The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast

My guest this week is Antoine Bissieux [38:28], Orvis-Endorsed Guide of the Year for 2025.  Antoine, otherwise known as The French Fly Fisherman, regularly fishes with and communicates with the top French competitive fly fishers, and has developed methods of fishing nymphs and dry flies as well as dry/dropper setups adapted from what he has learned from these world-class anglers. You'll learn some new techniques to make your fly fishing more effective and more interesting no matter where you fish.      In the Fly Box this week, we have some questions that I think will help many other fly fishers solve problems they may have, including: How can I tell what line is on my old reel? Should I get a 3-weight or 4-weight rod for small streams? Do those devices to remove flies from fish quickly really work? I have seen carp opening up their mouths and taking repeated gulps of food from the surface. Is this common and what do you call it? A fly shop told me that using tippet rings is not a good idea because I would break off fish. Is this true? A listener reports on conditions on the rivers in western North Carolina after the floods. I put a nick in my fly line and have to cut off the last 12 inches. Can I still use this line? My foam flies keep landing upside-down. How can I correct this? How should I fish streamers in clear pools where you can see right to the bottom? How should I cast to a fish that is directly below a branch trailing in the water? A suggestion from a listener on using a room dehumidifier to dry out waders and boots. Can I rig two flies on a blood knot, using both sides of the knot, one longer and one shorter? Would a 9-foot, 9-weight rod be the right one for fishing in Chesapeake Bay?  And can I use the same rod for steelhead in Michigan? I see a lot of goose feathers on my local golf course. Can I use these for biots on flies and which part should I use? What can I do with saltwater flies where the hook has gotten slightly rusty?

I offer no apologies for being a carp evangelist. They live almost anywhere, they are here to stay (they were stocked in many places in North America even before brown trout), and they are the hardest-fighting fish in fresh water. They are also fascinating creatures that can be a challenge to catch—which is why most of us fish with a fly rod. Rick Mikesell [49:05] of Denver is one of the best carp anglers I know and a terrific teacher and he gives us a great introduction on how to pursue these worthwhile fly-rod targets.   In the Fly Box this week, we have some interesting requests, including many questions about leaders and tippet. What fly line should I use on my Helios 2 rod for dry-fly fishing? What can I do to prevent my tippet from kinking? What can you do when small stream trout refuse your fly? I have been using heavier tippet and seem to be doing just as well as with lighter tippet.  What is your take on this? Is there a big difference between various brands of tippet material? Can I just add a tippet ring to my 9-foot 4X leader to make a nymph leader? Should the butt section of my nymph leader be made from fluorocarbon? What should I take on a multi-day fishing trip that I would not normally think of? Why am I foul-hooking so many trout and whitefish this year? What do you think of furled leaders? What rod should I get for my 8-year-old daughter?  What rig should I start her out with? What do you think of Crocs as inexpensive wading shoes? What can you tell me about an older Orvis rod I purchased? How can I tighten the drag on an older spring-and-pawl fly reel? What is the deal with all these multi-fly rigs? Am I missing something by using a single fly? Do people fish for trout with poppers? Do I need sinking agents as well as flotants? At the end of my drift I stripped in a dry fly and got strikes. Should I change my setup and move my flies a bit?

This episode was originally published on November 20th, 2023. Todd Tanner [43:02] is a lifelong fly fisher and journalist and spent years as a guide on the Henry's Fork, one of the best (and toughest) dry-fly rivers in the world.  He also prefers not to fish nymphs.  Todd shares his 12 tips on improving your success with dry flies this week, and they are solid and helpful.   In the Fly Box this week, we have a great and varied selection of questions and tips from listeners, including: I don't see any brook or brown trout in the usual places this fall. Are they all upstream spawning? Two great tips from a listener for beginning fly tiers. Is a 10-foot 4-weight a good rod for both Euro nymphing and dry-fly fishing? A great tip from a listener on how to prevent your dry fly from getting too soaked before retrieving it for the next cast. A listener makes the point that watershed-level stream restoration is often not possible. If my stream is stocked with rainbows, will I find them in other parts of the river system and will they survive? Can I use a less expensive spool of fluorocarbon spinning line instead of the expensive stuff sold for fly fishing? If I use only the tip of a CDC feather, can I use the remaining fibers for something else? Kudos from a listener on a wonderful experience he had in the Orvis retail store in Atlanta What kind of insects are most common in infertile streams? Is there a reason Orvis makes a 10 ½ foot and 11-foot H3 rod and not a 10-footer? A great rattlesnake story from a listener I found a whole bunch of trout rising in a seam and tried everything but could not catch them. I tried all kinds of dries and nymphs and changed my tippet and my angle of approach. What do you think the fish were eating?   

Many North Americans would love to catch brown trout in their native environment, and most of us think of the UK or France or Slovenia for wild, native brown trout. But, Spain has a long history of fly fishing in the Pyrenees (Hemingway loved fly fishing in the Pyrenees and called this region "the closest thing to heaven") and for the traveler, there are many rivers with public access. Spain has small freestone mountain streams, lakes, and tailwaters that offer excellent trout fishing and my guest this week, Ivan Tarin [35:59], of Salvelinus Adventures, has spent thirty years exploring these rivers and has many tips to offer.   In the Fly Box this week, we have some interesting questions and also a listener who was upset by my attitude in a recent podcast: Do you have any advice to help me catch more trout on dry flies? Does it matter that jig flies ride upside-down? Why can't I catch a fish on a Pheasant Tail nymph? What is the best color for a background on a fly-tying table? How do you keep track of the leader and tippet you have on a fly line? How long with rivers in North Carolina take to recover from the devastating floods? Why has trout fishing been so lousy in the Northeast this spring? What should I do when trout are feeding on tiny flies? Small dries are too small for me to see. Should I work a small bass river upstream or down? I don't do well on dropoffs. How should I fish them? What is the difference between Helios F and D versions, and what is the difference between the 9-foot and 9-foot 5-inch Helios 5-weight models? A listener takes me to task for making fun of conventional bass anglers.

This episode was originally published on February 5th, 2024. My guest this week is Charity Rutter [39:50], a great friend and longtime guide in the Great Smoky Mountains.  She and her husband Ian have just finished a great book (I read the manuscript and loved it) and although it won't be available until April, you can pre-order it  here:  https://randrflyfishing.com/store/fly-fishing-guide-to-great-smoky-mountains-national-park/ Charity shares her secrets for making more out of your time on small waters, and although she concentrates on her area, she has fished small streams throughout North America and her tips will help you no matter where you fish.   In the Fly Box this week we have a nice assortment of questions and tips on fly fishing and fly tying, including: Why do you hate hook keepers so much? Is it true that you should not hook your fly onto your stripping guide? A listener recounts his first experience with selling flies he tied himself. A number of people chide me for not using a wading staff—yet. Will it hurt my fly line if I stretch it first before fishing? A listener gives some good advice on how to get out of a dangerous situation while wading, and how to prevent your waders from acting like a sea anchor. A tip from a listener on how he deals with litter during a day of fishing and one on how he carries rods on the back seat of his vehicle. A listener tells me how pleased he was with Orvis reel repair service. Should I wear socks when wearing the new Pro Approach Hikers in salt water? Can I Euro nymph in lakes and ponds? A tip from a listener on making more durable peacock herl bodies. Where should I put the heavy section of mono on a shock leader? A listener shares a tip on playing darts during the winter to keep those casting muscles in shape I used rubber soled wading shoes on slippery rocks and had poor traction.  Should I stud them or just get a pair of felt-soled boots? In a remote lake with an inlet and outlet, will trout move into the outlet as well as the inlet? How can I keep my dropper and tippet from slipping off my barbless hook when fishing with a dry dropper?  And what knot is best when attaching a dropper to a hook bend? I have a 9-foot 5-weight rod and want a rod for fishing for panfish and streamers for trout.  What rod should I get next?

We're not talking about the poetry of a fly cast made by Pete Kutzer, but poetry about fly fishing, some of the well known poets who were fly fishers, and why the appeal of poetry and fly fishing have much in common. My guest, Andrew Grace [29:19], is a published poet and professor of English, and he'll read us some of his own work as well as from poets like Jim Harrison and Chris Dombrowski. It's a real departure from our usual subjects and I hope you enjoy it.    In the Fly Box this week, we get more into our typical nitty-gritty subjects like: Is there a rule of thumb for how long it takes a sinking line to get to a particular depth? Can I fish in lakes with a shorter, softer fiberglass rod? How do I elegantly get the fly line out of my rod before I start casting? I catch trout in Alaska when they are eating eggs behind salmon, but at other times of year I can't catch them on dries or nymphs. Are they not in the same places at other times of year? How many different flies are there in the world?  s there a registry of them? And can they be copyrighted or trademarked? If I can't use gel flotant once my fly has gotten wet, why don't I just use the powder right off the bat and forget about the gel? I heard that when you cast a dry fly, you should pull back a bit at the end of the cast to develop some slack. But can this be executed in a smoother fashion? Why empty my wallet for a Helios rod when the Superfines are so good? What will a Helios do for me that a Superfine won't? Where can I find Hungarian partridge to tie smaller flies like size 16s? Is there a way you mark what line is on what reel so you don't have to use a magnifying glass to look at those tiny line markers? Is there a national registry of fly-fishing clubs?

Every week I get some iteration of this question: "I hooked three fish and lost all of them before I could get them to the net. What am I doing wrong?" Well, often you did nothing wrong and it was just bad luck. But there are steps you can take to make sure you land the fish you've hooked and Josh Nugent [36:46], a regular on my podcast and one of the most thoughtful anglers I know, presents us with his Seven Deadly Sins. There are lots of helpful nuggets in this one.   In the Fly Box this week, we have these questions and tips: You say I can fish small streamers on my 5-weight rod. What do you mean by "small'? I am using the Albright knot for larger sections of my leader. What do you think? A tip from a listener on how not to launch small brookies into the bushes when you hook them. Why am I losing half of my fish when using barbless hooks? Is there any situation where you would use an Improved Clinch Knot as opposed to the regular Clinch Knot? A tip from a listener on how to tie big foam flies that won't land upside-down. How do you balance various passions, family, work, and still have the energy and time to get out on the water? How do you set up your emergers, and what is your go-to emerger fly? Where can I find split shot that does not contain lead? How do you feel about the relative perceived intelligence of hatchery fish as compared to wild fish?

I get frequent questions on the fly box about fishing for sea trout, or sea-run brown trout. I've never caught one and have never fished for them, so I brought in an expert on the subject, Krystjan [35:21] from Fish Partner in Iceland, owner of the organization Orvis uses for its hosted trips (and I'm hosting one in July) to Iceland and a fanatic fly fisher. He talks about seasons, conditions, presentations, and of course fly patterns to catch these hard-fighting versions of the brown trout we know and love in our inland streams.     In the Fly Box this week, we have a great combination of tips from listeners and some questions that may help others who have wondered the same thing, including: I have heard that you should only fish streamers upstream in smaller streams. Would that hold true for smallmouth bass as well? I have heard that you should avoid getting into a river to keep from spooking fish. Should I do this all the time? A great tip from a listener about how to keep track of what leader is on your reels or spools. I saw a small, stocked stream in a suburban area that appeared to have very small trout in it. Could these be wild trout so close to a city? What is the best connection to attach a tippet to a tapered leader? Do you think a 7 ½ foot 4-weight rod is too short for my daughter to use on a trip to the Grand Teton/Yellowstone area? Why did a fish try to eat my strike indicator numerous types and refuse the dry flies I changed to after it happened? How do I keep from losing fish when using barbless hooks? For making my own dry-fly leaders, should I use fluorocarbon or copolymer material? A tip from a listener on how to make cool fly-tying gadgets with a 3-D printer. A tip from a listener on how to organize beads and hooks on your fly-tying bench. Do people ever use tandem dry-fly rigs?

Inside nearly every fly fisher is a budding writer, eager to share their passion with the world. I've done podcasts on how to write better fly-fishing stories in the past, and figured it was time to talk to an editor and publisher about how you can get your masterpiece published. Ross Purnell [32:15], editor and publisher of Fly Fisherman magazine, was happy to share his advice on this subject—and no one in the fly-fishing world has more experience in this topic than Ross.   In the Fly Box this week, we have some great tips from listeners, some questions that I've answered before, and some fresh ones that I haven't, including: How do I deal with leaders that get knotted up when I am ready to use them? When you have fished a section of water, how long do you stay there, switching flies and techniques? Or do you move on? From a listener, a great fly and technique for catching yellow perch.  A listener relays his approach for minimalist equipment when fishing close to home. What is your opinion using balsa wood for fly tying? My casting with a dry fly is OK, but I struggle with dry dropper and streamer rigs.  What can I do? Do trout get "lost" after being landed in another part of a river? A listener adds some corrections to the proposed selling off of public lands. When fishing a double nymph rig, do you put the bigger fly above or below a smaller fly? How do I keep my dropper from slipping off my barbless dry fly?  I don't like using separate droppers on the leader. If I mess up and tie a dry fly with oversized hackle and wings, will it matter? How many flies of a given pattern will you tie? What is the minimum number? Is there an easy way to get beads on a size 18 hook?

I've had a number of guests on the podcast teaching us about urban fly fishing and it will be an ongoing process because everyone has different takes on how to approach it.  There is nothing better than a few hours of peace before or after work, without needing to drive for hours, and you can find it, even in the middle of our largest cities.  My guest Greg DeMars [40:25] specializes in the urban fisheries around Dallas, Texas, but the tips he offers are valuable for any urban area throughout North America—and probably beyond.  Urban fishing can be exciting and interesting and challenging—it's not just about trout or permit!   In the Fly Box this week, I thought we had some unusually interesting questions, including: Will you ever have a podcast on targeting yellow perch on a fly rod? Is there any need for a "shorty" Euro line if I want to Euro nymph with my regular weight-forward line?  Can't I just attach a very long leader? Are swimming holes "fish-free" zones or are they worth targeting in early season before the swimmers arrive? Where can I find Orvis BigEye hooks? When I fish in fast water I have problems shooting line because my excess line gets carried away by the current.  I don't want to use a stripping basket.  Is there another solution? I never use tippet, only leader material.  Do I need special tippet? What knot would you recommend instead of the Perfection Loop? I have problems catching flying insects over a trout stream and my hat doesn't work.  What would you suggest? How do you tell what fish are feeding on under the surface? Can you elaborate a bit on why you should make your first cast count?  How important is that and how do I do it without making a few bad casts first? When tying nymphs, I have trouble getting CDC to wind evenly.  And I don't like using a dubbing loop.  Any tips on how to make my CDC flies look better? What tips or recommendations do you have for getting into fly tying?