We are back in the Smoky Mountains again this week with Maggie Valley Fly Fishing's head guide, Taylory Farfour. We talk about her love of the region, the amazing fishing, and what it is like to be a guide as a woman in what is often a man's world. We loved this conversation! Taylor was fun and thoughtful and would be a blast to fish with. We hope you enjoy today's episode!

Today, we talk about the good that fly fishing can accomplish for the world! We talk with Heather Harkavy of Fish For Change; An organization that exists to "empower young people to become global citizens through experiential learning. Our one-week international fly fishing camps for high school and college-aged students blend cultural exchange and environmental stewardship. Our goal is to use fishing as a platform to build empathetic, curious, passionate, and confident young adults. 40% of our students join us on financial need-based scholarships thanks to our donor community. We also partner with local communities, inviting at least one local student each week to join as a guide apprentice - creating authentic connections, mentorship, and friendships that span cultures." It is an awesome conversation about how a sport we all love so much is helping change the youth of the world. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

https://www.fishforchange.org 

We take a midseason saltwater journey to the Baja with John Ashley from Palapas Ventana. We talk about the amazing Sea of Cortez and the aquarium of the Pacific. John's journey from school teacher to fly fishing guide is also a highlight of this episode. If you want to learn more about John and Palapas Ventana, take a look at the link below! We found John's description of Baja as a California from fifty years ago incredibly compelling. If there were ever an episode that made you want to pack up what you're doing and become a guide, this is the one.

https://www.palapasventana.com

Today, we talk with Rob Aitken about the North Carolina mountains and his journey to guiding! We also touch on the Maggie Valley Fly Fishing festival that happens over Memorial Day weekend. This is a great conversation about what fly fishing means to a community and how a young person discovers their passion for the sport. We hope you enjoy the episode as much as we did! Here are a few links if you want to check out the event or go fishing with any of their amazing team of guides!

https://www.maggievalleyflyshop.com

On today's episode we talk to Trent Storer - Owner & Head Guide of Back of Beyond Fly Fishing.

Trent has grown up fishing the King River on their family farm in Whitfield and with a love for fishing and the Victorian High Country has gone on to explore all of the rivers the Whitfield and Mansfield area has to offer. We discuss the trout fishing of southern Austrialia as well as Trent's pursuit of Murray Cod - a freshwater species that is agressive and powerful. You are going to love this episode!

https://backofbeyondflyfishing.com

[email protected]

Luke Annear from Freshwater Flats joins us on the program today to talk about flats fishing for carp in Wisconsin. This is an incredible conversation with a fisherman and scientist who loves catching these freshwater fish that replicate a saltwater experience. Luke has been stalking these fish for years and brings his experience and knowledge to the program. We hope you enjoy this wild and interesting converation about a unique niche in fly fishing.

https://www.freshwaterflats.com/guiding

https://www.instagram.com/freshwaterflats

In today's episode, we speak with young guide Sydney Luiz. She is a young woman who guides with Unicoi Outfitters in the North Georgia Mountains. I found this area on a trip last fall, and stood amazed at the river that bordered our Bavarian Oktoberfest in Helen, Georgia. I had to find out how the fishing was, and so I found Sydney Luiz via Instagram. We had a great conversation about being a young guide, her calling to fly fishing, and what it's like to be a woman in a sport mostly dominated by men. If you want to fish with this great young lady, make a request at:

https://www.unicoioutfitters.com

@sydluiz (Instagram)

Dave Davis specializes in teaching vacationers how to fly fish the Carolina waters. He works the sound by stalking and wading for Redfish and other ocean species. We had another great conversation about a unique niche in the fly fishing space. We loved his idea of allowing dads on vacation to get a few hours of escape to do something they love and still be with their friends and family.

Learn more about Dave and his program at his website:

https://ogflyfishobx.com/

After a quick trip into Greenville, my curiosity about the waters and landscape went into overdrive. One night, doomscrolling at the hotel, I ran across John's profile and knew we had to get him on the show. This is a great discussion about the Smoky Mountains and the wide array of rivers within, as John says, a good "cup of coffee." The South continues to grow on me as a place of intrigue for fly fishing, so we wanted to spend some time finding out just what it is that makes this place so special to so many anglers.

https://www.haresearflyfishing.com/

Kara is back for Season 3! This time we talk Argentina, Chile, Montana, the troubles of a terrible snow pack in the west, and a host of other fun topics. As always, Kara is a robust conversationalist and one of our favorites to talk to. She was also just nominated as one of the top 20 guides in the nation by USA Today. You can vote for her to win the contest.

https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/best-fly-fishing-guide/

Enjoy the show!