News On The Fly

Welcome to the Black Friday edition of the Orvis News Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival, in which we scour the Web for the best fly-fishing videos available and then serve them up . . .

The post Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival 11.27.20 appeared first on Orvis News.

Many fly fishers have dreaded the thought of visiting their favorite trout streams, since wildfires have devastated many areas over the past few years. As threatening as they are to human lives and property, wildfires are not all that bad . . .

The post Podcast: The Surprising Truth About Trout and Wildfires, with Becky Flitcroft appeared first on Orvis News.

Many fly fishers have dreaded the thought of visiting their favorite trout streams after wildfires devasted many areas over the past few years.  As threatening as they are to human lives and property, wildfires are not all that bad for trout stream ecosystems, as you'll discover after listening to this week's podcast.  Becky Flitcroft [interview at 39:03], a fisheries biologist with the US Forest Service and an expert on disturbances to trout streams, presents some surprising results in the wake of fires.  Not only are they not horribly destructive, they are actually beneficial in many cases.  Should you visit a trout stream that was in a burned area next year?  What will the future look like?  Although every stream is different, Becky tells us what to expect over the coming years.

In the Fly Box this week, we have the following questions and tips:

I have trouble seeing my dry flies on small streams.  What patterns do you recommend, and how can I spot them better?

Do you think it's necessary to replace nylon and fluorocarbon leaders each year?

Can I extend the length of my 7 1/2 foot leaders to 9 or 12-feet by just adding tippet?

Should I use my Clearwater Reel in salt water?

Can I use shorter or longer hackles than the traditional length on my dry flies?

What techniques would you recommend for fishing after dark during the winter?

A good tip on how to practice specific techniques in fly tying.

What would be a good rod for both salmon/steelhead rivers and bass lakes?

How can I practice my fish-fighting technique in the off-season before I go salmon fishing?

What’s better than a really effective fly pattern that’s also easy to tie? Fly-fishing guide and fly-casting instructor Phil Gay showed this great Blue Quill Variant to Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions during a trip to Pennsylvania’s . . .

The post Video: How to Tie a Blue Quill Variant appeared first on Orvis News.

A dubbing twister, or dubbing whirl, is a weighted implement that you attach to the bottom of a dubbing loop. By spinning the dubbing twister, you cord-up the dubbing loop to create a rope or noodle, with the dubbing . . .

The post Video: How to Use a Dubbing Twister appeared first on Orvis News.

We are sad to share with you the news that legendary Montana guide Paul Roos passed away on November 10. Some of you may have had the pleasure of knowing Paul; others have heard of Paul; and still others are about to learn . . .

The post Remembering Paul Roos, a Giant in the Montana Fly-Fishing Community appeared first on Orvis News.

Welcome to the latest edition of the Orvis News Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival, in which we scour the Web for the best fly-fishing videos available and then serve them up for you to enjoy. This week, we’ve got 12 . . .

The post Friday Fly Fishing Film Festival 11.20.20 appeared first on Orvis News.

This week, I have a very special guest for my interview—Brittany Howard, the frontwoman for the wildly popular band Alabama Shakes, who last year released a solo album, Jaime, which explores a wide range of musical . . .

The post Podcast: Fly Fishing with Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes appeared first on Orvis News.

Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly trivia challenge, in which we test your knowledge of all things fly fishing and where you might learn a thing or two about this sport we love. This week, we’ve got ten questions all about . . .

The post Take a New Phil Monahan Fly-Fishing Trivia Challenge 11.19.20 appeared first on Orvis News.

The folks at Trouts Fly Fishing in Denver have launched an educational video series hosted by director of education and guide Courtney Despos–who appeared on Tom Rosenbauer’s podcast last year–who walks you through . . .

The post Video: How to Tie a Non-Slip Loop Knot appeared first on Orvis News.

Today’s #MomentOfChill features an angler whose stealth and concentration we can all admire. Fly fishers could learn a lot from watching a great blue heron (Ardea herodias) stalk its prey. These large wading birds are common . . .

The post #MomentofChill 11.19.20: Nature’s Master Angler appeared first on Orvis News.

2020 keeps on swinging and punching in ways that none of us can anticipate.  This time around it's knocked down two notable fly fishing guides with Andrew Grillos and Dan "Rooster" Leavensafter a spring into summer which already meant too much time off from guiding. Andrew Grillos recently suffered a stroke with an uncertain future and Dan Leavens came back from a bout of COVID0-19 only to have a...

Jordan of JP Ross Fly Rods and I have been trading a few emails what's been going on in the shop but he didn't mention his newly released In the Seam podcast which I found this morning.  I've subscribed and have eight episodes to catch up on.

I've started with Episode #1 and have to say that I'm a pushover for 7' five weights so the Wild Cardtalk is of interest. Small water with large fish make...

[This week's podcast is in two sections. This sections contains the interview with Brittany. The listener-questions section, or the Fly Box, is in part one.]

This week, I have a very special guest for my interview--Brittany Howard, the frontwoman for the wildly popular band Alabama Shakes, who also has a new (2019) album out, "Jaime", a solo effort that explores a wide range of musical styles. Brittany has performed with Sir Paul McCartney and at the Obama White House, and her albums with the Alabama Shakes have won four Grammy Awards. Her first love is music, but her second love is fishing, and she is a passionate fly fisher. Unlike some celebrities who have taken up fly fishing because it's a "thing", Brittany has the soul of an angler and has been fishing all her life. She ties her own flies, modifies her kayak for fly fishing, and when she is on tour she always prioritizes sneaking away to do some fishing. She's the real deal and a great storyteller, and I know you'll enjoy her tales of fishing on the road and her encounters with gender and racial bias while fly fishing. And as a special treat at the end of the podcast, we've included one of my favorite songs, "Future People."

We have some great questions, and some helpful tips from listeners, including:
A suggestion from a listener on the benefit of bootfoot waders for cold weather fishing
Can I catch shoal bass on a fly rod?
My 8-weight rod is not quite up to the task of surf fishing. Can I put a 9-weight line on my rod?
Why do some rods come with aluminum tubes and others with nylon-covered cases?
A suggestion from a listener that maybe I missed the point when asked about how I organize my fly-tying materials.
What is the best line for my 7-foot, 3-weight glass rod?
A suggestion from a listener on why some anglers fishing a Euro technique for steelhead lose fish on the jump.
Can I tie a Pat's Rubber Legs with dubbing instead of chenille?
I got a bunch of pheasant feathers from a hunter friend in a plastic bag and they stink. Can I salvage them?
Where should I half-hitch my bead head nymphs--behind the bead or in front of it?
I decided to take the plunge and buy good quality hackle capes. I have brown, grizzly, light ginger, medium dun, and cream. What other colors might I need?
Why are some wild trout streams with spawning fish open year-round and others closed?
How do I avoid getting hooked on the river?
How should I do the naked nymphing technique?

[This week's podcast is in two sections. This is the listener-questions section, or the Fly Box. The interview with Brittany Hoard is in part two.]

This week, I have a very special guest for my interview--Brittany Howard, the frontwoman for the wildly popular band Alabama Shakes, who also has a new (2019) album out, "Jaime", a solo effort that explores a wide range of musical styles. Brittany has performed with Sir Paul McCartney and at the Obama White House, and her albums with the Alabama Shakes have won four Grammy Awards. Her first love is music, but her second love is fishing, and she is a passionate fly fisher. Unlike some celebrities who have taken up fly fishing because it's a "thing", Brittany has the soul of an angler and has been fishing all her life. She ties her own flies, modifies her kayak for fly fishing, and when she is on tour she always prioritizes sneaking away to do some fishing. She's the real deal and a great storyteller, and I know you'll enjoy her tales of fishing on the road and her encounters with gender and racial bias while fly fishing. And as a special treat at the end of the podcast, we've included one of my favorite songs, "Future People."

We have some great questions, and some helpful tips from listeners, including:
A suggestion from a listener on the benefit of bootfoot waders for cold weather fishing
Can I catch shoal bass on a fly rod?
My 8-weight rod is not quite up to the task of surf fishing. Can I put a 9-weight line on my rod?
Why do some rods come with aluminum tubes and others with nylon-covered cases?
A suggestion from a listener that maybe I missed the point when asked about how I organize my fly-tying materials.
What is the best line for my 7-foot, 3-weight glass rod?
A suggestion from a listener on why some anglers fishing a Euro technique for steelhead lose fish on the jump.
Can I tie a Pat's Rubber Legs with dubbing instead of chenille?
I got a bunch of pheasant feathers from a hunter friend in a plastic bag and they stink. Can I salvage them?
Where should I half-hitch my bead head nymphs--behind the bead or in front of it?
I decided to take the plunge and buy good quality hackle capes. I have brown, grizzly, light ginger, medium dun, and cream. What other colors might I need?
Why are some wild trout streams with spawning fish open year-round and others closed?
How do I avoid getting hooked on the river?
How should I do the naked nymphing technique?

On Monday, the group behind the prosed Pebble Mine announced that they had submitted the new mitigation plan to the Army Corps of Engineers, to address the issues laid out in a letter the Corps sent back in August. The crux of . . .

The post Wednesday Wake-Up Call 11.18.20: Big Conservation News appeared first on Orvis News.

We recently relaunched the Orvis Fly Fishing Learning Center, featuring an all-new design. For the first 13 weeks, we will be adding a new chapter to the Learning Center each week. This week, it’s all about fly-fishing for trout on . . .

The post Video: How and Why to Fish Balanced Flies in Still Water appeared first on Orvis News.

Today’s #momentofchill is from Todd Moen, of CATCH Magazine, featuring legendary photographer and angler Brian O’Keefe casting in Alaska as a new friend munches nearby. When most people think of fly fishing, they envision casting dry flies to trout feeding on the surface. But the truth is that trout eat below the surface 90 percent of … Continue reading "#MomentofChill 11.17.20: Cutthroat Rises"

The post #MomentofChill 11.17.20: Cutthroat Rises appeared first on Orvis News.

The folks at Trouts Fly Fishing in Denver have launched an educational video series hosted by director of education and guide Courtney Despos–who appeared on Tom Rosenbauer’s podcast last year–who walks you through . . .

The post Tuesday Tips: How to Set Up a Nymph Rig appeared first on Orvis News.

Welcome to our second Friday the 13th edition of the Orvis News Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival of 2020! (Although this sometimes seems like a full year of Friday the 13s, amirite?) Each week, we scour the . . .

The post Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival 11.13.20: Friggatriskaidekaphobia Edition! appeared first on Orvis News.

In this week’s podcast, I interview Jess Westbrook, co-founder of The Mayfly Project. This organization, winner of the 2017 Orvis Breaking Barriers award, brings the joys of fly fishing to foster kids . . .

The post Podcast: The Mayfly Project, with Jess Westbrook appeared first on Orvis News.

In this week's podcast, I interview Jess Westbrook, co-founder of The Mayfly Project. This organization, a winner of an Orvis Breaking Barriers award, brings the joys of fly fishing to foster kids through individual, one-on-one mentorship throughout the country. For obvious reasons their programs have been put on hold for this year (I was looking forward to being a mentor myself last spring), but the organization moves forward, making plans for a time when we can comfortably get together in person. Jess has some heartwarming stories to tell of past successes that will make you smile and feel good about the fly-fishing community.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and I hope my answers are helpful to you. They include:
I recently got a new fly reel and when it's filled with line it's too tight.
What can I do to solve this?
A story from a listener on catching a channel catfish on a fly tied for swinging for trout--a Montana Intruder that he tied during one of our Monday live fly-tying sessions.
Why do the eyes on my saltwater flies keep coming off?
What feathers on grouse and woodcock can I use for fly tying?
Can you recommend some books so I can learn more about how watersheds work?
Why does my fly line keep catching itself on my forward cast and how can I fix it?
Can I use weighted streamers to catch walleye?
Why would a bunch of large trout be holding in slow, shallow water during a hatch?
What is the best saltwater floating line for Northeast fly fishing?
I have some fly materials with bugs in them. Would repeated thawing and freezing kill them?
What is the difference between a sink tip and an intermediate fly line?
Why does anyone ever use flies smaller than size 18? I can't see them on the water.
Why do I keep losing steelhead when they jump?

The fly-fishing leader is a complicated subject. Countless articles and book chapters, and even entire books, have been devoted to leaders. And still that tapered length of monofilament confuses many anglers, particularly . . .

The post Pro Tips: A Simple Approach to Leaders appeared first on Orvis News.

We have posted many times about the great organizations that use fly fishing as a way to help veterans deal with or recover from challenges, both physical and mental, resulting from their service. There are many such groups, . . .

The post Honor Those Who Served with a Veterans Day 2020 Film Festival appeared first on Orvis News.

Fans of the TV series Game of Thrones should be quite familiar with the Night King, who leads the White Walkers in bringing winter to Westeros. He’s got some seriously blue eyes, which is probably why Tim Flagler of Tightline . . .

The post Video: How to Tie the Night King appeared first on Orvis News.

In this month’s “Top 5” video from Trouts Fly Fishing, Trouts’ own Tanner Smith walk-wades the middle Colorado River looking for that prime late fall run that always seems to hold a bunch of fish. After four minutes of . . .

The post Video: Top 5 Flies for November 2020 appeared first on Orvis News.

Trout Unlimited continues to tell stories of places that need protecting.  The Tongass National Forest is one of those places. 

Learn more about the conservation efforts for the steelhead of the Tongass National Forest HERE and HERE. 

Subscribe to the Trout Unlimited YouTube channel to keep with the latest projects and their work.

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This week, I interview Greg Vincent of H2O Bonefishing. Greg shares his tips for what distinguishes a great bonefisher from someone who just goes fishing for bonefish and permit . . .

The post Podcast: Bonefish and Permit Secrets, with Greg Vincent appeared first on Orvis News.

This week I interview Greg Vincent of Grand Bahama Island and co-owner of H2O Bonefishing [40:13]. Greg shares his tips for what distinguishes a great bonefisher from someone who just goes fishing for bonefish and permit. There's a big difference. Greg is the only person I know who has gotten a Super Grand Slam (bonefish, permit, tarpon, and snook) in just four casts. He also tells a great story and I am sure you'll thrill to his tales of chasing these fish on the flats.

In the Fly Box this week, we have these questions and tips:

I have a random assortment of grouse feathers from a hunter friend. What patterns can I tie with them?

If there are only a few good holes in an area, how long should you fish a spot before letting another angler try their luck?

I am a new fly fisher and have been fishing just with a tenkara rod and doing OK on panfish but not trout. What is a mistake that new fly fishers often make that prevents them from catching fish?

I want to fish the Charles River in Boston and Long Island for saltwater species. What two rods should I get?

How should I treat my waders if I move from one state to another?
Have you ever made your own amadou?

Havaard from Jazz and Fly Fishing wants to fish in Montana next May and wants advice on what town to base his travels out of. And is May a good time to fish in Montana?

What leaders and tippets do I need for salmon in the Pacific Northwest?

A great idea from a listener on using a streamer as an indicator when dead-drifting a nymph/streamer combo

Welcome to the latest edition of the Orvis News Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival, in which we scour the Web for the best fly-fishing videos available and then serve them up for you to enjoy. This week, we’ve got ten . . .

The post Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival 11.06.20 appeared first on Orvis News.

When left out on their own, puppies can get in a lot of trouble. These unsupervised moments allow the puppy to chew on clothing and furniture or to have an accident inside. Unfortunately, when our pup gets into this kind of . . .

The post How a Dog Crate Helps with Potty Training and More appeared first on Orvis News.