News On The Fly

Every time we go fishing, we learn something–even the amazing vacuum cleaner Jesse Haller, our resident Euro-nymphing expert. So I asked Jesse what he has learned over the past 12 months, and it’s a fun and eye-opening interview that got me . . .

The post Podcast: Five Things an Expert Euro-Nymphing Angler Learned this Year, With Jesse Haller appeared first on Orvis News.

Reid and Nick Larson, host of the Project Upland Podcast, discuss the changing face of hunting media, guns, birds, and summer in the North. Nick, a Duluth MN native and avid grouse and woodcock hunter, serves as the brand communications director at Northwoods Collective, a media and marketing company in the outdoor space. The podcast wanders into questions about upland hunting in social media, contemporary print, and the opportunity to straddle the old and the new. Nick is a great guest, and a skilled podcaster himself. 

Check out Nick's podcast at www.projectupland.com.

We all learn something every time we go fishing, even the amazing vacuum cleaner Jesse Haller, our resident Euro nymphing expert.  So I asked Jesse what he has learned over the past 12 months, and it’s a fun and eye-opening interview that got me excited about trying some new ideas and strategies for Euro nymphing.  I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.

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

• Is there a good way to figure out what fly sizes I can use on a given rod?
• Can I use big trout streamers for Atlantic salmon?  Why are traditional salmon flies tied they way they are?
• I have trouble with line handling with two-handed rods.  What should I do?
• I can’t find smallmouth bass in my river even though I know they live there.  What kind of water should I look for?
• Why do some hook styles come in odd sizes like 13 and 15?
• I can’t get enough distance on big lakes with my 9 foot 6 weight Recon rod.  Would a longer rod help?  Would a two-handed rod get me more distance?
• Is it necessary to pinch the barb on hooks smaller than size 20?
• Why can’t I get flies shipped from the US to Canada, and is there any way to get around this?
• If I catch a big fish, is it OK to go back to try and catch it again in the same day?
• I am having trouble deciding on the right line for bass fishing on my 909 rod.  Some bass bug lines are rated two line sizes heavier.  What should I do?

After a bit of a break, Reid returns to the podcast to spend some time with Hannah Perkins, the most recent member of the Perkins family to join the Orvis Company. Hannah grew up in a family steeped in hunting and fishing heritage, alongside . . .

The post Podcast: Growing Up As A Hunter, with Hannah Perkins appeared first on Orvis News.

This is a special backcast episode, and we are also posting a companion video over on the Orvis Fly-Fishing Videos Podcast. Check it out wherever you get your podcasts, and subscribe! We have a very exciting podcast for you this week.  Many of you have asked for a pike podcast, and we’ve delivered what I … Continue reading "Podcast: Fly-Fishing for Pike, with Drew Price"

The post Podcast: Fly-Fishing for Pike, with Drew Price appeared first on Orvis News.

Welcome to the another edition of the Orvis News Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival! Each week, 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 16 killer productions that will take . . .

The post Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival 06.28.19 appeared first on Orvis News.

This is a special backcast episode in that we also are posting an accompanying video over on the Orvis Fly-Fishing Video Podcast. Check it out wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe! Here is Tom's summary from when this ran in March of 2011: We have a very exciting podcast for you this week. Many of you have asked for a pike podcast, and we've delivered what I think is one of our best presentations in two parts. Part 1 is an audio interview I conduct with pike expert Drew Price, where he goes into great detail on where, when, and how to catch pike. Also in part 1, we have some tips in the Fly Box section on fishing CDC flies, choosing one rod for bass and trout, and how to get your nymph deep in small plunge pools. Part 2 is a video where we have tips on pike fishing (along with some shots of nice pike caught on a fly), courtesy of The New Fly Fisher TV show. I know I learned a ton from interviewing Drew and watching the video and can't wait to get at the pike this spring.

Welcome to another 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 an all-new set of ten questions about famous. . .

The post Take an All-New Phil Monahan Fly-Fishing Trivia Challenge 06.27.19 appeared first on Orvis News.

The latest how-to fly-tying video from Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions is chock-full of tips and tricks that will make working with foam much easier. If you love making high-floating flies, terrestrials, attractor patterns, etc., then you’ll probably want . . .

The post Video: How to Tie Flies with Foam appeared first on Orvis News.

When you’re fishing a freestone stream, there are lots of places where trout could hold, but knowing which are the best lies will save you lots of time and help you catch more fish. In this classic video from “The New Fly Fisher,” Tom Rosenbauer walks . . .

The post Video: How to Prospect for Trout, with Tom Rosenbauer appeared first on Orvis News.

Do you struggle to tie Comparadun wings? It might be the deer hair you’re using. Three weeks ago, Tim discussed what kinds of hair generally works best, and then he covered hair length, alignment, tips, and color banding. Here, for deer hunters and . . .

The post Video: How to Choose Deer Hair for Comparaduns III appeared first on Orvis News.

The latest how-to video from Ben Sittig, a.k.a Huge Fly Fisherman, is all about how to maintain the “ready position” when you’re on the bow of a flats boat. Saltwater fly fishing demands that you be ready to cast 30 to 50 feet of line immediately, with . . .

The post Video Pro Tips: How to Maintain the Ready Position on the Bow of a Flats Boat appeared first on Orvis News.

Long gravel runs often look like featureless water that doesn't offer a lot of structure to hold trout. In this week’s Master Class Monday video, Dave and Amelia Jensen explain how these stretches can actually provide great dry-fly fishing under the . . .

The post Master Class Monday: How to Fish Dry Flies Over Gravel Runs appeared first on Orvis News.

After two days of fantastic smallmouth fishing at Hawk Lake Lodge, we decided to head for a smaller lake known for its great pike population. Sandy and I once again teamed up with guide Jeff Blum for a very short boat ride, followed by a hike to . . .

The post Hawk Lake Lodge, Day Three: Teeth and Mouths appeared first on Orvis News.

Our second morning at Ontario's Hawk Lake Lodge dawned bright and warm--it looked to be a carbon copy of the previous day--and we decided to fish Paddy Lake for smallmouths. One of the 19 lakes that the lodge has access to, Paddy is just a . . .

The post Hawk Lake Lodge, Day Two: The Mouse that Roared appeared first on Orvis News.

It’s not difficult to catch walleye on the fly if you know where and when to go after them. I have gotten frequent requests from listeners on how to catch walleye on the fly and have never been able to find the right expert guest. Then, a few weeks . . .

The post Podcast: Everything you want to know about walleye on the fly, with Ted Putnam appeared first on Orvis News.

Last winter, I got a call from my friend Ted Putnam, owner of Hawk Lake Lodge, who invited me to come up and explore his system of lakes known for their trophy smallmouth bass, northern pike, and walleyes. At the time, neither of us knew . . .

The post Hawk Lake Lodge, Day One: All Fishes Great and Small(mouth) appeared first on Orvis News.

It’s not difficult to catch walleye on the fly if you know where and when to go after them. I have gotten frequent requests from listeners on how to catch walleye on the fly and have never been able to find the right expert guest. Then, a few weeks ago while filming a bass fishing episode for the upcoming second season of the Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide TV show, I found my expert—Ted Putnam of Hawk Lake Lodge. Ted has shown numerous experts how to catch not only just walleye but trophy walleye on the fly, and he shares his expertise on when and where, what flies to use, what lines to use, and how to retrieve the fly. In the Fly Box this week, we have the following questions: Why can’t I get bass to eat my mouse flies? Why don’t the fish on my river eat salmon flies? How often can I fish a population of trout and will it hurt them? More discussions on fish and changes in barometric pressure. (This will be an ongoing discussion) Why do I keep losing fish when using a heavily weighted barbless fly? Can I use my 9-foot 5 weight rod for bass fishing? What is the strangest fly material you have ever used? When should I use Comparaduns? What kind of roadkill can I use for fly tying? Why did mahi in the Gulf Stream ignore my flies? How does water temperature affect fish and insects? Why do people not fish dry flies much any more?

After a bit of a break, Reid returns to the Podcast to spend some time with Hannah Perkins, the most recent member of the Perkins family to join the Orvis Company. Hannah grew up in a rich hunting and fishing heritage, alongside cousins Simon and Charley. She tells stories of her childhood, learning to shoot, the challenging reality of killing animals we love, and eating hearts and livers! Enjoy!

High noon on the Bighorn. The August sun was blazing down from a cloudless Montana sky. By midday, the pale-morning-dun hatch had petered out, so Andy and I pulled our drift boat against the bank and tossed the anchor up into the grass. I sat in . . .

The post Glo Bugs, Tunafish Sandwiches, and Other Inert Materials appeared first on Orvis News.

In this week’s great fly-tying how-to video from Tightline Productions, Tim Flagler shows us how he creates a great early-summer wet fly. Traditional wet flies don’t get a lot of press, but they can be deadly when the fish aren’t feeding on the surface. Tim . . .

The post Video: How to Tie a Light Cahill Wet Fly appeared first on Orvis News.