Jerry Darkes, one of the biggest names in the Great Lakes fly fishing for steelhead and numerous other species, is here to break down Great Lakes Fly Fishing. Jerry discusses the switch rod with a focus on swinging flies for great lakes steelhead.
Jerry shares his favorite goto pattern for steelhead and why he’s heading out into the bigger water to chase fish these days. We also dig into a little history of how fly fishing first came to the midwest in the 1700’s.
Click below and listen to Great Lakes Fishing with Jerry Darkes:
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Check out an additional resource on swinging flies for great lakes steelhead here.
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Great Lakes Fly Fishing Show Notes with Jerry Darkes
17:23 – I noted the Adrian Cortes podcast where he fishes dry lines for winter steelhead. Adrian is a die-hard guy when it comes to swinging flies for steelhead in the NW.
24:30 – Fly Fishing the Inland Oceans was Jerry’s first major book.
25:40 – Here’s a link to Jerry’s new book with a fly tying focus: Essential Flies for the Great Lakes Region.
27:30 – Superior Fishing by Robert Roosevelt. This book documents a trip through the upper of the midwest.
32:35 – We talk about Kevin Feenstra, Pete Humphries, and Greg Senyo who are all big players in the great lakes area.
33:50 – I had Kelly Galloup and Gary Borger were both on the podcast in past episodes.
34:30 – Swisher and Richards wrote Selective Trout which was a huge influence for many anglers in the midwest.
44:30 – T3H 11’ 8 weight Scott is a great all-around rod for the great lakes.
45:20 – The spey lights from SA have become super popular.
1:00:38 – We talked about the temple dog fly patterns. Here is Davie showing how to do it.
You can find Jerry on Instagram at Jerry Darkes
Resources on Great Lakes Fishing Noted in the Show
Essential Flies for the Great Lakes Region.
Superior Fishing by Robert Roosevelt
Fly Fishing the Great Lakes Noted in the Show
The Temple Dog by Davie Mcphail
“The smallmouth bass is the native trout of the midwest.”
-Jerry Darkes
Great Lakes Fishing Conclusion
Jerry Darkes, one of the big names in Great Lakes Fishing, shares the history of fly fishing in the Great Lakes region with a focus on swinging flies for steelhead. We find out which switch rod setup will work for your next trip and which other species he is focusing on now.
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