In this episode, my guest is Brian Slusser [32:13], an Orvis endorsed guide based in Truckee, California, who tells us about the nuances of winter streamer fishing. With over 29 years of guiding experience, Brian shares his insights on effective techniques for fishing during the colder months, emphasizing the importance of adapting to the unique conditions of winter. He discusses the significance of dressing appropriately for the cold, the best times to fish, and the types of setups and flies that work best in winter conditions. Brian also highlights the advantages of using streamers over traditional nymphs during this season, providing listeners with practical tips to enhance their winter fishing experience.

In the Fly Box this week, we have the following questions form listeners:

What time of year should I go to the Florida Keys for tarpon?

Do I need to get a warm-water fly line for tarpon?

When fighting a tarpon, do I need to point my rod at them when they jump?

What do you think of treble hooks for Atlantic salmon in Quebec?

What are the crown jewels of your fly rod collection?

Which two-handed outfit should I get for swinging flies for smallmouth bass?

What is a good but relatively inexpensive reel for my 9-foot 5-weight trout rod?

What should I do if I get stuck in deep muck when wading?

I saw hundreds of trout in Alaska jumping into the air to catch tiny white flies and I could not catch them. What should I have done?

I have a whole bunch of flies but I am relatively new and never know what size I am pulling out of my box. What can I do?

Want to get away from the crowds? Want a high mountain lake or stream all to yourself? The best way to do this is to take a backpacking trip, but you need to prepare more than you would for a car trip or a trip to a lodge. What exactly should you take and what should you leave behind? What kinds of flies and accessories should you bring? How can you save weight and still have enough gear for a fun fishing trip? Derek Bargaehr [37:36], an experienced fly fisher and backpacker, gives us tips on how to make the most of your next backpacking trip.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some questions. A couple of which could only be answered by my co-workers at Orvis so we have responses from both Pete Kutzer, our casting guru and Shawn Brillon, our bamboo rod craftsman.
How can I easily estimate how much backing is on my unlabeled reels?
A listener relates how some podcast advice on emergers helped him and his son have a successful trip
I took a lesson on two-handed casting and it was all done on grass. Was this wrong?
What advice do you have on cleaning the ferrules on bamboo fly rods?
Are Orvis bamboo fly rods impregnated?
On a tarpon trip, the fish were in deep water so I used a sinking poly leader on my floating line. Should I have used a full-sinking fly line instead?
Is the Albright knot a better knot than the nail knot for attaching a leader to a fly line or backing to a fly line?
When connecting pieces of tippet I will normally go up two X sizes, like from 2X to 4X. Is this wrong?
Is it OK to clear a casting lane on a trout stream?
What can I do to find bigger trout during the dog days of summer?

This episode was originally published on July 14th, 2023.

I think most stream anglers are interested in foraging, since we're immersed in nature all day long and although we watch for fish and insects and birds, many of us don't pay attention to the plants. And there are many delicious plants along trout streams you can take home for dinner—most of which will be more nutritionally dense than what you buy in the store—and free. If you have done any foraging at all, you have probably read some of more of Sam Thayer's [40:38] books. In our household his books are the primary source. I was lucky enough to spend some time talking to Sam about why foraging along streams is especially good, and what we can expect to find there.

In the Fly Box this week, we have no phone calls but some great questions via e-mail, including:

Why do trout in small streams take flies more readily when the water is high?

Where do you recommend I go trout fishing in the East in July when I visit this summer?

A great story about a listener getting generous advice from a famous angler along a trout river.

A tip for keeping rod sections together using clothespins.

What is the best streamer reel, line, and leader for a 7-weight rod?

What do you do when there is a very heavy hatch and almost too many natural insects?

I am having trouble hooking fish using the hand-over-hand retrieve when striper fishing. What can I do to increase my hooking rate?

What are three things a novice dry-fly angler should pay attention to?

Do you ever tie up dry/dropper rigs at home prior to going fishing?

Will my 8-weight be enough rod for fishing for striped bass from a boat?

What are some tips on picking flies for striped bass fishing at night?