• How do I slim down my fly selection for small-stream fishing?
• What is the best way to fish crayfish patterns?
• A question about trout feeding times in relation to season and sunlight
• I want to catch trout but have only been bass fishing.  What fly line should I get?
• Should I get a 6-weight or 7-weight rod for smallmouth bass?
• I fish a really snaggy river.  Should I tie all of my favorite nymphs on jig hooks?
• Is a 9-foot or 10-foot rod better in the wind?
• Should I get a Helios 3D or 3F or a Superfine glass rod for all-around fishing in Alberta?  I want to get a 4-weight
• What is the best all-around color for sunglass lenses?
• A tip on retrieving lost flies with your magnetic net holder
• When looking at a fly recipe, how do you know what order to tie in materials?
• Why wouldn't my spin reel fit on my fly rod, and is it a good idea to put a spin reel on a fly rod?

Interview starts at 32:13

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

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

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

Check out Tom's upcoming episode on pre-spawn bass.

This week I interview the great George Daniel (interview starts at 48:40), who you will see soon in the new installments of the Orvis TV show.  The show I did with him, on Euro Nymphing basics, should be premiered sometime in May.  But until then, George discusses the pros and cons of using straight monofilament vs. and actual fly line for Euro Nymphing—both have their advantages and George gives us some good guidance on their use, as well as other tips on this deadly method of fly fishing borrowed from competition anglers.  We also get sidetracked on the future of fly fishing and how both of us view the participation of younger anglers today.

In this Fly Box this week, we have some interesting questions:

• I am taking a six-day backpacking trip into the Appalachians.  How much water should I expect to cover in a day of fishing?
• How do I combat the “old boy” network in fly fishing?
• What strategies do you recommend for carp in a small lake?
• What does “web” refer to in fly tying, and what is schlappen?
• Do you think a Helios 905F will be good enough for fishing the Blackfoot, Rock Creek, Gallatin, and Yellowstone Rivers or will I need a 905D?
• How do you go about experimenting with new fly patterns you have tied?
• Can I catch carp on a fly during the winter?
• I have trouble with “trout setting” in salt water.  Should I use a strip strike in all my trout fishing to get out of the habit?
• Why doesn’t Orvis offer water testing kits?
• I know trout do 90% of their feeding underwater, but I have recently discovered how effective a dry fly can be, even when no trout are rising.
• Why should tippet size matter when fish can always see the hook?
• Do you have a recommended leader for juvenile tarpon, and also for barracuda?

Interview starts at 41:08
New York State’s Salmon River—you either love it or hate it, and some of us love and hate it at the same time.  It’s an amazing resource, with large quantities of high-quality fish that are often chrome-bright and every bit as hot as their ocean-going relatives.  It’s a beautiful river.  It’s got great water for swinging flies.  And then there’s the tough news.  A river this productive will draw crowds, and some of them are not as well-behaved as most of us would like.  But you can get away from crowds on this river, and Matt Ertzinger,  veteran guide with Tailwater Lodge, shares his secrets on when to fish the river, how to avoid crowds, and what flies and tackle to use.  Is it worth the trip?  This podcast may help you decide.

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

• Should I feel dirty about using Squirmies and similar flies?
• What rod can I use for bass in Mississippi and trout in Arkansas?
• Are there scuds and sowbugs in Eastern rivers?
• What advantages do the new Recon Euro-nymphing rods offer?
• Can I put a 9-weight line on my 6-8 weight reel?
• Can I prevent my fly line from stacking to one side of the spool?
• How can I fish a tiny, brushy stream in southern California?
• How can I get my flies deeper in fast, deep water when fishing for sea-run brook trout?
• What is the best ay to fish for pike in a small stream?
• How can I put the hatch guidebook that I bought to good use?

This week we talk about Project Healing Waters and the amazing things it has done for veterans with both physical and mental issues due to their service.  Over 8,000 veterans have been introduced to the healing properties of nature and fly fishing in this program, with hundreds of chapters throughout the country and thousands of volunteers.  Todd Desgrosseilliers, decorated Marine veteran and a beneficiary of this program personally, is now the president of Project Healing Waters and he talks frankly about his experiences as a participant and then as an administrator.  Learn about the program and how you can get involved, whether you are a veteran in need of healing or as a possible volunteer.

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

• What effects on fishing will the Australian wildfires have?
• If I see a lot of tiny black stoneflies in the water, does that mean I should be fishing imitations of them?
• A great additional suggestion on the benefits of a rotary fly-tying vise
• A stream near me is stocked with brook, brown, and rainbow trout but it can support wild trout.  Why are there only wild rainbows in this stream?
• Can flies be made by machine?
• What stream conditions are best for a single-handed Spey cast?
• How do I tie a second streamer behind an articulated streamer?
• What should I teach my wife, who has never fly fished, before we go on a guided trip together?
• How can I practice for a tarpon trip if I only have an 8-weight rod?
• What technique would you use on the Green River in Utah?
• Is my 8 ½ foot 7 weight rod enough rod to use on the Salmon River in New York?

Interview starts at 51:28

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

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

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

Interview segment begins at 43:02

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

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

Being a camera gear geek, I was delighted to interview Chris Niccolls  (interview starts at 47:16) of DP Review TV. (If you are also a camera geek, you probably read DP Review regularly.) Chis is a photography teacher as well as a video star, has worked in camera shops, and currently works in a fly shop in Calgary. In the interview, he gives some fantastic tips on how to take better fish and fishing pictures in both the video and still formats. He also suggests some brands and models of phones, cameras, and drones that he feels are best suited for fishing photography.  I know I learned a whole mess of new tricks for taking better fishing pictures, and I am sure you will, too.

In the Fly Box, we cover plenty of topics that may help answer questions you have had about fly fishing:

• Should I get a 6½-foot or 7½-foot rod for small streams?  What weight line is best, and should I get a Double Taper or Weight Forward line?
• Do you carry a small seine with you when trout fishing?
• How many wind knots should I expect in a day of fishing?
• I fish for salmon and stripers.  Should I get a full-sinking or sinking-tip line in addition to my floating line?
• How do you travel with fly rods?  Do you carry them on or check them?
• Would a 12-foot, 6-inch two-handed rod be OK for both stripers and smallmouths?
• What do you think offly clips?
• Should I use nylon or Fluorocarbon tippets for dries and nymphs?
• I have lost my passion for fly fishing.  Does this ever happen to you?
• A suggestion from a listener on targeting white bass in Texas on their spawning runs
• If I only had one type of line for stripers, bass, and pike because of expense, what line should I buy?
• Do you have any suggestions for catching stocked trout when the spin guys are catching tons of them using corn as bait?
• Is there a big difference between the Battenkill IV Spey and Battenkill IV disc?
• Is there an advantage to using a rotary vise?
• How long does it take trout eggs to hatch?

I get frequent requests for suggestions on what fly-fishing literature to read during these long winter nights when you want to enjoy fly fishing but don’t want to snuggle up to something lighter.  I invited David Van Wie (interview starts at 45:10), author of the recently published book Storied Waters—subtitled “35 Fabled Fly Fishing Destinations and the Writers and Artists Who Made The Famous”—to share with me his favorite writers and books.  It is pretty much an eastern-oriented tour of these books, but don’t worry.  I have an idea for someone to do a similar podcast on western North America writers on a future podcast so stay tuned. 

In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and suggestions from listeners—and one who slapped my hands:

• A listener who took me to task for encouraging another listener to try to introduce mayflies from one watershed into another.  Shame on me.  I didn’t think about also transferring other unwanted critters and I should have known better
• Can I use the same nymphs under an indicator that I use when Euro nymphing and vice versa?
• A suggestion from a listener about the great classes available at Orvis stores
• What are the pros and cons of indicator vs. non-indicator nymphing?
• What is your opinion on click-and-pawl fly reels?
• Does anyone rent waders?  I don’t want to pack them into my luggage.
• What gear do you carry when saltwater fly fishing that you would not carry on a trout stream?
• Can I attach droppers to a tippet ring?
• Why can’t I catch stocked trout when conventional anglers are yanking them in on Power Bait?
• I had a trout take my plastic strike indicator.  Does this ever happen to you?
• Does perfection matter when tying flies?  I have trouble tying a size 20 Purple Prince.
• Do midges migrate to Indiana during the winter?
• Why can’t I catch stocked trout on surface flies?

Tired of crowded trout streams?  Looking for a new fish to catch on a fly rod that will give you a tussle and challenge your skills?  Look no further than the white bass, which is a common fish in many parts of the US, from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi drainage and has even been introduced into some western lakes.  My friend Jim Weatherwax is a white bass fanatic (he also fishes for wipers in the same waters, which are a freshwater sterile hybrid of a white bass and a striped bass) and offers solid advice on where to find these great fish, what tackle to use, and best techniques to catch them.  Warmwater fish like this are great ways to spread out the fishing pressure that we all experience from time to time.

We have a long fly box this week, with lots of interesting questions and tips from listeners, including:

• What does it mean when a fly rod is rated for more than one line size, like 5/6?
• Should I use a full fluorocarbon leader when fishing with indicators?
• A suggestion on looking for blue cheeks and clean halos when trying to tell if a brown trout is wild.
• What is the difference between the new Recon 2 and the Helios 3 rods? 
• Should I buy a wading shoe one size larger than my shoe size when buying wading bots online?
• What do you think of using 2X short hooks for small nymphs?
• I am not able to catch fish on streamers during the winter in a tailwater.  What am I doing wrong?
• Are fluorescent hot spots on nymphs effective?
• Is it ethical to trim small tree branches in trout streams?
• Why do trout only take big attractor dry flies right after they land on the water?
• Are UV resins really effective?
• Why am I losing so many trout when fishing small nymphs?  Am I setting the hook wrong?
• Do you have some suggestions for catching American shad?
• Is it worth it to tie your own leaders?  And if I do, how can I attach them to my fly line without a loop-to-loop connection?
• Why do small brown trout attack huge streamers?
• Should I get a Helios 3 D or F version for fishing UK chalk streams?
• A suggestion for wearing nitrile gloves for winter fishing.

This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Orvis Executive Chairman of the Board, Perk Perkins, who spends a great deal of time chasing fish on saltwater flats and is one of the best technical anglers I know. Perk and I share a fascination for barracuda. They are one of the most exciting fish you can catch on the flats, but are often ignored in favor of bonefish, permit, and tarpon. But cudas offer one of the most explosive strikes in fly fishing, run and jump like maniacs, and are often on the flats when other species are hard to find. You just need to modify your leader and your technique a bit to catch them, and Perk shares some tips on cudas that run contrary to popular conceptions—including the idea that faster is not always better on your retrieve, and that small, slim flies can work as well as bulkier flies designed for barracuda.

In the Fly Box this week, we have an assortment of questions and tips shared by listeners, including:

• A recommendation for a reliable carp fly
• A question about putting a 9-weight intermediate line on an 8-weight rod for wade fishing for striped bass
• A tip on modifying the Hare’s Ear Nymph
• A question about a simple dry/emerger that does not require hackle
• A suggestion for holding flies using the magnetic closure on some fly boxes
• A question about how to find winter hatches on trout streams
• A question about Euro nymphing using rods not designed for that purpose
• A question about the tip-flex rating on an older Orvis rod
• A question about hatches on alpine lakes just after ice-out.
• Are Helios 3 and Recon blanks made overseas?
• What is the best way to teach my 8-year-old son to cast?
• A suggestion for contacting local fly clubs for information when traveling to a new destination
• Are spin anglers less ethical than fly anglers regarding crowding on the river?

This week I have another podcast with John McMillan, as I have to confess I love talking to John about fishy stuff.  His knowledge and enthusiasm and passion are infectious and I think his interviews are always enlightening.  This week we talk about The Colors of Trout—can we tell anything from the coloration of trout about their life history?  Is there a good way to tell a hatchery form a wild fish?  What does it mean when trout carry parr marks into adulthood?  How quickly can trout change their coloration?  And are the spot patterns on trout like fingerprints?  Warning—we come up with more questions than answers and you may as well.

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

• A way to get a dropper off a surgeon’s knot to stand at 90 degrees to the tippet
• A suggestion for an all-around rod for bass and Great Lakes steelhead
• How to carry a sinking line without lugging around a second rod
• Can I add 4X tippet to a 5X leader?
• What is the best way to dispose of tippet clippings?
• What is the difference between Euro, Tightline, Direct Contact, Spanish, Czech, and French Nymphing?
• Does it make sense to try a mouse fly during the winter?
• Do trout live in different places in freestone rivers than in tailwaters?
• Do mayflies live in warm waters?
• What is the best rod for an 8-year-old kid?
• What is the best way to thin UV Cure epoxy?
• If you see nymphs on the bottom, can you predict what adult insect to imitate?

There's no such thing as streamer season.

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

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

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

This week I interview one of my fly-fishing heroes, Joe Humphreys.  He’s been an innovative angler all his life (he was “Euro nymphing” before the Europeans) but even more impressive is his love of life and fly fishing, and his energy on the river in his ninth decade.  Joe talks about hot to stay young on the river, how to fish nymphs at night, and about the inspirational new film about his life called Live The Stream: The Story of Joe Humphrey.  It’s now available own and rent on the iTunes Store:  or Go to www.livethestreamfilm.com to buy the film on Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Download and more platforms including: Prime Video, Google Play, Vimeo, and Youtube.  I highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys the fly-fishing world and its history and traditions—and who wants to learn how to retain the enthusiasm of a 12-year old on the water.

Here are the important links:

Buy the film on LTS site: www.livethestreamfilm.com

Buy/Rent on iTunes: https://apple.co/2Iw0fQj

Nomadic Studio: www.thenomadic.com

In the Fly Box this week we have many interesting questions and suggestions:

• What is the best way to manage fly tying both at home and in the office?
• I broke my Tenkara rod when I got my fly snagged.  What is the safest way to try to retrieve a snagged fly when using this type of rod?
• Why won’t my clinch knots tighten properly?
• How can I get over my reluctance to fish emergers?
• A suggestion from a taxidermist on how to handle raw deer hides for fly tying.
• Do trout take Perdigons in unnatural colors out of curiosity or do you think they resemble food?
• What is an easy way to learn fly-fishing entomology?
• Why do the trout I take in mountain streams carry parr marks even into adulthood?
• What do I tell people who berate me for torturing fish?
• Are there circumstances when I should set my indicator shallower than 1 ½ times the water depth?
• I can’t seem to get away from the crowds no matter how far I drive.  What should I do?
• If I find lots of creek chubs in a stream, does that mean it won’t also hold trout?
• If you are not certain how to pair two streamers together, does it make sense to fish just one?
• Can I use split shot to get my nymphs deeper when Euro nymphing instead of tying my own flies with varied weights?
• Do you have some tips for casting a Depth Charge line?
• Do you have some suggestions on how to swing flies for Great Lakes steelhead?

This week I had a couple guests lined up but we had to reschedule, and because I have not done a new podcast in a few weeks because of my travel schedule I decided to tell a story. It’s from a magazine piece I did a number of years ago for the now-defunct magazine Fly Rod & Reel, and I have been toying with the idea of doing an audio book of my magazine stories over the years so I’m trying this to test the concept. The name of the story is “Creeped Out in Lordville” and it’s about all the decisions we have to make in the prime part of the season when fishing is good almost anywhere. It’s a departure from the usual podcast format of nuts-and-bolts advice so I hope you enjoy it. And not to fear, there is still a Fly Box section where I do offer advice on simple technique and tackle questions if that’s the kind of stuff you’re looking for. In the Fly Box this week, we have the questions and suggestions from readers: Some great professional advice on that recurring theme of lower back pain while fly fishing What are the practical benefits of smooth vs. textured lines in the new Orvis Pro Fly Lines? What do competitive anglers do for their own nymphing when not bound by competition rules? How do you fish for brown trout at night? What are times to avoid when trout fishing? Is air temperature, flow, or water temperature the most important consideration for trout fishing when the heat of summer is over? Why did a brown trout swim over to me and rub my ankles? Is there one rod I can use for both Midwest steelhead fishing and musky fishing? A suggestion that Bigeye Hooks have benefits beyond just easier threading Why does my nymph rig break at the surgeon’s knot instead of the clinch knot connection to the fly? What’s the best feather for palmering wet flies? What are some “go to” patterns for Euro nymphing? After I catch a fish, should I stay in the same pool or move on?

In today's podcast my guest is Shawn Combs, head of Orvis Rod & Tackle product development and Orvis rod and reel designer.  The topic is "16 Things I Wish I Knew About Trout Spey Before I Started".  If you have been thinking about trying to swing wet flies or small streamers for trout with a two-handed rod, also known as "Micro Spey", this will be a valuable lesson for you.  These are light two-handed rods, in line sizes 3 and 4, designed for covering larger waters.  It's especially effective in the fall, when trout are getting aggressive as the move into winter and brown and brook trout are migrating to their spawning grounds.  It's a fun and for many of us a new way to fish for trout.  In the Fly Box this week, here are some of the questions and suggestions from listeners:

I know there are large trout in my river.  What kind of water do I look for and what else should I keep in mind when targeting these larger fish?

I have been setting the hook on smallmouth bass by sweeping my rod parallel to the water.  Can you take a moment or two to discuss the pros and cons of various rod angles when setting the hook?

How can I tell if my waders are leaking or if I am just sweating inside them?

My wife and I had over 40 fish rise to our dry flies and only hooked a couple.  Any idea what was going on or how to land these fish?
What, to you, is the essence of Atlantic salmon fishing?

A tip from a listener on how to target flathead catfish on a fly
If I take my nine weight switch rod to Florida, what line size should I use on it for fishing from the surf?

A suggestion from a listener on another thing to be careful of regarding river etiquette.

What is the best way to get unstuck when you hook your fly on an object?

Do you have any recommendations on fishing crayfish patterns for smallmouth bass?

When there is thick aquatic weed on a river, what do you suggest for nymphing techniques?

Why am I suddenly beginning to hit my rod on my back cast?

A suggestion from a listener on the benefits of multi-focal contact lenses.

This week my guest is noted steelhead angler and scientist John McMillen of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. John’s topic is The Secret Life of Steelhead, and his fascinating discussion of why they do what they do (and the challenges they face) held me in absolute fascination. I am sure you’ll feel the same. Besides being a lifelong steelhead angler (John was a tester on our new Mission Series of two-handed rods), john has spent hundreds of days snorkeling steelhead rivers observing them, and at one time he was fishing about 345 days a year. John has worked professionally for the US Forest Service, the Hoh Indian Tribe, the Wild Salmon Center, and recently for NOAA on the Elwha dam removal project. Despite his lifetime of studying the life history and ecology of steelhead, John remains an optimist on the future of steelhead and it gives us hope that someone who understands them so well feels they have a chance of survival. In the Fly Box this week, we have these questions and suggestions from listeners: How to clean waders with vodka! A tip on a simple tool for tying nail knots A suggestion for a quick change rig for catching barracuda when fishing for bonefish and permit Why am I having trouble hooking brown trout on terrestrials? What waders do you recommend for someone starting out? What safety precautions do you take on the water? When you first get to the river, how do you decide which nymphing technique to use? What regular fly line size works on the Practicaster? Is there a good way to mark large smallmouth bass so I can see if I am catching the same ones? Silver saltwater hooks don’t work well for me when I fish Clousers in salt water. Why? I have a box of old leaders that are between five and 20 years old. Should I use them? Can I fish for steelhead in Lake Ontario tributaries with a 9-foot 8-weight rod? Why do I see so many scarred fish in a particular river? What other presentations should I use in high, dirty water when streamers don’t work?

This week, my guest is Orvis COO Simon Perkins, a lifelong fly fisher with 8 years of full-time guiding experience prior to working for Orvis. The subject is “Seek the Inside”, getting detailed about reading the water in a place that many anglers ignore—and one of the best places to find trout. Learn how to find these inside places and how to fish them from a highly experienced guide and fly fisher—and a great story teller. In the Fly Box this week, we have these questions and tips: How do I keep my fine scissors sharp? What should I avoid cutting with them? I have an 8 ½ foot 5 weight Encounter rod and need something bigger as well. What weight rod should I think of for my next one? A great tip on how to relieve lower back pain when fishing all day. Why don’t we have wild rainbow trout in more streams if they are so easy to grow in a hatchery? What is causing my leader to twist when fishing with a dry dropper? What are some good fly patterns to tie for panfish, ones that are easy for a beginner to tie? What would cause a large brown trout to suddenly dart erratically in all directions and then return to the same spot? What can I do to keep the tip of my floating line from sinking? Why am I having so much trouble making short casts on small streams? Is a 5-weight rod too small for bass? Can Antron be used as a parachute post material? Why do the wings on my poly wing spinners sweep back along the body and how can I fix it? How would you approach an unknown stream if you only had a few hours to fish?

This week’s podcast is called “Secrets of Lake Erie Steelhead Tributaries” and my guest expert is Alberto Rey, a longtime Orvis-Endorsed Guide and is also Distinguished Professor for Research and Creative Activity in the State University of New York system. He is a fine artist who specializes in Cuban-influenced scenes and such esoteric subjects as steelhead and extinct birds. Alberto also does some fine work with a youth fly-fishing program. Despite all his interests and activities days on the river with him are surrounded by an aura of calm and he’s a wonderful person to share a day with on the river. In the podcast he gives us tips on seasons, fly patterns, techniques, and tackle needed to chase steelhead in the eastern portion of Steelhead Alley—although steelhead anglers will learn tips they can use on smaller rivers anywhere steelhead are found. In the Fly Box this week we tackle the usual array of both advanced and basic questions including: What retrieve should I use when saltwater fly fishing? I tried it in Greece and didn’t catch anything. Can I use Poly Leaders for both steelhead in Oregon and saltwater species in California on my single-handed rod? A great tip from a listener on how to use bobber stoppers to make an adjustable dry/dropper rig. If I want to extend the butt on my leader, how do I know what size to use? How do I modify my hook-setting technique on downstream dry flies? Why do some brook trout carry parr marks throughout their life? What do you recommend for targeting perch in France? How do you tell a male from a female brown trout?

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

Secrets of catching sipping trout with Dave Perkins This week I interview Dave Perkins, Orvis Vice Chairman and one of the best technical anglers I know. Dave loves geeky challenges and is an expert at catching those picky large trout that lay up against the banks and sip small flies—ones that most anglers don’t even notice. In the Fly Box this week we have the following questions: Can I use a Bimini Twist knot to attach my leader to my fly line? Why does a trout that is sipping quietly suddenly attack my dry fly? Is there a way to land large trout in a small stream without a net? A tip on using split ring pliers for removing split shot. How do you choose where to go fishing when there are so many options? What books did you use when starting out, and where do you get your information these days? How do I avoid foul hooking fish when dry dropper fishing with a nymph on a short dropper Which is better, a fiberglass or bamboo rod? Is there a way to connect a tarpon or cuda fly directly to my bonefish fly? I have heard it can be done with a loop. How do I know how fast to set the hook on rising trout? Is it ethical to target bass on spawning beds?

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

This week, back by popular demand is Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions, who is one of the best fly-tying teachers around and also produces the best tying videos on the Internet (like our One-Minute Fly Tying Tips, available on Orvisnews.com or in the Orvis Learning Center.)  Tim and I talk about great new patterns and old patterns that should be resurrected, as well as taking old patterns and incorporating modern materials into them.  We also discuss that state of fly-tying today, which is probably more exciting than at any other time in history because of the great interchange of ideas in places like Instagram and You Tube.

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

• Suggestion on how to keep your split shot from sliding down the leader
• Suggestion on how to remove water from dry flies that won’t cost you a cent!
• Do nymphs work all season long?  What method should I start with?
• Should I do anything to maintain my old Orvis Green Mountain outfit?
• What do you think of foam posts for parachute flies?
• How do I catch rolling tarpon in deep water? 
• How can I catch gar on a fly?
• Can I use big streamers on small streams in Central New York?
• I like short rods.  Should I get the 6-foot Superfine Carbon or 6/12-foot Orvis Superfine Glass rod?
• Can I buy the right Comparadun hair online?

This week my guest is Davy Wotton, originally from Wales but who now lives and guides on the White River in Arkansas. I get frequent questions about swinging soft hackles and wet flies, and honestly I am not the best at this technique so I brought in who I consider the ultimate expert on this kind of fishing. Davy blends the British traditions with American conditions so he really has the best perspective on this kind of fishing, which can be both challenging and subtle—especially when fish are taking emergers. It’s a LONG podcast, but since I have never done one on this topic I make up for lost time. And Davy had many interesting points to make. The Fly Box is a bit shorter this week because the main podcast is so long. But we cover some interesting questions as usual: What can I do to keep my Stimulators floating? When do you fish a nymph and when do you fish a streamer? Can you use weed guards on trout flies? Why am I breaking off so many fish? Do some rod guides work better than others? More on pressure and its effects on fish What is the difference between a freshwater and saltwater rod? How can I see my fly in a fast riffle? How do I know if small streams hold trout? Why do trout bump my flies and why do they come off quickly?

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

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

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

We all learn something every time we go fishing, even the amazing vacuum cleaner Jesse Haller, our resident Euro nymphing expert.  So I asked Jesse what he has learned over the past 12 months, and it’s a fun and eye-opening interview that got me excited about trying some new ideas and strategies for Euro nymphing.  I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.

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

• Is there a good way to figure out what fly sizes I can use on a given rod?
• Can I use big trout streamers for Atlantic salmon?  Why are traditional salmon flies tied they way they are?
• I have trouble with line handling with two-handed rods.  What should I do?
• I can’t find smallmouth bass in my river even though I know they live there.  What kind of water should I look for?
• Why do some hook styles come in odd sizes like 13 and 15?
• I can’t get enough distance on big lakes with my 9 foot 6 weight Recon rod.  Would a longer rod help?  Would a two-handed rod get me more distance?
• Is it necessary to pinch the barb on hooks smaller than size 20?
• Why can’t I get flies shipped from the US to Canada, and is there any way to get around this?
• If I catch a big fish, is it OK to go back to try and catch it again in the same day?
• I am having trouble deciding on the right line for bass fishing on my 909 rod.  Some bass bug lines are rated two line sizes heavier.  What should I do?

This is a special backcast episode in that we also are posting an accompanying video over on the Orvis Fly-Fishing Video Podcast. Check it out wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe! Here is Tom's summary from when this ran in March of 2011: We have a very exciting podcast for you this week. Many of you have asked for a pike podcast, and we've delivered what I think is one of our best presentations in two parts. Part 1 is an audio interview I conduct with pike expert Drew Price, where he goes into great detail on where, when, and how to catch pike. Also in part 1, we have some tips in the Fly Box section on fishing CDC flies, choosing one rod for bass and trout, and how to get your nymph deep in small plunge pools. Part 2 is a video where we have tips on pike fishing (along with some shots of nice pike caught on a fly), courtesy of The New Fly Fisher TV show. I know I learned a ton from interviewing Drew and watching the video and can't wait to get at the pike this spring.

It’s not difficult to catch walleye on the fly if you know where and when to go after them. I have gotten frequent requests from listeners on how to catch walleye on the fly and have never been able to find the right expert guest. Then, a few weeks ago while filming a bass fishing episode for the upcoming second season of the Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide TV show, I found my expert—Ted Putnam of Hawk Lake Lodge. Ted has shown numerous experts how to catch not only just walleye but trophy walleye on the fly, and he shares his expertise on when and where, what flies to use, what lines to use, and how to retrieve the fly. In the Fly Box this week, we have the following questions: Why can’t I get bass to eat my mouse flies? Why don’t the fish on my river eat salmon flies? How often can I fish a population of trout and will it hurt them? More discussions on fish and changes in barometric pressure. (This will be an ongoing discussion) Why do I keep losing fish when using a heavily weighted barbless fly? Can I use my 9-foot 5 weight rod for bass fishing? What is the strangest fly material you have ever used? When should I use Comparaduns? What kind of roadkill can I use for fly tying? Why did mahi in the Gulf Stream ignore my flies? How does water temperature affect fish and insects? Why do people not fish dry flies much any more?

In honor of Father's Day and since Tom is still out on the road, we've pulled a popular show from the archives on how to teach young people how to fly fish.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.

Tom should be back next with your questions.

This week’s podcast is one of the biggest eye-openers I have ever done. Not only did I learn a lot, I have actually changed my views on a number of topics, including the effects of the moon on fishing and the effects of a change in barometric pressure. My guest, Russ Carpenter, is a neurologist at Stanford who studies the brains and senses of fish, specifically rainbow trout. He answers lots of question about a trout’s sense of smell, vision, and hearing. Including UV vision. I hope you learn as much as I did in this podcast. In the Fly Box this week, we have these questions: Do you really fish with bamboo rods? Aren’t graphite and glass better? Why did I see large steelhead in a Great Lakes tributary in July? What is your opinion on stocking fish in wild trout streams? Is a 6-weight line from 30 years ago the same size as a modern 6-weight?Can I dye a fly line with RIT dye? What is the best saltwater weed guard? Are some spooky fish truly un-catchable? Is there anything I can do to try to catch them? Is there a difference between a Scottish brown trout and a German brown? I am landing trout up to 20 inches without letting them run. Am I doing something wrong? What do you think about weighted soft hackles? With modern runner soles like the Michelin sole on the Pro Boot, is there any need for studs?

This week we’re talking about a spectacle of nature that happens every year in the Rockies in June—the salmonfly hatch. This is a giant stonefly that excites big trout and fly fishers—but it’s difficult to plan for and not as easy to fish as you might imagine. John Way of The Tackle Shop in Ennis, the oldest fly shop in Montana, gives his tips on the life cycle of this giant stonefly, how to fish the hatch, and how to avoid some of the inevitable drift boat traffic the hatch attracts. If you are planning a trip to the Rockies soon this is one you won’t want to miss. In the Fly Box this week, we have these questions and comments: How do I catch the big trout I see on Instagram? I never see them myself when I am on the river. How long before stocked trout tune into feeding on natural foods? If I accidentally kill a fish in a catch and release section, should I try to keep it to eat or just let it die? Is there an advantage to tying my second nymph to the eye of the first fly? When should I do this? When is a drop-shot rig better than conventional weight on the leader? Should I get a 5-weight or 6-weight rod for fishing indicator rigs on a windy lake? What fly materials are fairly universal and can for used for a variety of patterns? Why did I see some big trout in a tributary to a larger trout stream? A special tutorial on how to open a pair of forceps (you won’t want to miss this one!) How do we get younger people involved in organizations like Trout Unlimited?

This week I have a chat with Scott Bosse of American Rivers on the Montana Headwaters Security Act, a 7-year program that will hopefully come to fruition in 2020. It’s draft legislation for new Wild and Scenic river designations on some of the best rivers and streams on public lands in Montana. This draft legislation is the culmination of seven years of outreach to a broad cross-section of Montanans from across the state. During this time they have met with over 500 business owners, watershed groups, land trusts, recreation groups, riverside landowners, sportsmen and sportswomen, conservation organizations and other stakeholders. What they heard at those meetings mirrored what they learned in two bipartisan polls in 2013 and 2016 – Montanans love their rivers and want to see more of them protected using the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. It’s appropriate that this major legislation is happening in Montana, because the idea for the original Wild and Scenic Rivers legislation was born in Montana and was signed into law by President Johnson in 1968. In the Fly Box this week, we have questions and suggestions from listeners, including the following: The reason for the T-designation for sinking heads Can I use Tenkara flies with standard fly-fishing tackle? Why can’t I catch fish on nymphs? Do you have some tips for limestone streams? When it is advisable to purposely un-match the hatch Can I use hiking bots in place of wading boots? Can I use midge-sized flies all year long? They only work for me in the winter. Can I use an unweighted fly with a Euro-nymphing rig? Is it a good idea to use gear lubricant on my fly line? Why is fly-fishing gear so much more expensive than conventional gear? Where should I add split shot in relation to my streamer? Is there an easy way to remove split shot?

This week I was down in the Catskills and stopped in to chat with Evan Lavery of The Beaverkill Angler in Roscoe, New York. The topic of our podcast is hatches of the freestone rivers of the Catskills, in particular the Beaverkill and Willowemoc Creek. These are rivers rich with tradition and also rich with a diverse insect population--although they don't have the quantity of insects seen in the Catskill tailwaters like the Delaware, they have a more diverse population so you never know what you'll see. Plus, for the wading angler, these rivers don't have drift boats thus they can be more pleasant for fly fishers on foot. In the Fly Box this week, we have these questions and more: What leader should I use for pike and muskie? How do I fish for grayling in high mountain lakes? Do trout eat moths? What fly line is best for short casts? What indicators do you prefer? How do I tell the difference between a wild and stocked brown trout? Plus a harrowing tale of an "extreme angler"

Tom is on the road this week so we are posting a backcast episode from January of 2011 on emergers. This is one of Tom's "Black Diamond" episodes where he shares some more advanced fly-fishing techniques.

This week, fresh from the Orvis Guides’ Rendezvous in Montana, I returned with a bunch of stories and tips I recorded with some full-time, professional Orvis-endorsed guides in a bar. Some stories are bizarre, some funny, and some touching. I also asked each guest for a tip so it’s not all pure entertainment. There is just a bit of bathroom humor around body functions, so just be warned in case you listen to these with kids. Nothing I would not share with my kids but just in case… In the Fly Box this week, we have some interesting questions and a couple great tips from listeners. A series of great tips on what to focus on when teaching a friend to fly fish. If jig hooks ride point up, why do fly tiers put the wing case on the side that points down when it is in the water? If trout face upstream, and you should approach them from downstream, why do all these people catch lots of fish using Euro nymphing methods when fish are directly across or even downstream from them? I have a 9 ft 6 weight Recon. I want to fish in small trout streams and for panfish. What lighter rod would you recommend? My big tungsten beads keep slipping over the hook eye. What can I do to prevent this? I fish in a river that has stocked trout and native smallmouth but I am really targeting the smallmouth. Why do I only catch trout this time of year? Why don’t your rods have hook keepers? I have been told to make my fly cast like I am holding a pretzel rod and I should be making a motion like I am trying to break the pretzel. But I get fatigue in my wrist. Is this a good casting tip? What is the dumbest way you have ever broken a rod? If you don’t have the correct fly size to match an insect, is it better to go one size smaller or one size larger when matching the hatch?

So you thought you knew something about fly-fishing history? This week I have a chat with Paul Schullery, in my opinion the premier fly-fishing historian in North America. When I have a question about history Paul is my go-to guy. He’s the author of at least 50 natural history books, was a historian for Yellowstone National Park, and when he lived in Vermont was executive director of The American Museum of fly fishing. In the podcast, you’ll learn that not many things are new in fly fishing. Tenkara-style fishing was used in Europe hundreds of years ago. People were catching bass on a fly in Florida since revolutionary days. Euro nymphing? Drop shot techniques? Fly fishing for pike? Saltwater fly fishing? Those were all done hundreds of years ago. Paul also goes into some detail on women in fly fishing, and how women have been involved in the sport since the very beginning. In the Fly Box this week, we have the following questions: Is it worth it to buy prescription polarized sunglasses and where do I buy good ones? What works best for early season brook trout in Vermont? Am I cheating if I use a small wireless fish finder on my pontoon boat? Why do you call this The Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide podcast? Is it just for guides? Why doesn’t anyone make a fiberglass rod longer than nine feet? How do I search the podcasts for a topic? What is the best way to catch white perch on a fly rod? I bought an old reel with a fly line on it and the line is all kinked up. Can I fix the line or should I trash it? Can I use fluorocarbon spinning line as a leader? Why did I have trouble catching fish when they were rising? I can catch them on nymphs. What is a good rotary fly-tying vise in the $100-$200 price range?

A few weeks ago I did a podcast with Josh Jenkins of Scientific Anglers on floating fly lines. Not only was it popular, I hinted that we might do one on sinking lines, which produced a minor barrage of requests for one. So here it is. You’ll learn about how sinking lines are made, what those designations like IPS, Class V, and T-14 mean and how to use them in your fishing. You’ll also get some hints on how to pick the right sinking line for your own situations. In the Fly Box this week, we cover the following suggestions and questions: A suggestion on how to get a nice flat shape when tying nymphs A heads up about the FFI Fly-Tying Awards Why do I lose so many trout using size 22 hooks? Should I bend the hooks out a bit? Can I substitute monofilament for fine wire on my Elk Hair Caddis? How do I extend the butt section of my leader? Exactly what knots do I need? Is it OK to use flies tied for different species in other habitats? How do I catch walleye on a fly? I am legally blind and want to catch brook trout on small mountain streams? What is the best method for me? Can I use UV resin instead of head cement on smaller flies? What are the most effective colors of Dragon Tails? What sinking line is best for any given body of water?

This week my interview is with Jeremy Wade of “River Monsters” fame. You may remember the episode where he caught a huge arapaima on an Orvis H3 and Mirage reel. He doesn’t always use a fly rod, but he does enjoy everything from those giant fish in exotic locations to a small wild brown trout river near his home in the UK. We talk about lots of things other than river monsters—what he enjoys about fly fishing, how he stays in shape for fighting those beasts, and about the pleasures of getting to know a water intimately instead of the pressure of having to produce for the camera. He has a new TV show and a book coming out soon—you’ll learn all about them on the podcast. In the Fly Box this week we have some great questions: What is the difference between wild, native, and holdover trout? How do I get small beads on hooks when they don’t want to go over the bend? What is the correct way to “haul in a fish”? Will upgrading my rod make me a better angler? Would it make sense to overload my 8-weight rod for pike and musky with a 9-weight line to throw those bigger flies? What is the best way to collect insects from my local river for reference? Who are some older authors you recommend for pleasure reading? Can I use my “saltwater” fluorocarbon leaders in Alaska? What things currently restricted by the rules of competitive angling would competitors use for their own fishing? And finally, yet another great tip by a listener on how to keep Thing-A-Ma-Bobbers from slipping on thinner sections of leaders

We’ve all heard about going to remote camps in Labrador or Quebec for large brook trout, but less well known are the drive-in rivers of Ontario. Ontario has some amazing wilderness fishing for large brook trout that can be accessed without a float plane, and Mark Melnyk, co-host of the TV show The New Fly Fisher has explored many of them in the course of scouting locations for his show. The fantastic part of the story is that he hardly ever needs to resort to a subsurface fly and most of the action is on the surface with mice and other floating imitations. Listen in to Mark’s tips on where to go and how to catch these trophy fish on a budget. In the Fly Box this week, we have some interesting questions and also some great tips from listeners (if these tips get any better I’ll be out of a job!) I only have a 7 ½ foot rod and it’s a bit short for working larger rivers. Can I use my 9 foot 8-weight for trout? Is tungsten toxic? A great tip on how to keep split shot from sliding on the leader A great tip for keeping Thing-A-Ma-Bobbers from sliding on your leader Can I fish the same big dries I use on the headwaters of a creek further down in the watershed? Where can my friend go to get help with his tailing loop? Are knotted leaders better than knotless leaders? Is it better to use a nail knot on my line instead of a loop-to-loop connection? How do I keep some old treasured wet flies from degrading? Are tactical barbless hooks better than just mashing the barb on a standard hook? Is it more effective to use a hackled dry fly or a Comparadun-type during a mayfly hatch? A great tip from a listener in Ireland on a method of fishing soft hackles called The Escalator Method

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

This week I interview Devin Olsen, who you may know about from competitive fly fishing, but we’re not going to talk about competition. Devin walks us through what to look for when you first approach a stream and how to come up with a strategy for a day of fishing. His new book Tactical Fly Fishing is now available but we get a sneak peak on what you’ll learn from his book. In the Fly Box this week, we talk about: Moving kids from a spinning rod to a switch rod How to deal with muddy and bloody feathers from a duck-hunting friend How to display fly rods in your house If my jig hooks bend when I get stuck in a snag, should I just bend them back and re-use them? If a 5-weight is considered an all-around rod in graphite, is it the same for fiberglass rods? What is the difference between hen necks and hen capes? A great suggestion for carrying a landing net on a plane Do catastrophic floods ruin trout fishing and the insect life? What length and line size do you recommend for both smallmouth bass and steelhead? Can I catch catfish with a fly rod? How should I organize my bonefish fly boxes? Which grain weight in the Depth Charge lines is best for surf fishing?

To continue our celebration of flies with the Giant Fly Sale, this week I have a long talk with Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions, maker of the finest tying videos on the web. This is always one of the most eagerly awaited podcasts of the year, and it’s also one I look forward to because I enjoy talking to Tim about fly tying and always learn so much from him. I get a lot of questions about material substitutions, so what Tim and I decided to do was to take six popular flies, dissect them material by material, and recommend our favorite substitutes for each step. Here are the flies we include: Parachute Adams Clouser Minnow Prince Nymph Woolly Bugger Tunghead Zebra Midge Drunk & Disorderly Deceiver (we had to put one complicated pattern in there) In The Fly Box this week, we have the following questions: How do I keep split shot from sliding on my small diameter tippet Why do I keep losing fish? How do I get a tiny Baetis nymph deep? When is an indicator better than a Euro nymphing rig? What is a Cuda Tube? How do feeder streams affect fishing in a lake? What rod would be best for smaller streams in the East? Why could I not catch trout on a Zebra midge when there were midges all over the water later in the day? A terrific suggestion from a listener on how to turn a landing net into an insect seine by using panty hose How should I fish scuds in a spring creek? What is meant by “big streamers” as opposed to “small or medium streamers” and what line sizes work best with them.

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

This week I interview Dom Swentosky of the Troutbitten blog, which is one of my favorites because I like the way he thinks about fishing problems and solutions. We titled it “Old School Streamer Fishing” and that’s how it starts, but Dom also discusses an innovative way of fishing streamers on mono, on a tight line, similar to the way a lot of people fish nymphs today. So in my view it’s a mix of old and new techniques. In the Fly Box this week, we have the following questions: What kind of sinking line do I need for walleyes in 10 feet of water? What is the best way to organize fly-tying material? Do you have a good way of testing streamer patterns during the winter when you can’t fish them? Does it matter what kind of material I use for wings on bonefish flies? How do I modify my knotless leader? Do you have any suggestions for fishing beaver ponds? What suggestions do you have for swinging steelhead flies when the water depth varies greatly? How can I fish leech imitations in a river that is 15 to 30 feet deep for walleyes? What is the best way to fish an incoming tide for stripers? How should I target sharks on the fly? How do I catch carp in a deep muddy lake where they don’t come into the shallows except to spawn?

This week’s podcast is about a relatively rare but also easily accessible fly-rod fish—the Guadalupe bass. I was lucky enough to get Alvin Dedeaux of All Water Guides to talk about these interesting members of the bass/sunfish family. They sound like the perfect fly-rod target, available year-round in central Texas. They are a native species, they eat a lot of small prey, they fight well, and they are readily accessible on smaller rivers on public water. In the Fly Box this week, we have the following questions: What setup do I need for fishing from shore in southern California salt water? Will my 8-weight Encounter rod work? What is fishing in Cuba like? How do I keep from foul-hooking steelhead? How do I play one or should I break it off? And is it ethical to take a photo of a foul-hooked fish? Why don’t more anglers use nets on smaller trout? What tips would you give a younger Tom if you could go back and give yourself advice? Should I use fluorocarbon leaders on small mountain streams? How should I clean my Ultralight Waders? Can you recommend one or two all-around adhesives for fly tying, for someone on a budget? What material is best for tails on parachute flies? Do you wrap shiny-side-up or shiny-side-down on parachute hackles? For bass, panfish, pike, stripers, and bigger trout water, should I buy a 6-weight or 8-weight fiberglass rod? What do I do to emergers to get them to float just in the surface film?

Our friend and Orvis-endorsed guide Josh Nugent of Out Fly Fishing Outfitters in Calgary was in town last week, and I grabbed him to do a podcast. Josh did one a few years ago with me entitled “The Seven Deadly Sins of Sight Fishing” and it was really popular, so we decided to do “The Seven Deadly Sins of Streamer Fishing”. If you think streamer fishing is just chucking a big piece of meat out there and stripping back, Josh has some revelations for you. Revelations based on thousands of hours on the water. In the Fly Box this week, lots of interesting questions and suggestions: What do you see as the biggest revolutions in fly fishing technology and the biggest flops? Is there a difference between dry fly and nymph dubbing? If trout are sensitive to cold temperatures why do we catch them ice fishing? Why are fly rods always made in 6-inch increments? How do I substitute hooks when a tier on YouTube mentions a specific model? If I am fishing a tandem streamer in a place where only single hooks are allowed, which one do I cut off? Why do trout jump out of the water? Is a digital thermometer better for fishing than an analog design? Which hackles should I buy for dry flies or wet flies? Which YouTube Channel do you recommend for reliable fly patterns? Do boots without felt really decrease the possibility of spreading invasive species? How do I get the perfect consistency with head cement? Do I need a stripping basket when using my switch rod? Why did you make H3 rods with that ugly white label? A great suggestion from a listener on buying lunch for your guide (this is often required when fishing in salt water) What 10-20 flies should I tie next after going through all the flies in the kit?

This week I interview Josh Jenkins, Research and Development manager for Scientific Anglers, and who, along with his crew, is responsible for all the cool new technology in fly lines. Floating lines are confusing because there are so many options, so Josh explains how they are made, why coatings and cores determine what kind of water they’re used in, and how tapers affect the performance of fly lines. Are double taper and weight forward lines the same for the first 30 feet? Is there any difference between a saltwater and freshwater line, or between a cold water and warm water line? These are questions I get asked all the time in the podcast, so I figured I would go to the ultimate expert to answer them. In the Fly Box this week, we have lots of intriguing questions, including: Why can’t I make my furled leader perform? Is my tippet too long or too short? What is Tom’s job? Does he get to fish at all? How do I set my drag for trout fishing? Can Spey casting be used in lakes? How should I target rainbows in the fall? Is that when they spawn? At what temperatures do bass become active enough to catch on a fly rod? Can I get some tips on making my golden pheasant crests behave? Is it worth it to prospect with a small dry fly in winter? Are there small trout streams that are just impossible to fish with a fly? What are the pros and cons of using a sink tip line instead of a poly leader? Can you help me decide between a 4-weight or 5-weight rod? Do you have any tips for when a head cement jar won’t open? What kind of watercraft should I buy for New England rivers? What is color preserver? Do you have any tips for tying the tails on an RS2? How do I organize all the fly fishing information I encounter? Can bigger trout be caught on soft hackles?

Long-time listener Dan Frasier put together this mock interview with Tom and we just had to share it. While there is no offensive language, if you have small children present, or are easily offended, you may want to skip this one. Thanks, Dan!

There’s lots of discussion about what makes a good guide and why some are better than others for a whole host of reasons. But the guide/angler connection is truly a team effort, and to get the most out of a guide trip there are things a client can do to get more out of the experience and have a more enjoyable and educational trip. Simon Perkins, Orvis COO, was a fishing guide before he hung up his oars for an office job. He shares his experiences, good and bad, and suggests ways we can be better clients. He also shares a few stories about his best and worst days of being a guide and a client. A couple are quite colorful and I think you’ll enjoy them. In the Fly Box this week we have the following questions: How can I roll cast big streamers? How do I fish streamers in small brook trout streams? What is the best tool for measuring water temperature and how cold does water have to be before trout stop feeding? Where is that new Clearwater Euro nymphing rod? Can I use my 5-weight rod for surf fishing in the ocean? Are wool fingerless gloves any good? Is 20-lb fluorocarbon too light for the butt section of a leader? What are gut leaders? Is a UV light essential for fly tying? Is roll casting more difficult with a shorter rod? My wife and I fished some big articulated streamers and had no luck. What were we doing wrong? I have a pile of old flies. How do I identify what they are?

A number of listeners have been asking for a show about landlocked Atlantic salmon, and for that I can think of no one better than a native Mainer. Jeff LeBree has been fishing for landlocked salmon is his native state for over 50 years, and for 17 of those years has been a guide at Orvis-endorsed Libby Camps. He shares his knowledge about when to go to Maine for landlocks, how to fish for them, where in the river to look for them, and of course what flies to use. Jeff is quite a character and we have a lot of laughs. I hope you enjoy his downeast humor. In the Fly Box this week, we cover the following questions: Is it necessary to use a strike indicator when winter nymphing? My soft hackles don’t distribute around the hook well and stay on top. What should I do? Can you give me some advice on making hook substitutions for fly patterns? How does George Daniel add a dropper with the Orvis knot without running the flies through the loop? Can I use tandem fliy rigs for bass fishing? If you say that flies can last 50 years, why do you tell me to throw away my thread after two or three years? What rod should I buy for Euro nymphing? I can’t afford the Helios 3. How do people carry fly rods onto a plane?

My interview this week is with the highly respected angler, writer, and guide Landon Mayer of Colorado. He has a new book out this week—The Hunt for Giant Trout and that’s exactly what we talk about—times, places, and flies for taking the largest trout in a river. We talk a lot about the various food preferred by the larger trout in a body of water—how to identify them and how to select flies and techniques to imitate them. As usual Landon is bursting with great ideas for you to try on your next fishing trip. In the Fly Box this week we cover the following questions: Tips for catching sheepshead on a fly Is my bonefish tackle OK for stripers on Long Island? A tip for practicing strip-setting that incorporates a willing cat When to use poly leaders Can I use and indicator when fishing small BWO dry flies? What are the advantages of using shanks over beading wire for tying articulated flies? A tip for carrying tippet rings on a snap swivel instead of a safety pin Is the Orvis Spey Line a Skagit line? How to fish streamers in tight quarters How to catch shallow water stripers in a Tennessee river at night Can I keep my fishing gear in a cold garage all winter? Will keeping my rods strung up hurt my leader? Which end of a surgeon’s knot should I use for the dropper, and should I take two or three turns? Should I get a starter rod or go right to the best rod I can afford?

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

This week I have an interesting chat with Cameron Mortenson, the man behind the wildly popular blog The Fiberglass Manifesto. Learn how he got started, what he does for his day job, and of course his thoughts on the state of the fiberglass fly rod world today. And of course we talk about why someone would even want a glass rod and what advantages they offer. In The Fly Box this week, we explore the following: A great tip for keeping your hands warm for cold-weather fishing A great tip for relieving neck and upper back pain while fishing Can I fix a broken Poly Leader? How do I remove the smell from flies I have coated with UV-cure epoxy? What switch rod is best for stripers? Has the Koi Foundation been established yet? And if I want to practice for koi fishing, can I try for the goldfish in my backyard pond? How to lessen foul hooking trout when fishing a nymph with a dropper. Will long stretches of straight, shallow water be devoid of trout in small streams? Can I use a poly leader for nymph fishing? And can I use split shot instead of a poly leader for streamer fishing? What does “turning over the fly” mean? Can I tightline for steelhead using my 10-foot 7-weight rod? What is the most versatile sinking line to get if I only have a floating line now?

How do people compete in fly fishing contests? How are they scored? How do the teams work? Where are the competitions held? Most of us don’t have any interest in competing in fly fishing—some of you probably hate the idea—but this discipline has stimulated some great ideas in fly fishing and has led to the interchange of ideas throughout the world. There’s no money involved, just lots of camaraderie, and competitive fly fishing does not hurt the resource or even get in the way of our enjoyment of trout waters except for a few hours a year on a particular stream or lake. I think you’ll be fascinated by the inner workings of this unusual competition. In the Fly Box this week, we have the following questions: Why can I land smaller fish but not land the bigger ones when tightline nymphing? How much can I remove from the tip of my fly line without hurting its performance? How are most trout waters stocked? Why didn’t I catch any fish on a recently stocked river? Where do small stream brook trout go during the winter? Will wearing the required blaze orange clothing during hunting season ruin my trout fishing? Do you think fish can see the post on parachute flies? Why don’t my Klinkhammer flies always float upright? How do I keep my neck and shoulders from hurting when I am fishing all day? Can I strip streamers for Lake Erie steelhead? Do bright headlamps spook largemouth bass? How can I minimize tangles in my net when fishing multi-fly rigs? How can I fish my Depth Charge line to minimize snagging on the bottom? Can I use my old Orvis Impregnated Bamboo rod for trout fishing? Can I tie 6X tippet to a tippet ring? Mine keeps breaking.

This week I talk to someone I have wanted to interview for a long time, and a subject that is long overdue—fly fishing the Texas Coast for redfish and speckled trout. Dave Hayward, manager of Swan Point Landing Fly Shop, was in a past life an Orvis store manager in Houston for many years and also an Orvis sales rep. He’s been running Swan Point for 10 years now, and is recognized as one of the most knowledgeable authorities on fly fishing the Texas Coast. In this podcast you’ll learn about how the fishery changes with the season, what tackle you need, fly patterns to choose, and how to approach these fish. Dave is honest about the increased pressure in his fishery, but also shares some spots that get off the beaten patch. It’s also exciting to hear about the developing tarpon and snook fisheries along the Texas Coast. In the Fly Box this week we have our usual smorgasbord of topics, including: Tips on re-using tippet bands for identifying fly lines on spare spools How do I put a new leader on my fly line? Is it a good idea to practice on suckers before I go trout fishing? Is there any risk when carrying a fully assembled fly rod in your vehicle? Is it worth it to try to target lake trout during the summer when they are deep? Will the loud clicker on my reel scare trout? Why does my fly get caught on my forward cast? How do I reverse my fishing slump? Is trolling an acceptable way to fish a fly in salt water? How do I get more distance when casting in the surf? I am 6’6” tall and my Mom is 5’ tall. Can we use the same rod and casting stroke? Are saltwater wading boots worth the price?

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

Your FAQs answered! This week I interview my old friend Jeremy Benn, longtime Orvis employee and head of our Outfitter Team in Roanoke , Virginia. These are the wonderful people who answer all your tackle questions via e-mail, telephone, and live chat. There are certain questions they get (and I get on podcast requests) over and over again, including: What rod do I need for….? Can I use the same fly rod outfit for … and >>>? Do I really get something more when I buy a more expensive rod? How much backing do I need? What leader do I need for …? I am going to …. What flies do I need? What is the best knot? In the Fly Box this week, here is a sample of the kinds of questions I try to answer: How do I become a fishing guide? When do I fish upstream and when do I fish downstream? Why do you put barrel swivels on your braided leaders? (We don’t.) How do you avoid breaking your rod when getting flies out of trees? What will be the effects of the recent hurricane on trout and saltwater fishing in North Carolina? How often do you fish parachutes and Sparkle Duns as opposed to traditional dry flies? How long can you keep a trout in a net if it has cool running water in the net? Can I use my switch rod for schoolie stripers? What flies should I use for landlocked Atlantic salmon? How do I target cruising salmon and steelhead on the Chicago shoreline? What happened to the Orvis app? Why can’t I catch trout in tailwaters on streamers from my canoe? Plus two great fly-tying tips from a listener.

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

Do you stop fishing for smallmouth bass when summer ends? You could be missing the best bass fishing of the year and the chance at your biggest smallmouth if you do. Mike Schultz of Shultz Outfitters in Michigan is one of our foremost experts on smallmouths (and the designer of some of our most popular flies) and this week he shares a wealth of knowledge on how to modify your tactics to continue to catch smallmouth bass on the fly rod well into winter. This is a topic that no smallmouth lover wants to miss. In the Fly Box this week, we have a number of reactions to last week’s discussion with Steve Rinella, the Meat Eater, as well as questions on these topics: Can I put a 3-weight or a 7-weight line on a size 5/6 reel? How do I store poppers with weed guards? Do you have some suggestions for catching catfish on a fly? How do I attach a wire bite guard to my leader? How do I find wild trout in a small, clear stream with sandy bottom that does not have a high fish population? Do fly tying materials go bad with age? How should I store my hackle capes and deer hair? Do you have tips for catching lake-run brown trout? Can I use a switch rod in Belize? Do you have a suggestion for a pair of cheap wet-wading shoes? When do you recommend catch and release and when do you recommend keeping fish? How can I get the elk hair on my caddis flies to keep from rolling around the hook shank?

This week I have a fun discussion with Steve Rinella of the “Meat Eater” podcast and TV show and book. If you’re a diehard catch-and-release always angler you may want to pass this one up. But if you occasionally kill fish and want to honor fish with proper care and preparation, you’ll find some very helpful advice. And some interesting side discussions along the way. In The Fly Box this week, we have the usual array of questions about tackle, techniques, and fly-fishing philosophy. Including: Can I get one rod for pike, carp, musky, and Pacific salmon? What lines and leaders do I need for surf fishing? Can I have permission to use my stripping basket on trout streams? What flies will I need in Hawaii, and can you recommend a guide? Will dry flies work in the rain? How do I carry a net on my sling bag? What sunglasses do you recommend? Why do I keep missing strikes from smallmouths on a popper? Should I use a stinger hook? How do I get trout to come out from undercut banks to take my fly? Does smoky air from forest fires change the way insects hatch?

This week I have the pleasure of interviewing Jenny Mayrell-Woodruff—the Orvis-endorsed Freshwater Guide of the Year for 2018. Jenny has recently relocated to Montana to run a lodge on Rock Creek and she took time out of her very busy schedule to share her knowledge of late summer terrestrial fishing. It’s an educational podcast and a timely one. In the Fly Box this week we explore a wide range of topics, as usual: How to transition from small trout streams to big rivers Why do I keep missing fish when fishing mouse patterns at night? Can I use perfection loops in the middle of my leader to add droppers? What is the best way to touch up the blades of nippers? How do I make my fly attract trout by its entry into the water? What happens to Tricos when nighttime air temperatures don’t go below 70 degrees? Do tippet rings wear out? Can I use my Clearwater line for trout fishing? Do you measure the cast length from your body or from the rod tip? How do you prospect for trout in long, slow pools? What do you do if a big trout runs downstream and the water is too deep to wade below it?

Fly-Fishing with your family, with Derek Olthuis This week Orvis Ambassador Derek Olthuis and I talk about fishing with your kids and family. Derek has three young children and he fishes as much as anyone I know, so he has some great tips on how to make it a fun and rewarding experience for all members of the family. If you’ve wanted to introduce kids to fly fishing you’ll get some great advice from this podcast. In the Fly Box this week, we have some interesting questions and comments, including What do I do with saltwater flies after I’ve used them? How do companies that sell fly patterns evaluate new ones? How do I keep annoying sea grass off my fly and leader? Should I feel guilty about hooking tarpon that were chilling in a marina behind a boat? Should I worry about keeping my fishing gear in a hot car? How do I quickly tell if a stream has a rich food supply or if it is more infertile? Can I use this to adjust my fishing techniques? What do I do if a trout tries to eat my strike indicator? How long should removable studs last? Why could I not catch smallmouths that were chasing baitfish? Why don’t more anglers use soft-hackle flies? How long should I rest a pool before trying a new fly pattern? What’s an easy way to identify mayflies and caddisflies in the air?

In this week’s podcast my guest is Eric Eikenberg, CEO of The Everglades Foundation and our major partner in this important conservation effort. For the past few years Orvis has taken a leading role in the effort to get the word out to the fly-fishing community about this critical issue, which affects Florida Bay, both coasts of Florida, and of course the Everglades, which as a National Park is owned by all citizens of the United States. It’s an update on where we are for a solution to the issue, and you’ll be happy to know we are guardedly optimistic about the future. Also in the Fly Box week we have these question: Why do I keep losing small brook trout? How can I take the coils out of old leaders? Will my old Clearwater Reel be OK in salt water? Why don’t fly shops stop selling feathers from endangered birds? Do women wear sling bags? Does the pigtail at the end of a broken knot always indicate a poorly tied knot? Why don’t people use the oval or Belgian cast more often? Why do I keep losing big trout and steelhead when they get downstream of me? What do I do for a leader if I encounter both striped bass and bluefish?

If it does not go up until next week no big deal. This week my guest on the podcast is the great George Daniel, one of the finest anglers in the world and a wonderful teacher. George is also refreshingly un-dogmatic, and even though he is an expert on nymph fishing he does not stick to only one method, but uses all kinds of techniques depending on the conditions. There are scores of good tips in this podcast so if you enjoy nymph fishing don’t miss it. In the Fly Box this week, you’ll find answers (or at least my attempt to answer) questions about: How do I keep my reel from getting tangled at the end of the day? Is a fiberglass rod a disadvantage for distance and in the wind? Do you have some tips on fishing mayfly spinner falls? Can I catch carp when they are spawning? How do I make my Humpies more durable? Can I catch channel catfish on a fly rod? Can I fish a Gurgler on an intermediate line? Will textured fly lines hurt my rod guides? How can I land big fish by myself without high-sticking my rod?

This week I have a chat with noted permit guide and film maker Captain Will Benson. We discuss the idea of an angler as athlete, and how he and some of his clients prepare for big permit tournaments, both mentally and physically. You may have no interest in fishing tournaments, but for some of your fishing trips you may have invested a lot of time, money, and emotional expectations. Will gives some great, and most unusual, ideas to make sure you get the most out of your trips. In the Fly Box this week, we cover the following questions from listeners: · Do trout ever get “information overload” during a heavy hatch? · What is a basic saltwater outfit for fishing the Gulf? · How do spring creek trout differ from stocked trout in tailwaters? · What aren’t all flies sold with barbless hooks? · What is the difference between a $15 spool of fluorocarbon tippet and a $10 200-yard spool of spinning line? · Will two-handed casting ruin my overhead casting technique? · Why do I miss fish when trolling for trout? · Can I fish lakes on a backpacking trip with a Tenkara rod? · What are sme good basic books on trout stream insects for New England?

In this week’s podcast I interview a very interesting man. In fact, he is the original Most Interesting Man in the World, Jonathan Goldsmith, who is a lifelong fly fisher and not only an interesting guy, but a really nice person as well. He talks about the importance of tradition in fly fishing, his lifelong love affair with it, and most appropriately the importance of his father as his fly-fishing mentor. We’ll also catch up on what he has been doing since the beer company decided a younger man would be more interesting. (Big mistake) In the podcast this week, here are some of the questions and suggestions from listeners: A geeky way to splice old fly lines to make a special line for throwing bass flies on a 5-weight I make a couple suggestions on books to read How to deal with feathers you obtain from a shooting preserve Can I eat a trout that has whirling disease? Is a 10-weight rod enough for cobia and king mackerel? How to deal with tarpon guides who get upset when you blow a strike How to hold your fly and fly line in the “ready position” for saltwater fly fishing A suggestion for an all-around saltwater rod How to keep hopper patterns from turning upside-down in the water Suggestions for catching ultra-spooky trout in a small stream Can I use stocking foot waders on sandy beaches? How to fish a dry dropper when moving from deep pools to shallow riffles.

This week’s main topic is the Smith River in Montana, a near-wilderness river that requires a five-day float and is on many fly fishers’ wish lists. It is definitely on mine. To talk about fishing and floating the Smith, and a threat to its pristine ecosystem, my guests are John Herzer, a veteran of many decades of floating the Smith, and David Brooks, executive director on Montana Trout Unlimited. In the Fly Box this week you can enjoy the following tips and questions: Why do I see carp jumping at the base of a dam like salmon on their spawning run? What is an economical way to explore new rivers without always hiring a guide? Can I use braided leaders for carp? How can I do better when setting the hook on quick-striking brook trout? What is the best way to attach a leader to a fly line if you don’t have a welded loop on the end? How can I catch smallmouths lying in eight feet of water next to a large boulder? A listener tip on how to use a polarizing filter on an Iphone (or similar smartphone).

On this week’s podcast my guest is RA Beattie of Beattie Productions/Off the Grid Studios. You have no doubt seen some of his wonderful films, or perhaps you have enjoyed his latest venture—Fly Fishing films on Amazon Prime video. RA shares some tips on both video and still photography with us, and there are some good nuggets in there to help you move beyond the cliched grip & grin shots that have over-saturated social media. Warning—if you don’t understand the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO it might be worthwhile to do a little research before you listen to this one. In The Fly Box, lots of interesting tips and questions: Why do I keep losing bass when I play them? Should I get a 10-foot 3-weight or 4-weight rod? Can I throw big poppers with a 9-foot 5-weight rod? A warning about the legality of Tenkara rods in rivers designated “fly fishing only”. Are newer graphite rods better for tippet protection than older models? A tip from a listener on pike fishing as practice for saltwater fly fishing. When measuring sections for tying a knotted leader, are the specs for the section before or after you tie the knot? Why do largemouth bass sometimes sniff my fly but don’t attack it aggressively? What is a good recommendation for an inflatable kayak? How do I avoid creek chubs when trout fishing? What is a good starter outfit for northeast saltwater fly fishing? How much better are rubber soles with metal studs? And should I worry about scratches they make on rocks? How do I read the water on ever-changing rivers like the Bighorn?

I occasionally receive a fishing book that really strikes my fancy as being totally original, and last winter I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson. Much more than a fishing book, it’s the story of a young Atlantic salmon fly tier who stole priceless bird skins from a British museum and then used them for his own tying and sold them on the internet. Kirk researched the story thoroughly and even tried to trace some of the feathers that were purchased to get them back to the museum. The book truly reads like a whodunnit and I found it fascinating reading. To use a well-worn cliché I literally could not put it down. Some of you fly tiers may be not agree with the stance he takes on tiers obsessing over rare and unusual materials so I think it may create some lively discussions. Regardless, I think you’ll find our discussion fascinating. In the Fly Box this week, we get into more conventional and non-controversial questions, such as these: Why do two dry flies work better than one? How do you fish a Sneaky Pete for smallmouths in fast water? What size and color Woolly Bugger is best? What does the Woolly Bugger imitate? What color polarized sunglasses are best and what are some good brands? Why can I land 18-inch fish but not the ones that are over 24 inches? Are grayling selective? Is it normal to tie a Clouser Minnow with a red head? Is it normal to reel all of your line in before playing a fish? Why am I not catching bigger brook trout on streamers?

I occasionally receive a fishing book that really strikes my fancy as being totally original, and last winter I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson. Much more than a fishing book, it’s the story of a young Atlantic salmon fly tier who stole priceless bird skins from a British museum and then used them for his own tying and sold them on the internet. Kirk researched the story thoroughly and even tried to trace some of the feathers that were purchased to get them back to the museum. The book truly reads like a whodunnit and I found it fascinating reading. To use a well-worn cliché I literally could not put it down. Some of you fly tiers may be not agree with the stance he takes on tiers obsessing over rare and unusual materials so I think it may create some lively discussions. Regardless, I think you’ll find our discussion fascinating. In the Fly Box this week, we get into more conventional and non-controversial questions, such as these: Why do two dry flies work better than one? How do you fish a Sneaky Pete for smallmouths in fast water? What size and color Woolly Bugger is best? What does the Woolly Bugger imitate? What color polarized sunglasses are best and what are some good brands? Why can I land 18-inch fish but not the ones that are over 24 inches? Are grayling selective? Is it normal to tie a Clouser Minnow with a red head? Is it normal to reel all of your line in before playing a fish? Why am I not catching bigger brook trout on streamers?

This week I have a chat with Amelia Jensen, perhaps the best trout-spotter I have ever seen. I have always thought I was pretty god at seeing trout in the water, but Amelia can see fish I would never have spotted. Learn some of her secrets in this week’s podcast—you’ll be surprised at how often you can spot trout if you know what you’re looking for, even in fast, deep, or slightly off-colored water. In the Fly Box this week we have the following tips and questions: · A tip from a listener on how to carry long pre-rigged fly assemblies · A question about what fly to fish along with a streamer when swinging for spring trout · A question on tips for spotting bonefish · How should I fish the tails of pools? · A listener tip on how to keep your hands warm when fishing · Flashy vs. non-flashy nymphs and where to put them in your nymph rig · A question about why fish get picky after catching a bunch of them from the same run · Why do trout take dry flies when I don’t see any rising? · Tips for avoiding spawning rainbow redds

This week I have a chat with Josh Greenberg, owner of Gates Au Sable Lodge in Michigan. Josh talks about the ecology of his streams, which is unique and provides fascinating fishing for wild trout year round. Josh is a very perceptive and canny angler, and regardless of your interest in Michigan streams you’ll learn some great tips and some interesting thoughts. Josh is also an ardent conservationist, picking up the mantle from his mentor, the late Rusty Gates. After this week, I won’t have a podcast for two weeks because I will be off the grid

Today we do a deep dive on the newest trend in fly-fishing for koi, that elusive fish that many people think cannot be caught on a fly rod. Nothing could be further from the truth; although these fish are challenging targets on a fly rod, they are available in many places close to home. The most exciting part of this fishery is that you can fish for them anywhere you want. In the Fly Box this week I have an unusually interesting bunch of questions, including: · What is the single greatest trout stream in the United States? · What is the impact of the legalization of marijuana on fly fishing so far? · When you take a float trip in a drift boat or raft, how do you get back to your car? · What is that big pocket in the back of a fishing vest used for? · How to do the triple haul · If I only have 30 minutes to fish on a business trip, is it better to use a 9-weight or 12-weight when targeting permit? · Why don’t you teach shadow casting in your schools? · Can I make a fly out of food? · What are the best organic fishing spots in New England? · If I’ve got a great fishing spot on a crowded river and nature calls, what is the best way to take care of things and not lose my spot?

This week’s podcast interview is all about fly-fishing high mountain lakes. My guest is Bob Terwilliger of Colorado Outfitters, who specializes in horseback fishing trips into some of the most remote wilderness areas in the lower 48. Fishing high mountain lakes has its own special techniques and philosophies—although here it is as much about the scenery and the trip as it is the fishing. If you enjoy getting away from the crowds and true wilderness fishing, this is a podcast you won’t want to miss. In the Fly Box this week, as usual a mixed bag of questions and comments from a wide range of topics. · Why you should get a fly-tying kit · Recommended lines for small stream fishing · Can I use the Bank Shot line for fishing midges? · What is the best fly rod for bass, pike, and the occasional trip to the Florida Keys? · When using tiny nymphs, should I set the hook keeping my fingers off the line and just use drag pressure from the reel? · What do I do if my head cement gets too thick? · How can I keep my ferrules from slipping? · Which is correct, the upstream reach cast or the downstream reach cast? · Is it worthwhile to fish midges once winter is over? · Why don’t all big trout have a hooked jaw, and what do various color and spot patterns in brown trout indicate?

I frequently get requests for a podcast about drift boats, and although I enjoy rowing one most people don’t let me row their boat unless they are really desperate. So I called on an expert, Montana guide Hilary Hutcheson, to get her advice on getting a boat, rowing a boat, and most importantly all the responsibilities that go with getting down the river safely and with courtesy. Even if you never row a boat yourself, you’ll gain a new appreciation for the skill set your guide employs every day. In the Fly Box this week, we get these questions and tips: · How can a color-blind fly fisher identify the flies in his box? · Why am I only getting fish on my lower egg pattern in a two-fly rig? · A great suggestion on dealing with tippet rings · What kind of crab patterns do I need for striped bass? · What flies should I use for small stocked rainbows? · What are your thoughts on leader degreasers? · A suggestion on training as a whitewater guide prior to becoming a fishing guide · Why do black bucktails and marabou stain my hands? · What are some tips on purposely dumping your back cast? · What is the difference between a clear and a solid blue intermediate fly line? · Can I make a dubbing loop with monofilament tying thread?

Panfish are the way many of us relieve the frustration of snotty trout, spooky carp, or saltwater fish that can't be reached because of bad weather. They're always on the prowl for a snack and seldom very fussy. But you do need to know where to find them, and for the larger specimens a little finesse is often in order. So this week I talk to Bart Lombardo, panfish aficionado and guru. We concentrate on the sunfish family. Although many smaller freshwater fish fit into the panfish category, sunfish are the most abundant and widely distributed. I think you find some great tips for maximizing your fun with these feisty little guys. In the Fly Box, here are some of the questions and tips we cover: Is there one rod I can use for both tightline (Euro) nymphing and dry flies? I found out why my knots were breaking on tippet rings! Rattles for redfish When you might want tapered leaders for bass What is the difference between freshwater and saltwater fly lines, and the difference between coldwater and warmwater lines? What lines do I need for coastal fishing in the Northeast? Do I need to take special care when wearing wading boots on my inflatable SUP? What do you eat to keep going during a full day of fishing? Can I imitate both Hendricksons and March Browns with one fly pattern? Can I use my 6-weight Clearwater rod for stocked trout? What does good carp water look like?

How do I become a guide? Should I get a job as a guide? How do I train to be a fishing guide? What skills do I need? I get these questions all the time on podcast requests, and because I have neither the skills nor the temperament to be a guide I asked our good friends at World Cast Anglers, specifically Mike Dawkins, to talk about the guiding life. They should know as they probably employ more fly-fishing guides than any other operation, and they have also been running a guide school for years. Listen to this week’s podcast about the pleasures and perils of being a fly-fishing guide. In the Fly Box this week, here are a few of the questions I try to answer: · How do I land giant alligator gar? · Where should I put my weight in relation to my tippet ring? · What are your top three suggestions for teaching someone to fish with a fly rod? · Should I get a weight forward or double taper fly line? · Can I use tightline nymphing techniques when fishing downstream? · How do I simplify and lighten up my gear when backpacking? · I get corrected—a listener has seen seen trout eat adult early black stoneflies and yellow sallies · How do I fish a long, clear, shallow stretch with no riffles without spooking fish? · Is it OK to put a perfection loop in my fly line? · Can I use a sinking poly leader when indicator fishing? · Why am I losing fish that I have hooked while fishing nymphs during the winter? · Why did I not catch fish while fishing nymphs during the winter?

*** This is a Backcast Episode from May 21, 2010. It is fun to see how much the show's format has changed since then! Thanks for listening!***

Tom thinks even the best casters can sometimes use a little help when it comes to line control. In this podcast he gives his top ten tips for what to do once your line hits the water. Have a suggestion for the podcast? Drop us a line at podcast@orvis.com.

When we think of largemouth bass, most of us either have a vision of a small farm pond or a big wide-open lake. But there are many excellent largemouth bass fisheries in rivers. And the advantage for a fly fisher is that these fish never get into a zone where they are tough to target with a fly rod because they are always in shallow water. Texas has a number of great largemouth rivers, and this week I pick the brain of Winston Cundiff of All Water Guides in Austin, Texas. He shares his techniques for catching these fish, the tackle he uses, and the fly patterns he favors. I think fly-rod bass anglers from around the country will get some solid tips on catching largemouths in moving water. In The Fly Box this week, we explore a number of interesting questions and suggestions: · How are fly hooks tempered, and does bending a small hook in your tying vise weaken it? · Should you approach spooky small-stream trout in still pools from upstream or downstream? · How to make a 4X leader into a 7X leader. · Why do I keep missing strikes when fishing streamers? · What are some tips for catching trout in rivers with high fishing pressure? · Can I fish a soft hackle as a dropper behind a dry fly? · How can plus-size anglers sneak up on trout? · What is a level line? · A tip from a listener on how to avoid pricking your finger on the hook when tying flies.

I have gotten numerous requests on doing a podcast on fly fishing from a kayak and finally was able to corral my friend Damon Bungard of Jackson Kayaks, who has a broad experience fishing from kayaks all over the world, from tarpon flats to trout streams, and also designs kayaks. It’s a very detailed podcast, covering everything from picking the right craft to approaching fish to anchor systems to dealing with line handling to fighting and landing fish from a kayak. And lots of good stories in between. Fly fishers have different needs than conventional anglers when it comes to kayak fishing, so I am sure you will benefit from the wisdom of a true expert. Also in the Fly Box we cover questions on: · Whether you find the same hatches on different stretches of a river · Why a guide had an angler fight a fish with the rod in a vertical position · How far upstream to cast a nymph with an indicator, and how much to let it hang downstream · Will there be a kit to convert a Helios 3 D version to an F version (no, sorry they are totally different tapers) · Why are my knots breaking at the tippet ring but not when I attach it to a fly? · Are mop flies evil? · Why did I not have the same luck when I went back to the same trout stream a few weeks later? · For small flies, do I need to tie all sizes between 18 and 24? · Is a poly leader as good as a sink tip (to a blind horse?) · A seriously disappointing etiquette question (for which I don’t have a good answer) · Why aren’t jig style hooks used more often?

This week I interview Damon Newpher of Adventure Bound on the Fly, a guide service that specializes in fly fishing from all sorts of craft, including stand-up paddleboards. Damon uses his SUP to chase steelhead, bass, and even muskies in his western New York location, but has ranged as far away as Belize and the Yucatan with inflatable boards, and has even floated remote rivers and lakes in Chile from them. He advises us on why you would want one, what to look for, how to accessorize one, and how to navigate moving water. These craft offer great advantages because they can get into places no other craft can go, with more stealth than any other method. Plus you are up above the water so you can spot fish and subsurface structures easier. And of course an added benefit is that you’ll stay in great shape while you fish!

In this week’s Fly Box, we cover, as usual, an eclectic range of things:

· Why did my wife get skunked fishing a streamer while I was using two at once?

· How to evaluate a fly rod in a shop

· Pike fishing from shore

· How do I fish emerger flies?

· What is the perfect fly rod for tiny streams?

· Should I buy a 10-foot 4-weight or 5-weight for tightline nymphing?

· Are practice casting rods any good—other than just to torture cats? ·

And we have a new acronym, thanks to a listener: WINTER. Len from PA gives us great advice on how a fly fisher should spend the winter preparing for spring.

This week I interview aquatic biologist and fly fisher Peter Stitcher, who not only has a great way of organizing fly boxes (a question I have always neglected to answer properly), he also has some great guidance on how to figure out what is in the river and how to pick a fly from your box that will do the best job of imitating that insect—without any detailed knowledge of entomology. If you learn his acronyms PAUSE and MATCH I am convinced you will have all the knowledge you need to be more successful. Listen to the podcast to learn what these acronyms mean. In The Fly Box, we have all sorts of great questions this week: · The difference between braided and furled leaders · How to Euro nymph rivers with spooky trout · Fishing a midge larva behind a streamer · The difference between “freshwater” and “saltwater” rods · How to transition from saltwater to freshwater fly fishing · Can I use my steelhead reel in salt water? · How to travel with a large net · Tricks for avoiding bulk when tying tiny flies · When to put a fighting trout on the reel · Tips for making very short roll casts · Using cat fur for dubbing · Decreasing hooking mortality on small brookies · How to avoid large cracks in fly lines

This week’s podcast is my annual bull session with Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions. Instead of us picking a topic, we decided to ask listeners for questions. We both field questions on making a dubbing noodle out of short-fibered dubbing (along with a bunch of other tips on dubbing), choice of articulations for jointed flies, mono weed guards on bonefish flies, black vs. gold beads on nymphs, consistently reproducing patterns, proportions in cutting hair and fur, mixing dubbing to imitate specific insects, the differences between various types of natural dubbings, and discussions on what makes a “good” hackle feather. And of course we ramble a bit. But that’s what fly tiers do when they have an hour to kill. We went on so long that there’s no fly box this week. Just one long fly box, and all about tying.

After a long Christmas break, we’ve finally gotten back into a regular podcast schedule. This week our guest is Conway Bowman, known for his targeting of large mako sharks on a fly rod. But Conway also loves trout and tarpon fishing, so he gives us his tips on playing and landing large fish on a fly rod, whether it’s a 500-pound mako or a 22-inch trout. Conway is a great teacher and I am sure you will benefit from his tips. In the Fly Box this week, we have questions on taking an extra reel along, dressing for success and comfort in winter, making unweighted saltwater flies ride inverted in the water, factors that make a trout stream great, how to decide whether to go with weight-forward or double-taper lines, streamers in high altitude lakes, casting practice on snow, and a couple of discussions on tippet rings. I hope you enjoy the show

This week’s podcast is all about snook. I have never done a full podcast just on snook fishing, but it is the most popular gamefish in Florida so I figured it was high time. I enlisted Captain Dan Andrews as a guest. Dan, besides being a lifelong snook chaser and guide, is also executive director of Captains for Clean Water, a great organization that Orvis strongly supports. In the Fly Box this week, we have questions on occasional risers, whether you can handle a 22-inch trout on a 10-foot, 3-weight Recon, smelly head cements, targeting walleyes on the fly, pulling trout out of deep, slow pools, casting weighted streamers on a 5-weight, and some tips for steelhead anglers on the Great Lakes. There is also a story on a most unusual animal that took an angler’s mouse fly—but I won’t spoil the surprise here.

This week’s interview is with Steve Galletta of Bighorn Angler in Fort Smith, Montana. The Bighorn fishes well all winter long, and with Steve’s many seasons on the river he shares his tips on how to catch tailwater trout all winter long. Even if you don’t plan on fishing the Bighorn any time soon, Steve’s tips will give you valuable intel on how to fish your local tailwater. In The Fly Box, we have questions about the effects of fly flotants on knots, disappearing brook trout, releasing fish in fast water, using switch rods on lakes, why streamers work well in the fall, using UV resins for fly tying, fishing mouse patterns on lakes at night, keeping track of tippet rings, smells on carp flies, and how to apply techniques learned in one fishery to other species and places.

This week we get a special peak behind the curtain about how fly rods are developed. How long does it take to design a fly rod? How many prototypes are built? How are they tested? How are materials selected? And where do the ideas come from? Shawn Combs takes us into the depths of the Orvis skunkworks and tells us a few secrets (and withholds just as many) about how his team of engineers and technicians develop Orvis fly rods—specifically the new Helios 3 series. In the Fly Box this week, we talk about fishing emergers subsurface, the perils of using the wrong super glue on casting cuts, how long to let a bass popper sit, water temperature guiidelines for trout, fly fishing for crappies, a tip on keeping the trailing hook of a tandem out of the way when tying, leader lengths for stocked trout ponds, species-specific leaders, correct water depth for setting indicators, and how to fish multiple-fly rigs when the flies are barbless.

This week’s guest is Joe Cermele, fishing editor of Field & Stream magazine and the one-man-band behind the terrific web series “Hook Shots” (if you have not seen his videos they are always fun and offbeat). Joe is wild about fishing big flies for big fish—regardless of species. Our interview is about mousing for trout, a sorta-night-fishing, sorta-streamer-fishing technique that has become popular in recent years. But it’s not about fishing mouse flies for wilderness fish in Alaska or Kamchatka, it’s about fishing them in local, heavily fished rivers. Mousing is a great way to avoid the crowds and catch one of those big trout you seldom see during the day. As usual in The Fly Box we have a wide variety of topics: missing strikes on topwater bass flies, the difference between a desiccant and a flotant (again!), finding tailing carp, fishing streamers and high-stick nymphing in spring creeks, fishing bamboo rods for larger trout, tying with peacock eyes, questions on rod models, when to buy multiple reels as opposed to one reel and an extra spool, trout that disappear in early spring, correct depth for setting your indicator (there isn’t one), deciding which fly-tying tools to put most of your budget into—and finally what is that white rod Pete Kutzer uses for his casting videos?

This week Jeremy Kehrein from Orvis Travel joined me to share his knowledge of travel planning and packing tips. Most people know how to plan travel (just call up our Travel Department!) and know how to pack a suitcase, so we focus on what travelers often forget—what questions do they forget to ask when calling a travel agent, guide, or lodge, and what do people often forget when packing for a fishing trip. Arriving in a remote destination without an essential doodad can, while not exactly spoiling a trip, make it less enjoyable. In the Fly Box this week there is an extremely helpful tip from a listener that can benefit every angler—of all ages and all genders. I won’t spoil the surprise by telling you want it is. There are also questions on building a 7X leader that won’t collapse, how to land very large trout on a 3-weight rod and 6X tippet, how often multiple anglers can fish a single riffle, a recommendation for a good book on small-stream trout fishing (guess what that is?), studded boots making noise in the water, how to imitate a Rooster Tail, how to catch snotty whitefish, and how to keep a foam fly floating all day long. There is also an excellent tip from a listener who is a personal trainer on the right exercises to prepare yourself for fishing.

I get repeated questions about switch vs. Spey: people interested in two-handed fly fishing but not sure which setup they need. Even though I think I have answered this question before, I thought it was time for a fresh look so I asked the incomparable Pete Kutzer, YouTube star and Orvis casting instructor, for his advice. Pete is a very serious two-handed angler and just got back from a couple steelhead rivers on the West Coast, so the topic was fresh in his mind. I hope it helps to answer some of your questions. In the Fly Box this week, questions are wide-ranging--casting accuracy, dropper flies tangling, flashing trout, Atlantic salmon guides, and trout short-striking streamers. Plus an interesting tip on what may be an interesting way of sharpening hooks.

This week I interview Captain Aron Cascone of Westerly, Rhode Island for his tips on finding stripers on foot along the New England Coast, and then choosing the right fly, the right tide, the right time of day, and the right retrieve. Aron is one of the fishiest guys I know and he’s spent a life on the water. I learned a number of good tips despite fishing for stripers with a fly rod for over 30 years—so I’m sure you’ll learn some good stuff as well. In the Fly Box this week we answer questions on fly reel choices, making a presentation so that the fly passes over the fish before the leader, suggested camera gear for fly anglers, how to keep cleats from coming out of your wading boots, and how to make a simple saltwater leader. Plus suggestions from listeners on lubricating knots with fly paste and how to carry a second rod to the river.

This week’s podcast is an interview with Orvis VP Steve Hemkens about why he took a trip to Washington. The podcast may raise your hackles or it may give you hope for the future. You’ll have to listen to find out why he went to our nation’s capital and why someone responsible for the sale of fly-fishing products and responsible education in the outdoor world would want to meet with politicians. On a lighter note, the Fly Box this week covers a diverse group of questions, including targeting Texas redfish, repairing a severed fly line (hint—don’t), how to find a place to fish if you don’t know anyone, finding feeding trout in the weeds, the difference one tippet size makes, minimalist bass fishing, how to kill and clean trout, and how to a Get Drunk and Disorderly to stay under water (that sounds like cruel and unusual punishment). There is also a great suggestion from a listener on how to keep EP Fibers in line, and how to use the Fly Trap for storing dropper rigs.

This week, I take a break from interviews and do a podcast like we did in the old days by interviewing myself. It’s a shameless plug for my newest book, Hatch Strategies, published by Rizzoli/Universe. I call it Twelve Tips on Fishing Hatches That Might Surprise You. I’m sure that many of you agree with most of the tips, especially if you’ve spent any time chasing trout when they are feeding on insect hatches. But I am willing to bet there are a couple you may not have thought of, that run contrary to what you have heard in the past, or might even think that Rosenbauer guy is full of fish feces. If you don’t agree with me, I’d love to hear about it, which may produce some interesting podcasts in the future. In the Fly Box this week, I answer (or try to answer) how to fish small streams with a 9-foot rod, the use of tippet rings, how to avoid spending a fortune on hackle, what percent of the time you should be hooking fish that rise to your dry fly, whether to fish for steelhead in a river where they are threatened, the use of scents on flies, how to avoid foul-hooking trout, the use of loop knots in trout fishing, and delicate dry-fly presentations at short distances. There are also a couple of great letters from listeners with comments—one on angling ethics and another on how to move from trout fishing to saltwater fly fishing on the West Coast.

This week Chris Wood, president and CEO of Trout Unlimited, visited us in Vermont and we got to pull him aside for a great podcast (and take him fishing for brook trout). Chris is a master at distilling complicated environmental issues down to their essence in the way anglers can understand them, and he enlightens us on some current issues like Pebble Mine, the Clean Water Rule, and western water laws. And it’s not all bad news!

In the Fly Box, questions range from requests to have me MC a rehearsal dinner for a wedding (not gonna happen) to switching from trout to other species to getting another season out of a pair of waders. Plus questions on Village Idiots and herons and redfish and fishing diaries. Plus a couple of cool tips from listeners on fly tying.

This week we have a timely podcast—fishing for large brown trout in the fall. Noah Parker from Land of Enchantment Guides in New Mexico tells us how they fish for large browns in the fall, and they use some techniques in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado that are different from what most of you probably do. In the Fly Box, questions come up on catching fussy trout in small streams, gel-spun backing, swinging nymphs, fishing 4 people at once, what the Copper John imitates, and some great fly-tying tips from listeners.

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

Tom is on vacation this week so we are bringing you a video this week. Want more videos? Let us know at podcast@orvis.com.

Welcome to another installment of “Ask an Orvis Fly-Fishing Instructor,” with me, Peter Kutzer. In this episode, I demonstrate how to make aerial mends in your line, creating an upstream or downstream mend before your line touches down on the water. This is a great technique for when you’re casting across varying currents, and it will help you achieve better and longer dead drifts. By making the mend during the cast, you avoid having to break the surface tension to move the line, as you would with a traditional mend.

An aerial mend is quite easy to make, but there are two parts that will require some practice: the size of the mend and where it occurs along the line. By simply drawing a “C” or a “D” with the rod tip, you can create the belly required for a mend. The size of the letter you draw determines the size of the mend. How long you wait after the rod stops on the forward cast determines where that mend will occur. If you want it to be far out near the tip of the line, draw the letter right after the rod stops. To make a mend closer to you, wait a bit before drawing the letter.

With a little practice, you’ll get a feel for both the size and the location of the mend. Good luck!

OK, get ready for this—it’s a long one! I figured since I had not done a podcast in a couple weeks I would give you your money’s worth, and this podcast includes a long interview with Will Benson, noted permit guide and film maker. As you’ll hear, Will has strong passions for many things—permit, guiding, people, and the environment—and I had trouble cutting this one off. But it was a fun and educational interview, and very inspiring for me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. And furthermore, it’s a longer Fly Box than usual, with questions on finding a guide school, big fish getting off the hook, Clouser Minnows riding sideways, catching big stripers form shore, remembering Mel Krieger, catching carp in North Dakota, a recommended outfit for Atlantic salmon on the Gaspe peninsula, fishing caddis egg-laying events, and where and how to go fly fishing in the Greek Islands (spoiler—I have no idea).

This week I have an interview with an old friend, Joe Demalderis, of Cross Current guide service in the Catskills. Joe knows the Delaware system about as well as any human, and has a common-sense approach to fishing hatches that I love. We talk about how to fish hatches from a drift boat or other craft, which at times can be more difficult than fishing hatches while wading, but at other times can reach fish in water that is too deep of otherwise inaccessible to the wader. In the Fly Box, we range from questions on getting droppers ready before you go fishing, caddis pupa tactics, fish rising to tippet rings, brook trout on streamers, the effect of heat on tippet material, shirt colors on trout streams, and suggested bonefish books.