The February Room A Fly Fishing Podcast

Children in the foster program cope with innumerable challenges and difficult upbringings. The Mayfly Project is dedicated to providing these kids respite from the stressors of their daily lives by introducing them to fly fishing. Executive Director Jess Westbrook and Lead Mentor Rebecca Granillo have been instrumental in growing the Mayfly Project into a nationwide organization aimed at developin...

When Mike Beagle and friends realized that the old-growth headwaters of Southern Oregon's Elk River were not under full federal protection, they enlisted the services of a local coalition of foresters and fisher-people. The end-game was the designation of the Copper Salmon Wilderness and the protection of critical spawning grounds for the river's wild salmon and steelhead. As if this feat of conse...

This bachelor party took place a long way from Sin City, but the riverbank lit up like the Strip as Brandon Dwyer and friends approached the boat ramp with trepidation....unpredictability is inherent in adventures in wild places but Dwyer will assume the risk for the "opportunity for a singular focus". When he's not focused on family and career, the Montana native devotes his remaining time to the...

Throughout Texas, inconspicuous fisheries attract a growing legion of flyrodders. Recognizing this trend, school teacher William Stewart, owner/operator of Brazos on the Fly, decided to dip his toe into the guiding waters. From his first full year in business, Stewart attracted local clientele and introduced them to the joys of casting flies to the river's bass, carp, and panfish. Will introduces...

We're fans of budget boats around here and found a kindred soul in Clint Whitley from the Western Hunting Hub podcast. Whitley is no stranger to the rain and shares some valuable insight into old boat and motor maintenance and repair. Despite his best efforts, his maiden voyage wasn't without its hiccups. Fortunately, no boat needed to pursue an ancient fish near his South Dakota home prized for i...

Does your fish taste "fishy"? Well, it should, its fish after all, but Kirk Marks knows just how to accentuate that delicious natural flavor. As Author of "Flavor on the Fly" for Flylords Mag, Kirk shares his culinary knowledge and cooks up some grand angling adventures. If you've never had a properly-prepared red drum throat, then you're missing out one of the best crab substitutes at a time when...

The Hollywood A-listers declined, so for our 100th episode, we looked across the studio and began reminiscing on the glory days of our respective careers in outdoor television. Lauren's duties included midnight dungeon logging, while Justin strapped a device resembling a medieval torture device to his chest in the name of crystal-clear audio. We saw plenty of the good, bad, and ugly in our years a...

Sierra-based angler, Abe Blair has carved out a pretty nice little niche for himself. His vast river guiding experience, coupled with his renowned ability to capture landscape and wildlife, has taken him around the globe toting rod, reel, and camera. Blair is a partner in a gallery in Lake Tahoe, where his eye for color, light, and nature is on full display. And oh yeah, he's the co-host of a fly...

As anglers, most of us would do anything for the chance to catch a fish of a lifetime, even if that means going to a country by ourselves and following a guide into an isolated jungle. Our ambition to catch that "notorious" fish can make us blind to the potential dangers around us. Steelhead guide, Dax Messett is no exception to that. Although Dax has aspirations to catch fish around the world, hi...

There's a fella' in Helena who once lassoed a fish in Alaska. He followed this feat with an improbable stunt involving a bull trout in Montana. His name is John Smigaj and no, he's not the fly fishing version of Evil Kneivel, but the CEO and Co-Founder of Trxstle, a designer and manufacturer of innovative outdoor gear and apparel for fly anglers and mountain bikers. Learn more about your ad choice...

Imagine working your way up in a highly competitive field, only to be handed your walking papers after becoming a parent? As a new mother, this was reality for fishing guide Katie Fiedler Anderson. Rather than lament this rejection, she turned obstacle into opportunity and launched her own business alongside her husband, Cooper. Katie's approach to the everyday challenges of working mom's serves a...

Tim Landwehr describes fly fishing as "a lifelong sport with an incredible community". Through his 21 years as owner of Tight Lines Fly Fishing CO in De Pere, Wisconsin, Tim has learned many facets of this endless pursuit and weathered storms alongside his loyal clientele with whom he has shared his home waters and hosted many adventures in the Amazonian jungle. After 21 years in the industry, Tim...

To some, the Mountain Whitefish may fall shy as a coveted individual species to hold in the annals of fishing record books but consider the number of whitefish that have been caught by fly anglers and this title resides in rarified air. On December 19th, 2021, Alex Dietz of Bend, Oregon, was fishing on the Deschutes River when he hooked a 5-pound, 12-ounce, 24-inch long mountain whitefish with a 1...

Never underestimate the person rowing your boat. In the case of Kynslee Scott, this idiom rings particularly true. This 6th generation-Montanan has more on her plate than an ultra-marathon competitor at the Golden Corral. In addition to her hard-earned position as one of Western Montana’s most sought-after fishing guides, Kynslee works for two Montana-based water resource groups and co-founded the...

We take a detour from our fishing story-centric format and invite Michael Reid back on the podcast (Episode 48) to discuss his new book, "The Painting". Michael's book chronicles the life of Roberto Ramos, a fisherman, athlete, and art aficionado who sought freedom from Cuba and the oppression of the Castro regime in the late 20th century. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho...

Drop and give me 10,000! That’s exactly what our guest, Tom Rowland, is asking us to do. Tom’s 10,000 Pushup Challenge exists to raise awareness of the water issues plaguing Florida and the Everglades. While we had the ear of the host of the Saltwater Experience, we gathered some insight on snook fishing, distance casting, and how to handle a thirteen foot hammerhead shark. Learn more about your a...

Where does a high school teacher from Jackson Hole go to spend spring break? Cancun? Havasu? Palm Springs? Not Jess Tuchscherer, he layers up, sleeps in the truck, and casts all day hoping to tie into a legendary Lahontan cutthroat in Nevada's Pyramid Lake. This bonafide trout bum and whitetwater guide has been a fishing buddy for many years-he's one of those guys that will share his tent and warm...

In a region near-and-dear to our hearts, sits a fly shop and guide service. Here, memories are made for anglers the world-over. The Hayward Fly Fishing Company has been at the forefront of techniques and tackle for pursuit of the ultimate freshwater gamefish, musky, since 2004. Longtime guide and new proprietor, Stu Neville, shares some of his most memorable musky moments and reveals his affinity...

Fed by innumerous tributaries from the surrounding Cabinet, Flathead, Rocky and Selkirk mountains, the mighty Kootenai River bores its way through mountainous terrain in Northwest Montana. For nearly 30 years, Tim and Joanne Linehan have been exploring this massive watershed and providing premium fly fishing and hunting excursions to their clientele. This country teems with adventure and Tim share...

In this version of the classic, holiday movie, "Home Alone", our protagonist is forgotten at a remote Canadian Lake, sleeps in an outhouse, and manages to survive on fish. They say that "attitude is the difference between ordeal and adventure", and for Matt Nonnenmann, coping with adversity was just part of the adventure on his childhood excursions to the Great White North. Learn more about your a...

On May 17, 1985, Les Anderson of Soldotna, AK landed a 97-pound king salmon from the Kenai River, cementing the all-tackle world record. At the time, it came as no surprise that this prolific fishery produced such a behemoth. However, returns of king salmon have been on the decline for many years, causing guides and anglers to rethink their approach. Mark Wackler of AK Fishology has been at the fo...

Rachel Andras has spent the better part of two decades in various facets of the fly fishing industry. Andras’ skills with a fly rod notwithstanding, this FFF certified casting instructor’s greatest impact on the sport has come via her infectious personality. Rachel has touched many lives through guiding, international outfitting, and life coaching. Her business, Andras Wellness, helps others creat...

December 1, 2021 was a most unusual day. Throughout Montana, record high temperatures were eclipsed by double-digits and the state’s most-storied trout fishery, the Madison River, slowed to a trickle. So, just what the hell happened at Hebgen Dam? Billy Pfeiffer, TU Montana’s Outreach Coordinator, was at ground zero “The Day the Madison Nearly Dried.” Pfeiffer gets down to the brass tacks regardin...

Behemoth browns rarely dole out second chances but in a rare display of recurrence, guide Scott Nechay fed a mammoth fish in the exact same spot on four consecutive days. On another less- awesome occasion, a hothead client, in a fit of fly fishing-induced rage, smashed Scott's high modulus rod and was sent packing. One thing about guiding-its always interesting, and Chef Nechay makes his days all...

Steelhead anglers tend to be obsessive. Case in point, Oregon fisherman, Scott Crosby. Scott has been a student of fly design since he first moved to the south coast's hallowed rivers over 15 years ago. Crosby's search for the right composition and proportion of materials is an endless one. He shares some valuable insight, including a game-changing twist on one of the most popular winter steelhead...