Wild and Crazy Stories from an Award-Winning Fly-Fishing Guide, with Chip Swanson

Wild and Crazy Stories from an Award-Winning Fly-Fishing Guide, with Chip Swanson

Author: Tom Rosenbauer, The Orvis Company August 12, 2024 Duration: 1:23:29
 
I take guilty pleasure in hearing horror stories from guides about their worst clients or other crazy things that happen on the river.  Orvis-Endorsed Guide of the Year for 2019 Chip Swanson [41:00] is a great storyteller and has had some wild and funny incidents on the river over the years.  I think everyone will enjoy these stories but just a warningalthough not R-rated, some of his stories mention sensitive body parts so if your kids listen to podcasts with you, you may want to preview them first.  Nothing very raunchy but you have been warned!  Rated PG-13.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and tips including:
  • I fish a lake that is stocked with rainbows and has a small tributary stream.  Do you think the rainbows will run up into it?
  • Do you have any tips for being stealthy on a trout stream other than not stepping right into the water?
  • Can I use a sinking Salmon Poly Leader for trout?
  • When do you extend the butt section of your leader?
  • I am using a switch rod for distance in warm water fishing and have tried all kinds of lines but am not happy with my casting.  Do you have any tips?
  • Any tips or tricks on how to travel; with waders and wading boots?  I am concerned with my wet wading boots.
  • Can trout smell us and should I worry about it?
  • Do Zero-weight fly rods exist and what are they used for?
  • A tip from a listener about learning to cast at all angles to your body without moving your feet.
  • I fished a cold Colorado tailwater in the morning and a local angler told me I was on the water too early.  Why?
  • All the hoppers I see have green, brown, or black wings.  So why do we put white wings on many of our hopper patterns?

For anyone who’s ever felt the tug of a line or wondered about the quiet rhythm of a river, The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast is a steady companion. Host Tom Rosenbauer, a well-known author and the voice behind this series for The Orvis Company, doesn’t just offer tips; he shares a lifetime of curiosity spent on the water. Each week, the conversation unfolds like a guidebook coming to life, covering the tangible skills and the subtle philosophies that define fly-fishing. You’ll hear practical advice on technique and gear, certainly, but also deeper discussions about conservation, reading different waters, and understanding fish behavior. It’s that blend of straightforward education and reflective storytelling that makes this podcast unique. Whether you’re planning your first cast or have decades of experience, the aim is the same: to make your hours by the stream more thoughtful and rewarding. Tune in for a mix of solo episodes from Tom and interviews with other anglers, all grounded in a genuine passion for the sport and the wilderness it depends on. This is more than a series of lessons; it’s an ongoing dialogue for anyone who finds solace and challenge in fly-fishing.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast
Podcast Episodes
How to Improve Your Indicator Nymphing, With Guide Matt Squillante [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:23:53
Want to spend less time untangling knots and more time with your flies in the water? Do you want to connect on more of the strikes you get to your nymphs? Want to know the best way to cast indicator rigs? Orvis-endorsed…
Summer Outlook For the Rockies, with Chris Steinbeck [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:54
My guest this week, Chris Steinbeck [25:15] of the Blue Quill Angler in Colorado, shares his strategies for dealing with what we expect will be low water and possibly water that is too warm for ethical trout fishing. Thi…
Chasing the Elusive Corbina in the Surf, with Al Quattrocchi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:17
Before you rule out this podcast because you don't live in southern California, you may want to listen to my interview with master saltwater fly fisher Al Quattrocchi [24:46] because he gives lots of great advice on fish…
Travel Tips From Around the World, with Alberto Rey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:25
Orvis-endorsed guide Alberto Rey [33:22] just completed a trip around the world, fishing and exploring on six continents—and he did it all with only two 6-piece Clearwater Rods and two reels and a handful of flies. He ha…
Secrets of the Mother's Day Caddis, with Taylor Edrington [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:31:48
My guest this week is guide and fly shop owner Taylor Edrington [34:16] of Royal Gorge Anglers in Colorado. His home river, the Arkansas, has an amazing hatch of these bugs, but they also hatch on trout streams throughou…
Orvis' Return to Roots, with Simon Perkins [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:02
My guest this week is Simon Perkins [1:11], president of The Orvis Company and a third-generation family member to run the company. You may have heard about some major changes in Orvis' business over the past couple year…
The US Forest Service Needs Your Help, with Paul Hendricks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:53
Many of our favorite places to fish for wild trout are located on Forest Service lands. My guest this week is Paul Hendricks [29:45], executive director of The Conservation Alliance, which is an outdoor industry organiza…
How To Catch Permit On Top, with RA Beattie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:27
Permit on a floating fly? Don't you need to fish heavy flies that get right to the bottom, where permit feed? Sometimes, but over the past decade permit anglers have discovered that permit eat crabs on the surface, and i…
Tips for Urban Fly Fishing, with Marc Fryt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:17
Urban fly fishing is fun and presents some challenges—like bystanders getting in the way of back casts and sometimes fishing from a location high above the water. And it's essential to know how to fish around bridges as…