Ask A Fly Fishing Guide

This week I am glad to interview fly fishing guide Dave Perry. Dave offers guided drift boat trips down the Caney Fork and Elk rivers in Middle Tennessee. Dave Perry is a published author having recently written about catching Muskie for Coastal Angler Magazine. He has also written about proper drift strategies, fly line maintenance, winter time fly fishing with streamers, and more. Along with doing numerous guest articles and blog posts, David has quite an extensive blog of his own dating all the way back to April of 2007. Be sure to check it out when you are planning your fly fishing trip in this part of Tennessee. Among other things we’ll talk about today are: how he got started guiding fly fishing in Tennessee what flies to use during the year throwing streamers some guide tips and a good guide story or two. Dave became a fly fishing guide when he bought a drift boat and all of a sudden had a lot of new friends that were willing to let him row them down the river while they fished. Imagine that! Dave soon put 2 + 2 together, started guiding, and had people pay him money while they let him row them down the river while they fished. Here are some of the flies that Dave recommends. Dries: Parachute Adams #14 - 20Various Spinners #16 - #22 Hoppers- When the hoppers start showing up at on the lights at the gas stations in the morning we start fishing hoppers along the banks Nymphs & Wet Flies: Bust-a-Brown #12 - #16 Bust-a-Brown, Tutto (This is a homegrown fly) no pattern on the web, Pheasant tail- #14 - #18 Scud Pattern- this is pretty much any scud pattern with a hard shell back. Color depends on what is found on the river once the water recedes. Streamers: Clouser Minnows- #2 - #4 Really the bigger the better. Go through the color chart just like we talked about on the interview, Zoo Cougar: #2 and tied larger with articulation sometimes, depending on the water level. The higher and faster moving the water the bigger the fly. Go through the color chart just like we talked about on the interview. Dave talks about fly rods and explains that there really is a big difference in a 9ft. and an 8.5 ft. and when and why you should use one over the other. When you float down the river with Dave Perry, you’ll have a great time, catch a lot of fish, and become a better fly fisher along the way. Tight lines! David Darling Learn to tie knots at NetKnots.com Book a trip with Dave at SoutheasternFly.com Email: david@southeasternfly.com Call Dave at 615.796.5143 My thanks to JewelBeat.com for the great music  

This week I welcome Florida Keys fly fishing guide Bruce Chard. Bruce has been guiding for over 20 years and has a well-deserved reputation as one of the best FL Keys guides ever. Bruce has not only mastered, but improved the art and techniques of flats fishing, fly patterns, and fly fishing equipment such as his own fly fishing line he has developed with Scientific Anglers. He is a… World class Florida Keys guide International fly fishing instructor Been featured on magazine covers that include Fly Fishing in Salt Waters, Saltwater Fly Fishing and Fly Fisherman Magazine, among others. At last count, Bruce has caught more than 60 species on the fly Sought-after speaker and presenter at fly fishing clubs and shows around the country Federation of Fly Fishers Master Certified Casting Instructor Even though the phone reception was spotty at times, this interview has it all. From a very, very detailed description on salt water fly casting to even more detailed descriptions of rod weights, line weights, large arbor reels, and even drag settings and how they are heat-resistant. Yet, he explains everything in easy-to-understand terms that make perfect sense. Even more fascinating is Bruce's explanation of how and why he designed his fly lines and his exclusive deal with Scientific Anglers. I never had any idea there was so much research and testing in fly line design. Bruce explains it so well that you will be saying "Wow! I had no idea" just like I did. He tells us how being a Master Certified Fly Casting Instructor helped him figure out what the fly line was doing at all times during the cast. Fascinating stuff. Since there is only one season in the Keys, Bruce tells us when and where to use the crab, shrimp, and bait fish patterns when fly fishing in the salt waters of the Florida Keys. I mean, who wouldn't want to throw the White Tiger, the Gnarly Bandit, or my favorite, The Freak? He gives a great explanation on how to chose a fly depending on where you are and the water depth and warns us about the 3-Second Rule on fly size. If there is one thing you need to know before you book a trip with Bruce, it's how to cast in salt water. He tells us about the typical casting conditions and it ain't pretty to your typical trout fisherman. The Takeaway: Learn how to cast salt-water style or you will only get half of what you came for. Bruce takes us to school when it comes to fly fishing in salt waters. He says over and over again that it is more visual and interactive than trout fishing in the mountains. To quote Bruce, " See the fish, Cast to the fish, Present the fly." But wait! There is so much more... How to think like a bonefish. Anatomy of a tailing bone Fly fishing school for tarpon Fly fishing school for bonefish Fly fishing school for permit A Guide Tip you need to know on salt water A Guide Story that makes me think of the legendary Babe Ruth finger-pointing story. It was an interview I won't soon forget. Tight lines, David Darling Book a trip with Bruce at BruceChard.com Email: CaptPermit@aol.com Call Bruce at 305-240-1335 My thanks to JewelBeat.com for the great music

This week I welcome Simons Welter to the show. She is one of the top fly fishing guides for Western North Carolina and the upstate of South Carolina. Simons started fly fishing 8 years ago after attending a Becoming an Outdoors Woman retreat. Since that 3 hour introductory seminar she has fished in 12 states here in America, and in 5 other countries internationally, including Argentina, Spain, and Germany. Simons has appeared on television and been featured in magazines including Eastern Fly Fishing, South Carolina Wildlife, and made the cover of the SC Trout Guide. She has served on an advisory panel to DNR (Dept. of Natural Resources) regarding freshwater fishery laws and testified before State Senate subcommittees. Simons spends all of her spare time on the rivers of North Carolina and upstate South Carolina. She has a special love of fishing small streams for native brook trout on dry flies. Some of the things we talk about are freestone and tailwater fly fishing, where to fish the wild trout and the stocked ones, too. Simons gives an explanation about what the delayed harvest is a when it is in effect. With her being a guide, I asked her to describe what a day-long float trip would be like and what to expect along the way. She points out that no matter where you, a guide cannot guarantee that you will catch fish, only the opportunity to catch fish. Flies: All year, midges in a variety of colors Winter - Black stonefly nymph, BWO, Black Pat's Rubber Leg, white streamer, Spring - yellow/orange Stimulator, Parachute Adams, Copper Johns, March Brown, Birds Nest Summer - Inchworm, beetle, ant, PA, Stimulator Fall - Egg, Elk Hair Caddis, Copper Johns, Wooly Buggers Simons talks about roll casting, back casting, flip casting, and pick up & put down casting. The first two I knew about. The second two I knew how to do, but didn’t they had a name. I just thought I was just lazy and unskillful. Using a dropper rig, the difference between a leader and a tippet, a great tip about using slip shot, and a guide story about bringing the fish to the net (finally) rounds out the interview. If you are every in the Carolinas, don’t miss the chance for a day out on the water with Simons. It will be time well spent. I guarantee it. Tight lines, David Darling Book A Trip at Brookings Anglers in Cashiers, NC ("Cash-ers," not "Cash-eeers!") Join Simons and Volunteer for Casting For Recovery Music Provided by JewelBeat.com  

This week I welcome author, retired outfitter, IGFA world record holder, George Bernstein. George has traveled the world fly fishing and on this interview we will focus on his love of fly-fishing for Pike. It won’t take to realize George is a true sportsman. For starters, he has been practicing “catch and release” for over 30 years. The articles he wrote many years ago were ground breaking then and today have become common practice. To begin with, George gives tells us the difference between fly fishing for the Muskie and the Pike by comparing them (in detail) with two jungle predators. George’s descriptions are highly detailed, but told in such a way that you feel like you are sitting right next to him in the boat. Not only does he have a great deal of experience fly fishing for Pike, but George has a deeply ingrained biological knowledge of the fish and an almost game warden-like knowledge of where they live and why they live there. When it comes to the flies for Pike fishing, George tells us that there are many, many, flies out there for catching them, but your really only need 3 or 4, in different colors. Here is part of George’s email about his flies for catching Pike… My flies for any season are my marabou streamer, in white/red; yellow/red; orange/red; pink/red (best color lately); and black/red. Premium Marabou feathers, 6 - 8 inches, with a Flashabou overwing, extending 2" beyond the feather tips. Patterns are in the book My Flashabou streamer, in silver; pearl; gold; & black. 6"' - 8" for pike & musky, but can be as long at 12" with a stinger hook. Especially easy to cast, and the long ones, w/stinger, are also great for Lake Trout. Pattern also in the book. Neither of those are currently available commercially. I have tied and sold them on a limited basis, and also sell a fly-tying kit geared to my flies from my web site. The 3rd pattern needed is the Dahlberg Mega-Diver. They can be bought, and run from 6" - 12". Best colors are red/wht; yel/wht; green/blk (frog); and black/red. Great patterns in shallow, calm water, and in and around reed beds. Patterns generally available commercially are the Reynolds pike fly (Rabbit strip, and heavy to cast), divers, poppers, other streamers, but none...in my opinion...are as effective as my streamers. Both the Marabou and Flashabou continue to catch fish, even when badly chewed up. I was recently contacted by someone who wanted to tie them commercially. If he does, I'll let you know. ********************* My favorite part of the interview comes when George tells us about setting an IGFA world record for Pike on the fly. It is fantastic to listen to everything he had to do just to put himself in a position for the possibility of catching a world record. Very cool stuff. Sit back and enjoy listening to a modern day master speak about the ins and outs of Pike fishing. Did you hear that sound just now? That was me putting “Catch a Pike On the Fly” on my bucket list. Tight lines! David Darling Email: PikeFlyGuy@aol.com George's Website is PikeFlyGuy.com Music  Provided By JewelBeat.com

This week I welcome Dennis Alverson from Dennis Alverson Fly Fishing Guide Service out of Livingston, Montana. As everyone knows, Montana offers some if the best dry, nymph, and streamer fly fishing anywhere on earth. Dennis guides on the longest freestone river in the country, the Yellowstone River, which is said to have the longest stretch of "blue ribbon trout stream" in the Americas. His fly fishing territory includes the nearby spring creeks (or “cricks” as he calls them) with names like Armstrong, Dupuy, and Nelsons. In within a two hour drive he can guide you on the Boulder, Madison, and Stillwater rivers or take you to fish the Burns and Storys lakes. Needless to say, Dennis Alverson and the great state of Montana offer every type of fly fishing adventure for anyone at any skill level. PART ONE In the first part of the interview Dennis starts out by telling us that he grew up in Montana with the Gallatin River not more that five feet away. He remembers fly fishing guides from the Yellowstone National Park asking his fathers’ permission to fish on their property and how eventually Dennis tagged along to see what they were doing. Dennis tells us how going to church every Sunday made him want to be a guide even more than he already did. I mean, if you had 5 world-class fisheries, plus the Yellowstone River, in your neighborhood, wouldn’t you want to be a fly fishing guide? Dennis explains how to effectively use the reach cast when you are casting from his drift boat. He gives up a guide tip on the one thing to do at the very end of that drag-free drift you just did that drive trout crazy. Dennis tells us about the one spring creek that he doesn’t talk much about, what size fly rod he uses for dropper rigs (and everything else), and why placement & presentation is more important that the fly pattern. Information about the 3 parts of a good run, don’t look under the rocks, and hopper hatches of Biblical proportions round out Part One of the interview. Top Fly for Fly Fishing with Dennis Alverson WINTER 18 Blood Midge 18 Sawyer 14 CDC Soft Hackle Pheasant 12 Girdle 18 Prince SPRING 14 Soft Hackle CDC Pheasant Tail 8 Girdle 12 Prince 12 Caddis 10 Chubby SUMMER 12 Caddis 14 Parachute Adams 12 Chubby 12 O-Natural Hopper 14 Black Ant FALL 4 Black Rabbit Streamer 14 Parachute Adams 14 March Brown 4 Girdle 338 cal.- 180 Grain bullet for Elk PART TWO In Part Two of the interview, Dennis talks about what to do at the end of a strip to get a reaction from the trout, what his new favorite floatant is, window shade casts, and how to properly present your dry fly. I have always wondered what the difference is between a riffle and a ripple and Dennis puts in his two cents worth about that subject. Wrapping things up, Dennis talks about his Take A Kid Fishing program he started and the success of getting kids to be aware of the great natural resources they have right outside their front door. And finally, he gives us a guide tip that we all know we should do, but most of us do the exact opposite and a guide story that shows just how far he will go to make sure his clients get great fish! Tight lines. David Darling Call Dennis at (406) 220-0755 Email: dennis@guided-fly-fishing-trips-montana.com Website: Dennis Alverson Fly Fishing Guide Service Music provided by JewelBeat.com

This week I welcome Dennis Alverson from Dennis Alverson Fly Fishing Guide Service out of Livingston, Montana. As everyone knows, Montana offers some if the best dry, nymph, and streamer fly fishing anywhere on earth. Dennis guides on the longest freestone river in the country, the Yellowstone River, which is said to have the longest stretch of "blue ribbon trout stream" in the Americas. His fly fishing territory includes the nearby spring creeks (or “cricks” as he calls them) with names like Armstrong, Dupuy, and Nelsons. In within a two hour drive he can guide you on the Boulder, Madison, and Stillwater rivers or take you to fish the Burns and Storys lakes. Needless to say, Dennis Alverson and the great state of Montana offer every type of fly fishing adventure for anyone at any skill level. PART ONE In the first part of the interview Dennis starts out by telling us that he grew up in Montana with the Gallatin River not more that five feet away. He remembers fly fishing guides from the Yellowstone National Park asking his fathers’ permission to fish on their property and how eventually Dennis tagged along to see what they were doing. Dennis tells us how going to church every Sunday made him want to be a guide even more than he already did. I mean, if you had 5 world-class fisheries, plus the Yellowstone River, in your neighborhood, wouldn’t you want to be a fly fishing guide? Dennis explains how to effectively use the reach cast when you are casting from his drift boat. He gives up a guide tip on the one thing to do at the very end of that drag-free drift you just did that drive trout crazy. Dennis tells us about the one spring creek that he doesn’t talk much about, what size fly rod he uses for dropper rigs (and everything else), and why placement & presentation is more important that the fly pattern. Information about the 3 parts of a good run, don’t look under the rocks, and hopper hatches of Biblical proportions round out Part One of the interview. Top Fly for Fly Fishing with Dennis Alverson WINTER 18 Blood Midge 18 Sawyer 14 CDC Soft Hackle Pheasant 12 Girdle 18 Prince SPRING 14 Soft Hackle CDC Pheasant Tail 8 Girdle 12 Prince 12 Caddis 10 Chubby SUMMER 12 Caddis 14 Parachute Adams 12 Chubby 12 O-Natural Hopper 14 Black Ant FALL 4 Black Rabbit Streamer 14 Parachute Adams 14 March Brown 4 Girdle 338 cal.- 180 Grain bullet for Elk PART TWO In Part Two of the interview, Dennis talks about what to do at the end of a strip to get a reaction from the trout, what his new favorite floatant is, window shade casts, and how to properly present your dry fly. I have always wondered what the difference is between a riffle and a ripple and Dennis puts in his two cents worth about that subject. Wrapping things up, Dennis talks about his Take A Kid Fishing program he started and the success of getting kids to be aware of the great natural resources they have right outside their front door. And finally, he gives us a guide tip that we all know we should do, but most of us do the exact opposite and a guide story that shows just how far he will go to make sure his clients get great fish! Tight lines. David Darling Call Dennis at (406) 220-0755 Email: dennis@guided-fly-fishing-trips-montana.com Website: Dennis Alverson Fly Fishing Guide Service Music provided by JewelBeat.com

Fly Fishing the High Mountain Lakes of Idaho This week I welcome Mike Branson from the great state of Idaho. Mike owns and operates Wind River Outfitters in the Nez Perce National Forest area of Central Idaho. If you are a fly fisher and like to hike, backpack, or ride a horse then Idaho offers you some of the best and most picturesque high mountain lake and stream fishing in the country. Mike and his wife Jaylene offer fly fishing trips that many of you probably did not know existed. Wind River Outfitters offer fly fishing trips to the high mountain lakes of Idaho. The cool thing is that there is no way in except by foot or horseback. WRO will take you to places that are so unspoiled and pure that you can drink water right out of the streams. In the interview Mike tells us what it is like to ride a horse up into the mountains, fly fish all day, eat Western home cooking style Dutch oven meals, sit around the campfire and tell lies stories about the fish you caught that day, go to sleep in a tent… and get up the next day and do it all over again. The gear you need is not complicated because the trout are not pressured. He says you can use just about any fly to catch them. Mike says the cutthroats are so fat and chubby that they fight for a short time and then just rollover and let you net them. Here are some of the flies that Mike finds work the best. Coachman Mesketo Royal Coachman, Red, Yellow, and Green Belly Humpy Elk hair Caddis Mayfly Renegade Black Ant Grasshoppers Light Cahill Adams The Irresistible (call Mike about this one) Most in the 12 to 16 size range. Except for the Grasshopper. They are about a size 12. Most of the small Emergers and Wooly Buggers in black and some green work well for under the surface nymph fishing. I was shocked to learn how short the fishing season is. Less than three months of fishing because everything is frozen solid the rest of the year. I had no idea the amount of work Mike and Jaylene have to do to get you fly fishing up in the mountains. Growing the hay, breeding his own horses, setting out the salt blocks, setting up an electrical fence, controlling the deer and elk that wander the outskirts of the campsite, and so much more. Are you getting an idea of the experience that awaits you? Don’t think that this is an all-male adventure. Mike tells us that more often than not families make up the most of the camps.  Mike says it give friends and families time to just focus on each other. Young and old and everyone in between can enjoy the great experience Wind River Outfitters offers. So sit back and listen in as I ask Mike about fly fishing the high-country lakes and streams of Idaho. Enjoy the interview. David Darling Call Mike at 800-854-6697  OR 208-278-3706 Email: info@windriveroutfitters.com Wind River Outfitters Website: WindriverOutfitters.com Music provided by JewelBeat.com

This week I welcome North Georgia’s Wanda Taylor for what turned out to be a larger-than-life fly fishing interview. Wanda is not only one of the most accomplished fly fishers anyone could meet, but also she is authentic and sincere. When it comes to fly fishing Wanda is the real deal, and she has a great sense of humor. Wanda Taylor has led a charmed life in a fly fishing sort of way. When she was first learning to fly cast (back in the day) two of her instructors were Lefty Kreh and Joan Wulff. That is like saying you learned to sing and your first two voice coaches were Elvis Presley and Karen Carpenter. A few of Wanda’s “activities” in the fly fishing world are being the 1st woman in the world certified by the International Federation of Fly Fishers as a Master Certified Casting Instructor. The 1st woman that Orvis Endorsed as a guide in the Southeastern United States. Wanda has been seen on TBS, ESPN, hosted fishing expeditions on Fly Fish TV, and had the huge honor to be on the Walker’s Cay Chronicles television show with Flip Pallot. She has been featured in magazines such as Fly Fishing Saltwater, Saltwater Sportsman, Sporting Classics, Fly Rod & Reel, Big Game Fishing Journal, Coastal Living, and others too numerous to mention. Wanda Taylor received the 2005 Woman of the Year award from the Southeastern Federation of Fly Fishers. And two of the most important things of all…she has been a fly casting instructor and fly fishing guide for over 30 years! Wanda has done a lot of fly fishing around the world and she shares those experiences and her knowledge with us in this interview. You need to listen to this interview more than once. So much information, so little time. Part One We talk about how Wanda got started in the fly fishing business and how she had to good fortune to learn fly casting from two people you may have heard of, Lefty Kreh and Joan Wulff! Wanda and Gary Taylor own and operate Taylor & Taylor Fly Fishing School in North Georgia on their 100 year old family farm. The give private casting instruction there and she talks about how the personal attention accelerates the learning process when learning to fly cast. Wanda talks about why her “instructional guide days” are on the water while you are actually fly fishing for trout. Just learn to read the river? Fly selection? You want to just work on your casting skills? Everything, all at one time (that would be me)? Wanda asks you what you want from your casting lessons/fly fishing trip and that is what she delivers. Also, have you thought about casting with your non-dominant hand? Wanda says you may cast better with it than your dominant one. Wanda shares her knowledge on the types of fly rods and gear you will need when you fish in North Georgia or Eastern Tennessee. The nymphing rigs, the fly rigs you need when you are throwing “half a chicken” out to some of the stripers or large mouth bass out there. We talk about what she has in her waist pack. She shares an interesting difference between having a vest and a waist pack and why you may never use a vest again. And Finally, I get Wanda to give her spin on some of the fly fishing guide sayings I have written down over the year. Part Two Fly Fishing Flies In part two we talk in depth about the flies for the four seasons. When Wanda teaches this she gets out the box of Crayons and shows that colors are the most important thing. Think colors when the seasons change. From Dark to Light Winter -  Black -  Midge, ants, stonefly nymphs Early Spring - Gray - Browns - Hendricksons Spring - White - Cahills  and elk haired caddis Late Spring - Yellow sulphers - tan caddis Early Summer - BWO's  lime green - olive - cream and green caddis Summer  - Isonychia (brugandy brown Fall Stoneflies - stimulators (yeller-orange-green)  October caddis (orange) Fall Terrestrials ants, hopper, beetles Winter - Spring  Summer Fall - Wooly Bugger green, black,

This week I welcome North Georgia’s Wanda Taylor for what turned out to be a larger-than-life fly fishing interview. Wanda is not only one of the most accomplished fly fishers anyone could meet, but also she is authentic and sincere. When it comes to fly fishing Wanda is the real deal, and she has a great sense of humor. Wanda Taylor has led a charmed life in a fly fishing sort of way. When she was first learning to fly cast (back in the day) two of her instructors were Lefty Kreh and Joan Wulff. That is like saying you learned to sing and your first two voice coaches were Elvis Presley and Karen Carpenter. A few of Wanda’s “activities” in the fly fishing world are being the 1st woman in the world certified by the International Federation of Fly Fishers as a Master Certified Casting Instructor. The 1st woman that Orvis Endorsed as a guide in the Southeastern United States. Wanda has been seen on TBS, ESPN, hosted fishing expeditions on Fly Fish TV, and had the huge honor to be on the Walker’s Cay Chronicles television show with Flip Pallot. She has been featured in magazines such as Fly Fishing Saltwater, Saltwater Sportsman, Sporting Classics, Fly Rod & Reel, Big Game Fishing Journal, Coastal Living, and others too numerous to mention. Wanda Taylor received the 2005 Woman of the Year award from the Southeastern Federation of Fly Fishers. And two of the most important things of all…she has been a fly casting instructor and fly fishing guide for over 30 years! Wanda has done a lot of fly fishing around the world and she shares those experiences and her knowledge with us in this interview. You need to listen to this interview more than once. So much information, so little time. Part One We talk about how Wanda got started in the fly fishing business and how she had to good fortune to learn fly casting from two people you may have heard of, Lefty Kreh and Joan Wulff! Wanda and Gary Taylor own and operate Taylor & Taylor Fly Fishing School in North Georgia on their 100 year old family farm. The give private casting instruction there and she talks about how the personal attention accelerates the learning process when learning to fly cast. Wanda talks about why her “instructional guide days” are on the water while you are actually fly fishing for trout. Just learn to read the river? Fly selection? You want to just work on your casting skills? Everything, all at one time (that would be me)? Wanda asks you what you want from your casting lessons/fly fishing trip and that is what she delivers. Also, have you thought about casting with your non-dominant hand? Wanda says you may cast better with it than your dominant one. Wanda shares her knowledge on the types of fly rods and gear you will need when you fish in North Georgia or Eastern Tennessee. The nymphing rigs, the fly rigs you need when you are throwing “half a chicken” out to some of the stripers or large mouth bass out there. We talk about what she has in her waist pack. She shares an interesting difference between having a vest and a waist pack and why you may never use a vest again. And Finally, I get Wanda to give her spin on some of the fly fishing guide sayings I have written down over the year. Part Two Fly Fishing Flies In part two we talk in depth about the flies for the four seasons. When Wanda teaches this she gets out the box of Crayons and shows that colors are the most important thing. Think colors when the seasons change. From Dark to Light Winter -  Black -  Midge, ants, stonefly nymphs Early Spring - Gray - Browns - Hendricksons Spring - White - Cahills  and elk haired caddis Late Spring - Yellow sulphers - tan caddis Early Summer - BWO's  lime green - olive - cream and green caddis Summer  - Isonychia (brugandy brown Fall Stoneflies - stimulators (yeller-orange-green)  October caddis (orange) Fall Terrestrials ants, hopper, beetles Winter - Spring  Summer Fall - Wooly Bugger green, black,

  This week I welcome Central Pennsylvania’s Eric Stroup for an interview. Eric is a fly fishing guide, writer, fly tier, and retail shop owner from Spruce Creek, Pennsylvania. Eric and his wife Tracey own and operate Stroup Fly Fishing, and ...

  This week I welcome Central Pennsylvania’s Eric Stroup for an interview. Eric is a fly fishing guide, writer, fly tier, and outfitter from Spruce Creek, Pennsylvania. Eric and his wife Tracey own and operate Stroup Fly Fishing, and they nev...

  Fly Fishing In Colorado With Guide Dave Lovell This week I welcome Dave Lovell to the Ask A Fly Fishing Guide podcast. Dave is the head guide out of Freestone Outfitters in Littleton, CO. Dave and his staff are an Orvis Endorsed Fly-Fishing Guide Service and many people say they offer the best Colorado fly fishing opportunities on public and private waters. He grew up in Colorado and started flyfishing with his dad and grandfather as a young boy. In his 27 years of flyfishing Dave has worked for Orvis and decided that guiding other folks was where he really wanted to be. He truly believes that guiding is the best job in the world. Dave guides in the Western Rocky Mountains that includes the Blue River, the famous Dream Stream, South Platte Basin, and the YR Ranch. Dave believes the presentation of the fly is the most important thing, even more so than the size, shape and color of the fly. Dave talks about how to look for the food the trout are eating and how important polarized sunglasses are. Dry flies, streamers, nymphs, Blue Winged Olive (BWO), and midges are all used and the dry fly can be used almost year-round. Fly Casting... When we talk about flycasting techniques and Dave gives us a very handy hint on how to practice your roll-cast when you are on your lawn or at a park. Fly Fishing Flies... In the "Where To Go & What To Throw" segment it becomes obvious that Dave likes to keep it simple. If you have clear, clean, cold, oxygenated water, structure and a good fly presentation, you will have a fantastic day on the water. Spring: Mercury Flashback RS2, Soft Hackle Emerger (18,20), Juju Bateis (18,20), 6mm Peg Egg – Peach, Red Rojo Midge (20,22) Summer: Prince Nymph (14-18), Nitro Caddis (14,16), Schroder’s Parachute Hopper (8-12), Charlie Boy Hopper (10,12), Pat’s Rubber Legs (8-12) Fall: Mercury Flashback RS2Soft Hackle Emerger, Juju Bateis (18,20), 6mm Peg Egg – Peach, Red Rojo Midge (20,22) Winter: 6mm Peg Egg – Peach, Juju Bee Midge (20-24), Top Secret Midge (20-24), Red Rojo Midge (18-22), Mercury Midge (20-24) As you can see, this list is redundant. Dave believes it’s all about having confidence in the flies you use and to keep it simple…very simple. As he mentions in the interview, be sure to concentrate your efforts on the presentation, then more on size, shape and color. Listen in as Dave give us his spin on some of the fly fishing guide sayings that I have written down In the Feature section we talk about what makes good trout water and how to recognize it when you first come upon the water. We finish up by Dave telling us a great guide tip and a fly fishing guide story about how one of his first-time clients caught a huge and unusual “ whopper” on a dry fly. Tight Lines! David Darling Tweet // Call Dave at 720-448-5621 Email: dave@flyfishfreestone.com Freestone Outfitters Website: FlyFishFreestone.com Music provided by JewelBeat.com

  Fly Fishing in Maine with LL Bean’s Macauley Lord...Part Two This week I welcome Macauley Lord to the show. Macauley is the Head Instructor at the LL Bean Fly Fishing School in Freeport, Maine where he has taught since 1986. In 1993 the Federation of Fly Fishers officially certified him as an instructor, and in 1995 he passed the rigorous exam to become a master fly casting instructor. In addition to being an Emeritus Member of the Federation of Fly Fishers Casting Board of Governors, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from them in August of 2011. He trains and certifies fly-casting instructors around the country making sure that they not only know how to fly cast, but how to teach the art of fly casting effectively to students everywhere. If you have read the American Angler magazine, Fly Fisherman magazine, or the Saltwater Fly Fishing magazine, chances are the fly casing articles were written by Macauley Lord Although he has not guided professionally for several years now, Macauley shares his incredible amount of knowledge and know-how about the sport we pursue with such a passion. Surprisingly to me, small mouth bass fishing is Macauley’s fish of choice. I was expecting to talk about trout fishing with him, but small mouth bass is in abundance in his part of Maine, and I learned a lot about fishing to them. Listen in as Macauley tells the story of his meeting with Bob Clauser, the inventor of the iconic Clouser Minnow and find out one of the things bass cannot resist. Last Week... In Part One, Macauley tells us how he started out fly fishing on his family’s farm pond for bass and bluegill, to being a trout bum out West for a while, to fly fishing in Maine, and his grand journey ending (or beginning) that lead to LL Bean, and that is just for starters. Also in Part One, Macauley gives us a very insightful views of fly guiding, the flies for all seasons, respecting the fish you want to catch, tactical fly fishing, dry fly and nymphing the proper way for bass, fly casting for bass, fishing to the water and not sight-fishing, and so much more…and then some! This Week... In Part Two, We talk more about about choosing flies depending on where you are and not the time of the year. I ask him about the prices fly fishing guides charge and if you get more when you pay more. Macauley tells me how to be a more efficient fly caster and we talk about his book, The LL Bean Fly-Casting Handbook and how he approached the challenge of putting fly casting it down on paper. He also gives us a great fly fishing guide tip and tells us a fly fishing guide story that shows us a side of Macauley you may not know about. Fly Fishing Flies... Flies for Spring, Summer, Fall: Gartside’s Soft Hackle Streamer in White and in Olive [I can’t find these for sale on the web. The ones I tie are embarrassingly simple: a single marabou plume palmered up the shank from bend to eye. That’s it.] Bead-Head Wooly Bugger #8 in Olive Flies for Summer: Chernobyl Ant #6 in Black/Orange [It’s the only dry fly I use for bass anymore: I quit using bass poppers years ago because they are so wind-resistant and therefore tiring to cast for very long.] Lake Dragon#8 in Olive The Androscoggin, Kennebec, and the Penobscot Rivers are where Macauley puts in his kick boat and chases the bass and stripers. No wade fishing done here, if you go fly fishing with Macauley, it will be the both of you floating down the river in kick boats. Tight lines! David Darling Call Macauley at LL Bean: 888-552-3261 Email: 4mlord@gmail.com Facebook: Facebook.com/Macauleylord Take a fly casting class with Macauley LL Bean's Fly Fishing Outdoor Discovery School Music provided by JewelBeat.com

  Fly Fishing in Maine with LL Bean’s Macauley Lord...Part One This week I welcome Macauley Lord to the show. Macauley is the Head Instructor at the LL Bean Fly Fishing School in Freeport, Maine where he has taught since 1986. In 1993 the Federation of Fly Fishers officially certified him as an instructor, and in 1995 he passed the rigorous exam to become a master fly casting instructor. In addition to being an Emeritus Member of the Federation of Fly Fishers Casting Board of Governors, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from them in August of 2011. He trains and certifies fly-casting instructors around the country making sure that they not only know how to fly cast, but how to teach the art of fly casting effectively to students everywhere. If you have read the American Angler magazine, Fly Fisherman magazine, or the Saltwater Fly Fishing magazine, chances are the fly casing articles were written by Macauley Lord Although he has not guided professionally for several years now, Macauley shares his incredible amount of knowledge and know-how about the sport we pursue with such a passion. Surprisingly to me, small mouth bass fishing is Macauley’s fish of choice. I was expecting to talk about trout fishing with him, but small mouth bass is in abundance in his part of Maine, and I learned a lot about fishing to them. Listen in as Macauley tells the story of his meeting with Bob Clauser, the inventor of the iconic Clouser Minnow and find out one of the things bass cannot resist. In Part One, Macauley tells us how he started out fly fishing on his family’s farm pond for bass and bluegill, to being a trout bum out West for a while, to fly fishing in Maine, and his grand journey ending (or beginning) that lead to LL Bean, and that is just for starters. Fly Fishing Flies... Flies for Spring, Summer, Fall: Gartside’s Soft Hackle Streamer in White and in Olive [I can’t find these for sale on the web.  The ones I tie are embarrassingly simple: a single marabou plume palmered up the shank from bend to eye. That’s it.] Bead-Head Wooly Bugger #8 in Olive Flies for Summer: Chernobyl Ant #6 in Black/Orange [It’s the only dry fly I use for bass anymore: I quit using bass poppers years ago because they are so wind-resistant and therefore tiring to cast for very long.] Lake Dragon #8 in Olive The Androscoggin, Kennebec, and the Penobscot Rivers are where Macauley puts in his kick boat and chases the bass and stripers. No wade fishing done here, if you go fly fishing with Macauley, it will be the both of you floating down the river in kick boats. Also in Part One, Macauley gives us a very insightful views of fly guiding, the flies for all seasons, respecting the fish you want to catch, tactical fly fishing, dry fly and nymphing the proper way for bass, fly casting for bass, fishing to the water and not sight-fishing, and so much more…and then some! In Part Two, I ask Macauley how to be a more efficient fly caster and we talk about his book, The LL Bean Fly-Casting Handbook and how he approached the challenge of putting fly casting it down on paper. He also gives us a great fly fishing guide tip and tells us a fly fishing guide story that shows us a side of Macauley you may not know about. Tight lines! David Darling Tweet // Call Macauley at LL Bean: 888-552-3261 Email: 4mlord@gmail.com Facebook: Facebook.com/Macauleylord Take a fly casting class with Macauley LL Bean's Fly Fishing Outdoor Discovery School L.L. Bean Fly Casting Handbook by Macauley Lord (affiliate link) Music provided by JewelBeat.com

  Fly Fishing the South Platte River In Colorado... Part Two Last week... I welcomed Duane Redford, a fly fishing guide who works out of the Flies-N-Lies Outfitters in Deckers, Colorado. Having been a fly fisher since that age of ten, Duane became a full-time fly fishing guide after teaching and coaching for 22 years in public school. Duane  guides in the Western Rocky Mountains and I think he knows about everything there is to know about fly fishing in that area of the country. Especially when it comes to nymph fishing. We talked about how to book fly fishing trip  and fly casting techniques. Duane said that the roll cast is the first thing a new angler should learn and every other type of fly casting is built off the roll cast. In the "Where To Go & What To Throw" segment it becomes obvious that Duane likes to fly fish the bottom with nymphs. As a matter of fact, he has written a book titled "The Fly Fisher's Playbook-A Systematic Approach To Nymph Fly Fishing" and it is an accumulation of the fly fishing journal he kept for all those years on the South Platte. Top Flies To Throw On the South Platte River… Spring - BWOs (blue winged olives), egg patterns, stoneflies, caddis, nymphs Summer-  BWOs (blue winged olives), PMDs (pale morning duns), midges, stoneflies, terrestrials Fall-  BWOs (blue winged olives), tricos, midges, streamers, terrestrials, egg patterns Winter - BWOs (blue winged olives), streamers, eggs, midges, stoneflies This week... Nymphs, Nymphs, Nymphs... Not only does Duane like to fly fish nymphs almost year-round, but he has written a book that comes from the extensive fly fishing journals he has kept over the years. Just listen to Duane speak and you will believe him when he says that he has developed a systematic approach to nymph fly fishing that eliminates the guesswork that new fly fishers (like me) do when there are no guides around telling me what to throw. Duane and I  talk about reading the water and exactly how to fish a big boulder in the river and what the water is doing around it. In addition, I have my 5 favorite guide sayings and Duane to tells me what they mean to him. We finish up by Duane telling us a great fly fishing guide story and a somewhat philosophical guide tip that will increase the chances of catching trout. This two-part interview is a jam-packed podcast about fly fishing in Colorado, but ninety percent of what Duane tells us can definitely be used in your home waters. Tight Lines! David Darling Tweet // Call Duane at 303 647 2237 Email: LoneArcherGuideService@yahoo.com Link to Flies & Lies Fly Shop The Fly Fisher's Playbook: A Systematic Approach to Nymph Fly Fishing (affiliate link) Music provided by JewelBeat.com