The Fly Culture Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Episode 327 - Will Shaw & Mark Surtees on Fishing, Fly Casting and Instruction Part 2 I'm pleased to be welcoming back Will and Mark back to the podcast for the 2nd part of their trilogy of interviews that circle around fly casting information for anglers but also for instructors too. We start with an amazing story from Will on a huge fish he lost recently on a dry fly and how we cope with a loss like this. We discuss about the difference between stalking fish and fishing the water and how that effects how we look at catching a good fish and whether we snip off and head home or not. Our conversation moves into casting where there is some great tips for those wishing to improve but some ground-breaking theories on address the teaching process when it comes to fly casting. If you are an instructor or starting on this path, it is essential listening.

Send us Fan Mail Episode 327 - Will Shaw & Mark Surtees on Fly Casting and Instruction I'm pleased to be welcoming back Will and Mark back to the podcast for the 2nd part of their trilogy of interviews that circle around fly casting information for anglers but also for instructors too. We start with an amazing story from Will on a huge fish he lost recently on a dry fly and how we cope with a loss like this. We discuss about the difference between stalking fish and fishing the water and how that effects how we look at catching a good fish and whether we snip off and head home or not. Our conversation moves into casting where there is some great tips for those wishing to improve but some ground-breaking theories on address the teaching process when it comes to fly casting. If you are an instructor or starting on this path, it is essential listening.

Send us Fan Mail Episode 326 - River Exe Fishing Day Every fishing day should start with a catch up over breakfast and a visit to a tackle shop. This is exactly how this dat began when I caught up with friend and rod builder, Warren McCarthy, for a days fishing on the River Exe and one of it's tributaries, the Haddeo. We have a fry-up and then drop into Lance Nicholson's in Dulverton to see James who runs the shop and make a few purchases. I start fishing with good intentions, sticking to just a dry fly before making a few changes. Join us for a days fishing on some beautiful streams.

Send us Fan Mail Episode 325 The Fly Fishing Community Last weekend we hosted our first Trout & Salmon Gathering at the Fox and Hounds down in Devon. The hotel has a special place in my heart as I spent 12 years of my life guiding the hotel's water. I'm always a little nervous ahead of these events but there was no need to worry. We kicked off with a film and went on to have talks, demos, tying, good food and even some music. The big clue I had was when groups of strangers were sat together for dinner and continued talking long after the food had been cleared. We were lucky to have some amazing guests to share their knowledge with attendees including Paul Procter, Simon Kidd, Gareth Lewis, Pete Cockwill, Jay Bartlett, Ed Thomson, Fred Brown, Harry Chance, Ed Noyes and many more. In-between my various duties I got the chance to speak with some of the people there about fishing and to capture a little of what went on. It was amazing fun and I hope you enjoy this episode.

Send us Fan Mail Episode 324 - Dan O'Neill - Fishing Guiding and Life I caught up recently with Dan and was bowled over by his enthusiasm, passion and love for fly fishing. I learn about his fly fishing story, how he saw someone casting on the river when he was a young boy and the direction it took him in. He tells me about how determined he was to speak with the gillie at the hotel where he worked and how it led him into being a fishing guide. I also get some great fishing tips from him for fishing rivers and hear a wonderful story about one of his guests who had a license to kill! This is a really nice story that you'll enjoy hearing.

Send us Fan Mail Episode 323 - A Day Trip To Glasgow I get up early, drive to Bristol airport to attend the Glasgow Angling Centre Open Weekend. I catch up with attendees, friends from the trade and get the chance to speak with the man behind the store, Paul Devlin, to hear his story from a stall on a market to a 30,000 square foot store today. I hear about some the latest products coming to anglers this year and talk fishing with all of them. You'll hear from Eoin Fairgrieve, Gordon Armstrong, Simon Gawesworth, Steve Peterson, Rachel Brady, Jim Fearne, Jim Curry plus more. As ever, I try hard to mix up each episode to ensure you'll have something different to listen to each week. I hope you enjoy this one!

Send a text Episode 322 There's No Place Like Home Water In this episode I am joined by my wife Emma and our dog Montana for a morning on our home water, the Taw, in Devon. We talk about some of the times we have experienced here and share stories of fish we have caught. We didn't plan to do a podcast but thought it might be fun to take you fishing, explain a little about where we're fishing and what it means to us.

Send a text New Podcast Ep 321 - Trout Fishing in Patagonia Join me as I head to Argentina with my friend Ray in search of Patagonian brown, rainbow and brook trout. We fish a variety of rivers, lakes and spring creeks with nymphs, dries and streamers. The fish are like no other I have caught before and are sizeable and strong. We stay at Argentina Waters Lodge as a treat for my birthday. I have worked hard to capture what I can only describe as incredible fishing.

Send a text Episode 320 Will Shaw and Mark Surtees on Fly Casting and Instruction In this episode, we explore the evolving world of fly casting instruction along with fly casting tips. Will and Mark have looked at the traditional teaching process and have looked into other sports to learn from them and how they can be transferred into fly casting tuition. Their modern approach focusses on their pupil and how they can take as much as possible from a lesson and to make the session enjoyable and easy to understand. I really enjoyed talking with them both as they share some amazing knowledge that will help both instructors and those looking to improve their skills on to a new, more modern platform.

Send a text Episode 319 - Live from the BFFI In this episode, I'm at an event that is becoming the get together to mark the start of a new season, the BFFI in Staffordshire. I'm at the event in my new capacity with the magazine but I got the chance to speak with attendees and stall holders about the show and what it means to them. I've tried to capture the feel of the BFFI and give you some insights into tackle that you might be seeing this year. If you haven't been before, I hope this episode will take you there!

Send a text Episode 318 - 3 Days of Bonefish January has been wet, miserable and largely unfishable. Being able to feel the sun on my face and the company of good people has been a welcome tonic. I'm in Mexico and have 3 days of wading the flats to see if I can find bonefish, permit or tarpon. I'll talk you through what happens, tell you a little about flats fishing and let you know if we find any fish. Hope you enjoy!

Send us a text Episode 317 - Rob Hardy - Writing, Reviewing and Fishing In this episode I catch up with one of my colleagues, at Trout & Salmon Rob Hardy, to talk about his fishing career, dream destinations and the places that mean a lot to him. I also learn about how he got involved with writing at Trout & Salmon and what goes into the tackle reviews. We also touch on rod tests too. Since I have got to know Rob I've learnt he is a really good person who is thoughtful, kind and is just like us, a super keen fly angler. It is always nice for me to let you know a little about someone who will might well recognise from his writing but get the chance to learn a little about them.

Send us a text Episode 315 - Steve Cooper - Fly Fairs, Tying and Fishing I catch up with Steve Cooper, who along with his wife Bridget, are behind the BFFI show that takes place in February. I learn what goes into it along with all of the planning involved. Steve tells me how the show came about and what he learnt from the early days. He is also extremely passionate about his fly tying business, Cookshill Fly Tying, that came from his early days as a custom fly tyer. If you're heading to the show in February, this episode will give you an insight into the work involved.

Send us a text Episode 314 - River Walks and Streamer Talk on the River Taw I catch up with friend Fred Brown for bacon sandwiches and a walk along the river. He now lives in Devon and like me, his home water is the Taw. I take him to where I spend most of my time fishing as we walk the river and plan trips for next year. Fred is an extremely talented angler who enjoys both salmon, sea trout and brown trout fishing. He has been fishing streamers for a while now and appears in the excellent River Trout Streamer Fishing Book by Theo Pike. I get some advice on how to fish them on a few of the pools we walk that I hope you'll find useful. A river always looks most beautiful when you can't fish it but it didn't matter. It was just good to be there.

Send us a text Episode 313 - James Gilbraith - Fishing Plans, Social Media, Fly Tying and Life We've had this nice little tradition going of me speaking with Boo just before Christmas and whether he'll get through it OK. I thought it might be nice to see if he came through the other side OK and what he is planning for this fishing year. We also discuss the season that has passed, social media and the realities of book writing. Boo's view of life is wonderful, one that will make you laugh out loud when you hear. As ever, we wander down some interesting worm holes in the conversation!

Send us a text Episode 312 - Winter Grayling with Ed Thompson It's between Christmas and New Year and I get a message from Ed asking if I fancy going fishing. The answer, of course, is yes. We eat a big breakfast and head to the river. It is always a pleasure to hear about a piece of water that means so much to them and this episode is no exception. Ed has a long association with it that you'll enjoy hearing about. As ever, this is just 2 friends talking about a pastime that means a lot to them.

Send us a text Episode 311 - Jani Himanko - Surf Board Streamers, Dry Flies and Big Trout My guest, Jani Himanko, is based in Finland. He tells me about the fishing in the area including the incredible story of the huge trout that leave the lakes to feed on the coarse fish that come into the river to spawn. I hear about the patterns he and his friends have devised to tackle these fish. I also learn about his life as a fishing guide and why he decided to open a fishing lodge, Kellankoski, and what goes into the running of it to ensure guests have a great stay. Jani, is a great guy who speaks with honesty, integrity and openness about all aspects of his fishing life.

Send us a text Episode 310 - A New Chapter I don't really like talking about myself, I find other people much more interesting. In recent months though, my life has taken a big change in direction and I really wanted to share with you what has happened and why I made this decision. In this special, turning the tables on Pete Tyjas, I talk with Ben Jailler about why I took the job as editor of Trout & Salmon magazine, what the role involves, my plans for this much loved title and the closing of Fly Culture, something that has been incredibly special to me. As ever, I am completely open and transparent about every aspect and hope you learn why I took my dream job.

Send us a text Episode 309 - Richard Gorodecky - The Meteor, The Ditch & The Very Big Trout This week we have a take over from author Richard Gorodecky who reads a section from his book - Throwing Feathers in the Wind. He was so popular last time that it only felt right to have him back. The piece he reads is from a chapter called - The Meteor, The Ditch & The Very Big Trout It is the story of a big trout. A very big trout. Buy the book HERE

Send us a text Episode 308 - Jack Westbury on Grayling Fishing Those clear, cold days aren't far off now and with that in mind, I caught up with angler Jack Westbury to pick up some tips regarding fishing for grayling. I learn a lot as he tells me about leader set up, spacing of flies, controlling the drift and manipulation of flies. We also cover tackle choices and his preference for longer rods. We discuss his trout fishing too, including long leaders and micro drag. Being based in Derbyshire, he spends a lot of time at the fly fishing shop, Mallon and Green. We talk about how Marie and John have made the shop the hub of the local fishing community. Jack talks great sense that I'm sure you'll gain something useful from.