Backcast: 16 Things I Wish I Knew About Trout Spey Before I Started, with Shawn Combs
Release Date: 10/06/2025
Tips for Urban Fly Fishing, with Marc Fryt
The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast
Urban fly fishing is fun and presents some challenges—like bystanders getting in the way of back casts and sometimes fishing from a location high above the water. And it's essential to know how to fish around bridges as these are sometimes the best habitat for urban fish. Marc Fryt [38:33], whose new book The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing is a treasure trove of tips for exploring this exciting world. In the Fly Box this week we have some interesting questions and tips, including: Is there a place I can explore saltwater fly fishing on foot without a guide? I can’t afford one right now. When...
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Fly Tying Talk, with Charlie Craven
The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast
I have been meaning to get Charlie Craven [37:41] of Charlie's Fly Box in Denver on the podcast for quite some time and we finally connected. Charlie talks about what new materials and tools excite him and also how to approach the topic of assembling essential materials for the beginning fly tier. We also explore some other topics as only a couple of geeky fly tiers can when given the chance. In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and tips from listeners, including: I have been using a clear floating line for sight fishing for striped bass but noticed the fish sometimes shy...
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Secrets of the Best Early Season Mayfly Hatch, with Blake Katchur
The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast
Join me as we explore the fascinating world of early season olive hatches with expert fly fisherman Blake Katchur [35:42] of Anglers All in Denver. No matter where you fish, you'll find this hatch any time from early March to early June. Discover effective tactics, fly patterns, and timing tips to enhance your fishing success during this prolific hatch. In the Fly Box this week, we have these questions and more: Can I use my 7-weight fiberglass rod for bonefish in Belize? Why can I catch brook trout in smaller streams during the winter but not in a bigger river? If I leave off the trailing...
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BONUS EPISODE: Tom Rosenbauer on 50 Years at Orvis, Great Outdoor Writers, and a Little Bird Hunting
The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast
Recently, Tom took time to chat with Reid on the Orvis Hunting and Shooting Podcast about his 50 years at Orvis. If you're interested in hunting, shooting, or the great outdoors in general, consider subscribing to Reid's show, too! (Crosspost from the Orvis Hunting and Shooting Podcast) "Tom Rosenbauer, longtime Orvis employee, writer, and host of the Orvis Fly Fishing Podcast, joins Reid for a wide-ranging conversation about his nearly 50 years with the company. They talk about the early days at Orvis, the great outdoor writers who shaped the culture around Manchester, Vermont, and how a...
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Back Cast: John McPhee and his Favorite Fish
The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast
This episode was originally published on August 19th, 2021. This week's podcast guest is especially exciting to me as he is one of my literary heroes. John McPhee [24:10] is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author (Annals of the Former World), and in his numerous other books he has written about such diverse topics as nuclear energy, the merchant marine, basketball, Alaska, bark canoes, oranges, continental drift, flood control, tennis, farmer's markets, and many other eclectic topics. Whether or not you are interested in a subject, you can be sure you will be when you finish reading one of his books...
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Back Cast: Traveling with Fly-Fishing Gear, with Seth Berger
The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast
This episode was originally published on February 17th, 2023. This week is my guest Seth Berger [1:00:18], Fly Fishing Travel Specialist with Orvis Adventures. In his job, Seth visits Orvis-endorsed operations around the world and always packs his fishing gear, so he's a great resource for advising us how to travel with rods, waders, and flies—how to pack them, what to carry on, and pitfalls you should avoid. Seth also talks about what to pack, and items that are often forgotten or ignored by traveling anglers. Anyone who gets on a plane, whether it's a short hop or an international flight,...
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Did You Know About Shoal Bass? With Quint Rogers
The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast
This week I interview Quint Rogers [31:43], a fly fishing guide specializing in shoal bass fishing in Georgia. We discuss the unique characteristics of shoal bass, their habitat, life cycle, and the best fishing techniques to catch this rare freshwater bass, perfectly suited to the fly rod. Quint shares insights on seasonal patterns, fishing gear, and the river environments where shoal bass thrive. In the Fly Box this week we have these questions from listeners: How can I figure out which way to orient slotted beads on nymphs? Are six-piece travel rods any good? For small stream fishing,...
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10 Tips For Better Line Mending, With Mike Pease
The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast
If you think mending is just lifting your rod and flipping it upstream—well sometimes it is—but there is so much more you can do with line mends to add slack in just the right places, and to deal with tricky currents. Mike Pease [30:41], Orvis-endorsed guide and great storyteller, gives us 10 tips for increasing the utility of your line mends. I learned a bunch of new tricks on this podcast and I am sure you will as well. There are some helpful tips from listeners and some questions that may answer things you have been curious about, including: When would you use a drop shot nymphing rig?...
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Is it a Steelhead or a Rainbow? With Katie Kobayashi
The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast
When is a trout a steelhead and when is it a rainbow? Are steelhead just rainbow trout that migrate to the ocean? Is it something in their genes or just random chance? And in a given population of rainbow trout, will only some of them migrate to the ocean? And according to a biologist, are the Great Lakes "steelhead" truly steelhead? My guest fisheries biologist Katie Kobayashi [32:13] has studied these fish down to the genetic level and has some exciting information on their life histories. In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions that I think will be helpful to many of...
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Don't Make These 6 Mistakes in Stillwater Trout Fishing, with Joe Garza
The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast
My guest this week is Orvis-endorsed guide Joe Garza [32:54], a guide from JAG Fly Fishing, who explains the intricacies of still water trout fishing. He discusses common mistakes that anglers make, the importance of understanding food sources, and the need for patience in still water environments. Joe shares insights on matching fly profiles and colors to natural food, as well as effective techniques for using indicators. The conversation emphasizes the unique challenges of still water fishing compared to moving water, providing valuable tips for both novice and experienced anglers. He shares...
info_outlineThis 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.