Host John McMillan interviews Matt Sloat to discuss one of the most interesting questions about steelhead and rainbow trout: Why does one fish go to sea while the other does not? It's more complicated than you think, but also simpler than you would surmise.  They explain why there are so many big rainbow trout in Alaska, while there are so many steelhead in places like the Olympic Peninsula. Tune in for your steelhead fix and to learn more about their cool biology.

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In this episode I interview filmmaker Shane Anderson as we discuss our snorkel survey in the upper Elwha River in the summer of 2020. The trip required a 16-mile hike, then more hiking to access the upper canyon, snorkeling 6-miles in the rain and cold, and Shane somehow following everyone down the canyon while carrying his camera equipment. We also discuss how I nearly lost my teeth and the pure exhilaration once we found the holy grail -- a school of wild summer steelhead. Tune in for all of this and more, as Shane and I reflect on one of the greatest experiences in our life.  

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Another interview from the original Barbless OP Flyfishing Podcast. In this episode John interviews Ruth Simms, an angler and engineer from the PNW who is also a Native American that loves to fly fish.  Ruth has been fishing since a young age, and fly fishing for the past decade. We take a deep dive into her background, education, why she loves fly fishing, and how her interest in engineering has helped her become a better angler. Join us to learn more about Ruth and her passion for angling and why she spends so much time on the river (and lakes and the ocean, or wherever the fishing takes her). 

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In this episode from the original Barbless Podcast John interviews Dr. Jack Stanford, one of the world's preeminent river geomorphologists and fishery biologists. Jack has studied rivers and fish across the North Pacific Rim from Kamchatka (Russia) to Montana. Our wide-ranging conversation includes Jack’s origins as an angler and scientist, his major research findings, and why he believes good habitat and wild salmon are the key to sustainable fisheries. The episode includes amazing stories, such as thousands of stoneflies pouring through water faucets in a Montana town. That’s right, stoneflies.  Tune in for this, and more, if you want to learn more about rivers and fish.

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A Black Friday special. In this episode I back to the clock to one of my favorite guests from the original Barbless Podcast back in 2020. I interview Bill Herzog – the Metal God, and one of the best steelheaders the planet has ever known. We talk his roots as an angler, why he loves spoon fishing, some of his best steelhead stories, and ultimately, why he has increasingly turned to swinging a fly. All that and more, so tune in if you want a history lesson on steelheading and a better understanding of Bill's history and why he now loves swinging flies. 

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In this episode John and Nick discuss and untangle five adages common to winter steelheaders. Such as: A short rod and Skagit line is all you need. You don't need to cast far, or wade deep, and your fly should be ticking bottom to have success. Last, don't set the hook, you'll just yank it from the fish's mouth, and always use a bright fly on a bright day, and a dark fly on a dark day. They take a deep dive and breakdown their experience with these beliefs and discuss which of them, if any, hold truth, and how their approach differs. Tune in for all of this, and more, if you are interested in improving your knowledge about fishing for winter steelhead with two-handed rods. 

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This week, we repost an episode from the former Barbless podcast where I interview my father, Bill McMillan. We discuss the hardcore history of salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River and take listeners back in time to the mid-1800s through the early 1900s.  how many salmon and steelhead were in the Columbia back then? How large were they? How early were they depleted? Tune in for answers to those questions, and more, to learn why those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. 

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In this episode John and Nick kick off The Deep Wade with a discussion about their background in science, fishing, and conservation, and what makes different species of salmon, trout, and char stand out from one another. They take a deep dive into each species' strengths and how those evolutionary traits undergird their success in Nature -- such as diversity in steelhead, large body size in Chinook salmon, and body shape and swimming capacity in coho salmon.  John and Nick close it out with some interesting observations on bull trout, such as why they are classified as "gorgers" and how such behavior might influence the long held adage that brown trout are more difficult to catch because they are "smarter" than other species. Tune in for this, and more, to better understand your favorite fish and why their traits are important to fishing and conservation.  

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In this episode John and Nick discuss whether they set the hook when swinging flies for steelhead and why. There are many facets to hooking and landing steelhead, and setting the hook is one of the more divisive topics. They both agree, however, that they almost always set the hook. They take a deep dive into why they share the same strategy, and as John notes, based on his data from hooking over 2,000 steelhead, the data suggests a clear result: He lands more fish when he sets the hook than when he doesn't. And it's not even close. Tune in and learn more about swinging flies for steelhead and how to improve your success as an angler. 

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This is a repeat episode from John's Barbless podcast back in 2020.

Original description: In this episode, John breaks down the remarkable life history diversity of steelhead, including the benefits of rainbow trout, using very simple language to expand upon a very complex topic. His analogies and metaphors, such as what Danny DeVito, Ah'nold, and the Mountain have in common with O. mykiss, offer a unique glimpse into the attributes that make steelhead stand apart from so many other Pacific salmonids. Tune in for some humor and knowledge about his favorite fish.

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