The Orvis Fly-fishing Guide Podcast

This week I interview Monte Burke [@44:46], author of the recently released book Lords of the Fly.  It's a chronicle of the history of tarpon fishing with a fly rod, and especially the magical period in the late 20th century where huge tarpon and the best fly anglers in the world converged on a little town on the Florida coast.  This is truthfully one of the most interesting fly-fishing books I have ever read.  Even if you have no interest in tarpon fishing, the story of the personalities, conflicts, and obsession involved in trying to catch a world record tarpon on a fly is one of the most compelling stories in fly-fishing history. Monte talks about his research and the process involved in writing the book.  It's a tale of egos and gangsters and heartbreak. In the Fly Box this week, we have lots of interesting questions and tips, including: How does a new beaver dam affect a trout stream? What is the difference between a 2-weight and a 3-weight Euro nymphing rod? How should one approach a larger river with

This week, we chat with Bob Irvin [Interview starts at 42:00], president of American Rivers, an organization that does solid work protecting the aquatic resources we all love.  Bob and I talk about the Clean Water Act and the Clean Water Rule--what these laws have done for us in the past, how they are currently managed, and threats to their effectiveness.  It's not as much fun as talking about trout or steelhead, but it's important stuff to all of us. In the Fly Box this week, listeners offered the following tips and questions: What kind of water is best for Euronymphing?  Can you do it in really slow water for panfish?The booties on my waders are too tight for two pairs of socks.  How can I keep my feet warm winter steelheading? I have some streams in my neighborhood that people say used to hold brook trout.  How can I find out if they still live there? A suggestion that keeping the index finger on the top of your rod grip helps with sensitivity. What is the best fly line to use when trying to cast the enti

This week I interview biologist Nicole Watson [interview at 46:56], who has a fascinating job. She is working on developing strains of arctic grayling that will hopefully be able to repopulate some of Michigan's rivers. It's not widely known that prior to the arrival of Europeans to rivers such as the Au Sable and Manistee, the dominant salmonid in rivers in that entire area was not the brook trout, but a unique strain of arctic grayling. Learn about how the population was decimated, what is being done to restore them, and how soon we'll be able to fish for wild grayling in Michigan. Here are some links to websites mentioned in the podcast MI Grayling Initiative website: https://www.migrayling.org/ Iron Fish Distillery- whiskeys to support research: https://ironfishdistillery.com/arcticgrayling/ Iron Fish Arctic Grayling Research Fund (to donate to research directly): https://manisteefoundation.org/component/funds/view/3933 In the Fly Box this week, we have the following questions and tips from listeners: My

This week, I interview Captain Joe Mattioli [43:31]i on a place I have always wanted to fish--New York Harbor.  Despite having chased striped bass and bluefish with a fly rod for over 40 years, I have never had the pleasure of fishing New York Harbor and I have always wanted to.  So join me as I interview Captain Joe and hear stories of this world-class fishery beneath the Statue of Liberty and off Coney Island. In the Fly Box this week, we have lots of great questions, including: I have issues with knots in my leader, especially with streamers and other heavy flies.  How do I fix this? I have a 9 ft 5-weight Recon and a starter fly reel I bought a few years ago.  Should I buy a new reel to go with my rod? When fishing for bass, if I use a heavier line like a bank shot on my 6-weight rod, how should I adjust my casting style? Are there any trade-offs? I use a double Uni Knot to join tippet, but I can't tie a Blood Knot to save my life.  What are the relative strengths of these two knots? I just upgraded my f

This week I interview Orvis-endorsed guide Jay Aylward [51:05], a largemough bass fanatic on the fly rod, about how to find and catch them.  And not just any largemouth, but trophy bass.  Or at least trophies on a fly rod... In the Fly Box this week, I get some great tips from listeners and also some interesting questions, including: Fly pattern suggestions for a road trip across Colorado What are your top 10 trout flies I should tie? How does water fluctuation below a dam affect trout behavior? I can't catch trout on anything but worm flies and woollies in my local river.  Why can't I catch them on standard nymphs? How do I sort through the creek chubs to catch the nice brook trout below them? Can I cut my poly leader back to make it shorter? What line do I need to put on my 10-foot 8-weight single handed rod if I want to try some two-handed casts? Why did a fly shop put a 6-foot leader on my outfit when I bought it? A listener offers more suggestions on why you should tie your own leaders.A nother suggestio

[Interview @ 38:40] There are few things more fun in fly fishing than catching bluegills with a popper or nymph.  For the most part, once you find them it's easy and un-challenging fishing.  But if you want to up your game and chase trophy bluegills, the kind that will put a big bend in a 3-weight rod, you need special techniques.  This week Orvis-endorsed guide Kip Vieth shares his passion for big bluegills, and his special techniques for catching them--even in summer heat. In the Fly Box this week, we answer the following questions from listeners: I had a big brown trout chase my fly right after a big tumble of branches rolled down the river on top of him.  Is this common? What can I do with some grouse feathers I obtained? Does a 7 1/2-foot knotless leader have the same level tippet length as a 9- or 12-footer, or is the tippet length proportional? I started tying my own leaders but had a blood knot break.  Should I go back to knotless leaders? Would it be a good idea to tie smaller streamers with a shank

This week we continue our exploration of small streams with Brian Slusser in California [@37:47] and Brown Hobson of North Carolina [@1:24:38]. Both are experienced guides and love small stream fishing. Even if you don't fish these regions, you'll find plenty of great tips and fly suggestions for your own region. In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and also some great additional information from listeners, including: I have a small bass pond in my neighborhood. What would you suggest regarding patterns and techniques? I have a bunch of old flies from the 1940s. How can I tell if they are still good? Is there a comparable approach to Euro nymphing when fishing for steelhead? Some great information from a listener on the confusion around greenback cutthroat restoration in Colorado. Why aren't all hooks barbless? Do you have any tips on tying with calf body hair? What are some good crab patterns for fishing for striped bass in New England? Can you suggest some tips on tying in biot tails for n

This week, continuing with my small stream double features programs, I interview Todd Fuchigami of the Ellensburg Angler in Washington [@ 45:48], plus Mel Hayner of Driftless Fly Fishing Company in Minnesota [@1:24:51]. It's been fascinating for me to learn about the similarities, and the differences in small stream techniques throughout the country. Regardless of where you fish, you'll pick up great small stream tips from these two. In the Fly Box this week, we have the following questions and comments: What is your preferred wet-wading outfit, or do you even wade wet at all during the summer? If I need a longer dropper on my dry/dropper rig, should I add the extra length with another section of tippet added to the existing one or should I tie on a whole new dropper? A listener takes me to task and says I should "spend more time on crowded public waters to better answer the fly box questions" What is the best way to fish small streams when they get turbid from a summer rainstorm? A couple book recommendation

[Rachel Therkildsen interview 36:25] [Brett Damm interview 1:04:52] I have been interviewing guides across the country on their techniques for small-stream trout fishing and I want to get these out sooner rather than later, at the peak of small stream trout season.  So this week, we have a special double feature on small trout streams East and West.  We have Rachel Therkildsen on fishing high altitude streams (and lakes) in Colorado, and then we move East to hear about small stream brook trout fishing in the Rangeley region of Maine with Brett Damm of Rangeley Region Fly Shop.   In the Fly Box this week, we have the following questions: I use mostly streamers in high mountain lakes.  Should I be using nymphs and dries? Is there a good resource for organizing my fly boxes? Are there any podcast episodes on panfish? A suggestion from a listener on wearing a wetsuit when fly fishing. Do you have any tips on how to fish difficult waters? I think carp are eating blueback herring spawn on my local river.  Do y

[Interview starts at 37:17]   This week, our podcast is all about carp.  It's a more advanced carp podcast with my buddy Dan Frasier, who is one of the most knowledgeable carp anglers I know.  Carp are almost never easy and sometimes they are damn near impossible.  But they are a fascinating challenge, and a good fish to chase when you aren't able to travel to more exotic places for big fish--something we all need to concentrate on.   I'm going to be doing more podcasts about fishing close to home--a bunch of small stream tips from various parts of the country, and also on bass and panfish.  Stay tuned in the coming months.   In the Fly Box this week, we have these questions and suggestions form listeners: Can I fish steelhead with a single-handed rod?  I can't find any information on it. What type of stream bottom is best for rubber with metal studs on the soles, and what type is best with just rubber soles? How can I find small wild trout spring creeks in the Northeast? My flies don't look as good as the

[Interview starts at 41:18] We could all use a little escapism these days, so why not listen to a podcast about adventures in the Amazon?  Fly Fisherman Magazine editor and publisher Ross Purnell, in a pre-Covid recorded interview, will thrill you with his adventures with a fly rod in the Amazon, and you will be shocked at how he celebrated the trip.  Few of us will be traveling to exotic locations this year, and many of us never will, but it is always enlightening to hear about what fishing is like in a different world.   In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and suggestions: Further warnings on UV cure epoxy vapors How do I keep my fly tying organized in a small apartment with a wife, dog, and cat? Can I use steelhead swinging techniques for skating a caddis when trout fishing? How do I learn Euro nymphing? How can I find and catch bigger trout than the 12-inchers I usually catch? Are there any advanced courses to improve my skills in fly fishing? More tips from a fishing guid

[Interview starts at 55:00]  This week, Joe Hebler of the Blue Quill Angler in Evergreen, Colorado, answers the question "How do I become a fishing guide?"  Whether you are graduating from high school or college, or in another career looking to escape daily stresses and an unsatisfying job, Joe gives a great road map on what steps to take to successfully land a job in this competitive field.  And if you aren't interested in becoming a guide, Joe also gives some great tips on current fishing conditions on Colorado streams.   In the Fly Box this week, we answer some questions, share some tips from a listener, and alert people to a threat on one of Pennsylvania's finest trout streams.  Should I buy a 4-weight or a 5-weight rod for trout? Whatever happened to that little barbed thingee that goes into the end of a fly line to attach a leader?  An alert about a proposal by a meat packing plant to withdraw 700,000 gallons of water a day from the springs that feed the headwaters of Fishing Creek.  Are wet fl

[Interview starts at 37:18] This week, the podcast is about native trout, specifically the Rio Grande cutthroat of New Mexico.  It's the story of two communities, one a small New Mexico town and the other the Taos Pueblo tribe, told by Toner Mitchell of Trout Unlimited, and Talisa Puentes Ortega, a biologist who worked on the project with the Taos Pueblo.   In the Fly Box this week, we have lots of questions, as usual, including: Can I use Dragon Tails for trout spey? Can I use scaled down versions of classic salmon and steelhead for trout? Can I fix a cut in my 5-weight line? Do you ever wish you could go back in time and fish a particular river? Why do people often recommend different flies for tailwaters as opposed to freestone rivers? How should I rinse my Clearwater reel after fishing in salt water? Do creek chubs in a river indicate the absence of trout? Should I boil my leaders to straighten them? My buddy and I caught nice bass on small nymphs while fishing for sunfish.  Is this a fl

[Interview starts at 45:51] This week's podcast was recorded prior to Covid 19 but I sat on it for awhile because it was about saltwater fly fishing in the San Francisco Bay area and I wanted to wait until sheltering at home restrictions were eased a bit and people could get out to try these ideas.  Sarah Landstrom of Lost Coast Outfitters regularly leads trips for this accessible and interesting urban fishing, and she has some great tips, and even suggestions for locations to try.   In the Fly Box this week, we have a number of interesting questions--plus a great e-mail from a listener on how he successfully uses two-handed rods for nymphing in Alaska.  Some of the questions this week are: Do you think planning a trip with a guide will help me learn new skills? What is the best way to go about asking for permission to fish on private land? I don't have much time to fish.  How can I streamline things and become more efficient so I don't spend all my time rigging and tying knots? Do you think a surgeon

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? Ca

  This week I have an interview [starts at 39:52] that was recorded pre-Covid with Peter Bring, long-time Montana guide for Blackfoot River outfitters in Missoula.  I always learn new things form every guide I fish with, but I thought Peter had some especially helpful tips on fishing with indicators and dry droppers.  Being on the water every day and expected to produce fish in any condition, guides develop efficient, fun, and easy ways to catch fish and have polished their techniques through thousands of hours of helping other anglers become successful.   In the Fly Box this week, we have the following questions Has anyone ever caught two fish at once on a two-fly rig? Can I use dog hair to tie flies? I want to chase redfish, pike, steelhead, Pacific salmon, and muskie.  Will an 8-weight rod handle all those species? Can I use the 10-foot sinking Salmon poly leader for trout?  Can I cast it on a 6-weight? What can I tie with hen saddle patches? What switch rod would you recommend for striped bass

[Interview starts at 38:46] This week I have the pleasure of interviewing one of my very favorite non-fiction writers, Mark Kurlansky.  Author of such award-winning books as Cod, Salt, Paper, 1968, and A Continent of Islands, Mark is a tireless journalist who digs into the very essence of anything he does.  His new book, Salmon, is his first book that involves sport fishing as well as the natural and economic history of both Atlantic and Pacific salmon. (And he has a book on fly fishing coming out next April).   In the Fly Box this week, we have the following tips and questions: Should I use a cauterizing pen to clean material out of the eyes of my flies? A host of solid tips for the novice Spey caster from a listener What makes a good skater fly, and how do you fish them? Why don't more people use the drop-shot method when fishing nymphs? How do you attach a dropper to a Euro rig with passing the bottom fly through the loop? How can I fish a Euro rig in really tiny streams? Is my 8-weight rod t

[Interview starts at 27:44] This week I have the pleasure of interviewing perhaps the nicest human being on the planet, Tim Linehan of Linehan Outfitters in Libby, Montana.  I think you'll get a sense of what kind of person he is by listening in.  We talk about how the recent pandemic has affected fishing guides and lodges, but on a more fun note, Tim describes his fishery in northern Montana--the only place in Montana where you can catch a true native rainbow trout (rainbows on famous rivers like the Madison, Bighorn, Missouri, and Gallatin were originally stocked).   In the fly box this week, we have these tips and questions: An easy way to make crab eyes Why don't people use a piece of yarn in between blood knots as a strike indicator? Will a 3-weight switch rod handle streamers for smallmouths? What can I do to protect flies and tying materials? Can I use springbok hair in place of deer hair? Can I fish tungsten nymphs on a sinking line effectively? When do I set the hook when sight-nymphing

[Interview starts at 37:13] This week I interview Sam Sifton, former Cooking Editor, now Assistant Managing Editor of The New York Times, and an avid fly-rod striped bass angler.  It's quite a rambling discussion, from striper fishing on Long Island to the current state of striper populations to the writing of Peter Matthiessen.  Along the way, of course we get some fish cooking advice but only for bluefish.  Learn why Sam and I don't eat striped bass (and it's more than just about catch-and-release for the sake of the population).   In the Fly Box this week, we have the following questions: Do you have any tips for fishing a very large river? How long do hooks stay sharp, and can I re-sharpen chemically sharpened hooks? Why don't you develop biodegradable hooks? Why am I having problems catching spring trout in Alaska? I was recently fishing a delayed harvest section and caught some smaller, beautifully colored trout.  Do you think they were wild? Why am I developing pains in my wrist when casti

[Interview starts at 38:00]   This week I interview Mark Melnyk, host and producer of The New Fly Fisher TV show and the co-producer of The Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing Season 2.  We tell some stories about what it's like filming a show and share some nasty tricks we played on cameramen over the past year.  The Orvis show premieres this week on World Fishing Network, but shows will also premiere for the next 13 weeks every Sunday on The Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing You Tube Channel.  Season 2 will also appear on PBS and on Amazon Prime later in the year, once we have all the shows completed.   In the Fly Box this week, we have a couple good tips from listeners (actually adding information to topics previously discussed on podcasts) including more detail on polarized lenses and why tilting your head helps, and also some additional information on keeping your muscles and joints in shape when fishing.   We also have these questions: Should I wait to buy a first fly rod now, or should I  wait until I can go to an O