Fly Fishing Consultant Podcast

Rob's introduction to fly fishing literature started with a copy of Sex, Death, And Fly Fishing while on vacation in The Galápagos Islands during the summer of 1993. The writings of John Gierach inspired Rob to pursue a lifetime of trout fishing, fly tying, travelling to Colorado, writing, and telling stories. Rob wanted to be a trout bum before he could drive a car. Rob talks about his fondness for Gierach’s work and his inspiration which led Rob to talk into a microphone instead of tap stories onto a keyboard. John’s life of trout fishing ended in October 2024. His voice will be missed by the entire fishing community. Thankfully his words will last forever on paper. Be sure to read his collected works, short stories, periodical contributions from the past four decades. I will always think of him when I hear the bagpipes. 

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Rob published the entire episode on 11/6. If you only heard the first 1hr5min please finish the show.

Rob and Caitlin drove the Xterra north to New York for a wedding over the Labor Day weekend. This was a destination wedding that happened to be on one of the most famous trout streams in the world. Rob has read about this fishery since childhood. This is his first time visiting the Hancock area and fishing the Upper Delaware River. This section of the river is a tailwater and begins a few miles above the resort in the town of Deposit. The water flows cool, clear, and constant throughout the year. Emerald green and slow, the water speed is controlled by the dam release upstream.

The West Branch Angler and Resort were excellent hosts. The food, hospitality, and fire pit are unmatched. Rob plans on casting dries to rising fish, stripping streamers for big bad browns, and wiggle mice patterns across the riffles at dusk. Listen as Rob explores the river and its surroundings. He sneaks out of the wedding reception to fish. Be sure to contact Josh for casting lessons.

Produced by Jason Reif

Youtube slide show and videos.

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Steve Duda is a Midwesterner turned west coaster. He describes writing as the only thing he can do. Currently, Steve is Head of Fish Tales at Patagonia. His work has appeared in numerous magazines, websites, and newspapers. Anglers know him as the former editor of The Fly Fish Journal. His new book titled River Songs is his first ‘solo album’ that consists of short stories from his travels and observations. The book is full of history, science, nature, and anecdotes.

In this episode we learn about Steve’s youth as a sports fan, angler, and writer. The conversation was indented to focus on his book, however, these guys went off course quickly. Steve discusses his disdain for the semi-colon and farmed raised salmon. He tells stories about pranking his fising buddies, the ability to smell a school of fish moving in, and wild vs hatchery steelhead in the Pacific and Great Lakes. This podcast wouldn’t be right if the conversation didn’t lead to sandwiches.

Don’t be the person that catches the last wild steelhead. 

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You will need a sea lamprey and a ten pound bowling ball for this episode.

Rob was inspired to dedicate an entire podcast episode about lamprey after reading Cory Brant‘s Great Lakes Sea Lamprey: The 70 Year War on a Biological Invader. These bizarre fish would not have a full podcast episode dedicated to them, however their presence in the Great Lakes effects anglers across all the lakes. Rob sent out a few emails and was directed to Greg McClinchey at the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission (GLFC).

Greg is the GLFC Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs. Rob and Greg talk all things sea lamprey from the fossil record to current day. Sea lamprey are freakishly odd creatures that have remained mostly unchanged for the past several millions years. Learn what happens when they entered a new ecosystem and how their voracious appetite relates to you as an angler.

Sea Lamprey In Occoquan River | Channel 9 News DC

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Boat ramps can be intimidating, especially on a busy day. Rowing on a crowded river or a river with obstacles can be nerve racking. Do you really need to bring complete picnic lunch with you for a half day trip? Rob has been there, done that, and seen a few things over the years. This is his list of boat ramp and drift boat fly fishing things to think about before your next trip.

Rob covers a few do's and don'ts for boat ramps to make you and your guide a little less stressed. The first part of the podcast covers putting the boat in and loading gear. Now that you are in thew water Rob then discusses rowing etiquette. How not to piss off other boaters and anglers. He further talks about what to pack ahead of time, casting from a drift boat, and landing fish. He finishes with miscellaneous information and a few stories mixed in.

Remember to help where help is needed, use the bathroom before you arrive at the ramp, don't stand in the middle of the river when a dozen drift boats are about to come through, and always have dry toilet paper.

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Justin Hardie is a freshman at Allegheny College. Before he moved into the dorm he was winning gold at The 21st annual FIPS-Mouche Cortland World Youth Fly Fishing Championship was held in Vyssi Brod from August 11th through August 17th, 2024.

Rob checks in with Justin to find out how he started fly fishing, how he found out about competitive fishing aka "comp fishing", and the intricacies of a fly fishing competition. In this episode you will learn about Czech cuisine, pocket water strategies, the Team USA mentors, and why casting is more important than fishing techniques.

Justin is working on the life balance between college classes, tennis, and trying to find the fishiest spots near his college. He has accomplished a lot in a few short years and this episode is all about his story.

USA Youth Fly Fishing Team

Kelly Gallup on Euro Nymphing

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Rob joins his girlfriend's family for a road trip to her aunt's house near Myrtle Beach, SC. Of course he brings his fishing gear as any travel near water requires fishing. Unsure of what to expect, he searches Google Earth for fishy places along the Atlantic Ocean and Inner Coastal. There is not much online about fly fishing locations in this area.

Listen as Rob describes his packing list and gear for the unknown, stops at an outdoor store on the way down, and what he encounters in North Myrtle Beach. What he does encounter is quite the opposite lifestyle and scene from his Northern Virginia life just outside the Beltway. Caitlin's cousins from California join in on the fishing fun and there is a story about opossum hunting in New Jersey at night

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Produced by Professor Producer Jason

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Gregg Rockett visits the Fly Fishing Consultant studios to share anecdotes from his past careers in hospitality and his rewarding life of fishing in retirement.

Gregg learned the art of fly fishing across the pond. His fly fishing has led to a special fondness for blue lining and brook trout. Although he has extensively studied Virginia brook trout, he's struggled to find similar literature on brook trout from New Jersey. In this episode, Gregg takes us on a tour of his fly fishing adventures, including fishing in English lochs and recent trips for a galivant in New Jersey. 

Gregg has two blogs, "The Trout Bandit" and "The Rockettman." Don't miss Gregg's fly fishing escapades on Instagram. 

Episode Note: Rob's mic was not set up for two people, which means Gregg's volume is a bit lower than usual.

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Rob met Vic on a tributary of New York's Salmon River in March of 2024. Vic is a retired lawyer. He lives with his wife in her home town not far from some amazing New York angling opportunities.

While Vic strung up his rod he and Rob struck up a conversation and Rob instantly knew this was going to be a future podcast. Part one of the episode is Vic Kopnitsky telling Rob about his life growing up around fishing and the changes to Pennsylvania and Lake Erie since his childhood. Vic covers the extinction of the Blue Pike and the introduction of the Pacific Salmon. He likes to fish for steelhead with dry flies. Part two of the show is about Vic's passion for catching western native trout. Its truly amazing how a brief encounter on a dirt road in the middle of the woods can lead to a fascinating conversation about fly fishing.

Ever hear of a three-bend fish? Curious? Vic will explain.

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Produced by Jason Reif.

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Curtis Knight has worked for CalTrout since 2000, he is currently their Executive Director. He has been working on removal of obsolete dams along the Klamath River which will open up fish passage to over 400 miles of potential spawning and rearing habitat. In this episode you will learn about the Klamath dams and their history and why the dams need to be removed. You will hear about Mcloud river fishing and why the trout there do not eat dries. Curtis talks about water rights for major California cities, the native tribes around Mt. Shasta, and the different strains of fish that enter the river throughout the year. 

From CalTrout:Project Description

Klamath Dam removal stands out as one of the most promising salmon recovery opportunities in the history of California Trout. Since 1917, the four Klamath Dams have blocked access to hundreds of miles of salmon and steelhead productive habitat. It has diminished the productivity of the Klamath River and its tributaries, blocked spawning grounds, and blocked off cold source water. Beyond loss of habitat, Iron Gate Dam now serves as a giant heat sink that creates water quality problems, including toxic algae blooms. The decommissioning and removal of the Klamath Dams not only makes economic sense, but would greatly benefit the Klamath-origin salmon fisheries and all other Klamath Basin public resources that have been adversely affected by these dams over the past century. CalTrout is working with more than 20 conservation partners and tribes to facilitate a FERC license transfer to KRRC followed by the removal of the four dams and restoration of the river.

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Produced by Jason Reif

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