This week, my guest is educator and aquatic entomologist Anna Le [18:57], who introduces us to the amazing world of trout-stream invertebrates. She tells us how to gauge the health of a river by looking at the bugs, and also how we can all be citizen scientists and alert the authorities when we see a decline of important indicator species.
In the Fly Box this week we have the usual mix of difficult and easy questions, plus tips, including:
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A great tip from a listener—don't try to fish while you are wading.
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Can I put an 8-weight line on my 7-weight Pflueger Medalist reel?
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A funny story from a listener on another way to break a fly rod
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As I get older my eyesight and finger dexterity are not what they used to be. Is there an easier knot for attaching flies to my tippet?
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Why don't more people fish for chubs, and why are they considered a trash fish?
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Do you have any recommended cicada patterns?
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A listener who is also a toxicologist warns that not all fly-tying materials are harmless and gives tips on how to avoid undue exposure to them.
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I have trouble tying tails on size 18 and smaller flies. Do you have any tips?