Fly Fishing

15 year old Holden Daughton, son of Orvis product developer Tim Daughton, with a chromer from New York’s Salmon River. photo by Tim Daughton

There are few things that warm my heart more than watching my children enjoy the same pursuits in life that I do. My oldest son is turning out to be quite the angler, and this fall he was able to add steelhead to his list of fish caught with a fly rod. It won’t be long before his list is longer than mine (not that it’s a competition or anything). We had a great day fishing with another friend and his son and were able to hook and land multiple steelhead, an experience I am sure he will remember for some time. As an added bonus, I let him wear a pair of prototype waders that Orvis is testing for release in late 2012. He told me the waders were “awesome” and was wondering when he was going to get a pair of his own. I am not sure I can afford another fanatical fly fisher in the house.

Trout will bite even on snowy, frigid days, if you know what fly patterns to throw. photo by Paul Schullery

‘Tis the season for winter fly-fishing. Here are seven tips to get you started, as well as my favorite fly patterns:

If you know where this photo was taken, put your answer in the comments below. You could win a Gale Force Backpack. photo by Rowan Nyman

Orvis Travel’s team of professional anglers, shooters, and naturalists travels the world scouting new and exciting destinations, as well as leading special group departures. In the process, they visit some iconic destinations that may be familiar to you. In the comments below, tell us where this photo was taken—the river and the state—and you will be entered to win a Gale Force Backpack. The winner will be chosen randomly from among the correct answers. A new image and winner will be selected monthly.

Peter Laurelli is a regular at Orvis Manhattan and a fanatical saltwater fly fisherman. Lucky for us, he also loves to film his adventures, and we’ve previously featured his year-end productions for 2009 and 2010. Here’s his 2011 edit, which features some amazing underwater footage of striped bass, various epic blitzes, and even some pure beauty shots. We look forward to these films every year, and so far, we haven’t been disappointed.

If you think that the fly-fishing-video genre has gotten a bit stale, then here’s something completely new to pique your interest. It’s the story of three middle-age men from Chicago who love fly-fishing the Driftless Area of Wisconsin. Doesn’t sound unusual? What if I told you that these guys have played in some of the Windy City’s seminal punk-rock bands since the late ’80s? These are not your tweed-and-cigars fly fishermen; instead, they’re hard-nosed guys who inhabit two opposing worlds: the loud, chaotic, sometimes violent punk scene and the contemplative, serenity of the trout stream. WARNING: Some R-Rated language.

Those of you who enjoy listening to Tom Rosenbauer’s Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide Podcast should check out this interview Tom did a couple years ago with Zach Matthews of the Itinerant Angler. You’ll learn a lot about Tom and how he came to be the luminary he is today. Talk about making a life from fly fishing! He also offers insights into his career at Orvis (as well as. . .