avoid creek chubs in a small weedy stream when I want to target the larger brown trout?
• Would it be a good idea to put a small length of sighter material between my fly line and my leader?
• Any tips for solo fishing from a raft?
• I have been wading with old neoprene waders and Crocs as wading shoes.  Do you think I would benefit from modern waders and wading shoes?
• I live in Great Lakes steelhead country but sometimes want to avoid the crowds during the winter and fish for smaller trout in inland streams.  Do you have any advice for late fall and winter fishing in these streams?

• I fish a lake that is stocked with rainbows and has a small tributary stream.  Do you think the rainbows will run up into it?
• Do you have any tips for being stealthy on a trout stream other than not stepping right into the water?
• Can I use a sinking Salmon Poly Leader for trout?
• When do you extend the butt section of your leader?
• I am using a switch rod for distance in warm water fishing and have tried all kinds of lines but am not happy with my casting.  Do you have any tips?
• Any tips or tricks on how to travel; with waders and wading boots?  I am concerned with my wet wading boots.
• Can trout smell us and should I worry about it?
• Do Zero-weight fly rods exist and what are they used for?
• A tip from a listener about learning to cast at all angles to your body without moving your feet.
• I fished a cold Colorado tailwater in the morning and a local angler told me I was on the water too early.  Why?
• All the hoppers I see have green, brown, or black wings.  So why do we put white wings on many of our hopper patterns?

•  I have been looking for brown trout redds on my favorite wild trout stream but have not seen any.  When and where do they spawn?
• Does it make sense to look at my dry flies from underneath, getting the same view as the fish?  I have discovered a way of projecting my flies on the ceiling to look at them.
• My fly line lands OK, but my leader and fly curl off to one side and don't go where I want them to.  What am I doing wrong?
• Why do trout in my river prefer Golden Stonefly nymphs over the bigger Salmonfly patterns?
• How do I know where to place studs on my Orvis felt-soled wading boots?
• I fish dry droppers on small streams, but in really shallow streams my nymph keeps snagging on the bottom.  Do you still fish dry /dropper on very shallow streams?
• What is a good foreign language to learn if you travel to fish internationally?
• Do trout in cold tailwaters migrate closer to the dam in summer?
• I fish a trout stream where the channel was recently put back into an old stream bed.  How long will it take for insects and crayfish to repopulate this area?
• I kept missing strikes on a weedless Sneaky Pete.  Do you think it was the weed guard, or was it just bluegills pecking at my fly?
• How do people get their car to the take-out when fishing from a raft?

• What could I tie with size 16 and 18 Keel Hooks?
• When working the same pool, should the nymph or streamer angler cover the pool first?
• Where should you park when you see a stretch of unposted land?
• A listener relates a fun story of his first carp on the fly
• What would make me choose the more expensive textured Pro fly line over the Smooth version?
• What is your rod, leader, and fly setup when fishing a small stream?
• Is there a difference between a dubbing loop and the split thread technique?
• Do Recons and Clearwaters go through the same process of improvements that Helios rods do?
• I saw a lot of bugs but no trout rising.  Do you think they were overwhelmed by too much food?
• If trout in the East don't eat adult stoneflies much, why does the Chubby Chernobyl work so well?
• I find sunglasses in the evening a hindrance.  What should I do to protect my eyes after the sun goes down?

• Can I fit my fly boxes, lunch, and a raincoat in the standard Orvis Sling Bag?
• A tip from a listener on how college fly-fishing clubs can get involved with the Trout Unlimited Five Rivers program
• A tip for taking notes on your phone to remind you of podcast questions
• A tip for using desiccant packages in your fly boxes
• Should I tether myself to my 7-year-old daughter when we are wading together?
• A tip from a listener on "urban blue lining".
• If I fall in, what steps should I take to dry out my gear?
• What would be a recommendation for a basic surf fishing outfit for the East Coast, Florida, the Caribbean, and Central America?
• How can I manage the fly line around my feet when it gets stuck on obstructions in the river?
• Why don't they make longer fiberglass rods?
• If I am catching more whitefish than trout, should I move?
• What is the best way to fish nymphs without an indicator?
• Is dry fly fishing on a lake better in calm or riffled water?
• A hot tip from a regular listener on a great fly pattern

• 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?

• How should I retrieve Woolly Buggers for bass and panfish?
• My knots to my flies are always slipping.  What am I doing wrong?
• Do you have any tips on fishing larger rivers?
• Any reason, when fishing a popper/drop[per rig for bass, that I can't tie my popper on a separate dropper instead of tying to the bend of the popper hook?
• If daytime water temperatures are around 70 but night time temperatures when I fish are 65 degrees, do you think it's safe to fish for trout?
• Why don't fly anglers use braided line for tippet—it's very supple.
• Do you take fly tying materials with you on a fishing trip?  How do you decide whether to take them or not?
• We saw huge schools of striped bass on a flat but they would not take any fly we presented to them.  Do you have any tips?
• How do you recommend I clean my polarized sunglasses, and what to you recommend to keep them from fogging up?
• What kind of mayfly spinner patterns should I carry in the Northeast?
• What is the best way to keep trout hooked when fishing downstream with wet flies?
• I am young but I still have trouble seeing small dry flies on the water.  What tips do you have for seeing them? 

This episode was originally posted on March 10, 2022.

Josh Nugent of Out Fly Fishing in Calgary has been doing a series of “Seven Deadly Sins” podcasts with me over the past couple of years and this one is chock full of great advice [38:38]. Josh is a very preceptive angler and thinks deeply about how flies behave in the water and how trout react to them, and in the interview we go off on a number of tangents—all interesting and all about nymph fishing—and all of them with great advice on how to make your indicator nymphing game more fun and productive. 

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

A terrific tip on why tying tube flies is a great way to get kids started

What kind of other storage systems does Tom use around his roll-top desk?

Where can I learn more about fly fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass?

What do you suggest for preventing cutoffs by chain pickerel?

Can I use sitka or axis deer, antelope, or goat hair for fly tying?

A great tip on replacing wing cases on smaller nymphs with a drop of UV cure resin

Should I use my leader straightener?

Can I do longline French/Spanish nymphing with a two-handed rod?

How can I locate pinhole leaks ion my waders?

How do older series of rods compare to the modern ones? What is better about the more recent models?

I know your higher-end rods are made in Vermont, but where do the components come from?

Why do Americans shoot and kill birds?

What is a good two-line rotation for streamer fishing in Michigan?

I kept my fiberglass rod in a hot car and now I notice it has a kink in it. Could the hot car have been the reason?

• If I am fishing for smallmouth in a river that also hosts trout and the water temperature is 68 degrees, what should I do?
• How can I cast to smallmouth in a river where I have almost no back-cast room?
• In lakes with multiple species, when fishing from shore should I expect to find different types of fish at different times?
• I have difficulty setting the hook on trout with a "trout set" and do better with a strip set.  Why is the 'trout set" recommended for trout?
• Do you have any tips on fly fishing for walleye?
• Why do some nymphs call for a partridge collar and other nymphs use a CDC collar?  Is there any difference?
• A listener relates that the Ralph Cutter podcast on wading safety literally saved his life.
• Are all the new Helios models four times as accurate, or just the 905?
• Are there any dry flies tied with cork these days?
•  How can I get my fly into a deep pool directly below a waterfall?
• What do you know about the old PM-10 and T-3 Orvis rods?
• Is a double or triple surgeon's loop better than a perfection loop in lighter tippets?
• Does hook shank shape affect hooking qualities?
• How can I swing wet flies in small streams?
• A great tip from a listener on wearing wool socks underneath neo socks when wet wading to avoid sand between your toes.
• Is a George Harvey leader the same as a braided leader?

• What percentage of the time do you use a dry dropper or double dry rig?
• What weight fly rod is best for panfish?  And what flies should I use?
• How do we ensure our fly fishing traditions are passed on to the younger generation?
• How can I make my dry dropper rig drift tight to the opposite bank?
• Is fly fishing for carp popular in Europe?
• How do I organize and carry my wide assortment of trout flies?  How does Tom do it?
• How can I fish for panfish and largemouth bass in an old gravel pit that drops off steeply?
• A great tip from a listener about how to tie a more durable egg pattern
• I was fishing a double dry rig for fish rising to small mayflies and my imitation was perfect but I didn't fool as many fish as I should have.  What should I have done differently?
• I have trouble threading my tippet onto a small dry fly.  Can I tie the tippet to the bend of the hook instead?

• Why can't I get braided leaders any more?
• Can I just put a long level tippet on a braided leader?
• My brook trout stream does not seem to have any fish larger than five inches.  Do you think there are any bigger ones in there?
• I was fishing a sulfur hatch and it started raining and the fish turned off completely.  Why do you think this happened?
• How can I eliminate wind knots when fishing a dropper rig?
• My girlfriend has trouble stripping in fish.  Do you have any tips for improving her coordination?
• What are the pros and cons of furled leaders?
• My floating line starts to sink after fishing for a while.  Can I apply gel flotant to it?
• A listener reminds us that for many balance problems while fishing the best place for help is to find a licensed physical therapist
• My fly line broke eight feet from the tip.  Can I still use it?
• How many leaders should I carry in my leader wallet?
• A listener reminds us that too often when wading we worry about dropping our rod or phone in the water at the expense of safety.
• An expert on UV cure adhesives gives advice on using the right wavelength of light and the correct amount of time and distance to use the light.
• If you have a 9-foot 5-weight and a 10-footer in the Helios models, what reason is there to have a 9-foot, 5-inch model?
• How can I avoid putting a set into my bamboo fly rod?
• How can I catch brook trout in high water?

• Does fly line color matter?
• Why don't my subtle baitfish patterns work in Patagonia?
• Can I use my big brown trout streamers for Atlantic salmon since they are related to brown trout?
• How deep do you insert studs when adding them to felt-soled waders?
• How do I get my streamers deeper when fishing for sea-run brook trout in rivers where weighted flies and sinking lines are not allowed?
• Is it acceptable if I troll from a kayak for striped bass, and what rod should I use?
• A listener writes in to tell us that the orange goo found in some rivers is a natural phenomenon
• What do I use for a practice streamer when casting on my lawn?
• Does the noise from my wading shoes and wading staff scare trout?
• Do trout live in streams with mucky bottoms?
• Any other casting methods besides the roll cast I can use on smaller streams?
• I fished over some rising trout with my nymph rig and didn't catch them.  Should I have switched to a dry fly?
• How should I rig for pike?
• What are the pros and cons of using an 8 ½ foot rod vs. a 9-foot rod in Colorado tailwaters?
• When do you put down your rod and take photos?
• How can I get the cement off my hooks when I want to re-use the hooks from beat-up Clouser Minnows?

• Can you explain the difference between fast, medium, and slow fly rods?
• I noticed a bright orange sludge-like material on the bottom of my stream.  Should I stay away from this one?
• Do you think kayaks spook trout more than belly boats?
• After a rod, reel, and line, what piece of gear should I consider next?
• When tying to fill a fly box, should I tie one of each pattern or 4 or 5 of the same one?
• Is there a disadvantage of using a perfection loop instead of a non-slip mono loop when tying on a streamer?
• If I see a heron in a pool in a small stream, should I move on and avoid that pool?
• Would it work to have a leader with a very long butt section, a short transition section, and a very long tippet?
• Why do trout eat or reject an imitation of a midge pupa in a lake?
• Do you think a 5-weight outfit is a good rod for taking to Alaska?
• Why don't my marabou flies stay fluffy once they have been used?
• A listener tip for tying a dropper to the bend of a hook.

•  I tip for taming your line and leader when you don't use a hook keeper
• How far do I hold my UV lamp form the fly when curing UV epoxy?
• What do I do on my local lake when the Power Bait crowd out-fishes me?
• How do I catch catfish on a fly rod?
• Do you fish different caddis pupa patterns for cased vs. uncased caddis?
• How do different holes in a river change throughout the season?
• Should I fish dry flies and nymphs in a lake different from the way I fish them in streams?
• Do weed guards on flies actually work in thick vegetation?
• If we see mayflies about size 12 hatching in our lake, should we use a size 12 nymph or one smaller?
• What is the difference between flow, thin, and thick UV resins and when should I use each one?
• My size 20 grizzly hackle keeps breaking.  Do you have any tips for keeping tension and not breaking the stems?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying a complete outfit vs. separate components?
• A tip from a listener on whether to use your wading staff upstream or downstream of your position.
• I want to start tying flies.  What pattern would you recommend I start with?  
• What are your favorite bass and bluegill flies?

• Why do I keep getting strikes on nymphs while stripping them upstream like a streamer?
• Is the throat of a pool a common place to find trout feeding?
• At what temperature does a brown trout start to actively feed?
• When I see a pod of rising trout, why can I only fool one fish even though the other ones continue to feed?
• How do older Orvis bamboo fly rods compare to contemporary models?
• I found eggs in holdover brown trout in the spring.  Were these fish that never found a mate?
• I have trouble with rabbit's foot hair coming loose on my flies.  How do I secure it better?
• If you only had one line for striped bass from shore, what line would you choose?
• How much time before the incoming or outgoing tide should I fish for striped bass?
• Can you explain exactly what a shock tippet is?
• What is your "last fly" during the evening hatch when it gets tough to see?
• Do polarized sunglasses lose their effectiveness over time?
• A listener gives a tip for an easier way to tie a surgeon's knot
• A listener gives a caution about fishing below sewage treatment plants after a major flood event
• My 70-denier thread keeps breaking.  What could be the problem?
• What feathers from a chicken are useful in fly tying?
• I fish a 6-weight rod and want a different rod for smaller streams.  What should I pick?
• I always use a wading staff.  Is the metal tip on the staff an alarm clock for trout, and have you ever put on a rubber tip to prevent this?

• A listener suggests when a self-inflating PFD may be a good option
• Two listeners weigh in on how to access scientific articles on fisheries science with paying a fee for access
• A listener offers a great suggestion on how to easily attach a dropper to the bend of a hook.
• Should I be concerned about fishing below a sewage treatment outlet?
• A listener tells a great tale of his momentous catch on one of the new Helios rods
• Should I be concerned about angling for fish when they are on their spawning run?
• With the new Helios rods, do you still prefer the F version for trout and the D version for salt water?
• If I dispose of the shiners I catch will it help the local trout population?
• What do you think of using an indicator with a big nymph or crayfish fly for early season smallmouth?
• Can you explain the difference between a shooting head and a sink-tip line?
• A listener gives some expert advice on the choice of insect repellents
• I am having trouble with short roll casts.  Do you think it's my casting technique?
• Is it helpful to pre-treat dry flies right after you tie them?
• If I fish an indicator and split shot and a nymph, should I use a double taper or weight-forward line?

Ralph Cutter [36:53] is an extremely perceptive, pragmatic angler with a lifetime of experience in white water, both fishing and in watercraft and water rescues.  He feels that what we’ve been taught to do if we fall in wearing waders is all wrong, and he has a number of tips for getting to shore safely that most of us don’t know about.  He also recommends a second wader belt for wading in very tricky waters.  He’s proven this through countless experiments on the water.  If you spend any time at all wading in rivers, you must listen to this podcast—or you can read an article in Fly Fisherman magazine he wrote a number of years ago through this link: How to Wade Safely and Get Out of Dangerous Situations - Fly Fisherman

In the Fly Box this week, we have questions that range from the very basic to more advanced, and tips from listeners as well, including:

• Why do my CDC dry flies sink like a rock?
• I am not feeling strikes when I am nymph fishing.  Are there improvements I can make to feel more fish?
• Would a longer rod help more in nymph fishing?
• Why aren’t knotless leaders marked with a small segment of color so that the butt, tippet, and transition sections are clearly demarcated?
• A listener clarifies the issue of whether northern strain brook trout were ever stocked in the southern Appalachians
• If I want to fish pools that are 8-10 feet deep with a Euro rig, do I need an 8-10-foot tippet?
• What do I do if I am fishing a dropper rig and my upper dropper tippet breaks off or gets too short?  Do I need to tie another surgeon’s knot?
• If I am fishing straight upstream, do I need to mend my line?
• If my hook bends after removing it from a snag and I bend it back into place, will that weaken the hook?
• I have trouble tying a dropper onto the bend of a hook.  I lose tension and pressure before cinching the knot down.  Do you have any tips to help this?
• The water temperature was in the 40s and there was a mayfly hatch, but I only caught fish on nymphs and nothing was rising.  Why did this happen?
• Does choosing a fly rod really depend mostly on the size flies you’re throwing?  When I fish a small bass fly, I don’t want to try to land a bass on my 3-weight.

The use of the natural toxin rotenone to remove invasive, non-native species of trout to protect native species is a controversial topic. Does it really work? What does the poison do to the insect, mammal, and bird populations? Ted Williams [52:36], a proponent of these tactics in selected waters, discusses where reclaiming populations has been successful and also places where it would not make sense. Ted is one of the foremost environmental writers of our time and is never afraid to stick his neck out, so you may agree with what he says or you may not, but you’ll learn some important biology in the process.

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

• A plug for Trout Unlimited’s “Trout in the Classroom” projects
• What is your favorite rod for small streams, what size flies do you use, and where do I find the biggest trout in small streams?
• Can I use nymphs in small streams?  They have not worked for me.
• How do you test water temperature?  Do you need to suspend the thermometer deep in the water?
• How can I catch walleye on my fly rod?
• At what water temperature should I fish for bass?
• How long do you stick with one fly before changing it, and what do you look for in new water?
• Have you found any difference between painted and unpainted flies on streamers?
• I want to do some writing about fly fishing.  How do you handle criticism when you do this?
• What is the best practice for tipping guides?
• Do you recommend studs for rubber-soled waders, and how often can you remove them and then put them back?
• On cloudy days I can’t see as much with my polarized glasses?  What should I do?
• How long does it take for trout to get back into their normal positions after a flood?
• Should you present streamers differently in the early season than you would later in the spring?
• The dry fly on my dry/dropper rig keeps twisting.  What can I do to avoid this?
• How do you get your fly to fish in deep water running along the bottom?
• I keep breaking my tippet where it connects to my tippet ring even though I am using a lighter tippet to my flies.  What can I do?

This week, my guest is guide BJ Gerhart [33:50], a longtime veteran guide at Three Rivers Ranch in Idaho and one of the savviest anglers I know.  He shares his tips for getting around the common problems of early season trout fishing, mainly cold water and high flows.

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

• If adult trout can’t see UV light, as you said in last week’s podcast, what should I do with all the UV and flashy materials I have in my fly-tying collection?
• What kind of standard trout flies are closest to the kebari flies used in tenkara fishing?
• When fishing a dry dropper, all the trout took my dry fly yet when I removed the nymph I stopped getting strikes.  What caused this?
• Why are beads on nymphs usually gold?
• Why is my casting worse when I use beadhead flies?
• What are the main differences between the 9-foot and the 8-foot, 5-inch Helios rods for a 10-weight line?
• Why is fly fishing for salmon in Great Lakes streams not as popular as steelhead fishing?
• When choosing a fly line for a two-handed rod, should I add the grain weight of the sinking head to the grain weight of the Skagit head?
• A great tip for wading safety with a buddy
• A listener raves about the Orvis rod repair team
• Do you think I should stop trout fishing at 60 degrees just to be safe?
• Are there public resources I can use to find out if a river might be too high to fish?
• A listener gives a tip for adding a long mono rig easily without the need to tie a clinch knot to the permanent loop in a fly line.

• 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

My guest this week is Brandon Hoffner [35:55], executive director of the Henry’s Fork Foundation, and the topic is the diverse habitat and trout-fishing opportunities of this world-famous river that has influenced so many anglers, techniques, and fly patterns over the years.  Like all trout rivers today, the Henry’s Fork also has its share of environmental issues and we’ll explore how the Henry’s Fork Foundation works to maintain this magical fishery.

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

• What is the advantage of a 9 ½-foot rod over a 9-footer or 10-footer?
• A great tip from a listener on how to remove salt water from flies you have fished
• When would you use a Tenkara rod over a traditional Western rod?  And do you have a favorite Tenkara rod?
• Does Tom Rosenbauer actually tie the flies in the Orvis Tom Rosenbauer fly selection?
• What is the history of the famous Orvis Far & Fine graphite rod, and what line would you put on it?
• For small creeks, is it better to use a 2-weight or a 3-weight line?
• What can I substitute for goose biots on the tail of a stonefly nymph?
• Can you explain the pros and cons of polyleaders vs. sink-tip fly lines?
• What are the best fly lines on the new Helios 7 ½-foot 3-weight rod and the new 8-foot, 5-inch 7-weight rod?
• A listener talks about how he uses the new Orvis wading staff as a hiking staff as well.
• Will the heat inside a car in summer hurt my Orvis raincoat?
• A call from Captains for Clean Water with some great news from the Everglades

The Montana Supreme Court recently reversed a decision that would have blocked a copper mine on the headwaters of the Smith River.  Where we thought we had a win in preventing a mine in the wrong place, we now may have to live with that mine.  David Brooks [33:02] on Montana TU tells us how, at the very least, TU and other organizations convinced the mine to put in a number of mitigation solutions that were not in their original plan.  Trout Unlimited has one more hail Mary on this issue, which you can learn about in the podcast.  This is a tough subject to listen to, but we learn that we can never give up on environmental issues, even when it looks like we've won. 

(To sign a petition in support of Trout Unlimited's position preventing the mine from expanding onto public land, click here https://montanatu.org/protect-the-smith-sign-the-mineral-withdrawal-petition/

• What is a tailing loop in fly casting?
• To practice casting for a saltwater trip, should I just use yarn or should I use a hookless fly similar to the size I will be casting?
• What is the purpose of a wing on a wet fly?
• Does the loop at the end of a fly line cause energy loss?
• How can I photograph striped bass beneath a bridge?
• Can I keep fly rods in my cartop quiver in hot weather?
• A great tip from a listener about using white poster board on the surface of an old rolltop desk.
• Another tip from a listener on using inexpensive drill gauges to size hunks of deer hair and beads.
• Would a one-piece rod be better than a four-piece rod?
• How do I keep debris from drifting downstream when fishing the top of a riffle?
• What is a good all-around fly line for bonefish and redfish?
• I had a fishless day and then a guy with a spin rod caught a trout right in front of me.  Should I have switched to a streamer earlier?

• What model of an older Orvis rod do you still fish?
• Do you have any tips from casting a Spey rod from the beach?
• The head on a fly I tied unraveled.  Was it because I used Superglue and half hitches?
• A tip from a listener on a product that will sharpen fly-tying scissors.
• What conditions are best for fishing a bamboo rod?
• Can I underline a fiberglass rod?
• Can I cut the taper off an old WF5F line to make a lighter line for small streams?
• How can I get my fly-tying thread to jump backward so I can tie in tricky materials?
• What kind of setup do I need for catching snakeheads on a fly rod?
• Why do smaller streams produce smaller trout and bigger rivers bigger fish?
• What kind of PFD should I get for wearing under a fishing vest?
• Why can't I find good brown and grizzly dry-fly hackle in size 12?
• What do I need to do to switch between conventional nymphing and Euro nymphing?
• Do most communities have fly-fishing clubs and how do I find them?
• If I am going from a small stream to a lake, should I lengthen my butt section or lengthen my tippet?

• Do I need to set the hook in a different manner with a glass fly rod?
• Is there something about the new Helios rods that is not covered on the web site and catalog copy?
• Is there a place where I can still pick up a Helios 3 rod?
• I am going to Cozumel and will be wade fishing from the beach.  What should I know in advance?
• A listener gives some great tips on fly fishing for trout in Missouri

• A great tip from a listener—don't try to fish while you are wading.
• Can I put an 8-weight line on my 7-weight Pflueger Medalist reel?
• A funny story from a listener on another way to break a fly rod
• As I get older my eyesight and finger dexterity are not what they used to be.  Is there an easier knot for attaching flies to my tippet?
• Why don't more people fish for chubs, and why are they considered a trash fish?
• Do you have any recommended cicada patterns?
• A listener who is also a toxicologist warns that not all fly-tying materials are harmless and gives tips on how to avoid undue exposure to them.
• I have trouble tying tails on size 18 and smaller flies.  Do you have any tips?

• 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?

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?

• Will my Clearwater fly lines be OK in salt water?
• Why don't we use grain weights instead of the AFTMA number system for identifying the weights of trout fly lines like we do for double-handed rods?
• The fly shops are always out of my favorite fly pattern, the Purple Haze.  I just want to tie those.  Should I start with a kit or should I just buy the materials I need for that fly pattern?
• A tip from a listener on how to attach a fly so that it does not twist your leader
• When you work a section of water, should you work the near seam or the far seam first?
• A tip from a listener on how to replace the permanent loop on your fly line with a new one
• A tip from a listener on how to remove burrs or grooves in your fly-tying bobbin
• A tip from a listener on why you should save old waders, and how to use them to patch new ones.
• A tip from a listener on why it is important to support your local fly shop
• Tips from a blind fly fisher on methods he uses to enjoy fly fishing, and a couple tips from him on how to make threading a fly easier—something that all of us can benefit from.
• Tips from a listener on practicing your fly casting from the position you'll most often be fishing from.
• What is the etiquette when wading anglers and boaters cross paths on the water?
• Why would someone pick a 91/2-foot or 9-foot, 5-inch rod over a 9-footer?
• What tips do you have for casting a sinking leader?
• Can I keep my rods set up in or on my car for extended periods?

• What is the best rod length, line size, and leader for brook trout?
• Can I throw a small Woolly Bugger with my 3-weight rod or do I need a heavier rod?
• Are there any fly-tying materials that could have a negative health impact?
• Do you know of a source for those bags used to hold fly-tying materials?
• What flies can I use ruffed grouse feathers on?
• Should I use my heavier nymph as my point (lower) fly?
• I am looking at an Amplitude Creek line for small streams but it states the line is one size heavier.  Will it spook the brook trout I am after?
• How many flies do you lose every season, and how do you lose most of them?
• How long should I expect a fly to last?
• I love carp and bass fishing and have always been underwhelmed by trout fishing.  What am I missing?
• Are 6-piece rods any good, and would you take one on a long trip?
• I got some old feathers that are bug infested.  How can I clean them to make sure all the critters are gone?
• A useful tip from a listener—to slow you down and help you observe a river better, don't string up your rod until you get to the river.
• What do you do when you change species?  Do you have separate fly boxes for each?
• When coming up with a new fly pattern, how do you decide hook style and thread type?
• Tip for keeping young kids away from a fly-tying area—use a baby gate
• What is the most versatile fly for catching bass, carp, and panfish?
• I get seasick.  What is the best place to go bonefishing where I will find calm water?

• Will a 2-weight rod give me more enjoyment  than my 7 1/2-foot 3-weight when bluelining on my local streams?  How about a 10 foot two-weight?
• What is the purpose of tying a tippet ring on the end of big dry flies?
• Three great fly-tying and fishing  hacks from a listener
• A listener describes how he fixed a bobbin that kept cutting thread using a fly-tying bead.
• What hook sizes can I cast on my 5-weight when fishing for bass?  And would it help to put a 6-weight on my rod when casting larger flies?
• What do you think of trying weedless carp flies for fish that are in pockets between weeds?
• If I am tying various styles of streamers in a range of sizes, should I get a rooster cape?
• Do I need to dry out my fly line before putting my reel away?
• I want to try a tenkara rod but my fishing buddy says it's not fly fishing.  What do you think?
• I could catch trout on Woolly Buggers but had trouble catching them on small midges.  What should I try in this tailwater the next time I go?
• Three tips from a listener on getting success when tight-line nymphing.
• Is it possible to get transcripts for the podcasts?
• What is the process for experimentation with new fly patterns?
• A listener adds another common way to break a fly rod
• When you talk about leader length, do you include the tippet?

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

• Is it appropriate to tip a guide when he or she runs a group class at a fly shop?
• What kind of footwear do you use when blue lining when you are wet wading?
• Does monofilament have a shelf life?
• Is a fiberglass rod a viable option for carp, bass, or bonefish?
• Has Tom developed any new insights on carp fishing in 2023?
• My sister harvested a moose.  What flies can I tie with moose hair?
• I've often had good fishing before a thunderstorm but not after.  Is there any validity to this observation?
• A mild rant from a listener who does not like to chat on the water with other anglers.  And a less mild rant about anglers who invade his space.
• Can I turn my fly line around to the running line when I want to Euro nymph?
• How have developments in fly fishing changed the productivity of fly fishing in the last 100 years?
• Why am I not seeing many fish in rivers that run into reservoirs in the fall?
• How can I tell the difference between my nymphs ticking the bottom and a strike?
• A great tip from a listener on removing all of your backing and rinsing it at the end of a saltwater fly-fishing season.
• Should knots ever break?
• This fall I fished a river that was 18 to 24 inches deep and uniform without much structure.  I fished hard with various methods and didn't catch a thing.  How would you approach water like this?

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.

• How many flies and leaders will I need for a single day of guided fishing in the Bahamas?  And what gear will I need that I would normally not take for a day of trout fishing?
• If I catch a trout from a small pool, should I assume the rest of the fish in that pool are spooked?
• When should I strip a fish in, and when should I get the line on the reel?
• My buddy and I lost 100% of the trout we hooked one day.  WE normally land most of them.  What did we do wrong?
• What flies will imitate shad, small rainbows, sculpins, and small brown trout?
• I fish a piece of water with lots of swirling eddies and have trouble with a normal hard strike indicator.  What should I use instead?
• How can I manage using multiple fly lines without buying a new reel or spool for each one?
• Is it OK for a guide to give me an unsolicited lecture on etiquette even though I never crowd anyone?
• If I only make casts at a maximum of 15 feet in a small stream, is there a special fly line I should be using?
• I read somewhere that the author uses "gel flotant on all my flies".  Am I missing something?
• How do you determine the shuck color on a Sparkle Dun?
• A great tip from a listener about using a "backing barrel" on a sighter leader when you have trouble seeing it.
• How can I avoid spooking smallmouth bass on a small, clear stream?

Originally Posted on March 3rd, 2023

Back in 2008 when I first began this podcast I had two dreams—that I would have my two literary heros, John McPhee and Thomas McGuane as guests (they are both passionate fly fishers). I was lucky enough to record a podcast with John in August of 2021 and this week's podcast is with Tom McGuane [44:36], author of 20 highly regarded novels, screenplays, collections of short stories, and what is in my opinion the finest book of fly-fishing essays ever written, The Longest Silence. Most people who interview Tom want to talk about his crazy days in Key West in the 1970s, , fishing for tarpon with Jim Harrison, Guy de la Valdene, Jimmy Buffet, and other notable characters. However, in the podcast we talk about what he is doing now—his fascination with small-stream trout fishing, why he would rather wade than fish from a boat, his opinion on guides who yell at their clients, and how to grow old gracefully and still continue to fish with a fly rod. It was a real honor to chat with him and I know you'll enjoy this very special podcast.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some wonderful and thought-provoking questions and tips form listeners, including:

What is that white rod that Pete Kutzer uses in your casting videos?

Is there a written history of Orvis?

What is the best reel lubricant, and how should I maintain my cork drag surface?

Can dumbbell eyes damage fly rods? If so, what should I do to keep flies tied with them from hitting my rod?

Do trout eat those little black and brown stoneflies that hatch during the winter and early spring?

 Can you explain when I would use weighted flies vs. split shot vs. poly leaders when fishing nymphs?

Can you compare the relative advantages of the 10 1/2-foot 3-weight and the 11-foot 3-weight Blackout rod?

I saw people catching fish on nymphs. I tried exactly the same patterns and didn't catch anything. Why?

I have a reel that takes a 9-weight line. Can I get an extra spool and put it on my 7-weight rod?

• 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? 

• A River Runs through It by Norman Maclean
• "Big Two-Hearted River" by Ernest Hemingway (short story)
• Ninety-Two in the Shade by Thomas McGuane
• The River Why by David James Duncan

• The Longest Silence by Thomas McGuane
• The Angler's Coast and Dark Waters by Russell Chatham
• The Curtis Creek Manifesto by Sheridan Anderson
• "Hat Creek" and "Deeds Among the Steelhead" by Bill Barich (magazine articles; may be tough to find)
• The Spawning Run by William Humphrey
• Trout Bum by John Gierach
• "The Same River Twice" by David Quammen (published in Outside Magazine)
• "A Sporting Life" by Jim Harrison (magazine article, may be tough to find)
• My Story as Told by Water by David James Duncan

• How do I know when to strip strike and when to trout strike?
• Do I really need to go barbless on small dry-fly hooks?
• How do I know what size material to use if I want to lengthen my leader?
• A great tip from a listener on learning to cast with your "off" hand
• A tip from a listener on wetting new tying materials befor you use them to see what color they will be
• Why do I only see larger wild brown trout in one section of a river I fish?
• How do I see my sighter in difficult lighting conditions?
• If I am fishing for stocked rainbows and grayling, where should I place my grayling fly—on the bottom or on the dropper?
• Should I use my 10-foot 7-weight Recon that I use for steelhead for streamer fishing from a boat for trout?
• What is the main difference between a Helios D and Helios F rod when fishing for bonefish?
• My bamboo ferrule only fits ¾ of the way to full engagement.  Is that OK?
• Why do I see steelhead smolt in my river but never chinook salmon smolt?
• Is there any way to get the bad smell off a bucktail?
• Why don't people fish bucktails much these days?
• Is there a way to tell a northern strain from a southern strain brook trout visually?

• Should I bother fishing carp flats when the water temperature is in the 50s and air temperature is in the 30s?
• Will brown trout live in warm water rivers some of the time?  Is it worth it to fish the mouths of cold-water tributaries for brown trout?
• You always say that trout prefer to be in water that is two-to four-feet deep to feed.  Yet I have caught my largest trout in pools that are 10-to 15-feet deep.  I'm confused.
• How does George Daniel attach his light nymphing leader to his fly line?
• I fish small streams with a 10-foot, 4-weight Recon rod.  I worry about spooking trout when my rod casts a shadow over the pool I'm fishing.  Should I go with a shorter rod?
• Some great suggestions from a listener about fishing with kids, and why we should make it more about building relationships and not always about catching fish.
• I consistently foul-hook trout when fishing multiple flies.  Am I striking too soon or too late, or striking too hard?
• If most people fish barbless flies, why don't manufacturers make more barbless hooks?
• Do states only stock trout in specific locations due to allocated quantities, or are there environmental factors in play?
• Can I use a 6-weight Bank Shot line on my 11-foot, 4-weight Euro rod to try two-handed casting?
• I have a friend who ties all my flies.  What should I get him as a thank-you gift?
• If I hook but lose a big lake-run rainbow, would it be possible to go back later in the day to try for it?
• I have a small brook trout stream on my property.  Should I put some trees in the river to help the fish?
• A listener suggests that although smallmouth bass don't need much habitat help from us, they grow slowly so handling them with care is important if you want a trophy smallmouth fishery.

• Where can I take my sons and granddaughter on Route 20 in Idaho where they can easily catch trout?
• What is a good rod manufacturer?
• A listener describes a perplexing day on a difficult river and analyzes his day and asks Tom if he agrees.
• Do you take all of your fly boxes when you fish or do you determine what you will likely need for the day?  And where do you put your lunch, sunscreen, and raincoat?
• Last year I had great luck for pre-spawn brown trout and this year I can't hook them.  Should I keep trying different streamer patterns?
• A caution from a listener on serious reactions to UV resins
• A suggestion from a listener on sliding beads down your leader if you want to make any nymph a bead head.
• A listener says he has never had fly-tying threads weaken over time and disagrees with my suggestion that they can weaken after a few years.
• Are beaded or non-beaded flies more successful?
• How can I use adhesives to keep the dumbbell eyes on my Clouser Minnows from rotating?
• You have said trout eyes are designed to look up.  When I catch trout they are always looking down.  Why?
• You recommend using a throat pump.  But what good does it do you when you have already caught a fish?  And then you take their food away?
• Does gel flotant on a hook have a negative effect?

• 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?

My guest this week is Jeremie Prine [47:39], owner and head guide of Dunoir Fly Fishing Adventures of Dubois, Wyoming.  He specializes in fishing small wilderness creeks (as well as larger rivers) in Wyoming and is one of the best small-stream anglers I have ever met.  Jeremie shares his tips on finding these streams, how to fish them, and of course what flies he likes for bluelining.  He also gives some great tips on exploring in grizzly bear country, and you should pay attention to his tips, because in a lifetime of chasing fish in the back country he has never had to use bear spray (but he still carries it every time he goes out).

This week my guest is guide and lodge owner Wade Fellin [45:48] of Big Hole River Lodge. Wade is on the vanguard of trout health in Montana, particularly in the Big Hole Valley, and they have been seeing trout die at the time of year when water temperatures and flows are optimum, which is concerning. Wade shares with us how they are obtaining samples of trout to send to a lab, and some possible reasons for this problem, and what might be done to address the issue. He also makes it clear that trout fishing in Montana is still awesome and that people should not cancel a trip or not plan a trip. Fishing is still great but we need to perhaps take even more care in releasing fish—and in deciding how many fish to catch in any given day. 

In the Fly Box this week, there are some great questions, tips, and comments from listeners, including:

A listener shares with us how he analyzed a problem with his casting and solved the problem.

 Are we over-using UV cure resins in our fly tying?

I can't afford new waders and have leaks in my old ones. Should I try to buy a pair of used waders?

When fishing dry flies in lakes, should I twitch the fly or just let it sit?

When aren't all nymph patterns tied on jig hooks?

Why am I missing so many small trout in a local stream?

With the severe flooding in Vermont, how will that affect my fishing when the water drops?

A listener wants to give a shout-out to two generous anglers who gifted him and his wife with a box of flies while they were on their honeymoon on the Henry's Fork.

Good tips on the benefits of a long-handled net

Why am I missing hook sets on my fiberglass rod?

How can I involve my family more in my fly fishing?

Do you have any tips for coiling line so that it does not tangle when I shoot line?

I am moving from DC to Dallas and I know there is no trout fishing around. Are there any fly-fishing opportunities near Dallas?

I think most stream anglers are interested in foraging, since we're immersed in nature all day long and although we watch for fish and insects and birds, many of us don't pay attention to the plants. And there are many delicious plants along trout streams you can take home for dinner—most of which will be more nutritionally dense than what you buy in the store—and free. If you have done any foraging at all, you have probably read some of more of Sam Thayer's [40:38] books. In our household his books are the primary source. I was lucky enough to spend some time talking to Sam about why foraging along streams is especially good, and what we can expect to find there. 

In the Fly Box this week, we have no phone calls but some great questions via e-mail, including:

Why do trout in small streams take flies more readily when the water is high?

Where do you recommend I go trout fishing in the East in July when I visit this summer?

A great story about a listener getting generous advice from a famous angler along a trout river.

A tip for keeping rod sections together using clothespins.

What is the best streamer reel, line, and leader for a 7-weight rod?

What do you do when there is a very heavy hatch and almost too many natural insects?

I am having trouble hooking fish using the hand-over-hand retrieve when striper fishing. What can I do to increase my hooking rate?

What are three things a novice dry-fly angler should pay attention to?

Do you ever tie up dry/dropper rigs at home prior to going fishing?

Will my 8-weight be enough rod for fishing for striped bass from a boat?

What are some tips on picking flies for striped bass fishing at night?

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?

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?

OK, I lied. There aren't 15 tips. There are probably more and if you want to count them up you can e-mail me and correct my mistake. But I get a lot of questions about fishing emergers, and I thought a podcast on how to identify when fish are taking emergers and how to fish them would be welcome. Not only that, world-famous and beloved fishing guide and author Pat Dorsey [36:05] gives us his favorite fly patterns for fishing emergers including a couple secret ones.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some thoughtful questions and a few tips from listeners, including:

A great tip on casting with your non-dominant hand

Will wildfire smoke affect trout populations?

If I hear there are native brook trout in a stream, how do I find out where they are?

 A nice tip on untangling snarls of fly line.

Bigger brook trout started taking my nymphs on the swing instead of dead-drifted.

How should I take advantage of this next time?

How much of an incline in a small mountain stream can trout survive?

A listener was disappointed in my podcast with John Gierach because we did not discuss how anglers can have a positive impact on climate change.

Two listeners want to know what type of floating line to put on their Euro rods when they switch to dry flies.

Why are some articulated streamers tied with the hook down and why are some tied with the hook up?

I have a busy life. Am I missing opportunities by not tying my own flies?

Brown trout are invasive in my cutthroat stream. Should I take them home to eat them, or just kill them and throw them up on the bank?

 Is it ethical to back and fish a place on my own if a guide showed me the spot?

I have heard if you cut the welded loop off a fly line you can't use it any more because it will absorb water. Is this true?

This week my guest is Joshua Caldwell [32:30], director of the new movie (premiering in theaters today) "Mending the Line", about a combat veteran with PTSD who works his way back into society with the help of a fly fishing curmudgeon. The movie stars Sinqua Walls, Perry Mattfeld, and Brian Cox as the old curmudgeon (of course). It's a story that could easily fall into cliche but I found it to be heartwarming and compelling, and the casting is excellent. Joshua talks about the trials and tribulations of making the movie in a short time frame, challenged by tough weather. It's a fascinating peak behind the curtains of an independent film.

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

What is your opinion of an approved IGFA leader for tarpon as opposed to using straight 60- or 80-pound leader?

I am having trouble with the partridge hackle on size 20 soft hackle wets. Can you help?

How much time should I spend in each little pocket when bluelining?

I have a Recon Saltwater 7 and I want to get a 7-weight freshwater version. How much difference is there between the two?

Will a black bottom on my boat spook fish in shallow water?

A great letter from a fly fisher in Switzerland detailing how to negotiate the tricky fishing regulations in his country

Can I use a tippet ring with different tippet sizes, even ones that are quite different in diameter?

Do stocked trout move as much as a mile, or do they stay close to where they are stocked?

The better your casting, the more and fun you'll have and the more relaxed you'll be on the water. Pete Kutzer [46:13] is one of the finest casting instructors in the world, and not only that he's one of the finest anglers you meet, which means he teaches casting as a means to have more enjoyable fishing so he's pragmatic and flexible. He practices casting himself almost every day, and he gives us hints on how to practice at home no matter what kind of fishing you end up doing. You'll be glad you did—and so will your guide if you hire one.

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

I need a rod for bass fishing as well as throwing streamers for trout. I only have light trout rods. Which rod should I choose?

What is a competition hook and how does it differ from a regular hook?

A good tip on how to make matte beads from shiny gold ones without painting or markers

I know you should not go more than .002" difference when knotting on a tippet. Can I get away from bigger differences in heavy butt material?

I have been fly fishing for 35 years and am looking for a more advanced course. Where should I go?

Do you know anything about fishing in Switzerland?

How can I target carp in dirty water?

I am going Atlantic salmon fishing in Norway. Can I use a single-handed rod even though most people use two-handers?

A tip from a listener on always mashing down the barbs of hooks when fishing with kids.

My line gets twisted when I fish with a dry/dropper arrangement. Is there any way to lessen this?

My tungsten beads crack when I hit my back cast on rocks behind me. Are there beads that are more durable than tungsten?

How can I fish the tails of pools in small streams without getting drag?

I can't get redfish running a surf line to eat my flies. Any suggestions?