The February Room A Fly Fishing Podcast

Brett Edstrom and his buddies arrived at the landing to discover an unusually high concentration of out-of-state plates. Turns out, this entourage was lead by a prominent figure in the world of social media. Downriver, Edstrom bore witness to a poor display of fish handling in favor of potential "likes". Though there was no law prohibiting their methods, the court of public opinion would likely have ruled against them. Rather than act as judge, jury, or executioner, Brett and friends extended an olive branch when the crew came under duress but walked away with a bad taste in their mouths.

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Introducing "Tributaries", a series of snippets from our most memorable outdoor adventures, narrated by our hosts. Every so often, the universe abides and bestows anglers who wade forth with a transcendent experience. When the morning began with a Don Williams lick on a Homer radio station, our spidey senses began to tingle. What followed was a day on an Alaskan River that we certainly didn't expect and that can never be duplicated.

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Montana attracts her fair share of midwesterners. Those adventurous souls who crave a little more wildness and ruggedness than the flatlands have to offer in the long term. In his early twenties, Dan Crockett left Kansas for the rivers of Colorado, eventually carving out a niche for himself as a conservation-based writer in Missoula. 33 years later, Crockett is retiring from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and his position as editor of Bugle. Before, after, and during those three decades, Dan skirted peril on multiple hunts, excursions and fronts.

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A parent's worst nightmare nearly came true for Scott Carver, inspiring him to reevaluate river safety. Specifically, the resources available to river users relative to location, weather, and stream flows. The end result from this aha moment was the On Water App, a comprehensive platform of all river data of interest to anglers, boaters, paddlers, and river users. With the launch of this app, the days of drawing directions to secluded boat ramps on bar napkin may well be over.

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Trumpeter-turned fly fishing guide-turned golf professional, Mike Barber, dives deep into the abyss to recover a few pearls for this long-overdue discussion. The stories flow like grog in a steelhead camp as Barber recants adventures in guiding on the rivers of Oregon and touring with a fly rod and a funk band. Mike graciously lends his services as a facts-checker to our podcast, to set the record straight on a few past discrepancies.

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Author Chris Dombrowski is at it again, sharing the firsthand perspective of a seasoned river guide in his unique, poetic style. Dombrowski's latest release, "The River You Touch", has been described as "a love song to the rivers of Montana." We're such big fans of this love song that we invited Chris back on to discuss his new book and reflect on the challenges and rewards of fatherhood and life in Montana. As Jim Harrison said, "in a life properly lived, you're a river", and Dombrowski seems intent on heeding this suggestion.

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“Can you learn fundamental leadership principles through fly fishing”? Authors John Childress and Christian Bacasa tapped notable figureheads in the fly fishing industry to answer this question, and discovered a resounding, “YES”! The end result, “Fly Fishing for Leadership”, is a book that interweaves lessons learned on the water with business, government, and everyday life. Childress explains the motivation for this volume and highlights the importance of choosing great partners in life and in fishing.

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We are currently in a renaissance period in terms of fly design. Fly tyers are advancing the balance between fly movement and castability. This is particularly true for streamer patterns, resulting in a higher percentage of hookups on those really hard to come by fish like big browns and muskies. Dan Soltau is one such fly innovator and the name of his shop, the Dirty Water Fly Company, smells like the pursuit of big fish.

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Guide Brett Wedeking was staring at the familiar problem of “how to check off my fly fishing life-list”. So, he formulated a solution that began on his home waters of Puget Sound, establishing a loyal client base. Then he formed relationships with some of the world’s premier lodges and outfitters. Now Brett’s business, Tailout Anglers, hosts adventures across the globe. It’ not as easy as it sounds but all things are possible at the intersection of hard work and luck…just pray there’s not an elk standing there.

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An unconventional upbringing, including stints in Argentina and Venezuela, set Ray Penny on the path to a life of adventure and service. Following a career in the fly fishing industry, Penny joined the Marines, and returned to civilian life looking for his next mission. That turned out to be the resurrection of G&H Decoys, the last of the American-made manufacturers. A father of six, family comes first, and with kin in Puerto Rico, Ray is able to visit relatives and pursue his passion for tarpon via kayak and fly rod.

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