Joshua Caldwell is the director of the Netflix hit "Mending the Line" starring big names like Brian Cox, Sinqua Walls, Perry Mattfeld, Patricia Heaton and Wes Studi. He's also passionate fly fisher who directed the documentary "Legacy: The Story of Cathy and Barry Beck." Both films deal with loss and grief—and also on the soothing joy that can come from fly fishing. His conversation with Ross Purnell focuses on his experiences catching huge brook trout in Labrador, working with veteran groups like Warriors and Quiet Waters, the difficulties of making films with live animals (trout), and his next projects on the horizon.

George Daniel is the director of the Joe Humphreys Fly Fishing Program at Penn State University. George sits down with editor Ross Purnell to discuss fly fishing in extreme conditions, from low and clear conditions to fishing rising water, Daniel explains how adjusting your approach and tactics can lead to a successful day. In the second part of this special podcast, students who are currently enrolled at PSU become the "Loop to Loop" hosts and ask George about everything from fly-fishing careers to special moments on the water. You do not want to miss this one!

Colorado guide Landon Mayer grew up in Colorado Springs and was mentored by his local fly shop (shout out Angler's Covey) and local fly tier John Barr. He became a pro fly tier and one of the leading experts on sight-fishing for trout. In this episode of Loop to Loop Landon explains how to look for telltale trout signs—a hint of color, the noticeable "potato chip" of a brown trout's pectoral fin, or the giveaway of a ghostly shadow. He also explains why he is crazy about leeches, how he prepares for every day of fishing by tying at least a dozen flies as part of his routine, and how a golden dorado in Argentina changed his life. Ross and Landon also dive into the Clean the Dream project started by Landon and his friend Brandon Kramer 10 years ago. The annual event in 2025 had 300 volunteers that included 100 different families and 75 kids picking up trash from Colorado public lands.

Chuck Furimsky graduated from Penn State and when he was there, he took fly-fishing courses from the legendary George Harvey. In the 1980s he even filmed an interview with the original Penn State instructor, which you'll glimpse in the video version. From there Chuck went on to start The Fly Fishing Show, a traveling carnival of fly-fishing experts and celebrities that has introduced tens of thousands of people to the joys of fly fishing. Listen to Chuck's stories about "roasting" Lefty Kreh, introducing new fly tiers like Bob Popovics to the world, and many other stories that come from decades and decades of working with the world's leading fly-fishing authorities.

Mark Susinno is a lifelong and classically trained fine artist who resides in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. After attending Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY his brother introduced him to fly fishing and forged a path for Mark to focus his creativity. His paintings have graced the fly-fishing world for over 35 years capturing the anticipation and mysterious world of life underwater. An active conservationist, Susinno has donated countless pieces of artwork to many conservationist organizations including Trout Unlimited and Bonefish and Tarpon Trust. To see his artwork, watch the YouTube version of this podcast.

Ben Furimsky is the owner and operator of The Fly Fishing Show, the largest consumer show in the fly-fishing industry. The Fly Fishing Show travels around the United States educating and entertaining anglers from January to March. Furimsky is an accomplished fly fisher who has travelled to the far reaches of the globe, most recently to Mongolia to catch and help implant tracking devices in taimen. His shows, films, adventures, and connections to all the experts and celebrities in the business make him one of the most influential people in the sport of fly fishing today.

In a matter of just a couple of months, Blane Chocklett caught his personal best striper and then his all-time best redfish on the same fly—his darting, slip-sliding, erratic Jerk Changer. The fly is inspired by jerkbait lures, and it has an action like nothing else in fly fishing. If you want to catch mind-boggling muskies, smallmouths, pike, jacks, or any other predatory species, the Jerk Changer can trigger a crashing response. In this episode Blane explains why it works, how to tie it, and most importantly how to retrieve it for maximum effectiveness.

Bill Skilton started fly fishing at an early age with tutelage from Limestone Legends such as Charlie Fox, Vince Marinaro, and Ross Trimmer. Learn about the history of Pennsylvania's Cumberland Valley and its impact on fly fishing in North America. Pennsylvania's spring creeks such as LeTort Spring Run, Big Spring Creek, Falling Springs, and parts of the Yellow Breeches were the birthplace of terrestrial fly patterns such as beetles, ants, and the famous LeTort hopper and cricket. Skilton is a Renaissance man. He's the president of the Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Museum, a buyer and seller of historic fly rods, art and flies, and is also an avid chicken raiser for premium hackle. If you ever thought of raising your own roosters, Skilton deep dives into the rigors of raising chickens and how to get varying results for hackle colors and sizes.

One of the most versatile, experienced saltwater guides of all time, Capt. Paul Dixon has spent decades fishing from Long Island to the Upper Keys, throughout the Caribbean and around the world. He caught his first striped bass in the 1970s in Newport Beach, California, he is a pioneer in East Coast sight-fishing for striped bass, a recipient of the 2022 Lefty Kreh Award for Lifetime Achievement in Conservation, and 2021 recipient of the Izaak Walton Award from the American Museum of Fly Fishing.

One of our favorite stories in this episode is a retelling of when Flip Pallot, Bob Popovics, and Paul Dixon filmed an episode of "The Walker's Cay Chronicles" together. Three legends!

Dixon was also the technical advisor on the fishing scenes in the new movie "Looking Through Water," which is now streaming on Amazon, Apple TV, Google play, DIRECTV, and others. The star of the movie is Michael Douglas, but look for Paul Dixon and a cast of other famous fishing guides.

Mike Dawes is the managing partner of Westbank Anglers in Wilson, Wyoming near the town of Jackson, Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Dawes has guided for decades, and fly fished the world for species ranging from trout to exotic saltwater fish such as barracuda. He is well-known for his dedication to permit fishing and conservation. Having won multiple permit tournaments, including the Del Brown Permit Tournament and the March Merkin, Dawes sheds light on what it takes to be a permit angler and some strange behaviors. He is also an active board member of the South Fork Initiative of the Henry's Fork Foundation, which conserves and protects the native cutthroat trout in the Snake River. He is also a part of Fish Camp, a collective of fly-fishing educational resources for beginning anglers to advanced.