Streamer fly fishing Tips with Kelly Galloup (WFS 052)

     

Kelly Galloup, the guy who wrote the book on modern streamers is here to share his best tips on streamer fly fishing.  Kelly Galloup changed the streamer fly fishing game back in the day with the book – Modern Streamers.

We talk about his youtube channel and the large resource for fly tyers, his porn fly names, walking the dog with bass fishing, and other techniques on making the fish react.  This one was crazy good and a ride that was hard to jump off of.  Hope you enjoy it!

This article was originally published in 2018 after my first podcast with Kelly Galloup.  I have updated it today to add new podcast content relevant to kelly and the Slide Inn.

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Streamer fly fishing Show Notes with Kelly Galloup

04:30 – Gene Hering was on episode 23.  Gene produced many of Kelly’s DVD’s through Fly Fish TV.

05:40 – Kelly wrote Modern Streamers which was a game changer in the streamer game back in the 1980’s.  kelly has gone on to influence many of the great streamer fisherman around the country.

07:30 – Kelly notes his second book – Cripples and Spinners, which doesn’t get talked as much about because of the popularity of the streamer book.

Kelly came back on the podcast in a recent episode to talk all about Cripples and Spinners and dry fly fishing. 

10:40 – The Zoo Cougar was Kelly’s first big fly that was the start of a big change with streamers.

We find out how the sex names came to be and how they evolved over the years with new fly tyers.

         

11:10 – Jim Teeny helped Kelly produce the first lines specifically for streamers back in the day.  Jim is a family friend of mine and a well-respected guy in the fly fishing space.

19:10 – I note the Gary Borger podcast where he discusses being there in the early days where nymphing was frowned upon.

20:30 – Roman Moser started the bead-head madness back in the day.

30:50 – We talk about Gary Lafontaine and how he was probably 40 years ahead of his time in fly fishing.  Here’s an old youtube video with Gary.

48:40 – The Peanut Envy is another one of Kelly’s popular patterns with a funny porn name.

53:00 – Joe Brooks had the Platinum Blonde fly pattern.  Kelly wasn’t the first person to come up with these types of names.

54:00 – Ray Schmidt was noted as a big Michigan guide.

1:00:30 – I interviewed John Gierach in this episode and I noted that I received some negative feedback for not going deep into fly fishing.

1:12:10 – We talk about the Fly Fisherman magazine article on the 50 most influential people in fly fishing.  Kelly was not on the list and we talk about his take on this.

1:20:40 – John Randolph was the editor of Fly Fisherman magazine.

1:33:00 – Kelly describes his youtube channel in a few words.  He didn’t listen to the experts on youtube and went with his one process.

1:40:20 – Wax on Wax off with the Karate Kid was the analogy that Kelly used to talk about his favorite fly tying tip.

1:42:10 – The Frank Moore interview was noted in comparison to Kelly’s age.

1:48:10 – Here is a link to the Q and A section or go onto youtube and leave a comment.

You can find Kelly at the SlideInn.com or on youtube here.

Key Takeaways with Kelly Galloup

1. Target Unconventional Water: Kelly emphasizes fishing in areas where others might not, such as the insides of bends and “frog water.” He suggests that big fish often reside in spots that are overlooked by the average angler.
2. Streamer Fishing Techniques: He discusses the importance of the retrieve in streamer fishing, advocating for techniques that create a reactionary bite from the trout, rather than just mimicking food. This involves varying the speed and style of retrieve based on the fish’s response.
3. Understanding Trout Behavior: Gallup talks about the predatory nature of trout and how understanding this can improve your approach to fly fishing. He suggests thinking of trout more like sharks or other predators, which can help in eliciting strikes.
4. Importance of Fly Rotation: The concept of rotating through different flies quickly is highlighted as a strategy to engage fish, suggesting that if a fish shows interest but doesn’t bite, it might be time to change the retrieve style or the fly itself.
5. Fishing the Right Water: Kelly shares insights from his experience diving in rivers, which revealed that big fish often occupy less obvious spots, challenging conventional wisdom on where to find trophy fish. He encourages anglers to explore different water types and not to overlook shallow or less attractive spots.
6. Technique Over Location: The discussion points out that the specific river or location is less important than the technique and approach used. Effective strategies can be applied across various waters to find and catch fish.

Streamer fly fishing Resources

Modern Streamers by Kelly Galloup

The Zoo Cougar video by Kelly Galloup

Streamer fly fishing Conclusion with Kelly Galloup

Crazy value from Kelly Gallop on streamers and the history and his connection in fly fishing.  He talks about how the spey craze started, where the porn star names came from and the exact steps to get into the streamer game.

So many good tips in this one.  What was your favorite part of the episode?  I loved when Kelly talked about bringing in the youth and all of the great people out there.