Secrets of an Award-Winning Guide, with Antoine Bissieux

My guest this week is Antoine Bissieux [38:28], Orvis-Endorsed Guide of the Year for 2025.  Antoine, otherwise known as The French Fly Fisherman, regularly fishes with and communicates with the top French competitive fly fishers, and has developed methods of fishing nymphs and dry flies as well as dry/dropper setups adapted from what he has learned from these world-class anglers. You'll learn some new techniques to make your fly fishing more effective and more interesting no matter where you fish. 

 

 

In the Fly Box this week, we have some questions that I think will help many other fly fishers solve problems they may have, including:

• How can I tell what line is on my old reel?
• Should I get a 3-weight or 4-weight rod for small streams?
• Do those devices to remove flies from fish quickly really work?
• I have seen carp opening up their mouths and taking repeated gulps of food from the surface. Is this common and what do you call it?
• A fly shop told me that using tippet rings is not a good idea because I would break off fish. Is this true?
• A listener reports on conditions on the rivers in western North Carolina after the floods.
• I put a nick in my fly line and have to cut off the last 12 inches. Can I still use this line?
• My foam flies keep landing upside-down. How can I correct this?
• How should I fish streamers in clear pools where you can see right to the bottom?
• How should I cast to a fish that is directly below a branch trailing in the water?
• A suggestion from a listener on using a room dehumidifier to dry out waders and boots.
• Can I rig two flies on a blood knot, using both sides of the knot, one longer and one shorter?
• Would a 9-foot, 9-weight rod be the right one for fishing in Chesapeake Bay?  And can I use the same rod for steelhead in Michigan?
• I see a lot of goose feathers on my local golf course. Can I use these for biots on flies and which part should I use?
• What can I do with saltwater flies where the hook has gotten slightly rusty?