The Destination Angler Podcast

Episode 143 of the Destination Angler Fly Fishing Podcast – May 8, 2025 Our destination is SW Montana and Yellowstone country veteran outfitter and dry fly aficionado, Walter Wiese, Yellowstone Country Fly Fishing, Livingston, Montana.  We explore the aftermath of the massive 2022 flood and how it's changed—or not—some of the most iconic rivers in the West, like the Yellowstone, Lamar, and Slough Creek, the Madison, Gallatin, and more.  Which ones bounced back? Which ones are still healing? And what can you expect if you go?  Along the way, he shares dry fly wisdom, his own go-to patterns, and hot tips on i...

Our destination is a whirlwind tour of the world's top fly-fishing adventures with seasoned traveler, expert fly angler, and founder of Got Fishing, a hosted travel company that connects anglers with unforgettable destinations.  We'll explore legendary spots including Jurassic Lake in Argentina, Alaska, the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, Christmas Island, and Ascension Bay in Mexico.   Along the way, Brian shares insider tips on choosing the right booking agency, what to watch for when booking a lodge yourself, plus tips on gear and travel, great stories, and how to pick the best dates for your trip.  And b...

Our destination is Part 2 with legendary Colorado guide, author, and trout teacher Pat Dorsey—owner of the Blue Quill Angler and perhaps the foremost expert on the South Platte. Pat dials it up a notch or two in this episode, sharing his go-to fly patterns, fly design insights, and strategies for fly fishing new water. We dig into questions like: How fast should you fish? Why does Pat love indicators? And what makes a fly truly innovative? You'll also hear stories of drift boat weddings, the origin of the Mercury Midge, and Pat's first-ever guide trip. Stick ar...

Our Destination is Part 1 of our deep dive into top tailwaters in Colorado with 30-year veteran guide and author, Pat Dorsey, Blue Quill Angler, Evergreen, Colorado.  With 30 years on the water, Pat knows these rivers inside and out—including the South Platte, Blue, Yampa, Williams Fork, Taylor, Frying Pan, and Gunnison Gorge. Pat breaks down the technical side of tailwater fishing, answering big questions like: Why are deep pools so tricky?  What separates a good angler from a great one?  What exactly is a "guide fly"?  He also shares expert tips on winter fishing, sight fishing, and the ag...

Our destination is the Idaho backcountry with Chris Hunt—award-winning author, seasoned fly angler, and expert blueliner from Hatch Adventure Travel. Chris literally wrote the book on finding hidden trout water: Fly Fishing Idaho's Secret Water. Today, he breaks down his process for discovering overlooked streams and shares some of Idaho's fishiest backcountry areas.   You'll get tips on fooling spooky fish, finding big trout, and wild stories—mountain lions, Alaska's Dalton Highway, Patagonian chilies, and soul-crushing mosquitoes. Drop your truck in low lock and get ready for a wild ride! With host, Steve Haigh Be...

Our destination is the world-famous Henry's Lake in eastern Idaho, known for hard-fighting hybrids (Cutbows) the size of your leg, unpredictable windstorms, and breathtaking scenery.  With retired Idaho Fish & Game biologist and guide Damon Keen, with Eagle Ridge Ranch, Island Park, ID Damon grew up in Idaho, eventually landing the coveted role of state biologist for Henry's Lake with Fish and Game.  Today, we dive deep into the big questions like: Are there a million trout in Henry's Lake? How do these fish grow so big so fast? And why won't they eat dry flies?   Stories of sudd...

Our destination is Colorado and the Upper Rio Grande River with fly shop owner, Rick McGuire and guide, Presley Garcia, Wolf Creek Anglers, South Fork, CO.   Fly Fisherman Mag called the upper Rio Grande a hidden gem with gorgeous scenery, aggressive trout, and amazing hatches that'll keep you on your toes.     Rick is a retired football coach turned fly shop owner and guide with a passion for helping people.  Presley is a teacher, coach, and expert angler with excellent knowledge of the river system.  Today, Rick and Presley share tips on the gold medal water, alpine lake fishing...

Our destination is the land of fire and ice--Iceland with Tim Cammisa, author and owner of Trout & Feather, and Matti Hákonarson, guide and owner of Iceland Fishing Guide. With its stunning scenery, friendly people, and waters teeming with plentiful Atlantic salmon, hard-fighting arctic char, and massive sea-run and resident brown trout, Iceland is among the most incredible places in the world for fly anglers. Matti and Tim give us the ultimate rundown on fly fishing in Iceland—covering the culture, the bugs, pro tips and tactics, and the best times of year to chase each species. Plu...

Our destination is Colorado's Conejos River with expert fly angler and guide Spencer Seim of Zia Fly, Taos, New Mexico. The Conejos has it all—a hidden gem starting high in the San Juan Mountains with breathtaking views, every water type you could imagine, and trout so wise they'll challenge the best of anglers. Growing up in Lubbock, Texas, Spencer's fascinating odyssey includes train hopping, meeting George W. Bush, fly fishing and guiding, and classic fly tying. His flies have been featured in The Drake, America's Favorite Flies, and Smithsonian Magazine. Today, Spencer shares his de...

Our destination is Michigan's Grand River with expert fly fishing guides Tom and Max Werkman, the father-and-son team behind Werkman Outfitters, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and RiverQuest Charters. The Grand is Michigan's longest river, and it's loaded with steelhead, salmon, and smallmouth. The Grand's story is one of ruin to recovery, and today, it's fishing better than ever. Tom and Max share the ins and outs of the Grand and its tributaries, along with what you need to know about seasons, food sources, top fly patterns, and rigs. Also, they answer the age-old question, What are the conditions...

Buenos Dias! 2,000 miles south of Bueno Ares deep in the heart of Patagonia lies a remote and pristine lake famous for wind, rocks, and prehistoric-sized rainbow trout, considered some of the largest in the world. Our destination is Lago Strobel, also known as Jurassic Lake in Patagonia, Argentina with Lucho Alba, owner of Estancia Laguna Verde fishing lodge. Lucho explains the allure of this distant location, how these fish grow to such enormous proportions, and tips on how to land fish with more moves than Lionel Messi. Stick around to the end for a great story of...

Our destination is Cape Cod, Massachusetts, for striped bass on the fly with Patrick Cassidy, expert saltwater guide and owner of Cape Cod on the Fly. The Cape offers some of the most extensive flats fishing in the world, where anglers can test their meddle against the revered striped bass, along with bluefish and false albacore. Patrick has been fishing these waters for over 30 years and explains conditions and how to use structure, tides, and currents to your advantage, along with top fly patterns, stories of great white sharks, and surf fishing till your arm hurts. <...

Our destination is the Berry Islands in the Bahamas for trophy bonefish and permit with guides Percy Darville, Freddie Dames, Travis Sands, and Soul Fly Lodge owner Kyle Schaefer. The Berry Islands are known for miles and miles of undisturbed, beautiful sand flats, large fish, and plenty of solitude. About our guests, 28 years ago, Freddie worked on a lobster boat for weeks at a time until his wife had enough and switched to a fly-fishing skiff. Travis's high school principal let him skip school to become a fly fishing guide. As an early pioneer of Bahamian fly...

Our destination is wild and rugged West Virginia with master storyteller, Curtis Fleming, founder and host of the hit TV and YouTube series Fly Rod Chronicles. Often overlooked, West Virginia boasts hundreds of miles of wild trout streams offering endless opportunities to discover those hidden gems every angler dreams of. Born and raised in WV, Curtis is living the dream, having fished and filmed in over 280 locations around the world, but is it all fun and fly fishing? Find out as Curtis takes us behind the scenes and shares what it's like to host a reality TV...

Our destination is the remote Tsimane region of Bolivia in pursuit of the savage and powerful Golden Dorado with Marcelo Perez, founder, and CEO of Untamed Angler and the Tsimane Lodge.   The Tsimane region sits at the base of the Andes mountains, hundreds of miles from civilization, where mountain streams run clear and fast, and fly anglers can sight-cast for voracious Dorado reaching upwards of 40 lbs.    Marcelo grew up in Argentina fishing the jungles for Dorado and found his passion in building remote jungle fly fishing lodges.  Join us as Marcelo explains why Dorado should be on every...

Our destination is the legendary Bighorn River with expert fly angler and guide, Scott Brown, owner of Brickhouse Browns, Sheridan, WY. The Bighorn has had its ups and downs, but the Bighorn is back in a big way, fishing better than ever. Here anglers will find great numbers of big trout who often feed like there's no tomorrow. Scott was born and raised in Sheridan playing sports, hunting, and fishing in the Bighorn Mountains. He soon became obsessed with fly fishing, spending 250 to 300 days a year on the water. After a stint in an open pit coal...

Our destination is the untamed Upper Peninsula of Michigan with expert fly angler, author, and guide, Tim Schulz, who tours this vastly underrated corner of the US. With over 12,000 miles of trout streams, the UP is a fly fishing mecca waiting to be discovered. Tim's been wetting a line here for 30 years and gives us a whirlwind tour of the Two Hearted, Escanaba, Ontonagon, Otter, and Huron mountains, to name a few. Tim's a professor at Michigan Tech and guides for Rivers North Guide Service in his spare time. His latest book is A Cast Away in...

Our destination is the famed South Holston River with expert fly angler and guide, Jason McReynolds, owner of Flying So Ho Guide Service, Bristol, TN. The South Holston is considered one of the top tailwaters in the country, known primarily for trophy brown trout and stripers but also world-class hybrids and smallmouth. Using a streamer fishing strategy that has been dialed in over 30 years, Jason and his wife hold several IGFA world records. Jason shares stories of bait balls and stripers, Browns and broken rods, and why the hot water line is your key to success. He...

Our destination is Roosterfish on the fly, from the beach, with expert saltwater fly angler and guide Jeff Feczko of To the Gills fly fishing, Baja Mexico, and professional chef and fly fishing guide Josh Schwartz of Travel Creel Hospitality. Josh and Jeff have combined forces to offer the finest in fly fishing, hospitality, and food. Roosterfish may be the pinnacle of all sportfish on the fly. Get ready for an adrenaline rush as you sprint for position, steeple your cast, and ready yourself for fish that are instantly in your backing and can spool you in...

Our destination is Big Spring Creek and Warm Spring Creek near the town of Lewiston, Montana with Dan Vermillion, co-owner of Sweetwater Travel, Livingston, Montana.  Travelling to Lewistown is like stepping back in time to the Montana of yesteryear.  Here anglers will find classic uncrowded spring creek fly fishing along with miles and miles of public water, easy wading, and shots at large, wily trout.   Dan and his brothers were raised on the banks of the Yellowstone River and are now owners and operators of the largest collection of fly-fishing lodges in the world.  Today, Dan covers Big S...