The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast

This week my guest is award-winning investigative journalist Robert O'Harrow [44:45], who has been with the Washington Post for over 30 years. Last fall he wrote an extensive article on the threats to mayfly populations worldwide and is continuing to research this issue, so I thought it would be interesting to share his findings. Bob is also a lifelong fly fisher who admits he didn't know a lot about the plight of mayflies in the past, so he gives us a great perspective. In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and phone calls, including: What is a good net for wade fishing when pursuing multiple species? I recently caught a bunch of large trout in a river but no small ones. Where do the small ones go? Can a "working fly box" apply to non-competition anglers as well? What does Tim Flagler use to cut his thread on his videos? I am a beginning fly fisher and the trout in the larger rivers in my area are difficult to catch. Should I first concentrate on small streams, ponds, or reservoirs? What is the best way to give a fish line when it's running without giving it too much slack? Is it a good idea to put UV resin over my nail knots? How do you determine how deep the water is so you can set the indicator at 1 ½ times the water depth? I keep getting crowded by other anglers on Colorado rivers. Should I try to educate them? I lost a big fish by following it downstream. My buddy says I should have stood my ground and not followed the fish. What do you think? Do you think it's a bad idea to use beard trimmings in my dubbing to imitate hare's ear?

This week, my guest is Orvis product developer Jesse Haller [43:48], who besides being responsible for products like nets, wading shoes, and fishing packs and vests spent many years as a fishing guide. Jesse discusses how to pick the right net, some cool tips and carrying a net, how to plan your netting before you get a fish close to you, how to get the fish in the net with a minimum of fuss—and some great tips on releasing the fish you've caught. In the Fly Box this week, we have some fascinating questions and some helpful tips from listeners, including: Do you think it's a good idea to blacken your tippet close to the fly with a sharpie? What conditions decide whether you should fish a large or a small streamer for bass? A listener has a conundrum about booking a guide who used to work for another outfitter. Some great tips from a listener about safety when bluelining in the Smokies. What advice do you have for fishing out of a canoe? I have trouble finding trout in larger rivers, coming from a small stream background. What should I do? Where can I find trout in winter? What should I do about families with kids throwing rocks in the water when I am fishing? How can I fish small midge emergers just under the surface? During a heavy hatch, is it better to look for an individual fish or prospect a likely seam or run? A great tip on a device for letting people know where you are when fishing the back country. If I am running multiple midge nymphs, should I use a light or heavy tippet? What is the best beginner outfit for saltwater fly fishing?

Ian Rutter [43:06] is a long-time guide in the Smokies and one of our top field testers. He specializes in small mountain creeks (as well as their local tailwaters) and because I have had numerous requests for a podcast on "Blue-lining" I wanted to get him on to get the views from someone who does this in the heart of wild mountain brook trout country. For those of you who don't know the term, blue-lining refers to looking for new small trout water on a map and then exploring it to see what it holds. It's part hiking, part fioshing, and part discovery. In the Fly Box this week, we have lots of tackle questions, some good tips from listeners, and some other technique related questions. I was gifted a Helios 3 906F. What reel do you recommend for it? I have a 7 ½ foot rod for panfish, a 4-weight for trout, and an 8-weight for steelhead and stripers. I want to fish streamers, redfish, and corbina. Should I get a 6-weight for that? I have a Recon 10 foot 4-weight and a Blackout 11 foot 3-weight for Euro nymphing. What rod would you recommend for a standard trout rod for bigger rivers? Can I catch smallmouth bass in stained water with trout techniques like big dries or a dry-dropper rig? I have the opportunity to make my own bamboo rod. What length and line size do you recommend for small to medium0sized rivers? I listened to your podcast recommending a touch of parrafin on loose ferrules and thought I would do it later. On my next trip I broke my rod because of a loose ferrule and realized I should not have put it off. I see all these videos of people sight-fishing for trout but I almost never see them in the water myself. Should I practice spotting trout or is there something else I should do? After reading the book Lords of the Fly by Monte Burke I decided I never want to fish for tarpon. And what do you think of guides who "discover" a spot and then claim it as their own and push other people out? What is Tom's most memorable worst day of fishing? What tips and tricks does Tom keep secret and not share with us? Where does Orvis get its products. I know you make some of your rods but where does other tackle come from?

My guest this week, Sarah Baker [35:40] is a woman who has a job most of us would envy—she studies and manages the populations of wild, native brook trout in the mountains of northern Georgia. Learn more about these southernmost populations of brook trout, their life history, and where you can find them (no spot burning, just some general areas to investigate for yourself). In the Fly Box this week, some great questions that range the spectrum of fly fishing, such as: A listener is confused by recommendations for sinking lines for an Alaska trip Can I tie flies smaller than size 18 with the regular jaws in my tying vise?  Do I need to purchase midge jaws? Someone told me not to use water-based head cement on size 20 and smaller flies. Why? If I know I have a reasonable fly and good drifts, does it make sense to spend more than a half-dozen casts in one spot? I am a newbie and other than the typical questions about what fly to use, what other questions should I ask in a fly shop that will be helpful? If I want to try Spey casting with my single-hand fly rod, what fly line would be best? Can smaller Spey patterns be used for trout and bass on a single-handed rod? I am taking my first saltwater trip to Turks and Caicos. I have an 8-weight freshwater outfit. Do I need to get a special saltwater rod and line? Can I use a 450-grain Depth Charge line on my 10-weight rod? And besides fishing for striped bass, what other saltwater applications are there for this line? I am having trouble with my Clinch Knots breaking in cold weather. What am I doing wrong? Any advice for tying on a size 22 Zebra Midge in cold weather?

Can you really catch giant cutthroat trout in the desert? Are they truly a native species? And do they really fish with ladders? You'll find out in my interview with Orvis-endorsed guide Mike Anderson [45:23], who guides for the Reno Fly Shop. In the Fly Box this week, we have some wonderful comments and thought-provoking questions, including: I can keep the knots in my rubber legs on hopper patterns. How do you do it? What common fly-tying materials can I get from animals I have harvested, what parts should I use, and how to you prepare and store them? What is the advantage of going from 140 denier tying thread to 70 denier and when and why should I use it? A listener explains why he welcomes new people to the sport. I just got an intermediate line for fishing in lakes. Will it be useful in streams? I have an old rod with a loose ferrule. Is there any way of fixing it? Is my 9 ½ foot 6-weight rod too light to throw big articulated flies for bull trout? I know trout lie in seams in a river. Will steelhead be in seams as well? Can I use sewing thread for tying flies? My double surgeon's knots keep breaking. What am I doing wrong? Are there special fighting techniques when you hook a fish on a downstream drift? Why do people tell me to fish at high tide, when I can walk out farther at low tide? Can I swing a streamer in salt water? Do changes in air temperature affect fish in the ocean as much as in fresh water? What do I do to take my trout fishing to the next level? What should I concentrate on? Why are bamboo rods typically shorter than graphite, and how do I travel with a two-piece bamboo rod? I am losing more fish with large flies than I do with small flies. What is the issue?

Bill Sisson [27:29] is the founding editor of Angler's Journal magazine and his recently published book, Seasons of the Striper, is an elegant pictorial love letter to striped bass fishing. Bill has seen many changes in the striped bass fishery over the years, and his family goes back for generations of striped bass anglers — both sport and commercial fishing. He tells some great stories of past striped bass escapades, which I know you'll enjoy listening to. In the Fly Box this week, we have some solid questions and some informative information from listeners, including: On a recent podcast a listener described a method of pre-tying nymphs on a dropper with a perfection loop, but I can't figure out how to attach them to my dry fly with a loop-loop connection. How do you accomplish this? A listener gives us some great background on the history of public stream access in the United States. A listener warns of of an alarming trend of beaver misinformation Why do I keep losing trout on my barbless flies? Am I putting too much pressure on the fish? What tips can you give me on fishing with my fiberglass rod in salt water? I fish for bass in spring creeks. Do you think they will be active in late fall and winter? How do the gases in the exoskeleton of a midge pupa form? Is there any hope of fishing a dry dropper in winter? Do you have any tips for fishing small streams when there is ice in a creek?

Dive into the fascinating world of midges and their crucial role in trout fishing during winter. Learn from an entomologist about mimicking midges effectively, including color choices and life cycle insights. Discover essential tips for wading safely, selecting the right boots, and navigating tricky waters. Ethical considerations in trout fishing are also discussed, focusing on the impact of hatchery trout on native populations. Funny and heartwarming listener stories add to the fun as anglers share their unique experiences with these unsung heroes of aquatic ecosystems.

My guest this week is Steve Carew [40:58] of Fulling Mill Flies. Steve is the guy who gets fly patterns from an original sample to those gorgeous flies you see in the fly bins of your local Orvis store or dealer. How do commercial flies get made? Who are these people who tie flies for a living? Do they actually fish? How good are they? And how do they produce such consistent, high-quality flies in large volumes without sacrificing quality? In the Fly Box this week, we have some helpful tips from listeners as well as some interesting questions, including: A great tip on how to protect the tip of a fly rod when carrying it inside a vehicle fully assembled. How do I know what color midge to use? Are there seasons and times when different colors work better than others? I saw a carp feeding but tried a dozen flies and none of them worked. How can I catch these fish? I fish a lake with trout, bass, pike, walleye, and perch in it. How can I target each one of these fish? I am going to fish a lake and want to know what two fly lines I should take. Does the newer technology Orvis uses in its fly rods make older rods obsolete? I am fishing an older fiberglass rod and lost a bunch of fish. Do you think the rod is the problem? I fish an aqueduct with steep banks that prevent a back-cast. Do you have any suggestions on fly lines? A tip from a listener on gluing an aquarium thermometer to his net. Do you think the occasional flip of my fins when using a float tube will spook fish? Do you have any tips for mending a dry dropper rig without moving the fly? What is Tom's favorite fly to tie and favorite fly to fish? I purchased an old bamboo rod. How do I find out what line size it takes? I saw some brook trout actively working a redd. Does that mean I should quit fishing that stream entirely?

My guest this week is Alex Waller [41:36] from New Zealand. You've likely seen his great videos on Orvisnews.com or on You Tube, in his channel Trippin on Trout. Alex shares his techniques for fishing nymphs in late fall and winter with us, and his techniques are a bit different than what most of us use, so you make pick up some tips for your own trout fishing wherever you live. And because he often fishes for migratory rainbows coming out of giant Lake Taupo, his techniques will play well with Great Lakes "steelhead". In the Fly Box this week, we have a host of interesting questions, including: What is the most buoyant natural material for dry flies? Does adding UV resin to dry flies affect their buoyancy? What is the best way to carry and store tube flies? Is there a universal rule for what size nymph you can use on a dry dropper? How do I keep my hook gap clear of materials so I don't miss strikes? What should I do when a big fish shakes its head when fighting? If black is the most visible color for flies, why do some anglers prefer black hooks when fish are spooky? If black is most visible in murky water, why do some people recommend bright flies under these conditions? I am stuck in the rolling plains of the Midwest, four hours from a trout stream. Can I still go fly fishing? A local river is highly pressured with very clear water, so everyone uses tiny midges. Would a bigger fly work sometimes? What is the best upgrade I can make to my Clearwater outfit, without spending hundreds of dollars? Do you ever swing wet flies in small streams? If so what leader do you use? When do you use a strike indicator instead of a dry dropper? And what kind do you use? I have a floating line for striped bass fishing and have done well with it. What other line would you recommend? What do you suggest if I want to try night fishing for striped bass?

This week, my guest is Dave DiBenedetto, Editor-in-Chief of Garden & Gun Magazine, who is a lifelong fly fisher. If you read the magazine, you can see that they frequently publish fly-fishing stories, and also that they stress conservation. In their latest issue, they make public their Champions of Conservation Awards, which go to people who are making a difference at the grassroots level in all areas of conservation. Recipients range from Capt. Bennie Blanco in the Florida Everglades; to Savi Horne, who works to keep agriculture sustainable for Black farmers; to Dr. Jennifer Rehage, who has discovered shocking levels of pharmaceuticals in Florida's bonefish population—and seven other fascinating individuals who have made a difference. We also talk fishing, from marsh redfish to small-stream trout in the mountains of the South. In the Fly Box this week, we have these questions and more: What is your take on small river fishing from a kayak for smallmouth bass? What is the best way to travel with a fully assembled fly rod inside an SUV or Jeep? Can I fish a dry/dropper or indicator with my 10-foot, 3-weight Euro rod? What is the minimal number of fly rods one can own for the most diverse situations and number of species? And what rods should they be? Is there any way to have a smooth connection from line to leader with the convenience of a loop-to-loop connection? Do we need to be as careful when releasing bluegills and bass as we are with trout? Is there anything wrong with adding colored marks to the end of my fly line and Euro-nymphing with a short leader? Will trout that are eating tiny flies take a bigger dry at last light? Can I Euro nymph in small streams with a short rod? What is the minimum and maximum amount of gear you would take for an afternoon of fishing? The fish I get in my net quickly often struggle a lot. Should I play them longer? Is there an app to analyze your casting? Someone suggested using thinner-bodied Zebra Midges. Is that a good idea?