2 Guys and a River: Recent Episodes
Dave Goetz and Steve Mathewson
The Yellowstone Flood of 2022 is not yet over, and already it is the most catastrophic flooding event of the Yellowstone River in recorded history. Major flooding on the Yellowstone River and its tributaries wiped out stretches of highway in Yellowstone National Park and in Paradise Valley to the north. Three inches of rain which …
Continue reading "Episode 260: Dave Kumlien on the Yellowstone Flooding and Its Effect on Fishing"
The post Episode 260: Dave Kumlien on the Yellowstone Flooding and Its Effect on Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The Yellowstone Flood of 2022 is not yet over, and already it is the most catastrophic flooding event of the Yellowstone River in recorded history. Major flooding on the Yellowstone River and its tributaries wiped out stretches of highway in Yellowstone National Park and in Paradise Valley to the north. Three inches of rain which …
Continue reading "Episode 260: Dave Kumlien on the Yellowstone Flooding and Its Effect on Fishing"
The post Episode 260: Dave Kumlien on the Yellowstone Flooding and Its Effect on Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing with lighter rods makes sense only if the conditions are right. In recent years, each of us has purchased a lighter rod for smaller creeks. In this episode, we relay pluses and minuses of Fly Fishing with Lighter Rods LISTEN NOW TO “FLY FISHING WITH LIGHTER RODS” Great Stuff from Our Listeners Is …
Continue reading "Episode 259: Fly Fishing with Lighter Rods"
The post Episode 259: Fly Fishing with Lighter Rods appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Our fall fly fishing trip to Montana was one of the best on record. The previous year was a bust. In fact, we wondered if we should even return to Montana in the fall, whether our honey holes and favorite rivers were only memories. In Lessons from Our Fall Fly Fishing Trip to Montana, we …
Continue reading "Episode 258: Lessons from Our Fall Fly Fishing Trip to Montana"
The post Episode 258: Lessons from Our Fall Fly Fishing Trip to Montana appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
John Maclean’s Home Waters is a memoir of his father, Norman Maclean, the author of “A River Runs Through It.” In this memoir, John reflects on his growing up as the grandson and son of two characters in the novella and movie. In Home Waters, we discuss what resonated with us about John’s unique perspective …
Continue reading "Episode 257: Reflections on John Maclean’s Home Waters"
The post Episode 257: Reflections on John Maclean’s Home Waters appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The East Gallatin River flows in a northwesterly direction through the Gallatin valley in Montana, north of Bozeman. From the perspective of a drone a couple thousand feet up, the river, which is more like a large creek, might look like ribbon candy. It winds in large S curves on the Montana flatland, with almost …
Continue reading "Episode 256: One Fine Day on the East Gallatin River"
The post Episode 256: One Fine Day on the East Gallatin River appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
It’s September, and often during this month we find a way for our annual Montana fly fishing trip. It was fitting that in a year like 2020, there were some strange moments. In this episode, we discuss a series of “rapid fire” topics from our Montana fly fishing trip in a not-so-rapid-fire manner. One odd …
Continue reading "255: Reflections on a Montana Fly Fishing Trip"
The post 255: Reflections on a Montana Fly Fishing Trip appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fishing the transition of the season starts with a different set of expectations. The prolific summer hatches are mostly over. And the fall runners have yet to make their way up the river. In this episode, we discuss how to think about fishing the seasonal transition, which is September. And ways to make your days …
Continue reading "254: Fishing the Transition of the Season"
The post 254: Fishing the Transition of the Season appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Hopefully, your next fly fishing trip is sooner rather than later. It has been a year of kicking the proverbial can of what we love to do down the road. The pandemic has delayed or postponed indefinitely a lot of plans. This next week, however, we plan to hit our favorite rivers in Montana. In …
Continue reading "253: Not-So-Obvious Questions for Your Next Fly Fishing Trip"
The post 253: Not-So-Obvious Questions for Your Next Fly Fishing Trip appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The fly fishing etiquette mindset is a way of thinking that should permeate the actions of every fly fisher. In this episode, we read a thread from Trout Unlimited’s online forum about a fly fisher who was, in our opinion, quasi-bullied out of fishing on the Madison by four fishers. With the influx of new …
Continue reading "252: The Fly Fishing Etiquette Mindset"
The post 252: The Fly Fishing Etiquette Mindset appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing success is not just about your amazing chops: precision casting, reading the river, and overall fly fishing genius. There are factors out of your control that affect whether you catch fish. In this episode, we identify seven factors that may affect your day on the river. One factor is barometric pressure. Another is …
Continue reading "251: Key Factors in Your Fly Fishing Success"
The post 251: Key Factors in Your Fly Fishing Success appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fishing the film begins with a different mindset. We often think first about fishing on top of the surface or at the bottom of the river. In this episode, we discuss the “film” mindset” and offer four strategies for greater fly fishing success. One strategy is simply to let your soggy dry fly drift submerged …
Continue reading "250: Strategies for Fishing the Film"
The post 250: Strategies for Fishing the Film appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fish pics are ubiquitous. Instagram has every angle of fish pic you can imagine. But there’s more to shoot when you’re on the river than just pictures of your big brown trout. In this episode, we offer up twelve tips to photograph your entire fly fishing experience. We begin the episode with what is perhaps …
Continue reading "249: Photographing Your Entire Fly Fishing Experience"
The post 249: Photographing Your Entire Fly Fishing Experience appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
If you’ve never felt the violent strike of a brown trout on a streamer, you haven’t really lived. In this guide to fly fishing with streamers, we interview Dave Kumlien, Montana outfitter and former fly shop owner, on a wide ranging topics related to fishing streamers. This truly is the complete guide to fly fishing …
Continue reading "248: The Complete Guide to Fly Fishing with Streamers – with Dave Kumlien"
The post 248: The Complete Guide to Fly Fishing with Streamers – with Dave Kumlien appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Salmo trutta tend to dominate wherever they live. Also known as brown trout, salmo trutta often push out brook trout – or at least push them upstream. Brown trout thrive in warmer waters. In this episode we regale each other with stories of catching large brown trout (our love relationship) and also discuss the downsides …
Continue reading "247: Our Love-Hate Relationship with Salmo Trutta"
The post 247: Our Love-Hate Relationship with Salmo Trutta appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
“Duh! How did I not know this after all these years?” There are so many aspects of fly fishing that simply escaped us during the first few years of fly fishing. Frankly, we’re still learning new hacks or tips that seem obvious in retrospect. In this episode we offer up the first seven hacks or …
Continue reading "246: 7 Under Explained Aspects of Fly Fishing, Part 1"
The post 246: 7 Under Explained Aspects of Fly Fishing, Part 1 appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing comfort in summer simply requires a few basic items of clothing. Certainly dry-fit clothing is at the top of the list. So is a water-resistant cap or hat. In this episode, we offer up our short list of basic summer wear. And we also reveal our deep disappointment that we may never be …
Continue reading "245: Summer Wearables for Fly Fishing Comfort"
The post 245: Summer Wearables for Fly Fishing Comfort appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Small creeks in Montana are plentiful and full of trout. While the big rivers get all the press, it’s the smaller freestone creeks where some of the best fishing is. We love to fly fish the small creeks of Montana. In this episode, we recount how we first fell in love with small creek fly …
Continue reading "244: Fly Fishing the Small Creeks of Montana"
The post 244: Fly Fishing the Small Creeks of Montana appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Midsummer fly fishing tips include taking a siesta in the middle of the day and trying your hand at catching trout with a size #22 Trico imitation. In this episode, we discuss a few of the changes that come when fishing in the dog days of summer. Be sure to add your midsummer fly fishing …
Continue reading "243: 7 Midsummer Fly Fishing Tips"
The post 243: 7 Midsummer Fly Fishing Tips appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Parents, both mothers and fathers, play an inordinate role in the belief systems and destiny of their children. This weekend is Father’s Day Weekend, and so we wanted to share the lessons from our fathers while hunting and fishing in the great outdoors. In this episode, we select three lessons each (six total) that our …
Continue reading "242: Outdoors Lessons from Our Fathers"
The post 242: Outdoors Lessons from Our Fathers appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Dry fly fishing is one of the great joys of the sport. One key element of success is where you cast your dry fly. It’s both art and skill. In this episode, we identify the eight places where you should cast your dry fly. None of this is new, but the episode is a good …
Continue reading "241: 8 Places to Cast Your Dry Fly"
The post 241: 8 Places to Cast Your Dry Fly appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Like all of life, fly fishing has become increasingly complex: Just try to sort through the dizzying array of fly fishing rods before you purchase your next one. In this episode, we discuss our aspirations to simplify our fly fishing experience. What might that look like for you? LISTEN NOW TO “SIMPLIFYING YOUR FLY FISHING …
Continue reading "240: Simplifying Your Fly Fishing Experience"
The post 240: Simplifying Your Fly Fishing Experience appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fishing a new creek or river for the first time is exciting. But there’s also an intrigue of fly fishing a familiar place, a stretch that you’ve fished for years. In this episode, we recount a recent fly fishing trip to a spring creek that we’ve fished many, many times. There’s an intrigue of fly …
Continue reading "239: The Intrigue of Fly Fishing a Familiar River"
The post 239: The Intrigue of Fly Fishing a Familiar River appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The best all around fly rod is up for debate. The answer is, of course, it depends. Many fly fishers have more than one rod, but if you had to choose, which would be the best all around fly rod? In this episode, we make a case for the nine-foot, five-weight or nine-foot six-weight rod …
Continue reading "238: Best All Around Fly Rod for Normal Folk"
The post 238: Best All Around Fly Rod for Normal Folk appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing success means different things to different people. For many of us, just a day on the river is success. In this episode, we identify six lists from our book “The Fly Fisher’s Book of Lists” and discuss their merits. One list that we discuss is “8 Adjustments to Make When Fishing Spring Creeks.” …
Continue reading "237: 6 Lists for Fly Fishing Success"
The post 237: 6 Lists for Fly Fishing Success appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Stalking trout is a basic concept of fly fishing, but yet it’s often not part of the curriculum of new fly fishers. In this episode we identify six practices for stalking trout and tell a few stories when we found success for our efforts. Stalking trout is especially important on smaller freestone rivers and spring …
Continue reading "236: 6 Practices for Stalking Trout"
The post 236: 6 Practices for Stalking Trout appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Flies that work anytime and anywhere are essential to your fly box. Yes, there may be some specialty flies that work only during specific hatches, but more often than not, the basics are pretty much all you need (most or at least much of the time). In this episode we discuss two dry flies, two …
Continue reading "235: Flies that Work Anytime and Anywhere"
The post 235: Flies that Work Anytime and Anywhere appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Your next fly fishing trip may seem like years away in this moment in history, but soon enough, it will be time to plan. In this episode we discuss four questions to help winnow your options to make the best decision about time of year for your next fly fishing trip. We also discuss our …
Continue reading "234: 4 Questions for Your Next Fly Fishing Trip"
The post 234: 4 Questions for Your Next Fly Fishing Trip appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Landing bigger fish is impossible if you simply try to rip in the fish like you would if you were spin fishing. In this episode we identify several tips that have helped us increase our catch rate when Moby Dick hits our streamer or nymph. One tip is a different mindset, which comes only after …
Continue reading "233: Tips for Landing Bigger Fish"
The post 233: Tips for Landing Bigger Fish appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fishing emergers during a hatch is as fundamental as it gets. And yet, most new fly fishers rarely hear about this approach early on. In this episode, we start off with a couple great stories from recent trips when the stars were aligned, and we hit a hatch perfectly. But the fish were not hitting …
Continue reading "232: Fishing Emergers during a Hatch"
The post 232: Fishing Emergers during a Hatch appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Soft river bottoms pose a unique risk to wade fishers. In this episode, Dave recounts a winter fly fishing experience in which he got stuck in the mud while trying to wade to a run. It was 31 degrees. Dave had no cell coverage. He had gotten wet. And his fly fishing partner was about …
Continue reading "231: The Wading Risk of Soft River Bottoms"
The post 231: The Wading Risk of Soft River Bottoms appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Safe wading is rarely the first thought on a fly fisher’s mind as he or she plans for a day on the river. It should be. In this episode, we interview Dave Kumlien, a Montana outfitter for 40 years, former fly shop owner, and coordinator of Trout Unlimited’s Veteran Service Partnership. We start out this …
Continue reading "230: Montana Outfitter Dave Kumlien on Safe Wading"
The post 230: Montana Outfitter Dave Kumlien on Safe Wading appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The hope of fly fishing is a day in the not too distant future when our fears have been suspended and we make our way upstream with only the next run on our mind. In this episode, we focus not on the present moment but days gone by when we endured hardship while also making …
Continue reading "229: The Hope of Fly Fishing in the Waiting"
The post 229: The Hope of Fly Fishing in the Waiting appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Friendship makes the outdoors better. At least that’s our perspective, given that our outdoors friendship has lasted four decades. In this episode, we discuss the makings of friendship and how certain kinds of competitiveness can prevent friendship from forming. We also discuss how “idle” friendships can be reinvigorated or restarted again. The old advertising line, …
Continue reading "228: The Makings of an Outdoors Friendship"
The post 228: The Makings of an Outdoors Friendship appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Yellowstone runners are the big brown and rainbow trout that move up from Hebgen Lake into Yellowstone National Park’s Madison River each fall. In this episode, we discuss Chester Allen’s delightful book, Yellowstone Runners: Chasing a dream fish in Yellowstone National Park during the Madison River’s Famous Fall Run. Allen is a terrific storyteller while …
Continue reading "227: A Conversation about Yellowstone Runners"
The post 227: A Conversation about Yellowstone Runners appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Every day on the river is the chance to grow in your understanding of how to fish. Every item of gear that you purchase gives you some information about what to buy (or not buy) the next time around. In this end-of-the-year episode, we offer up our top 10 fly fishing lessons from a year …
Continue reading "Episode 226: Top 10 Fly Fishing Lessons of the Year"
The post Episode 226: Top 10 Fly Fishing Lessons of the Year appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Late season fly fishing can be challenging for a variety of reasons. One is obviously weather. Another is that the hatches are over with the exception of midges or the ocasional baetis. You’re typically fishing nymphs or streamers. In this episode, we reflect on several trips in late fall and what we learned during this …
Continue reading "Episode 225: Late Season Fly Fishing"
The post Episode 225: Late Season Fly Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
All good things must come to an end, and this was the final day of our fly fishing trip in mid-September. Rain was in the forecast, so we hoped upon hope that there might be some baetis hatching on the Madison River at the mouth of Beartrap Canyon. Spoiler alert: There wasn’t a mayfly within …
Continue reading "Episode 224: One Fine Rainy Day on the Madison"
The post Episode 224: One Fine Rainy Day on the Madison appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
After two terrific days on the Yellowstone River, we changed it up a bit. We headed to the Boulder River, south of Big Timber, Montana. This is the third of four episodes from a recent fly fishing trip to Yellowstone Country in Montana and northern Wyoming. We decided to call this episode One Fine Strange …
Continue reading "Episode 223: One Fine Strange Day on the Boulder"
The post Episode 223: One Fine Strange Day on the Boulder appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Our second day on the Yellowstone this fall was even better than the first. This is the second of four episodes from a recent fly fishing trip to Yellowstone Country in Montana and northern Wyoming. After a terrific cloudy day on the Yellowstone, we had One Fine Sunny Day on the Yellowstone. There is nothing …
Continue reading "Episode 222: One Fine Sunny Day on the Yellowstone"
The post Episode 222: One Fine Sunny Day on the Yellowstone appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
We are not good at quitting. This is the first of four episodes from a recent fly fishing trip to Yellowstone Country in Montana and northern Wyoming. In August, after four wonderful years, we stopped publishing a weekly episode and writing a weekly article. We thought we were done. But then we had One Fine …
Continue reading "Episode 221: One Fine Cloudy Day on the Yellowstone"
The post Episode 221: One Fine Cloudy Day on the Yellowstone appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Every day of fly fishing has a beginning. And an end. There’s often a sense of sadness right before, and certainly, after the last run of the day. Not every “last run of the day” is packed with emotion, but we’ve had several experiences when the final moments of the day felt thick with meaning. …
Continue reading "S5:E12 The Last Run of the Day"
The post S5:E12 The Last Run of the Day appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishers gain confidence by fishing for brook trout. Brook trout are forgiving, and there’s nothing like an afternoon of catching 15 brook trout to increase one’s confidence. That’s only one of several strategies that we discuss to help newer fly fishers gain confidence. It’s easy to feel discouraged during a stretch of no fish. …
Continue reading "S5:E11 How Fly Fishers Gain Confidence"
The post S5:E11 How Fly Fishers Gain Confidence appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Strange sightings while fly fishing are part of the overall experience of the sport. In this episode, we recount watching a car float by while fishing the Yellowstone, a mink steal a duck from a nest, and a forest fire glow while on our way to fish Hebgen Lake. LISTEN NOW TO “STRANGE SIGHTINGS WHILE …
Continue reading "S5:E10 Strange Sightings While Fly Fishing"
The post S5:E10 Strange Sightings While Fly Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Trout lies are places in the river or stream where trout hang out. One of the most well-known lies is called the “feeding lie,” where trout sit in the current or pockets of water and grab insects or larger chunks of calories as they drift by. Often, a fly fisher can spot the feeding lie …
Continue reading "S5:E9 The Truth about Trout Lies"
The post S5:E9 The Truth about Trout Lies appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Hopper season is upon us. And from now until some time in early to mid-September, trout will be attacking grasshoppers that fall or are blown into the river. In this episode, we offer up an introductory conversation on fishing during hopper season, what to expect, and how to make the most of this most wonderful …
Continue reading "S5:E8 Fishing Hopper Season"
The post S5:E8 Fishing Hopper Season appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Animal encounters are a fact of life in the outdoors. We’ve discussed at length the precautions to take when fishing in grizzly country, but there are other types of encounters to avoid or at least to prepare for. In this episode, we discuss insects, birds, and even domestic cows. Animal encounters (and other kinds of …
Continue reading "S5:E7 Surviving Animal Encounters in the Outdoors"
The post S5:E7 Surviving Animal Encounters in the Outdoors appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing trips are not easy to plan well, especially if you are heading to a new place. Two factors unravel the best laid plans: weather and whether there is a bite on. Through the years, we’ve had to fight against the tyranny of Steve’s hyper-planning and the chaos of Dave’s “Let’s just see what …
Continue reading "S5:E6 Fly Fishing Trips – Planning vs. Flexibility"
The post S5:E6 Fly Fishing Trips – Planning vs. Flexibility appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fishing Rocky Mountain National Park is a different experience than is fishing the national parks in Montana for several reasons. One is that there are no grizzlies. Another is elevation: Fishing Rocky Mountain National Park is more demanding physically, simply because the lowest elevation to start hiking is around 7,800 feet. In this episode, we …
Continue reading "S5:E5 Fishing Rocky Mountain National Park"
The post S5:E5 Fishing Rocky Mountain National Park appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Lefty Kreh was actually both a lefty and a righty. One of the most beloved and popular American fly fishers, Lefty cast right handed, because he felt it was easier for the majority of folks (who were right handed) to watch him and learn. Lefty was an original. He was a World War 2 veteran …
Continue reading "S5:E4 Legends of Fly Fishing: Lefty Kreh"
The post S5:E4 Legends of Fly Fishing: Lefty Kreh appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Trout eat pretty much anything put in front of them, including their young. Much of fly fishing is focused on the insects, such mayflies, caddisflies, and stoneflies. But often trout are looking to consume a bigger chunk of calories. In this episode, we regale each other with stories of things we’ve heard trout eat. One …
Continue reading "S5:E3 Surprising Things Trout Eat"
The post S5:E3 Surprising Things Trout Eat appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fishing Yellowstone National Park is a one of life’s great thrills. There’s nothing like hearing the shrill bugle of an elk in the fall while casting a hopper into the Yellowstone in early September. In his book on great fishing spots in Yellowstone, Richard Parks, founder and owner of Parks Fly Shop in Gardiner, Montana, …
Continue reading "S5:E2 Fishing Yellowstone National Park"
The post S5:E2 Fishing Yellowstone National Park appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Traditions in the great outdoors are routines with meaning. It’s one thing to make a single memory with a fly fishing or hunting trip. But traditions in the great outdoors create multiple layers of memories that enrich and give joy to life. In this episode, Steve and Dave interview Dave’s father on his family’s traditions …
Continue reading "S5:E1 Memorable Traditions in the Great Outdoors"
The post S5:E1 Memorable Traditions in the Great Outdoors appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Steve is the restless wanderer when he is out on the water. He makes a few casts in a run and then skips ahead to the next. He moves on. On a recent trip to the Minnesota Driftless, Steve spent almost the entire two days of fishing in one fine run. In this final episode …
Continue reading "S4:E52 One Fine Day on One Fine Run"
The post S4:E52 One Fine Day on One Fine Run appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
You can’t make this stuff up – that’s a common expression after seeing or experiencing something unusual. On a recent fly fishing trip, we collected several strange moments that in aggregate made the trip one to remember. Steve had some apologizing to do after this trip. LISTEN NOW TO CRAZY MOMENTS FROM A RECENT FLY …
Continue reading "S4:E51 Crazy Moments from a Recent Fly Fishing Trip"
The post S4:E51 Crazy Moments from a Recent Fly Fishing Trip appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Buying a fly fishing rod should be easier than it is. It’s certainly easier to buy your second or third rod than it is your first. If you are purchasing your first rod, the brands and options are endless. In this episode, we attempt to cut out much of the noise on fly rods – …
Continue reading "S4:E50 Basics of Buying a Fly Fishing Rod"
The post S4:E50 Basics of Buying a Fly Fishing Rod appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fishing where grizzlies and mountain lions live requires a heightened level of vigilance. It seems as if there have been more reports of mountain lion attacks the past year or two than in recent memory. Not long ago, a runner in Colorado was attacked by a young mountain lion while trail running west of Fort …
Continue reading "S4:E49 Fishing Where Grizzlies and Mountain Lions Live"
The post S4:E49 Fishing Where Grizzlies and Mountain Lions Live appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Landing larger trout takes a different skill set than what most of us practice on a regular basis. It takes a different set of chops to net a 22-inch rainbow than it does to rip out a 10-inch brook trout. Most of us have lots of experience landing smaller fish and rare opportunities of landing …
Continue reading "S4:E48 Landing Larger Trout"
The post S4:E48 Landing Larger Trout appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Joe Brooks was one of America’s greatest sportsman, and his contribution to the rise of fly fishing in America, including the conservation of our fisheries, is unparalleled. With this episode, we start a new series called “Legends of Fly Fishing,” in which we profile some of the great contributors to our sport. First up is …
Continue reading "S4:E47 Legends of Fly Fishing: Joe Brooks"
The post S4:E47 Legends of Fly Fishing: Joe Brooks appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
You arrive first on the river. You have a couple miles of river to fish by yourself. The day is slightly overcast. Fishing reports have been fantastic. This is the day. You fish the first run. Nothing. Then the next. Nothing. You switch to streamers. Nothing. Then to nymphs. Nothing. Three hours later, you’ve had …
Continue reading "S4:E46 Fishing When Nothing Is Working"
The post S4:E46 Fishing When Nothing Is Working appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Scant attention is paid to fly care and presentation. So much of the focus is on fly rods, reels, waders, boots – and every other fly fishing gadget known to humankind. But without the fly itself, there is no catching. In this episode, we concoct a list of aphorisms – short witty statements about how …
Continue reading "S4:E45 Fly Care and Presentation"
The post S4:E45 Fly Care and Presentation appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing tends to move from simplicity to complexity. You start out learning to cast. And you have one fly rod. You pick up a couple of attractor patterns. And you have one fly box. You purchase a vest, waders, and wading boots. And head to the river. Over time, however, you wind up with …
Continue reading "S4:E44 Simplifying Your Fly Fishing Experience"
The post S4:E44 Simplifying Your Fly Fishing Experience appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Spring dry fly fishing is one of the most delightful stretches of the fly fishing year. While there are other hatches, the two most dominant in most streams and rivers, of course, are Blue Winged Olives (BWOs) and Caddis. In this episode, we discuss patterns that we like, the use of an emerger with a …
Continue reading "S4:E43 Spring Dry Fly Fishing"
The post S4:E43 Spring Dry Fly Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
It was a great day for skiing in late winter – a fresh foot of powder blanketed the landscape. But we were fishing. Recently, we got up before dawn and drove almost four hours to fish for a few hours on a stretch of the Blue River west of Madison, Wisconsin. The snow was fresh, …
Continue reading "S4:E42 One Fine Winter Day on the Blue"
The post S4:E42 One Fine Winter Day on the Blue appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing is truly global, if for no other reason than most fly fishing products are created or assembled in other parts of the world. In this episode, we interview Peter Stitcher, who, along with his wife Jessica, is the co-founder of Ascent Fly Fishing in the Denver area. Peter designed his company with purpose, …
Continue reading "S4:E41 Fair Labor Practices for Fly Fishing Products"
The post S4:E41 Fair Labor Practices for Fly Fishing Products appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
If we had it to do over again, we’d do a few things differently. In this episode, we ask the question, “What would we tell our 20-year-old fly fishing selves?” One answer is that we’d have spent fewer years as do-it-your-selvers. That is, we’d have pursued more fly fishing instruction in our 20s. We’d be …
Continue reading "S4:E40 What We’d Tell Our 20-Year-Old Fly Fishing Selves"
The post S4:E40 What We’d Tell Our 20-Year-Old Fly Fishing Selves appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
For many fly fishers, fishing is more than the simple act of catching a fish. It’s not merely the transaction of hooking and landing a trout or salmon or bonefish. In this episode, we reflect on several quotes from Nick Lyon’s wonderful book, “Spring Creek.” The world of fly fishing has a few things to …
Continue reading "S4:E39 Nick Lyons, Fly Fishing and the Good Life"
The post S4:E39 Nick Lyons, Fly Fishing and the Good Life appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing wading boots are the undisputed, most important safety purchase you’ll make for the sport. There are felt soles, rubber soles, rubber soles with studs, and rubber soles with aluminum bars. In this episode, we discuss our philosophy of wading boots, given the number of days we fish each year – and make a …
Continue reading "S4:E38 Our Simple Guide to Fly Fishing Wading Boots"
The post S4:E38 Our Simple Guide to Fly Fishing Wading Boots appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Spring is no where to be seen in the Chicago area. Winter is still roaring like a lion. If spring comes in like a lion as well, then we’re toast. But at least the days are getting longer, and inevitably, spring fly fishing will be in full swing. In this episode, we interview Peter Stitcher, …
Continue reading "S4:E37 Peter Stitcher on Spring Fly Fishing"
The post S4:E37 Peter Stitcher on Spring Fly Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Trout Unlimited is a distributed army of passionate conservationists, united by the mission to save the coldwater fisheries of North America. Recently, the Lee Wulff Trout Unlimited chapter invited us to share the story of 2 Guys and a River at one of their monthly meetings. This episode is an edited version of that wonderful …
Continue reading "S4:E36 Live at the Lee Wulff TU Chapter"
The post S4:E36 Live at the Lee Wulff TU Chapter appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The best fly fishing advice comes in bits and pieces over a long period of time. One accrues advice. In this episode, the second in a series, we offer up some some bits of fly fishing advice that has helped us catch more fish. Some of this will be obvious to many of you, but …
Continue reading "S4:E35 Best Fly Fishing Advice, Part 2"
The post S4:E35 Best Fly Fishing Advice, Part 2 appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Steve has fished in Alaska, but other than that, neither of us has gone on a fly fishing trip outside North America. We’ve recently been wondering if it is time. But where to start? We decided to interview Toby Swank, who owns one of the premier fly fishing shops in Bozeman, Montana, and has conducted …
Continue reading "S4:E34 Taking an Exotic Fly Fishing Trip"
The post S4:E34 Taking an Exotic Fly Fishing Trip appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing goals may seem like a bit of overkill when thinking about the new year. But life often crowds out the good, so setting some fly fishing goals helps us focus on what, truly, is most important. In this episode, we discuss our goals for 2019, which includes more time on the water (with …
Continue reading "S4:E33 Setting Fly Fishing Goals for the New Year"
The post S4:E33 Setting Fly Fishing Goals for the New Year appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Success on the river comes in part from knowing your river. There’s an intimacy that forms between the fisher and the river: You know the primary runs on the stretch you fish and the lies where the fish hang out and the time of year it fishes best. In this episode, we offer seven questions …
Continue reading "S4:E32 7 Questions for Knowing Your River"
The post S4:E32 7 Questions for Knowing Your River appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Our most-read post on this site is the one Steve wrote on “The 10 Commandments of Wading.” Using the phrase “wading commandments” is a good way to talk about a subject that carries with it the great risk of the sport. In this episode, we revisit each of the ten commandments, adding in comments from …
Continue reading "S4:31 Wading Commandments Revisited"
The post S4:31 Wading Commandments Revisited appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Have you ever had one of those days on the river that transported you to a different dimension? Not every day of fly fishing is a day of mystique, but through the years, we’ve had special moments that are burned into our memory. It’s not merely about catching lots of fish or hooking into a …
Continue reading "S4:E30 Days of Mystique on the River"
The post S4:E30 Days of Mystique on the River appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
A day on the river always comes with a series of decisions that can make or break your fly fishing day. In this episode, we identify a few of those and discuss how we go about moving from decision to decision. For example, one nagging question is, “How quickly should I move to something else …
Continue reading "S4:E29 Decisions that Make or Break Your Fly Fishing Day"
The post S4:E29 Decisions that Make or Break Your Fly Fishing Day appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The East Gallatin River would look like a piece of ribbon candy, if you viewed it from a drone. It’s a slow moving creek that for the most part runs through private property north of Bozeman, Montana. One fall day, Steve found himself in the middle of a BWO hatch. In this episode, Dave interviews …
Continue reading "S4:E28 One Fine Day on the East Gallatin River"
The post S4:E28 One Fine Day on the East Gallatin River appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The best fly fishing advice often comes with a small dose of humiliation. Or at least with a palm to the forehead, “Duh!” That’s how we felt when a guide recently said to us, “Why are you trying to cast harder into the wind. It won’t improve your distance. Your mechanics need to be the …
Continue reading "S4:E27 Best Fly Fishing Advice, Part 1"
The post S4:E27 Best Fly Fishing Advice, Part 1 appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing burnout seems like a malady for someone with too much time on his or her hands. But there can be too much of a good thing. Some have taken time away from the sport, others have stopped fly fishing altogether. In this episode, we grapple with the topic and try to frame the …
Continue reading "S4:E26 Avoiding Fly Fishing Burnout"
The post S4:E26 Avoiding Fly Fishing Burnout appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Catch and release fly fishing has been around for more than a half century. In recent years, there has been a renewed push for fish survival with the Keep ‘Em Wet movement (#keepemwet), the idea being to make sure the fish stays wet the entire time it’s out of water. In this episode, we interview …
Continue reading "S4:E25 The Angling Interval: Key to Fish Survival"
The post S4:E25 The Angling Interval: Key to Fish Survival appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Protecting your fly rod is as simple as obeying this rule: “Slow down!” We’ve lost rods, stepped on rods, and broke other fly fisher’s rods. In this episode, we step back to offer up some “Don’t be like us” tips – to help you protect your investment. Just a modicum of thought goes a long …
Continue reading "S4:E24 Protecting Your Fly Rod"
The post S4:E24 Protecting Your Fly Rod appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Quake Lake was formed in 1959 when an earthquake triggered the collapse of a side of a mountain. The mountain fell into the Madison River, creating a natural dam. This fall, we fished Quake Lake near West Yellowstone, both for the first time. In this episode, we reflect on the experience, describing the emotion of …
Continue reading "S4:E23 One Fine Day on Quake Lake"
The post S4:E23 One Fine Day on Quake Lake appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Is fly fishing truly a hobby for you? We recently read a New York Times column called “In Praise of Mediocrity,” which ripped on America’s fascination with turning every hobby into a “pursuit of excellence.” We fish less than 25 days a year; we’re not professionals. So how good should an amateur get? How should …
Continue reading "S4:E22 Are You Too Serious about Fly Fishing?"
The post S4:E22 Are You Too Serious about Fly Fishing? appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
You’ve read all about all the wonderful places to see or things to do the next time you visit Yellowstone National Park: Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Fall, Yellowstone Lake – just to name a few. This episode, though, is all about the dont’s – what NOT to do the next time you enter …
Continue reading "S4:E21 Top 10 Dont’s When Visiting Yellowstone National Park"
The post S4:E21 Top 10 Dont’s When Visiting Yellowstone National Park appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
At the request of our listeners, we’ve now published an episode on euro nymphing. Our take is a bit different. Instead of interviewing an expert, Steve interviewed someone who is clearly a non-expert – Dave. In the last six months, Dave picked up euro nymphing on his own, watching videos, reading books, and fumbling with …
Continue reading "S4:E20 How to Learn the Basics of Euro Nymphing"
The post S4:E20 How to Learn the Basics of Euro Nymphing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Bigger fish on streamers is common promise. Often you hear, “If you want to catch bigger fish, throw on a streamer. Yet fly fishing with streamers is not popular among many fly fishers. In this episode, we interview Dave Kumlien, who has been a fly fishing guide for forty years, owned a successful fly shop …
Continue reading "S4:E19 Catching More and Bigger Fish with Streamers"
The post S4:E19 Catching More and Bigger Fish with Streamers appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
When starting out in the sport, most fly fishers struggle to build skills in all the areas required for success: casting, reading waters, grasping a cursory understanding of entomology, and simply identifying places to fish. It’s a fire hose of information, knowledge, and skill. In this episode, we focus on a different set of problems …
Continue reading "S4:E18 Overcoming a Fly Fishing Plateau"
The post S4:E18 Overcoming a Fly Fishing Plateau appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The fly fishing universe is filled with mysteries. One deep, unsolvable mystery is how few calories a day of fishing burns relative to the large amount of calories consumed at the Supper Club or steak house later in the day. The mysteries are dense. Virtually impenetrable. But in this episode, we peer behind the curtain, …
Continue reading "S4:E17 Mysteries of the Fly Fishing Universe, Part 3"
The post S4:E17 Mysteries of the Fly Fishing Universe, Part 3 appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Planning a memorable fly fishing trip is pretty easy if you do a few things right. There are factors that you can control, of course, and then there is the weather – and whether the fish are in the mood. In this episode, we lift the veil on our do-it-yourself fishing trips. Which is probably …
Continue reading "S4:E16 How to Plan a Memorable Fly Fishing Trip"
The post S4:E16 How to Plan a Memorable Fly Fishing Trip appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly box chaos is real. You start out nice and organized, with pretty little rows, and then the Law of Entropy kicks in. Next thing you know, your fly box looks like a tossed salad. In this episode, we interview Peter Stitcher, with Ascent Fly Fishing. Peter has come up with a simple but biologically …
Continue reading "S4:E15 Organizing Your Fly Box Chaos"
The post S4:E15 Organizing Your Fly Box Chaos appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
What fishing does for our day job is more than just relieve stress. That’s important, of course. But fly fishing is about something bigger, or maybe deeper. While both of us would love to fish more days each year, we certainly don’t wish we could fly fish full-time as professionals (and certainly not possible, given …
Continue reading "S4:E14 What Fly Fishing Does for Our Day Job"
The post S4:E14 What Fly Fishing Does for Our Day Job appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
No where are there more pictures of fly fishers handling and photographing fish than on Instagram. Everyone has a unique angle on the fish – close up, far away, underwater, one-handed, two-handed – and a thousand other ways. How should a fly fisher who expects to release the fish handle the fish? How long should …
Continue reading "S4:E13 Properly Handling and Photographing Fish"
The post S4:E13 Properly Handling and Photographing Fish appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fishing in snake country is pretty much inevitable. Rattlesnakes and copperheads, just to name two venomous snakes, pose a risk to fly fishers, depending on where you live, in late spring, summer, and early fall. In this episode, we recount a harrowing tale of a fly fisher in the eastern United States, bitten by a …
Continue reading "S4:E12 Fly Fishing in Snake Country"
The post S4:E12 Fly Fishing in Snake Country appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Wild salmon have gone missing in the United Kingdom. For every 100 salmon that leave the rivers of the UK for the sea, less than five return. That is a decline of nearly 70% in just 25 years! In this episode, we interview Mark Bilsby, CEO of the Atlantic Salmon Trust. He oversees The Missing …
Continue reading "S4:E11 The Missing Salmon Project"
The post S4:E11 The Missing Salmon Project appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Dry fly fishing lessons happen when you, well, fish with dry flies. This summer, both of us got away to fish while on trips to the West, caught some nice fish, and relearned a few basic lessons. In this episode, we identify a handful of practical takeaways from our summer, including, “fish early and late” …
Continue reading "S4:S10 Summer Dry Fly Fishing Lessons"
The post S4:S10 Summer Dry Fly Fishing Lessons appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Drift boat fly fishing is often the first experience that someone has with fly fishing. The experience can ignite a passion for the sport. In this episode, we recall our first drift boat experiences as well as debacles. It’s definitely a unique challenge to cast and mend while moving at the speed of the river. …
Continue reading "S4:E9 Drift Boat Fly Fishing"
The post S4:E9 Drift Boat Fly Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The fly rod is the foundational element of gear for a fly fisher. If you have one fly rod, you need two. And if you have two, you definitely need two more. We love fly rods, and in this episode, we drill down into what we use and why. This is all about gear talk. …
Continue reading "S4:E8 For the Love of Fly Rods"
The post S4:E8 For the Love of Fly Rods appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The outdoors and the good life are synonymous. And Ernest Hemingway embodied the good life, with his exotic safaris, hunting in Idaho, and fishing in Cuba. He prefigured many of the great fly fishing personalities, such as Lee Wulff, Joan Wulff, and Bud Lilly. In this episode, we reflect on the life of Hemingway, one …
Continue reading "S4:E7 Hemingway, the Outdoors, and the Good Life"
The post S4:E7 Hemingway, the Outdoors, and the Good Life appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
In this episode on dry fly dropper rigs, Steve and Dave discuss their favorites and how and when they use dry fly dropper rigs. Once you start using a dropper with a dry fly, you'll never go back.
The post S4:E6 Our Favorite Dry Fly Dropper Rigs appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Life in the great outdoors is one big mystery. This is our second installment of fly fishing mysteries, and in this episode, we discuss some deep ones, such as: Why do fly fishers wear chest waders on 85-degree days? Why do you always need to replace expensive gear during an expensive fly fishing trip? In …
Continue reading "S4:E5 Mysteries of the Fly Fishing Universe, Part 2"
The post S4:E5 Mysteries of the Fly Fishing Universe, Part 2 appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing on a family vacation is a nice idea in theory but often impractical in reality. Often, you simply make the family unhappy with you. In this fun episode, we regale each other with family vacations gone awry and offer a few practical ideas for fly fishing on a family vacation. You may want …
Continue reading "S4:E4 Fly Fishing on a Family Vacation"
The post S4:E4 Fly Fishing on a Family Vacation appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing rules include using light tackle to catch more educated fish, avoiding bright sunny days, and switching to nymphs when nothing is rising. There’s a lot of conventional fly fishing wisdom that works much of the time. But sometimes the wisdom is more a general guideline than a deep unalterable truth. In this episode, …
Continue reading "S4:E3 Fly Fishing Rules Made to Be Broken"
The post S4:E3 Fly Fishing Rules Made to Be Broken appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Nymph fishing tips from us are one thing. Nymph fishing tips from the true experts – you, our listeners – are quite another. The best part of publishing our podcast is all the wisdom from our listeners who post comments on this site or on Facebook. In this episode, we identify a handful or so …
Continue reading "S4:E2 Nymph Fishing Tips from Our Listeners"
The post S4:E2 Nymph Fishing Tips from Our Listeners appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Never has there been a better time to be a new fly fisher. The only word is “more”: more gear, more videos, more podcasts, more articles, more fly fishing shows, more YouTube channels, and more exotic fish to catch on a fly rod – than ever before. In this first episode of Season 4, we …
Continue reading "S4:E1 6 Fly Fishing Trends Shaping Our Sport"
The post S4:E1 6 Fly Fishing Trends Shaping Our Sport appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Every stream has its honey hole, the pool or run that consistently produces. But things change. The river changes: a heavy snowpack and then a spring blowout or maybe even a drought. And your honey hole disappears. Gone forever. We’ve lost a few honey holes through the years, and the disappointment is real. In this …
Continue reading "S3:E52 When Your Honey Hole Disappears"
The post S3:E52 When Your Honey Hole Disappears appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
What is fishing without the eating? No matter the luck on the river, we always wind up as two hungry fly fishers, looking to regale each other at a Wisconsin supper club or Montana bar and grill. This episode will definitely not help you catch more fish. But it just might motivate you to take …
Continue reading "S3:E51 Diners, Dives and Two Hungry Fly Fishers"
The post S3:E51 Diners, Dives and Two Hungry Fly Fishers appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Nelson’s Spring Creek flows from the hills of Paradise Valley, just south of Livingston, Montana, and into the Yellowstone River. It’s only miles away from DePuy and Armstrong spring creeks, two other amazing fisheries, but Nelson’s is something extra special. In this episode, Dave interviews Steve about one fine day on Nelson’s Spring Creek. Since …
Continue reading "S3:E50 One Fine Day on Nelson’s Spring Creek"
The post S3:E50 One Fine Day on Nelson’s Spring Creek appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The Fly Fishing Universe is vast and filled with dark, unsolvable mysteries. One such mystery is, “Why are there no insect hatches on a perfectly overcast day in early spring when just the day before the caddis were coming off like a plague?” It’s a mystery. Just one of the great mysteries. In this hilarious …
Continue reading "S3:E49 Mysteries of the Fly Fishing Universe, Part 1"
The post S3:E49 Mysteries of the Fly Fishing Universe, Part 1 appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing safely is harder than it sounds, For sure, fishing is no extreme sport. Recently, however, while we were fishing in Yellowstone National Park, two fly fishers were attacked by a grizzly – just a drainage system over from us. Besides bears, there are other risks, of course, such as lightning. In this episode, …
Continue reading "S3:E48 Fly Fishing Safely in the Summer"
The post S3:E48 Fly Fishing Safely in the Summer appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fishing for spring spawners on Montana’s Madison River needs to be on your bucket list. There several stretches of the Madison – the Lower, the Upper, and, among others, the stretch between Hebgen and Quake Lakes. Each part of the Madison is unique. In this episode, we continue our “One Fine Day” series by telling …
Continue reading "S3:E47 One Fine Day on the Madison at Bear Trap Canyon"
The post S3:E47 One Fine Day on the Madison at Bear Trap Canyon appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Some of you fish alone all or most of the time. We don’t. We probably fish five or six days with someone (often together) for every one day we fish alone. And yet both of us enjoy the days alone on the river. In this episode, we reflect on what makes fishing alone so different …
Continue reading "S3:E46 Why We Like to Fish Alone"
The post S3:E46 Why We Like to Fish Alone appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fishing guides are the hardest working folks in the fishing industry. Each year, we budget one guided day on the river, most often float trips, though last year we did a wade trip on the Madison. We’ve accumulated a modicum of experience with fly fishing guides. And we’ve learned a ton about how to fish. …
Continue reading "S3:E45 What Fishing Guides Have Taught Us about Ourselves"
The post S3:E45 What Fishing Guides Have Taught Us about Ourselves appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Spring fly fishing is in full swing, though the weather still feels like winter in many parts of the United States, certainly in the northern states. Weather is certainly one variable in spring fly fishing, but there are others that affect the kind of day you’ll have on the water. In this episode, we identify …
Continue reading "S3:E44 The Variables of Spring Fly Fishing"
The post S3:E44 The Variables of Spring Fly Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Hebgen and Quake Lakes in southwestern Montana bookend a short ribbon of the Madison River that is well known for its big rainbows in late March to mid April. In this episode, we recall one fine day on this stretch of the Madison, our first fly fishing trip together after college. Steve tells the story …
Continue reading "S3:E43 One Fine Day between Hebgen and Quake Lakes"
The post S3:E43 One Fine Day between Hebgen and Quake Lakes appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Frustration almost always sets in when the same tactics yield the same results. If you fish only once or twice a year with a guide or outfitter, improving your fly fishing game doesn’t really matter much. But if you take fly fishing with even a modicum of seriousness, you know the importance of making small …
Continue reading "S3:E42 Adjustments to Improve Your Fly Fishing Game"
The post S3:E42 Adjustments to Improve Your Fly Fishing Game appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The fly fishing industry today is a mature industry with a thousand niches, such as salt water fishing, Tenkara, even fly fishing for carp. Before fly fishing’s emergence into the conscience of popular culture came the trailblazers, such as Lee Wulff, Joan Wulff, Lefty Kreh (who passed away recently), and, among many others, Bud Lilly. …
Continue reading "S3:E41 Legends of Fly Fishing: Bud Lilly"
The post S3:E41 Legends of Fly Fishing: Bud Lilly appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing gear can last a long time, if well cared for. Steve just retired a pair of 20-year-old waders. Of course, he isn’t fishing 50 days a year, but just a modicum of care can prolong the end of fly rods, reels, waders, nets, and boots. In this episode, we offer up some simple …
Continue reading "S3:E40 Extending the Life of Your Fly Fishing Gear"
The post S3:E40 Extending the Life of Your Fly Fishing Gear appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Harrison Flats is not listed on the trail head as you walk into the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness in Colorado. The trail ends about a mile below the lake, so finding it is cause for celebration. In this episode, Steve interviews Dave about finding and fishing this pristine high mountain lake that sits above the timberline. …
Continue reading "S3:E39 One Fine Day in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness"
The post S3:E39 One Fine Day in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing for brookies is one of the great joys of life. In this episode, we regale each other with stories of fly fishing for brookies and also discuss a study from the Minnesota DNR about whether brown trout are crowding out the native brook trout population in the Driftless. We wrap up our conversation …
Continue reading "S3:E38 Fly Fishing for Brookies"
The post S3:E38 Fly Fishing for Brookies appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Life gets in the way of fishing more than we’d like. We’ve had stretches during which we’ve fished little, and stretches that were full of days on the river. Life often gets in the way of doing what we love most. In this episode, we identify the big life obstacles to fishing and some ways …
Continue reading "S3:E37 When Life Gets in the Way of Fishing"
The post S3:E37 When Life Gets in the Way of Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing off color water is pretty much standard fare in the spring. We all fish different kinds of waters – freestone rivers, spring creeks, or tail waters – but when the water muddies up, it’s time to tweak our approach. In this episode, we discuss some practical adjustments to increase the odds of catching …
Continue reading "S3:E36 Fly Fishing Off Color Water"
The post S3:E36 Fly Fishing Off Color Water appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Big brown trout are in reality river sharks, as biologists have noted. Brown trout in general also tend take over rivers and streams. Biologists surmise they feast on other trout like cutthroat and small fish. In this episode, we discuss a report in Hatch Magazine about what biologists discovered in the stomachs of brown trout. …
Continue reading "S3:E35 What the Big Brown Trout Had for Lunch"
The post S3:E35 What the Big Brown Trout Had for Lunch appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Mayflies are an important food source of trout. The short happy life of a mayfly is about a year – and all but roughly a day or so of its life are spent rolling around the bottom of the river. Their few hours as adults are mostly spent in a mating frenzy, after which the …
Continue reading "S3:E34 The Short Happy Life of a Mayfly"
The post S3:E34 The Short Happy Life of a Mayfly appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Learning to fly fish is the worthy pursuit of a lifetime. But the first couple years, depending on how often you fish, can be frustrating. You think it’s about casting, but that’s not even a fraction of what you need to learn to catch fish consistently. In this episode, we interview Steve’s two sons about …
Continue reading "S3:E33 The Roller Coaster of Learning to Fly Fish"
The post S3:E33 The Roller Coaster of Learning to Fly Fish appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Making small adjustments on the river is the secret sauce to better days on the river. No one ever tells a new fly fisher that the three attractor patterns in his or her fly box won’t work every time out. Sooner or later, we all learn that fly fishing is all about a thousand adjustments. …
Continue reading "S3:E32 The Art of Making Small Adjustments on the River"
The post S3:E32 The Art of Making Small Adjustments on the River appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Parenting kids to love the outdoors is easier said than done. It requires intentionality, patience and flexibility. In this first-of-its-kind episode (for us), we invited several of our kids to ask them about our “outstanding” job of helping them develop a love for the outdoors. Joining us for this episode are Steve’s two boys, Ben …
Continue reading "S3:E31 Parenting Kids to Love the Outdoors"
The post S3:E31 Parenting Kids to Love the Outdoors appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Your strike indicator gives off some important signals, the most obvious being whether a fish is working your nymph. In this episode for newer fly fishers, we discuss the various kinds of strike indicators – and how to read whether your nymphs are down far enough in the feeding zone. Nymph fishing is a high-interest …
Continue reading "S3:E30 What Your Strike Indicator Tells You"
The post S3:E30 What Your Strike Indicator Tells You appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing reflections are a good way to begin planning for the new year. In this episode, we look back on 2017 and discuss its lowlights and highlights. We both want to fish more days in 2018, improve a couple areas of our fly fishing craft, and, hopefully, catch more fish. Life really is short. …
Continue reading "S3:E29 2017 Fly Fishing Reflections"
The post S3:E29 2017 Fly Fishing Reflections appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing exile is when you wished you lived closer to the big rivers. Steve moved from Bozeman, Montana, to the Chicago area more than ten years ago. And Dave moved from Colorado to the Chicago area more than 25 years ago. We’ve grieved the loss of close proximity to blue-ribbon waters. Now, we’re not …
Continue reading "S3:E28 Living in Fly Fishing Exile"
The post S3:E28 Living in Fly Fishing Exile appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing shows are not our expertise. We’ve been to a grand total of one in the last five years. We needed an expert, and so we called on Matthew Lourdeau, a fly fishing blogger and fly fishing show frequenter. Matthew lives on the east coast, and in this episode on fly fishing shows we …
Continue reading "S3:E27 Matthew Lourdeau @castingacross on Fly Fishing Shows"
The post S3:E27 Matthew Lourdeau @castingacross on Fly Fishing Shows appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Baker’s Hole is a bucket-list stretch of the Madison River near the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Baker’s Hole Campground is located approximately three miles north of West Yellowstone, Montana, and in the fall, Hebgen Lake rainbows move up the Madison River to spawn. The stretch that winds near the campground features several deep …
Continue reading "S3:E26 One Fine Day on the Madison at Baker’s Hole"
The post S3:E26 One Fine Day on the Madison at Baker’s Hole appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The best part of any fly fishing trip is often the exceptional people you meet. Yes, we like to catch fish, but often what gives the trip color and creates great memories are the unexpected conversations. In this episode we identify five exceptional and one unexceptional conversations from a recent trip to Montana. Listen now …
Continue reading "S3:E25 The Exceptional People You Meet While Fishing"
The post S3:E25 The Exceptional People You Meet While Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Yellowstone National Park is no doubt our happy place. It’s one of our favorite places to fish, especially in the fall. This fall we fished the Yellowstone and Gardner near the north entrance of Yellowstone Park as well as the Madison River near West Yellowstone. In this episode, we recall one fine day on the …
Continue reading "S3:E24 One Fine Fall Day in Yellowstone National Park"
The post S3:E24 One Fine Fall Day in Yellowstone National Park appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Laughter really is the best medicine when your best laid fishing plans go sideways. Or when you snap off the tip of your fly rod on the first day of your fly fishing trip. Or when your partner’s lack of planning almost ruins the first day of your fly fishing trip (let’s just say it’s …
Continue reading "S3:E23 Laughter Really Is the Best Medicine When Fly Fishing"
The post S3:E23 Laughter Really Is the Best Medicine When Fly Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing solo can be confusing when you’re first starting out, especially if all you’ve ever done is guided float trips. Making the transition is not a snap for everyone. Many folks take a guided float trip and never make the time to learn the sport. In this episode, we identify several ways to make …
Continue reading "S3:E22 From Guided Float Trips to Fly Fishing Solo"
The post S3:E22 From Guided Float Trips to Fly Fishing Solo appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Best overall fly rod – it’s not a debate for the ages, but it’s important to new fly fishers. You probably are not going to purchase two fly rods out of the gate. In this episode, we sort out a few key issues and discuss how we approach fly rod length and line weight. Listen …
Continue reading "S3:E21 Which is the Best Overall Fly Rod?"
The post S3:E21 Which is the Best Overall Fly Rod? appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Brown trout fishing is everywhere, mostly because the browns have taken over the American waters. Brought over to America in the 1800s, this European specie has thrived globally, even pushing out some native trout in the process. In this episode, we give a brief overview of this beauty, tell a few stories, and offer a …
Continue reading "S3:E20 The Wonders of Brown Trout Fishing"
The post S3:E20 The Wonders of Brown Trout Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Buying fly fishing gear is not merely about catching more fish. For some, it’s more like a shopping or hoarding addiction. For others it’s about status. For each of us, purchasing new fly fishing gear means something slightly different. This week, we discuss some of our recent purchases, what we plan to buy next, and …
Continue reading "S3:E19 Buying Fly Fishing Gear for That Next Trip"
The post S3:E19 Buying Fly Fishing Gear for That Next Trip appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Barriers to fly fishing more include season of life, health, beginner frustration, finances, and many others. In this episode, we identify five common barriers and discuss how we can overcome them and get out on the water more often. So much of what keeps many from fly fishing more boils down to a question: Is …
Continue reading "S3:E18 Overcoming the 5 Barriers to Fly Fishing More"
The post S3:E18 Overcoming the 5 Barriers to Fly Fishing More appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Elk Creek flows out of the Scapegoat Wilderness west of Great Falls, Montana. It’s one of thousands – small-creek fisheries in Montana filled with various combinations of browns, rainbows, brook trout, and even some cutthroat. In this episode, we walk down memory lane from a day more than 36 years ago. It was surely a …
Continue reading "S3:E17 One Fine Day on Elk Creek near Augusta, Montana"
The post S3:E17 One Fine Day on Elk Creek near Augusta, Montana appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Dry fly fishing lessons are best learned by doing – not by reading or in a classroom. This summer, we had some great days on the river catching brookies and browns on dry flies. We also learned a few things. Click now to hear some of the lessons we had to relearn as we fished …
Continue reading "S3:E16 Dry Fly Fishing Lessons from the Summer"
The post S3:E16 Dry Fly Fishing Lessons from the Summer appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
You can’t fix stupid is one of the all-time great phrases about how humans can behave in public. It’s also true in the great outdoors. “You can’t fix stupid” also applies to us. We’ve not been the most brilliant at times. Click now to listen to some stupid things we’ve seen others do in the …
Continue reading "S3:E15 You Can’t Fix Stupid Outdoor Behavior"
The post S3:E15 You Can’t Fix Stupid Outdoor Behavior appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Nymph fishing is arguably the most productive way to catch more fish and bigger fish. We use the word “arguably” because slinging streamers is a close second. In this interview with fly fishing guide Glen Zarboni, we discuss what makes a great fly fishing guide as well as euro-nymphing – a unique style of nymph …
Continue reading "S3:E14 Fly Fishing Guide Glen Zarboni on Nymph Fishing"
The post S3:E14 Fly Fishing Guide Glen Zarboni on Nymph Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fall fly fishing is here. Truthfully, it’s our favorite time of year to fish. The transition from summer to fall to winter means Friday night lights, elk bugling, and cool nights. The browns stack up in the redds, in October, and the streamer bite is on many mornings. Click on “The Mystique of Fall Fly …
Continue reading "S3:E13 The Mystique of Fall Fly Fishing"
The post S3:E13 The Mystique of Fall Fly Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing grizzly country should evoke a small amount of anxiety. Surprising a sow at her cubs while making your way along the trail to get to the river is no way to begin the day. In this episode, we discuss the 50-year-old events of the night of the grizzlies in Glacier National Park and …
Continue reading "S3:E12 Fly Fishing Grizzly Country"
The post S3:E12 Fly Fishing Grizzly Country appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Little Jordan is a tiny stream that flows through a junky farmyard in southeastern Minnesota. We had our doubts about fishing the stream. We had read about the Little Jordan in Bob Trevis’ Fly-Fishing for Trout in Southeastern Minnesota … a Troutchaser’s Guide. His description of the farmyard – and the great brook trout fishing …
Continue reading "S3:E11 One Fine Morning on the Little Jordan"
The post S3:E11 One Fine Morning on the Little Jordan appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Dead zones are those seasons of the year and times of the day when fishing will be unproductive. It’s important to know that as a new fly fisher. If you spend your first few times on the river during a fly fishing dead zone, you might think fishing is harder than it really is. In …
Continue reading "S3:E10 Fishing the Dead Zones"
The post S3:E10 Fishing the Dead Zones appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Colorado high country makes for an amazing backdrop for a day on the river. We each take at least one trip to Colorado each year to fly fish, and the creeks and lakes we fish typically are in the Colorado high country. Most recently Dave was in Colorado fishing with one of Steve’s brothers, and …
Continue reading "S3:E9 Fishing the Colorado High Country"
The post S3:E9 Fishing the Colorado High Country appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Wisel Creek is a gorgeous spring creek fishery with a tragic past. On August 6, 1866, a flash flood destroyed a community, killing 16 men, women and children in Preble Township, Fillmore County, Minnesota. Today, it’s hard to imagine that this quiet creek could flood anything. On a whim, after a no-fish day on another …
Continue reading "S3:E8 One Fine Evening on Wisel Creek"
The post S3:E8 One Fine Evening on Wisel Creek appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing persistence is necessary if you want to catch fish. Wind, rain, cold, snow – fly fishers know the truism that the worst weather is often the best for fishing. There are times to persist. Make another cast. Walk another mile. Change up your rig one more time. And then there are times to …
Continue reading "S3:E7 Fly Fishing Persistence and When to Quit"
The post S3:E7 Fly Fishing Persistence and When to Quit appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Getting ready to fly fish is slower for some than it is for others. Some of you jump out of the truck, don your waders in an instant, rig up, and are on your way. Others are more methodical (read: slow) as they get ready to fly fish. Steve is slow. Dave is slow but …
Continue reading "S3:E6 Getting Ready to Fly Fish"
The post S3:E6 Getting Ready to Fly Fish appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing culture is what you experience every time you walk into a fly shop. The shop monkey speaks a different language – mending, nymphs, attractors, hare’s ear, streamers, mid-flex, and thousands of other strange words. Fly fishing culture also creates a wonderful esprit de corp among others who have taken up the sport. In …
Continue reading "S3:E5 Blogger Matthew Lourdeau on Fly Fishing Culture"
The post S3:E5 Blogger Matthew Lourdeau on Fly Fishing Culture appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing alone may be the norm for many fly fishers. Not everyone has a buddy. And even if you do, you’ll want, on some days, to head to the river by yourself. In this episode, we discuss the solitude that goes with fly fishing alone, its benefits, and some of its challenges. Click now …
Continue reading "S3:E4 The Art of Fly Fishing Alone"
The post S3:E4 The Art of Fly Fishing Alone appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Summer fly fishing can be hit or miss. Summer is here, and in this episode, we list the joys and woes of summer fly fishing. One joy of summer fishing is wet wading – less clothes. One woe is the family vacation. Click now to listen to “Summer Fly Fishing Joys and Woes.” http://podcasts-1.feedpress.co/10651/S3%20E3%20Summer%20Fly%20Fishing%20Joys%20and%20Woes_mixdown.mp3 Listen …
Continue reading "S3:E3 Summer Fly Fishing Joys and Woes"
The post S3:E3 Summer Fly Fishing Joys and Woes appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly casting is the first skill that newbies learn. Every Trout Unlimited chapter and every fly shop offers classes. Yet, until a fly fisher hits the river, it’s all academic. There it gets messy. There may be precious little room for one’s back cast or the only approach to the run is at an awkward …
Continue reading "S3:E2 7 Tips for Better Fly Casting"
The post S3:E2 7 Tips for Better Fly Casting appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fathers and a love for the outdoors – a few of us had fathers who opened our eyes to the big world of the outdoors. In this episode, we recall the role our fathers played in giving us a love for fly fishing and hunting. Steve’s father, who has been gone for many years, instilled …
Continue reading "S3:E1 Fly Fishing, Fathers and a Love for the Outdoors"
The post S3:E1 Fly Fishing, Fathers and a Love for the Outdoors appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
It has been two years. We’re now at 104 fly fishing podcast episodes. In this 104th episode, the finale of our second year, we reflect on the past year and tease out some insights and lessons from the journey. This is not our day job. It’s our avocation, and we are looking forward to another …
Continue reading "S2:E52 Lessons from 104 Fly Fishing Podcast Episodes"
The post S2:E52 Lessons from 104 Fly Fishing Podcast Episodes appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing lies are everywhere. Well, maybe not downright lies. Maybe half truths. And maybe they’re not everywhere. In this episode, we identify five fly fishing lies (or half truths) and then wax eloquently about what we think the real truth is. One of the fly fishing categories that we discuss is “Biggest Gear Lie.” …
Continue reading "S2:E51 Fly Fishing Lies and Half Truths"
The post S2:E51 Fly Fishing Lies and Half Truths appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Hiring fly fishing guides is core to how we improve our craft. It’s not cheap, and we do it sparingly (about once a year), but we have found great value in learning from the experts. Click now to listen to “Our Top 7 Lessons from Hiring Fly Fishing Guides.” http://podcasts-1.feedpress.co/10651/S2%20E50%207%20Lessons%20Learned%20from%20Guides_mixdown.mp3 Listen now to “Our Top …
Continue reading "S2:E50 Our Top 7 Lessons from Hiring Fly Fishing Guides"
The post S2:E50 Our Top 7 Lessons from Hiring Fly Fishing Guides appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Two-fly combos are a staple for many fly fishers. Whether fishing nymphs or dries, rigging up with two flies (the top fly and the dropper or trailer) often increases the odds of success. This is especially true when fishing nymphs in the spring or fall spawning season. We often will tie on an egg pattern …
Continue reading "S2:E49 Our Favorite Two Fly Combos"
The post S2:E49 Our Favorite Two Fly Combos appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Canfield Creek is a gorgeous spring creek fishery in southeastern Minnesota. We love fly fishing in the area, because there seems to be less pressure on the creeks than there is in southwestern Wisconsin, which is also part of what is called the Driftless. We live in the Chicago area, so it’s a bit of …
Continue reading "S2:E48 One Fine Day on Canfield Creek"
The post S2:E48 One Fine Day on Canfield Creek appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Trying to net your son’s first big brown – and causing him to lose the fish – may require psychotherapy for him later in life. We all have a fly fishing net, and we probably use it more or less, depending on the size of fish or where we fish. In this episode on how …
Continue reading "S2:E47 Fly Fishing Net Gains and Losses"
The post S2:E47 Fly Fishing Net Gains and Losses appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Unlimited fly fishing sounds too good to be true. No doubt, most of us would love an extra couple days each year on the river. But if you had the chance to do unlimited fly fishing would you? The topic raises some great questions about the role of leisure and when it moves from joy …
Continue reading "S2:E46 The Limits of Unlimited Fly Fishing"
The post S2:E46 The Limits of Unlimited Fly Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Dangerous moments are not always recognized fully in the moment. Several years ago while we fished the Wyoming Bighorn, the temperature dropped 25 degrees in a two-hour period. We drifted the Bighorn while stopping to wet-wade periodically. At the mid-point of the drift, however, we were shivering, unprepared for precipitous drop in temperature. In addition …
Continue reading "S2:E45 Our 5 Most Dangerous Moments on the River"
The post S2:E45 Our 5 Most Dangerous Moments on the River appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing proverbs are everywhere. In conversations at the fly shop. In stories after a big day on the river. And in books from our sport’s great fly fishing legends. In this fun episode, we lift ten fly fishing proverbs from the sayings of some of our great fly fishers and regale each other with …
Continue reading "S2:E44 10 Fly Fishing Proverbs for the Soul"
The post S2:E44 10 Fly Fishing Proverbs for the Soul appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Casting upstream is the default mode for newer fly fishers. It’s how we are taught: stand in the river or on the bank near the bottom of the run, and cast upstream. And then mend your line as it drifts in the current. That’s certainly one approach. But there are other ways to catch fish …
Continue reading "S2:E43 Casting Upstream or Downstream?"
The post S2:E43 Casting Upstream or Downstream? appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fishing emergers during a hatch is not the first thing to come to mind for newer fly fishers. Yet, it can be productive. In this episode, we discuss four reasons to throw on an emerger pattern when a hatch is in full swing. Listen now to “Fishing Emergers During a Hatch” Great Stuff from Our …
Continue reading "S2:E42 Fishing Emergers During a Hatch"
The post S2:E42 Fishing Emergers During a Hatch appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Taking great fly fishing photos is much easier in an age of Instagram and Snapchat. No matter the apps and technology, though, there are a few principles that can help you up your game. We are not professional photographers, for sure, but in this episode, we offer nine commandments for better fly fishing photos. Through …
Continue reading "S2:E41 Better Fly Fishing Photos"
The post S2:E41 Better Fly Fishing Photos appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Trout feeding behavior is not an exact science. And yet there are some signals that can help you select which flies to use. In this episode we discuss the four responses of trout when feeding on or near the surface. Listen to The Clues of Trout Feeding Behavior now. Great Stuff from Our Listeners At …
Continue reading "S2:E40 Clues of Trout Feeding Behavior"
The post S2:E40 Clues of Trout Feeding Behavior appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
A new fly fishing season brings new expenses. It may be finally time to buy a new pair of waders. Or a new duffle bag or a pair of wading sandals. Too bad you didn’t purchase them last fall when some gear went on sale! In this episode, we discuss the new fly fishing season …
Continue reading "S2:E39 Gearing Up for a New Fly Fishing Season"
The post S2:E39 Gearing Up for a New Fly Fishing Season appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The Wisconsin Driftless region is known for its small spring creeks and bucolic, dairy-cows-and-old-barns setting. Recently, we escaped from the Chicago ‘burbs for a day to fish one of those creeks called the Blue River, a small stream just west of Madison, Wisconsin. Technically, it was winter, but it felt like spring. The day couldn’t …
Continue reading "S2:E38 One Fine Day on the Blue River"
The post S2:E38 One Fine Day on the Blue River appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
If you haven’t yet made plans for a fly fishing trip this year, you’ll want to listen to this episode. Our fishing year is typically comprised of a series of short trips and at least one longer trip. We are do-it-your-selfers, so planning is essential. One important element is contingency plans: making sure you have …
Continue reading "S2:E37 How to Plan Your Next Fly Fishing Trip"
The post S2:E37 How to Plan Your Next Fly Fishing Trip appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing physics are always at work if you’re at work on the river. From casting to striking to reeling to mending – the laws of physics won’t be denied. And the better you understand fly fishing physics, the more fish you might catch. Click now to listen to “Fly Fishing Physics 101.” Listen to …
Continue reading "S2:E36 Fly Fishing Physics 101"
The post S2:E36 Fly Fishing Physics 101 appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Organizing your fly box is generally not a top priority until you’re on the river, scrounging for a size #20 BWO in your fly box, and realize you lost the last one on the previous trip. There are several ways to organize your fly box, depending on the number of flies you have, the different …
Continue reading "S2:E35 Organizing Your Fly Box"
The post S2:E35 Organizing Your Fly Box appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing spring creeks is a snap for those of you who cut your fly fishing teeth on the gorgeous eastern or midwestern creeks of the United States. We didn’t. We learned to fly fish on the freestone rivers in the West. You can imagine the shock to our system when we started fly fishing …
Continue reading "S2:E34 Fly Fishing Spring Creeks"
The post S2:E34 Fly Fishing Spring Creeks appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fishing the wild places is one of the great thrills of the sport. Yes, it’s a lollipop if you are well off enough to fly fish Patagonia, Russia, and New Zealand, but there are many wild places near where you fly fish. Something about the chance of fishing the wild places gives us hope. There …
Continue reading "S2:E33 Fishing the Wild Places"
The post S2:E33 Fishing the Wild Places appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
More money, more vacations, more fly fishing – who doesn’t want more of the good life? In this episode, we deconstruct the fly fishing myths of more – more days on the water, more fish, and more bigger fish. Don’t get us wrong: we both want to fly fish more this year. But the mindset …
Continue reading "S2:E32 Fly Fishing Myths of “More”"
The post S2:E32 Fly Fishing Myths of “More” appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Nymph fishing tactics can confound beginner fly fishers. If you’re just starting out, you may ask: How many split shot should I use? How far up should the strike indicator be? Why am I snagging on the bottom all the time? Click on “Nymph Fishing Tactics for Beginners and listen to our episode for beginner …
Continue reading "S2:E31 Nymph Fishing Tactics for Beginners"
The post S2:E31 Nymph Fishing Tactics for Beginners appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing expectations for the new year are in the air (or they should be!). We’re ready to make this next year our best ever, as we seek to find ways to get more days on the water. We’re not professional fly fishers or guides, so our days fly fishing will not be legion (we …
Continue reading "S2:E30 Fly Fishing Expectations for the New Year"
The post S2:E30 Fly Fishing Expectations for the New Year appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing lessons do not necessarily involve expense. They’re all about learning, growth, and becoming better at the sport. In this episode, we look back on 2016 and discuss what we learned most from our days on the water. Click now to listen to “This Past Year’s Fly Fishing Lessons” in your browser. Listen to …
Continue reading "S2: E29 This Past Year’s Fly Fishing Lessons"
The post S2: E29 This Past Year’s Fly Fishing Lessons appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Willow Creek is a gorgeous tailwater stream that flows out of Harrison Reservoir about an hour west of Bozeman, Montana. The willow-thick creek makes its way to the Jefferson River, which eventually flows in the Missouri. This fall, we spent a day fishing streamers on Willow Creek, and it became one of several highlights of …
Continue reading "S2:E28 One Fine Day on Willow Creek"
The post S2:E28 One Fine Day on Willow Creek appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Catching big fish is no doubt a signal of skill. Then again, it may not be. A 10-year-old on a guided fly fishing trip can hook and crank in the largest rainbow that the guide has ever seen on that stretch of river. That’s not really skill. Or maybe it is: It’s the skill of …
Continue reading "S2:E27 The Myths and Truths of Catching Big Fish"
The post S2:E27 The Myths and Truths of Catching Big Fish appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing satisfaction is situational. And personal. Folks fly fish for many reasons. There’s no single marker of fly fishing satisfaction, with the exception of “catching lots of and big trout.” Click now to listen to “The Markers of Fly Fishing Satisfaction.” Listen to our episode “The Markers Fly Fishing Satisfaction” Great Stuff from Our …
Continue reading "S2:E26 The Markers of Fly Fishing Satisfaction"
The post S2:E26 The Markers of Fly Fishing Satisfaction appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
A fly fishing buddy (if you can find a good one) can improve your game. You’ll catch more fish. You’ll have to work through the dreary competitive stage, but eventually, you’ll have a partner to shoot the pic of your humongous brown and regale you at dinner about the ones you hooked but lost. Click …
Continue reading "S2:E25 Benefits of a Fly Fishing Buddy"
The post S2:E25 Benefits of a Fly Fishing Buddy appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing gear matters. It just does. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive or the brand of choice of the fly fishing literati, but the right fly fishing gear can make a good trip great. In this episode, we discuss our fly fishing gear and how it performed during our most recent trip …
Continue reading "S2:E24 Assessing Our Fly Fishing Gear"
The post S2:E24 Assessing Our Fly Fishing Gear appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The Gardner River gave us two days of memorable fly fishing last month. During our second day on the river, we had even a better day than the first, and we learned more about the art of nymph fishing. Every time we spend a couple days on the river, we are either reminded about something …
Continue reading "S2:E23 One Fine Day on the Gardner River (Day 2)"
The post S2:E23 One Fine Day on the Gardner River (Day 2) appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The Gardner River near the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park is a gorgeous fishery – with the added bonus of deer, bison, elk, and grizzly bears. In this episode, the first of a two-part series, we describe in detail one of the best days we’ve had fly fishing. We caught lots of fish (browns, …
Continue reading "S2:E22 One Fine Day on the Gardner River (Day 1)"
The post S2:E22 One Fine Day on the Gardner River (Day 1) appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing mentoring is a lot of work. For starters, it takes patience. A lot of patience. And many of us are not wired to watch someone else fly fish. In this episode, we discuss the importance of fly fishing mentoring and discuss some basic ideas to keep both parties sane, especially if one party …
Continue reading "S2:E21 The Art of Fly Fishing Mentoring"
The post S2:E21 The Art of Fly Fishing Mentoring appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing passion can ebb and flow throughout life. If you’re in your twenties, with no or few family obligations, then your days on the river may be unlimited. As your life accumulates obligations, it’s more difficult to sustain your fly fishing passion. But often life opens up again for some in their fifties and …
Continue reading "S2:E20 Sustaining Your Fly Fishing Passion"
The post S2:E20 Sustaining Your Fly Fishing Passion appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Wild trout – those two words together make no sense. Aren’t all trout wild? We all know the story of hatchery trout, but what about wild and native trout? What are the differences between the two? Understanding the category of trout that you catch may not necessarily help you catch more of them. But it …
Continue reading "S2:E19 Differences between Native and Wild Trout"
The post S2:E19 Differences between Native and Wild Trout appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing trip preparations are necessary to make the outing memorable. But a little planning also creates anticipation, which is part of the entire experience. We are about to take our yearly trip to Montana for several days on the Missouri, Yellowstone, and several smaller creeks. We selected mid fall because we wanted to see …
Continue reading "S2:E18 Fly Fishing Trip Preparations"
The post S2:E18 Fly Fishing Trip Preparations appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing solitude is not something you’ll find during vacation season and most weekends. In today’s climate, with growing pressure on the rivers, it takes some work to find a stretch with no other fly fishers. Yet, it is still doable. Click here to listen to how you can discover more fly fishing solitude. Listen …
Continue reading "S2:E17 Finding Fly Fishing Solitude"
The post S2:E17 Finding Fly Fishing Solitude appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Catching fish is not merely about pure skill. Many fishers buy their fly fishing experiences with guides and outfitters. With the latest fly fishing gear, access to a drift boat, and a great guide, any person can catch trout. But for the rank-and-file fly fisher, the one who can’t always buy a fly fishing experience …
Continue reading "S2:E16 Reasons You Are Not Catching Fish"
The post S2:E16 Reasons You Are Not Catching Fish appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing with streamers is no doubt the single best way to catch bigger fish. For the fly fisher just starting out, slinging bigger flies requires some adjustments. Fly fishing with streamers may mean a bigger rod and it definitely means making adjustments in leader size. In this episode, we discuss some of the basics …
Continue reading "S2:E15 Fly Fishing with Streamers"
The post S2:E15 Fly Fishing with Streamers appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The Yellowstone River closure late last month confirmed once again how fragile our rivers are. In one week, about 4,000 fish (mostly whitefish) died due to a parasite. Some sections that were closed have been reopened, but jury is still out on the source of the parasite. In this episode, we tell our stories of …
Continue reading "S2:E14 Lessons from the Yellowstone River Closure"
The post S2:E14 Lessons from the Yellowstone River Closure appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing gear is like candy. Or better than candy. There’s no joy like the permission one gives himself or herself to buy a new fly rod or reel, or purchase a new pair of waders. Click now to listen to “Fly Fishing Gear We Use.” In this episode, we discuss our fly rods, waders, …
Continue reading "S2:E13 Fly Fishing Gear We Use"
The post S2:E13 Fly Fishing Gear We Use appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fall fly fishing – is there a better time of year to fish? The crowds are thinner. Many summer fly fishers replace their fly rods with bows, shotguns, and rifles. They become hunters. Yea! Fall fly fishing promises warm days and cool nights. Listen to Fall Fly Fishing now and expect great things this fall! …
Continue reading "S2:E12 The Promise of Fall Fly Fishing"
The post S2:E12 The Promise of Fall Fly Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing etiquette – yes, there is such a thing. There are unwritten rules about how a fly fisher should behave while on the river. Listen now to our podcast on fly fishing etiquette and how the community views such things as bringing along your dog to fly fish and how to create space for …
Continue reading "S2:E11 Fly Fishing Etiquette"
The post S2:E11 Fly Fishing Etiquette appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Colorado fly fishing is legendary. It takes a little more effort to get away from the crowds in Colorado than, say, Montana, but Colorado fly fishing is amazing. We took separate trips to Colorado this summer, and in this episode we tell stories of catching cutthroat trout at 12,000 feet, and brookies and browns in …
Continue reading "S2:E10 Colorado Fly Fishing High"
The post S2:E10 Colorado Fly Fishing High appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
You plan the fly fishing trip. You carve out the time. And you finally make it to the river. And then nothing goes right, especially when it comes to catching trout. Listen now to “When Your Fly Fishing Trip Is a Dud” as we regale you with some fun stories from a recent fly fishing …
Continue reading "S2 E9 When Your Fly Fishing Trip Is a Dud"
The post S2 E9 When Your Fly Fishing Trip Is a Dud appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Time to fly fish is a snap if you’re living in the American West or near some great streams. And if you have no other responsibilities in life. If you are not a fly fishing professional (and we’re not), you probably have a job. You may have a spouse. You may have kids. If so, …
Continue reading "S2:E8 Time to Fly Fish Amid the Busyness of Life"
The post S2:E8 Time to Fly Fish Amid the Busyness of Life appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing made simple is big promise. If you’re just starting out, learning how to cast, read water, and grasp a modicum of entomology can feel overwhelming. We’ve wanted to publish an episode on keeping fly fishing simple, and a recent post by a listener pushed us to make it happen. In this episode, we …
Continue reading "S2: E7 Fly Fishing Made Simple"
The post S2: E7 Fly Fishing Made Simple appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Montana’s Madison River is one of our favorite western rivers. There’s both the Upper Madison River and the Lower Madison River, two distinct sections. In this episode, we go into story-telling mode, narrating a terrific day of fishing while floating the Lower Madison in late summer. Listen to our latest episode:”One Fine Day on the …
Continue reading "S2:E6 One Fine Day on the Madison River"
The post S2:E6 One Fine Day on the Madison River appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The successful fly fisher – what does success really mean? At minimum, success requires a persistence to stay at it during the slow and frustrating days. Like any pursuit, fly fishing demands a certain mindset of those committed to the sport for the long haul. In this fifth episode of Season 2, we identify the …
Continue reading "S2:E5 The Five Traits of a Successful Fly Fisher"
The post S2:E5 The Five Traits of a Successful Fly Fisher appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Our top nymph and wet fly patterns are probably not the same as yours. Every fly fisher has an opinion. Each river is unique. Yet there remain some common attractor nymph and wet fly patterns that seem to work when there is no obvious hatch in play. In this week’s episode, Our Top Nymph and …
Continue reading "S2:E4 Our Top Nymph and Wet Fly Patterns"
The post S2:E4 Our Top Nymph and Wet Fly Patterns appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The basics of nymphing are never as basic as they seem. It takes time to learn the language of this aspect of fly fishing, and it takes a lifetime to become proficient at it. However, it’s worth the effort for most fly fishers. It’s said that 85% of a trout’s diet comes from beneath the …
Continue reading "S2:E3 The Basics of Nymph Fishing"
The post S2:E3 The Basics of Nymph Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing bucket lists make us happy. There’s nothing better than to listen to someone yammer on about great days on the water in places they’ve always longed to fly fish. In this episode, we provide our fly fishing bucket lists. Listen to the second episode of our second season now. Listen to S2:E2 Our …
Continue reading "S2:E2 Our Fly Fishing Bucket Lists"
The post S2:E2 Our Fly Fishing Bucket Lists appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
A satisfying day on the river – what makes one fly fishing day better than another? In this first episode of Season 2, we narrate the key moments of a satisfying day on the river while fishing in the Minnesota Driftless. The amount of trout we caught was average, but the overall experience was one …
Continue reading "S2:E1 What Makes for a Satisfying Day on the River"
The post S2:E1 What Makes for a Satisfying Day on the River appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
This completes a year of weekly episodes from 2 Guys and a River. In Episode 52: Fly Fishing Observations from a Year of Podcasting, we discuss what we’ve learned from the weekly task of putting together each episode. The size of the fly fishing industry, the complexity of fly fishing for beginners, the importance of …
Continue reading "Episode 52: Fly Fishing Observations from a Year of Podcasting"
The post Episode 52: Fly Fishing Observations from a Year of Podcasting appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Tie your own flies? Some might say you can’t be a real fly fisher unless you do. Well, we differ on the matter. Steve ties his own, and Dave doesn’t. In this episode, using a point-counterpoint approach, we discuss the age-old question of whether you should tie your own flies. Listen to Episode 51: Should …
Continue reading "Episode 51: Should You Tie Your Own Flies?"
The post Episode 51: Should You Tie Your Own Flies? appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Unlikely places to catch trout are good places to drift your fly. We’ve caught fish in shallow riffles, drainage ditches, grassy side channels, and trickles of water that could be barely be classified as a stream. Listen to “Unlikely Places to Catch Trout” and then post on our blog about the most strange places you’ve …
Continue reading "Episode 50: Unlikely Places to Catch Trout"
The post Episode 50: Unlikely Places to Catch Trout appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Which leaders and tippet work best with a size #8 beadhead woolly bugger? No matter how many articles an aspiring fly fisher reads, he or she has to learn the hard way. It’s nearly impossible to sling a big streamer with a 6x tippet. You really need at least a 3x or 4x tippet before …
Continue reading "Episode 49: Making Sense of Leaders and Tippet"
The post Episode 49: Making Sense of Leaders and Tippet appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing brands are everywhere: Sage, Winston, Orvis, Patagonia, Temple Fork Outfitters, Fishpond, Simms, Loomis, and many more. It’s a noisy, cluttered marketplace. It’s hard to make a rational decision. When selecting a fly fishing rod or waders or a sling pack, how do you make the best decision for you? In this episode, we …
Continue reading "Episode 48: Fly Fishing Brands and Your Next Purchase"
The post Episode 48: Fly Fishing Brands and Your Next Purchase appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The fly presentation – it is the most challenging aspect of fly fishing. Especially when dry fly fishing or nymphing, perfecting the dead drift demands a mindset of continual learning and a ruthless critique of each cast. Improving your fly presentation is the art and skill of fly fishing. Listen to Episode 47 now! Listen …
Continue reading "Episode 47: Improving Your Fly Presentation"
The post Episode 47: Improving Your Fly Presentation appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Ever have a magical day on the river? Of course you have. But such days tend to be less common than we imagine. In this episode, we recount a magical day on the river that we know will never be repeated. Three of us fly fished a stretch of water on a warm August day …
Continue reading "Episode 46: One Magical Day on the River"
The post Episode 46: One Magical Day on the River appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
There is no joy like the joy of fly fishing with hoppers. Period. It’s a little like learning how to play the guitar. Every newbie guitar player begins by learning how to play Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama.” And every aspiring fly fisher should begin by fly fishing with hoppers. It’s crazy fun. The flies …
Continue reading "Episode 45: The Joy of Fly Fishing with Hoppers"
The post Episode 45: The Joy of Fly Fishing with Hoppers appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The ability to identify trout lies in the river or stream may be the single biggest predictor of your success. This is as basic for an aspiring fly fisher to learn as casting. Not all places in a stream or river hold trout. Spotting a trout lie, especially when fish are not rising, is a …
Continue reading "Episode 44: Identifying Trout Lies"
The post Episode 44: Identifying Trout Lies appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing is no extreme sport. Just look at us. We couldn’t extreme anything. But fly fishing offers a few ways to die (drowning, the most obvious), and many ways to ruin a day on the river. Listen to Episode 43: 5 Fly Fishing Dangers as we identify a few fly fishing dangers. We also …
Continue reading "Episode 43: 5 Fly Fishing Dangers"
The post Episode 43: 5 Fly Fishing Dangers appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Spring fly fishing is filled with the promise of warmer days and blue skies, rain and snow, and spawners and browns. It feels so good to be back along and in the river. Listen to Episode 42: Spring Fly Fishing Success as you make ready for your next wonderful day in the great outdoors. Listen …
Continue reading "Episode 42: Spring Fly Fishing Success"
The post Episode 42: Spring Fly Fishing Success appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Funny outdoor moments – we’ve all had a few. Where would fly fishing be without the stories? In this episode, we regale each other with some of our better fly fishing, hunting, and camping stories. This won’t be our only episode of funny outdoor stories. We hope to publish a new edition every six to …
Continue reading "Episode 41: Funny Outdoor Moments"
The post Episode 41: Funny Outdoor Moments appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
An inconsiderate fly fisher – you’ve probably met one. They are not legion, since fly fishing is the sport of thoughtful conservationists, but we’ve all groaned inwardly when we run across this species of fly fisher on the river. Listen to Episode 40: The Inconsiderate Fly Fisher Now We’ve not met a lot of slobs …
Continue reading "Episode 40: The Inconsiderate Fly Fisher"
The post Episode 40: The Inconsiderate Fly Fisher appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Wade fishing vs floating – it’s not either-or, of course. There is a time for each. But if you plan to take a fly fishing trip to the American West or some other area with bigger rivers, you’ll have a choice to make: should I use one or all of my days on a drift …
Continue reading "Episode 39: Wade Fishing vs Floating"
The post Episode 39: Wade Fishing vs Floating appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing hacks – every fly fisher has them. The word hack has so many meanings today, but for our purposes, we’re defining the term loosely to mean shortcuts or quick solutions to regular problems that we fly fishers face. In this podcast, we offer a few of our better fly fishing hacks. Listen to …
Continue reading "Episode 38: Fly Fishing Hacks"
The post Episode 38: Fly Fishing Hacks appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Why we fly fish is personal and subjective. Our reasons are probably not the same as yours. In this podcast, we get a bit more philosophical and reflective as we try to describe fly fishing’s strong pull on our lives. Why we fly fish is both simple and complex. Why Do You Fly Fish? What …
Continue reading "Episode 37: Why We Fly Fish"
The post Episode 37: Why We Fly Fish appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
A fly fishing day trip takes more thought than cramming your gear into a vest or fanny pack – and then hitting the trail. There’s nothing worse than hiking two miles in to your favorite runs and reaching for your fly box that isn’t there or having to ration your water for the day. In …
Continue reading "Episode 36: Packing for a Fly Fishing Day Trip"
The post Episode 36: Packing for a Fly Fishing Day Trip appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Have you ever been in a fly fishing slump? One of the signs is, well, the same old, same old. You fly fish with the same results: you keep losing the bigger fish that you hook, you struggle to set the hook on smaller fish, or you go for days without a good stretch, what …
Continue reading "Episode 35: Breaking Out of a Fly Fishing Slump"
The post Episode 35: Breaking Out of a Fly Fishing Slump appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Sooner or later, your favorite run will be overrun with fly fishers. Or the river will change, as it always does, and you’ll need to find new fly fishing waters. In this podcast we provide six tips to find new fly fishing waters. It all begins with a commitment not to grow complacent, a mindset …
Continue reading "Episode 34: Finding New Fly Fishing Waters"
The post Episode 34: Finding New Fly Fishing Waters appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing the Wisconsin Driftless should be on every fly fisher’s bucket list. We, fortunately, live only about four hours from some of America’s best spring creek fishing. In this podcast, we give insight on where to go and what to expect when fly fishing the Wisconsin Driftless. Have You Fished the Driftless? We’d love …
Continue reading "Episode 33: Fly Fishing the Wisconsin Driftless"
The post Episode 33: Fly Fishing the Wisconsin Driftless appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Are you able to list your five favorite trout flies off the cuff? In this podcast, we discuss our five favorite trout flies. And then our next five as well. The number of fly patterns are legion. And growing. Yet we tend to revert back to a few basic flies – and we still seem …
Continue reading "Episode 32: Our Five Favorite Trout Flies"
The post Episode 32: Our Five Favorite Trout Flies appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
The use of public access is assumed by most fly fishers. Several years ago, however, Montana’s stream access law was under fire, and the right of being able to wade up or down river up to the high water mark, even through private property, was suddenly in jeopardy. The laws for the use of public …
Continue reading "Episode 31: Fly Fishers’ Use of Public Access"
The post Episode 31: Fly Fishers’ Use of Public Access appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing strengthens families. But does it really? Do families that fly fish together stay together? The outdoors in general and fly fishing in particular seem to give parents and their children a chance to communicate about something other than homework, screen, time, and household chores. Whether camping or hunting or fly fishing, the outdoors …
Continue reading "Episode 30: Gary Borger on How Fly Fishing Strengthens Families"
The post Episode 30: Gary Borger on How Fly Fishing Strengthens Families appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
It’s dead winter. And time to make plans for your next fly fishing trip. A few of you hardy souls are winter fishing, but most of us are dreaming of 2016. In this podcast, we discuss fly fishing in the new year and offer some ways to plan for your next fly fishing trip. Be …
Continue reading "Episode 29: Planning Your Next Fly Fishing Trip"
The post Episode 29: Planning Your Next Fly Fishing Trip appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Tis the Season. Every fly fisher wants either a gift certificate or two in his or her stocking. Or some crisply wrapped stocking presents from a spouse who knows fly fishing gadgets. In this podcast, we banter a bit about our love of fly fishing gadgets. Steve is much more of a gadget junkie than …
Continue reading "Episode 28: Fly Fishing Gadgets Galore"
The post Episode 28: Fly Fishing Gadgets Galore appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Your next guided fly fishing trip – how should you prepare for it? Hiring a fly fishing guide seems easy enough: just pay and fish, right? Yes, it’s an extra expense, of course, but we believe in regularly fishing with a guide because doing so ups our fly fishing game. In this podcast about your …
Continue reading "Episode 27: Your Next Guided Fly Fishing Trip"
The post Episode 27: Your Next Guided Fly Fishing Trip appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Where would we be if we caught all the trout we hooked? There’d be no fishing stories. There’d be no (possibly apocryphal) stories of the one that got away. In this episode, we offer up practical help on landing bigger trout. We’ve caught our share of fat rainbows and thick browns, but if years ago …
Continue reading "Episode 26: Landing Bigger Trout"
The post Episode 26: Landing Bigger Trout appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Conservation and fly fishing are like an old married couple. They’ve been together so long that it’s hard to remember their life before. Yet it’s critical to educate younger generations on the fragile ecosystems of our cold water fisheries. And there are simple, practical things fly fishers can do to step up and join the …
Continue reading "Episode 25: TU’s Dave Kumlien on Fly Fishing and Conservation"
The post Episode 25: TU’s Dave Kumlien on Fly Fishing and Conservation appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Stalking trout is not on the mind of the beginner fly fisher. It’s hard enough to sling the fly. But there are two sure-fire ways not to catch trout: Creating a drift with a wake that would make a water skier proud and fishing a run with spooked trout. Too often fly fishers ruin their …
Continue reading "Episode 24: The Art of Stalking Trout"
The post Episode 24: The Art of Stalking Trout appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing seems different in kind from other outdoor sports. There’s something healing about a day on the water. It’s hard to describe to someone who has never fly fished. It’s an escape from reality. Or maybe fly fishing is reality, and it’s a return to sanity. In this episode, we discuss The Healing Properties …
Continue reading "Episode 23: The Healing Properties of Fly Fishing"
The post Episode 23: The Healing Properties of Fly Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Choosing the right fly rod is important whether you are new to the sport or a veteran. In this podcast episode, Steve and Dave help aspiring fly fishers select their next trout rod. Dave is adamant that new fly fishers should not buy the most expensive rods, unless they have an indiscriminate amount of money. …
Continue reading "Episode 22: Choosing the Right Fly Rod"
The post Episode 22: Choosing the Right Fly Rod appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
There’s a reason this podcast is called “2 Guys and a River.” Our experience (such as it is) is largely fly fishing creeks and rivers. But fly fishing a lake has its own delights. Lake fishing is both the same as and different from fishing a river. Some principles apply in both settings. In How …
Continue reading "Episode 21: How to Fly Fish a Lake"
The post Episode 21: How to Fly Fish a Lake appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Back in the day, Bob Granger was the fly fishing guide to the stars. He has owned a fly shop, tied a zillion flies, and guided celebrities, politicians, and America’s business leaders. In this interview, Bob regales us with his stories from the river and gives advice to aspiring fly fishers. Listen to the podcast …
Continue reading "Episode 20: Interview with a Fly Fishing Sage"
The post Episode 20: Interview with a Fly Fishing Sage appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
There’s only one “A River Runs Through It,” the classic fly fishing novella by Norman Maclean. But there’s a host of great outdoor writers who capture the joy and emotion of life in the outdoors. In this episode, Steve and Dave discuss their favorite outdoor authors, including Wallace Stegner, Ivan Doig, and Rick Bass. Be …
Continue reading "Episode 19: Our Favorite Outdoor Authors"
The post Episode 19: Our Favorite Outdoor Authors appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
You haven’t fly fished if you haven’t slipped while waist high in a swift current. Who hasn’t felt the adrenaline surge as the icy water poured over the top of your waders? In this episode Steve and Dave discuss The Basics of Safe Wading, offering several principles for making sure you make it to your …
Continue reading "Episode 18: The Basics of Safe Wading"
The post Episode 18: The Basics of Safe Wading appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing is a solitary act. Yet for us, it has also been the means for a long friendship. In this episode we tell how fly fishing has contributed to many years of laughter and conversation. Listen to Episode 17: Fly Fishing and Friendship here. You can subscribe to our podcast on iTunes or Stitcher …
Continue reading "Episode 17: Fly Fishing and Friendship"
The post Episode 17: Fly Fishing and Friendship appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Weather on the river can be unpredictable. Now that’s a patently obvious statement. But it needs to be said. Some of the best days fly fishing are miserable (in terms of weather) for fly fishers. Listen to Episode 16: Weathering the Weather on the River. Listen to our episode “Weathering the Weather on the River” …
Continue reading "Episode 16: Weathering the Weather on the River"
The post Episode 16: Weathering the Weather on the River appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing spring creeks is not like fly fishing the big freestone rivers of the American West. In this episode, we interview fly fishing legend Gary Borger on fishing in the Upper Midwest and, specifically, how to fish spring creeks. Listen to Gary Borger on Fly Fishing Spring Creeks now. At the end of each …
Continue reading "Episode 15: Gary Borger on Fly Fishing Spring Creeks"
The post Episode 15: Gary Borger on Fly Fishing Spring Creeks appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing personalities – they are everywhere. On the river. At fly fishing trade shows. In fly shops. And on the trail as you’ve hiking to your favorite stretch of river. We guess that you’ve met every one of the six in this podcast. Maybe you’re one of them. In this episode, we create a …
Continue reading "Episode 14: Fly Fishing Personalities You’ll Meet"
The post Episode 14: Fly Fishing Personalities You’ll Meet appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Introducing your kids to the great outdoors at an early age is mandatory if you want them to grow up loving the sport. But how early should you get them out to the river. In this episode, we discuss how to raise your children to love the outdoors, even if they don’t fly fish. Listen …
Continue reading "Episode 13: Introducing Your Kids to the Great Outdoors"
The post Episode 13: Introducing Your Kids to the Great Outdoors appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishers can do stupid things when zeroed in on trout, steelhead, salmon, or whatever the fish. Some of it is hilarious, some of it (almost) deadly serious. In this episode, we recall some of our more stupid moments in the outdoors. Click now to listen to “The Stupid Things Fly Fishers Do”. Listen to …
Continue reading "Episode 12: The Stupid Things Fly Fishers Do"
The post Episode 12: The Stupid Things Fly Fishers Do appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
In this episode, we tease out five lessons from one of our great trips fishing the Yellowstone Ecosystem. Listen to Episode 11: Five Lessons from a Recent Fly Fishing Trip. Listen to Episode 43: 5 Lessons from a Recent Fly Fishing Trip What lessons have you recently learned? Do you have any great stories to …
Continue reading "Episode 11: Five Lessons from a Recent Fly Fishing Trip"
The post Episode 11: Five Lessons from a Recent Fly Fishing Trip appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
What truly restores wounded warriors, the folks who have sacrificed so much for our country? In this episode, we interview Dave Kumlien, who is the Western Coordinator for the Veterans Service Partnership and Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator at Trout Unlimited. Dave’s work with Warriors and Quiet Waters in Bozeman, MT, helps restore our country’s wounded …
Continue reading "Episode 10: How Fly Fishing Restores Wounded Warriors"
The post Episode 10: How Fly Fishing Restores Wounded Warriors appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fishing the hatch is always a thrill. Nothing beats the joy of hooking into a big fish during a hatch. In this podcast, we offer four ways to make sure you catch fish when the trout begin feeding selectively. Listen to Episode 9: Fishing the Hatch. Listen now to Fishing the Hatch Great Stuff from …
Continue reading "Episode 9: Fishing the Hatch"
The post Episode 9: Fishing the Hatch appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Crazy happens. If you fly fish long enough, something wild, silly, stupid, or out of the blue will happen. Just does. In this episode, Steve and Dave recount the silly to the serious, the sometimes fun to the sometimes scary moments of fly fishing in the great outdoors. Listen to Episode 8: Crazy Stuff Happens …
Continue reading "Episode 8: Crazy Stuff Happens While Fly Fishing"
The post Episode 8: Crazy Stuff Happens While Fly Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
There are a million great places to fly fish. But the center of the fly fishing universe has to be the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. With the Yellowstone, the Madison, the Gallatin – and hundreds of smaller streams – the area is a fly-fishing paradise. In this podcast, Steve and Dave provide aspiring fly fishers an …
Continue reading "Episode 7: Fly Fishing the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem"
The post Episode 7: Fly Fishing the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
A River Runs Through It is not so about fly fishing as it is about the love for a family member when you don’t understand him or her. In this episode, we interview Gary Borger, fly fishing legend, entrepreneur, and consultant to the movie “A River Runs Through It.” Gary recounts how he changed the …
Continue reading "Episode 6: Gary Borger on “A River Runs Through It”"
The post Episode 6: Gary Borger on “A River Runs Through It” appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Reflections on “A River Runs Through It” are often about family – and what it means to love someone you don’t understand.The movie A River Runs Through It starring Brad Pitt, Tom Skerritt, and Craig Sheffer, and directed by Robert Redford, narrated a tragic but true story of a Presbyterian family in western Montana. Before …
Continue reading "Episode 5: Reflections on “A River Runs Through It”"
The post Episode 5: Reflections on “A River Runs Through It” appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Fly fishing is more complicated and more simple than it looks. It’s more complicated in that a newbie must buy gear, learn how to fly cast, understand basic entomology, and locate a great river or stream to fish! It’s simple in that if we can do it, you can too! All it takes is a …
Continue reading "Episode 4: You Can Learn to Fly Fish Too!"
The post Episode 4: You Can Learn to Fly Fish Too! appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Wildlife encounters while fly fishing are quite common. What makes the sport so unbelievably wonderful is the unpredictable nature of the great outdoors. In this episode, we tell a few yarns about running into a wolf, a herd of bison, and other animals while fly fishing America’s great rivers and streams. Listen to
The post Episode 3: Wildlife Encounters While Fly Fishing appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Catch more trout? That’s a no brainer. Who doesn’t want to catch more trout? However, it’s one thing to buy a fly rod, watch a video on how to cast, take a class on hatches, and read a book on how to read a river. It’s another thing to catch fish. Catching fish is why …
Continue reading "Episode 2: Five Ways to Catch More Trout"
The post Episode 2: Five Ways to Catch More Trout appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.
Best day on the river – it’s almost impossible to reduce all the great days to only one. In this inaugural episode of 2 Guys and a River, we discuss our best day ever fly fishing. Of course, the day involves catching trout. But it’s always much more than that. If you watch fly fishing …
Continue reading "Episode 1: My Best Day on the River"
The post Episode 1: My Best Day on the River appeared first on 2 Guys and A River.