Tom's Ten Tips for Slimming Down or Filling up your Fly Box
Published: 12-29-2011
Description: This week we range in topics from toilet paper to bass leaders, but the main topic is one that is frequently requested: How to make sense of the thousands of patterns of dry flies into a reasonable number that will cover most of the hatches you encounter. I offer 10 tips on slimming down your fly box (or filling it up, depending on where you are in the game) plus my favorite dozen dry flies.
Tom's Tips on Fishing Spring Creeks with Special Guest Orvis Vice-Chairman Dave Perkins
Published: 12-29-2011
Description: In this week's podcast, I'm joined by Dave Perkins, an old fishing and hunting buddy and also vice-chairman and one of the owners of Orvis. Dave , like me, is a spring creek fanatic and we talk about how spring creeks differ from freestone trout streams, what to expect on them, and where to find them. And of course we also discuss our favorite flies, leaders, and rods for fishing these very special trout streams. If you've never fished a spring creek, it's time to try one. And even if you never intend to fish one, the tips we give will be very helpful any time you find selective trout sipping in clear water.
In the Fly Box this week, we talk about why trout live in some streams and not in others, how to make a downstream presentation, and some tips on light-line rods.
Tom's Top Ten Tippet Tips
Published: 12-29-2011
Description: For this week's podcast, the main event is Tom's Top Ten Tippet Tips, or just 5T for short (but no short jokes please). In this episode, I review tips on knots, types of tippet, how to attach tippets, when to shorten or lengthen a tippet, how to avoid kinky tippets, and a bunch more.
For the "Fly Box" section of short tips, I talk about some cool, new terms and tips I learned from fishing guides in Colorado and Montana over the past two weeks.
Gear Maintenance in the Off-Season and Ten Tips for the Aging Angler
Published: 12-29-2011
Description: Tom shares his off-season routine for gear mainteance and answers our first voicemail request for tips for the older angler. These tips apply to a lot of us, though, so it is a good listen all around.
Call us at 802-362-8800 for comments and suggestions, drop us a line at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit us on facebook at www.facebook.com/orvisflyfishing !
Somewhere in the Neighborhood of Six Tips on Sinking Lines - A black Diamond Episode
Published: 12-29-2011
Description: Tom goes into great detail in this podcast on sinking lines. This is advanced stuff, but plenty for everyone here.
In the FLY BOX section, Tom touches on how to remove ice from the guides on your rod, casting around objects and gives a couple pointers on choosing a good fishing guide.
Traveling with Fly Gear
Published: 12-29-2011
Description: Tom takes the mystery out of packing for your next trip telling you what you need, what you don't and what you REALLY shouldn't forget to bring.
He also shares his top five flies for fresh and saltwater.
Teaching Fly Fishing to Beginners
Published: 12-29-2011
Description: In this episode, Tom gives some tips on teaching others to fly fish and also introduces a new segment to the show: The Flybox. We get a lot of requests that can't quite fill a whole podcast, so Tom is going to address those in this new segment!
Tell us what you think! Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , come by OrvisNews.com and leave a comment on the blogs, tweet us @OrvisFlyFishing or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/orvisflyfishing
Floatant, Lenses and the Flex Index
Published: 12-29-2011
Description: In this podcast, Tom talks about the different kinds of floatant for dry flies, what sunglasses work best for fishing and explains the flex index and how you can use it to choose the right fly rod for you.
All About Lining your Switch Rod
Published: 12-29-2011
Description: We have had a lot of questions emailed to us and posted on our wall on Facebook regarding how to properly line a switch rod. It's complicated and confuses even those of us who do this for a living. For this podcast, Tom brought in one of the most knowledgeable people in the industry on the subject, Bill Reed, Director of Wholesale for The Orvis Company and our resident line expert. Get a pen and paper and be ready to take notes, there is a TON of information in this podcast.
Choosing a Leader
Published: 12-12-2011
Description: In this podcast Tom tells you everything you need to know about leaders. What does 6x mean? How long should your leader be? What's better; nylon or fluorocarbon?
Proper Care and Maintenance of your Fly Fishing Tackle
Published: 12-12-2011
Description: You have invested a lot in your fly fishing tackle. In this podcast, Tom has some pointers on maintenance of your gear to keep it in great shape for years of enjoyment
Layering up for Winter Fishing
Published: 12-12-2011
Description: In our last podcast, Tom talked about staying warm on the water. In this video, he shows some great products from Orvis that will keep you comfortable when the temperatures drop.
Orvis Helios Promo Video
Published: 12-12-2011
Description: Tom has been pretty tied up for the past couple of weeks with the Fly Fishing Retailer Show in Denver. He will be back soon. In the meantime, please enjoy this video montage set to the music of our own John Stalcup from the Orvis web design department.
Choosing a Fly Rod
Published: 12-12-2011
Description: A number of listeners have emailed Tom (at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) asking for his advice on choosing a fly rod. It can be an intimidating process, but made easier if you break it out into steps.
Video: Silver Label XT Bootfoot Waders
Published: 12-12-2011
Description: Tom gives an overview of the Silver Label XT Bootfoot Waders from Orvis. Read more about the Silver Label waders at: www.orvis.com.