tuesday tips Archives - Page 5 of 19

Classic Tuesday Tips: 5 Random Tips for a New Season

February 18, 2020

Here’s a wound I suffered one summer from a dried tree branch. I was wearing glasses
at the time, but without them, I’d likely be signing my name as “Lefty” right now.
Photo by Bryan Eldredge

Most of us spend a fair amount of time during the winter piddling around with gear, fly boxes, flies, and waders, but when spring’s arrival becomes apparent, it seems like there is always more to. . .

Video Pro Tips: The “Ready Position” and Fishing from a Boat

February 06, 2020

Trout fishers who find themselves on the bow of a flats boat are in an unfamiliar position. Oftentimes, they keys to catching fish in the tropics are 1.) being able to deliver a fly quickly and 2.) avoiding . . .

How a Double-Indicator Rig Can Help You Mend Better

February 03, 2020

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 . . .

Pro Tips: 5 Ways to Get More Hook-Ups When You’re Using Tiny Flies

January 27, 2020

Small flies have small hooks, which can make it harder to connect with fish.
Image courtesy Tightline Productions

In winter, most anglers fish some of the smallest patterns of the year: midges, tiny olives, and downsized nymphs. A small fly must be tied on a small hook, which often means you. . .

Video Tuesday Tip: How to Cast in a Crosswind

November 12, 2019

A strong wind blowing into your casting shoulder can be dangerous.

In this excellent clip from his video Casts that Catch Fish, New Zealand fly-casting instructor Carl McNeil discusses several ways to deal with wind. At about the 2:20 mark, he discusses the. . .

Classic Tuesday Tip: Look Before You Fish

September 24, 2019

Whenever you can gain a high vantage point on water you’re about to fish, you’re ahead of the game.
Photo by Sandy Hays

One of the more common mistakes that guides see is an angler stumbling into a river before taking a few minutes to figure out what’s going on. Observation is an undervalued tool, and too. . .

Tuesday Tip: Using a Sweep Set for Better Hook-Ups

September 10, 2019

When you’re fishing downstream, the sweep set will result in many more hook-ups.
Photo via the Orvis Fly Fishing Learning Center

When you’re either fishing downstream or have a lot of slack on the water—for instance when you’re making slack-line casts, such as a pile cast or a curve cast—setting the hook can be difficult. Because there’s a lot of slack on the water, if you simply raise your rod tip, all you’re doing is picking up the slack. Depending on how. . .

Pro Tips: Top 10 Flies for Big Northern Pike

July 02, 2019

Written by: Mike Lembke, Wollaston Lake Lodge

If you’re chucking the right flies, you can land huge northerns on a fly rod.
Photo courtesy Wollaston Lake Lodge

Over the last 25 years of chasing giant pike with a fly rod, I’ve learned a lot about what makes these creatures tick. I spent the first nine of those years as a fishing client of my favorite place and. . .

Pro Tips: How to Find Trout in Lakes

June 27, 2019

Bill Spicer, host of “The New Fly Fisher,” with a nice lake-caught brown trout.
Photo courtesy Falcon’s Ledge

This week, we offer some tips on trout fishing in lakes from Phil Rowley, one of the top stillwater experts in North America. I asked Phil to host the stillwater chapter on from the Orvis Fly . . .

Video Pro Tips: How to Make Your First Cast on the Water

June 19, 2019

Here’s the next video in Orvis casting instructor Pete Kutzer’s series on getting started in fly fishing. Once you’ve set up your fly rod for a day of fishing, you need to get some line out in front of you, . . .