Covering fish from Trout to Tarpon, from tying flies to casting them - you'll find it all right here on Ask About Fly Fishing - the best fly fishing podcast for learning more about fly fishing.
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From Angler to Outfitter: Building a Life as a Fly Fishing Guide
Coleman Savage
Fly Fisher, Fly Tier, Guide
What does it really take to turn a passion for fly fishing into a profession? Montana guide and outfitter Coleman Savage shares his journey from fly-shop jobs to guiding—and how Guiding for the Future helped accelerate his growth. Discover why becoming a great guide requires far more than catching fish, and how knowledge of river ecology, conservation, water rights, stewardship, client relationships, and professionalism can transform a guide’s career and their connection to the waters they depend on. Join us to learn about his journey.Just a few of the questions asked and answered during the interview:
- How did your early experiences in Virginia and the Bahamas shape your connection to fishing and eventually lead you toward becoming a professional guide?
- Before guiding became your profession, when did you first begin thinking, “I could actually make a living doing this?”
- You worked several fly-shop jobs before you began guiding in 2021. What did working in fly shops teach you that helped prepare you for guiding?
- When you got started, did you have another job, or did you go all in on guiding?
- What was your first season as a professional fly fishing guide really like, and what surprised you most about the job?
- Many anglers probably imagine guiding as spending every day fishing. How different is the reality of being a guide from what people imagine it to be?
- When you were starting out, who were the guides or mentors who helped you most, and what did you learn from watching experienced professionals work with clients?
- How long did it take before you began feeling like a competent professional guide rather than simply a good angler taking people fishing?
- Do most guides prefer that clients bring their own rods, reels, and flies, or use guide-provided equipment?
- You discovered Guiding for the Future through the Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana. What caught your attention about the program, and why did you decide to participate so early in your guiding career?
- Before Guiding for the Future, how much did you think about subjects such as river ecology, hydrology, water rights, conservation law, and the history behind public waterways?
- If someone listening to us today is a good fly fisher who is thinking about becoming a guide, what should they understand before deciding to make that leap?
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Salters: The Remarkable Return of Sea-Run Brook Trout
Tom Pero
Fly Fisher, Author, Publisher
Once found in coastal streams throughout New England, sea-run brook trout, known as “salters,” nearly disappeared as their fragile habitats were altered and degraded. Today, these remarkable native fish are making a comeback. Author Tom Pero takes us into the hidden world of salters, from their fascinating life history and migrations to the Cape Cod streams they call home. Join us as we explore what scientists have learned about these elusive trout and meet the dedicated riverkeepers whose decades of restoration work prove that, given a chance, wild trout and wild rivers can recover.Ask Tom Pero your most important questions on sea-run brook trout...
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- Kamchatka - Trout Fishing's Next Frontier
Rene Limeres a professional guide takes you to Kamchatka where there are still more fish than people. It may be the next and last frontier for fly fishers seeking huge trout and salmon. Join Rene and discover what it takes to land the big ones in Russia.
- Adaptive Fly Fishing: Strategies for Diverse Water Types
Lance Egan has had a passion for fly fishing for close to three decades. After representing Fly Fishing Team USA in 13 world championships this guy has experienced just about every fishing situation one might encounter. Listen in to hear how Lance breaks down a river into distinct water types including pools, riffles, runs, pocket water, glides, bank-side lies, and eddies and learn his methods for hooking up effectively in each water type.
Just a few of the questions asked and answered during the interview:
- How do you fight the wind and get nymphs down fast?
- What are your 'go to' tactics for productive summer fishing?
- When fishing a new river for the first time, what are the steps and observations you take to fish it?
- How do you improve your hookups when using dry flies?
- What water types are best fished using euro nymphing techniques?
- What type of vest or pack do you prefer?
- How do you rig up your net for each access?
- What are the options for fishing riffles?
- What is the best approach and presentation for fishing bank-side lies?
- Fly Fishing for Trophy Trout in Georgia's Noontootla Creek
Kent Klewein is well known in Georgia for being the top guide for putting clients on trophy rainbow and brown trout on Noontootla Creek and its tributaries. Learn how to hook up with these trophies southern style on this show.
- Tying Nymphs
Charlie Craven is a top-selling signature fly designer for Umpqua Feather Merchants. He's also a great teacher so if you want to learn a bunch of great fly tying techniques join us for an in-depth study of tying nymphs.
- Flies That Catch Fish
Enrico Puglisi’s flies and fly tying materials continue to have a groundbreaking impact on the future of saltwater and freshwater fly fishing. His unique hand-tied flies are recognized around the world. Listen in and learn how Enrico designs his flies and how he creates the one of a kind materials he uses to match specific baitfish and to catch fish.
Questions asked and answered during the interview:
- What inspired you to start creating specialized fly tying materials?
- What was the first material you created?
- How many different fibers do you have?
- What are your different fibers best used for?
- What's your best tip for making working with fibers easier?
- Why are Trigger Fibers so deadly?
- What material shouldn't you add to saltwater flies?
- What three types of threads do you use when tying your flies?
- Why did you create the line of brushes and what are they best used for?
- What is the biggest mistake most tiers make when tying saltwater patterns?
- Fly Fishing the Upper Delaware River
Paul Weamer has spent over decade fishing the Upper Delaware River watershed where the trout are large, wild, and highly selective. Be sure to listen in to find out about this great fishery and the special techniques used to hook up with the trophies.
- Fisheries Conservation Now And In The Future
Dr. Peter Moyle was recognized by Fly Fisherman Magazine as the 2020 Conservationist of the Year for his lifetime of conservation work in California and in watersheds across the West. Peter's forward-thinking and get it done attitude has saved and restored fisheries across California including McCloud River, Putah Creek, the San Joaquin River and the Klamath River. Listen in to find out how Peter identifies and works through the issues associated with saving and restoring these fine fisheries.
Just a few of the questions asked and answered during the interview:
- How were you able to preserve the McCloud river for future generations?
- How did you bring Putah Creek back to life?
- What are the challenges now that Putah Creek has been restored?
- What has been done to encourage Stripers and Salmon to run up the San Joaquin River?
- What is the status of the Smelt in the Delta estuaries?
- What key action was taken to preserve the Klamath River?
- How can conservation groups attract younger members?
- What problems do you face when dams come down?
- Fly Fishing for Atlantic Salmon
Paul Marriner shares his 25+ years of experience fly fishing for Atlantic Salmon. Learn his secrets about tactics, flies, casting and playing this classic trophy fish.
- Trout - Hidden in Plain View
Duane Redford will delves into what the top 10% of anglers are seeing and doing differently from the fly fishing masses, and how they are consistently putting fish in the net in every situation. Join us and learn from a master angler how to increase your odds of catching more trout.
- Colorado’s Greenback Cutthroat Trout
Once thought to be extinct, Colorado's famed greenback cutthroat trout is now in the process of making a remarkable comeback. Listen in to hear how Jim Rubingh and Richard Fritz explored Colorado in search of the greenback cutthroat, where they found them and the best strategies for putting one on your prized catch list.
- The Art Of Fly Tying
Rick Takahashi is well known in the fly fishing world as a top fly tyer combining his background in color and design theory as well as on the water testing to create flies that look great and fish great. Join us to learn how Rick approaches his art form and learn his tips of the trade.
- Fly Fishing Adventures in Baghdad
Joel Stewart found himself based in Camp Victory on the grounds of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's former Al Faw Palace. He fished numerous man-made lakes stocked by the former dictator with a variety of sport fish. Soon he was teaching others how to fly fish. Thus, the Baghdad School of Fly Fishing was born, an angling club that remained in existence for the remainder of the time American troops were in Iraq. Listen in to hear about the exotic fish Joel caught, how the Baghdad School of Fly Fishing was born and how it flourished during times of war.
- Montana Without the Crowds
Aaron Jaspers, loves to fish but doesn't love the crowds. He's been exploring some fisheries that are off the beaten track in Montana where you can catch nice sized fish easily and avoid the crowds. Join us to learn more about some great places to fish.
- An Aussie Expedition
Ted Lund, editor of Fly Fishing in Saltwaters magazine, has recently returned from an extraordinary expedition to Australia and the Coral Sea and will be sharing his experiences on planning the trip and fishing for the dogtooth tuna, bluefin trevally, the coral trout and many more exotic fish.
- Dry Fly Strategies
Paul Weamer, a professional guide and fly tier, understands fishing with a dry fly as the essence of fly fishing. Of course, fish feed primarily under the water but when they rise there's nothing more exciting. Paul has fished highly technical waters like Penns Creek in Pennsylvania, the Upper Delaware River in New York, and spring creeks in Paradise Valley Montana. Listen in as Paul breaks down the best methods, rigs, and fly patterns to catch more fish with dry flies.
Just a few of the questions asked and answered during the interview:
- How do the seasons affect dry fly fishing?
- What weight and length rod do you use?
- Do you prefer monofilament or fluorocarbon for terminal tackle?
- Does the glare from tippet to surface tension cause refusals?
- What products do you use to keep your flies afloat?
- What fly styles work best for the mayfly life-cycle stages?
- What fly styles work best for the caddis fly life-cycle stages?
- What are your favorite stonefly dry fly patterns?
- What fly styles work best for fast water and slow water?
- What is more important hook size or the pattern's color?
- What are the different rise forms and how do you fish them?
- How do you fish to non-steady risers?
- How do you fish springs creeks with finicky fish?
- What are the differences between dry fly strategies in the west versus those in the east?
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