New Tips on Playing and Releasing Trout, with vs Jim McLennan

The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast

I often get questions about the proper way to play and release trout and I invited Jim McClennan [42:51] to talk about his tips and his philosophy on bring trout to hand. Jim has been a guide, fly shop owner, writer, and star of fishing films for as long as I have been in the business. He gives his tips on how to play trout quickly, how to land them, and shares a new trick I hadn't heard about for releasing fish without ever touching them with minimal stress to the fish. You'll have to listen to the podcast to find out this trick. In the Fly Box this week, we have some unusually great tips from listeners as well as some interesting questions, including:

• Is there a performance difference between a hand-tied knotted leader and a knotless leader?
• A tip from a listener on the best way to begin your life as a fly tier.
• Do trout lose the rods and cones in their eyes when they get to be about 17 inches long?
• Are there any colors you would avoid when fishing a Sparkle Minnow?
• As a beginning fly tier, what tools and materials should I get first?
• What is the effect of major floods on small brook trout streams?
• A great tip from a listener on exactly what type and size of nitrile gloves are best for winter fishing.
• Can you give us a history of Superfine Graphite rods, and what is the new release like?
• If I use a 12-foot leader with a 9-foot rod, how can I easily land fish?
• If my waders end up frozen, will that hurt them?
• How can I fish in a river where everyone else is fishing indicators? I don't like fishing indicators.
• Can I keep my fly rods in the trunk of my car over the winter?
• A listener has a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that trout can learn and that trout in rivers with a lot of fishing pressure have learned to avoid certain flies. Is there any scientific research on this topic?