Backcast: Fly Fishing from Canoes and Kayaks, with Ryan Lilly of Old Town Canoe
Release Date: 12/08/2025
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 March 10th, 2023.
Learn how to decide between a canoe and a kayak, what kind to get, and how to maneuver and cast using these hard-sided watercraft (next week I'll be doing a podcast on inflatables). Ryan Lilly [47:30] is a fly fisher and Old Town's expert on fishing from these craft, and has many great suggestions for how to make the most out of your canoe or kayak experience.
In the Fly Box this week, we have some interesting questions that I'm sure will be of interest to many of you, as well as some thoughtful tips from other listeners, including:
What do bead-head nymphs imitate?
Aren't flies tied without beads more natural in the water?
Isn't it more natural to use a nymph without any added weight?
How do you fish wet flies?
Do you use a single one or more than one? And do you ever use weighted wet flies?
I recently saw a bunch of large carp in a pond in Florida. Why didn't I see any smaller ones?
I had trouble getting a good drift against the slow water on the far bank of a river. Every time I tried to mend my line the small dry fly sank. What else could I have done?
Can I fish two dry flies at once?
A suggestion from a listener on why upgrading from an entry level fly line is a wise investment.
Are there any performance differences between a 6-piece rod and a 4-piece rod?
How can I get an extra tip for my Orvis rod?
A great tip from a listener on how to make a device to hold scrap pieces of tippet using two pieces of Velcro.
I am going to a place where they have stocked golden rainbows. Do these fish behave any differently from normal rainbows?
Can I use a Poly Leader for tarpon?
Is there any difference between up-eye and down-eye hooks?
A tip from a listener on how to change thread colors with a permanent marker.
A tip from a listener on how to keep a partially used tube of Aquaseal stay fresh.
Why do people hold bass by the jaw? I have heard that this can dislocate their jaw.
I am taking my first guided trip. Should I do a float trip or a walk/wade trip?