Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast

878 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/878
Presented by:  Smitty's Fly Box, Intrepid Camp Gear, Stonefly Nets,  Togiak River Lodge
 
Today, we're digging into how fly rods are really designed. Not the marketing side, but what really goes into the design, the testing, and why some rods last for decades while others fall apart.


Zac Dalton from St. Croix Rods is on the podcast today, and he walks us through how fly rods are designed from the ground up. 
 
We talk about rod action and why faster is not always better, what durability really means for anglers who fish hard, and how different actions change the way a rod fishes and casts. We also get into cork, handles, and we even touch on the conventional side toward the end.
 
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/878

#877 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/877
Presented By: San Juan Rodworks, FishHound Expeditions, Pescador on the Fly, TroutRoutes
Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors
Fly fishing in Southern California looks nothing like a mountain river—and that's exactly why it works. In this episode, Frank Vargas breaks down how surf fly fishing actually functions, from reading tides and beach structure to understanding how species like perch, corbina, and leopard sharks use shallow water to feed and travel.
Frank shares how incoming and negative tides reveal feeding lanes, why anglers often walk past productive water, and how sight fishing in the surf can feel more like targeting carp than blind casting waves. This conversation covers gear, etiquette, safety, and why slowing down and learning to see the beach is the key to success in one of the most overlooked fly fisheries in the country.
#877 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/877

#876 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/876  
Presented by: AVC Rig
Most adventure rigs look great online. Fewer are built for real miles, real weather, and those long fishing days that end well after dark. In this episode, I sit down with Matt Dunkerly to talk about building camper vans that actually work for anglers.
Matt runs Adventure Vehicle Concepts, and his approach is refreshingly practical. This isn't about Instagram builds or overcomplicating things. It's about access, simplicity, and designing a rig that helps you fish more without getting in your own way.
If you've been thinking about a van for fly fishing trips, road travel, or long weekends chasing water, this episode will help you avoid the most common mistakes before you ever pick up a tool.
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/876

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/875B
Presented by: wetflyswing.com/sponsors
Streamer season is officially here in the Ozarks, and this one is all about slowing things down and fishing with intention. January kicks off the most aggressive window of the year, especially for big browns and smallmouth, and today Chad Johnson is digging deep into how they approach it.
He walks us through why post-spawn is such a key window for them, how aggression bites drive streamer eats, and why presentation matters more than fly choice.  
If you fish the Ozarks (or any tailwater with changing flows) this is one you'll want to bookmark.
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/875B

Show Notes: Https://wetfyswing.com/875
Sponsors: Togiak River Lodge and On DeMark Lodge
Sponsors:https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors
Fly fishing doesn't fall apart because it's too hard. It falls apart because there's too much going on at once. Too many rods, too many flies, too many opinions, and not enough clarity about what actually matters on day one.
In this episode, I sat down with Phil Monahan to strip fly fishing back to its essentials. Phil's spent decades teaching, writing, guiding, and answering the same beginner questions over and over. His takeaway is simple. Most new anglers don't fail because they lack skill. They stall because they're overloaded with choices.
Phil's new book, The Orvis QuickStart Guide to Fly Fishing, is all about cutting through that noise and helping people catch their first fish faster.