Fly Fishing

Two brothers learn the finer points of fly casting at the Orvis Fly Fishing 101 booth at the Denver ISE. photo by Hutch Hutchinson

Wow, the Denver International Sportsman’s Expo was spectacular. We had more than 165 people come to the Orvis booth and attend our 45-minute Orvis Fly Fishing 101 classes. Men, women and kids of all ages participated. Most already knew how to fish with spinning gear, but they wanted to learn how to use a different type of tool to extend their fishing time and enhance the experience. Everyone walked away with little bag of goodies, information on what and where. . .

Read More

Young Alex ties her first fly with her dad.

[Editor’s note: Here’s an email we received from a reader named Jeff, who had listened to Tom Rosenbauer’s podcast on  Fly Tying with Kids and put Tom’s advice to work.]

Hey Tom!

I decided to follow the advice you gave in the “Fly Tying With Kids”podcast and gave my six year old daughter Alex her first session at the vise this afternoon.

We have a fairly large kitchen table, which let me set up a tying space for each of us. Prior to “The Big Event,” I collected several baggies of materials just for her—some chenille, marabou, and peacock herl, among others. The largest hook I have is a size 8 streamer, which turned out to be. . .

Read More

Opening day of salmon season is a big deal in Helmsdale, Scotland, with a parade, dancing, and, of course, bagpipes. Oh, and there’s fishing, too. This video ends with a plea from Orri Vigfussen, chairman of the North Atlantic Salmon Fund, for the Scottish government to do. . . 

Read More

Our friend Bob Streb—former owner of Fly Fishing Outfitters in Avon, Colorado—pointed us to this new concept in fly-fishing travel dreamed up by a team of Vail Valley guides. The Fish Bus is a 32-foot motorhome that will take you—along with your friends, the guides, and a chef—to blue-ribbon waters throughout the southern Rockies, from the San Juan to Grey Reef. You can fish to your heart’s content and not have to worry about driving at the end of the day, plus you get to. . .

Read More

The snowpack in the mountains above the Big Hole is looking good for next summer.  photo by Craig Fellin

At Big Hole Lodge we are eagerly awaiting the 2011 fishing season. Winter 2010 was very dry and mild in Montana, which normally means summer drought for our snow-fed rivers and streams. However, we had a wet spring, summer didn’t arrive until mid July, and it was abnormally cool when it did. We had one of the best water years on record, and though the hatches and fish. . .

Read More

Upon hearing of Tom Rosenbauer being named Fly Rod & Reel Angler of the Year, one of his biggest fans, Steve Zakur, felt compelled to make this short film. We agree with all opinions expressed herein.

Read More

Each year, Fly Rod & Reel magazine chooses an Angler of the Year, and the list of recent winners—including John Betts, Bruce Richards, Ted Leeson, Yvon Chouinard, and Tom McGuane—is evidence of the experience and level of expertise required to earn this honor. This year’s Angler of the Year is Orvis’ own Tom Rosenbauer, who is recognized for his contributions to fly-fishing literature and education. Through his 10 books, countless magazine articles, and the ever popular. . .

Read More

Former Fly Rod & Reel editor Joe Healy displays a nice fly-caught striper. Unfortunately, a recent survey points to a marked decline in the size and number of stripers. Photo by Tom Rosenbauer

The Conservation organization Stripers Forever. has released the 2010 results of its annual fishing survey, and things don’t look so good. A record 73% of anglers indicated that the quality of fishing for stripers was worse or much worse than the previous year. In 2003, this number was just. . .

Read More