The Orvis Fly-fishing Guide Podcast

This week, my guest is Tim Landwehr [43:50], of Tight Lines Fly Fishing Company in De Pere, Wisconsin. Tim has decades of experience guiding for smallmouth bass and is co-author of a book on fly fishing for smallmouths. He shares some innovative and modern techniques for catching difficult smallmouths under all conditions, some you have probably never heard of or thought about. In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions, including: When I am Euro nymphing, why do trout always take my fly on the swing, after it has finished its dead drift? I have trouble seeing my beetle imitations on the water. What can I do? Why did trout, after refusing countless dead drifts during a spinner fall, take my fly as I stripped it back to me? If you had to fish nymphs that only imitated one order of insects, which one would it be? If I simplify my nymph collection to more generic imitations, will I do as well as if I worry about imitating specific insects? What is the difference between a Comparadun and a Sparkle Dun

This week, my guest is Todd Tanner [39:47], a journalist who writes for many of the fly-fishing websites and magazines and is Fly Fishing editor of Sporting Classics magazine. Todd is also the president of Conservation Hawks, an organization dedicated to educating fishers and hunters on the threats of climate change, and is the president of the School of Trout. Todd is a thoughtful guy, and he discusses the ten things he sees as essential to becoming a great fly fisher. And no, we don't talk about choosing the right fly or using the correct knot. I think some of his thoughts about this topic will surprise you and may make you think differently about your path to becoming happier and less insecure on a trout stream. We have some great questions and tips in the Fly Box this week, including: I want to start Euro nymphing. What's most important--should I look at a new rod, a new reel, or a new line? Which is better for a bonefish leader--nylon or fluorocarbon? A high school senior informs us of a conservation iss

As part of Trout Unlimited's weeklong emphasis on the Snake River salmon and steelhead restoration plan, my guest this week is Chris Wood [50:25], president and CEO of Trout Unlimited. Our topic is the plan to remove four dams on the lower Snake River, a monumental project that offers great benefit to this river's historic anadromous fishery, which has been in great decline over the past 50 years. When I first heard of this, I thought it would be a pipedream to even think of removing these dams that supply hydropower, transportation, and irrigation. But Chris has convinced me that those beneficial uses can now be replaced with alternative means, and there is a real possibility of seeing these dams removed in our lifetime. Hopefully, he'll convince you as well. In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and tips shared by listeners, including: How can I land large trout on tiny size 22 nymphs? What can I do to move a big fish that sulks on the bottom? Can you share a few of your DIY hacks for your

I get frequent questions about fishing emergers and it's a confusing subject. Do I fish one like a nymph, or do I fish one like a dry, and how deep should I fish it. My guest this week, Tim Cammisa [41:06], is a well-known fly tier who specializes in doing presentations on tying and fishing emergers, so I thought it would be great to get his tips on them. In the Fly Box this week, we have some interesting questions and thoughtful tips from listeners, including: How do you deal with adding and removing split shot? What should I use to touch up the finish on an old bamboo fly rod? I have some old leader material that is difficult to tighten. Is it because the nylon is old? Why do we think we need so much backing on reels? And why are light lines as long as heavier lines? Can I wear hunting waders for winter fishing? Will stocked trout spawn in rivers if they survive to spawning season? A great tip from a listener on handy modifications you can make to any fly-tying vise Do you know of one pair of sunglasses tha

This week, my best is Dr. Guy Fleischer [35:30], science advisor for the Wild Steelhead Coalition (wildsteelheadcoalition.org). We discuss the proposed closure of steelhead fishing on the Olympic Peninsula, how ocean changes affect steelhead survival, and the steelhead life cycle, with an emphasis on how resilient steelhead populations are if we give them half a chance. (we'll also be publishing a podcast in the next two weeks with Chris Wood, CEO of Trout Unlimited, on the potential removal of four dams on the lower Snake River). In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and tips from listeners, including: What flies do you like for the Green Drake hatch? What should I do in the winter months to get ready for next season? Can I land big fish on a Euro nymphing rod without worrying about the rod breaking? When is it time to tie a whole new leader onto your line? How can I catch smallmouth bass in cold water? How do I wade a body of water without spooking fish? Advice from a listener on how to fin

There is nothing more magnificent than a wild steelhead on the fly but because of poor returns this season fishing for them will be limited. That's no reason, though, to park your fly rods in the garage. The PNW has some alternative species that although are not native, they are a worthy target on a fly rod: carp and smallmouth bass. And they're not going away so we might as well enjoy them. Join my guest Kelsey Rosborough [52:15] from the Orvis Outfitter Team (those knowledgeable folks who answer your technical questions when you call, e-mail, or chat about fishing products) as he tells us where to find these fun fish and how to target them. In the Fly Box this week, we have some interesting questions and great tips from listeners, including: How can I stop crowding the heads when tying flies? Where does the saying "bright day-bright fly, dark day-dark fly" come from and is there any scientific basis to it? Why do I get left with curly ends when tying a clinch knot? My fly line always gets tangled when walki

This week my guest is Charlie Robinton [52:00], one of the experts from the Orvis Outfitter team (the people who answer your technical questions when you call, chat, or e-mail). Charlie is an expert in California fishing, and he gives us a grand tour of northern California rivers and what to expect when you plan a fishing trip there. Lots of solid information form a lifelong fly fisher and California native. In the Fly Box this week, we have some great tips and questions from listeners (as well as a complaint), including: Is there a way to determine what size fly line is best on an unmarked rod at home? What is your advice on fishing stocked-only streams? Can I practice my double haul with the Practi-Caster? A listener takes me to task for saying on a previous podcast that if I were back in the 1880s and had the choice of whether or not to stock brown trout, would I do it? As well as avoiding reds during the spawning season, shouldn't we take care not to step on them throughout the winter? Any advice for fish

This week my guest is Orvis-endorsed guide Erica Nelson [36:12]. Erica gives us tips on how to hire a guide, how to find the right guide, how to manage expectations with a guide, how to tip a guide, and what to do if your guide trip is a disaster. In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and comments, including: Can I use the 10-foot, 3-weight Recon rod for both Euro nymphing and small-stream trout fishing? What has Tom learned lately? Has he had any "aha" moments? A listener makes the point that the overharvest of menhaden, a valuable forage fish, threatens our saltwater gamefish populations on the Atlantic Coast, and gives a great book recommendation on the topic. A listener asks if he should consider the shorter 8-weight Blackout rod for a wide variety of fishing situations. Thoughts from a listener on the value of native fish populations A suggestion from a listener on two items every fly fisher who goes off the grid should carry I had a rainbow trout nose my fly and slap the fly with its ta

Everyone should experience Alaska at least once in their lifetime, and if you are a fly fisher it is a place like no other. But there are different seasons, even during their short summer, and if you have your heart set on a particular species you need to pay attention to the timing of your trip. Reed Teuscher [32:21] is one of 14 people in our Outfitter Group, full-time Orvis experts who handle your fly fishing questions when you e-mail fishing@orvis.com, call 888-709-4732, or when you use the chat on our web site. This team includes guides, past Orvis retail store fishing managers, and other experts. You're not reaching a random call center, you're connecting with experts in the field who understand fly-fishing conditions and tackle. Reed was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, earning his fly fishing stripes chasing trout on Willamette Valley rivers and their tributaries. After relocating to central Oregon, chasing steelhead on the North Umpqua and Deschutes rivers honed his passion for 2-handed rods

This week my guest is Steve Ramirez [41:24], author of the book Casting Forward and the upcoming book Casting Onward. Steve is an articulate and passionate writer, and in the podcast we talk about the philosophical and personal aspects of fishing for native species, in his beloved Texas Hill Country and beyond. In the Fly Box, we have some terrific questions this week, including: Can I use my 7'11" 8-weight rod with a 5/6 reel and a 7-weight line? I can hook fish on streamers using a floating line, but when I fish a sinking line I get lots of strikes but no hookup. What am I doing wrong? An angler tells a tale of woe after getting scammed trying to buy a fly rod from an online swap forum. I keep hearing about people catching 20 and 30 fish in an outing. Why can't I do that? You said you throw out all your old nylon tippet after a year. Do I need to do that with heavier mono and old unused leaders as well? I need a heavier rod than my 5-weight for redfish, pike, bass, and carp. Is a 9-foot, 8-weight Recon the

My guest this week is Peter Jenkins [33:40], longtime striper angler and owner of the Saltwater Edge Fly Shop, outside of newport, Rhode Island. Peter talks about the seven different seasons of striper fishing on the coast, and also about the plight of the striper populations in the Atlantic. It's still an awesome and productive fishery, however we know it could be even better with proper conservation measures. In the Fly Box this week, we have some thought-provoking questions and comments, including: A comment on the lack of small fly shops these days and the bewildering variety of equipment Do I want a Spey rod for shoreline fishing and smaller steelhead rivers? Do you think that trying different fly sizes is something that applies universally Should tiers have more than one fly-tying vise? Since most people fish nymphs these days and they catch more fish than other methods, should we be limiting the number of fish we catch and release> Is there ever a time when you should go a size or two larger on a fly?

Leigh H. Perkins, or LHP as he was known, was the driving force behind Orvis from 1965 into the 1990s and was a legendary marketing and outdoorsman. He passed away this summer and I wanted to interview some of his favorite guides and fishing buddies to give people a sense of what he was really like in the field [47:52]. He was fearless, always cheerful, and never had a bad day of fishing no matter what the conditions--a lesson for all of us. I hope you'll enjoy LHP stories from John Kowalski, Lori-Ann Murphy, and Rick Ruoff. In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions, including: Which kind of poly leader should I get? How do I keep my hands warm when fly-fishing in the winter? A new fly fisher shares stories of rudeness and kindness on the water I have been fishing a variety of fly patterns on a North Georgia stream, all in size 14, and can't catch any fish. What am I doing wrong? If I am catching whitefish and suckers, am I fishing in the right place? How do I sort out the trout from the whitefis

My guest this week is Daniel Ritz [1:00:58], who recently completed the Master Caster level of the Western Native Trout Challenge. We talk about how he did it, what flies worked, and had a lot of discussion about what actually counts as a subspecies of trout. If you want to view his entire journey, it can be found at www.tu.org/magazine/author/daniel-ritz/ In the Fly Box this week, which was unusually long (either I talked too much or chose too many questions), we have these questions and tips: Why does my line get twisted when I try to shoot line? How do I know if the fly pattern I developed is really something new? What would you recommend for a wing material on bonefish flies? A question on exactly what hook shank measurements like 1X and 2X long mean, and what are they compared to? Does a 10-foot 5 weight Recon have a softer tip or a heftier butt section as compared to shorter rods? Is a 7-weight rod too light for pike fishing? How do fall leaves in the water affect fishing and what should I do? How do I

In this week's podcast, my guest is David Brooks [43:45], executive director of Montana Trout Unlimited. With prevailing drought conditions in the western United Sates and increased demand from many users, from agriculture to municipalities to recreational angling, how can we balance the use of water? David explains the difference between the riparian doctrine used mostly in the eastern United Sates, and the prior appropriation doctrine used in western states, and explains how users have come together to apportion water for human use and for keeping enough water in rivers to support healthy trout populations. It's not easy and often contentious but it's a fascinating issue and there is hope that with wise use of water by all stakeholders we can support ranchers, farmers, cities, and healthy trout populations. In the Fly Box this week, we have some interesting questions and tips, including: A note from The Mayfly Project on cities where they're looking for volunteers to help mentor foster kids in fly fishing W

[This episode was originally posted in April of 2018] This week I have a chat with Amelia Jensen, perhaps the best trout-spotter I have ever seen. I have always thought I was pretty god at seeing trout in the water, but Amelia can see fish I would never have spotted. Learn some of her secrets in this week’s podcast—you’ll be surprised at how often you can spot trout if you know what you’re looking for, even in fast, deep, or slightly off-colored water. In the Fly Box this week we have the following tips and questions: · A tip from a listener on how to carry long pre-rigged fly assemblies · A question about what fly to fish along with a streamer when swinging for spring trout · A question on tips for spotting bonefish · How should I fish the tails of pools? · A listener tip on how to keep your hands warm when fishing · Flashy vs. non-flashy nymphs and where to put them in your nymph rig · A question about why fish get picky after catching a bunch of them from the same run · Why do trout take dry flies when I

Initially posted on July 28, 2019 This week, my guest is Davy Wotton, who is originally from Wales but now lives and guides on the White River in Arkansas. I get frequent questions about swinging soft hackles and wet flies, a technique that I am not the best at, so I brought in the angler whom I consider the ultimate expert on this kind of fishing. Davy blends the British traditions with American conditions, so he really has the best perspective on this kind of fishing, which can be both challenging and subtle—especially when fish are taking emergers. It’s a long podcast, but since I have never done one on this topic, I make up for lost time. And Davy had many interesting points to make. The Fly Box is a bit shorter this week because the main podcast is so long. But we cover some interesting questions, as usual: What can I do to keep my Stimulators floating? When do you fish a nymph and when do you fish a streamer? Can you use weed guards on trout flies? Why am I breaking off so many fish? Do some rod guides

This week my guest is Sascha Clark Danylchuk [1:05:54], executive director of Keepfishwet.org and a fish biologist who has intensively studied the science of releasing fish in a responsible manner. We've talked a lot about trout lately in the podcast, so this one is on recommended release techniques for bass, panfish, pike, bonefish, redfish, and tarpon--plus a little on cold-water releases of trout. In the Fly Box this week, we had an unusually good collection of questions and tips--maybe because I was out of the office for a couple weeks so I had a lot to choose from. I want to write a fishing book. What do you suggest? What is the proper etiquette when I see other people on the river? I need a Yellowstone cutthroat to complete my Utah cutthroat slam. They are only found in a small stream. How should I go about approaching this stream and what techniques should I use to make sure I complete my Slam? Why is wet-fly fishing often called a "lost art"? Why do I have trouble landing small brook trout on barbless

This week's podcast guest is especially exciting to me as he is one of my literary heroes. John McPhee [24:10] is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author (Annals of the Former World), and in his numerous other books he has written about such diverse topics as nuclear energy, the merchant marine, basketball, Alaska, bark canoes, oranges, continental drift, flood control, tennis, farmer's markets, and many other eclectic topics. Whether or not you are interested in a subject, you can be sure you will be when you finish reading one of his books you will be fascinated. John has also been a staff writer for The New Yorker since the 1960s. In our interview, he talks about his two favorite fish to catch on the fly rod--the American shad (which he wrote an entire book about, The Founding Fish), and the chain pickerel, which he did not write a book about but did pen a short essay on in his collection of stories The Patch. (I doubt is anyone in the world who would count those two fish in combination as their favorites--but he

This week my guest is the great Amelia Jensen [53:09], one of the best trout anglers in the world and also a superb videographer. Our topic is one that is top of mind to a lot of people in the fly-fishing world this summer: how we can continue to fish for trout and get photos of them while minimizing mortality to the fish and reducing handling time. One of the best ways to do this is to take photos of fish (especially trout) without taking them out of the water. This does present challenges but it's not impossible to get a great photo of a trout while water is still running over its gills. Amelia shares the tips she has learned over the years. Lots of questions and tips from listeners in the Fly Box this week, including: How do I clean up the cork grips on my fly rods? Is there any difference in performance with a dry dropper when the nymph is tied to the eye of the dry fly instead of the bend? Is it true that by keeping trout larger than 15 inches we'll make more room for smaller trout in a stream? How do yo

This week my guest is Colby Trow [38:08] of Mossy Creek Fly Fishing, one of the best smallmouth bass anglers I know. Colby talks about successful techniques in catching these critters in late summer, when they can be harder to catch than earlier in the season. The good news is that it's one of the best times to catch them on a surface fly like a popper or hair bug, which is always the most fun. In the Fly Box this week, we have the following questions and tips from listeners: A listener who makes the point that it's quicker to land trout on light tippets with a Euro rod Can I fish carp flies with an indicator? Are treble hooks more harmful than single point barbless hooks? What do I do when trout take my hopper patterns deep? Should I leave the fly in them? I have trouble catching smallmouths in clear water. Any suggestions? Where do you store your leader between fishing trips? A tip from Sam, fishing manager at Orvis Houston, on catching redfish in dirty water What are the advantages and disadvantages in usi