Redington Gear Guide with Tom Lippen | California Trout

Redington: You've been with the Redington Squad for a few years and had a starring role when we launched the EDC rod last year. For those who haven't watched your Everyday Carry profile video (embedded below), tell folks who you are and where and when you guide.

Tom: My guide service is Rippen Lips Flyfishing, which is sort of a play on words with my last name and a nickname I’ve gotten over the years—“Rippen Lippen.” It kind of just stuck, and I wanted something unique that would be easy to remember. I guide year-round in the Mammoth Lakes area in the Eastern Sierra mountains of California. I primarily “walk and wade” most of the local waters, including the Owens River, East Walker River, and McGee Creek, and I also run stillwater trips on Crowley Lake from my bay boat, just to name a few.

Redington: Sounds like the length of your guide season can span some serious changes in weather and conditions.

Tom: Guiding year-round in the high desert mountains can vary drastically depending on the time of year—both in terms of weather and the fish we see and target. For example, in the fall and winter, we see a lot of big, hard-pulling lake-run fish in the Upper Owens eating nymphs and streamers, along with smaller resident fish taking dries or nymphs in pocket water on the Lower Owens. In the spring, we’re often nymphing faster runoff water on the Walker River, and in the summer, it’s all about stillwater tactics on Crowley Lake. We really get to experience a bit of everything.

Redington: Based on that, how do you load out during different times of the year to be sure that you've got your clients ready for anything?

Tom: If I’m guiding on the Upper Owens in the fall and winter, I’ll usually have a few rods rigged and ready each day. That includes an EDC/ACE 10' 5-weight combo, typically paired with a RIO Elite Gold XP line, or a VICE/ACE 9' 6-weight for throwing streamers. I’ll also bring a 10'6" 4-weight STRIKE/TILT combo paired with the RIO Technical Euro Nymph line for tight-lining faster seams for those larger fish.

On the Lower Owens, where we’re typically targeting smaller resident fish, I’ll carry a 10' 4-weight EDC/ACE for indicator fishing, a 3-weight STRIKE/TILT, and a 9' 4-weight Classic Trout rod and reel setup for throwing dries if we run into a midday hatch and fish are looking up. In the summer, when I’m on the boat, I like having those longer 10-foot rods for picking up long leaders when we’re stillwater nymphing with indicators.

Redington: Are there times of the year when you're pack muling all three setups for your clients? And do you ever have days when clients hit the trifecta and land fish with each setup?

Tom: Oh yeah—most days on the river I’m carrying it all and ready for anything. In surfing and snowboarding, we call it a “quiver”—having multiple setups to perform in different scenarios—and I like to bring that same mentality to guiding. I get plenty of jokes like, “You got enough rods?” but the joke’s on them when they see how many fish we catch.

To answer your second question, yes—there are plenty of days when we catch fish on all three setups. It keeps things fun and engaging to be able to say, “Have you ever tried euro nymphing? This is a great run for it,” or, “Look—there’s a fish rising. Grab this dry fly rig and give it a shot.”

Redington: Have to imagine that as a client, it must be pretty fun to have the opportunity to try all those styles in one day. That said, you must really enjoy the teaching aspect of being a guide—with three setups, you've got your work cut out for you.

Tom: Totally—it’s a much more fun and fulfilling experience to learn all the different ways you can catch fish on a fly rod, and it makes the day better for me as well. I love everything about guiding, especially the coaching aspect. My dad was known as one of the best baseball coaches in our area and took several small-town Little League teams to state championships. One year, we were just shy of going to the Little League World Series. I think I picked up a lot of my coaching style from him.

I’ve always said you don’t have to be the best fisherman to be a great guide—but you do have to be a great communicator and teacher.

Redington: If you had to pick just one of those Redington setups, what would it be?

Tom: If I had to choose just one setup, it would be the EDC/ACE 10' 5-weight because it really can do it all—dry flies, nymphs, and streamers. It’s soft enough to make smaller fish fun but still has the backbone to handle a trophy. And the ACE has such a smooth drag adjustment when you need to button down on a hog.

Redington: Regardless of gear and fishing style, what's something you'd like to teach every angler who spends the day with you?

Tom: I’d like every angler to walk away having learned something new. Even if someone has been fly fishing for 40 years, there’s always a new technique or a more efficient way to do something that they may not have tried. There’s no single “right” way to fish—everyone approaches the water differently. Most importantly, I want them to have fun. That’s what it’s all about in the end.

Redington: If you could fish with any person in the world, who would it be?

Tom: I’d probably choose Uncle Cheech from Fly Fish Food. I’ve followed his fly tying YouTube channel for years and have learned a ton of patterns from him. He’s hilarious, and I know a day on the water with him would be a blast. Cheech, if you’re reading this—let’s rip!