This week my guest Dave Zielinski [39:53], author of the comprehensive book Cicada Madness, tells us when and where you can encounter this year's brood of periodical cicadas—and if you can't make that event, he'll tell you how to find waters that host regular emergences of annual cicadas, which are not quite as large but can offer spectacular fishi…

Reid chats with Grant Ritchie of Minam, Oregon, about hunting the Hells Canyon area by raft. Grant has a long family history in the region and has been guiding cast-and-blast trips on the Snake and Salmon Rivers out of his Oregon-based Minam Store. Grant discusses his family history, his personal return to the area to become an outfitter and guide,…

Crayfish are prey that most gamefish can't resist. They're high in calories, abundant, and relatively easy for bass, trout, and many other gamefish to capture. Yet most of us don't know much about their life cycle and behavior (myself included). Guide Jake Villwock [47:02] has spent his life studying these critters, which gives him important insigh…

This episode was originally published on January 30th, 2021 This week, continuing our series of podcasts on winter fly fishing for trout, I interview George Daniel, author and guide. George is also an Orvis ambassador and field tester, and teaches fly fishing at Penn State. As you'll discover, there are many similarities with winter fishing in othe…

Reid welcomes Friis Arne Petersen and Andreas Peter Wilhelmsen of Denmark to the podcast to discuss their innovative new shooting device, the TrapMaster. In short, the TrapMaster is an electronic device that presents clays that are spun much like ZZ Birds, but that can be launched from a handheld device. The podcast explores the evolution of his un…

This episode was originally published on January 14th, 2021. My guest this week is Rachael Leinweber [39:38], general manager of The Angler's Covey fly shop in Colorado Springs. One in a series of podcasts about winter fly-fishing tips, Rachael has some great ones for us, and it's been interesting to see how each guide we've talked to has a slightl…

My guest this week is Mike Tayloe [33:07], who is a fishing guide, EMT, and wilderness medicine trainer. Tayloe (he prefers this to Mike) has trained many Orvis-endorsed guides and lodges on emergencies that you'll encounter on the water. Basically, they're the same emergencies you'll find at home but without the ability to get a rescue squad or am…

Dave is one of the best young voices in fly fishing [38:14]. He's the real deal—he is a fishy guy and can handle a fly rod with the best of them, but he's also a teacher of writing at the college level and a published author. (His new book is terrific and the title is Calling After Water.) Dave gives us what I consider a mini master class on how to…

Dave Perkins joins Reid to talk a bit about the Orvis Endorsed partnership of Wingshooting Lodges, Hunting Grounds, Guides, and Outfitters. As an Owner, Board Member, and former Executive of the Company, Dave has long been committed to the idea of providing customers opportunities to have their own experiences in the field. He talks about how facil…

Many of our trout waters run through agricultural areas. We need food and clean water and we'd like to fish for trout in these waters, but sometimes these things don't play well together. It's when all user groups get together and come up with solutions that we have the best of both worlds. Cameron Aker [39:29] is the Outreach Coordinator for the D…

Terry Wieland, longtime Gun Editor at Gray's Sporting Journal, joins Reid to discuss 40 years as a freelance gun writer, the roots of his love for journalism, and the Golden Age of Spanish gunmaking. Terry is the author of numerous books, Spanish Best among them, and this study of the Spanish trade remains the definitive work on the topic.…

I often get questions about the proper way to play and release trout and I invited Jim McClennan [42:51] to talk about his tips and his philosophy on bring trout to hand. Jim has been a guide, fly shop owner, writer, and star of fishing films for as long as I have been in the business. He gives his tips on how to play trout quickly, how to land the…

Well, maybe we're not creating new trout streams, but we are creating waters that now support trout and cold, clean water by mitigating abandoned mine runoff. These are streams have been lifeless in some cases for over 100 years. There are hundreds of thousands of abandoned mines leaking acids and toxic metals throughout the country, and until a re…

What benefits do you get when you upgrade from a $40 Big Box store rod to a Clearwater or Encounter? How much better is a Recon rod, and will you see and appreciate the performance improvements? And what are you missing out on by getting a Recon instead of a Helios? This is a common podcast question, and I've asked Shawn Combs [44:53], Orvis rod an…

Reid welcomes Trent Leichleiter, Managing Partner of Nebraska's Pheasant Bonanza Hunt Club back to the podcast. On this visit, Trent discusses some tactics for late-season midwest roosters while also giving an update on KAMO Inc., the organization he started some years ago to mentor new outdoors people and also find forever homes for gundogs in nee…

In another chat with the great Del Whitman of D.C. Whitman Custom Gunsmithing, Reid and Del explore the proper methods for preparing guns for long-term storage. Guns left for any length of time can fall victim to moisture, oil seepage, corrosion, and a host of other ills. Del explains how to prep guns for storage in a manner that ensures their safe…

Peter Laurelli [40:07] is a film-maker and fly fisher, and specializes in fly fishing from a paddleboard. And not in just any place—Peter fly fishes off the northeast coast for striped bass and false albacore, and if you can fish from a paddleboard in these conditions you can do it anywhere. Peter shares his tips on launching and landing a paddlebo…

Reid welcomes Mike Neiduski of Ugly Dog Hunting back to the podcast, this time to chat about his journey toward ownership of this online retail company. Mike talks about his path, his dogs, and his commitment to a lifestyle that revolves around upland pursuits.

This episode was originally published on January 27th, 2022. This week, my guest is Orvis casting guru Pete Kutzer [47:31], and we talk about casts for difficult trout. Often you don't need great casting skills or special casts to catch trout, but there are times when a little razzle-dazzle will make the difference. Pete talks about those situation…