Western Native Trout Challenge, with Daniel Ritz

The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast

My guest this week is Daniel Ritz [1:00:58], who recently completed the Master Caster level of the Western Native Trout Challenge. We talk about how he did it, what flies worked, and had a lot of discussion about what actually counts as a subspecies of trout. If you want to view his entire journey, it can be found at www.tu.org/magazine/author/daniel-ritz/

In the Fly Box this week, which was unusually long (either I talked too much or chose too many questions), we have these questions and tips:

Why does my line get twisted when I try to shoot line?

How do I know if the fly pattern I developed is really something new?

What would you recommend for a wing material on bonefish flies?

A question on exactly what hook shank measurements like 1X and 2X long mean, and what are they compared to?

Does a 10-foot 5 weight Recon have a softer tip or a heftier butt section as compared to shorter rods?

Is a 7-weight rod too light for pike fishing?

How do fall leaves in the water affect fishing and what should I do?

How do I get a non-weighted streamer deeper in the water column?

My old floating fly line has a tip that is sinking. Is there any way of fixing this?

Do brookies really drop down lower downstream in the fall after spawning?

I fish a small high-altitude stream and only catch small trout. Do you think there could be larger trout there?

What is a good step up from a cheapo fly-tying vise?

How do you gauge your speed on how fast to move in a small stream?

How do I catch the large trout in a small, clear stream with slow current? Is it ever appropriate not to tip a guide?

A transcript of this podcast will be available in approximately three weeks at howtoflyfish.orvis.com.