The February Room A Fly Fishing Podcast

On August 21st, 2022, Nick Rinn was fishing for clues in California's Prosser Reservoir when his sonar device detected an anomaly. Rinn's macabre discovery would bring closure to the family of missing teenager Kiely Rodni...and change his life forever. It's been a wild ride for Nick, who in the span of a few days, went from anonymous electrician to national hero. Learn more about your ad choices....

While we're pretty sure that Houston won't be hosting the Fly Fishing World Championships anytime soon, you'd be surprised how many fishing opportunities there are in the "Bayou City." Author Robert McConnell explores the possibilities and provides the beta in his new guide book, Fly Fishing Houston and Southeastern Texas. Turns out, theres a bounty of fly rod challenge hiding in plain sight in th...

Judging from the advertisements, alcohol and fly fishing go hand in hand. What's a proper lodge brochure or gear catalog without an image of the crew blowing the froth off a few at day's end? But here in the real world the party can lead to lifelong problems. Rather than acting as the catalyst, Reeling in Recovery maintains that flyfishing can be the inhibitor to drug and alcohol abuse. Board Pres...

On a rare interlude from globe-trotting, we tracked down filmmaker Natalie Rhea. This director, writer, producer, cinematographer, photographer and brand strategist captures the outdoor and western lifestyle for brands such as Swarovski, Tecovas, Traeger and Yeti, to name a few. But the creativity and work ethic doesn’t end there as we discover the lighter side of Rhea through her comedic and musi...

My love for wildness, via adventures that have tested my mental and physical faculties, has blossomed throughout my life. Like a ponderosa pine, it begin as a seed, planted by my father, along the banks of one of the most challenging fisheries I have ever known. Though I somewhat resented it then, I’ve come to admire my dad’s approach. He never made the outdoors easy. I think he was trying to teac...

Brett Edstrom and his buddies arrived at the landing to discover an unusually high concentration of out-of-state plates. Turns out, this entourage was lead by a prominent figure in the world of social media. Downriver, Edstrom bore witness to a poor display of fish handling in favor of potential "likes". Though there was no law prohibiting their methods, the court of public opinion would likely ha...

Introducing "Tributaries", a series of snippets from our most memorable outdoor adventures, narrated by our hosts. Every so often, the universe abides and bestows anglers who wade forth with a transcendent experience. When the morning began with a Don Williams lick on a Homer radio station, our spidey senses began to tingle. What followed was a day on an Alaskan River that we certainly didn't expe...

Montana attracts her fair share of midwesterners. Those adventurous souls who crave a little more wildness and ruggedness than the flatlands have to offer in the long term. In his early twenties, Dan Crockett left Kansas for the rivers of Colorado, eventually carving out a niche for himself as a conservation-based writer in Missoula. 33 years later, Crockett is retiring from the Rocky Mountain Elk...

A parent's worst nightmare nearly came true for Scott Carver, inspiring him to reevaluate river safety. Specifically, the resources available to river users relative to location, weather, and stream flows. The end result from this aha moment was the On Water App, a comprehensive platform of all river data of interest to anglers, boaters, paddlers, and river users. With the launch of this app, the...

Trumpeter-turned fly fishing guide-turned golf professional, Mike Barber, dives deep into the abyss to recover a few pearls for this long-overdue discussion. The stories flow like grog in a steelhead camp as Barber recants adventures in guiding on the rivers of Oregon and touring with a fly rod and a funk band. Mike graciously lends his services as a facts-checker to our podcast, to set the record...

Author Chris Dombrowski is at it again, sharing the firsthand perspective of a seasoned river guide in his unique, poetic style. Dombrowski's latest release, "The River You Touch", has been described as "a love song to the rivers of Montana." We're such big fans of this love song that we invited Chris back on to discuss his new book and reflect on the challenges and rewards of fatherhood and life...

“Can you learn fundamental leadership principles through fly fishing”? Authors John Childress and Christian Bacasa tapped notable figureheads in the fly fishing industry to answer this question, and discovered a resounding, “YES”! The end result, “Fly Fishing for Leadership”, is a book that interweaves lessons learned on the water with business, government, and everyday life. Childress explains th...

We are currently in a renaissance period in terms of fly design. Fly tyers are advancing the balance between fly movement and castability. This is particularly true for streamer patterns, resulting in a higher percentage of hookups on those really hard to come by fish like big browns and muskies. Dan Soltau is one such fly innovator and the name of his shop, the Dirty Water Fly Company, smells lik...

Guide Brett Wedeking was staring at the familiar problem of “how to check off my fly fishing life-list”. So, he formulated a solution that began on his home waters of Puget Sound, establishing a loyal client base. Then he formed relationships with some of the world’s premier lodges and outfitters. Now Brett’s business, Tailout Anglers, hosts adventures across the globe. It’ not as easy as it sound...

An unconventional upbringing, including stints in Argentina and Venezuela, set Ray Penny on the path to a life of adventure and service. Following a career in the fly fishing industry, Penny joined the Marines, and returned to civilian life looking for his next mission. That turned out to be the resurrection of G&H Decoys, the last of the American-made manufacturers. A father of six, family comes...

Little did we know that fly fishing is a thing in downtown Manhattan? Die-hard urbanite and medical student, Brandon Dale, educates us on the target-rich bodies of water in Central Park. Dale, a lifelong outdoors enthusiast and PHD candidate, manages to find the time to work with his local chapters of BHA, TU, and Hunters of Color. "Ambitious" seems to be the best word to describe Brandon, whether...

At what temperature do pike spawn? Which fly lines should I use throughout the year? Could removing a large pike from a trout fishery have a contradictory effect? These are some of the questions that have been weighing on our minds, and Neil Cote, owner of Bite Me Flies, answered them without us even asking. Cote provides a wealth of insider information on the pursuit of pike, gathered over a life...

Pandemics, climate change, cancellations and inflation... like all other working professionals, outdoor guides are navigating the roughest waters ever. Fortunately, there are resources for hard-working guides and outfitters struggling to stay afloat. Molly Simpkins, Executive Director of the Guide Relief Program and Outdoor Guide Association, provides a throw bag for gillies from coast-to-coast. L...

A 20-year guide career culminated with a gridiron legend awaiting pickup at the local Missoula hotel, bottle of vino in-hand. From there, Chris McAdams figured he'd reached the pinnacle, hung up his lanyard and agreed to a position as a sales representative with NRS-manufacturers of premium inflatable boats and gear for whitewater and fishing enthusiasts. Dream job? You bet, and nobody deserves it...

The Bitterroot River is one of the country's premiere fisheries and the lifeblood of one of Montana's most picturesque valleys. A rich tradition of agriculture, community, and recreation all rely on clear, clean flows and a healthy riparian area. The Bitter Root Water Forum is dedicated to restoring private and public lands to enhance habitat throughout the watershed and continue the legacy of res...

Raised by Mainers with a nose for outdoor mishap, Nick Halle managed to survive his hazardous upbringing and find his footing in Montana. Halle now serves as Trout Unlimited's Volunteer Operation's Coordinator and part-time fly fishing guide, a career split that equates to a considerable amount of time on the water and access to the latest fisheries research. As such, Nick is well qualified to opi...

We like to think of outdoor recreation as an investment in our own well-being. The guys at Chasing Tides act as sort of account advisors. In order to maximize profits, this crew of watermen advises on products they've found to make access to the outdoors more efficient for professionals and parents. The inspiration for this venture was their own backyard, the diverse fisheries of Virginia that pro...

June 2022 came down heavy on the Yellowstone Country. A perfect storm of environmental conditions resulted in historic flooding and devastating property loss. The community of Red Lodge, hometown of guide/outfitter Chad Pavlick, was particularly hard hit by the raging torrent. Pavlick shares perspective on his own backyard, a region forever altered by the "500 Year Flood". Learn more about your ad...

The days in the lives of fly fishing guides tend to bleed together and not until they sit down and ruminate do the juices begin to flow. Take John Herzer, owner of Blackfoot River Outfitters in Missoula, Montana. Herzer swore up and down that he didn't have any interesting stories to tell from his thirty-plus years as a river guide and impassioned backcountry hunter, but once we cornered him, John...

Nebraska is mostly known for option football and unfettered fanaticism. Beyond the grid iron, the Cornhusker Fly Fishers fanatically explore the diverse angling options available across the Midwest region. As a U of N employee, Eric Einspahr bleeds Husker Red and devotes countless hours to his beloved Lincoln-based fly fishing club. Einspahr pursues the Nebraska Trout Slam and shares a sidesplitti...