Fly Fishing

The Orvis Fly-Fishing Blog celebrates a rich angling heritage stretching beyond a century, with timely articles, tips, photos, videos, podcasts, and the latest fly-fishing news. We keep you informed about the things you want to know, from improving your casting technique to the art and science of tying flies.

Video: Shadows of Silver in the NZ Backcountry

Andrew Harding (a.k.a. "troutboynz") has been producing self-shot fly-fishing videos from his native New Zealand since the summer of 2010, but this is undoubtedly one of my . . .
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How a Double-Indicator Rig Can Help You Mend Better

Written by: Patrick Blackdale, Three Rivers Resort
A two-indicator rig can help an angler learn when he or she needs to mend. Photo by Patrick Blackdale
As a fly-fishing guide, I teach clients to fish nymphs under an indicator much of the year. A constant challenge is how to eliminate micro-drag from the leader without having to constantly remind the clients to mend. The double indicator system has . . .
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Video: How to Choose Beads and Cones for Fly Tying

Beads and cones come in a dizzying array of sizes, weights, colors, and shapes. So how do you figure out which kind you need? In this short video, Tim offers some useful tips for choosing the . . .
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Story: “First Principles,” by William G. Tapply

Written by: William G. Tapply

"Try and err and figure it out for yourself."--H.G. "Tap" Tapply
Photo by Kerry Kimball
One Saturday morning in the summer that I turned eight, my father peered across the breakfast table at me and said, “I guess you’ve been doing a lot of fishing lately, huh?”
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Video: How to Add a Dropper with a Clinch Knot

If you like fishing two- or even three-nymph rigs, you know that one of the problems is the dropper line can tangle around the main line. George Daniel has a very simple solution for adding a dropper line that comes off the main line at a 90-degree. . .
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Master Class Monday: Nymph Accuracy, Part 1

In this week's Master Class Monday, Dave and Amelia Jensen discuss the importance of making an accurate cast to the right spot when you're trying to present a nymph to a feeding trout. Dave . . .
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Everything You Want to Know About Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus)


The male arctic char develops brilliant spawning colors in fall.
Photo by Nils Rinaldi from Lausanne, Switzerland, via Wikimedia Commons
The spectacular spawning colors of the male make the Arctic char one of the most photogenic game fish, but you must head to the far north or the high country of Europe to find. . .
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Podcast: How to be a Great Fly-Fishing Client, with Simon Perkins

Simon Perkins (right) with a client, in 2011. Photo via Facebook
There’s lots of discussion about what makes a good guide and why some are better than others for a whole host of reasons. But the guide/angler connection is truly a team effort, and there are things a client can do to get more out of the experience and . . .
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