Winter fishing tips from an award-winning guide, with Chip Swanson

The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast

This week, since we have not had any hard-core fishing podcasts in awhile, I thought I would give you all some tips on winter fly fishing with Chip Swanson [40:09] of Breckenridge Outfitters in Colorado. Chip won the Orvis-Endorsed Freshwater Guide of the Year in 2019 for good reason. He's fun, patient, superbly knowledgeable, and a terrific teacher. He also does a lot of fishing and guiding throughout the winter, no matter what the weather. He has some great tips on staying warm, techniques to use, and what conditions are best for winter fly fishing.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some especially helpful tips from listeners as well as some questions that will be helpful to many fly fishers, including:

Is using a scented fly for sturgeon not fly fishing? And do you have any tips for catching these giants on a fly rod?

I am having trouble casting a double nymph rig plus split shot and an indicator. What casting advice do you have?

When is water too cold to try a dry dropper rig?

Some good advice from a listener on kneeling instead of sitting in a canoe for easier casting

A fly shop owner told me not to fish a local river because the flows were too low. Why is this bad in the winter when oxygen levels are higher?

How can I use online product reviews to inform my tackle purchases?

Which ones are the most reliable? What should I look for in a pedestal for my vise?

What are Tom's top 10 fly tying materials for fresh and salt water? What is Tom tying right now?

Great advice from a listener on kayak fishing and first aid kits for fishing trips

How long will it take my local river to recover after severe wildfires last year?

What can I use to hold those tippet scraps I want to dispose of?