The DrakeCast - A Flyfishing Podcast

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#18 The Mighty Colorado River Oct 30, 2017

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In episode #7 of The DrakeCast, we heard about the threatened Menominee River on the border between Michigan's UP and Wisconsin. This river had unfortunately found itself on American River's list of the ten most endangered rivers in the United States. In this episode, we look at the unfortunate body of water that occupies the number one spot on that list - The Colorado River. Throughout the story, we'll chat with fly shop owners, fishermen, conservationists, and flyfishing industry leaders as we try to figure out how the Colorado gained such an unsightly title. The Colorado is a huge river, but it also represents the perils that all of the world's rivers face right now. Many thanks to Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures and Scott Fly Rods for their continued support of The DrakeCast. A big shout out to Fishpond and American Rivers for their help with this episode and their role in keeping our rivers healthy. For more information on this episode, check out our website: http://www.drakemag.com/drakecast/1864-the-drakecast-fly-fishing-podcast-18-colorado-river-fishpond-american-rivers.html

#17 Jeremy Wade's Disappearing River Monsters Oct 20, 2017

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Jeremy Wade, host of Animal Planet's "River Monsters," is one of the more famous fisherfolks in the industry today. I personally always saw the guy as a globe-trotting Brit who believes every fish in the water wants to kill you. Well, it turns out that Jeremy Wade is much more than that. In this episode of The DrakeCast, Wade fully embraces his fear-mongering ways to alert us of the dangers that face the world's rivers. In this speech Wade explains how rivers have changed in his lifetime, and why these changes should scare us more than any of the toothy fish he’s ever caught on camera. Many thanks to our sponsors Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures and Scott Fly Rods. A huge thank you to James Thull and MSU's Trout & Salmonid Special Collections Library for allowing us to use the audio from this speech. For a few photos and links to some of the material that Wade mentions in his speech, check out our website: http://www.drakemag.com/drakecast/1861-the-drakecast-fly-fishing-podcast-17-jeremy-wade-disappearing-river-monsters.html

#16 Denver's Dirty Secret / A Yellowstone River Retrospective Oct 13, 2017

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This week we travel back to the United States. In the first part of the episode, we visit a fishy hideout in the suburbs of Denver. It's there that we meet Peter Stitcher, the owner of Ascent Fly Fishing. He shows us his secret stash and reveals a few fishy tips that should help us all catch a few more trouts. We then take Peter's ideas and head into the mountains to try them out. (This story was originally produced in November 2016 for a project that later grew into The DrakeCast). You can find out more information about Peter's operation and Ascent Fly Fishing at www.ascentflyfishing.com The second half of the episode is a look back at last year's massive die-off of whitefish on Montana's Yellowstone River. Bozeman Daily Chronicle reporter Michael Wright originally broke this story in August of 2016. He shares with us the development of the crisis, how it affected the local community, and how the experience has shaped Montana today. To read a written version of this story, visit The Drake's website: http://www.drakemag.com/featured-content/daily-drake/1856-yellowstone-river-montana-fish-kill-revisited.html For more information on this episode, visit The Drake's website:

#15 EuroTrip Ch. 3 - Iceland Oct 06, 2017

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Sorry for the delay folks, but The DrakeCast is back! In this episode we continue our EuroTrip to yet another island with great fishing - Iceland. Once again, we'd be targeting Atlantic salmon, but we'd also spend some time chasing wild native browns and sea run arctic char. After my time in the Faroe Islands, I hopped on a ferry to Eastern Iceland. It was there that I met Kristjan Rafnsson, one of the owners of Fish Partner, a flyfishing outfitter that controls access to quite a few rivers across Iceland. During our time together, we found quite a few fish. But we also discussed the history of fishing and fishing management in Iceland. It's much different than what we found in Ireland, The Faroes, and almost the complete opposite of what we're used to in the US. Make sure to check out our sponsors, Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures and Scott Fly Rods and thank them for their continued support of both the Drake Magazine and The DrakeCast. Also, a huge thanks to Kristjan and Fish Partner for the hospitality.

#14 EuroTrip Ch. 2 - The Faroe Islands Sep 16, 2017

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This week's episode of The DrakeCast takes us to The Faroe Islands, which is a small archipelago in the North Atlantic, about halfway between Norway and Iceland. I was there to experience the culture and see if I could find a couple fish. But during my stay, what I found was an isolated country and fishery that is at an inflection point. As more tourists make their way to the Faroes, the sleepy chain of islands is waking to a growing problem. The culture, the scenery, and the fishing are being loved to death. And it begs the question, is this growth sustainable? During my time in the Faroe Islands, I hung out with Kasper Jaegergaard. He's a Danish contractor who fell in love with the Faroe Islands a doxen years ago. He keeps coming back to fish, even though the sea trout in Denmark are bigger, because the natural beauty and the culture are unrivaled. We made our way around the islands with our fishing rods in tow. We sampled locally harvested whale and drank local beer and spirits. For more information on this episode and pictures from my time in the Faroe Islands, visit the Drake Magazine's website: http://www.drakemag.com/drakecast/1838-the-drakecast-flyfishing-podcast-14-the-faroe-islands.html

#13 EuroTrip Ch. 1 - Ireland Sep 08, 2017

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"I've been fly fishing since I was a wee little grasshopper. Hell of a long time with the fly. To me, the only way to catch a fish really is on the fly. Spinner? Not that exciting. One salmon on the fly is better than ten on the spinner." -Connie Corcoran, the fishing manager and ghillie for Ballyduff Bridge Salmon Fishery on the River Blackwater in the south of Ireland. This week marks the beginning of our EuroTrip Miniseries. For the first chapter, we head to the Emerald Isle. I was in Ireland for a cousin's wedding but made sure to book a couple days on the River Blackwater while I was in the area. It was there that I met Connie and Jason Corcoran who are the fishing managers for the Ballyduff Bridge Salmon Fishery. They were kind enough to share their home river with me. While I was there, we targeted salmon, brown trout, and good times. We found all three. This episode profiles the River Blackwater and dives into what makes it great but also confronts the troubles that the river faces. We also take a closer look at some of the people who are trying to preserve the river for future generations. For more information, check out The Drake Magazine's website: http://www.drakemag.com/drakecast/1837-the-drakecast-flyfishing-podcast-13-blackwater-river-ireland.html Many thanks to our sponsors Yellow Dog Fly Fishing Adventures and Scott Fly Rods for their continued support.

#12 Dresses & Can Cans Sep 01, 2017

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"My sister and my mother were not interested in fishing. So it was my dad and your dad and the boys. And we’d have brandy when we’d catch a fish. My dad would open the big green tackle box and bring out this silver flask and we’d all have to have a snort of brandy. Bill would light up a cigar, my dad would be lighting up a pipe. And my dad would be cold out here and we’d be fishing anyways and he’d reach into the tackle box and bring out this bottle of camphorated oil, and we’d all be rubbing our hands with camphorated oil because that’s supposed to help make our hands warm." - Patti Kulig reflecting on fishing with her father. This week, we head into the sloughs and backchannels of the Mississippi River near Fountain City, Wisconsin. I joined an old family friend, Patti Kulig for a day of bass fishing. My grandfather, Bill, and Patti's dad, Ed met through the local bar association after World War II and quickly became fishing friends. And every Veteran's Day, they'd load up their fishing poles into their john boat and make the trek down to the Mississippi where it separates Wisconsin from Minnesota. They did it to honor the friends they lost during the war. They did it because the court house was closed. They did it because the fishing was good. The date I met Patti on the river was November 11, Veterans Day. And every 11/11 for the past 70 years, an Adler and a Kulig have fished this stretch of the Mississippi. Ed and Bill have since passed so it was up to Patti and me to keep the tradition alive. Many thanks to our sponsors, Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures and Scott Fly Rods for their continued support. To read more about this trip, visit our website:http://www.drakemag.com/drakecast/1836-the-drakecast-flyfishing-podcast-12-mississippi.html

#11 Big Streamers, Bigger Fish Aug 25, 2017

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"We’re chasing trophy fish and it’s hard. It shouldn’t be easy. It will kick your ass. It’s physical. Big flies hurt more when they go into you and its covering miles and miles of water. But you know, none of us got into this game because flyfishing was easy. We got into it because it was a challenge." -Steve Dally of Dally's Ozark Flyfisher talking about chasing big fish on Arkansas's White River. Dally went on to explain his almost cult-like devotion to the White River. Think deliverance but with john boats instead of canoes. And at the center of the aquatic orthodox are two deities: the almighty streamer and the holy brown trout. But these aren’t your typical streamers or browns. They’re way bigger, and according to the river’s disciples, way better. Today, we’re going to find out how this creed came to be and how these devotees in Northern Arkansas began breaking bread with those coveted monster browns. It’s a story of exploration, failure, and teamwork, but really, it’s an invitation to establish your own fishy religion. Thanks to our sponsors Scott Fly Rods and Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures for their continued support. To see photos of some gnarly White River browns, be sure to check out the Drake's website: http://www.drakemag.com/drakecast/1835-the-drakecast-flyfishing-podcast-11-white-river.html

#10 Stream Implants Aug 18, 2017

Show notes

"I really think it's important to show the public how these streams can come back so well if we just give them a chance and make them stable and design them correctly. If you build it right, the wildlife will come back." Sometimes, a stream just needs a little plastic surgery to help it get back on track. But what are the costs of these limnological face lifts? What do we have to give up in order to get those nice racks of lunker bunkers and soft riffles?? A couple months ago we heard a story about Kentucky’s Wolf Creek Dam and the Cumberland River. If you haven’t heard that whole story yet, I encourage you to do so. It’s called Death of a Tailwater and you can find it on our website or podcast feed. And this week, we’re heading back in the heart of Appalachia, once again just below the Wolf Creek Dam. In addition to the Cumberland river, there’s another smaller stream in the area. It starts at the Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery, and flows into the Cumberland. Naturally, it's called Hatchery Creek. Hatchery Creek is a completely artificial stream that was built to give the trout in the Cumberland River spawning grounds, provide anglers with a recreational catch and release fishery, and help offset negative impacts caused by construction and coal companies on nearby streams. So far, Hatchery Creek has accomplished all of these goals. But like so many things in life, it's not that simple. Many thanks to our sponsors Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures and Scott Fly Rods. To check out photos and drone footage taken on Hatchery Creek, follow the link: http://www.drakemag.com/drakecast/1832-the-drakecast-flyfishing-podcast-10.html

#9 Kaleidoscope Of LSD: Sudan Aug 11, 2017

Show notes

"When I was a kid, I dreamed about what it really meant to push the envelope of flyfishing. For me it was muskies. That’s what I experienced that busted up tackle and caused me to rethink how I did things and taught me a lot of hard lessons. But going to Sudan was like that to the nth degree. It’s like putting the whole musky thing through a kaleidoscope of LSD." -Russ Schnitzer Thanks to our sponsors Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures and Scott Fly Rods for their continued support. A few months ago, I sat down with Russ Schnitzer for a couple beers. Schnitzer is an adventure photographer and conservationist based in Denver, Colorado but he travels a lot with his camera. I had seen a couple of shots from a recent trip of his to Dubai and Sudan and was pretty stunned by what I saw - rods doubled over with a collection of the world's tallest buildings in the background, gigantic bonefish, triggerfish that could could consume a small child. While we enjoyed PBR silos, Schnitzer told me the story behind these mind-boggling photos. Make sure you check out the link below to see some of Schnitzer's photos. Alternatively, check out the Summer 2017 issue of The Drake magazine. He has a two page spread on pages 16 and 17 and he also took the shot for the Patagonia ad on the back cover. Visit drakemag.com or your local fly shop to get the latest issue of the magazine. http://www.drakemag.com/drakecast/1828-the-drakecast-flyfishing-podcast-9.html

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