The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast

My guest this week is Phil Rowley [55:20], author of the just-released book The Orvis Guide to Stillwater Trout Fishing and fellow host for The New Fly Fisher TV show. Phil is a stillwater genius and he helps us untangle the confusion around fly lines for fishing in lakes and ponds, and exactly which lines you need. In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions, including: I have switched from a medium to fast action rod. Should I set the hook differently? How do I fish beaver ponds? Questions about Euro nymphing with a standard 9-foot, 5-weight rod and reel Do brown trout move in and out of bigger, warmer rivers? What is the best way to fish with midges? Will a floating tippet hurt my dry-fly presentation? What is the difference between up-eye, down-eye, and straight-eye hooks? Which dry flies do you apply flotant on? Where can I find good prescription polarized sunglasses? Are lighter wire hooks better for hooking fish on a downstream presentation? Why do fish follow my wet flies and not take them? A listener takes me to task for badmouthing the Madison River (and I deserved it) Why is Coq de Leon used so much for nymph tails? How do I fish a low-gradient stream with large boulders? How much backing do I put on my reel? What is the best rod for small-stream trout fishing?

This week my guest is George Revel of Lost Coast Outfitters [@50:42], the only fly shop in downtown San Francisco. George is a lifelong fly fisher (he was a tournament caster when he was a teenager) and has intimate knowledge of the best fly-fishing spots in California. Whether you live on the West Coast and are looking for new places to explore, or if you plan a visit to California, this podcast is a must. In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and comments, including: If you are unsure where the fish are, how long should your drift be and where should you place your fly? I have a 9-foot 5-weight rod and want one other rod to do everything else, from bass to steelhead to salt water. What additional rod should I buy? Why am I foul-hooking so many trout this year? A comment from a listener on why permit systems for our more crowded rivers may be needed. In cold water, will trout feed deeper than four feet? How important is it that my indicator and flies land in the same current? What kind of line, or weight on my leader, should I use when trolling for pike? Where is the best place to find an in-person fly-fishing mentor? Would it be harmful to my boots or waders if I spray insect repellent on them to keep ticks away? How far should you lead a trout you can see in a clear stream? What surface flies should I use for stripers on Cape Cod in late summer? How can I train my dog to be a good fly-fishing companion? Will steaming an old cork handle off a fly rod hurt the blank?

Overcrowding is an issue on many of our more popular trout streams, and there is no easy solution.  This week I join journalist Spencer Durrant [@40:06] to discuss what he sees are solutions to some of the problems, both in finding alternate places to fish and also how to behave if you find yourself on a crowded river.    In the Fly Box this week, we have the following questions and comments: Are all gloves bad for handling fish? What section of a river should I fish and what areas of a river should I target at different times of day? Should I always fish a dry with a dropper and can I use this method in fast water? Can I get permission to get a tattoo of Tom on my arm? Are there any significant advantage of a 6-weight rod over a 5-weight? How can someone get into raising poultry for the fly-tying industry? How beat up can a streamer get and still be effective? Any insight in getting a fly-fishing class set up in my school? What do you think about people playing bluetooth speakers on steelhead rivers? How do I decide what flies to bring on a trip? Any old school tips you can share with us? Some great tips from a listener on the use of game bird feathers.

My guest this week is Josh Nugent of Out Fly Fishing Outfitters, an Orvis-endorsed outfitting service and fly shop in Calgary [@52:23]. Josh is a lifelong student of fly fishing and actually did a college-level study on the eye movements of expert fly casters. His findings will open your eyes (no pun intended) to some little tricks that will improve your casting accuracy. In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and comments, including: Will stocked trout move around after they are initially stocked? How do I keep from losing my droppers when using barbless hooks? Can you give me some tips in fishing for bass in ponds in early season? Where do our fly-tying materials come from? Are they just repackaged products from other industries? How do I keep my rod sections from coming apart? A listener suggestion for books on hatches in east Tennessee from a question on a previous podcast I want to fish for smallmouths in a river and stripers in the ocean. What fly line should I get? What fundamentals go through your head on every single cast? A listener (and professional fisheries manager) takes me to task for badmouthing triploid trout. I am having trouble hooking fish in a lake when using a sinking line from my kayak. What am I doing wrong? I have an old South Bend bamboo rod. How should I fish with it? How do I eliminate "creep" in my cast? How can I get Dragon Tails to hold up better?

This week, I have a special guest--the world's foremost authority on the life cycle of cicadas and the most knowledgeable person in the world on techniques for fishing this "hatch". I've had a lot of questions on this topic and I've finally found the person who can answer them [32.53]. In the Fly Box this week, we have a number of very interesting questions, including: Do you think fish decoys will work for attracting trout? Can you tell us about the new electric fly rod coming out of Japan? What is your technique for making a dubbing loop using a Bimini Twist knot? Can I use UV cure epoxy for dry flies? I found a dead possum in the road. Can I use this for dubbing, and how should I prepare the skin? A listener who thinks his tippet material is defective What is the correct way to tie a loop knot? Advice on fishing a couple rivers in Montana A question about swinging flies on New York's Salmon River Is what I have done tenkara fishing? Advice to a gentleman who wants to become a permit guide Are egg patterns and San Juan Worms considered bait fishing?

My guest this week is Cheech from Fly Fish Food [@36:00], a highly regarded tier and teacher whose videos are popular with serious fly tiers.  He's an engaging character who knows fly materials inside and out.  We talk fly material substitutions, particularly hook styles, and ramble on all sorts of things related to fly tying.  I hope you find it as fun to listen to as I did to record it.   In the Fly Box this week we have these questions and comments: What do I use for leader formulas? I am used to graphite; what should I expect from a short, delicate glass rod? Can I vary from the 60:20:20 formula if I tie my own leaders? A discussion of brook trout habitat and survival I broke four inches off my old Trident TLS rod.  It's no longer under the 25-year guarantee as my dad bought it in a pawn shop.  Is there any way I can still use it? What is a simple buggy nymph I can tie up, as a novice fly tier? Why is my casting more accurate with my short fiberglass rod than with my longer, heavier graphite rods? Do all fish behave the same? Can you recommend a good hatch guide for Tennessee?    

This week my guest is Havard Stubo [@40:23] of Jazz and Fly Fishing. If you have not enjoyed one of their videos, it's a group of jazz musicians who also love fly fishing and decided to make some videos of their exploits. We think their films are quite entertaining and I think you'll appreciate their dry humor as a welcome respite from what you typically see in fly fishing films. Havard talks about fly fishing in Scandanavia, the relationship between jazz music and fly fishing (and tying) and other offbeat topics. In the Fly Box this week, it seems like we have a spate of basic equipment questions, so unless you need some advice on rod, reel, and line selection you may want to skip right to the interview. Some of the questions include: I am interested in a lighter fiberglass rod but I have noticed some manufacturers recommend two lines sizes, like a 3 or 4. Which one should I pick? I want to fish a Depth Charge line down to 20 feet with my 8-weight. Should I get a 250 grain or 300 grain line? If I want to fish 5 to 6 feet under the surface, should I get a sink-tip or intermediate sinking line? Any advice on hook sets and fighting fish for rookie anglers? What is the maximum size fly I can use on my Clearwater 9-foot 5-weight rod? In nymph fishing, should I be watching the line or waiting to feel the strike? What would be a good rod for backpacking into lakes? Which sink rate should I choose when I buy a poly leader? How do I tell if an old fly line that was given to me is still usable? Should I get a 5-weight Clearwater or a 6-weight Clearwater for fishing small streams and small bass ponds in Pennsylvania? Why don't I see fiberglass rods heavier than an 8-weight? What are your thoughts about fishing for bass when they are spawning? What do I think of pink flies? And how important is color anyway? What do you do when a fish takes you down to your last couple turns of backing?

Ever wanted to take a fishing trip to Montana (who doesn't)? For a first trip to the Rockies, generally I suggest people center in the greater Yellowstone area because of the vast amount of public land and great trout streams in that area, which includes portions of Wyoming and Idaho as well as Montana. This week I have enlisted a real expert on that area (not a tourist like me). Joe Moore [@48:55] is a longtime guide and owner of Big Sky Anglers located right in the middle of downtown West Yellowstone. Joe gives us some great tips on timing, tackle, and suggested rivers. Essential knowledge for your post-Covid road trip. Lots of great questions in the Fly Box this week, including: How much backing should I put on my 6-weight reel? Is there such a thing as too much backing? How do I get my significant other into fly fishing? How can I fish for freshwater stripers in deep, murky water? Can I use barbless hooks for bass, pike, and musky? What is the best method for taking water temperatures? How important is it that nymphs drift in the upright position? I am taking a high mountain backpacking trip and only want to take one rod. Should I take my 3-weight or my 5-weight? What is that little spring behind the jaws of my vise? Do "triggers" on fly patterns work? Do weed guard interfere with solid takes? Do jig hooks really hang up less often that standard weighted patterns? How can I repair a fly line with a cut in it? Do you know anyone who has switched from casting right-handed to casting left-handed? Why are triploid trout stocked? Can I use a sinking poly leader for striped bass fishing?

This week my guest is Henry Cowen [@49:05], author of the new book Fly-Fishing for Freshwater Striped Bass, which is really a complete guide to chasing these great gamefish. They get huge, they often feed in shallow water, and are just about the perfect fish to chase with a fly rod. You'll learn their seasons, how to present your fly, and what tackle and flies you'll need to chase them. In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions from listeners, including: How do newer Orvis rods compare to older ones like the All-Rounder? Any tips for casting from a kayak? How do the Orvis Hydros and Pro lines compare? Their tapers look very different What do you think of Bob Wyatt's philosophy on trout in the book What Trout Want? What direction should I cast when fishing streams? Can all bead head patterns be tied with tungsten beads? Why are my head cements too thick? When looking for a new river to fish, what structure should I look for? A tip from a listener that sometimes beaver activity seems to attract trout. Does it matter which direction I twist my dubbing? How will the 17-year cicada affect fishing? Can I tie a piece of tippet to the main tippet above my lower fly with a clinch knot? Why do people always tie their heavier nymph on as the lower fly? I have better luck tying the heavier nymph above my smaller fly. Can I use the Palomar Knot to add a second fly above my lower fly without removing the lower fly?

In this week's podcast, we'll visit with the dynamic co-founder and president of Western Rivers Conservancy, Sue Doroff [34:50]. Over the past 30 years, Sue and her small, lean staff have protected nearly 400 miles of rivers with names like the Madison, Hoh, Klamath, and John Day--rivers beloved by fly fishers. If you've ever parked at Three Dollar Bridge on the Madison River, you can than the Western Rivers Conservancy for protecting that stretch of river from development and for maintaining public access. Find out about their unique special sauce and how they do this. In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and tips from listeners: I know you should keep a fish upstream of you when fighting it. What do you do when fishing downstream? A warning and tip from a listener on the dangers of shelf ice in winter Should I use big articulated streamers like the Drunk & Disorderly for steelhead? Is a 9-foot 8-weight rod a good one for wading the beaches of Florida? I don't want to fish weighted flies and I don't want to fish more than one fly. How can I get a good dead drift with my wet flies and nymphs? I mainly tie steelhead flies, but for a trout fishing trip, is it more economical to buy or tie some dry flies? When fishing across several lines of current with a floating line, what technique should I use to get a good drift? How do you deal with casting an indicator rig when the indicator is set 6 feet or more above your flies? A great tip on tapering synthetic fibers when tying streamers. Should I use hemostats or small pliers for trout fishing? What are the pros and cons of bead chain vs. solid metal eyes?