Season 6 Finale: More Than Fly Fishing

As Season 6 comes to a close, Ross reflects on the incredible growth of the Backcountry Fly Fishing Podcast and the community that has formed around it. From hopper fishing and backpacking to wilderness philosophy and personal growth, this season has been about far more than simply catching trout. 

The episode looks back at the lessons, stories, and listener experiences that defined the season—including first alpine lake trips, first solo camps, and first steps into the backcountry. More than anything, it's a reminder that backcountry fly fishing isn't just about becoming a better angler. It's about becoming a more resilient, self-reliant, and confident person. 

Ross also shares what's next for the podcast, including upcoming adventures, Season 7, and the possibility of carefully chosen partnerships with companies that genuinely support the values of the show. Through it all, one thing remains unchanged: the commitment to authenticity, stewardship, and helping people build meaningful relationships with wild places. 

Thank you for another incredible season.

We'll see you back on the trail—and back here soon for Season 7.

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Finding fishable water has never been the hard part. Finding the right water—and knowing how to access it—is where things get complicated.

In this episode, Ross sits down with Erik Johnsen of TroutRoutes to talk about the evolution of digital mapping for fly anglers, the challenges of building a trout-specific navigation tool, and how better information can open the door to more exploration and more confidence on the water. 

The conversation covers everything from the unique trout culture of Wisconsin’s Driftless region to the broader challenge of helping anglers understand public access, stream classifications, species data, river miles, and backcountry navigation. Ross and Erik also dive into one of fly fishing’s most divisive topics: spot burning, gatekeeping, and the balance between protecting special places and helping anglers discover the incredible public water available across the country. 

This is a conversation about maps—but it’s really about opportunity, access, and the work it still takes to earn fish, even when the information is right in front of you.

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What makes outdoor gear actually good? And what happens when the people designing it are the same people out there beating it up in wild places?

In this episode, Ross sits down with Eric Bender, lead equipment designer at Kifaru International, to talk about what goes into building gear for serious backcountry use and why so much of the fly fishing world still misses the mark. From packs, shelters, and load systems to chest rigs, sidearm carry, and the importance of durability over gimmicks, this is a deep dive into the intersection of design, function, and wilderness use. 

Eric shares the story behind Kifaru, how his own life in the outdoors shaped his approach to product design, and why truly good gear should disappear into the background and simply do its job when things get hard. The conversation also explores the growing overlap between hunting, backpacking, and backcountry fly fishing and why more companies are beginning to recognize that serious anglers need equipment built for more than just standing next to the road. 

If you’ve ever cursed a zipper, broken a pack, or wondered why outdoor gear so often feels like it was designed by people who don’t actually use it, this one’s for you.

Because in the backcountry, gear isn’t just gear. It’s part of whether the whole thing works.

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Recorded from a tent somewhere in the Colorado backcountry, this first installment of Field Notes is an experiment in bringing the podcast out of the studio and into the places that inspire it. After a day spent exploring a rugged mountain creek full of small brook trout, deadfall, steep canyon walls, and hard-earned water, Ross reflects on why we return to wild places in the first place. 

This episode explores the idea that backcountry fly fishing is about more than checking boxes, collecting destinations, or adding new waters to a list. Instead, it's about building relationships with landscapes—learning their character, understanding their challenges, and allowing them to become part of our personal stories. 

From memory and meaning to connection and place, this is a quieter, more reflective conversation about why some streams stay with us long after we've left them behind.

Because we're not just collecting places. We're building relationships with them.

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Backpacking opens the door to some of the most rewarding experiences in fly fishing, but it also requires a different level of preparation, self-reliance, and planning than a simple day trip.

In this episode, Ross breaks down the backpacking system he uses for overnight and multi-day backcountry fly fishing trips. From shelters, sleep systems, food, water, and camp gear to safety equipment, fishing tackle, and wildlife considerations, this is a practical look at how to pack efficiently while still remaining comfortable, prepared, and safe in remote environments. 

The conversation also explores why backpacking is about more than simply reaching remote water. Whether you're accessing places that can't be reached in a day or choosing to spend the night for the deeper connection that comes with living in a landscape rather than merely visiting it, backpacking changes the way you experience wild places. 

This episode isn't about ultralight gear lists or shaving ounces. It's about building a system that works, understanding the tradeoffs between weight and preparedness, and carrying what you need to move confidently through the backcountry.

Because when you're miles from the trailhead, everything you need is on your back—and that's part of what makes it meaningful. 

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This season’s installment of Complaint Corner takes aim at one of the most persistent—and annoying—mentalities in fly fishing: the obsession with big fish at the expense of everything else.

Ross dives into the culture of the “Big Fish Bro,” the angler who treats fly fishing as a scoreboard, measures success exclusively in inches, and seems more interested in trophies, comparisons, and social media validation than the places, fish, and experiences that make the sport meaningful in the first place.

The conversation explores the difference between wild fish and managed fisheries, the role of artificiality in modern trout fishing, and why some of the most rewarding experiences in fly fishing have absolutely nothing to do with the size of the fish at the end of your line.

Fair warning: this one is spicy.

If you think the point of fly fishing is simply catching the biggest trout possible, you may not enjoy this episode. If you think the point is something deeper, pull up a chair.

Because sometimes an eight-inch trout in a wild place is worth more than a twenty-inch trout anywhere else.

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After a close encounter with a rattlesnake in a remote canyon, Ross reflects on something bigger than fishing: why we’re really drawn to wild places in the first place.

This episode explores the difference between beauty and consequence—between simply enjoying nature and willingly stepping into environments that demand competence, awareness, preparation, and respect. From wilderness, risk, and mortality to self-reliance, personal growth, and the honesty that exists in places indifferent to human comfort, this is a deeper conversation about what the backcountry gives us that modern life often cannot.

This isn’t an episode about catching fish. It’s about confrontation, judgment, growth, and the search for something real in a world increasingly designed to soften every edge.

Because sometimes the wilderness isn’t asking whether you can catch trout. It’s asking who you are when nothing else is there to protect you from consequence.

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At some point, every serious backcountry angler runs into the same question: when does a fishing trip stop being a day trip and become an overnighter?

In this episode, Ross breaks down the thought process behind deciding when it’s time to camp, backpack, or prepare to spend the night outside. From mileage, elevation gain, and fishing time to weather, navigation problems, physical limits, and unforeseen emergencies, this is a practical look at the factors that can turn a simple outing into something much bigger.

This episode is also about more than logistics. It’s about what happens when you fully immerse yourself in wild places instead of just visiting them for a few hours. Camping and backpacking force a different kind of self-reliance, awareness, and connection to the outdoors—and in many cases, they’re the gateway to truly remote water and experiences that can’t be reached any other way.

Ross also discusses preparedness, risk management, and why every backcountry angler should carry at least basic overnight gear, even on a “simple” day trip. Because the outdoors doesn’t care what your plans were.

Sometimes the best trips become overnights by choice. Sometimes they become overnights because nature made the decision for you.

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Summer means one thing: it’s time to throw big bugs.

In this episode, Ross dives deep into the world of terrestrial fly fishing—grasshoppers, beetles, ants, and the explosive eats that make them one of the most addictive ways to catch trout. From favorite patterns and simple fly design to rigging hopper-droppers and understanding where these insects actually fit into the ecosystem, this is a full breakdown of how and why terrestrials work.

Ross explains why trout treat these bugs like high-calorie “steak dinners,” why the strikes are so violent, and why some of the biggest fish in the river will move for a hopper when they won’t move for anything else. The episode also covers presentation, storytelling, and the importance of putting these flies where they naturally make sense—because trout may not be rocket scientists, but they know when something feels right.

Whether you tie your own foam bugs or just want an excuse to throw giant dry flies all summer, this one’s all about one of the most fun and effective ways to fish.

Tie on a hopper.
Things are about to get violent.

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What if the most “normal” way of fishing isn’t actually the best way?

In this episode, Ross makes the case for ditching waders and embracing wet wading as the default approach for backcountry fly fishing. From the simple definition—getting in the water without a barrier between you and it—to the deeper philosophy behind it, this is a full breakdown of why wet wading changes the way you move, fish, and experience the outdoors.

Waders are hot, restrictive, heavy, and clunky—especially when you’re hiking miles into the backcountry. But more than that, they create distance between you and the environment. Wet wading strips that away. It’s lighter, simpler, and far more connected.

Ross walks through when it makes sense to wet wade (and when it doesn’t), how to do it safely, and the full system that makes it work—from pants and socks to boots, pack setup, and how to transition in and out of the water without turning your day into a mess. Because getting wet is the point, but staying comfortable and efficient still matters.

This isn’t about being hardcore. It’s about being practical.
And in the backcountry, simplicity almost always wins.

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If you're enjoying the show, don't forget to follow us and (if you're feeling gracious) leave us a five-star review on your favorite podcast platform.

Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email Ross at [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backcountry_flyfishing_podcast/