George Cook is back on the podcast today and takes a deep dive into swinging flies for kings. We get a rundown on some of the history around the Kanektok and Nushagak Rivers. We find out when you should be planning your trip if you want to target rainbows and chinooks in Alaska. George tells us his gear setup to up your Spey game and we also talk a little bit about his passion for hunting. George also talks about what he calls, “Pillow Water” and how to do a cadence cast.
Fishing for King Salmon in Alaska with George Cook. Hit play below!
07:30 – George will be at the Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show on February 15-19, 2023. They will have a hunting boot booth there.
14:30 – They hooked 105 fish in 8 days on the Nushagak River last year. But none of those fish were over 18 pounds.
19:30 – George talks about doing a DIY float trip on the Kanektok River, swinging for chinooks, kings, and rainbows.
35:20 – June 15 to July 8 would be the period to mouse for rainbows and chinook. George recommends doing a guided trip if you want to target chinooks.
38:10 – Dave Duncan Sr and his sons have over 30 years of experience guiding in the Kanektok River. George also noted Alaska West who’s been at it for a long time.
44:00 – George went full Spey since 2010. He rarely uses the single-handers nowadays.
Do you know what a Littoral Zone is? Did you know it’s the most productive part of the lake? Phil Rowley takes us into stillwater fishing and explains what this new Littoral Zone Podcast is all about. He describes which is the best rod for stillwaters and why.
Phil gives us the step x step process to find fish in lakes. Click the button below to listen to the podcast and find out all of the answers to help you find fish on your next trip.
(Read the Full Transcript at the bottom of this Blog Post)
Sponsors and Podcast Updates
Littoral Zone Show Notes with Phil Rowley
01:33 – Phil explains what is the perfect stillwater fly rod to use. He recommends a rod between 5 and 7-weight, preferably 9.5 or 10 feet long. A longer rod will help with roll casting on the lake.
04:146 – We find out what is the best motor for stillwater fishing. Always use the most powerful electric motor you can find. Phil uses a 55 lbs Minn Kota motor. There is a photo of a motor below but not the exact model that Phil uses. Make sure to use a lithium battery to help with reducing weight and last much longer.
07:58 – Phil talks about how to find trout in stillwaters. Trout are cruisers in lakes and may live in one part of the lake for their entire life. Lakes can be intimidating because of their size.
09:55 – We cover the things you need to know to find fish: comfort, protection, food, and observation.
10:09 – Comfort is one major factor to consider when finding fish in terms of water temperature, weather, and seasonal changes. The warmer the water gets, the less oxygen it holds. 50 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit is the key temperature for trout in lakes. Water temperature also affects the food that fish eat.
12:24 – Lower a thermometer with a cord into the lake to find the 50 to 65-degree prime window.
12:40 – Weeds also give off oxygen so there will be more fish around weeds. Tributaries to lakes can also be good places to find cool water and fish during the summer months.
15:35 – Lakes go through seasonal changes. During the changes, it can affect where trout will be in the lake. You can find fish in shallow waters just after ice comes off when it is stratified. Different temperatures of water temperature will not mix.
17:31 – During the summer the lake will be mixed and fish may be in deeper waters especially as things get warmer.
19:08 – Wind can affect how you can find fish. Foam lines can be key places to find fish as well.
19:45 – The next factor is protection. These are things that give the trout confidence to come in and feed. Light, structure, vegetation, and depth are keys. Algae is one key factor. Rippled service helps fish to find comfort.
22:30 – Light is a key factor. Generally, fish are in shallow water during the morning and evening and deeper during the day.
🎣 This video is the first podcast interview we did with Phil.
23:07 – Structure is another factor in finding fish. Trout like bass love structure but they don’t hold on to points. They cruise edges and ledges. Drop-offs, points of land, and other transition zones are where fish will be.
23:58 – He discusses the three basic zones or areas of a lake. The shoreline area, shallow shoal area, and deep water zone. The shallow shoal area is the grocery store of the lake because it’s influenced by light which stimulates plant growth and provides oxygen for the fish.
27:47 – Use the land adjacent to the lake to show you what the slope of the underwater lake looks like. If the bank is at a steep angle into the lake then the slope of the river may be steep.
29:00 – Always think about transitions. Phil spends his time around these areas and a beaver lodge could be another great area to focus on.
29:58 – Bathymetric maps are a key to finding fish. This is a map with a series of lines that shows the depth of the water. Google maps can work great as well.
31:25 – Sounders are very helpful for finding fish. These are also known as fish finders but Phil calls them sounders because they help you find structure and not just fish. Look for changes in depth around structures. Phil likes the Hummingbird Helix 7.
33:15 – The third piece of finding trout is food. If you find the food, you will find the fish just like the grocery store for humans. Weed beds provide oxygen, protection, and the majority of the food.
Photo via: https://www.stillwaterflyfishingstore.com/products/throat-pump Throat pump that Phil uses
36:23 – We find out how to use a throat pump and why you should not squeeze water into the mouth. Phil talks about the best way to do it so you avoid pushing your sample away from you. White margarine containers can help to hold your sample. You can also discover feeding activity from a throat pump sample.
40:00 – Chironomids are the most widespread food source in lakes so it’s very important to understand these insects. The smaller the insect, the earlier it emerges in the season.
42:15 – The power of observation brings it all together. When you get to the lake, start by spending 15 minutes to turning over rocks and looking for what bugs are out hatching, or flying. An aquarium net can be very useful as well as spider webs.
44:45 – He mentions the two-fish rule. If a fish rolls once, take a look. If it rolls twice, you want to go over and investigate what’s going on. So, look for an activity.
45:37 – Pay attention to other anglers to find out if they are catching fish. Binoculars can help you see what’s going on. Find out if they are catching fish and what they are using.
Photo via: https://vortexoptics.com/razor-uhd-12×50-binocular.html Binoculars can help you see what other fishermen are using
48:38 – Phil notes DRP: Depth, Retrieve, Pattern. Do you have your fly at the right depth? Are you moving the fly at the right pace and not too fast? Lastly, think about your pattern.
50:10 – Phil loves the drogue which is part of the loch-style fishing.
53:00 – We cover what retrieves to use and when to slow or speed up your rate of retrieve. Vary your retrieve horizontally and vertically. Make sure to fan cast.
54:32 – The sweep line from RIO is one of Phil’s favorite lines for stillwater fishing.
Phil Rowley breaks down an hours worth of tips on finding fish on stillwaters for fly fishing. We find out what weather does to fish, what trolling motor to use, which fish finder is best and the top four things that will help you find fish.
This is the first time Phil hosted a show of the podcast and has knocked this one out of the park. You will be ready to hit the lake after this podcast episode. And if you can’t listen this blog post highlights the key points of the podcast. The power of observation and Phil’s tip will get you dialed in today.
Feel free to send Phil any other questions you have at flycraft@shaw.ca
Matt Draft is back on the podcast with an update on what he has been up to and some more rod building supplies and tips.
We find out how Matt built his business that doesn’t require any marketing. I also dig into some random questions that give us a feel for the how and why behind building a rod-building supplies business.
Rod Building Supplies with Matt Draft. Hit play below!
4:24 – He shares tips on restoring a bamboo rod and building one from scratch. More information on these can be found in the tutorials section on their website.
6:20 – I ask him how he figured out that restoring bamboo rods is the next step he wanted to take.
35:37 – He shares his gratitude to the rod-building community for being generous with information and materials when he was just starting out in the business.
41:01 – He talks about his goal for this year.
42:20 – He shares how he runs and promotes his business.
45:06 – We talk about what music he listens to while building rods. He mentions the Counting Crows.
It was great to hear from Matt again and his enthusiasm for rod-building is contagious. I’m definitely feeling motivated to finally build my own rod from the materials he sent me.
Check out their website for more rod-building supplies and tutorials!
Kynslee Scott is here with an update for swinging flies for trout. We find out which trout Spey setup she loves out of Montana and why the Polyleader is the key for big Montana rainbows and browns.
She takes us to the Klickitat River and how she’s been guiding there since 2015. She gives us a review of her experience in using G Loomis fly rods and OPST Skagit lines. We also break down the flies and materials selection for October Caddis in Montana.
Trout Spey Fly with Kynslee Scott. Hit play below!
30:45 – She’s been guiding the Klickitat River since 2015. They have a lodge there called, Flying L Lodge that’s been there since 1946. They also have Reds Fly Shop there.
Kevin McKay is here to talk about Maine fly fishing and give a tour of some of the best brook trout and smallmouth bass fishing in the country. We discover how to fish the West Branch for big brook trout. We hear about which streamer you should be using if you only have one. We get a ton of resources including fly shops and other websites. We also talk about the forums that Kevin runs on his website.
We’re going to dig into all these and cover a number of species on top of brook trout. We even find out how they’ve been living off the grid for six years and how and why they offer free lodging in their camp on the river.
Maine Fly Fishing with Kevin McKay. Hit play below!
1:03:51 – He talks about the brook trout in Labrador, Canada.
1:05:15 – He gives tips on fishing in Maine.
1:08:35 – He talks about his fly fishing podcast entitled On The Reel.
1:13:21 – We dig into his off-the-grid.
1:17:09 – He describes his place and his tiki bar.
1:19:58 – He talks about their electricity consumption with living off the grid.
1:22:25 – We do the Two-Minute Drill where I ask him about fishing for brook trout, reliable resources for fly fishing, conservation issue, and budgeting tips. Aside from his website, he recommends Maine IF&W as a resource.
Photo via: https://www.maine.gov/ifw/index.html
1:25:52 – I ask him about the property value in Maine.
You can find Maine Fly Fish on Instagram @MaineFlyFish
Kevin McKay certainly knows his stuff when it comes to fly fishing in Maine! He has some great advice – “Fish for everything. Learn to nymph. Learn to throw a streamer because that it makes you a better fisherman.”
If you’re looking for an expert to learn from, Kevin is definitely the one to reach out to. Head into Maine and connect with him to learn more about his style and techniques. With his expertise and guidance, you’re sure to become a better fisherman in no time!
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.
Alaska Fly Fishing Guide with Will Donnelly. Hit play below!
Beau Beasley is here to take us into the mid-Atlantic Region. We find out what makes a good fly shop and why some fly shops go out of business.
We also talk about what they have going at Project Healing Waters and the new book that he’s working on which has 40 powerful stories from veterans with traumatic pasts. This episode is dedicated to the veterans who had to live with their trauma and those who laid their lives to serve our beloved country.
Project Healing Waters with Beau Beasley. Hit play below!
11:45 – Lefty Kreh once said to Beau, “There are 2 kinds of people in fly fishing. The kind of people that show their knowledge with everybody and the ones that share their knowledge.”
19:19 – The very first time that Beau entered a fly shop, he got treated very poorly when he came in with a spinning rod. That fly shop is not around anymore.
29:23 – Beau tells the story of when he was in a fly shop and mistakenly thought that LT Cahill stands for Lieutenant Cahill. He got corrected by not feeling like an idiot.
34:13 – Tom Rosenbauer is one of the best-known fly anglers in the country.
38:15 – Beau is offering something that hasn’t been offered before. They’ve partnered with the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation. And they’re hosting the first-ever Beyond the Cast Women’s Symposium.
1:09:15 – Beau’s new book is dedicated to Brian Mancini, who lost his life as a result of his service and the post-traumatic stress disorder that he experienced.
Jeff Liskay is back on the podcast to take us back into some tips on swinging flies for Lake Erie steelhead. We find out which spey casting tips Jeff gave me on our trip to Ohio. We also get the low down on the plan for next year’s Steelhead School trip that is gonna be changing. We might be hitting multiple locations.
We also get a wrap-up from our guest on the school event on the Fireside Chat with Dave. It was a fun time. We sat around the campfire under the stars at the cabin. We basically talk about what is all about at the end of the episode.
15:23 – He shares his thought process when he or somebody does not get anything from the water, no feedback, no fish, or no touches.
17:59 – We dig into the gears and techniques we used during our trip which includes the TC Tip Kit from SA that comes in 10 and 12 feet.
Photo via: https://www.scientificanglers.com
29:30 – I ask him if the Steelhead School trip is something that he would do again. He also shares his perspective on that trip.
31:56 – We give a shout-out to Boris who was not able to join us on the trip due to a health concern.
34:29 – He mentions some great spots and waters to explore and fish in.
35:32 – We share our plans for the next Steelhead School. If you’re interested to join us, you can go to WetFlySwing.com/SteelheadSchool.
36:24 – We talk about when the airline lost my checked-in bag during our trip. We also give a shout-out to Reece Fabbro Jr., Jeff’s friend and owner of The Backpackers Shop for helping us out.
It’s always a pleasure to talk and fish with Jeff. I appreciate him going above and beyond during the trip. I also thank everyone who was with us on that trip for making it more fun and memorable.
The Steelhead School is a great trip and Jeff really goes the extra mile to make it happen. The time with him on the water is an experience that all anglers would get value out of, whether you have fished with a guide before or not.
Join us in the next Steelhead School by signing up here.
Wade Fellin of Big Hole Lodge is here to take us into one of Montana’s most well-known trout streams. We find out which hatch is Wade’s favorite throughout the year. It coincides with Mother’s Day. And we also find out which big celebrities are doing shows nearby as we speak, not too far away from Wade’s operation there.
We also find out some of the struggles with pressure as everything grows. Wade has definitely seen some things there. We get a couple of tips on that as well. For me, the Montana stream is another bucket list.
14:45 – He talks about their first clients who were the writer Thomas McGuane III and his son and how Thomas helped them get the word out for the lodge.
Photo via: https://www.newyorker.com
15:48 – He tells the months when it gets pretty packed in the river and some issues with water resource management.
19:01 – He shares when the season starts for their lodge.
20:34 – He talks about brown trout issues causing the Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) to consider closing these rivers on Oct 1st this year. He also shares their schedule and operation hours in their lodge.
25:07 – He shares when his dad and grandfather joined the army and special forces.
27:05 – He mentions the healing facility in the Big Hole River called the Freedom Ranch where his dad volunteers to teach fly casting. He also shares how fly fishing helped the veterans in the healing facility.
https://youtu.be/H4LpF5tVA5o
29:40 – We talk about the rivers in Montana and the laziness in fly fishing.
33:14 – He walks us through the other rivers in Montana that people can fish in.
39:26 – He tells a story of catching the most gorgeous 29-inch brown trout he ever saw after 30 years of fishing the river.
45:10 – He talks about his dad’s career at his age.
47:01 – We dig into the Big Hole River. He also recommends an itinerary of the rivers in Montana.
50:06 – He talks about their plans for the lodge.
52:00 – We touch a little bit on the laws in Montana on stream access and the upcoming legislative session that could put fly fishing lodges like theirs, which rely on public access to public waterways, out of business.
54:41 – He tells the hatches that really get him excited when he thinks of the Big Hole.
56:23 – We go into detail about their hatch chart and his favorite hatch, the Yellow Sallies.
It sounds like Big Hole Lodge is a wonderful destination for a fly fishing trip! Wade’s words about the special memories associated with fishing are so true, and it’s a great reminder of why fishing is such a beloved activity.
If you’re looking for a unique, personal experience to make memories with your loved ones, Big Hole Lodge is definitely the place to go. Thanks for sharing this great spot for us, Wade!
Skeed Borkowski is here today to take us into the Northern Lights Lodge and the wilderness of Northern British Columbia.
We discover what it takes to catch bull trout on the fly. We talk about the relationship of these big rainbow trout to Skeena steelhead. We also talk about the Stillwater areas which we’ll be digging into more as we get going this year. Skeed is one of the greatest names out there and he is the most interesting man in Northern Canada.
Bull Trout Fly Fishing with Skeed Borkowski. Hit play below!
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