All good things must come to an end, and this was the final day of our fly fishing trip in mid-September. Rain was in the forecast, so we hoped upon hope that there might be some baetis hatching on the Madison River at the mouth of Beartrap Canyon. Spoiler alert: There wasn’t a mayfly within … 
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Episode 224: One Fine Rainy Day on the Madison

Two longtime friends and mediocre fly fishers discuss their love of the sport and recount stories of their days on the river.

Sports

Wilderness

We both got our early fly fishing chops from slinging flies into the bigger rivers in the inter-mountain West - the Madison, Gallatin, the Yellowstone, the Missouri, the Boulder, and others. In mid-life, we both moved to the Chicagoland area and had a rude awakening when fishing the spring creeks of the Driftless region. We caught fewer fish, and the rivers were not really rivers but small creeks. In this episode, we discuss the differences between the two regions to help fly fishers prepare for fishing either one.
 
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Episode 283: Fly Fishing the West vs. the Midwest

There's no greater thrill than catching a trout on a dry fly. We love to fish streamers and nymphs, but when push comes to shove, we'd rather tie on a dry. In this episode, we recall a bunch of terrific days (or, in some cases, minutes) catching rainbows, cutthroat, or browns on a dry fly. We also layer in some key takeaways from each story to provide some practical help.
 
Our Fly Fishing Book for Beginners
The Fly Fisher's Book of Lists
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https://2guysandariver.com/
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Episode 282: Dry Fly Fishing Stories and Their Key Takeaways

It takes a village to raise up a fly fisher. The first person of the village is likely a parent, friend, or acquaintance who walked beside us in the early, awkward days of learning to cast, read the river, and tie a basic knot. Next are the fly shop owners and guides who drip insight into us as we buy flies and purchase float trips. Then there is the army of Trout Unlimited volunteers who spent weekends improving our rivers and streams. And then there are the industry pundits and legends who publish books, videos, podcasts, and other helpful resources.
An unheralded person of the village is the conservation warden. He or she is in many ways quietly responsible to maintain order and even safety while we enjoy the outdoors. In this episode, we interview Michael Burns, a Driftless conservation warden out of Dodgeville, Wisconsin. While our listeners come from all places in North America and even Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, we thought Mike's perspective as a Wisconsin conservation warden applies to everyone everywhere.
 
Our Fly Fishing Book for Beginners
The Fly Fisher's Book of Lists
Website
https://2guysandariver.com/
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https://www.instagram.com/2guysandariver/
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Episode 281: A Fly Fishing Conversation with a Driftless Conservation Warden

You've set the hook. Now what? In this episode, we offered up some of the best practices for netting and releasing your fish. One of the most important reminders is to monitor the interval between the time you hook the fish and when you release it - the shorter (obviously) the better.
 
Our Fly Fishing Book for Beginners
The Fly Fisher's Book of Lists
Website
https://2guysandariver.com/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/2guysandariver/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/2guysandariver

Episode 280: What to Do When You Hook a Fish

“Trout do 80% of their feeding underwater.” We've repeated that platitude often over the years. In a recent issue of TROUT magazine, a publication of Trout Unlimited, Tom Rosenbauer labels that platitude a  "trout myth.” In this episode, we discuss seven points that Rosenbauer makes in the article and apply them to our fly fishing experience.
Our Fly Fishing Book for Beginners
The Fly Fisher's Book of Lists
Website
https://2guysandariver.com/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/2guysandariver/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/2guysandariver

Episode 224: One Fine Rainy Day on the Madison

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