Podcast
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
Hosted by Dave Stewart · EN
Dave from the Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Blog interviews the biggest names in fly fishing and fly tying today. He digs out all of the best fly fishing tips and tricks to help you understand how to choose the right gear, find fish, present the fly, discover new patterns and much more. Find out about new rods, lines, techniques, knots, tying tools and unheard of tips along with great stories about life and the times of some of the most knowledgeable guides, shop owners, and fisherman from around the world. Season 1 covers all things steelhead fishing. Better understand topics like spey casting, nymphing vs. swinging flies, intruders, finding fish, conservation and finding new waters. Come join us for the current season and share the stories and great memories told by amazing people.
62episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Micro Leaders and Euro Nymphing with Mike Komara and Michael Bradley (Traveled #45)
6d ago00:53:21Tap to summarize#928b Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/928b Presented by: Yellowstone Teton Territory - Visit Idaho Mike Komara and Michael Bradley are two of the five starters representing Team USA at the upcoming World Fly Fishing Championships in Eastern Idaho. They've spent years refining modern Euro nymphing tactics, and this episode digs into one of the biggest changes in competitive fly fishing over the last decade: the move from traditional sighter systems to fully colored micro leaders. The discussion also covers team strategy, competition preparation, dry-dropper adjustments, minimalist gear systems, and how presentation often matters more than the fly itself. Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/928b
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928 | The Divot, Pivot, and Twist: Dry Dropper Fishing Beyond the Basics with Jason Randall
1w ago01:10:28Tap to summarize928 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/928 Presented by: Montana Fly Fishing Lodge, Drifthook Fly Fishing, AVC Rig, FishHound Expeditions Today, we're digging into dries and dry dropper fishing beyond the basics with Jason Randall. We talk about better drifts, longer leaders, strike detection, presentation, and the small rigging changes that can completely change how your flies fish on the water. Jason also shares where dry droppers work best, where they fall apart, and a few subtle tricks that help your flies look more natural instead of just floating by. Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/928
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927 | McKenzie Style Drift Boats, Whitewater Rapids, and the Middle Fork Salmon with Jeff Helfrich
1w ago01:07:06Tap to summarize#927 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/927 Presented By: Yellowstone Teton Territory - Visit Idaho, Togiak River Lodge, Jackson Hole Fly Company, Drifthook Fly Fishing Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors What happens when a family helps shape the history of drift boats for nearly a century? In this episode, Jeff Helfrich joins us to share stories from the early days of McKenzie River drift boats, how his grandfather Prince Helfrich helped evolve whitewater boat design, and what it's really like navigating technical rivers like the Middle Fork Salmon and Rogue River in wooden boats. We dig into the transition from plank boats to plywood, the origins of the McKenzie-style drift boat, and why certain whitewater rapids still give experienced guides butterflies. Jeff also shares incredible stories from the Frank Church Wilderness, including flash floods that created entirely new rapids overnight, how drift boats handle technical water, and why these wilderness river trips remain some of the most unique fly fishing experiences in the country. #927 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/927
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Dry Fly Fishing Montana with Sean McLendon from Montana Fly Fishing Lodge
2w ago00:55:33Tap to summarize#926b Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/926b Presented by: Montana Fly Fishing Lodge Sean McLendon guides out of Montana Fly Fishing near Absarokee, Montana, where anglers can fish everything from technical spring creeks to big freestone rivers like the Yellowstone and Stillwater. His specialty is small water fishing, especially the kind of creeks where stealth and presentation matter more than distance casting. Throughout this conversation, Sean shared practical strategies for approaching selective trout, fishing dry flies on small streams, and covering water efficiently without spooking fish. Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/926b
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926 | Fly Fishing Stillwater Lakes in Canada with Greg Keenan from The Stillwater Edge
2w ago01:02:53Tap to summarize#926 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/926 Presented by: Pescador on the Fly, Jackson Hole Fly Company, Gallatin River Lodge Sponsors: https://www.wetflyswing.com/sponsors Greg Keenan is back on the podcast to talk all things stillwater fly fishing, from early season ice-off opportunities to advanced presentations for selective trout. Greg guides and teaches on the lakes around British Columbia and has become one of the go-to voices in stillwater education through his schools and YouTube content. This conversation covers everything from reading lake structure and finding productive shoals to fishing chironomids, leeches, and naked line presentations more effectively. Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/926
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925 | A Look Back at 50 Years of the Henry's Fork Anglers with Mike Lawson
2w ago01:13:28Tap to summarize925 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/925 Presented by: Drifthook Fly Fishing, Golden Fly Shop, On DeMark Lodge Today, we take a look back at 50 years of Henry's Fork Anglers with Mike Lawson and some great stories from the early days of fly fishing on the Henry's Fork. We talk about the rise of fly shops, graphite rods, matching the hatch, famous fly fishing writers, and how Henry's Fork helped shape modern fly fishing as we know it today. Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/925
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924 | Remote Fly Fishing Adventures: Golden Dorado, Seychelles GTs, and Kamchatka Trout with Christiaan Pretorius
2w ago01:10:28Tap to summarize#924 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/924 Presented By: Fly Fish with me Utah, Jackson Hole Fly Company, Smitty's Fly Box, Montana Fly Fishing Lodge Some of the best water you'll ever fish is the water most people never reach. In this episode, Christian Pretorius joins us to share stories from a life spent guiding and traveling across some of the wildest fisheries on the planet—from Seychelles GTs and Kamchatka rainbows to giant Golden Dorado deep in the Bolivian jungle. We dig into what makes remote fisheries so special, the tradeoffs between helicopter access and earning it on foot, and why the journey itself often matters just as much as the fish. Christian also shares lessons from decades of global travel, how pressure changes world-class fisheries over time, and why the best trips are ultimately about people, culture, and connection—not just catching fish. #924 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/924
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923 | Susitna River Coalition's Margaret Stern on Alaska Salmon, Free-Flowing Rivers, and Dam Threats
3w ago00:43:01Tap to summarize#923 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/923 Presented By: FishHound Expeditions Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors How does one of the largest free-flowing rivers in the United States end up back on the table for major development projects? In this episode, Margaret Stern from the Susitna River Coalition returns to the podcast to share what's happening right now across Alaska's Susitna watershed—from a proposed hydroelectric dam to a massive access road that could permanently change the region. We talk about why the Susitna remains such a unique and accessible wild river system, how local communities are organizing around conservation, and why public comments matter more than most anglers realize. Margaret also shares details on the coalition's river cleanup efforts, citizen science projects, and practical ways anyone—whether you live in Alaska or not—can help protect these fisheries for future generations. #923 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/923
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Devin Olsen and Jack Arnot on Competitive Dry Fly Fishing (Traveled #44)
3w ago01:03:46Tap to summarize#922 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/922b Presented by: Yellowstone Teton Territory - Visit Idaho Dry fly fishing can look simple from the outside. Match the hatch, make a clean cast, and watch the eat. But once you dig into how top competitors approach it, you realize it's not about the fly nearly as much as everything around it. In this episode, I sat down with Devin Olsen and Jack Arnot to break down what they're doing differently, especially with the Spanish dry fly system. This one gets into leader design, casting control, and why simplifying your flies might actually help you catch more fish. If you've ever struggled with drag, picky fish, or missed eats on dries, this one will open your eyes. Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/922b
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922 | The Fight for West Susitna and Alaska Public Lands with Adam Cuthriell, Rachel James, and Ryan Astalos
3w ago01:01:59Tap to summarize922 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/922 Presented by: FishHound Expeditions Today, we're digging into what's happening right now across Alaska, from the fight over West Susitna and Alaska public lands to bycatch, mining, and road development, and why it matters to anyone who cares about wild fish. I sat down with Rachel James and Ryan Astalos from SalmonState, along with Adam Cuthriell of Fishhound Expeditions. We talk about Bristol Bay, the proposed West Susitna Road, trawl bycatch, and how public lands decisions in Alaska ripple across the entire country. This one goes beyond fly fishing. It's about protecting the future of wild fish and the places we all depend on. Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/922
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