Disturbing News on Montana's Smith River, with David Brooks

The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast

The Montana Supreme Court recently reversed a decision that would have blocked a copper mine on the headwaters of the Smith River. Where we thought we had a win in preventing a mine in the wrong place, we now may have to live with that mine. David Brooks [33:02] on Montana TU tells us how, at the very least, TU and other organizations convinced the mine to put in a number of mitigation solutions that were not in their original plan. Trout Unlimited has one more hail Mary on this issue, which you can learn about in the podcast. This is a tough subject to listen to, but we learn that we can never give up on environmental issues, even when it looks like we've won.

(To sign a petition in support of Trout Unlimited's position preventing the mine from expanding onto public land, click here https://montanatu.org/protect-the-smith-sign-the-mineral-withdrawal-petition/

In the Fly Box this week, we have some more fun and positive topics, including:

• What is a tailing loop in fly casting?
• To practice casting for a saltwater trip, should I just use yarn or should I use a hookless fly similar to the size I will be casting?
• What is the purpose of a wing on a wet fly?
• Does the loop at the end of a fly line cause energy loss?
• How can I photograph striped bass beneath a bridge?
• Can I keep fly rods in my cartop quiver in hot weather?
• A great tip from a listener about using white poster board on the surface of an old rolltop desk.
• Another tip from a listener on using inexpensive drill gauges to size hunks of deer hair and beads.
• Would a one-piece rod be better than a four-piece rod?
• How do I keep debris from drifting downstream when fishing the top of a riffle?
• What is a good all-around fly line for bonefish and redfish?
• I had a fishless day and then a guy with a spin rod caught a trout right in front of me. Should I have switched to a streamer earlier?