Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast Dave Stewart

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/369
Presented By: Range Meal Bars, Angler's Coffee, Togens Fly Shop, Jackson Hole Fly Company
Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors
Jerry French, steelhead flies innovator, shares the story of how Intruder flies, Skagit Spey lines, and short Spey rods came to be. We find out how they changed the game big time for steelhead fly fishing.
Jerry tells us how they tried to keep their ideas secret and when they realized that it was time to share them with the community. We also talk about some of his signature flies like the Dirty Hohs and Sculpins.
This is a replay episode from 2020 and also one of our most downloaded episodes so it's great to listen to it again.

Intruder Flies Show Notes with Jerry French
06:30 - We had George Cook on the podcast in episode 131 where we dug into the history of the Northwest Spey.
11:15 - A 13-foot 6 wt rod was considered short back then
13:30 - Jerry tells the story of when they were on a road trip, fishing and guiding, sleeping in the car, and didn't shower for days.
18:00 - Jerry talks about the evolution of Intruder flies
22:25 - They weren't planning on sharing the Intruder secrets with anyone but some of their flies got stolen on one of their fishing trips
26:60 - Jerry talks about that time when they realized that it was time to share their secret with the community
32:00 – Jerry was an original founder of OPST and was all about getting Ed Ward paid for his contribution. The ultra-compact heads were a big part of what Jerry and Ed developed.
37:20 - Joseph Rossana was on the podcast in episode 136
42:00 - Jerry describes what a Dirty Hoh platform is and why it's so special to him
46:30 - Listener question: Do you swing butt or broad side on the swing? Jerry says: Straight up, no questions - always broad side. He calls it "controlled" and explains in detail.
56:00 - Jerry shares why he had to part ways with OPST and build Aqua Flies with Doug Brutocao
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/369

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/368
Presented By: Range Meal Bars, Stonefly Nets, Zoe Angling Group, Jackson Hole Fly Company
Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors
Bret Bishop tells the story of how he got into the Team USA and who his mentor was early on that made his and the team's dreams come true. He shares how the team sets up their euro rigs while in competition and their mission to win gold in several competitions.
He also takes us fishing in Europe, his home waters, and talks about his favorite gears, brands, and some tips on dry droppers.
Listen to this episode to discover more tips and tricks from none other than Bret Bishop - 2006 Individual National Champion and current Captain of the Team USA. 

Silver Creek Outfitter Show Notes with Bret Bishop
3:13 - Bret Bishop talks about how he got into fly fishing. His parents wanted him and his brother to be self-sufficient anglers.
3:51 - For years in the summertime, his family would travel around and spend three months living in a VW bus and going trout fishing and camping.
4:17 - They ended up living in Sun Valley, Idaho which is where Silver Creek is. His parents were into spring creeks, so everywhere they went they would go and fish the spring creek.
5:42 - Bret talks about how their father taught them how to be self-sufficient anglers.
6:24 - He also learned fly fishing and the actual casting through attending classes.
7:30 - He shares how different is Silver Creek now than it was in the '80s.
10:06 - He tells about how the Fly Fishing Team USA started. About 2003, his friend Pete Erickson, who we interviewed for episode 118, got into the team early. There was a lot of history before Bret joined the team.
11:36 - He got involved in the team when he was invited out to Bend, Oregon along with other guys to try out. He fished well enough that he made it to what they called the development team.
13:11 - In 2006, they had the first Fly Fishing National Champion in Boulder, Colorado.
15:20 - He shares why the team struggled during practice in Portugal in 2006 and why that made Portugal kind of a tough introduction to the world of European fly fishing.
16:37 - He talks about what makes fishing in Europe different.
19:26 - He shares the team's quest to win gold in Italy. He also mentions one person who has been the backbone of the team in terms of financial support and making their dreams come true.
21:50 - He clarifies the difference among the Masters Team, Senior Team, and Youth Team.
22:31 - I ask what would it be like to have the Masters Team compete with the Senior Team.
24:36 - He emphasizes how important it is to work well together as a team and have great team chemistry and guide.
26:49 - Bret encourages people, especially the best anglers, to get a guide saing time trying to find the water they need to fish and learn some inside knowledge on techniques.
27:52 - I ask about the percentage of time that he uses certain techniques such as euro nymphing, dry fly, dry dropper, and streamers.
31:41 - Bret shares how euro nymphing started and became popular.
33:18 - He talks about how their current style of nymphing is different from what it was 10 years ago.
36:30 - He shares his setup and current favorite gears. His current choice of rod is the Echo Shadow X 10'6" 3wt rod which he says is really light and just the right balance for everything.
37:10 - When he's guiding, he uses a level line that's a little stiffer such as those from Cortland and Umpqua. He currently uses the Cortland White Mono Line (.009"/8 LB) which he says works really well for guiding.
41:27 - He shares more about their practice and setup for a competition.
44:50 - He mentions some of their great guides who helped them win competitions through their techniques and fly patterns.
46:52 - He explains his process of how he goes through switching flies with a euro setup.
50:41 - Bret talks about fishing in his home water that is Silver Creek.
52:32 - He expl

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/367
Presented By: Country Financial, Angler's Coffee, Jackson Hole Fly Company, Zoe Angling Group
Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors
Gunner Brammer goes deep on streamers as we dig into some of his YouTube videos with loads of tips on developing techniques for tying streamer flies.
Gunnar tells the story of how he started working in Kelly Galloup's fly shop and how Kelly became one of his biggest mentors in fly fishing and fly tying.
Find out how Gunnar accumulated thousands of hours in fly tying at only 27 years old and why he's considered one of the best in the streamer game.
We also hear some of his rants about people hating other people's style of fly fishing to the point of slitting their car tires. WHAT??? I know... it's too much. But sadly it happens.
This is one of our most listened-to episodes so it deserves a replay today. Check it out right now!

Streamer Flies Show Notes with Gunnar Brammer
06:00 - Gunnar's dad gave him a Kelly Galloup book, Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout which was the first piece of trout literature that he read.
07:55 - Kelly Galloup posted a job opening at his fly shop in Montana and Gunnar's face lit up when he saw it. He applied and got a call from Kelly.
13:30 - Gunnar talks about the video from 8 years ago fishing the Madison River
16:30 - Gunnar is a big sucker for wade fishing. He fishes the St. Louis River a lot.
18:40 - He fishes no differently for brown trout than he does for smallmouth bass - 7 wt, 250-grain, full sinking line, 3-foot leader, and big articulated flies. His biggest smallmouth caught in the St. Louis River is about 21-inch.
28:00 - We noted one of his YouTube videos, The Infinite Fly Principle
29:50 - Bob Popovics is one of Gunnar's greatest influences for fly tying. He loves the book, Fleye Design: Techniques, Insights, Patterns
33:15 - Fishes of the Great Lakes Region is also one of his favorite books
39:40 - Tip: Spin your thread, especially when tying with a bucktail
41:20 - His most viewed video on YouTube is tying a Keeled Jerk
42:20 - He's got a fly-tying series called, Tie Like a Pro. His first video is mostly about thread basics.
46:10 - Gunnar learned to tie the Keeled Jerk from Nicolas Bauer, a fly tyer from Sweden with a YouTube channel called, kanalgratisdotse - they made a series called Fly vs Jerk.
50:10 - He describes the jerk strip retrieve
57:30 - We had a streamer episode with Meat Market Flies 
59:30 - He talks about the Dropper Jig Method
1:04:45 - Brammer has about 5000 streamers tied from his experimentation that are just tucked away in boxes
1:06:20 - Rapid fire round with Gunnar
1:15:45 - Gunnar's top 2 flies for smallmouth are Super Jerk and Hot Fuzz
1:16:00 - Tip: Don't play by anybody's rule except your own. Gunnar tells the story of when he wanted to fish streamers in a place where people hated it.
1:18:55 - Gary Borger was in a past episode who experienced the same thing when people thought he was ridiculous nymphing in the 70s
1:25:20 - 3 Reasons to Downsize for Musky is about learning to cast with a small fly first
1:21:00 - Gunnar uses a Rio sink 3 line
1:27:55 - Dan Johnston was on the podcast in episode 75 where we focused on single-hand fly casting
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/367

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/366
Presented By: FishHound Expeditions, Country Financial, Angler's Coffee, Range Meal Bars
Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors
Charles St. Pierre from Northwest Spey Casting is here to teach us how to up Spey game today. This is loaded with a ton of great tips and it's just too much to put in writing. He breaks it down step by step that you can simply imagine how it works, plus the recommender gear, flies, and everything Spey fishing.
We hear about the story of where he was during the Mount St. Helens eruption and how it affected the fisheries in Northwest Washington. Charles also takes us to the Olympic Peninsula rivers, his favorite waters to fish.

Spey Casting Lessons Show Notes with Charles St. Pierre
05:30 - Charles tells the story of how he remembered Mt St. Helens eruption - the deadliest volcanic eruption in US history (1980)
09:00 - Charles started Spey casting in the mid-90s and began teaching in the late 90s, then started Northwest Spey Casting
11:30 - We had George Cook on the podcast in episode 131 who told us about the NW Spey history
13:30 - For winter and early spring fishing is Skagit sink tip. For late summer, it's Scandi and early fall presentations
27:35 - Charles explains the angle change in Spey casting
30:15 - Charles breaks down the double Spey in 3 movements:
1. Lift - to bring the fly from downstream up close to the caster within a rod's length.
2. Reposition - cross your right arms, where your right arm now becomes your upstream hand. Uncross your arms to develop the D-loop and swing your rod tip back down to the downstream side at a slightly rising angle.
3. Then make the forward cast from there.
35:30 - Tip: If you want to develop a good forward cast, you have to develop a good back cast
47:40 - Charle's favorite way to fish is with a floating line with a long leader, and with either a wet or a dry fly
56:55 - Charles loves fishing the Olympic Peninsula rivers
58:45 - The glaciers in the Olympic Peninsula are almost all gone
59:00 - Winter fishing starts in Olympic Peninsula around Thanksgiving in November
1:05:18 - For lines, Charles uses a Rio mid-belly and some Next Cast and Boss for long lines of 60 feet or more - they work well with 15 to 16-foot rods. For leaders, generally match the length of the rod.
1:08:30 - Charles took fly tying class from Alec Jackson. He learned to tie Skunk Spade and Sock River Grub. His favorite fly for steelhead is a Muddler.
1:15:45 - Charles ties Hobo Spey, Foxy Dog, and custom flies for clients.
1:19:00 - Dave McNeese talked about making a book about his fly fishing life
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/366

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/365
Presented By: Jackson Hole Fly Company, Zoe Angling Group, FishHound Expeditions, Togens Fly Shop
Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors
Scott Willison, owner and founder of the Confluence Fly Shop, takes us into the Skagit River to target bull trout, cutthroat, and coho. We find out how Scott started the fly shop and how fishing on the Skagit River has evolved over the years. 
Scott shares his rod, line, and reel setup, his go-to flies, and the best times in a year to target each species in the Skagit. We also dig into some resources to learn more about fishing steelhead, bull trout, cutthroat, and salmon.

Skagit River Show Notes with Scott Willison
05:45 - Scott lives about 30 mins away from the Skagit River
09:00 - Scott and his partner opened the Confluence Fly Shop in 2013 then bought his partner out after a year.
11:00 - Scott used to watch the TV show, Cheers. We had Henry Winkler on the podcast in episode 334 who played Fonzie in that show.
15:00 - Scott started fishing the Skagit River in the early 90s
19:10 - I noted episode 17 with Scott Baker McGarva where we also talked about the Skagit
20:45 - There are a number of Washington-based groups that protect and restore local fisheries and native watersheds like Wild Steelhead Coalition, Wild Fish Conservancy, and North Sound Trout Unlimited. Scott is a board member of the North Sound TU chapter.
24:50 - The Skagit hosts all 5 species of Pacific salmon. The pink salmon in the Skagit can be nothing short of Alaska quality. Coho fishery is pretty outstanding as well - October and November are Scott's favorite months to fish for Coho.
32:00 - Skagit used to be a huge chum salmon fishery but now you almost can't find chums in there
32:55 - The ever-present species that seems to thrive in the Skagit and Sock is the bull trout. Skagit is one of the only places in the world that has anadromous bull trout.
34:15 - Skagit typically opens at the beginning of June and will remain open through the 31st of January
40:50 - Scott uses an 11 and 1/2 foot 4 wt Sage 1 rod with a 240-grain Scientific Angler Skagit Lite
42:25 - One of the species worth noting in the Skagit is the sea-run cutthroat, also known as coastal cutthroat
48:30 - Scott tells us his go-to flies
53:44 - We talk about the difference between hooking on a coho, bull trout, and cutthroat
1:02:00 - Kamchatka is on Scott's bucket list trip. Also Seychelles. Scott enjoyed our episode with Jako Lucas (episode 281) and Keith Rose-Innes (episode 335)
1:03:00 - Scott is going back to Cayo Frances Farm and Fly in Belize. He went there before on a DIY trip.
1:06:00 - You can harvest bull trout in Skagit River that are over 20 inches
1:07:00 - The Confluence website is a great resource if you want to learn more about bull trout, coho, cutthroat, and a lot of other species in Skagit. Scott does some pretty extensive newsletter and blog posts writing there.
1:09:00 - For resources, Scott recommends the book, Fly Fishing for Pacific Salmon and Fly Fishing Coastal Cutthroat Trout
1:09:40 - Tommy Lynch was on the podcast in episode 347. Scott noted our episode with Kelly Galloup too which was one of the best we had.
1:11:45 - Scott's top 3 podcasts are: The Smartless Podcast, Outdoor Misadventures, and Fly Fish Food Shop Talk
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/365

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/364
Presented By: Zoe Angling Group, Range Meal Bars, LakeLady Custom Rods, Jackson Hole Fly Company
Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors
Tess Weigand, Partner at the Feathered Hook fly shop/lodge, is here to break down fly fishing in Central PA.
Tess shares the story of how she got into the Women's Fly Fishing Team (USA) and what it felt like competing in her first tournament.
She also shares a bunch of tips on euro nymphing, dry and wet fly fishing, and techniques for drifts and drags.

Fly Fishing Pennsylvania Show Notes with Tess Weigand
03:40 - George Daniel was on the podcast in episode 055
05:40 - Tess had a degree in Agricultural Science but decided to work for a fly shop, The Feathered Hook. She became a guide there and now she's a partner at the lodge.
09:45 - Springtime is the best time to fish for brown in Central, PA. There are a lot of different insects that hatch during that time.
21:25 - Tip 1: Keep putting consistent drifts over that fish in a way that's safely not going to spook them. Tip 2: Don't mend over the fish unless you know you're not going to move that fly. If you have drag, let it drag through. That's going to disrupt that fish's feeding behavior more so than mending over them and moving the fly that looks unnatural.
28:45 - For leader, Tess uses Hends micro leader
36:10 - Joe Goodspeed from Thomas and Thomas was on the podcast in episode 193 where we talked about euro nymphing rods and tips
42:00 - For rod, she uses the T&T Contact 2 - 11 foot 3 wt when she's guiding. But her favorite is a Contact 2 - 10 foot 3 wt.
47:00 - Hardy Perfect makes a great cassette reel system
48:40 - Tess tells the story of how she got into the Women's Team
52:10 - The first World Women's Fly Fishing Championship was held in Norway - Tess shares what it's like to join her first tournament.
58:55 - Tess encourages women who fly fish to reach out to her if they want to learn more about joining the Team USA
1:00:40 - Tess talks about what makes their lodge unique at Penn's Creek 
1:12:15 - Mollie Simpkins connected me to Tess - Mollie was on the podcast in episode 355
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/364