News On The Fly

“You can’t be what you can’t see.” These words by Eeland Stribling’s grandfather had a profound effect on how Eeling went about becoming a fly fisherman and then sharing his experiences with others. “The Great Outdoors” is a series showcasing Black . . .

The post Video: Changing the Image of the Fly Fisher with Purpose appeared first on Orvis News.

For anglers who just want to get on the water without having to mess with complex setups–only to untangle them a few casts later–Joe Rotter of Red’s Fly Shop has some great advice on creating a simple, one-fly nymph rig. During his demonstration, . . .

The post Video Pro Tips: A Simple Nymph Rig for Beginners appeared first on Orvis News.

When most people think of the Everglades, they picture the sawgrass wetlands and mangroves at the southern tip of Florida. What they don’t realize is that the health of this incredible ecosystem is dependent upon events far to the north. Historically, . . .

The post Video: “Follow the Water” Gets to the Heart of Everglades Restoration appeared first on Orvis News.

This week, my guest is longtime guide, fly shop owner, journalist, musician, and all-around great guy Jim McLennan. Jim is a thoughtful fly fisher who always has solid tips on fly-fishing techniques, and this week we talk about mayfly spinners . . .

The post Podcast: Tips for Fishing Mayfly Spinners, with Jim McLennan appeared first on Orvis News.

A few weeks ago I was going through my stash and found three ECHO Bad Ass Glass Quickshot8-weights that I had been sent to me some time ago to use for a giveaway. Life got in the way and that contest never happened but it got me thinking that it would be fun to handpick some other favorite fly fishing gear and apparel items that make summer even better. It didn't take too long until the plan was...

This week, my guest is longtime guide, fly shop owner, journalist, musician, and all-around great guy Jim McLennan [40:26]. Jim is a thoughtful fly fisher who always has solid tips on fly-fishing techniques, and this week we talk about mayfly spinners—their mysteries, how to identify when they are active, and how to target trout feeding on them. Mayfly spinner falls are some of the best opportunities to catch large trout on a dry fly because trout gorge on them and sometimes get stupid, so it pays to have some intelligence on taking advantage of these opportunities. And this is a timely podcast because in most parts of the country, we are about to get into the prime season for the tiny Trico spinners.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some intriguing questions and tips from listeners, including:

Why can I do to prevent my mono eyes from breaking on my tarpon flies?

How do I clean my saltwater flies after a trip so they aren’t all mangled?

Can I use more than one subsurface fly with a dry-dropper rig?

How can I fish a deep plunge pool with a dry-dropper?

I have broken a bunch of rods in the past couple years. Is it due to my bad casting?

Some great tips from a relatively new angler on where to get the best help and advice.

What is a good way to enjoy a fly-fishing trip with a young family?

How can I break into writing stories and poems about fly fishing?

Is using a stomach (throat) pump unethical, and is it looked down upon by other fly fishers?

A tip for using neoprene socks when wet wading

In the short and long term, what do you expect the results of the Yellowstone flood will be?

I'm not sure if beers or mixed drinks were involved (my guess is yes...) in these "scientific studies" but Jordan Ross of JP Ross Fly Rods and Mark Usyk have gotten together for a couple of videos to extol the benefits of glass, specifically the Beaver Meadow S-Glassin 2-weight and 5-weight with a couple different tippet sizes to show breakage points and just how much these blanks...

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

The post Wednesday Wake-Up Call 07.13.22 appeared first on Orvis News.

In this week’s great tying video from Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions, he shows you how to create a saltwater version of the Frozen Fox, which he introduced last year. Both patterns use the same dubbing-loop method to create a full, flashy body that . . .

The post Video: How to Tie the Saltwater Frozen Fox appeared first on Orvis News.

Loon Outdoors has spearheaded this giveaway but a lot of other industry favorites are in the mix with a prize package valued at over $2,600. 

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One frequently repeated tip for trout anglers is that you shouldn’t rig up until you’ve reached the water’s edge and had a chance to assess the current situation. While that technique does indeed work well when targeting trout confined to a stream, it can lead . . .

The post Stream to Salt I: Don’t Wait to Rig appeared first on Orvis News.

In another collaborative episode with Del Whitman of DC Whitman Custom Gunsmithing, Reid and Del discuss the oft-misunderstood topic of regulation. Regulating barrels is the process by which double-gun barrels are aligned to shoot . . .

The post Podcast: Regulating Shotgun Barrels, with Del Whitman appeared first on Orvis News.

In this third video about organizing materials, Tim takes us to the macro level, showing us how he stores larger containers and bags of materials. You may be surprised by his choices, although that antique thread-storage box–a yard sale find–looks . . .

The post Video: How to Organize Tying Stuff, Part 3 appeared first on Orvis News.

On June 13, 2022, devastating floods struck the northern Greater Yellowstone Region, as raging rivers destroyed roads and bridges both in Yellowstone National Park and in towns such as Gardiner, Emigrant, Livingston, and Red Lodge–all familiar to anglers . . .

The post Relief Fund Aims to Help Guides Affected by Yellowstone Floods appeared first on Orvis News.

Welcome to an all-new edition of the Orvis News Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival, in which we scour the Web for the best fly-fishing videos available. This week, we feature eleven glorious productions that will not only take you around the world, but . . .

The post Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival 07.08.22 appeared first on Orvis News.

You may have never heard of or seen a redeye bass (Micropterus coosae), yet they are a wonderful fly-rod fish. They live in spectacular, clear mountain streams and take a fly very well. They’re mainly found in the Deep South, particularly in . . .

The post Podcast: Fly-Fishing for Redeye Bass, with Matthew Lewis appeared first on Orvis News.

You may have never heard of redeye bass or seen one. Yet they are a wonderful fly-rod fish. They live in spectacular, clear mountain streams and take a fly very well. They’re mainly found in the deep South, particularly in Alabama, so they’re a great fly-rod target in places where you would not ordinarily think of fly fishing. They’re a native species that deserve more visibility from the fly-fishing community and my guest, Matthew Lewis [44:27], is perhaps the world expert on fly fishing for them.

In the fly box this week, we have some interesting questions and great tips from listeners, including:

What percentage of the time do trout in lakes feed on the surface?

What is a go-to fly for late summer fishing on small streams?

What can I do to prevent foul-hooking so many fish? And when I hook a trout in the belly, is it sure to die?

Do oils from our hands harm trout?

Do you have some general rules of thumb for how rain affects fly fishing?

I am using wide gape hooks and missing a lot of small brook trout. Is it the hook that’s my problem?

I saw some large brown trout in shallow water around spawning season and could not get them to take a fly. What can I do?

What do you think of the Double Davy Knot?

A listener shares a killer nymph pattern he developed.

When I practice casting, why does the end of my leader fray and my fly line loop come apart?

Do you ever guide?

I fish a stream with rainbow trout, and for the first six months of the season I can’t find them. Where do they go?

How much less backing fits on a spool when I use 30-pound backing instead of 20-pound?

Are the natural materials we use for fly tying from ethically treated animals?

In this second video about organizing materials, Tim discusses the importance of labelling each box (he prefers an inexpensive label maker) and then creating a storage system that doesn’t require you to constantly stack and re-stasck your various boxes.

The post Video: How to Organize Tying Stuff, Part 2 appeared first on Orvis News.

Ever since moving back home to the Front Range of Colorado, I’ve been re-learning just how selective and “technical” some trout can become under constant fishing pressure. Their ability to pick out minute details is downright uncanny, even when . . .

The post Pro Tips: How to Use the “Elimination Diet” to Catch Educated Trout appeared first on Orvis News.

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This week my guest is Paul Bruun [39:50], a legendary figure in fly fishing who has been involved with the fly-fishing world even longer than me. Last night, he received the Izaak Walton Award from the American Museum of Fly fishing for a lifetime of contributions to our sport. Paul is a guide, writer, newspaperman, and he developed the famous South Fork Skiff, which has recently been resurrected and redesigned by the famous Adipose Boatworks Company in Montana. Paul is a wonderful storyteller and he tells us about what it was like to learn fly fishing in South Florida in the 1960s—not an easy task!

In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and suggestions from listeners, including:

I am too slow in striking to small mountain trout. Is there a way I can fix that?

A listener alerts us to a water issue on an Oregon tailwater

A listener is confused by the differences in pound test and diameter on leader butts and wants to know if there is a rule-of-thumb for the correct leader butt section.

Do you think the studs on my wading boots are spooking trout?

Do trout in different micro-habitats in the same river choose different insects?

How small of a river is too small to use trout spey equipment? And should I use a Scandi or Skagit setup?

Is it useful to be able to cast with either your right or left hand?

I see larger fish suspended a foot from the surface over deep water. What are they doing there?

A listener suggests that a previous question about not being able to hook rising trout during a caddis hatch may have been due to mountain whitefish, which have a much smaller mouth than trout.

I am getting lost flies and a pigtail at the end of my leader when using a clinch knot. What should I do? Is there a better knot?

What is the best way to store fly rods in their tubes?

Welcome to an all-new edition of the Orvis News Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival, in which we scour the Web for the best fly-fishing videos available. It was, frankly, a pretty slow week in the fly-fishing film world, but there are some real gems here. . . .

The post Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival 07.01.22 appeared first on Orvis News.

The folks from Costa have a fun one here with an inside look at the legacy of fourth-generation Florida Keys Fishing guides Brandon and Jared Cyr.



Need new shades for this summer?  I'm still a huge fan of the new Pro Series. 

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