The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast

This week I interview my old friend Kirk Deeter about Trout Unlimited’s Lifetime membership.  This is a great gift for yourself or for a special person in your life (people often gift these to their kids for a special occasion) and this year the thank-you for the lifetime membership is a special Orvis Helios 2 Rod and limited-run CFO reel in Trout Unlimited’s green color.  You can see how this rod was built in the video of our rod shop here: https://vimeo.com/116177056   Kirk and I do talk some fishing, and there is lots more in The Fly Box.  Questions about the value of emergers, chest packs vs. waist packs vs. sling bags vs. vests, realistic vs. impressionistic flies, and the value of UV materials in fly tying are just some of the quick topics we cover.

  In this week’s podcast, we continue our series on fly tying with an interview with a man sometimes known as The King of Swing for his steelheading skills, but he also has been called Lord of the Flies.  Shawn Brillon is in charge of flies and fly tying materials at Orvis, and as a result he has his pulse on what is going on in the wild world of making bugs on hooks.  Our topic this week is natural vs. synthetic materials—when you want one or the other, which ones Shawn and I can’t live (or at least tie) without), and the future of fly-tying materials.  In The Fly Box this week, we answer questions on the best rod for smallmouth bass, how to prospect unknown waters in the spring, whether older fly fishing tackle puts you at any disadvantage, non-toxic wire as a substitute for lead, uses for antelope hair, and a great reader suggestion to add to my list of “10 Things I Wish I had Known When I Started Fly Tying” from last week.

  On the podcast this week I am all by myself--it's a topic I've been asked to address before and didn't require a special guest.  It's entitled "10 Things I Wish I had Known About Fly Tying when I Started", and although fly tying is a never-ending journey, I thought I would share some thoughts with listeners with the hope they will pick up on these tips, tricks, and materials quicker than I did--although some of them were not even around when I started tying almost 50 years ago!  Also in The Fly Box this week we talk about the "X" system for describing hook shank length, whether to crimp the barbs on saltwater hooks, strategies for filling fly boxes during the winter, when to let a dead fish float away, how to remove the smell of head cement from recently tied flies (a great listener suggestion!), and how to determine which side of a feather is the "shiny" side.

  This week I ramble a bit with fly tying expert Tim Flagler, the hands and the voice behind those great Tightline Productions you enjoy every week.  We did intend to talk about material substitutions and we do, but we also go off topic here and there.  Also in this week’s Fly Box:  Does one spooked fish ruin an entire pool?  Can I start right out fly fishing in salt water with no other fishing experience?  How do I avoid a rat’s nest in the sink when cleaning my fly line? How to become a commercial fly tier.  Best materials for parachute wings.  And, finally, advice from an experienced commercial airline pilot on how to travel with fly tying materials without being pulled out of the security line.

  In this week’s podcast, I interview Dan Frasier, noted fly-rod carp angler and writer, on tying flies for warm-water species.  But don’t miss it if you are not a fly tier because he also gives lots of tips for catching carp, largemouths, smallmouths, pike, walleye, and even gar on the fly.  And even if you don’t tie flies for warmwater species, he also offers great stuff on tying bigger baitfish and crayfish imitations in general.  In The Fly Box, we range from where to where to go on your honeymoon to recommendations for my favorite brand of stepladder to other questions I can answer like what small-stream trout do in the winter, how to treat your flies in the off-season, clamp vs. pedestal vises, and much more.

  This week we celebrate our 5 millionth podcast download and what better way to celebrate than have my hero and mentor Hank Patterson as my guest?  As with all things Hank, you never know where you will end up so be prepared for this one!  On the serious side, this week in the podcast we talk about tips for tying the Adams, best rods for casting practice, whether or not you need a net to land trophy smallmouths, the pros and cons of UV-cure vs. two-part epoxy, and what to tell an outfitter if the guide he matches you up with is less than stellar.  Happy New Year!

This week I interview Simon Perkins, youngest member of the Perkins family (the owners of Orvis) on our staff.  Simon is in charge of our travel, schools, hunting, and guide programs and was a guide himself in the past.  This week he gives valuable advice on picking the right guide or lodge—a big investment in time and money, and a decision you should not take lightly.  Also this week, in the Fly Box, we discuss the value of head cement, tippet rings, cleaning saltwater gear, and why you might want a Spey rod for winter steelhead.

This week I interview Dave Perkins, one of the members of the family that owns Orvis and Executive Vice Chairman of Orvis.  Dave is one of the most well-traveled and experienced fly fishers I know, but he still enjoys fishing close to home as well.  In this case he is sharing his tips on catching Eastern, lake-run steelhead from smaller Great Lakes tributaries.  Dave has been doing this for many years so his tips are solid and helpful. In the fly box, we talk about the ethics of fishing for spawning fish, how many turns to take on a clinch knot, tips on making dubbed bodies, Mysis shrimp, and use of sinking lines for nymph fishing.

In addition to your questions in the Fly Box, Tom is joined in the studio by Orvis News Editor, Phil Monahan. Tom and Phil discuss what makes a great fly-fishing video, touching on subjects such as the ideal length, the proper use of a GoPro, and considering the amount of profanity in your soundtrack. Phil also introduces the new Orvis fly-fishing video theater, The Tug, which has been completely redesigned and updated, with over three hundred of the best videos online. Check it out at orvis.com/flyfishingvideos.

In this episode, Orvis Vice-Chairman, Dave Perkins and I interview Whit Fosburgh about the impacts on our saltwater fisheries by recreational and commercial fishing and what the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is doing to help protect them.    I had a lot of interesting emails this week and a couple of phone calls, so there is a bit of an extended Fly Box  section to answer all of your great questions.