Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast

#1000 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/1000
Presented by: Stonefly Nets, On DeMark Lodge, Gallatin River Lodge, Blue Bonefish Lodge
The night before we recorded, Ron Walp pulled an old baseball scorebook off his shelf and found my dad’s name inside. That’s where this story of Deschutes River history begins, with a connection that reaches back well beyond our fishing camps.
For Episode 1,000 of the Wet Fly Swing Podcast, we’re joined by an old friend who has spent more than 50 years running the Deschutes. Ron shares stories about playing professional baseball, buying his first jet sled on a teacher’s salary, fishing the river before the dams, and getting to know my dad, Doug Stewart.
We also get into the people who helped protect the lower river, the lesson that changed how Ron hooks steelhead, and the canyon mornings that keep bringing him back to a river that has shaped so much of his life.
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/1000

#999 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/999

Presented by: Moccasin Fly Club

Sponsors: https://www.wetflyswing.com/sponsors

The San Juan River gives anglers a chance to work on three very different approaches in one day: streamers, nymphs, and dry flies. John Hunt joins us to talk about why that variety makes this New Mexico tailwater such a useful place to learn.

We get into the water people pass by, including slow, shallow stretches that can hold a big trout. John also explains why a small change in fly depth can make all the difference on a pressured river. Then we head to Mongolia, where the fishing shifts to mouse patterns, large baitfish flies, and the search for taimen.

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/999

#998 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/998

Presented by: Outpost on the Nush, TroutRoutes, On DeMark Lodge, Redd’s Flies

Trey Combs has spent decades documenting the people, rivers, flies, and techniques that shaped steelhead fly fishing. In this episode, Trey and his son, Mark Combs, take a close look at steelhead history, from classic fly patterns and early Spey fishing to grease line techniques and the stories behind some of the sport's most important books and photographs.
The conversation blends firsthand experience with preservation. Trey shares stories from his years on steelhead rivers, while Mark explains how he is building an online archive that makes steelhead history accessible through books, photographs, fly plates, essays, and fly-pattern research.

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/998

#996 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/996
Presented by: Sullivan Fly Rods, On Demark Lodge, Redd's Flies, Smitty’s Fly Box
There are steelhead rivers, and then there is the Dean. From Kimsquit Bay Lodge in British Columbia, mountains drop straight into the salt, with fresh steelhead only minutes from the ocean.
Jeff Hickman, Adrienne Comeau, and Pat Beahen join Jeff Liskay to break down what makes Dean River steelhead fishing so different. They get into the famous canyon, how tides shape the fishing, dry-line and Chinook tactics, and the gear and techniques that make this river unique.
They also talk about something bigger than catching fish: why these wild steelhead deserve respect and what anglers can do to give something back.
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/996

Listen to the full Episode 255 here: https://wetflyswing.com/255
Sponsors: Stonefly Nets, Jackson Hole Fly Co, Outpost on the Nush
In this Greatest Hits solo episode, Dave revisits his 2021 conversation with Jeff Liskay and pulls out 11 practical Spey and switch rod tips for Great Lakes steelhead.
Jeff’s system starts with an 11-foot 5-weight switch rod, roughly 330 grains, a short sink tip, a 14- to 18-inch leader, and an unweighted fly. From there, the focus is less on making long casts and more on controlling swing speed, fishing the right water, and keeping the fly in front of cold water steelhead.
Dave breaks down why Jeff fishes higher and dirtier water before the crowds arrive, slows his swing when water temperatures drop into the 30s, and searches the edges before moving toward the middle of the river. You'll also hear why shortening your sink tip can immediately make a struggling Spey cast easier and why presentation matters more than casting across the river.
Jeff also explains why he lets the sink tip control depth instead of adding weight to the fly, why some of his best water is the stuff other anglers walk right through, and when warmer, clearer conditions might even call for skating a dry fly for Great Lakes steelhead.
The episode wraps up with two bigger lessons: separate casting practice from fishing, and don't fish yesterday's water. Migratory fish move, conditions change, and Jeff would rather keep searching new water than become attached to the spot that produced the day before.
If you're getting ready for Great Lakes steelhead season or want to make your switch rod setup simpler this episode gives you 11 tips you can take straight to the river.