Episode 171 of the Destination Angler Podcast– May 21, 2026

Our destination is the Green River below Fontenelle Dam — perhaps the last major undiscovered trophy trout stream in the lower 48 states.

Tucked inside the Seedskiddie National Wildlife Refuge in the middle of Wyoming's Red Desert, this high desert tailwater is a lush ribbon of life most traveling anglers have never heard of — and that's exactly the point. Today we sit down with Van Beacham, fourth-generation fly fisherman, author of Fly Fisher's Guide to New Mexico, and owner of The Solitary Angler, who has been quietly fishing and guiding this river since the 1980s.

With huge biomass and 18"+ rainbows and browns as the standard, this is a trophy fishery — not a numbers river. Van breaks down why it stays uncrowded, what it takes to unlock the river's big fish, and why the solitude here rivals anything in the American West.

In this episode:

• Why the Green River below Fontenelle Dam is the lower 48's best-kept secret
• Fish species: rainbows, browns, Bonneville and Snake River cutthroats
• The nymphing rig Van relies on — crayfish pattern, San Juan worm, and small mayflies
• Managing the notorious weed problem in July and August
• How Van built The Solitary Angler's private-water club model on Hams Fork, Smiths Fork, and Fontenelle Creek
• Wildlife: trumpeter swans, moose, bald eagles, and antelope in the Seedskiddie Refuge
• The river's deep history — Oregon Trail, mountain man rendezvous, and Jim Bridger's Fort

Whether you're planning a Wyoming trip or just dreaming of uncrowded water with legitimate trophy fish, Van delivers the local knowledge you need before you go.

With host Steve Haigh | Destination Angler Podcast — THE podcast for anglers who travel.

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Contact Van: https://thesolitaryangler.com/ | 575-758-5653

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Redd's Flies

Premium flies, tied with purpose. Redd's is a family-run company built around premium, hand-tied flies that actually hold up and flat-out catch fish, delivered to your doorstep in days, not weeks. A portion of every order goes directly to organizations protecting trout habitat and restoring rivers.

Use discount Code DESTINATION for a good deal on your next order

Facebook @ReddsFlies Instagram @ReddsFlies

TroutRoutes

The #1 Mapping Resource for Trout Anglers. Podcast listeners can try one month of TroutRoutes PRO for FREE by clicking the link in the episode description. Explore 50,000 trout streams with TroutRoutes today. Get 1 Month Free

Facebook @troutinsights Instagram @TroutRoutes

Got Fishing

Crafting world-class fly-fishing adventures specially designed to your level of experience and budget.

Facebook @GotFishingAdventures Instagram @GotFishing

Comments & Suggestions: host, Steve Haigh, email [email protected]

Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Recorded Mar 26, 2026

Episode 170 of the Destination Angler Fly Fishing Podcast – May 7, 2026

Few fly fishing destinations on the planet can match the raw beauty, solitude, and authentic culture of Northern Patagonia, Argentina — and in this episode of the Destination Angler Podcast, host Steve Haigh pulls back the curtain on one of its best-kept secrets. Steve sits down with Luciano Alba (Lucho), founder of Dream Waters Angling and operator of six world-class lodges across Argentina, and Fernando Beltran, head guide and agricultural engineer turned passionate Patagonian fishing ambassador, to share what made his seven days at Estancia Chochoy Mallin one of the greatest experiences of his adult life.

In this episode:

• What makes Chochoy Mallín one of Patagonia's most unique fly fishing destinations
• The diversity of water across a region the size of the entire U.S. East Coast
• The full experience: horseback riding, traditional asado & authentic Argentine hospitality
• Fernando's 30+ years of guiding wisdom on reading water and chasing big trout
• Why this destination belongs on every traveling angler's bucket list

With host Steve Haigh | Destination Angler Podcast — THE podcast for anglers who travel.

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Contact Lucho: https://www.dreamwatersangling.com/ | [email protected] | Instagram @EstanciaChochoyMallin @lucioano_alba

Contact Fernando: 54 9 3547 51-6877

Destination Angler Podcast:

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High N Dry Fishing

Where science and performance meet. Check out the full lineup of floatants, line dressings, and sighter waxes at www.highndryfishingproducts.com

Facebook @highndryfishingproducts Instagram @highndryfishing

Redd's Flies

Premium flies, tied with purpose. Redd's is a family-run company built around premium, hand-tied flies that actually hold up and flat-out catch fish, delivered to your doorstep in days, not weeks. A portion of every order goes directly to organizations protecting trout habitat and restoring rivers.

Use discount Code DESTINATION for a good deal on your next order

Facebook @ReddsFlies Instagram @ReddsFlies

TroutRoutes

The #1 Mapping Resource for Trout Anglers. Podcast listeners can try one month of TroutRoutes PRO for FREE by clicking the link in the episode description. Explore 50,000 trout streams with TroutRoutes today. Get 1 Month Free

Facebook @troutinsights Instagram @TroutRoutes

Comments & Suggestions: host, Steve Haigh, email [email protected]

Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Recorded Mar 19, 2026

Episode 169 of the Destination Angler Fly Fishing Podcast – April 23, 2026

Our destination is the legendary spring creeks of the Driftless Area—where miles and miles clear cold water, aggressive trout, and an open to the public culture make this truly a one-of-a-kind destination. Author and expert fly anglers, John van Vliet and Catherine Smith break it all down—where to look, what to throw, when to go, and one unforgettable story from the Mount St. Helens eruption.

With host Steve Haigh.

Key Topics:

• Why the Driftless feels like a secret mountain fishery hiding in the Midwest
• Crystal-clear spring creeks—and trout that see everything you do
• The art (and agony) of fooling ultra-picky fish on dry flies
• Stalking rising trout like a bowhunter, not a caster
• Hopper eats, ant falls, and those explosive summer takes
• A wild detour—the Mount St. Helens eruption story you didn't see coming
• How 20-inch trout disappear into water you can step across
• Timing it right—when the river suddenly turns "on"
• Outsmarting crowds and finding your own water
• Easy access, endless creeks, and the ultimate DIY road trip
• A comeback story—how these streams were brought back to life

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Contact John and Catherine: https://www.troutrunpress.com/ | [email protected] | Instagram @TroutRunPress

Destination Angler Podcast:

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TroutRoutes

The #1 Mapping Resource for Trout Anglers. Podcast listeners can try one month of TroutRoutes PRO for FREE by clicking the link in the episode description. Explore 50,000 trout streams with TroutRoutes today. Get 1 Month Free

Facebook @troutinsights Instagram @TroutRoutes

Got Fishing

Crafting world-class fly-fishing adventures specially designed to your level of experience and budget.

Facebook @GotFishingAdventures Instagram @GotFishing

High N Dry Fishing

Where science and performance meet. Check out the full lineup of floatants, line dressings, and sighter waxes at www.highndryfishingproducts.com

Facebook @highndryfishingproducts Instagram @highndryfishing

Redd's Flies

Premium flies, tied with purpose. Redd's is a family-run company built around premium, hand-tied flies that actually hold up and flat-out catch fish, delivered to your doorstep in days, not weeks. A portion of every order goes directly to organizations protecting trout habitat and restoring rivers.

Use discount Code DESTINATION for a good deal on your next order

Facebook @ReddsFlies Instagram @ReddsFlies

Comments & Suggestions: host, Steve Haigh, email [email protected]

Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Recorded Mar 19, 2026

Episode 168 of the Destination Angler Fly Fishing Podcast – April 9, 2026

In Part 2 of our two-part episode, our destination is Yellowstone Country with angling legend Craig Mathews. We dive into his new book, Pheasant Tail Simplicity, and why fewer flies might make you a better angler. Plus, winter tactics, the story behind the Sparkle Dun, and stories involving Keith Richards, Tom Broaw, Yvon Chouinard, and the origins of 1% for the Planet.

This one just might just change the way you think about fly fishing. With host Steve Haigh.

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Contact Craig: https://www.craigmathewsyellowstone.com/ Instagram: @CraigMatthewsYellowstone

Craig's latest book: Pheasant Tail Simplicity | Instagram @patagoniabooks | @patagonia_flyfish

Destination Angler Podcast:

• Website | YouTube | Instagram & Facebook @DestinationAnglerPodcast

Please check out our Sponsors:

Redd's Flies

Premium flies, tied with purpose. Redd's is a family-run company built around premium, hand-tied flies that actually hold up and flat-out catch fish, delivered to your doorstep in days, not weeks. A portion of every order goes directly to organizations protecting trout habitat and restoring rivers.

Use discount Code DESTINATION for a good deal on your next order

Facebook @ReddsFlies Instagram @ReddsFlies

TroutRoutes

The #1 Mapping Resource for Trout Anglers. Podcast listeners can try one month of TroutRoutes PRO for FREE by clicking the link in the episode description. Explore 50,000 trout streams with TroutRoutes today. Get 1 Month Free

Facebook @troutinsights Instagram @TroutRoutes

Got Fishing

Crafting world-class fly-fishing adventures specially designed to your level of experience and budget.

Facebook @GotFishingAdventures Instagram @GotFishing

High N Dry Fishing

Where science and performance meet. Check out the full lineup of floatants, line dressings, and sighter waxes at www.highndryfishingproducts.com

Facebook @highndryfishingproducts Instagram @highndryfishing

Comments & Suggestions: host, Steve Haigh, email [email protected]

Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Recorded Mar 5, 2026

Episode 167 of the Destination Angler Fly Fishing Podcast – March 26, 2026

In Part 1 of a two-part episode, our destination is Yellowstone National Park's Firehole River—a strange world of geysers and fumaroles, grizzlies and bison, and trout, along with the Gibbon and the Upper Madison. With angler, fly designer, author, and 1% for the Planet Co-Founder, Craig Matthews who shares expert fly fishing techniques, along with stories of grizzly bear charges, his life as West Yellowstone Police Chief, and the surprising origins of his iconic fly shop, Blue Ribbon Flies. Stick around to the end for great story of a trout that took 19 days to catch.

With host Steve Haigh.

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Contact Craig: https://www.craigmathewsyellowstone.com/ Instagram: @CraigMatthewsYellowstone

Craig's latest book : Pheasant Tail Simplicity @patagoniabooks | @patagonia_flyfish

Destination Angler Podcast:

• Website | YouTube | Instagram & Facebook @DestinationAnglerPodcast

Please check out our Sponsors:

High N Dry Fishing

Where science and performance meet. Check out the full lineup of floatants, line dressings, and sighter waxes at www.highndryfishingproducts.com

Facebook @highndryfishingproducts Instagram @highndryfishing

Redd's Flies

Premium flies, tied with purpose. Redd's is a family-run company built around premium, hand-tied flies that actually hold up and flat-out catch fish, delivered to your doorstep in days, not weeks. A portion of every order goes directly to organizations protecting trout habitat and restoring rivers.

Facebook @ReddsFlies Instagram @ReddsFlies

TroutRoutes

The #1 Mapping Resource for Trout Anglers. Podcast listeners can try one month of TroutRoutes PRO for FREE by clicking the link in the episode description. Explore 50,000 trout streams with TroutRoutes today. Get 1 Month Free

Facebook @troutinsights Instagram @TroutRoutes

Got Fishing

Crafting world-class fly-fishing adventures specially designed to your level of experience and budget.

Facebook @GotFishingAdventures Instagram @GotFishing

Comments & Suggestions: [email protected]

Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Recorded Mar 5, 2026

Episode 166 of the Destination Angler Fly Fishing Podcast – March 12, 2026

How do you pull off a DIY fly fishing trip to Alaska? Our destination is the Alaskan backcountry with author, expert fly angler, and adventurer, Oliver Ancans, who for the last 10 years has been fly fishing the state on a budget. Oliver shares his tips on how to discover those lesser-known watersheds, going light to save money, and investing in the right gear, along with epic stories of 30-pound King Salmon, bears so close you could poke them in the eye, and hungry wolves that watch you fish.

Fire up the bush plane and hang on for a wild ride with Oliver. With host Steve Haigh.

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Contact Oliver Ancans: Instagram @olleyeh

Destination Angler Podcast:

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• YouTube
• Instagram & Facebook @DestinationAnglerPodcast

Please check out our Sponsors:

Got Fishing

Crafting world-class fly-fishing adventures specially designed to your level of experience and budget.

Facebook @GotFishingAdventures Instagram @GotFishing

High N Dry Fishing

Where science and performance meet. Check out the full lineup of floatants, line dressings, and sighter waxes at www.highndryfishingproducts.com

Facebook @highndryfishingproducts Instagram @highndryfishing

Redd's Flies

Premium flies, tied with purpose. Redd's is a family-run company built around premium, hand-tied flies that actually hold up and flat-out catch fish, delivered to your doorstep in days, not weeks. A portion of every order goes directly to organizations protecting trout habitat and restoring rivers.

Facebook @ReddsFlies Instagram @ReddsFlies

TroutRoutes

The #1 Mapping Resource for Trout Anglers. Podcast listeners can try one month of TroutRoutes PRO for FREE by clicking the link in the episode description. Explore 50,000 trout streams with TroutRoutes today. Get 1 Month Free

Facebook @troutinsights Instagram @TroutRoutes

Comments & Suggestions: host, Steve Haigh, email [email protected]

Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Recorded Jan 13, 2026

Episode 165 of the Destination Angler Fly Fishing Podcast – February 26, 2026

Imagine a summer where the camper van becomes home, and the hatch chart dictates where you sleep?

Our destination is the American West with John and Karen Kreft, of Riverkeeper Flies, who share their hatch-driven philosophy, their top-producing dry fly patterns, and what they've learned from life on the road — designing flies and chasing trout throughout the American West from the Green River to the Madison, the Upper Columbia, and beyond.

With host Steve Haigh.

Be the first to know about new episodes. Become a subscriber

Contact John and Karen Kreft: https://www.johnkreft.com/ | [email protected] Instagram @riverkeeperflies

Destination Angler Podcast:

• Website
• YouTube
• Instagram & Facebook @DestinationAnglerPodcast

Please check out our Sponsors:

TroutRoutes

The #1 Mapping Resource for Trout Anglers. Podcast listeners can try one month of TroutRoutes PRO for FREE by clicking the link in the episode description. Explore 50,000 trout streams with TroutRoutes today. Get 1 Month Free

Facebook @troutinsights Instagram @TroutRoutes

Got Fishing

Crafting world-class fly-fishing adventures specially designed to your level of experience and budget.

Facebook @GotFishingAdventures Instagram @GotFishing

High N Dry Fishing

Where science and performance meet. Check out the full lineup of floatants, line dressings, and sighter waxes at www.highndryfishingproducts.com

Facebook @highndryfishingproducts Instagram @highndryfishing

Redd's Flies

Premium flies, tied with purpose. Redd's is a family-run company built around premium, hand-tied flies that actually hold up and flat-out catch fish, delivered to your doorstep in days, not weeks. A portion of every order goes directly to organizations protecting trout habitat and restoring rivers.

Facebook @ReddsFlies Instagram @ReddsFlies

Comments & Suggestions: host, Steve Haigh, email [email protected]

Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Recorded Dec 18, 2025

Episode 164 of the Destination Angler Fly Fishing Podcast – February 12, 2026

Today our destination is the Big Hole River in southwest Montana — a place trout anglers have revered for generations and home to the last native Arctic grayling in the Lower 48. But is this storied fishery at a crossroads? Trout numbers are lower than they've been in decades, even as anglers still find good fish. So what's really happening out there — and what will it take to turn things around?

Jim Olsen, Fisheries Biologist with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, gives us the facts.

With host Steve Haigh.

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Contact Jim Olsen: [email protected] | 406-533-8451

Destination Angler Podcast:

• Website
• YouTube
• Instagram & Facebook @DestinationAnglerPodcast

Please check out our Sponsors:

Redd's Flies

Premium flies, tied with purpose. Redd's is a family-run company built around premium, hand-tied flies that actually hold up and flat-out catch fish, delivered to your doorstep in days, not weeks. A portion of every order goes directly to organizations protecting trout habitat and restoring rivers.

Facebook @ReddsFlies Instagram @ReddsFlies

TroutRoutes

The #1 Mapping Resource for Trout Anglers. Podcast listeners can try one month of TroutRoutes PRO for FREE by clicking the link in the episode description. Explore 50,000 trout streams with TroutRoutes today. Get 1 Month Free

Facebook @troutinsights Instagram @TroutRoutes

Got Fishing

Crafting world-class fly-fishing adventures specially designed to your level of experience and budget.

Facebook @GotFishingAdventures Instagram @GotFishing

High N Dry Fishing

Where science and performance meet. Check out the full lineup of floatants, line dressings, and sighter waxes at www.highndryfishingproducts.com

Facebook @highndryfishingproducts Instagram @highndryfishing

Comments & Suggestions: host, Steve Haigh, email [email protected]

Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Recorded Dec 11, 2025

Episode 163 of the Destination Angler Fly Fishing Podcast – January 29, 2026

Our destination is the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia—steep, green, and loaded with incredible trout water if you know where to look. We're blue-lining small mountain streams with Mark Taylor, Eastern Communications Director for Trout Unlimited and one of the most respected outdoor writers in the country. Virginia might be the most underrated fly-fishing state in the East. Freestone brook trout streams high in the mountains, spring creeks in the valleys, and big rivers loaded with trout, smallmouth and muskies. Stick around—we're breaking it all down.

With host Steve Haigh

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Contact Mark Taylor:

Destination Angler Podcast:

• Website
• YouTube
• Instagram & Facebook @DestinationAnglerPodcast

Please check out our Sponsors:

High N Dry Fishing

Where science and performance meet. Check out the full lineup of floatants, line dressings, and sighter waxes at www.highndryfishingproducts.com

Facebook @highndryfishingproducts Instagram @highndryfishing

Redd's Flies

Premium flies, tied with purpose. Redd's is a family-run company built around premium, hand-tied flies that actually hold up and flat-out catch fish, delivered to your doorstep in days, not weeks. A portion of every order goes directly to organizations protecting trout habitat and restoring rivers.

Facebook @ReddsFlies Instagram @ReddsFlies

TroutRoutes

The #1 Mapping Resource for Trout Anglers. Podcast listeners can try one month of TroutRoutes PRO for FREE by clicking the link in the episode description. Explore 50,000 trout streams with TroutRoutes today. Get 1 Month Free

Facebook @troutinsights Instagram @TroutRoutes

Got Fishing

Crafting world-class fly-fishing adventures specially designed to your level of experience and budget.

Facebook @GotFishingAdventures Instagram @GotFishing

Comments & Suggestions: host, Steve Haigh, email [email protected]

Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Recorded Dec 4, 2025

Episode 162 of the Destination Angler Fly Fishing Podcast – January 15, 2026

Our destination is the Upper Connecticut River—a remote tailwater in far northern New Hampshire that delivers outstanding fly fishing with remarkably light pressure.

In this episode, I'm joined by veteran guide Bill Bernhardt, a 20-year Orvis-endorsed guide and co-owner of Points North Outfitters in Pittsburg, NH. Bill explains why this system fishes more like a Western tailwater than classic New England water—and why it remains one of the region's true sleepers.

We talk trout and landlocked salmon, seasonal strategies, favorite fly patterns, remote ponds, and the miles of public access that make solitude easy to find for anglers willing to explore. Plus, tales of huge Atlantic Salmon, landlocks pushing 30", guiding a blind man, and mistakenly trespassing on Ted Turner's Patagonia paradise.

🎣 Is the Upper Connecticut River New England's best-kept fly fishing secret? You decide.

With host Steve Haigh

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Contact Bill Bernhardt:

• · Points North Outfitters
• · Facebook | Instagram @pointsnorthnh
• · YouTube

Destination Angler Podcast:

• Website
• YouTube
• Instagram & Facebook @DestinationAnglerPodcast

Please check out our Sponsors:

Got Fishing

Crafting world-class fly-fishing adventures specially designed to your level of experience and budget.

Facebook @GotFishingAdventures Instagram @GotFishing

High N Dry Fishing

Where science and performance meet. Check out the full lineup of floatants, line dressings, and sighter waxes at www.highndryfishingproducts.com

Facebook @highndryfishingproducts Instagram @highndryfishing

Redd's Flies

Premium flies, tied with purpose. Redd's is a family-run company built around premium, hand-tied flies that actually hold up and flat-out catch fish, delivered to your doorstep in days, not weeks. A portion of every order goes directly to organizations protecting trout habitat and restoring rivers.

Facebook @ReddsFlies Instagram @ReddsFlies

TroutRoutes

The #1 Mapping Resource for Trout Anglers. Podcast listeners can try one month of TroutRoutes PRO for FREE by clicking the link in the episode description. Explore 50,000 trout streams with TroutRoutes today. Get 1 Month Free

Facebook @troutinsights Instagram @TroutRoutes

Comments & Suggestions: host, Steve Haigh, email [email protected]

Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Recorded Nov 13, 2025