Wading Wisdom is our fly fishing podcast. I sit down with guides, casting instructors, rod builders and champions, and they talk me through the tackle they fish and why, so you know what works on the water and become a better fly fisher.
Every episode comes as a video on YouTube and as audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Podbean.
All Episodes
#18 Peter McLeod: GT Fishing in the Seychelles
Peter’s saltwater setup for giant trevally and the flats: the reels, the backing and line, heavy leaders that stand up to abrasion, the pliers and glasses he carries and the flies he fishes in the surf. Watch on YouTube or listen on Podbean.
#17 Paolo Pacchiarini: Pike and Musky on the Fly
Paolo fishes for predators in northern Italy. He explains his new Dragon Tail fly, why the vibration of the tail draws the strike, and the hooks, leaders, lines and rods he uses for pike and musky. Watch on YouTube or listen on Podbean.
#16 Mauro Mazzo: One Fly for Every Fish
Mauro wrote a book on the pheasant tail with Yvon Chouinard and Craig Matthews. We talk about why a few simple flies catch so many species, Euro nymphing, and how to get the drift and the weight right. Watch on YouTube or listen on Podbean.
#15 Eoin Fairgrieve: Spey Casting on the Tweed
Eoin is a fly fishing instructor. On the Tweed he walks through how rod actions and line profiles have changed over the last decades, and why that makes Spey casting easier to learn today. Watch on YouTube or listen on Podbean.
#14 Ian Gordon: Salmon Fishing on the Spey
On the banks of the Spey, Ian talks about traditional Spey fishing for salmon, his click-and-pawl reels and what local knowledge is worth on a salmon river. Watch on YouTube or listen on Podbean.
#13 Simon Gawesworth: Salmon Flies and Spey Tackle
Simon explains how water temperature decides the line and the fly, why salmon flies differ from Scotland to Norway and Canada, and the leaders, lines, rod and reel he fishes. Read the interview, watch or listen.
#12 Lucinda Ewin: Salmon Fishing on the Tweed
Lucinda on salmon fishing in a sport with few women in it, Spey casting, matching rod, reel and line, and how she gets more women onto the river. Watch on YouTube or listen on Podbean.
#11 Peter McLeod: Chalkstream Fishing in Hampshire
Peter fishes the chalkstreams of Hampshire. We talk about sight fishing, choosing lines and rods for these small clear rivers, and the joy of fishing vintage tackle. Watch on YouTube or listen on Podbean.
#10 Mathias Lilleheim: The Rods of Arctic Silver
Mathias of Arctic Silver on how they build their rods, why the handle matters for the cast, and their new rod series. Watch on YouTube or listen on Podbean.
#9 Stefano Fedrizzi: Marble Trout in Trentino
Stefano guides in Trentino. He talks about fishing for marble trout, Euro nymphing, the best conditions and seasons there, and the local associations that keep the rivers healthy. Watch on YouTube or listen on Podbean.
#8 Germano Vailati: Predators on the Fly
Germano played professional football and now chases predators: trout in Switzerland, pike in Ireland, dorado, tarpon and GTs, and the flies that trigger the strike. Watch on YouTube or listen on Podbean.
#7 Marc Petitjean: CDC and Fly Tying Tools
At his home in Fribourg, Marc talks about CDC feathers, the fly tying tools he invented, and what makes a fly move the way fish want. Watch on YouTube or listen on Podbean.
#6 Tom Rosenbauer: How Fly Rods Have Changed
Tom on the evolution of fly rods, his Orvis Helios and Superfine, and bamboo against graphite. Read the interview, watch or listen.
#5 Renato Vitalini: Custom Rods from the Engadin
Renato builds fiberglass and graphite rods by hand in the Engadin, in colors anglers recognize on the river. Watch on YouTube or listen on Podbean.
#4 Max Natmessnig: A Chef on the Beaverkill
Max is a chef in New York. He went from carp in Austria to trout in Vienna, grayling and the Beaverkill around Roscoe, and talks about his 5 weight and his flies. Watch on YouTube or listen on Podbean.
#3 Christopher Rownes: Dry Flies for Trout
In Basel, Christopher talks about dry fly fishing for trout, why the Guideline LPXE Tactical is his favorite rod for dries and Euro nymphing, the reel he pairs with it and his leaders. Watch on YouTube or listen on Podbean.
#2 Steven Weinberg: An Artist’s Fishing Gear
At his home, Steven goes through his gear: the L.L. Bean bag he painted, his Helios 2, Tenkara and the reels he fishes. Read the interview, watch or listen.
#1 Katka Svagrova: A World Champion’s Tackle
Katka won the 2023 Ladies World Fly Fishing Championship, individual and team. From her first rod to her competition gear: rods and reels for different water, fly lines and Euro nymphing. Read the interview, watch or listen.