News On The Fly

Reid explores his thoughts on the ideal gun for a given application. With identity as a focus throughout, he considers how the gun used in a given environment must make sense both functionally, but also tonally. This podcast also wanders into a bit of a wish list, or something along the lines of “if money were no object…” Enjoy!

Ever wondered why dogs are so important in our lives? Maybe you already suspected owning a dog has palpable benefits for her humans. Turns out it’s true, and some of them are actually measurable. For thousands of years in fact, dogs have been helping people—as protectors, as shepherds of livestock, even as beasts of burden—and not least of all as our best friends, loyal to a fault. What are the tangible benefits of that connection? A goofy dog makes us all laugh, but how does that laughter improve our health? And we ‘dog people’ do find ourselves walking more every week—but how much more? Let’s look at some of the advantages of having a dog by the numbers.

The post The Real Benefits of Having a Dog appeared first on Orvis News.

If you’re looking to add an adventurous furry companion to the household, but need a dog who can handle frigid temperatures and winter snow, consider these seven exceptional dog breeds for cold weather.

The post The 7 Best Dog Breeds for Cold Weather appeared first on Orvis News.

Folks who travel to far-flung destinations to fish may not have cast a fly rod for weeks or even months. Louis Cahill of Gink & Gasoline was teaching a bonefish school at Bair's Lodge in The Bahamas when he discovered that one of his clients was . . .

The post Pro Tips: Two Stretches to Help You Cast Better appeared first on Orvis News.

The new issue of the online magazine Southern Culture on the Fly has just been released, and it's chock-full of great images, articles, and videos. It being winter and all, there's a strong focus on Southern angling, with features . . .

The post Winter 2019 Issue of SCoF is Online Now appeared first on Orvis News.

Make-A-Wish Vermont is a wonderful organization that has granted wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions for more than 30 years. (We were lucky enough to take one of these kids fly fishing a few years ago.) For the past three . . .

The post Win a Helios 3 Fly Rod in Our Vermont Beardies Contest! 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 . . .

The post Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival 02.08.19 appeared first on Orvis News.

Our friend and Orvis-endorsed guide Josh Nugent--of Out Fly Fishing Outfitters in Calgary--was in town last week, and I grabbed him to do a podcast. Josh did one with me a few years ago entitled “The Seven Deadly Sins of . . .

The post Podcast: The Seven Deadly Sins of Streamer Fishing, with Josh Nugent appeared first on Orvis News.

Our friend and Orvis-endorsed guide Josh Nugent of Out Fly Fishing Outfitters in Calgary was in town last week, and I grabbed him to do a podcast. Josh did one a few years ago with me entitled “The Seven Deadly Sins of Sight Fishing” and it was really popular, so we decided to do “The Seven Deadly Sins of Streamer Fishing”. If you think streamer fishing is just chucking a big piece of meat out there and stripping back, Josh has some revelations for you. Revelations based on thousands of hours on the water. In the Fly Box this week, lots of interesting questions and suggestions: What do you see as the biggest revolutions in fly fishing technology and the biggest flops? Is there a difference between dry fly and nymph dubbing? If trout are sensitive to cold temperatures why do we catch them ice fishing? Why are fly rods always made in 6-inch increments? How do I substitute hooks when a tier on YouTube mentions a specific model? If I am fishing a tandem streamer in a place where only single hooks are allowed, which one do I cut off? Why do trout jump out of the water? Is a digital thermometer better for fishing than an analog design? Which hackles should I buy for dry flies or wet flies? Which YouTube Channel do you recommend for reliable fly patterns? Do boots without felt really decrease the possibility of spreading invasive species? How do I get the perfect consistency with head cement? Do I need a stripping basket when using my switch rod? Why did you make H3 rods with that ugly white label? A great suggestion from a listener on buying lunch for your guide (this is often required when fishing in salt water) What 10-20 flies should I tie next after going through all the flies in the kit?

Florida-native David Danforth began drawing as a child, and he never gave it up. At different points in his life, he has done Computer-aided design (CAD) drafting, airbrushed motorcycles, and created street-art-style murals. About . . .

The post Angling Art: The Reel Local Works of David Danforth appeared first on Orvis News.

When you’re streamer fishing in high and off-color water, the rules of “gentle” trout presentations go out the door. Trout, like other fish, possess a repertoire of senses for feeding. In clear water, trout may use sight (just one . . .

The post Pro Tips: Slap That Cougar appeared first on Orvis News.

Welcome to the latest installment of the Wednesday Wake-Up Call, a weekly roundup of the most pressing conservation issues important to anglers. Working with our friends at . . .

The post Wednesday Wake-Up Call 02.06.19 appeared first on Orvis News.

Written by: William G. Tapply

Fishing the "Big Lake" for smallmouths was twice an annual tradition for Bill Tapply.
Photo courtesy Colin McKeown, of The New Fly Fisher 

It was shortly after the arrival of the new year—the snow drifts around the north side of my barn stood eight feet deep, and the red stuff in the thermometer outside my kitchen window was . . .

The post “Same Time Next Year,” by William G. Tapply appeared first on Orvis News.

One of the easiest ways to improve your presentation in your trout fishing is to pay more attention to your tippet.  It’s as important as the fly pattern you choose, and the size and length and. . .

The post Pro Tips: Four Hot Tips on Tippets appeared first on Orvis News.

Famed Colorado tie John Barr is most famous for his Copper John, but many streamers lovers are also fans of the streamer/jig hybrid known as the Meat Whistle. Barr originally designed the pattern for bass fishing--sort of a . . .

The post Video: How to Tie the Meat Whistle appeared first on Orvis News.

The view from Orvis HQ in southwestern Vermont is inspiring (although sometimes also distracting).
Photo via the Orvis Webcam

Welcome to another Orvis Job Openings announcement, where we update you periodically on the opportunities to be a part of the Orvis team. If you follow our social channels, you're probably already aware of what a great place this is to work—from the . . .

The post Orvis Job Openings 02.04.18 appeared first on Orvis News.

Protecting a trout after you've brought it to the next can help ensure that it survives to fight another day.
Photos by Patrick Blackdale

Few things are more exciting that catching a big fish, but it's important that you keep your head at the point when that fish is most vulnerable. Keeping our fisheries healthy and thriving is a team effort that begins with anglers on the stream. Science has . . .

The post 5 Tips for Catch and Release Fly Fishing appeared first on Orvis News.

By: Orvis Staff

Yes. Weather, including rain and snow, temperature fluctuations, and changes in barometric pressure, can affect dog behavior. It’s similar to the effect weather can have on your mood and energy. You’re likely peppier on sunny spring days, while a movie . . .

The post Does Weather Affect Dog Behavior? appeared first on Orvis News.

It’s that time again to announce our Orvis Cover Dog Contest winners who will appear on our 2019 Spring and Summer Dog Books.

As always your photos and participation did not disappoint. From April through September we received just shy of . . .

The post Congrats to Our Recent Orvis Cover Dog Winners! appeared first on Orvis News.

The Internet is full of “hacks” that are supposed to make your life better in some small way, but few are as truly useful as this tip for creating a homemade tool for tying. Tim’s “dubbing brush and magnet tool” probably costs less than a buck to make, but . . .

The post Video: Where to Place Flies While Head Cement Dries appeared first on Orvis News.

Welcome to another installment of "Ask a Fly-Fishing Instructor," in which we answer readers' questions about their biggest fly-casting problems. Reader Marc asked for help with this: . . .

The post Pro Tips: How to Avoid Casting “Creep” appeared first on Orvis News.

The post Video: Top 5 Flies for February 2019 appeared first on Orvis News.

Photo by pato garza - Flickr, CC BY 2.0, Link

Large dog breeds who are most sensitive to the cold include Great Danes, Mastiffs, Dobermans, German Shorthaired Pointers, and Boxers—despite their imposing size, some large and giant dog breeds simply can’t fend off the frost effectively. Read . . .

Large dog breeds who are most sensitive to the cold include Great Danes, Mastiffs, Dobermans, German Shorthaired Pointers, and Boxers—despite their imposing size, some large and giant dog breeds simply can’t fend off the frost effectively. Read on to learn why some powerful dogs balk at cold-weather walks, and which dog breeds need winter coats.

The post Which Large Dog Breeds Are Most Sensitive to the Cold? appeared first on Orvis News.

Anodizing has a big effect on a reel's durability and color.
Photos via orvis.com

Whenever you see advertising copy for a fly reel, it usually mentions that the metal is anodized. (For instance, the description of the Mirage Fly Reels includes "Strong yet lightweight. . .

The post Pro Tips: What Does “Anodized” Mean for a Fly Reel? 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 an even dozen, and some of them are . . .

The post Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival for February First appeared first on Orvis News.

Josh Jenkins with a fat smallmouth from Michigan's Lake St. Clair.
Photo via Instagram

This week, I interview Josh Jenkins, Research and Development manager for Scientific Anglers. Josh, along with his crew, is responsible for all the cool new technology in fly lines. Floating lines are confusing because there are . . .

The post Podcast: All About Floating Lines, with Josh Jenkins appeared first on Orvis News.

This week I interview Josh Jenkins, Research and Development manager for Scientific Anglers, and who, along with his crew, is responsible for all the cool new technology in fly lines. Floating lines are confusing because there are so many options, so Josh explains how they are made, why coatings and cores determine what kind of water they’re used in, and how tapers affect the performance of fly lines. Are double taper and weight forward lines the same for the first 30 feet? Is there any difference between a saltwater and freshwater line, or between a cold water and warm water line? These are questions I get asked all the time in the podcast, so I figured I would go to the ultimate expert to answer them. In the Fly Box this week, we have lots of intriguing questions, including: Why can’t I make my furled leader perform? Is my tippet too long or too short? What is Tom’s job? Does he get to fish at all? How do I set my drag for trout fishing? Can Spey casting be used in lakes? How should I target rainbows in the fall? Is that when they spawn? At what temperatures do bass become active enough to catch on a fly rod? Can I get some tips on making my golden pheasant crests behave? Is it worth it to prospect with a small dry fly in winter? Are there small trout streams that are just impossible to fish with a fly? What are the pros and cons of using a sink tip line instead of a poly leader? Can you help me decide between a 4-weight or 5-weight rod? Do you have any tips for when a head cement jar won’t open? What kind of watercraft should I buy for New England rivers? What is color preserver? Do you have any tips for tying the tails on an RS2? How do I organize all the fly fishing information I encounter? Can bigger trout be caught on soft hackles?

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, you'll have to come up with the right answers for ten new . . .

The post Take an All-New Phil Monahan Fly-Fishing Trivia Challenge 01.31.19 appeared first on Orvis News.