News On The Fly

In our campaign to take pressure off our over-stressed trout rivers during this hot, dry summer I figured a great topic would be how to find carp fishing spots. Not every place that holds carp is conducive to fly fishing, but when you find the right spot, you'll find endlessly fascinating opportunities to catch these often difficult gamefish that will test your drag like no other freshwater fish (besides steelhead and salmon). So I enlisted Dan Frasier [46:00] to talk about how to find the best carp spots, when and where to target them, how to present the fly, and how to determine when a carp has eaten your fly. Carp are tough and resilient and you don't need to worry about hurting them, no matter how warm the water temperature. Next to trout, they're the most interesting fish to chase in fresh water and the closest you'll get to saltwater flats fishing without leaving home. In the Fly Box this week, as usual we have some great questions and tips from listeners, including: Do certain trout get acclimated to either very high or low temperature regimes? Why do I foul hook a lot of fish when Euro nymphing? Why does my Euro rig break above the tippet ring? A casting tip using the analogy of a tomato on a stick Does Orvis have a secret warehouse full of older discontinued products? How can I keep track of tiny emergers in the surface film? Do you recommend felt soles or rubber with cleats for wading boots? When fishing for panfish, does having an indicator on the leader hinder my presentation when I strip the fly? Why are my surgeon's knots breaking when using 10-pound test for panfish? What is the difference between regular CDC and CDC puffs? Some tips from a listener on traveling with fly-fishing gear Is it OK to hold a fly rod on the blank above the grip when playing a large fish? A tip from a listener on using a lint roller to keep the fly-tying desk clean Is there any reason to put fly dressing on a yarn strike indicator? Will my freshwater reels work OK in salt water? Why do my foam dry flies sometimes land upside-down?

Welcome to a super-salty, mostly classic edition of the Orvis News Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival! Every week, we scour the Web for the best fly-fishing videos available and then serve them up . . .

The post Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival 07.23.21 appeared first on Orvis News.

A tip of the cap to 406 Fly Lines for sharing this short film from yesteryear on their Facebook page.  I found it this morning and it's a wonderful snapshot into the life of John Voelker, who wrote in the pen name of Robert Traver for years.  His narration and glimpses of his fishing days in the Upper Peninsula bring a smile for sure.

Anytime I share a story that is Robert Traver...

Two weeks ago, we hosted a Facebook Live event with Guy Alsentzer from Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, Brian Wheeler of the Big Hole River Foundation, and Wade Fellin, of Big Hole . . .

The post Wednesday Wake-Up Call 07.21.21 appeared first on Orvis News.

Tim is always looking for ways to make tying easier and more efficient, but he’s always been frustrated that most tweezers don’t perform as well as expected. The solution, he says, is to spend just a few extra bucks . . .

The post Video: Why You Need a Good Pair of Tweezers at the Vise appeared first on Orvis News.

My baby girl’s first birthday is coming up and to make it extra special, I decided to try my hand at creating a homemade party game. I needed a game for all ages that would also double as a cool-off spot. . . .

The post How to Make a Great Fishing Game for Kids (and Adults) appeared first on Orvis News.

In 2019, I interviewed a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) officer regarding the impact of social media on Leave No Trace practices in the Owyhee canyonlands in eastern Oregon. It took more than an hour of . . .

The post Story & Photos: The Value of “One and Done” appeared first on Orvis News.

This week we continue our exploration of Trout in Trouble, specifically in Montana. Pat Byorth–a fisheries biologist, Director of Montana Water for TU, and Montana Fish Commissioner–and I discuss the . . .

The post Podcast: Are Montana’s Trout in Trouble? with Pat Byorth appeared first on Orvis News.

Longtime readers know that I have a real soft spot for click and pawl fly reels.  I have a collection of a few dozen vintage Martin and J.W. Young fly reels and then a few more modern click and pawl fly reels from everyone from Hardy, Orvis, and The Spey Company.  I like the way they work, sound, and they are a neat match to many fiberglass fly rods. 

A relative newcomer to the game, Cubalaya,...

Over the weekend, the news circled the internet that famed fly reel maker, Ari 't Hart passed away.  He leaves a legacy of innovation, design, and purposefully creating fly reels that defy what many would consider a norm.

In his memory, I'm sharing three short videos that give a bit of insight on who he was and also some looks into his reel shop.

I've long admired several of...

This week we continue our exploration of Trout in Trouble, specifically in Montana. Pat Byorth [52:56], Montana Fish Commissioner [52:56], and I discuss the current decline of brown trout in southwest Montana, what you should do if you fish there during this hot, low-water year, and what the future may hold. He'll give some good advice on being a responsible angler during this tough period.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions, comments, and tips, including:
Not all Scandinavians hold their rods high when playing fish
What can I do to find trout in pools in big rivers?
Whay would a trout refuse my size 14 mayfly and then take a stonefly nymph?
Why is my back cast dropping?
A tip for making copper tungsten beads into matte gray beads with a lighter
How do I teach kids how to cast a nymph rig?
Why do my Elk Hair Caddis flies only float briefly?
What is the best way to renew a dry fly tied with snowshoe rabbit fur?
Some tips for a listener who had trouble mending line
How often should I fish with a guide and how often should I fish alone if I want to learn more?
Where is there no zonked gray squirrel available?
How do I repair streamers where the coneheads, beads, or dumbbell eyes twist after a few uses?
Why did I use five bluefish in a row?
Can you fish tandem streamers?
A listener corrects my physics knowledge
How can I fish nymphs on a day so windy it blows my indicator downstream?
A tip from a listener on using Euro nymphing techniques with an indicator.
Is there a standard for hook wire gauge so I can determine when a clinch knot won't work?

Welcome to a trout-free, classic edition of the Orvis News Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival! Every week, we scour the Web for the best fly-fishing videos available and then serve them up for . . .

The post Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival 07.16.21 appeared first on Orvis News.

Trout love ants, and they will often eat a small terrestrial on those days when there are no other insects on the water. I often use a tiny ant as a dropper behind a larger imitative or attractor pattern to great effect. . . .

The post Video: How to Tie a Parachute Ant appeared first on Orvis News.

I guess it was the fall of 2018 when I was first aware of Lo-fli and the idea of a "fixed spool" fly reel design with their Kickstarter campaign that I highlighted in a long ago T.F.M. post. They didn't meet their fundraising goal but designer and angler Paul Osimo didn't give up. He continued to work on his design, more field testing, trying new things, making new things, and from time to time...

The other day I mentioned in this T.F.M. post that Zeb Tonkavich of Snowman Custom Rod Works had begun to chronicle the rebuild of his Ijuin Rods Yomogi 703-3 on his YouTube channel.  Things get going in this video and it's neat to see his method through the work.

Follow along with the latest shop news on the Snowman Custom Rod Works Instagram page and subscribe to the I Am...

Welcome to an all-new edition of the Orvis News Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival! Every week, we scour the Web for the best fly-fishing videos available and then serve them up for you to enjoy. . . .

The post Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival 07.09.21 appeared first on Orvis News.

This week I am delighted to have biologist John McMillan back as my guest. John gives us a detailed view on the affect of water temperature on a trout’s metabolism, particularly at the upper end of their safe range. . . .

The post Podcast: How do water temperatures affect trout behavior? with John McMillan appeared first on Orvis News.

This week I am delighted to have biologist John McMillan back as my guest. John gives us a detailed view on the affect of water temperature on a trout's metabolism, particularly at the upper end of their safe range. In this summer of low flows and high water temperatures nearly everywhere in North America, it's a critical topic. And as usual, John puts his critical eye on how we, as anglers, can mitigate these effects by changing our fishing behavior. John is never without optimism, and I think you'll enjoy his discussion and learn more about trout biology and how we can be more responsible anglers.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and tips from listeners:
Why did my guide tell me to use heavier tippets? Why did she suggest this would put less stress on the fish?
A suggestion from a listener on getting an old bamboo rod and refurbishing it to bring one back to life.
What is the difference between hen and partidge?
How do I know where to find trout streams?
What size should I tie my ants in?
A new way of tying a clinch knot with heaver hooks is suggested by a listener
Why, when fishing with a dry dropper, do I only catch browns on the nymph and only cutthroats on the dry?
What do you suggest for catching pressured largemouths in summer?
A belated Father's Day message
Can I use the Euro nymphing method from a drift boat or float tube?
Why am I having trouble mending at 30 feet with a dry dropper?
When tying a Chubby Chernobyl, how do you get the legs to separate?
When you see a large mammal like a beaver or otter in the river, is it time to move on?
Why do I catch myself with my fly when casting?
Is it OK to dry my waders and boots in the sun?
How should I handle my gear for air travel?
Why do I keep losing fish when using bead head flies?
Does using a frog pattern change the flex of my rod?
Why do Scandinavians hold their rods so high when playing a fish?

In this installment of the podcast, Reid and Orvis Gunroom Manager Greg Carpiniello seek answers to a listener question about available options for new/contemporary entry-level side-by-sides. Greg and Reid . . .

The post Podcast: New and Contemporary Side-by-Sides, with Greg Carpiniello appeared first on Orvis News.

Over the years, we've seen Zeb Tonkavich of Snowman Custom Rod Works go through a few online transitions with how he's sharing the work that he's doing.  He took down his website but is still active on Instagram.  Recently, he began a series of videos on YouTube which is a neat inside look at his shop, methods, and he's taking viewers along as he rebuilds his Ijuin RodsYomogi 703-3...

The St. Joe River–located in the Idaho Panhandle’s St. Joe National Forest–is a 140-mile-long protected river system and according to the U.S. Forest Service, it’s one of the highest navigable rivers in the world, with a mouth elevation of just over 2,000 feet. . . .

The post Video: Westslope Cutthroats on Idaho’s St. Joe appeared first on Orvis News.