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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- Fly Fishing for Monster Browns on Streamers
Christy McReynolds knows how to hook up with monster brown trout on the fly. She’s a lifelong angler and has developed her skills on the South Holston and Watauga Rivers in East Tennessee, where she and her husband Jason run their guide service FlyingSoHo. Join us and learn her secrets to finding, hooking up, and landing these fish of a lifetime.
Just a few of the questions asked and answered during the interview:
- What is the best time of year for hunting monster browns on streamers?
- Are large brown trout more active at certain times of the day?
- Are browns tolerant of a wide range of water temperatures?
- What are the ideal conditions for brown trout to grow big?
- Are browns more selective than rainbows?
- Is fishing good before or after they spawn?
- What weight rod do you use for larger fish?
- Do you use floating or sinking lines?
- What is your leader and tippet setup?
- What types of streamers do you prefer?
- what color flies do you use for dirty and clear water?
- Where do find large fish holding most often?
- What retrieve methods do you use for streamers?
- What tips can you give on setting the hook and fighting large fish?
- Stalking Roosterfish on Baja's East Cape
The Roosterfish is one of the most sought after trophies of the Mexican coast. It's beauty and elusivness make it a challenge you won't want to miss out on. Join Mike Rieser and find out what it takes to stalk and connect with one of this incredible fish.
- Women In Fly Fishing
This show features a panel of three top women fly fishers from Alaska, Idaho and as far down as the Florida Keys. Cecilia 'Pudge' Kleinkauf, Lori-Ann Murphy and Diana Rudolph are our guests. All three know their fly fishing and know the business of fly fishing—they are all working professionals in the industry. Join us on this podcast to learn more about fly fishing and how women are raising the bar—Diana won the Hawley Invitational Tarpon Tournament, a male-dominated event and she holds two I.G.F.A. fly division records.
- Fly Fishing Montana's Missouri River
Trapper Badovinac guided professionally on the Missouri River for nine years and authored a book titled ‘Fly Fishing Montana’s Missouri River’. Listen in to learn all you need to know about fly fishing one of America’s great rivers.
- Fly Fishing Florida’s Largemouth Bass
Debbie Hanson, a professional guide in southwest Florida, specialized in getting her clients hooked up with Florida’s strain of largemouth bass. These bass are different than the strains in the north and many consider them the monsters of largemouth bass. Listen in to learn about these bass and how to hook up with what may be your trophy bass of a lifetime.
- What makes the Florida strain of largemouth bass different?
- What is the best place to fish for trophies in Florida?
- Does the Florida strain exist in other states?
- What are the factors that contribute to the growth of trophy-sized bass?
- Where do you look for the larger bass?
- What are the most effective flies to use for largemouth bass?
- How deep do you fish?
- What's the best time of day to fish?
- What fly did you catch your trophy largemouth on?
- Advanced Chironomid Techniques
Phil Rowley goes beyond basic strike indicator chironomid techniques and explores techniques and setups for deep water indicator fishing, the dry line long leader technique better known as the naked technique, and sinking lines including 'dangling' where we fish straight up below the boat - the takes with dangling are heart stopping!
- Fly Tying For Everyone
Tim Cammisa has been teaching fly fishers how to tie flies for many years both in person and on YouTube. If you want to get started with fly tying Tim's one of the best teachers you could have. Join us and learn about the essential equipment and materials you need to get started and what flies you should tie first. We'll also talk about the techniques you should learn first so that you can take those techniques and use them for many other flies that you'd like to tie and have in your fly box. Last but not least we explore how you can catch fish using the first flies you tie. Beginners are welcome!
- Fly Fishing the Driftless Area of the Midwest
Steve Born has been fly fishing the pristine waters of the Driftless Area of the Midwest for years and it still lures him back again and again. Find out why this area is so special and learn Steve's secrets for being successful in these waters.
- Bugs
Paul Weamer, a professional guide and author, having fished both the eastern and western United States teaches us about the “Bugs”. Matching the hatch is always challenging but Paul knows how to simplify it so that you can quickly and easily identify the insects and pick the right fly to imitate them. Join us and learn entomology the easy way.
- Tigerfish in Tanzania
Jeff Currier loves adventure fly fishing and is back at it again chasing tigerfish in Tanzania. Listen in to learn about fishing for this exotic species.
- Fly Fishing Pressured Waters
Fishing pressure is at an all-time high—but smart anglers adapt. In this episode we're joined by Nick Conklin and Collins Illich to break down advanced tactics for fooling highly educated fish on crowded waters. From strategy shifts to subtle presentations, this conversation delivers practical insights you can apply to pressured rivers anywhere.
Just a few of the questions asked and answered during the interview:
- How do you define “pressured water,” and what are the earliest signs anglers should recognize?
- How has fishing pressure changed over the last decade on popular Western rivers?
- Can you share with us some of the things that should concern anglers with time management?
- When and where should we fish to avoid highly pressured waters?
- What role does timing—time of day or season—play in beating pressure?
- On a river like the South Platte, below Cheeseman Dam, it looks like the coming months will be a combination of low water (>100 CFS), crowds, and low temps/snow pack (hopefully!). Any recommendations around that specific set of factors?
- If you come across a run where you saw another angler fishing, how long should you wait to fish that run?
- How important is stealth compared to presentation on crowded rivers?
- When fishing pressured water, how do you decide between changing flies versus changing tactics?
- Is it better to add more flies as droppers when fishing for smart trout?
- Do you find that you need to downsize your flies for pressured waters?
- Do you change leader/tippet for pressured waters, and if so, what do you recommend?
- What habits separate consistently successful anglers from frustrated ones?
- With the pressure continuing to get stronger what changes do you see coming in the next 20 years that will change the way we fish today or our access to fisheries?
- Midge Secrets
Rick Takahashi considers midges the most important year-round foods source for trout and they are in almost every stream and lake around the world. Listen in to learn about tying and fishing midges that will work no matter where live.
- Project Healing Waters
Steve is the Program Lead in Colorado Springs, Colorado for Project Healing Waters. Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings. Steve's program has been rated the top program in the country. Listen in to learn all about Project Healing Waters, how it started, how it works, how it helps and how you can help.
- Think Like A Fish! - Catch More Tarpon, Bonefish & Permit
Aaron Adams, Ph.D., a marine biologist understands the habitats that warmwater coastal saltwater gamefish live in. Knowing something about a fish’s life cycle and behavior patterns will give you a better idea of when and where you’re most likely to find fish.
- Tenkara for Big Fish
Karin Miller has redefined tenkara fly fishing fusing traditonal tenkara methods with American know-how and ingenuity. She's chased and landed large, powerful species, all over the globe including tarpon, bonefish, permit, shark, barracuda, carp, sockeyes, silvers and chum salmon as well as plenty of trout all on her tenkara rods. Join us on this podcast to find out how you can use tenkara rods and methods for just about any species.
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