Podcast: The Mysterious Mary Orvis Marbury, with Historian Steve Woit

[Interview starts at 37:50]

Mary Orvis Marbury, daughter of Orvis founder Charles F. Orvis, is an important figure in the history of American fly fishing. She was the first person to catalog and standardize American fly patterns, but she led a sad and mysterious life. Historian Steve Woit has written an expansive and spectacular book about Mary and the artifacts that helped her catalog flies and has also uncovered some little-known aspects of her life. If you are interested in how our fly-fishing traditions have developed you’ll want to listen to my interview with Steve.

Click here for more information or to order a book.

Coming back to the present, there are some great questions in the Fly Box segment that may help you on your endless fly-fishing learning experience:

• Can trout see tiny midges at night?
• Should I grease my leader?
• Will Mucilin hurt my bamboo rods?
• What should I do when a fish is hooked deep?
• What should I do if I inadvertently “high-hole” another angler?
• A great tip from a listener on how to travel through the woods with a nymph on a dropper.
• Is there a rule of thumb on how long to make a leader loop?
• Are there orthotics that can be used in wading boots?
• A tip from a listener on a great way to apply desiccant powder to dry flies.
• A tip from a listener on how to fly fish without stressing the fish.
• Why do other fish chase a hooked fish?
• I though snowshoe rabbit’s foot would make my flies float higher. Why do you use it and how do you fish these flies?
• What is the best way to put a fly rod into a rod sock?