Unraveling the Secrets of Stillwater Fly Lines, with Phil Rowley

The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast

My guest this week is Phil Rowley [55:20], author of the just-released book The Orvis Guide to Stillwater Trout Fishing and fellow host for The New Fly Fisher TV show. Phil is a stillwater genius and he helps us untangle the confusion around fly lines for fishing in lakes and ponds, and exactly which lines you need.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions, including: I have switched from a medium to fast action rod. Should I set the hook differently? How do I fish beaver ponds? Questions about Euro nymphing with a standard 9-foot, 5-weight rod and reel Do brown trout move in and out of bigger, warmer rivers? What is the best way to fish with midges? Will a floating tippet hurt my dry-fly presentation? What is the difference between up-eye, down-eye, and straight-eye hooks? Which dry flies do you apply flotant on? Where can I find good prescription polarized sunglasses? Are lighter wire hooks better for hooking fish on a downstream presentation? Why do fish follow my wet flies and not take them? A listener takes me to task for badmouthing the Madison River (and I deserved it) Why is Coq de Leon used so much for nymph tails? How do I fish a low-gradient stream with large boulders? How much backing do I put on my reel? What is the best rod for small-stream trout fishing?