Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/401 Presented By: FishHound Expeditions Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors Will Donnelly, head guide at FishHound Expeditions, takes us into Alaska with a focus on road-tripping. We break down Alaska by car - where you should be heading, species you can chase, and some tips on flies technique. We also talk about that trip we had last year and what you can expect when you fly out to Alaska with the FishHound crew.  Show Notes with Will Donnelly 04:45 - Will moved to Anchorage Alaska with his parent when he was 10 years old 10:45 - Eligible Alaskans get Permanent Fund Dividend. 13:30 - Will talks about fishing in Honduras. 17:30 - Adam Cuthriell was on the podcast 3 times in episodes 324, 346, and 377. 22:30 - The fish in Alaska are meat eaters. Mousing is the best way to catch them. 35:00 - Will talks about how they painted a steelhead on their Astro van. 39:30 - Will tells the story of when he caught his first steelhead on the Kenai River with the help of an otter. 48:00 - His favorite mouse pattern is the Rio Pip Squeak. Shares a tip that almost always guarantees a hook-up. Photo by CaddisFlyShop.com 1:00:30 - The Kenai and Susitna Rivers both flow into the Cook Inlet. 1:03:20 - Will recommends his favorite fly shop in Anchorage, Mossy's Fly Shop 1:13:20 - Will talks about fishing one of the Kodiak rivers in July. Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/401

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/390 Presented By: Country Financial, Drifthook, Zoe Angling Group, Range Meal Bars Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors Darren Calhoun of Wind River Canyon is here to share the story of creating the movie Tribal Waters and working with Patagonia and Teton Gravity Research. We find out how the Wind River reservation and some other groups actually sued the federal government and won the case to protect their water rights. We also find out about the fishing the Wind River Canyon and what makes this part of the country so unique. This is a pretty huge episode so I hope you get the chance to connect with Darren down the line and show your support for all the stuff they have going on. Wind River Canyon Show Notes with Darren Calhoun 00:03:50 – Darren talks about when he learned how to fly fish from their then neighbor, Gordon Eastman, who used to make wildlife films in the ’60s. 00:05:33 – He shares the struggle of hiring tribal members as guides. 00:06:45 – We talk about the poverty and unemployment rate in the reservations, but also the increasing number of tribal members who take up post-secondary education. 00:10:02 – He discusses the unique political relationship between the American Indian tribes and the US government. 00:12:36 – We dig into the film, Tribal Waters, how it came to be and what it means to him. He takes us to when he pitched the idea to Patagonia of including environmental justice in the film. 00:15:16 – He shares how the Tribal Waters film encouraged some people to reach out and ask what they can do, and their plan on creating a foundation to raise and manage funds for getting tribal lands back. 00:18:42 – Darren gives his perspective on working with Patagonia and Teton Gravity Research for the Tribal Waters film. In episode 345, we had Ted Manning on the show which took us behind the scenes of Patagonia. 00:19:55 – He commends Patagonia for their conscious practice of contributing to environmental conservation and Yvon Chouinard for giving away his company to fight climate change. 00:20:39 – We talk about Gordon Eastman and his movies. He was the biggest influence to him on fly fishing. We also dig into what influenced his passion for conservation started. 00:24:54 – He takes us to Wind River Canyon and gives tips on access to the area. 00:31:10 – We talk about how people taking water from the river and dams affects the trout population and other issues they encountered when they tried to pass a tribal water code they developed. 00:36:50 – He talks about how getting everybody involved to preserve the tribal lands and the environment is a challenge. 00:39:30 – He tells listeners how to learn more and help out for the cause. He encourages people to educate themselves on the history of the relationship between the American Indian tribes and the US government. He further clarifies this and the concept of tribal sovereignty and stereotyping American Indians. 00:42:45 – We talk about the movie Dances with Wolves and its effect on how people see American Indians. 00:45:41 – We discuss the other indigenous issues across the world and the fact that indigenous peoples are now being recognized. 00:47:05 – He talks about this poster that shows if humans go extinct. He also shares how scarcity pushed their community to establish a game code for hunting and the controversy that surrounded it. 00:52:50 – He recommends the best times to fish depending on what type of fishing you want to do and the species you’ll get per season. He also shares the challenges in fishing in Wind Canyon for dry fly season. 00:58:40 - He tells what people can do in the Wind River Canyon during the summer. 1:03:35 - He tells more about their organization, Indifly, and how they are fulfilling their mission to create ecotourism and fly fishing businesses for indigenous populations and reconnect the younger generation with the outdoors. Matt Shilling, Indifly Executive Director, also guested in the show in episode 342. 1:06:03 - We talk about other big rivers and activities like fishing and hiking that people can do down in the Wind River Canyon area. I mention our episode with Grant Breidenbach wherein he gave us the ultralight backpacking gear list. 1:11:04 - He shares what's the most important business tip for him for those who are thinking about starting a business. 1:13:50 - He talks about his plans for retirement and his business. Conclusion with Darren Calhoun and Wind River Canyon That was Darren Calhoun shedding light on tribal lands, indigenous populations, and environment preservation. I hope this episode encouraged you to educate yourselves about our history; find ways to help in protecting the reservations and preserving our environment and resources for the next generations. Again in Darren's words, we're all here for such a short time. Why would you want to have a negative impact on the environment when you could do just the opposite? Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/390

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/388 Presented By: Togens Fly Shop, Country Financial, FishHound Expeditions Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors John Grasta, Bass Pro Ambassador, breaks down Florida Fly Fishing with a focus on skagit and tarpon spey. We find out how you can DIY your way to tarpon with a spey rod without a boat, which other species you can hit on a road trip if you're planning to head down to Florida and why he is loving Bass Pro and his life so much in Florida. We dig into his favorite products from Fair Flies towards the end and why Florida is such an epic place. It's pretty awesome to get his perspective, not only on fishing but also on other things. Florida Fly Fishing Show Notes with John Grasta 00:03:06 - John talks about how he got into fly fishing. His father's side of the family were avid hunters and fishermen. 00:05:12 - He mentions his mentor who introduced him to saltwater fishing and to David Olson of White's Tackle who taught him how to create distance by using a shooting head and mono running line. 00:06:54 - John talks about how he refined the traditional spey rod techniques and how that turned into his biggest addiction. 00:08:25 - He provides tips to those who want to get into tarpon fishing. 00:12:13 - He shares his techniques in fishing in alligator infested waters. 00:16:40 - He says that the pre-made fair fly brushes are the end all be all and why he deviated from the traditional fly fishing techniques. 00:18:03 - He tells about his biggest speckled sea trout which was 29 1/2 inches and weighed 10.2 pounds. He caught it using the predator hot orange/chartreuse 5D brush from Fair Flies.  00:20:22 - He describes how he ties the poppers that he use on tarpon and his own go-to pattern for everything which is the spitter gurgler. 00:24:10 - He mentions Nicklaus Bauer's videos that he often watches to learn patterns for catching pike and muskie and think of how he can put his personality into those patterns. 00:26:23 - He breaks down how he hooks into a tarpon. 00:31:50 - He talks about the Cabela's Vector Two-Hand Fly Rod which is one of his favorite rods. 00:34:33 - He talks about the benefits of the two-handed fly rod. 00:37:54 - He tells how he uses his pickup truck to gain elevation and distance when fishing. 00:40:29 - He mentions some of the good lakes in Florida for fishing such as Lake Apopka and Starke Lake in Ocoee. 00:42:28 - He talks about the Bass Pro Shop and gives tips on where to fish in Florida and the best times to catch a tarpon there. 00:48:24 - He specifies the best months and times of the day to catch some tarpon in Florida. 00:50:12 - He elaborates the benefits of using a Spey rod making it a great tool to have if you're going to Florida. 00:58:01 - He describes his setup for fishing tarpon and gives tips on how to reduce the line twist or what he calls pigtail. 01:01:42 - He enumerates the different species of fish you can hook into in Florida. 1:07:23 - He mentions two fly shops in Orlando that are the best resources to get gears and get the lay of the land. 1:09:42 - He talks about the Everglades National Park. 1:14:22 - He mentions other outdoor activities to do in Florida such as camping and kayak fishing and gives tips on how to plan your trip. 1:20:21 - He talks about the first time he moved to Ocoee, Florida 15 years ago and shares some information for those who are thinking about moving to Florida. 1:25:02 - We talk about the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) 2022. He also mentions the Balsax Previa Max floating line (dark blue) which he uses for his running lines. 1:27:49 - He commends Fair Flies for making the best equipment for fly tying and other fly fishing products which he uses for bass, tarpon, and saltwater species down in Florida. One of his favorites is their pre-made dubbing brushes. 1:31:25 - He takes us to fishing around alligators in Florida and gives tips on what to do and what not to do to prevent accidents and being attacked by alligators. 1:38:28 - He tells a story of a lady losing her dog to an alligator. Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/388