Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/416

Presented By: Range Meal Bars, Yellowstone Teton, Trxstle, Stonefly Nets

Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors

Dave Blackburn takes us on a journey through the Kootenai River in Montana. Discover the rich history of Kootenai, learn the secrets of when to fish for the best catch, and explore the various fishing techniques you can use there. Dave also shares some hilarious anecdotes, such as teaching Hollywood star Richard Dreyfuss how to cast on the set of Always.

Find out how you can book a guided trip with him. And don't miss out on the grand finale where Dave delivers a fantastic banjo performance to complete our Kootenai experience.

Kootenai River Show Notes with Dave Blackburn

5:24 - Dave tells the story of how he got into fly fishing. His teacher in the sixth grade taught fly tying classes. He started tying flies at age nine.

6:10 - He went to West Virginia University and participated in a placement program for foresters. He was inspired to work in the Bighorn National Forest after seeing the movie Jeremiah Johnson, which depicted the Rocky Mountains.

6:40 - Dave was a backcountry ranger in the Cloud Peak primitive area and met his wife there. They visited his wife's family in Libby, Montana, where he discovered the Kootenai River.

7:54 - He talks about the first time he went fly fishing for native rainbows in the Kootenai River. He used a Mustad 94833.

10:23 - He describes the Kootenai River. He also talks about the impoundment of Libby Dam in 1974, which created a 90-mile lake and became home to various species of fish, including Kokanee salmon, rainbows, and cutthroats.

13:38 - I ask him about the best months to fish at the Kootenai River. He talks about the flows of the river mimicking a natural hydrograph due to the endangered status of the white sturgeon.

15:18 - He met with the technical management team along with the Fish, Wildlife & Parks and agreed to stop power peaking to prevent the sturgeon from becoming endangered.

16:15 - The green drakes have come back since the power peaking stopped. Green drakes can be seen around the second or third week of July.

17:46 - Dave shares a brief history of Kootenai and what the area is known for. The name Kootenai originated from French trappers to refer to the deer robes that the Kootenay Indians would tan.

19:34 - Libby is home to a historical museum. There is also the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness which is a grizzly bear habitat.

21:15 - He talks about the seasonal progression of hatches on the river. They have this thing they call a happy hour hatch.

22:58 - He discusses the various ways of fishing on the river, including float fishing, walk-wading, swing, and Euro nymphing. Dry fly fishing is the most popular way to fish at Kootenai River.

26:53 - He talks about fish size at Kootenai River. He mentions the 29-pound rainbow caught at the Kootenai River.

30:24 - The films River Wild and The Revenant were shot in Kootenai falls.

30:43 - He met Steven Spielberg when the film Always was shot in the Kootenai National Forest and around Libby in the 1980s. He had an opportunity to teach Richard Dreyfuss how to cast on the set and also had lunch with Holly Hunter and Dreyfuss.

33:03 - He talks about their 30-inch club and the incidental catches on bull trout. The biggest bull trout they’ve ever taken was about 41-inch bull trout, probably about 25 pounds.

35:31 - He discusses native fish management. The Redband rainbows currently do not have Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection, unlike the bull trout and white sturgeon.

38:22 - He talks about fishing trips at Kootenai. He says that a 3-day trip would be ideal when visiting Kootenai. Kootenai is the second largest river in the state.

42:35 - He talks about their lodging at Kootenai Angler and that time when they built their first rental cabin in '92 under $15,000.

43:25 - He shares that time when Meryl Streep wanted to stay in their cabin during their filming of The River Wild.

44:15 - Now they have a total of four cabins and an onsite restaurant that is open to the public.

45:20 - He describes what their busy summer looks like in the cabin and the drift trips they do. The floatable section of the Kootenai with the exception of the falls is 50 miles.

49:03 - Kootenai River is less famous than the Madison River or Big Horn. The traffic is unlike in other areas, and Dave thi...

Show Notes: wetflyswing.com/198

Sponsor: Stonefly Nets: wetflyswing.com/stonefly

Ethan Igleheart shares the background on how he created a wood trout net business at stonefly nets. We find out what the process looks like in producing nets and how the burl makes the nets so unique.

We talk about some of the specific nets Ethan makes and some of the custom nets they make. You'll have a perspective on what goes into making a wood landing net at the end of this episode.

Stonefly Nets is a sponsor for this podcast and you can support this podcast and Stonefly by clicking here: wetflyswing.com/stonefly

Show Notes with Ethan Igleheart

Cold Water Collectibles is a good resource for old rods and gear.

We talk about the burls and why they make the net so unique

The Spalted Maple burrow net

We talk about Tom Morgan Rodsmiths who were on the podcast here and are partnering on a new project with Ethan.

Nov 20 of 2020 on Instagram. Has red mixed in with some other killer colors.

Wet talk about the fish pond rubber netting and the similarities to the Stonefly net.

I noted the electrode video that can be found on Stonefly Nets Intagram page.

Dave Whitlock was on the podcast and Davy Wotton was on the podcast here.

You can find Ethan at StoneflyNets.com

Trout Net Conclusion with Ethan Igleheart

We find out the steps to making a wood trout net and how Ethan Igleheart created a successful fly fishing business in the wooden trout net space. The secret is creating a custom one of a kind fishing net for a premium price.

Ethan has also partnered up with Tom Morgan Rodsmiths who were on this podcast in a past episode. They have a package deal that comes with a Stonefly Net and custom rod.

Stonefly Nets is also a sponsor for the Podcast so please click below to check out some of the products they have going.

Show Notes: wetflyswing.com/198

Sponsor: Stonefly Nets: wetflyswing.com/stonefly

Enter Giveaway here:

https://wetflyswing.com/giveaway

Joe Monaghan from Anglers Coffee is here to break down a Coffee Talk Bonus with Landon Mayer. This snip it Tip comes from an episode Landon and I put together that will be dropping in a couple of week!

Enter Here to Win a Roast Sample Pack from Anglers Coffee:

https://kingsumo.com/g/726khh/win-an-anglers-coffee-roast-sampler-box-now/04yo8pv

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/298

Presented By: LakeLady Custom Rods, Reyr Gear, Dette Flies, Trxstle

Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors

Jim Schottenham, Curator at the American Museum of Fly Fishing, is here to take us back to the history of fly fishing from 200 AD to this day. We talk about the evolution of fly fishing gear and the people behind these amazing inventions. We learn how Jim classifies these items as classic, vintage, and antique. Find out how the museum acquires their artifacts and how much they have so far in their collection.

Jim is a super fan of fly fishing history. He's put a lot of time and effort into his research so that we can enjoy learning all this information that otherwise would have been forgotten and lost. Today, we're going back in time. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I do.

History of Fly Fishing Show Notes with Jim Schottenham

05:38 - Jim just started working for the American Museum of Fly Fishing as a Curator - click here to learn more about his professional background

08:28 - Jim tells us the history of fly fishing beginning 200 AD

10:16 - The Compleat Angler by Izaak Walton is the 3rd most printed book in the English language - behind the Bible and the works of Shakespeare

13:29 - Jen Ripple was on the podcast at WFS 146 and we talked about women in fly fishing and some history - we noted that book, A Treatise Of Fishing With An Angle (1885)

14:24 - B.F. Meek & Sons No. 44 was the first artifact that was accessioned in the museum

15:57 - There are over 400 books on fly fishing in the AMFF library that date back to the 1400s

16:29 - If you want to learn about the fly fishing history but can't get to the museum, you can visit the American Museum of Fly Fishing website

18:58 - Charles F. Orvis, (1831-1915), the founder of the Orvis Company, invented the Orvis reel - mounted upright, has a narrow spool, and has ventilated side plates - some collectors refer to this as the father of all fly reels

22:31 - George Snyder perfected the multiplying reel

22:42 - The Archimedian Reel by Frederick Skinner influenced the earliest fly reels in the US

24:34 - William Billinghurst, also a well-known gunsmith, received a patent for his side-mount reel also referred to as birdcage reel

33:14 - 1930s Elmer Sellers side-mounted reel - read more here

35:30 - Samuel Phillippe and Charles Murphy were the first creators of bamboo rods. Charles was the first US maker to produce a split bamboo rod. Samuel and his son were producing split rods in 4 strips (1840 - 1870)

36:47 - H.L. Leonard was the first to mass-produce split bamboo rod (1877)

40:35 - Hardy Perfect Reels started in the 1890s and are still in production today

42:40 - Jim mentions some of the first fly shops back in the 1800s - they were usually centered in major cities

43:36 - One of the sought after collector reels today is made by Talbot Reel Co., called Ben Hur

44:30 - Edward Pole has fly shop Philadelphia and they were making hooks (1776)

46:56 - Jim tells us about the history of Dette Flies - started by Walt and Winnie Dette - they were original Catskill fly tiers

48:25 - Lee Wulff invented the fly fishing vest

50:57 - AMFF is putting together an exhibit this year for Lee and Joan Wulff - The Angling Adventure of Lee and Joan Wulff

51:07 - Joan Wulff was on the podcast at WFS 100

54:49 - Jim explains the difference between classic, antique, and vintage

1:07:56 - The Rangeley Museum in Maine has great history resources that we can dig into

History of Fly Fishing Conclusion with Jim Schottenham

Jim and I talked about the history of fly fishing since 200 AD. We talked about the evolution of fly fishing gear and the people behind these inventions. We learned how to classify items if they're classic, vintage, or antique. We found out how many artifacts the museum has right now and how they obtain them.

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/298

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/288

Presented By: Trxstle, Dette Flies, Togens Fly Shop, Fly Fishing Film Tour

Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors

Nick Pionessa, a professional fly tier from New York takes us on a journey today of becoming a full-time production fly tier, tying over 100 dry flies for trout a day. We hear about the story of how he got started fly tying and eventually made a living out of it. Nick walks us through some of the most effective and requested dry fly patterns.

This episode is loaded with a bunch of dry fly tying tips. You're going to want to stop what you're doing and get on your workstation while listening to this.

Discover Nick's Top 5 Dry Fly Patterns! Learn from a pro to become a pro. If you're passionate at fly tying, you're going to love this one!

Dry Flies for Trout Show Notes with Nick Pionessa

04:13 - One of Nick's first fly rods is an Eagle Claw fly rod

04:28 - Nick took a fly tying class in high school with Jim Keech

05:15 - He does a little guiding in the great lakes

06:00 - Rick Kustich used to own a fly shop in Albion Oak Orchard, NY - his partner Bob Morrisey gave Nick his first fly tying order

10:37 - When Nick worked in a fly shop, he tied 100 trout flies a day

18:15 - Tim Flagler was on the podcast at WFS 279 and he shared some great tips on fly tying

20:01 - Nick's flies go as far as Alaska

21:27 - Last year, Nick's most popular fly was the Peacock Emerger

26:26 - Parachute Spinner

31:59 - Nick describes his technique in tying the Peacock Emerger

35:19 - Nick describes the Para-Spinner technique

36:46 - Most of Nick's parachute patterns have poly yarn material for the wing

39:55 - Calf tail is his least favorite material to work with

40:55 - The Disabled Dun Hendrickson

46:47 - If Nick could only have one dry fly, he would choose the Sparkle Dun (Craig Matthews original)

48:52 - One of the dry flies that Nick fished with the most is the Yellow Bodied Stimulator

50:10 - The Thorax by Mike Lawson lost some of the points that its originally known for

55:06 - The big no-nos in fishing the fish that are actively spawning

58:10 - For steelhead, Nick tied and used the Bill Spey a lot

1:01:40 - Collins Hackle in New York is recommended for the second time - Tim Cammisa recommends them too

1:02:30 - Nick gives some tips on tying small dry flies

You have to see what you're doing - have proper magnification, proper visibility, wear glasses if necessary Use proper thread If you're a beginner tier, use half of what you started with as far as the material - try to keep everything as thin as possible Get some good photos of the actual bug that you're trying to make a fly pattern of Be as familiar as you possibly can be with what you're trying to imitate

1:03:30 - For threads, Nick recommends Veevus 16/0

1:06:34 - Nick describes how he does his shanks

Dry Flies for Trout Conclusion with Nick Pionessa

Nick Pionessa, a professional fly tier from New York told us his story of how he became a full-time production fly tier, tying over 100 flies a day - how he got started fly tying and eventually made a living out of it. Nick mentioned some of the most effective and requested dry fly patterns.

We discovered Nick's Top 5 Dry Fly Patterns! Now we feel so much more motivated to get on that vise.

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/288