Fly Fishing Journeys

On this episode of the Fly Fishing Journeys podcast, it was a pleasure to sit down with Lucas Bisset, the Executive Director of AFFTA, the America Fly Fishing Trade Association.

On this episode of the Fly Fishing Journeys podcast, it was a pleasure to sit down with Lucas Bisset, the Executive Director of AFFTA, the America Fly Fishing Trade Association.

If I’m not fly fishing or making fly fishing videos or content myself, one of the most enjoyable things for me to do is watching beautiful fly fishing movies from amazing producers.  That’s the core behind the Fly Fishing Film Tour, also known as F3T.  It was a real privilege for me to sit down with Charles Werb of Adventure Entertainment.  Among other things, Charles and his team are now running the Fly Fishing Film Tour. On a massive, world-wide showing tour, F3T delivers some of the best fly fishing films in the world. Charles was born in Australia and now resides in Dubai. From sailing yachts to exploring the poles, Charles is big time adventures and has a huge passion for these fly fishing films.

Lou DiGena is an accomplished fly tier from New Jersey.  He’s an extraordinary guy. We dive deep into fly tying, photography, digital media, and fine art. As I learned on this podcast, he is a professor of fine art and digital media at St John University.    I don’t think either of us thought we were going down the art rabbit hole but that is the fun part of podcasts, learning about your guests as a person and their expertise. It clears Lou is an artist, both behind the vise, behind the lens and in various other art mediums.

Eric Naguski is an author and guide from Boiling Springs, PA.  Central Pennsylvania fly fishing is something of fly fishing folk lore.  From the chalk streams to the spring creeks, many say this area has some of the most historic and best trout fishing in the country.  Rivers like the Letort, Spring Creek, Yellow Breaches, Big Spring and more.  You can feel the history and nostalgia just setting one wading boot in the cool waters of Penns Creek or Little J.

Let’s face it, panfish, on the whole, are less glamorous than many of the other species we target with a fly rod.  Catching a sunfish or crappie, to some, may not be as cool as trout or a tarpon. But for so many of us, we started fishing and maybe even fly fishing, down at the local pond catching bluegill, bass, crappie and the like with bait, a spinning rod or maybe even a fly rod.  The fact is, targeting panfish can provide a super fun day on the water with a fly rod.  I mean, a good size crappie crushing a top-water bug is a ton of fun.  And panfish can prove to be a great species for introducing a friend to fly fishing.

When you hear about the Susquehanna River, especially for smallmouth, you think about names like Lefty Kreh, Bob Clouser and Brian Shumaker of Susquehanna River Guides.  Brian has been mentored by Bob Clouser over the years and Bob was kind enough to offer a personal recommendation to have Brian on the podcast.  We dive into great tips and tactics to have more success with your smallmouth fishing.  With over 30 years of guiding experience, Brian shares the best equipment set up for smallmouth as well as fishing strategies and fly recommendations. Enjoy!

Luong Tam is yet another wonderful personality in the fly fishing industry. Whenever I see him, he always greets me with a warm smile and pleasant hello.  I return the kind gesture and let out a bold, TENKARA TANUKI. That’s obviously not his name but it’s his company and his brand.  He loves tenkara and he is a master tenkara rod designer.

It’s always a privilege to connect people who are absolute experts in their field. That is what Phil Rowley is in the area of still water fly fishing.  The Orvis Guide To Still Water Trout has quickly become the top reference material on still water trout fishing. We dive deep into the tactics of how you can become a better still water fisherman.  With these great tips, you will feel more confident on your local trout pond or lake.  Additionally, Phil reveals some of the top destinations in the world to use your new skills to catch a trophy trout.

In this podcast, we get to know Rollin and Augusto, chat about the benefits of trip insurance and even find out about Augusto’s fishing origin story and how that fits in with a bamboo pole and a water buffalo.  You won’t want to miss it. Stay tuned.

As you guys know, I never hold back how fortunate I feel to connect with, travel with and certainly fish with some really cool people.  Although we haven't fished together yet, Piece Oja is certainly no exception and is definitely among the top of this list.  I mean, this guy is a fly fishing guide with a Bio Chem degree.  In addition to being a guide himself, he runs a highly successful outfitting business in the heart of some of the best trout waters in Montana.  We dive deep into it and I know you guys are going to love Pierce as well as this episode.

Maybe like you, Alaska was high on my list of dream destinations I still needed to do.  After 25 years of fly fishing, I wondered why I still hadn’t made the time to make this trip happen.  I have been so excited about recent trips to Iceland, various destinations in Canada, including my own lodge in Quebec, Canada, out west, and the tropics, I guess Alaska remained stuck on the ever increasing bucket list.  Well, that changed when my buddy Tim Cammisa and I connected with Ryan Kocherhans and the crew from Alaska Remote Adventures at the Denver Fly Fishing Show last year. I also remembered having previously met Ryan at the Pleasanton Fly Fishing Show a few years back and we talked about doing a trip then.  This time we were determined to make it happen and with Tim equally excited, we got a trip on the books. On this podcast, Tim and I share some of our experiences of visiting Alaska for the first time.  We dive into the five species of Salmon that run by the Alaskan Remote Adventures lodge on the Mulchatna River, a tributary in the Nushagak River.  We discuss the seasons and when best to visit Alaska, especially in this area, for the specific species of fish you would want to target. Finally, we dive into the tackle and flies to set you up for a successful trip to Alaska.  Stay tuned as we go together on this journey to Alaska…alaskanremoteadventures.com Thanks to our sponsors:crosscurrentinsurance.comflyfishingshow.comwww.nor-vise.com

Andy Mill has led an extraordinary life and this is an extraordinary podcast.  His time as an Olympic downhill skier, his marriage, and unfortunate divorce from tennis star, Chris Everett Llyod and his dominance in the most revered tarpon tournaments is all in here.  It was a very easy conversation and Andy’s stories kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.  Being a past ski instructor, I was riveted by his journey from the weekend, Nastar races to the winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria and Lake Placid, New York.

Carter Brown & Phil Thorton have taken the guide booking space by storm with their software program, GoGuide.  Two guys that met in a university Entrepreneurial class with a very similar idea, these guys want to make it easier for both outfitters and clients alike.

Ben Whalley is a saltwater fly fishing guide and an accomplished fly tier from Portland, Maine.  On this podcast we chat about the incredible and unique flats fisheries for Striped Bass in the southern Maine region.  Ben is a gift tier.  Having built  a special bond with legendary fly innovator, Bob Popovics, Ben expresses his gratitude for everything he has learned from Bob.  Ben’s flies are highly sought after.  Flies like Bob Popovic’s Beast, the Big Mac Hollow Fly, Green Crab Snacks and more. With his guiding schedule, custom orders had become demanding on his time. Because of this, he has developed a cool fly drop program where he offers monthly fly drops on a first come, first serve basis, for his free membership community.  Ben has an incredible story that you are sure to enjoy. https://www.benwhalleyfishing.com/ Thanks to our sponsors: https://crosscurrentinsurance.com https://flyfishingshow.com https://www.nor-vise.com Episode content: [04.29] American Saltwater Guides Association – Starting the conversation, Ben gives us a simple introduction to the American Saltwater Guides Association. [08.30] Educating – Ben shares why he likes educating the public to fish properly. [13.40] Site fishing – Ben talks about why he likes site fishing and its specialty. [19.31] Social media – We talk about the positive impact social media has on the fly fishing industry. [24.12] Bob Popovics – Ben explains his relationship with Bob Popovics. [30.40] Fly-drops – Ben walks us through how his fly drops work and how you can purchase new fly patterns once a month from his website.

I must admit, when I first met Jason Ulseth, I didn’t know a lot about the River Keepers.  As River Keeper and Executive Director of the Chattahoochee River Keepers, Jason sits down with us to discuss the role of a River Keeper and the work they are doing to preserve the fabled Chattahoochee River.

Brett Gaba is the Editor of Steelheader’s Journal, an annual publication that covers all things Steelhead. Focusing on the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia and Alaska, the readers get a beautifully designed and informational piece about this amazing fish.  At the same time, it’s not new news that Steelhead are in trouble. Many rivers are showing a decline in returns and that is not lost on Brett. We discuss this, as well as ways to continue to responsibly fish for this amazing species.  Stay tuned.

In addition to all the Pennsylvania trout, Jake Villwock has the Smallmouth Bass fishing down.  Cutting his teeth with the TCO Fly Shop, Jake has move on to build an amazing guiding business called Relentless Fly Fishing.  His book Smallmouth Bass Flies Top to Bottom is a fantastic reference and part of our chat today. I also wanted to get Jake’s back story and learn what made the man.  Buckle in because it’s all here, your Jake VIllwock and smallmouth bass reference podcast.

What can I say, Tom Rosenbauer is the founder and pioneer when it comes to fly fishing podcasts.  His work with Orvis, the information he shares on The Orvis Podcast, the fly box, the Orvis Online Learning Center and all his other work including his books and his work on The New Fly Fisher has made him a legend and an absolute gem within the fly fishing community.

This was a moving podcast with Chris Hanson as he opens about his journey of losing his mom at a young age, being adopted by his stepdad, his adventures in Alaska where he trained and ran a dog sled team and so much more.  We discuss his movie The Day I Disremembered and how this medical episode led him to the sport he loves, fly fishing.