Untangled: Fly Fishing For Everyone | Ventures Fly Co.

Latest Episodes:

How To Catch Fish On The World's Smallest Mayfly | Ep. 196 Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

There's one mayfly that, when it hatches, brings EVERY fish up to the surface - including the big ones. These bugs, once they start, come off like clockwork. The fish dutifully follow.

So, what's the catch? Because if there's one true thing about fly fishing, it's that nothing is THIS simple.

Well, these mayflies are tiny. Microscopic. And the fish get EXTREMELY picky about which ones they're eating. Some times, they want the male mayflies. Other times, they're only eating the females. Throw the wrong one, and your chances of catching fish are as good as Spencer's at quitting Diet Coke.

This week on Untangled, you'll learn everything you need to know to take advantage of this tiny mayfly.

You'll also learn about:

How to fight fish more effectively
The techniques used for fishing with barbless hooks
How much time you should expect to struggle when you start fly fishing
How to handle days when rivers are blown out from rain

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Get TroutRoutes PRO Free For One Month - CHECK IT OUT

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

Get the FREE Field Guide - CHECK IT OUT

Get Up And Go Explore | Tip of the Week #17 Sep 07, 2026

Show notes

The best thing you could do right now is to turn off this podcast, get your gear together, and go fishing.

If you can't just drop everything and head to the river right now - maybe you're at work, or any good fishing is a long drive away - then I suppose you could keep listening to today's show. But the message at the end will be the same as it is now: get up and go fishing.

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

Get the FREE Field Guide - CHECK IT OUT

What It Really Takes To Get Good At Fly Fishing — From A Guy Who Fishes 200 Days A Year | Ep. 195 Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

The second installment in our Everyday Angler series features Hyrum Weaver, a longtime friend of Spencer's, and one of the fishiest guys he knows. Hyrum is a truly great fisherman who claims he hasn't been skunked in the 21st century. He's also one of the best people you could ever hope to learn from - whether it's figuring out lakes, learning to tie better flies, or simply the key things to look at on rivers to find more fish, Hyrum is a wealth of information, and he's sure to help you level up your game as an angler.

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

Get the FREE Field Guide - CHECK IT OUT

Untangled Fly Fishing Report | September 2026 Aug 31, 2026

Show notes

As the weather finally starts to cool off, that means small mayflies are back on the menu! But they're not the only thing to think about as you hit the water in September. Terrestrial fishing can be excellent this month as well, and will continue to be great until the first hard freeze fo the year. Today on Untangled, you'll get a refresher course on all things fall mayflies, as well as some tips and tricks for troubleshooting those moments when the fish refuse your flies.

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

Get the FREE Field Guide - CHECK IT OUT

VFC 3-Packs - Get The Fall Flies - CHECK THEM OUT

Why Biologists Want You To Kill Brook Trout, And When You Shouldn't | Ep. 194 Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

Brookies are the favorite of tons of anglers. They're gorgeous, and the big ones can be extremely frustrating AND rewarding to catch. But they're also one of the biggest threats to the long-term survival of native fish like cutthroat trout. Brookies are more aggressive than cutties, so in places where the two fish live side-by-side, brookies outcompete cutthroat for food. Eventually, the cutthroat just can't persist on the landscape, and they disappear. So, to help cutthroat and other native fish like gila and apache trout, sometimes fisheries managers ASK for you to kill brook trout. Does killing a few brookies REALLY help cutthroat? And is this a sound practice, or do fish biologists in the West just have it out for brookies? Today on Untangled, we'll dive into all of this and explain what really goes into conserving and protecting our native fish.

You'll also learn about:

What stomach pumps are, and why Spencer thinks they're unethical
Camp traditions and recipes for fishing trips
How to get the most out of backpacking trips to go fly fishing
How to tell if you've spooked fish from a given fun

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

Get the FREE Field Guide - CHECK IT OUT

Will Fish Really Eat Pink and Purple Flies? | Tip of the Week #16 Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

Why are so many of the flies we tie, use, and sell, all brightly colored, when most of the real-life bugs trout eat are drab and dull? Why do our fly boxes look like they'd be more at home at a middle-school craft fair, or a tea party, than on the river? Well, it all boils down to how trout perceive color. Understanding this key detail of trout biology can help you better understand how and why trout react so well to certain fly patterns.

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

Get the FREE Field Guide - CHECK IT OUT

VIDEO - How Trout See Color - CHECK IT OUT

Fly Fishing With Hoppers: Strategies You Don't Hear Enough About | Ep. 193 Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

ALEX STULCE RETURNS! And as he joins Spencer on today's episode, the two talk about the hopper fishing strategies that too often get ignored. Things like adding drag on purpose to make the hopper look like it's alive, to fishing them in shallow, nervous water. These are the little things that WILL make a difference in your fishing this summer, but that most folks don't ever discuss.

You'll also hear about:

Everything going on behind-the-scenes at VFC, including updates on products, live events, and new releases
Tips for fishing etiquette when you're brand-new
How to guesstimate the depth of a river when setting up a nymph rig
How to tell if you're getting a bite, or just ticking the bottom
The great knot debate between the Clinch and Loop knots

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

DONATE - Amber Kelly GoFundMe - VIEW HERE

Get TroutRoutes PRO Free For One Month - CHECK IT OUT

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

Get the FREE Field Guide - CHECK IT OUT

The Bass I Never Thought I'd Catch | Fly Fishing Stories #10 Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

The days when you catch something unexpected — your new personal best, for instance — seem to come out of nowhere, like letters from the IRS. And not unlike mail from the tax man, I think every angler has at least SOME level of fear that they won't be prepared to meet those memorable fish when they decide to show up.

Of course, not every unforgettable fish has to be huge — it can be a particularly gorgeous brookie, or a wild rainbow trout that's shaped like a football, or a brown all colored up for pumpkin spice season.

But those big ones? That show up out of nowhere, when you're fishing the farm pond, that tiny creek near your house, or the stretch of river you've always skipped, because it just didn't look fishy?

Those are the fish that make your palms sweaty, get the butterflies swarming in your stomach, and put you right back in that dark, loud gym on the night of your first school dance. That feeling never goes away, no matter how long you've been fishing; or at least, it hasn't for me.

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

Get the FREE Field Guide - CHECK IT OUT

I Was Wrong About Fly Fishing Apps — Here's What Changed My Mind | Ep. 192 Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

Fly fishing apps are for those lazy anglers who just want someone to tell them where to go, what flies to use, and how to fish. They're for people who prefer automatic transmissions, boneless chicken wings, and Downton Abbey.

Right?

Well, not exactly. That was my attitude for a LONG time, until this year. I started using one app, and it honestly made me change my tune. These apps can be really helpful, for anglers of all skill levels.

Today on Untangled, you'll learn why I changed my mind about fly fishing apps, the ones we recommend here at VFC, and how to get the most out of these tools.

You'll also learn about:

Tips for correcting a cast that always seem to land to the left or the right
The gear Spencer recommends for backcountry fly fishing trips
Etiquette for fishing with a larger group of anglers

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Get TroutRoutes PRO Free For One Month - CHECK IT OUT

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

Get the FREE Field Guide - CHECK IT OUT

When And Why You Need A Double-Taper Fly Line | Tip of the Week #15 Aug 10, 2026

Show notes

There are two main types of fly lines - weight-forward and doube-taper. But what do those words mean? And when would you want to use one versus the other? Today on Untangled, we'll tackle everything to know about the differences between these lines, as well as getting into when and why you might want to use them. We'll also talk about the importance of matching your fly line to your rod, and what makes a fly line "good" or "bad."

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

FLIES - Get the VFC 3-Packs - CHECK THEM OUT

Join the VFC Online Community - CHECK IT OUT

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW - SUBMIT HERE

#LIVEREELLIFE MOMENT - SUBMIT HERE

Get the FREE Field Guide - CHECK IT OUT