Guest post by Julian Tucker
I have been an Orvis customer for more years than I care to remember. I believe I bought my first Orvis item in around 1998, which brings me to item one. I did something I often tell people never to do, which was to buy a five weight TLS Orvis rod second hand on eBay. I knew there was a damaged snake ring when I bought it, and I also knew Orvis had a brilliant rod guarantee, so I trooped off to the then Dover Street shop where I was met by Jimmy.
“No problem, we will get that sorted,” he said. He took my details and off I went. Back at the office, within an hour the phone rang. It was Jimmy on the other end. “Good news and bad news, Mr Tucker.” My heart sank. What was the bad news? “The blank is totally shot and beyond economic repair.” Heart sinks further. “So what is the good news?” “I can offer you a brand new Zero Gravity four piece five weight for a ridiculously cheap price.” The Zero Gravity was the forerunner of the Helios series. “I will see you in an hour,” I said. From that moment on, Orvis had a loyal customer for life. I still use the rod.
So the journey began. The last time I counted, I owned over twenty Orvis rods, covering every weight from one to fourteen. Yes, fourteen, for sharks and big game. Over the years I have moved from still water trout fishing to saltwater, to rivers, and then to global travel, all driven by my passion for fly fishing. Which brings me neatly to item two.
My trusty Orvis roller duffel bag. This has travelled everywhere from New Zealand to Alaska. It is about twenty years old and still in tip top condition. The base is a separate compartment which will swallow two, and at a push three, nine foot four piece rod tubes. There is also masses of room for waders, boots, vests, reels and everything else that seems to come along. It is truly capacious and comes with me on all my overseas fishing trips. Barbados beckons in the New Year 2026.
When the Orvis team asked me to write this piece, they suggested I mention some of my more off piste Orvis items. Like most people with a passion, I found myself seeking out various bits of Orvis kit, some of which were never sold in the UK. Before I retired, my work often took me to the USA, which meant I could rummage through Orvis stores across America, picking up the odd and the wonderful. I will share a few of those here.
1. A very clever bit of kit if you are fishing small nymphs or dries and do not want or need to lug loads of fly boxes around. It pins to your vest or shirt just like a badge, and should it ever fall off, it floats.
2. I also love this vintage pocket watch. It is solid brass, accurate, and thanks to the carabiner clip, very easy to attach to your kit. It looks great and is waterproof too.
3. The next item is a little odd, but genuinely useful. It is a zip up line tray. Quite small, but very effective, and far less bulky than most line trays. It always attracts a few looks and questions when I bring it out. Again, it is probably around twenty years old.
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4. The final item is included at the specific request of James Doyle of Orvis UK. A metal double zinger with brass wire and a fixing pin. The housing itself is metal. I still use it today, pinned to my waders with nippers and forceps attached.
