I am not a big fan of using split shot but after this interview with Dom Swentosky [36:41] of the Troutbitten blog and podcast, I'm going to use it a lot more. Dom's method of using split shot is simple and convenient, and he teaches us about placement, adding shot, and removing shot easily—and how to keep it from sliding on your tippet without placing it above a knot. Whether you fish nymphs or streamers, Dom has some great suggestions on using split shot properly.

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

Is a 10-foot, 4-weight fly rod a good all-around rod for fishing in New England? If I have a floating and full sinking line for bass fishing, would an intermediate line be the next one to try for largemouth bass? Why aren't there more resources like books on fly fishing for largemouth bass? How many different floating fly lines do you have at home? When you are taking a trip, how many floating lines do you take? I have been steelhead fishing in Alaska with a tight line presentation. In what situations would an indicator be beneficial? I don't quite understand why we would take food out of a fish's mouth by using a throat pump. How can you justify this? Will egg flies work in Colorado? Is it possible to shoot line with a bow-and-arrow cast? Are there any saltwater barbless hooks? Why do spawning shrimp patterns always have the egg cluster tied near the head? A tip on using small magnets to hold hooks at the fly-tying bench A tip on using a pool noodle to hold larger saltwater flies after tying them Is an 8-pound bass leader the same as a 3X leader? A tip from a listener on how to alleviate shoulder pain when fly fishing.

Confused about which floating trout line to pick when you need a new one? I'm not surprised as today there is a dizzying array of options and nearly everyone is confused. If you understand what the various options offer the decision is much easier, so I asked product developer Jesse Haller [41:00] to help all of us make this important choice. We talk about what you get in the more expensive lines that you don't get in the price-point lines. We discuss tapers, whether your fly line should be a standard weight or a half- or quarter- or full-size heavy, smooth vs. textured, clear vs. opaque, fly line colors, and other options. And take heart, we also give you the best option for an all-purpose floating trout line. In the Fly Box this week, we have the following questions and tips from listeners:

• Help in picking an array of fly rods and lines for fishing for various species in Pennsylvania.
• How to get deeper for crappie in fall.
• Is there a way to determine the line size of older, non-labeled fly lines?
• Is putting a spoon on a fly rod considered fly fishing?
• I bought a Euro rod but don't like that method. How do I use my 10-foot 3-weight rod for dry fly and nymph fishing from a float tube?
• Where do trout go during droughts when the water gets painfully low?
• Do you have tips for casting heavy flies like Clouser Minnows?
• My son and I were frustrated during a blue-wing-olive hatch when the fish would just splash at our dry flies. Do you have any suggestions?
• Do I need to cut the loop off my fly line and attach my leader with a nail knot?
• Should I keep my waders away from electric engines when storing them?
• A tip from a listener on using a pipe cleaner for a material clip on your tying vise.
• I got a pigtail in front of my fly when using a Uni Knot. How can I prevent that in the future?
• How much of a tag end does Tom trim off when he ties on a fly? I seem to use a lot of tippet in the course of a day.

I've had requests in the past for a podcast about chasing coastal cutthroats, so this week my guest is author, "retired" guide, and all-around thoughtful angler Dylan Tomine [33:12]. He tells us where to find them, what kinds of tides and conditions are best, and what flies and techniques work well for these fish that are close to many cities in the Northwest. In the Fly Box this week, we have these questions and more:

• Advice on the best 6-weight to choose for all-around fly fishing.
• I am having trouble deciding between a 9foot 5-weight and a 4-weight Superfine. Please help me decide
• When should I use micro-swivels in my trout setup?
• Should I worry about getting bitten by a snapping turtle when wading a smallmouth river?
• Why do I see people playing steelhead with their rod held horizontally, pointing at the fish. Aren't you supposed to keep a bend in your rod?
• Can I use the Orvis Knot as a loop knot?
• Can you review how we should handle fish to increase their chances of survival?
• What can I do to renew the floating properties of a line that seems to be in good shape?

I've wanted to get Brian Flechsig of Mad River Outfitters [49:59] on the podcast for quite a while and we finally made it happen. Brian is the star of many great YouTube videos and he loves to get into the details of tackle rigging. He's a knotted leader expert and he explains his simple three-part system for tying saltwater and bass leaders. He also talks about his use of furled leaders and the now-extinct Orvis Braided Leaders. Brian and I also discuss our favorite knots and a philosophy for choosing your own knots—always a hot topic.

In the Fly Box this week we have these questions and tips: When does it make more sense to modify a fly instead of changing flies? If you don't see any bug activity, can you still catch fish on dry flies? Why would you ever use a strike indicator when you can use a dry dropper rig? I live on a trout stream that hardly anyone else fishes. How long should I rest the river in between trips? Will the fish move out if I fish it too hard? I saw a bunch of dead and struggling rainbows in the shallows. What do you think caused this? How can I get my Comparaduns to fan out when I tie them? When wouldn't you substitute CDC, rabbit's foot, or a synthetic when tying Comparaduns? What are your thoughts on winding foam around a hook to make flies float better? What is your favorite cricket pattern? If modern graphite rods are so stiff, why design a 5-weight rod that is really a 6-weight? How should I orient my rod when I cast to make sure I take advantage of the spine properly? I have heard that you should fish a small stream downstream so the fish doesn't see your fly line. Is this correct? A tip from a listener on how to keep fly boxes dry when wading deep. Do you ever take backpacking/fishing trips?

You can catch salmon and steelhead on a fly in salt water before they enter rivers. The fish are bright and strong and may still be actively feeding but the problem is to find them in a big expanse of water. Reed Teuscher [41:01] of the Orvis Outfitters team tells us where to look for them, how to present the fly, what kinds of rods and lines you need—and of course what fly patterns seem to work best. In the Fly Box this week we have these questions and more:

• How can I keep my dropper from twisting around the leader when Euro nymphing?
• What kinds of flies are banned and why?
• If I only fish a few days a year, how long will my fly lines last?
• Do guides tell Tom "set!" when he fishes with them? And do they tell him where to put his flies?
• Do brook trout feed less than brown trout during spawning season?
• Am I missing something by not building my own leaders?
• What does a 3-weight rod give me that my 4-weight won't?
• When you under-line a fly rod and increase your line speed, does that detract from your accuracy?
• On articulated flies with only a single hook, should I keep the hook in front or in back?
• I want to learn to fly fish next season. Should I buy a rod now and practice over the winter before taking an FF101 class?
• I had a frustrating day with spooky brown trout. I could not get 25 feet away from them without spooking them. How can I catch these trout?
• What fly patterns use micro mink Zonker strips?

It happens to all of us, and sometimes it seems like every time we take a fishing trip, conditions are less than ideal. Water too high, water too low, water temperature too warm or too cold. Dirty water. You know the litany. James Spica [34:18], writer and fishing manager of the Orvis store in Royal Oak, Michigan, has some great tips on what to do when you encounter these situations—where to fish, how to fish your fly, and some patterns he would never go anywhere in the world without that help him deal with adverse fishing conditions. James gives us tips for both freshwater and saltwater trips and I took a lot of my own notes on this one! In the Fly Box this week, we have some great tips and interesting questions, including:

• Are all fly lines today one size heavy? Can I use my 5-weight line on my new 6-weight rod?
• A tip from a listener on the best way to carry multiple fly rigs to the river after constructing them at home.
• How can I start my roll cast to get a decent amount of line out when I have no back cast room?
• Can you skip a tippet size when adding a new tippet to a leader?
• Do you think adding a small piece of orange or white yarn to a standard dry fly for visibility impacts fishing?
• A tip from a listener on adding a lightly weighted nymph to his streamer rig when swinging flies.
• A tip from a listener on how to seal the thread when finishing small flies.
• I had trouble getting beads on some nymph hooks until I pinched the barb first. Does everybody do this?
• I recently saw some freshly stocked trout chasing each other in circles in a pool. Is this spawning behavior or something else?
• Do juvenile trout eat the same thing as adults? If I am only catching small fish should I try a different fly?
• What is your favorite flotant for keeping a dry fly on top?

This episode was originally published on October 11th, 2019.

In today's podcast my guest is Shawn Combs, head of Orvis Rod & Tackle product development and Orvis rod and reel designer. The topic is "16 Things I Wish I Knew About Trout Spey Before I Started". If you have been thinking about trying to swing wet flies or small streamers for trout with a two-handed rod, also known as "Micro Spey", this will be a valuable lesson for you. These are light two-handed rods, in line sizes 3 and 4, designed for covering larger waters. It's especially effective in the fall, when trout are getting aggressive as the move into winter and brown and brook trout are migrating to their spawning grounds. It's a fun and for many of us a new way to fish for trout.

In the Fly Box this week, here are some of the questions and suggestions from listeners:

-I know there are large trout in my river. What kind of water do I look for and what else should I keep in mind when targeting these larger fish?

-I have been setting the hook on smallmouth bass by sweeping my rod parallel to the water. Can you take a moment or two to discuss the pros and cons of various rod angles when setting the hook?

-How can I tell if my waders are leaking or if I am just sweating inside them?

-My wife and I had over 40 fish rise to our dry flies and only hooked a couple. Any idea what was going on or how to land these fish?

-What, to you, is the essence of Atlantic salmon fishing?

-A tip from a listener on how to target flathead catfish on a fly

-If I take my nine weight switch rod to Florida, what line size should I use on it for fishing from the surf?

-A suggestion from a listener on another thing to be careful of regarding river etiquette.

-What is the best way to get unstuck when you hook your fly on an object?

-Do you have any recommendations on fishing crayfish patterns for smallmouth bass?

-When there is thick aquatic weed on a river, what do you suggest for nymphing techniques?

-Why am I suddenly beginning to hit my rod on my back cast?

-A suggestion from a listener on the benefits of multi-focal contact lenses.

This podcast was originally published on December 28th, 2016.

In this podcast Stefan Woodruff, Orvis-endorsed guide with Ellensburg Anglers in Washington State, reveals (some of) his secrets to catching steelhead, plus an overview of ths steelhead opportunities in his state. Trout anglers will also enjoy his tips on fishing the Yakima River, tips that should work anywhere.

In The Fly Box we range from tying gel-spun backing to fly line, how to fish with a friend and really fish together, what to do if you get snagged on a small stream, hooking fish on fiberglass rods, identifying jumping fish, what materials to save for fly tying from hunting trips, how to avoid drag when fishing to fish in a slow pocket on the other side of fast current. I also decline to give marital advice to one listener.

This week my guest is—me [34:55]. I asked Reid Bryant of the Orvis Wingshooting Podcast to interview me because I have worked at Orvis for 49 of those 50 years and lived through the various stages of Orvis rods, plus I just spent the past two months writing a history of the Orvis graphite rods. You'll learn about some interesting things that went on during those times that have never before been published. Some of them are quite surprising.

In the Fly Box this week, I answer these questions and more: What hatch makes large brown trout leap fully out of the water? Is there a hook sizing standard for fly-tying hooks? How can I hide the final whip finish on my bead head nymphs? What characteristics make for a good prospecting dry fly? What do you recommend for a fly-tying light? Can I use heaver hooks on my small nymphs? My lighter hooks keep getting straightened by large trout. Is there a database for fly fishing locations around the world? I travel a lot and like to fish various places. What rod should I travel with if I have no idea what I will fish for? What flies should I carry that will work anywhere in the world? What type of fly line should I put on older fiberglass and bamboo rods?

My guest this week is Josh Jenkins [43:59] of Scientific Anglers and originally I wanted to interview him just on knotless leaders—their design, how they are made, and how to modify them. But we soon took an interesting sidetrack into line/leader connections and also a new product he's discovered for fixing cracks in fly line coating so you don't have to buy a new line if your current line is damaged. I get many questions on both leaders and fly lines so I think this one will be interesting to everyone. In the Fly Box this week, one listener chides me for being reluctant to share my opinion on questions, plus these questions (where I do share my opinion!)

• Is there a single weight rod I can take to Belize to fish for bonefish, permit, and tarpon?
• What were your personal experiences with the old Power Matrix rod, and which one in the current Orvis lineup is most similar?
• I inherited some 1980s-era fly lines in new condition. Are they still good, and how do the tapers compare to modern lines?
• Can you explain the terms "skating a fly" and "swinging a fly" and explain briefly how to do them?
• Is there any schedule for your tie-offs with Tim Flagler and Cheech?
• I love my Ultralight Waders but I worry they won't last as long as other waders.
• What is the proper way to store fly lines for an extended time period?
• I am a steelheader that wants to fish for trout. Can you skate flies for trout? And when fishing streamers should I swing them or strip them?
• What is the origin of the term "gin clear"
• Why can't I find a fast-sinking clear line?