Reno Fly Shop Podcast

Welcome to the 2025 State of the Truckee River with Sam Sedillo from the Nevada Department of Wildlife. Sam discusses the results of this year's biological sampling of the Truckee River, with detailed data from six locations representing four watershed zones that NDOW has monitored for years. If you're new to this annual episode, here's what you need to know: NDOW conducts fall fish surveys at six...

Welcome to season 6 of the Reno Fly Shop Podcast. We felt it fitting to start it off with the 2020 State of the Truckee River with Travis Hawks from the Nevada Department of Wildlife. This is our 6th State of the Truckee episode presenting the results of the NDOW annual sampling of the Truckee River fishery. We started these recordings (2016) in the middle of a multi year drought and as you will h...

Christmas (Kiritimati) Island has been considered one of the best flats fishing locations since it was first explored in the 1970s. It has allowed countless anglers to cut their teeth fly fishing for bonefish, trevally and triggerfish. The chance to visit this destination once is on every anglers bucket list. Imagine having the chance to fish Christmas Island, not only once, but every year for the...

Dr. Helen Neville, Senior Scientist with Trout Unlimited, and Dr. Mary Peacock, professor of Biology at the University of Nevada, Reno, have been instrumental in the efforts to protect and recover the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout to its historic range. While both specialize in the genetic sequencing of LCT, Helen's and Mary's research have differed in that their recent focus has been on the stream for...

"The biggest surprise for the new carp angler is that carp don't always live in ugly places." - John Bartlett, @johnmontanacarp 16 years ago, John Bartlett started to chase carp on the fly… As a lifelong trout angler, John grew up using light rods and fine tippet around Montana and the Pacific Northwest but as things began to evolve in his life he had to adapt if he was going to get to fly fish. ...

Today's podcast episode is one that I have thought about doing for a while.  It finally came down to the 1,000th time I heard shop staff stress to a customer how important a fly line is to overall casting performance that I went ahead and recorded this episode with Brad Befus, the president of Scientific Anglers.  If you have spent any time here in the shop you will undoubtedly heard us stress the...

"It is amazing how the Truckee River has responded since 2015 in its recovery from damaging drought. Now in 2019 we are at or near top conditions ever recorded." -Travis Hawks, Senior Fishery Biologist, NDOW     Five years ago Travis Hawks and I got together to catch up and discuss how the Truckee River was faring in the middle of one of the worst droughts ever witnessed. Travis and I have known e...

"When creating GOOD content you can not plan too much" -Gilbert Rowley Hey everyone, welcome to the Reno Fly Shop Podcast. I am excited to bring you these episodes to keep you informed on what is happening in the fly fishing world and to introduce you to the people that are creating positive impacts and steering it forward. While fly fishing is romantically interative and experiential. Most of our...

  I feel the most grounded and at the most peace when I am on the water." -Capt. Chuck Ragan I am excited to bring you today's guest, Chuck Ragan. It was difficult to find time to sit with Chuck due to his very busy schedule as a fly fishing guide and professional musician. As we tried to put this episode together we traded many phone and text messages. It was always fun to find out where he was a...

We are excited to introduce you to today's episode which is the first installment of a new series we are presenting in partnership with Fly Water Travel. We will feature a new destination every few months for the next year. During each episode we will present information and exciting details about fly fishing destinations around the world by chatting with the guides and outfitters that make these...

Look before you step. Look before you fish." – Landon Mayer, Mastering the Short Game Today's guest, Landon Mayer, like many successful people, is many things all at once. He is a guide, an author, fly designer, he is a film maker, and a loving committed husband and parent. And like many successful people this hectic schedule fuels his desire to create than to consume. He doesn't have to move abou...

Can a fish change an anglers life?  In December 2012, in a Louisiana swamp, a Redfish changed Meredith McCord's.  That day, Meredith broke an IGFA World Record for 16 pound tippet, with landing a 32.6 pound Redfish (Red Drum). What Meredith didn't fully comprehend at the time was that this fish would be the start of her being thrown into the fly fishing world as an television celebrity, iconic ang...

"In 2018 the USFWS stocked 36,000 LCT and NDOW stocked 5,000 Rainbow Trout. Of the 747 sampled salmonids in the 2018 Fall Survey only 6 were hatchery trout." -Travis Hawks, Fishery Biologist, Nevada Department of Wildlife It is amazing that this is the 4th annual episode of the State of the Truckee River with NDOW Fishery Biologist, Travis Hawks. As you will hear in today's episode the Truckee Riv...

"Fly presentation trumps fly selection everytime" - Phil Rowley Get ready for our first Reno Fly Shop Podcast Classic . A couple of years ago I recorded and released an episode with Canadian stillwater expert Phil Rowley .  I had the chance to chat with Phil about the history of balanced flies and his contribution to the evolution of one of the fly patterns that has turned a new page in fly fishin...

"The ocean is in my DNA and sets the rhythm of my life." -Conway Bowman Today's guest, Captain Conway Bowman, can best be described as a Waterman. A person whose life is heavily influenced and actually defined by water and watery environments. He fly fishes, surfs, spearfishes, body surfs and let's his life be defined by the rhythm of the ocean. Conway grew up in San Diego, California and was enjo...

"Once you can commit to learning the stillwater game it can be as rewarding as learning any other type of fly fishing technique. Plus you can often find water uncrowded with great fly fishing conditions." -Devin Olsen As promised during Episode 41. We sat down again with Devin Olsen and this time got the chance to dive into some topics that might be out of the range of what you think of when you t...

" Work hard, have humility and appreciate what you learn." -Jeff Currier Golden Maseer, India Jeff Currier has been fly fishing the world for over forty years. Jeff's adventures to more than sixty countries on six continents has resulted in more than  400 species of fish caught on a fly . This is an amazing feat by any standard and one that would be tough to match unless one would be willing to de...

"I love the fact that I can go out and learn something new each and every time on the water" -Ernie Gulley Today's guest is a stillwater icon of the eastern Sierra and a master of Crowley Lake. Ernie Gulley has been fishing and now guiding Crowley Lake for many many years. His enthusiasm, committment and generosity to share his knowledge and tradecraft is unique and refreshing in a popular fishery...

"To really understand Euro Style Nymphing the angler has to dive in and believe it will work." -Devin Olsen   After a bit of a break it is exciting to be back in the saddle and putting out podcast episodes for your enjoyment. During this break we have been very busy around the shop supporting many of your adventures on the water and working on some new and exciting projects that we will get to ann...

"I get a special satisfaction out of creating a fly, fishing it and finding out it works really well." -Ken Morrish Today's guest, Ken Morrish, has wored within the fly fishing industry for the past 30 years and has contributed more than we might ever fully undestand. Kenny has designed many functional and effective fly patterns for trout and steelhead and his photographic contributions have inspi...

"Fly fishing and art are the two perfect ways to go through life. There are limitless opportunities for learning and pushing yourself." -Sarah Landström If describing a hard charging angler, grad student in the fine arts and conservationist doesn't automatically sync in your minds eye then get ready for this episodes guest. Sarah Landström is all of those things and more. Originating in Michigan S...

"As the users of these wild natural systems, we have to be careful not to love them to death" -Dr. Sudeep Chandra, Univ. of Nevada, Reno Today's guest is as dynamic, complex and adaptable as the water he researches and enjoys. Dr. Sudeep Chandra has many research interests and academic strengths. And in my opinion, one of his super powers is the ability to breakdown really complex issues and topic...

"The situation couldn't be better for the Truckee River to make not only a full recovery from the drought but to improve to conditions that have never been seen before." -Travis Hawks, Biologist, NDOW Fly fishing is equal parts art and science. It is beautiful and creative and a technical understanding of physical and biological processes informs us to help make the best decisions we can. While we...

"There is often a time and place in 'real-world' situations to move beyond defined and dictated techniques. To begin to blend and meld different approaches in the current unique situation. " -George Daniel George Daniel's experience and knowledge of fly fishing on it's own is amazing but what truly sets him apart is his uncanny ability to communicate that knowledge to people that have a variety of...

"Freshwater inflow plus nutrients makes for really great conditions to grow Lahonton Cutthroat Trout" - Nancy Vucinich, Senior Fishery Biologist, Pyramid Lake Fisheries Nancy Vucinich was last on the podcast about a year ago and what a year it has been. Nancy has had to deal with huge wildfires that have impacted where she lives, works and recreates. And then came the winter of 2016-17 where Pyram...