Podcast: The 50-Year History of Orvis Graphite Fly Rods, with Tom Rosenbauer

[Interview starts at 34:55]

This week, Tom Rosenbauer’s guest is—himself. He asked Reid Bryant of the Orvis Wingshooting Podcast to interview him because Tom has worked at Orvis for 49 of those 50 years and lived through the various stages of Orvis rods. Plus he just spent the past two months writing a history of the Orvis graphite rods. You’ll learn about some interesting things that went on during those times that have never before been published. Some of them are quite surprising.

In the Fly Box segment, Tom answers these questions and more:

• What hatch makes large brown trout leap fully out of the water?
• Is there a hook sizing standard for fly-tying hooks?
• How can I hide the final whip finish on my bead head nymphs?
• What characteristics make for a good prospecting dry fly?
• What do you recommend for a fly-tying light?
• Can I use heaver hooks on my small nymphs? My lighter hooks keep getting straightened by large trout.
• Is there a database for fly fishing locations around the world? I travel a lot and like to fish various places.
• What rod should I travel with if I have no idea what I will fish for?
• What flies should I carry that will work anywhere in the world?
• What type of fly line should I put on older fiberglass and bamboo rods?