The DrakeCast - A Flyfishing Podcast

Ok folks, welcome back to the drakecast. This week, we have a different sort of episode for ya. Rather than taking a dive into some controversial topic, we're going to feature Dave Zoby reading his essay “Mosquitos & Char” which appeared in the Winter 2019 Issue of the Drake Magazine. You may remember his voice from the bonus episode “Dancing with Death on the Bighorn” which came out in August. To...

This episode of the DrakeCast takes a deep dive into the seedy underworld of a fishy religion in the Ozarks. Think Deliverance but with john boats instead of canoes. And at the center of this aquatic orthodox are two deities: the almighty streamer and the holy brown trout. But these aren’t your typical streamers or browns. They’re way bigger, and according to the river’s disciples, way better. Tod...

After a brief hiatus, The DrakeCast is back. This episode aims to answer one question: How did a band of fishing and surfing bums living in Virginia create an iconic Texan brand? To help tell this story we'll be assisted by musician and Howler Brothers cofounder, Andy Stepanian. Along the way, we'll also get to hear some of his music. Stick around.

Today, we’re joined by Ben Sittig (IG: @carelessethiopian) to talk about how we interact with fish engaged in pre-coital preparations; if we’re going to interrupt trout as they get ready to get busy; whether or not we f*&# with a fish about to f*&#. And at the end, we have a pretty big announcement regarding the future of this podcast. So stick around. This episode of the DrakeCast is made possibl...

This episode of the DrakeCast tracks the effects of several natural disasters that have struck the Eastern United States in the past few years. After starting with the Sevier Country Fire that ripped through Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we move further south to North Carolina where we'll hear how folks are faring after Hurricane Florence left its trail of destruction. Though this is a flyf...

Head up to the wilds of Kodiak Island to follow fishing guide Tyler Steffens as he battles bears, noseeums, and low water in search of the coveted Silver Salmon. This episode of the DrakeCast is made possible by our longtime sponsors Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures and Scott Fly Rods. We couldn't do this without them. We're also supported by Deli Fresh Design, an apparel company that specializes...

In this episode we head back to the clear blue waters of Grand Bahama in search of the ghost of the flats. If you tuned in last week, you know that we encountered a few bonefish, and many people credit the health of the fishery to the health of the habitat on Grand Bahama. But the ideal that the Bahamas has somehow managed to achieve didn’t happen overnight, and the fishery’s protection is far fro...

In today's audio story, we scan the flats of Grand Bahama in search of a single species: Bonefish. Listen to veteran East End Lodge guide Cecil Leathan pole experienced angler Bjorn Stromsness (of the Bonefish on the Brain blog) as they tell the tales of their first bonefishes and find many more. Many thanks to our sponsors for making this episode possible! Supporting them supports us. https://www...

In this episode of the DrakeCast we float down Wisconsin's Chippewa River in search of Midwestern, river-dwelling smallmouth bass. But what do you do if the fish just aren’t biting like they normally do? While searching for answers, we hit the water with Lucky Porter, a guide who makes a living on these fish, learn a few tips, and just thoroughly enjoy our time on the water. This episode of the Dr...

Today, we row our way out into Fletchers Cove on Washington DC's Potomac River in search of the the illusive American Shad. While we’re out there, we’ll hear about the historic importance of this fishery, the odds it has faced over the past 5 centuries, and what this fish, and this place represent in our country and our sport. Now, I know the the shad run is a spring time thing, but this story is...

This episode is a two-fer. We'll start just south of LA where we meet Captain Vaughn Podmore. Under his knowledgeable direction, we head into Long Beach Harbor in search of celebrities and various types of ocean-dwelling bass. From there, we head further south to San Diego where Captain Alex Cady shows us what the southwestern-most city in the continental United States has to offer. During our tim...

Last week, in Episode #41 of The DrakeCast, we went through the contents of the Summer 2018 Issue of The Drake Magazine. But we ran a little short on time and weren’t able to fit in a reading by one of the contributing authors, Dave Zoby. In addition to teaching composition, Wyoming Literature, Poetry, and Creative Non-fiction at Casper College in Wyoming, Zoby has written for dozens of magazines....

Roughly a week ago the Summer 2018 issue of the Drake Magazine hit fly shop shelves and mailboxes across the country. This episode, like others that have come before, is going to take a brief peak into the pages of the magazine (in audio form of course). But seeing as this issue marks the 20th Anniversary of The Drake, we're going to do things a bit differently. Not only do we get to hear Editor &...

In this episode of The DrakeCast we traverse the mountains of North Georgia in search of the southern-most population of wild, native brook trout in the world. But while we’re at it, we’ll also take a trip to another fishery just down the road that claims a host world class trout. However, there is a big difference between these two places and the fish they hold. By the end of this episode, you’ll...

Before Chuck Ragan was a musician (Hot Water Music) or a father or a fishing guide (crflyfishing.com), he was a son. We’ll hear about the highs and lows of Chuck’s relationship with his father, and how Chuck has managed to achieve his parental, piscatorial, and Pavoratti-esque trifecta. Throughout this episode we’ll be serenaded by music from Chuck’s Album, The Flame in the Flood. So stick around....

Head on down to South Carolina with us in search of striped bass. While we were down there we thought about eating a couple of them until we learned a few disturbing facts... This episode is made possible thanks to generous support from Yellow Dog Fly Fishing Adventures, Scott Fly Rods, and the Appalachian Mountain Club's Maine Wilderness Lodges. https://www.outdoors.org/drake/ https://www.scottfl...

Mosquito Lagoon sits on Florida's East Coast and is known as the redfish capitol of the world. We made a visit to these hallowed waters to see what all the hubbub is about. While poling around the brackish waters in search of tails, we found a much more interesting, disturbing tale of neglect, destruction, and a fishery on the edge. By the end, we'll have to ask ourselves about the effectiveness o...

The idea for this story initially came up about a year ago when I (and 400,000 other people), stumbled across the movie "120 Days." The film follows David Mangum as he spends a third of his year chasing Tarpon. Just a few weeks after seeing the movie, I was on a boat outside of Vero Beach blowing shot after shot at rolling tarpon. This experience frustrated me so much that I had to forget about ta...

In the previous episodes of the podcast we introduced the Road Trip Miniseries. In chapter 1 we met the road crew for the 2018 Fly Fishing Film Tour and revisited their stops between Boulder, Colorado and Washington State. Chapter 2 focused on the steelhead of Oregon and Michigan. In this episode we bring you the final chapter: from Green Bay, Wisconsin to Atlanta, Georgia, to Las Angeles, Califor...

In the previous episode of the podcast we started a new miniseries that we're calling The Road Trip. In chapter 1 we met the road crew for the 2018 Fly Fishing Film Tour and revisited their stops between Boulder, Colorado and Washington State. In this episode we bring you the next chapter, which is exclusively focused on steelhead. Follow the crew as they fish the rivers of Coastal Oregon is searc...

In this episode of The DrakeCast we hear about the first few weeks of the Fly Fishing Film Tour's trip across the country. With the help of Paul Nicoletti and Rex Messing, listeners travel with the crew from Boulder, Colorado to Portland, Oregon. Along the way, we'll revisit our time on the Big Horn River, the Missouri at Craig, a few days on the Madison, and get a taste of steelheading in the PNW...

Way back in June of 2017 we released the first episode of The DrakeCast, which featured the musician Sean Carey. He told us about his living room tours across the country that were more or less an excuse for him to fish with his best friends (you can find that episode here: http://www.drakemag.com/drakecast/1774-the-drakecast.html). This episode takes us back into the mind of that same flyfishing...

Here is what you can expect from the Spring Issue of The Drake: Wisconsin smallies, Montana cutties, Bolivian dorado, Idaho damselflies, Utah tailwaters, Massachusetts Stripers, Alaska Steelhead, defeated pipelines, permit while pregnant, Maine's Androscoggin, Darcy Bacha's photography, Clyde hits the Gulf, Telluride festavarian, dirtbagging in Dublin, grave-hunting in New York, flyfishing with ca...

Nearly six years ago a video popped up on Youtube featuring the ramblings of the self-proclaimed expert flyfishing guide, Hank Patterson. The video asserted the existence of “cuttyrainbrowns,” misquoted Norman Maclean, and emphasized the importance of hearing the snap in your cast. As the movie made its rounds on the blogs and social media of the time, a man sat in Boise, Idaho wondering what peop...

This episode of The DrakeCast takes a deeper dive into the topic we covered in the last episode; #28 Big & Horny in Montana. Right after that story hit the interwebs, we received a call from someone who felt that their side of the argument hadn't been given proper intelligence. This person was Ken Grant who belongs to the Friends of Bighorn Lake, which is a group that is fighting for more regular...