Fly Fishing Consultant Podcast

Rob first crossed paths with Lydia at the 2026 Virginia Fly Fishing & Wine Festival, where he was immediately drawn to her exquisitely detailed, micro-scale fly patterns. Seriously tiny stuff. Intrigued by her craftsmanship, he set out to uncover and share her unique journey. Despite being relatively new to fly tying, Lydia has quickly established herself as both an instructor and commercial tier,...

Never leave home without a fly rod. In this episode, Rob hits the Mid Atlantic and East Coast with a fly rod in hand and a microphone rolling to capture the soundscape of summer. Proving that life's unpredictability is the ultimate excuse to wet a line, Rob explores opportunistic waters rather than planned destination fisheries—stopping wherever water meets a chance to fish. Driving your girlfrien...

Lawyer by trade and angler at heart, Mark Weeks joins the show to share his journey from a Western upbringing to practicing law in New York City, and ultimately becoming a tournament-winning tarpon bum and novelist in the Florida Keys. Rob and Mark dive into his latest book, Poontown—a story following five teams over five days during the Sabalo Cup Invitational in the Tequesta Isles. Rob and...

In this episode, we dive into a captivating conversation sparked at the Maryland Fly Fishing Show between Rob and master rod builder Jerry Kustich. As Jerry sat behind his stunning, handcrafted bamboo rods, a troubling observation emerged: young anglers just aren't looking at bamboo anymore. And it isn't a question of price—modern fly fishers drop serious cash on high-end gear, so why are these cl...

Rob initially discovered Jim Faust's tale while listening to National Public Radio. He reached out to Jim to learn more about his story of grief and fishing. Jim, an avid fly fisherman, tragically lost his son Adam to an accidental overdose in 2024. We learn about Adam's final day and Jim's journey following the loss of his child. An evening spent fishing and reflecting inspired Jim to establish a...

Rick Nyles is the owner of Sky Blue Outfitters, recognized as the most extensive fly-fishing guide service in Pennsylvania. He shares with Rob the story of how he became passionate about fishing, ultimately transforming that passion into a thriving guiding and hosted travel business. Rather than reading about fly fishing or watching tutorials online, Rick prefers to fish and learn while he fishes....

Jeremy Clapp of Hook Setter's Union checks in from Connecticut. He is an enthusiastic fly tyer motivated by the fly tying innovators from the mid-west who developed and refined current articulated streamers. He targets a range of species from saltwater stripers to inland smallmouth bass and western trout. Rob and Jeremy engage in an intriguing discussion about fly fishing and fly tying, dyeing mat...

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fly-fishing-consultant-podcast/id354129193?i=1000581465519 Rob first met Shane in 2013 on New York's Salmon River during Shane's inaugural trip to the river. Rob helped Shane in catching his first steelhead, which was roughly the same size as Shane at that time, as he barely fit into the small-sized waders he wore. To learn more about Shane's history, of snork...

Rob interviews Chris Williams from the Gulf Coast Classic. The Gulf Coast Council of Fly Fishers International organized their 4th annual Gulf Coast Classic fly fishing festival on May 1-2, 2026, at the Learning Campus of Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, Alabama. A unique fishing area that offers tarpon fishing on foot on one side of the park and bluegill on foot on the other. We discover how Chris...

 Rob gave a presentation at the May 2026 gathering of The Potomac Patuxent Chapter of Trout Unlimited. His topic centered around slow water foam flies intended for summer predators. He emphasized how ultraviolet rays from the sun can deteriorate your flies, covering various types of foam, the food sources for fish during summer, the appearance and presentation of flies, the importance of using dro...

In this episode, Rob discusses the recent emergence of the Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) in the mid-Atlantic region of North America. The lanternflies, in every stage of their life cycle, look very different from any insects found in northern Virginia, where Rob lives. He will elaborate on how the adult's striking red hind wing is unlike any colors in his local surroundings and why he co...

James Andrew Holt unexpectedly passed away in April 2026. He was highly inteligent, witty, crass, and always there when you needed him. Rob and Andrew were the closest of fishing buddies. Even though they had not been in contact for several months due to Rob taking a step back from their friendship, he is still heartbroken. He had a passion for gourmet food and a particular love for Scotch Whisky...

Mike Komara’s mission is to share the skills and techniques learned over a decade of competing and fishing across the globe. He grew up as a competitive angler starting on the USA youth team where he was mentored by greats like George Daniel and Joe Humphreys. Mike still competes but on the senior level and is the one now teaching the younger anglers. He is currently booked as a guide. If you hire...

This marks Rob's inaugural visit to the Maryland Fly Fishing Show. For various reasons, he has faced scheduling conflicts with the event for several years. Rob doesn't frequently travel to Towson. When he was younger, his father brought him here to purchase lacrosse balls. Finding lacrosse gear and fly fishing supplies was quite challenging in the late 80s. After a brief stroll from the parking ga...

Rob makes his way back to The Fly Fishing Show in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. With a microphone in hand, he strolls through the venue to uncover the stories of both attendees and exhibitors. His attention is drawn to the fly tying section of the event. We discover insights about local anglers from Pennsylvania, the tiny flies they prefer, and the bodies of water they fish in. Rob and Caitlin encounte...

Malinda Barna has been the proprietor of her own fly shop along the banks of the Salmon River in New York for a longer time than Rob has been wetting his line there. This distinctive shop is filled with vibrant fly tying materials. Her fly shop attracts anglers from around the globe. Situated on the banks of a world-renowned river, this episode reveals how Malinda acquired the shop and managed it...

This episode brings us to Roanoke, Virginia, the Star City Of The South, where shop owner and guide, Jay Waide, tells us.his story. We get to know the history and location of the fly shop, its wide range of customers, and some great nearby fishing spots. Jay talks about everything related to fishing in the southwest corner of Virginia, from blue lining brook trout in little streams to jet boating...

Rob initially encountered Andrew at the Virginia Fly Fishing Festival several years ago. At that time, Andrew was likely in middle school, displaying a remarkable passion for fishing as a young boy. He was precocious and downright fishy. He tied his own flies. Throughout his teenage years, he dedicated his mornings and afternoons to fishing at the Falmouth Flats beneath the Rte. 1 Bridge in Freder...

Rob encountered Boyd Waters at the 2026 Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival. Boyd's 'flies' were unlike anything else at the event. Rob was astonished by the ingenuity with which deer hair was transformed into striking three-dimensional designs resembling characters from Care Bears, Spider Man, and Falcore. It's essential to check out Boyd's social media before you listen to gain a full appreci...

One day, Rob was browsing Instagram for pictures of lady Amherst feathers when he stumbled upon the Schuman Feathers account. The feathers were absolutely gorgeous, every single one of them, yet none were shown being utilized in fly tying. Rob reached out to ask if the dye would bleed when the feathers became wet, as he planned to use them for tying flies. He was reassured that they were indeed wa...

Rob received a message from a fly tier accusing him of appropriating their intellectual property. His Etsy shop features a number of original flies as well as several inspired by others, with appropriate credit given when necessary. The sender of the messages has appeared on Rob’s podcast in the past, indicating they are not unfamiliar with one another. However, the tone of the messages lacked any...

Dean Naujoks from the Potomac Riverkeeper Network (PRKN) joins Rob to talk about the recent sewage spill. Hundreds of millions of gallons of untreated sewage have now contaminated the Nation's River. An investigation conducted by the Potomac Riverkeeper Network alongside researchers from the University of Maryland revealed alarming levels of fecal bacteria and harmful pathogens in the Potomac Rive...

Rob journeys south to the Meadow Event Park located on the state fairgrounds in Doswell, Virginia for the 25th edition of the Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival. There, he encounters both familiar faces and newcomers to chat about where they live and fish, motivations for attending the event, and what they bring to the table. The event was bustling, and Rob couldn't manage to connect with ever...

Brian Deloach is a Fly Fishers International (IFF) certified casting instructor hailing from Tennessee. Rob initially met Brian when he hired him for a few hours of urban guiding around Washington D.C. After their fishing outing, they returned to Rob’s house and recorded a podcast where Brian shared insights about casting and fishing in his local waters. This time, the episode’s focus is solely on...

Rob has proclaimed 2026 as the year of the five weight fly rod. You'll need to wait a bit longer for a comprehensive explanation of his reasoning. In the meantime, tune in as Rob heads back to Mossy Creek to test out his new Hardy Marksman 5 weight setup. He has been preoccupied with thoughts about the restored section of the upper part of the stream and strategies for using weighted streamers. Wi...