There is no question that this will go down as one of the best podcasts on tactics for catching steelhead on the fly.  Dean Finnerty breaks down how to fish the North Umpqua in detail.

The North Umpqua, aka – Graduate school of steelhead fly fishing, is one of the most historied steelhead river in the world.  We cover skating dries in the summer to getting down in the winter.  Dean brings it all to the table so enjoy!

Click below to listen to the Dean Finnerty Podcast:

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Show Notes with Dean Finnerty

04:30 – Mark Bachman, from Fly Fish USA was one of Dean’s first mentors.  Mark was working for Larry’s Sporting Goods when Dean first met him

08:30 – Frank Moore was one of Dean’s mentors and a legend on the North Umpqua.  Here’s a short clip from OPB on Frank Moore

08:45 – The TU Sportsman Conservation Project 

14:50 – The North Umpqua Trail allows access to the other side of the river

26:50 – Simon Gawesworth was interviewed in this podcast

28:10 – The skagit switch line from Air Flo is Dean’s goto on the North

32:15 – Scott McGarva talks about the Dean River in this podcast episode

34:45 – Peter Charles shows us how to keep your tube floating upright with this Egg shaped tube fly video

35:55 – Rainy’s flies intruder patterns – Finnerty Intruder

47:40 – Delta spey line from Air Flo

1:12:00 – Science Friday with John from WildSteelheaders.org

You can connect with Dean Finnerty by going to deanfinnerty.com.  

“If you break that cadence or you break that rythm….. These fish are just like a little kid at christmas…… If you can keep that rythm and keep that cadence……. coming closer and closer to the fish, they will grab it.”

-Dean Finnerty

Fly Line Resource Noted in the Show

The Airflo Skagit Switch Spey Line

Conclusion with Dean Finnerty

I wanted to give a big thank you to Dean for coming on the show today.  He provided some amazing tips on finding and catching steelhead on the North Umpqua.

And if you’re interested in the right spey rod for steelhead, Click here to see the Spey Rod that has helped me drastically improve my spey cast and find more steelhead at a super reasonable cost (You also get a free spey line if you pickup the Spey Rod here).  By the way, the link above is an affiliate link, which means I earn a commission if you do end up purchasing through that link.  It’s at no extra cost to you, and please if you have any questions related to this product, please let me know and I’d be happy to answer them for you.

         

Tom Pero, the founder of Wild River Press is on the show today.  Tom published A Passion for Steelhead, one of the greatest steelhead books of all time, as well as many other big time outdoor books.

Tom provides some really amazing stories that I know you’ll love in this one including his take on the publishing of Tying Steelhead Flies with Style.  He goes into the evolution of steelhead flies and how there is a big misnomer about steelhead flies and the relationship to atlantic salmon flies.

Click the link below to listen to the interview with Tom Pero:

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Show Notes with Tom Pero

05:00 – Top Salt Water Flies by Drew Chicone

05:19 – Tying Steelhead Flies with Style by Dec Hogan and Marty Howard

08:20 – Steelhead fly fishing and flies with Trey Combs covers a good history of the connection to Atlantic salmon flies towards the back of this book.

10:00 – The Skykomish Sunrise created by George Mcleod

11:10 – The Bulkley Mouse

13:40 – Pete Soverel and the foamer fly had a huge influence on present day foam flies

14:30 – Ed Ward and the creation of the intruder pattern was one of the most original patterns in steelhead flies.

15:45 – Bill Mcmillan and the steelhead caddis

27:50 – John Shewey was on the show in episode 16

39:15 – Here is the link to Tom’s reply about the big controversy with the publishing of Tying Steelhead Flies with Style.  There are lot’s of emails at this link that describes how it all blew up and went down.

42:40 – Joe Brooks was a mentor for Tom.  Here is a link to the Joe Brooks Documentary that tells Joe’s amazing life story.

44:50 – Here’s a youtube video of Lee Wulff fishing in Minipi for brook trout.

45:20 – Robert Behnke had a quarterly publication in TU’s Trout Magazine for about 20 years.  Here is a link to a book that provides a summary of his best work.

46:30 – Dave Whitlock was a mentor and one of the most creative tyers of the time.

57:12 – Scott Baker McGarva podcast interview in episode 19.  Scott breaks down the Dean River and BC fishing.

1:00:59 – Fly Rod and Reel Magazine was a favorite of Tom’s and is a magazine that has sense been discontinued.

1:02:13 – Robert Traver wrote Trout Madness which was a series of some amazing essays.  Here’s a link to some of his work.  Tom makes a note that you should feel lucky if you haven’t read this yet and now have the opportunity.  Point well taken and excited!

If you want to reach Tom you can find him at WildRiverPress.com.

Show Highlights

Tom talks about the history and connection of atlantic salmon flies to steelhead flies and how there was a misnomer that steelhead flies came from atlantic salmon flies.  The connection actually came much later in steelhead fly evolution.

Tom clarifies the confusion behind Dec Hogan and the new book that was published recently, Tying Steelhead Flies with Style.  There was a push on social media that some were saying:  “Do Not Buy this book”, including Dec Hogan himself.  Tom goes into depth on where this came from and how the book came to be.

Tom also describes Robert Behnke who had a column in Trout Magazine for Trout Unlimited for 20 years.  There is a link to a summary in the show notes above.

Tom also shares an amazing story of how he became editor of Trout Magazine at only 22 years old.

Conclusion with Tom Pero

I wanted to give a big thank you to Tom for coming on the fly fishing show.  He not only told some amazing stories and helped to connect us with some of the history of steelhead, but also shared a real insight into what it takes to publish fishing and hunting books.

And if you’re interested in the right spey rod for steelhead, Click here to see the Spey Rod that has helped me drastically improve my spey cast and find more steelhead at a super reasonable cost (You also get a free spey line if you pickup the Spey Rod here).  By the way, the link above is an affiliate link, which means I earn a commission if you do end up purchasing through that link.  It’s at no extra cost to you, and please if you have any questions related to this product, please let me know and I’d be happy to answer them for you.

         

In episode 017 of the fly fishing show I interviewed Scott Baker McGarva, one of the most knowledgable and experienced guides in BC.  He covers his history as a fly shop owner, guide and manufacturers rep.

Scott talks about his vast experience fishing BC rivers including the Dean, Thompson, Bulkley and Morice Rivers.  He details the original intruder concept, how to twitch dries to entice fish, how to prepare for a Dean River trip the right way and much more.

Click below to listen to the episode with Scott Baker McGarva:

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Show Notes with Scott McGarva

06:05 – Dana Prody, a fishing buddy who helped Scott explore the Dean

14:10 – Jerry Wental was one of his mentors early on in his career

15:00 – Harry Lemire –  A mentor of Scott’s and a man who fished ankle deep water with a single hand rod (Here’s a video of Harry Lemire tying a fly)

19:15 – John Shewey tells the John Ben story of how we all forgot about the man who was helped start steelhead fly fishing

20:40 – Lady Caroline and Doc Spratly were big Thompson River flies back in the day

34:10 – The Squamish River is Scott’s current home river.

36:40 – The Vedder River is another popular Vancouver area fishery that is heavily fished by the gear crowd

37:20 – “Make Steelhead Great Again” – I had to put that quote in because it cracked me up

46:30 – Trey Combs Interview from episode #6 of the show

48:40 – The Bulkley Special fly pattern

52:15 – The Morice River Meany is a great pattern that similarities to a lamprey

53:00 – BC West was one of Deneki’s lodges and a place Scott guided – The Pink Dynk was another pattern

58:00 – Scott published an article in Fly Fusion magazine

You can reach Scott on Instagram at Uliwon here.  You might also try facebook to see what Scott is up to.

If you liked this episode and the steelhead tips, you can grab the Steelhead Tips PDF Quick Guide by clicking the link below.  This is a summary from the guest of all of the best tips in all episodes:  https://www.wetflyswing.com/chrome

“Ankle Deep and 20′ ……. We catch so many fish within 30′ of the shore, it’s unbelievable.”

-Scott Baker McGarva

Steelhead Conservation Notes

Scott gets into a great rant on the issues with some people using a stinger hook that is set back too far on the fly and results in steelhead swallowing the hook and their eventual mortality because of it.

This goes against the original concept that Ed Ward and his gang had when they originally came up with the idea.  A big part of it was avoiding the damage that the large and long hooks would do to fish.

The original Ed Ward Article was first published in Tom Pero’s magazine and was the first publication on the intruder type fly.

We also get into some of the issues that are occuring around the Pacific Rim but I won’t go into detail here.  I will say that I love Scott’s take on the whole problem and all of the issues.

Additional Reading, Notes and Comments

Scott notes April Vokey’s tube stacker system that never took hold.  I wanted to note that here and follow up on it as time allows.  Do you have a link to this system?  Leave a comment in the notes below if you have a link.

Scott notes that Rodrick Haig Brown was a mentor for him especially as related to conseration and his ethic.

Post a comment below if you have a favorite Haig Brown book.

He talks about the Umpqua style of popping dry flies.  I will discuss and cover this with the next guest who covers the North Umpqua.

Conclusion with Scott McGarva

I wanted to give a big thank you to Scott for taking the time to come on the show.  If you didn’t notice, he was pulled off on the side of the road doing the interview through his phone.

Pretty awesome effort.  There is no question that this will go down as one of the greatest podcast episodes yet.  This is because of Scott’s huge amount of knowlegde and how he expresses it in such a smooth way.

And if you’re interested in the right spey rod for steelhead, Click here to see the Spey Rod that has helped me drastically improve my spey cast and find more steelhead at a super reasonable cost (You also get a free spey line if you pickup the Spey Rod here).  By the way, the link above is an affiliate link, which means I earn a commission if you do end up purchasing through that link.  It’s at no extra cost to you, and please if you have any questions related to this product, please let me know and I’d be happy to answer them for you.

         

The history of steelhead fly fishing, fly tying and Classic Steelhead Flies is covered in episode 16 of the fly fishing show.  John Shewey breaks down the history of steelhead flies and how things have evolved over the years in steelhead fly fishing.

John is the current editor-in-chief of the NW Fly Fishing group of magazines and has written some of the best and most beautiful steelhead books you’ve ever seen.  We talk about swinging flies on the North Umpqua and North Santiam and how it all came to be.

Click below to listen to the Classic Steelhead Flies episode with John Shewey:

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Classic Steelhead Flies Show Notes:

4:05 – Dave McNeese was the first fly shop and one of the first people to apply east coast salmon flies to steeelhead flies

6:40 – Sid Glasso is another huge name in fly fishing and influence to Dave McNeese

9:00 – The Eel River and John Ben is where steelhead fly fishing first began

14:14 – The Parmacheene Belle fly pattern and story told of a pattern that caught a lot of fish back in the day, but people quit fishing it and it disappeared.  You can find a photo at the link above and by scrolling down on this page.

16:55 – Jay Nicholas episode of the fly fishing show

17:40 – Trey Combs Steelhead Fly Fishing and Flies is one of the most influential books in history

19:05 – Classic Steelhead Flies is already a classic book and one of the best on history

21:05 – Modern Steelhead Flies by Jay Nicholas is a comparison that John makes

25:55 – The North Santiam was John’s home river since the 1980’s and a river where he has hooked into many summer steelhead

34:05 – John talks about the demographics of the NW Fly Fishing magazine  and the difference between the Drake Magazine in readers

41:35 – Birds of the Pacific Northwest and Oregon Beaches showcase John’s diversity of publishing

43:45 – Caddis Float Tubes and Bob Houston was a great opportunity at the time and opened some doors for John to continue moving forward

44:20 – Fly Tyer Magazine was John’s first publication and he would continue to write for the magazine

45:05 – Steve Probasco was the editor of NW Fly Fishing Magazine and was John’s predecessor

47:30 – Rob Bryce Interview on the Skeena basin

53:55 – Forrest Maxwell was a mentor and fishing and hunting buddy

55:15 – Spawning Purple Fly was a fly that developed from the connection with Forrest

1:02:40 – The NW Fly Tying Expo is one of the biggest fly tying events in the western US

1:03:30 – Frank Moore and Joe Howell were icons on the North Umpqua.  This link on Mending the line is Frank Moore’s story

You can reach John at matchthehatch.com if you have any questions or want to check out NW Fly Fishing magazine.

Grab the Steelhead Tips PDF Quick Guide here:  https://www.wetflyswing.com/chrome

“It’s an invitation, because I know that anything I produce out of my vice has an equal chance.”

-John Shewey

Classic Steelhead Flies Conclusion with John Shewey

I wanted to give a huge thanks to John for taking the time to come on the show and talk about the history of the sport we all love.  Hearing John talk about how it all started on the Eel River with the first summer steelhead and has evolved into modern spey lines and flies.

I especially loved the tips John shared about what it takes to be a writer or photographer in the fly fishing industry.  It’s a great story to hear how John got to the place he is at now in fly fishing.

         

In episode 15 of the Fly Fishing show I had the pleasure of interviewing Peter Charles from Hooked4life.com.  Peter teaches steelhead fishing on the Grand River, one of the really classic and challenging Great Lakes Tributaries.

Peter brings a unique perspective to steelhead fishing because of the challenges of presenting a fly to steelhead in the Grand River.  Peter talks about how to assure the fly is above their heads.  Lot’s of great tips and perspective in this one from one of the best.

Click below to listen to my Interview with Peter Charles:

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Show Notes with Peter Charles:

03:25 – Canadian Tube Fly Company

04:15 – Peter Charles’ youtube channel with fly tying videos

05:55 – FFF Federation of Fly Fishers casting instruction

06:20 – Grand River is Peter’s home river for steelhead – Great Lakes Trib.

12:40 – Fly Fishing Film Tour

16:16 – Simon Gawesworth interview who covers using intermediate lines

22:15 – Link to the Emerald Shiner and Peter’s youtube videos

25:15 – B and C thingy is one of Peter’s goto flies

46:00 – If you catch bass in the summer then it will hold steelhead in winter

46:45 – Brown trout Weamer fly tying tutorial – This is a great fly for any species including bass and steelhead

54:00 – Larry Halyk is one of Peter’s mentors and a great fisherman

54:50 – Guideline was Peter’s first pro company

You can reach Peter at his website:  Hooked4life.ca where he teaches spey casting and is a certified FFF casting instructor.

“The first thing I tell people is that a prey item doesn’t charge a predator.”

-Peter Charles

Peter is a pro for Simms, Loomis, Airflo, Shimano and the Canadian Tube Company.  His skills are obvious as he talks about the research he has put together fishing for steelhead.  Some of the items he notes includes the need to make sure the fly looks natural and is not threatening.

Also we chat about the need to remove as many things as we can that might cause a fish to reject a fly.  For example, using too short a leader might be one major reason a fish would not be interested.

Are you thinking about how the fly swings in the water?  For example, in very cold water he will use an intermediate line to cover the water effectively.  He also notes that observation is an important thing to focus on before you even start fishing.

If you’d like to get the Steelhead Tips PDF Quick Guide which includes a pdf summary of all of the tips to date just click the link below or go to wetflyswing.com/chrome

Conclusion with Peter Charles

I wanted to give a big thank you to Peter for coming on the show and providing the great steelhead tips.  He fishes for steelhead in a very challenging place I know we are all going to take away some good stuff from this one.

And if you’re interested in the right spey rod for steelhead, Click here to see the Spey Rod that has helped me drastically improve my spey cast and find more steelhead at a super reasonable cost (You also get a free spey line if you pickup the Spey Rod here).  By the way, the link above is an affiliate link, which means I earn a commission if you do end up purchasing through that link.  It’s at no extra cost to you, and please if you have any questions related to this product, please let me know and I’d be happy to answer them for you.