Faceless Fly Fishing & Upland Podcast

Our guest today is Shawn Combs he is the director of design and development for Fish/hunt and dog at Orvis. Today Shawn will share some of the behinds the scenes processes that go into developing rods, reels, jackets and bags. We will also talk about some new gear we that will be released in the coming season and when we can expect to see the release of the Helios H4

Our Sponsors

Orvis

Our guest today is Phil Rowley he is a stillwater fly fisher expert, fly designer, educator and author. On this episode, we will discuss all things still water, how to approach a body of water, what research you can do before fishing a new lake, what flies work, depths and stripping speeds and when to ditch the indicator. There is a lot of information to unpack on this episode so get ready to learn a whole bunch that will help you have more success fishing stillwater.

Our guest today is the legendary author and upland hunter Ben O. Williams he is known for his love of Hungarian Partridge and vast knowledge of upland birds and their habitat. We will discuss communicating with our dogs in the fields, approaching land owners for access, and the impact weather and bugs have on the wild bird population. Ben has been studying Gray Partridge and other upland birds for decades and we are thankful that he made time to have some candid conversations with us today.

Our Sponsors

Our guest today is our good friend, and fly fishing guide Aaron Caldwell. We will talk about his time spent in British Columbia guiding for Steelhead and some of the fishing opportunities in the area. We will also learn about Aaron’s camp on banks of the Bow river where he hosts overnight floats in summer and spey casting clinics in spring where he gets his students prepared with a plan for when a Steelhead finally takes their fly! We will also learn about Aaron’s travels from the East Coast of Canada to the flats of Cuba, adventures on the beaches of Baja, and where he spends most of his time on the rivers of the Rocky Mountains.

Our guest today is Rob Cormack he is an accomplished angler, dog owner and one of our good friends who we spend a lot of time with on the river. In recent years rob has mastered trout spey casting and we asked him to come on the podcast and tell us about the learning process. On this episode, we will discuss touch and go casting and Scandinavian style casting and we will do a deeper dive into tapered lines, shooting heads, weighted lines, sink rates, and what gear you need to get started. We will also discuss swinging flies, stripping speeds, water depth and line and mono management.

Our Sponsors

We are super excited today to have Kat and Ethan from Standing Stone Kennels, you may know them from their popular You Tube channel where they share dog training advise. This is where we first discovered them, when training North. In our opinion, their training videos are some of the best available. We will discuss, conditioning your dog, introducing your dog to gun fire and how to make sure dog has a positive association with birds. We will also discuss selecting a dog with natural abilities and trainability. We will talk about e-collars and what an important tool a collar can be, especially in scary situations!

Our guest today was no show so we decided to compromise and just have a candid chat about how Darcy started fishing and how his brother mentored him through the first few years of his fly fishing journey where he caught a ton of different species from brown trout to big barracuda. Darcy will also tell us how him and his brother Seamus went about planning their DIY fishing trip to Honduras and how complicated this was before the age of the internet.

Our Sponsors

Our guest today is Peter Kutzer, we will chat with Peter about a variety of different things surrounding fly casting, how to correct tailing loops, casting in the wind, backhand casting, matching the right line to your rod to get the desired effect and the importance of not letting you mind get in the way of the perfect cast! We will also discuss a few simple tips on how to teach a new angler or younger child how to cast we ease.

On this episode, our guest is fly fishman, hunter, and veterinarian Dr. Mitch Oviatt. We will discuss must have items for dog safety in the back country or when running your dog in the field. We will also talk about encounters with a range of different wild life …. coyotes, skunks, porcupines, bears, and snakes.  We will also talk about other potential health and safety risks you should be aware of such as, fox tail barley, twisted stomach, identifying heat stroke, being prepared to deal with a run in with a snare trap and the importance of inspecting your dog after a day out. We will also talk about dog nutrition, feeding habits, medications and selecting a good breeder. 

Our guest on this episode is Amber Toner, a photographer, accomplished fly angler, Reddington brand ambassador and our sister in-law. We will discuss how Amber and myself hit the fly fishing scene together and our progression into more knowledgeable and experienced fly anglers. We will also talk about fishing tactics on brown trout streams, how to approach undercut banks and how not to spook fish. We will also talk about different threats to native trout and their habitat and what, we as anglers, can do to play our part in positively impact the fisheries. My favorite part about this episode is all the great stories form our times on the water together, including a story about a day in court!

Our guest today is Dave Brown he is the Owner/ Operator of Dave Brown Outfitters an Orvis endorsed fly fishing and upland guiding outfit. Today we will discuss tips and tricks to gain access to private land and how to build relationships with land owners,  in addition to good etiquette on pubic and private land and getting the right weather at the right time. We will also talk about Dave’s dogs, most of which, are a part of his upland hunting team, not to mention how Dave helped us select the perfect dog for our hunting and companion needs. We will also discuss Dave’s favourite places to fish and some of the fishing opportunities in Arizona and his trip to Pyramid Lake. We will also discuss what Dave’s guiding season looks like and the importance in visiting your local fly shops!

Dave Brown Outfitters

Our guest today is Reid Bryant some of you know him from the Orvis Upland and Shooting Podcast he also prolific writer with publications in Grays Hunting Journal, Covey Rise Magazine, and Gundog Magazine, just to name a few. We will discuss Reid’s path to working and writing in the outdoor industry and how he landed the dream at Orvis. We will also discuss picking the right dog for your outdoor life style, and we will go into more detail, pointing dogs versus flushing dogs and if they can work alongside each other in the field… and eating Sharptail Grouse raw! 

Our guest today is Kate Crump she is a very accomplished angler and fishing guide. Recently Kate and her husband Justin bought a lodge in Bristol Bay Alaska and guide there during the summer months for all 4 species of Salmon, as well as trophy Rainbow trout. In the winter months when Kate is not working at her lodge in Alaska, she is guiding for Steelhead on the Oregon Coast. We will discuss adventures in Baja and how we first meet Kate on the beach, where we quickly realized she was a superior angler! Kate will tell us about the day that changed the trajectory of her life and the importance of mentorship. Kate is a passionate environmentalist and serves on the board of Pacific Rivers and is a member of the North Coast Citizens for Watershed Protection, promoting and protecting healthy watersheds. 

Our first guest is Jay Jones, The Humble Fisherman, one of the original fly fishing content creators on YouTube. Jay has a plethora of videos spanning over 15 years, we have linked his channel below. We will discuss trout fishing in Alberta, good fish handling techniques, as well as some of the things Jay has learned about fly fishing over the years.