• I get conflicting advice on how close I can get to fish when tightline nymphing. Can you give me some guidelines on how close I can approach them?
• Any tricks for seeing small flies in low light?
• I bought some Stimulators and see they have wire wraps on them. Can I fish these as wet flies?
• I struggle to get a bite from river smallmouth bass in July and August and I could consistently catch them in spring. Any suggestions?
• How can I avoid creek chubs in a small weedy stream when I want to target the larger brown trout?
• Would it be a good idea to put a small length of sighter material between my fly line and my leader?
• Any tips for solo fishing from a raft?
• I have been wading with old neoprene waders and Crocs as wading shoes. Do you think I would benefit from modern waders and wading shoes?
• I live in Great Lakes steelhead country but sometimes want to avoid the crowds during the winter and fish for smaller trout in inland streams. Do you have any advice for late fall and winter fishing in these streams?

My guest this week is Lucas Bissett [38:42], executive director the AFFTA, the trade association for the fly-fishing industry. Lucas talks about the support they give to small, grass roots organizations for education and habitat protection—organizations that may not be able to apply for larger grants. One of their current projects, which we discuss in detail, is how ocean fish stocks will be managed due to the changes in migration patterns due to climate change. Lucas tells us that the federal organizations that set regulations for harvest and size lengths are very responsive to public input, so its something for which you can make a difference.

In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and tips, including:

• I was told the river we fished had lots of 15-inch fish but all we caught were fish up to 12 inches. Could the fish have been in the bottom of deep pools because of the warmer water?

• A tip from a listener, one I'm not completely sold on, for putting stick-on strike indicators on top of dry flies when using heavily weighted nymphs on droppers.

• How do you fish the famous Woolly Bugger in a small, slow moving, turbid stream?

• What two-handed rod should I use for fishing smallmouth bass?

• A listener asks for philosophical advice on whether to enjoy fishing for striped bass in Atlantic salmon rivers.

• A listener has been enjoying fishing for fallfish as trout streams warm and asks for a podcast on fishing for fallfish

• If you are fishing a tandem nymph rig and one fly is not working at all, should you switch out that fly?

• Do you change to a different fly line taper as you go up or down in line sizes?

• Why is there a cutter on tippet spools? Doesn't everyone carry snips?

• Does Tom have a succession plan for the podcast?

• I fish a lake that is stocked with rainbows and has a small tributary stream. Do you think the rainbows will run up into it?
• Do you have any tips for being stealthy on a trout stream other than not stepping right into the water?
• Can I use a sinking Salmon Poly Leader for trout?
• When do you extend the butt section of your leader?
• I am using a switch rod for distance in warm water fishing and have tried all kinds of lines but am not happy with my casting. Do you have any tips?
• Any tips or tricks on how to travel; with waders and wading boots? I am concerned with my wet wading boots.
• Can trout smell us and should I worry about it?
• Do Zero-weight fly rods exist and what are they used for?
• A tip from a listener about learning to cast at all angles to your body without moving your feet.
• I fished a cold Colorado tailwater in the morning and a local angler told me I was on the water too early. Why?
• All the hoppers I see have green, brown, or black wings. So why do we put white wings on many of our hopper patterns?