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Magnificent Roosterfish: Unlocking the Secrets of El Gallo
Tom Boyd
Fly Fisher/Fly Tier/Author
They’re fast, powerful, and one of the toughest fish to fool on a fly—roosterfish, or El Gallo. Join us as legendary angler Tom Boyd shares his decades-long pursuit of these magnificent predators in Costa Rica. From world-record catches to breakthrough tactics, Tom reveals what makes roosters so elusive, how to spot and hook them, and why landing one is considered the pinnacle of saltwater fly fishing. Don’t miss this chance to learn the secrets of chasing one of the ocean’s most extraordinary game fish!
Just a few of the questions asked and answered during the interview:
- What makes roosterfish one of the most challenging saltwater fish to catch on a fly?
- How do their unique auditory and visual senses make them so difficult to fool?
- Can you explain the role of the dorsal comb and how roosterfish use it to hunt or herd baitfish?
- How does the behavior of roosters differ between calmer waters like Baja beaches and the rougher open Pacific waters of Costa Rica?
- Tell us about your very first encounter with a roosterfish on the Costa Rica/Nicaragua border—what did you see and how did it change your fishing path?
- Walk us through your 1998 catch in Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo—the first large roosterfish taken on fly under IGFA rules. What made it possible that day?
- How did that world-record catch open doors for you, including your work with Crocodile Bay in Costa Rica?
- What role does structure—like reefs, points, or guano-covered cliffs—play in locating roosters?
- What do you look for in bird activity when scanning a beach for signs of roosterfish?
- What’s your preferred rod, reel, and line setup for roosterfish in Costa Rica?
- Tell us about the development of Boyd’s Wounded Baitfish fly. What made it so effective?
- How closely do you try to “match the hatch” when choosing fly colors and sizes for Costa Rica?
- What retrieves have you found most effective—steady strips, erratic jerks, or wounded-baitfish movements?
- What are your tips for setting the hook properly on roosterfish, given their tendency to spit flies?
- How do you recommend fighting a rooster—rod angles, pressure, and handling jumps?
- Roosterfish are listed as “data deficient” by the IUCN. What past and current research have you done that will help us to understand roosterfish better in Costa Rica and other parts of the world.
More about Tom Boyd...
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Chasing Trout in the Chill - Beating the Cold and Catching More
Jason Randall
Fly Fisher/Fly Tier/Author
When the temperatures drop and most anglers hang up their waders, Jason Randall heads to the river. In this episode Jason reveals how to outsmart winter’s toughest conditions and find trout when the water turns icy. Learn how to locate warmwater seeps, choose the right flies for slow, cold currents, and keep yourself warm, safe, and successful all day long. Discover why winter may just be the most rewarding season to fish — if you know where to look and how to adapt.Ask Jason Randall your most important questions on fly fishing in cold weather...
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Over 429 Shows for you to listen to!
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Spring Creek SeductionMatt Supinski is the master of selectivity and even wrote a book on it so who else to lead us on a journey to understand how to fish spring creeks. Spring creeks will not only seduce you but test your skills at the highest level. Join us to learn Matt’s secrets to spring creeks.
Tying & Fishing Deer Hair FliesTim Jacobs uses many different materials to tie his flies but deer hair is his favorite. Whether it's trout or warmwater species deer hair flies can produce. Join us to learn about Tim's secrets to tying and fishing deer hair flies.
Steelhead of the Dean RiverApril Vokey, a professional guide and fly fishing instructor, has been pursuing the elusive steelhead most of her life. The Dean River in British Columbia is world renowned for having some of the strongest fish in the world. Listen in to hear how April fishes this great river for one of the most challenging fish the steelhead.
Kayak Fly FishingBen Duchesney will share the secrets to fly fishing from kayaks from choosing the right boat and gear to paddle strokes, casting and line management. Whether you paddle warmwater, coldwater or saltwater you're bound to learn some strategies and tactics you can use on your next outing.
Trout, Salmon and CharTom Boyd has traveled the world studying trout, salmon and char. He's tagged them, done DNA analysis, studied their habitat and range as well as individual characteristics. In his recent book Trout Salmon and Char he presents new findings, behavior patterns and proven tactics to catch more fish. Join us and pick Tom's brain about this new data he's collected so you can better understand these fish and catch more of them.
Specialty Casts - Getting Your Fly to the FishMac Brown, a Master Casting Instructor certified through the Federation of Fly Fishers, provides expert advice on how to use specialty casts to get your fly to those hard to reach fish.
Fly Fishing for Mahseer in IndiaJeff Currier explores India's rivers for the exotic Mahseer. It's a huge fish that is seldom caught on the fly but Jeff was determined to do so and did. Learn from Jeff the process he uses to figure what makes a fish tick.
Euro Nymphing - Tips, Tactics and TechniquesJosh Miller, a professional guide and Fly Fishing Team USA member, has put in the hours to become one of the best Euro nymphing experts working today. Listen in to learn how to choose the right rod, reel, and line. Identify essential fly patterns that work best and get detailed instructions on casting and presenting your flies.
Just a few of the questions asked and answered during the interview:
- What is Euro nymphing?
- What part do the Czech, Spanish, and French methods play into Euro nymphing?
- What are the situations in which you would choose Euro nymphing over other methods of fly fishing?
- What types of rods can be used?
- What do you consider to be the ideal rod?
- What role does the reel play when Euro nymphing?
- What type of line do you use?
- How do you construct your leaders?
- What types of sighters do you use?
- What are your go-to flies?
- What color beads do you use?
- Are most of your flies attractors, or are you trying to match the hatch?
- How do you present your flies?
- How do you get your flies to spend more time in the right zone?
- What is your "drift sequence"?
Tenkara's EvolutionDaniel Galhardo brought Tenkara fly fishing to North America and has introduced a new an exciting way to fly fish. Learn about the history and fishing in Japan that inspired him to create a company based on Tenkara. Daniel will also share how he started and built his business into the success it is today.
The Catch of a LifetimeAward-winning writer Peter Kaminsky in his book, The Catch of a Lifetime presents the moving first-person stories of more than seventy anglers recounting their catch of a lifetime. The stories are from all over the world and from well-known writers, artists, sportspeople, and others who’ve made flyfishing their passion. Join us to hear Peter share these people's most memorable tales.
Just a few of the questions asked and answered during the interview:
- How did you get started writing?
- What inspired you to write your book The Catch of a Lifetime?
- How did you select the fly fishers and their stories?
- Who were some of the fly fishers you selected?
- What constitutes the catch of a lifetime?
- Were there any stories that deeply resonated with you?
- What was one of your most memorable experiences that you included in the book?
- What were the common themes you used to organize the stories?
- What do you hope readers will take away from these fishing tales?
- What were the challenges you faced while gathering the stories?
- With the popularity of stories presented through video and audio is there still a place for the written word?
- What role does fishing play in environment awareness and conservation?
- What was the most challenging part of writing and compiling The Catch of a Lifetime?
- Can you share a few stories from your book?
Fly Fishing for Steelhead - Queen Charlotte Islands and the Dean RiverGreg Thomas pursues wild steelhead in out of the way places, with a focus on British Columbia. Recently he's fished the Queen Charlotte Islands and the central British Columbia coast. In July he lucked into the best week in 10 years on the Dean River and had 17 fish to the beach in three days. Listen to Thomas' adventures and you'll learn how to reach these unique fisheries where 10-to 20-pound wild steelhead can be found, often in good numbers.
Tomorrow's Fly FishersFanny Krieger has been involved with fly fishing instruction for over 25 years. Listen in to find out how she unravels the mystery of fly fishing for children of all ages into a simple, easy to understand and fun adventure.
Pike On The FlyBarry Reynolds knowledge of pike and musky is amazing. Listen in to this podcast as Barry covers your questions on fly fishing for pike and musky covering habitat, gear, flies and tactics - get ready for some explosive answers.
Fly Fishing the Olympic PeninsulaDoug Rose, a professional guide in the famed Olympic Peninsula of Washington, takes us through the area from the rainforest and oyster country to the coast and backcountry. Chinook, chum, coho, pink and sockeye salmon are all available along with winter and summer steelhead, resident rainbows, coastal cutthroat and native char. It's like fly fishing heaven! Join us to learn where, how and when to fish this beautiful world-class fishery.
The Clark Fork River - Where Big Trout Travel in PodsJohn Perry guides on the Clark Fork River which he considers one of the most productive rivers in the West. Techniques that work on other rivers many times have to be adapted on the Clark Fork for you to catch fish. Learn how John approaches this great fishery to get maximum success.
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