Episode 38 Matt Heron Talks Cast Hope and The FFFT

02/18/18 • 28 min

Remote. No Pressure. Fly Fishing Podcast

Matt grew up catching trout and bass in the historic Adirondack Mountains, and not long after was chasing the huge trophy steelhead, browns and salmon in the Great Lakes tributaries every fall and spring. Little did Matt know that his first rod and reel outfit from Sage in 1991 would change his life forever. After double majoring at University of Morrisville and University of Cortland, Matt would begin his full time career in fly fishing. He is a graduate of NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) and worked for the International Federation of Fly Fishers (now Fly Fishers International) in Livingston Montana as his first job out of college where he also became a Certified Casting Instructor. Currently Matt runs his Fly Fishing School and Outfitter (http://mattheronflyfishing.com/) in Squaw Valley and Truckee in Lake Tahoe, CA. He has quickly turned his school at Resort at Squaw Creek into one of the premier fly fishing education programs in the country. His guide staff primarily focuses on the Truckee and Little Truckee rivers on the north shore of Lake Tahoe. In the off season, Matt can be found exploring the world’s finest destination and lodges hosting trips with clients and friends. As a sight fishing junkie, it’s hard to beat fishing cursing the flats! Matt has also recently accepted a position with Cast Hope as the Reno/Tahoe Regional Director. Cast Hope is a non-profit dedicated to getting youth on water by providing complimentary gear and guide trips. http://www.casthope.org/ Matt resides in Truckee California with his beautiful wife Lulana and their son, Declan.

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Previous Episode

Episode 37- Morgan Krell "I Still Love You New York!"

"I was born, raised, and still live in Manhattan NYC. I've been fishing for as long as I can remember and some of my earliest clear memories involve casting a spinning rod. While fishing was an occasional summer activity for me, at around the age of 11 I began to attend sleep away camp. My camp was located on a small pond and during free time I could be found standing on the docks or floating in a row boat with a spinning rod in my hand. A few years later I discovered youtube and stumbled upon all the fishing content found there. The influx of fishing information peaked my interest and I began to fish more seriously than I had before. I returned to central park where some of my earliest fishing experiences had been and finally had success catching larger fish with more frequency. When I was 14 I stumbled upon fly fishing accidentally. I was forced to go with my father to the Orvis store in NYC so that he could exchange a gift when I noticed the fishing section. I spent about an hour that day talking to the fishing manage, Rob Ceccarini about fly fishing and the tackle associated with it. Two weeks later for Channukah I recieved my first fly outfit and have been obsessed ever since. I was able take advantage of all of the knowledge in my local fly shop in order to learn the sport and improve my skills. I've been fortunate to fish in some pretty amazing places across the country but I spend most of my time fishing local waters within and around NYC. After school and on the weekends I'll target bass or carp in Central Park. And when possible my dad, who I was able to get into the sport, and I will go trout fishing in the rivers of western NJ, or the Catskills. For the past two summers I have been able to attend trips with Lillard Fly Fishing Expeditions in Maine and Yellowstone, unforgettable experiences that have certainly improved my fishing skills. I also began to work part time at the Orvis NYC store last spring, where I can now be found almost every Sunday. My favorite thing to do is mousing for trout, as many of my Lillard trip mates can attest, it sometimes borders on insanity. I've also recently fallen in love with Northern Snakehead, although I have yet to land one. I was lucky enough to have an article published about my hunt for the snakehead and my unique NYC fishing story in the New York Times. I'm also an avid fly tier, while I tie to fill my boxes with trout, carp, and bass flies, I really enjoy experimenting to create new patterns for species that have previously been unaccessible to fly rod anglers such as snakeheads and musky."

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Next Episode

Episode 39 Curtis Fleming And His Fly Rod Chronicles

As the son of a coal miner growing up in Central West Virginia, I would sit within classrooms and daydream of being outdoors on a stream instead of listening to the drone of my teachers. It was my father that I owe the most to for teaching me about life and introducing me to hunting and fishing. Dad served our country in the United State Marine Corps in the early 60’s and then followed a family tradition in becoming an underground coal miner. Dad worked very hard six to seven days a week in the coal mines of West Virginia that claim the lives of many men and women. When Dad would get that rare day off or take his well earned vacation time, we would spend it camping along a trout stream or in the hard woods of West Virginia chasing whitetail deer. Competitive sports were a big part of my life and I never remember my mother or father not sitting on the hot bleachers on the field or in the gym. It is to them I owe many thanks. My fondest memories were spent along a stream in a wall tent listening to Dad tell ole Semper Fi stories or how he made a living in the dark & damp coal mines. I broke family tradition and went to college and did not become a coal miner. Although I don’t regret not becoming a miner, I do respect and salute all of the men and women that protect and serve our country. Today, I am blessed with two lovely daughters, Laken and Autumn and a beautiful wife Shelly. I thank God for letting me borrow his children for our short time on this earth. After working 15 years in education with troubled youth as well as serving as President & CEO of a gas & oil company, with the support of my family, I have decided to leave my work behind to pursue my passion for the art of fly fishing. Traveling both far away and close to home, please join me, my friends, and special guests, in our ultimate outdoor adventures. These are my Fly Rod Chronicles.

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