The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast

  Brandon Dale [43:32] is a licensed New York State guide who specializes in fishing, of all places, Central Park in the middle of The Big Apple. You may not be interested in fishing for carp in Central Park, but Brandon offers some valuable tips on carp fishing in murky water, and has developed some innovative techniques that all carp fanatics will want to learn.   In the Fly Box this week, we ha...

  I feel that European stillwater anglers are far more sophisticated in their approach to stillwater trout fishing and have studied it in more detail than most North American lake anglers. As a result, they use some techniques that are unlike what you see on most trout lakes and ponds in North America and both the flies and methods they use are worth experimenting with. My guest this week, Chad Cr...

This episode was originally posted on March 10, 2022. Josh Nugent of Out Fly Fishing in Calgary has been doing a series of "Seven Deadly Sins" podcasts with me over the past couple of years and this one is chock full of great advice [38:38]. Josh is a very preceptive angler and thinks deeply about how flies behave in the water and how trout react to them, and in the interview we go off on a number...

Last week we looked at urban fly fishing in the Rockies.  This week we venture into the American south with Orvis Atlanta fishing manager Devin Lancaster for an expert look at how to find and catch interesting fly-rod species within your own city limits by using a method he calls Blue  Dotting .  You'll need to listen to the podcast to find out exactly what that is.   In the Fly Box this week, as...

It's no secret that the more popular trout rivers in the Rocky Mountains have gotten more crowded in the past few years.  Yet there are so many species of fish that are fun with a fly rod, closer to home, and that live in places that are far less crowded.  Davis James shares his experience with the "25 On the Fly" event, where anglers in the Front Range try to catch 25 different species of fish on...

I get lots of questions about polarized sunglasses — how are they made, what exactly do they do, glass vs. plastic, what color lens should I pick, and do expensive ones really offer an advantage?  And why can't I get clear polarized sunglasses for low light?  My guest, Renato Cappuccitti [41:51], is an expert on polarized sunglasses and will answer your questions and mine about one of the most ess...

  What is a delayed harvest stream and how do the regulations work?  Do you use different flies and methods for hatchery fish?  How far do hatchery fish move and in which direction?  You'll learn the answers to these questions and many more with Dustin Coffey [46:39], the winner of the 2024 Orvis Endorsed Guide of the Year award.   In the podcast this week, as usual we have some interesting and th...

Breckenridge Outfitters is this year's winner of the Orvis Endorsed Outfitter of the Year Award and Tim West [44:07] is the glue that holds this fabulous guide service together.  In the interview, Tim talks about how to decide which fly to tie on at the beginning of the day, or when you first approach the water.  Do you start with a streamer, a nymph, a wet fly, a dry fly, or some combination of t...

  Carp are difficult any time but around spawning time they can be extremely frustrating.  But they can be caught on a fly.  You need to know where to look and which fish to target.  Guide Rowan Lytle [44:38] has it dialed in, and if you always wanted to catch a carp on the fly you need to listen to this podcast.  Rowan, not yet 30 years old, has already caught 202 different species of fish on a f...

  My guest this week is Sarah Foster [54:15], executive director of The American Museum of Fly Fishing, on why she thinks learning about the history and traditions surrounding fly fishing are important and add to our enjoyment.  She talks about recent exhibits and acquisitions, and what is in store for the future of the museum.  It's a must-see for anyone visiting southern Vermont.   In the Fly Bo...

Scott [41:18] is an assistant professor of motor control and learning at Long Beach University, as well as a fly fisher and podcast listener.  He has a small number of quick tests you can do at home to check your balance, and then simple exercises you can do at home without any special equipment to improve your balance in a matter of weeks.  Wading safely and comfortably on a river involves both b...

Ralph Cutter [36:53] is an extremely perceptive, pragmatic angler with a lifetime of experience in white water, both fishing and in watercraft and water rescues.  He feels that what we've been taught to do if we fall in wearing waders is all wrong, and he has a number of tips for getting to shore safely that most of us don't know about.  He also recommends a second wader belt for wading in very tr...

The use of the natural toxin rotenone to remove invasive, non-native species of trout to protect native species is a controversial topic. Does it really work? What does the poison do to the insect, mammal, and bird populations? Ted Williams [52:36], a proponent of these tactics in selected waters, discusses where reclaiming populations has been successful and also places where it would not make se...

  This week, my guest is guide BJ Gerhart [33:50], a longtime veteran guide at Three Rivers Ranch in Idaho and one of the savviest anglers I know.  He shares his tips for getting around the common problems of early season trout fishing, mainly cold water and high flows.   In the Fly Box this week, we have some helpful tips from listeners, and some interesting questions for Tom, including: If adult...

Can trout see color?  Can they see UV light?  How does a trout's window on the outside world affect how they feed and how they notice predators like us?  How can a trout see so well at night and also in bright light when they have no eyelids, and their pupils don't constrict?  Jason Randall [31:10] is an experienced fly fisher and scientist, and he stays up on the latest scientific papers on trout...

My guest this week is Brandon Hoffner [35:55], executive director of the Henry's Fork Foundation, and the topic is the diverse habitat and trout-fishing opportunities of this world-famous river that has influenced so many anglers, techniques, and fly patterns over the years.  Like all trout rivers today, the Henry's Fork also has its share of environmental issues and we'll explore how the Henry's...

The Montana Supreme Court recently reversed a decision that would have blocked a copper mine on the headwaters of the Smith River.  Where we thought we had a win in preventing a mine in the wrong place, we now may have to live with that mine.  David Brooks [33:02] on Montana TU tells us how, at the very least, TU and other organizations convinced the mine to put in a number of mitigation solutions...

Josh Miller [43:10] is a guide and has been a competitive angler and coach for years and he, like many young fly fishers, is an innovative angler who doesn't rely only on older methods of fly fishing but develops his own techniques based on how he wants his flies to drift.  This is a geeky one with some rambling, but I think Josh has some thought-provoking ideas that will get many of us thinking....

This week, my guest is Orvis rod designer and my fishing buddy Shawn Combs [14:05], who uses the new Helios rods as an example of how a new rod series is developed.  What kind of input goes into a new rod design?  Why do we keep making new rod series?  How are they tested?  How many prototypes of a new rod are built before we decide on the final model?   The Fly Box is short this week because I've...

This week, my guest is educator and aquatic entomologist Anna Le [18:57], who introduces us to the amazing world of trout-stream invertebrates.  She tells us how to gauge the health of a river by looking at the bugs, and also how we can all be citizen scientists and alert the authorities when we see a decline of important indicator species.   In the Fly Box this week we have the usual mix of diffi...

This week my guest is Charlie Schneider [45:30] from Cal Trout, a great organization that Orvis has supported over the years because they are really effective in protecting wild trout habitat.  Charlie talks about the many species and subspecies (or races depending on whether you are a lumper or a splitter) of wild trout found in California, some of are unique to California.   The incredibly diver...

My guest this week is Charity Rutter [39:50], a great friend and longtime guide in the Great Smoky Mountains.  She and her husband Ian have just finished a great book (I read the manuscript and loved it) and although it won't be available until April, you can pre-order it  here:  https://randrflyfishing.com/ store/fly-fishing-guide-to- great-smoky-mountains- national-park/ Charity shares her secre...

Lindsay Kocka [42:30] is a fly-fishing instructor, formally trained natural movement and strength coach, mobility specialist, yoga teacher, and mindfulness educator.  She taken her fishing experience and formal training to come up with a method to help us wade stronger and more confidently.  Regardless of your age, you'll benefit from this podcast, which will give you lots of tips on how to feel m...

All about Floating Fly Lines, with Josh Jenkins   What is the difference between freshwater and saltwater fly lines?  How about warmwater and cold-water lines?  How long do fly lines last?  How do you care for a fly line?  How do you clean a fly line?  Why do we have over-weighted fly lines?  These are questions I often get for the podcast, so I asked Josh Jenkins [49:28], head of R&D for Scientif...

Are there any tricks to spotting fish on saltwater flats, especially if it's your first time?  You may be disappointed to hear that there is no magic bullet and every place you fish will offer different species, water color, and depth.  But Jason Franklin [37:36] has a lifetime of experience helping his clients to spot bonefish and permit in the water, and he gives us some solid tips on how to dev...