Most of us are deep in the middle of winter as opposed to the center of a river these days. Currently our days are short and nights are long with less than ideal temps that leave us reading about fishing, feverishly tying flies or just dreaming of that early spring day in your favorite river basking under that warm spring sun. Well here is one more avenue to keep that fishing itch at bay while looking forward to that first day back on the water. This Past summer I was introduced to pod casts (Yes, I am late to the game) and was instantly hooked on them. I started with simple crime podcasts and soon realized there was a fair number of Fly-Fishing podcasts on iTunes. Since then I have been intently listening to both entertaining and informative fishing programs any chance I get. So, I am sharing some of my favorite fly-fishing podcast programs with you to help scratch that winter fishing itch.
I am a huge fan of the Drake Magazine so when I heard they started a pod cast I could not wait to download the first 3 episodes. Each episode did not disappoint. Elliot who researches, records and edits every episode does an amazing job keeping the conversations fun, very informative while always staying neutral and remaining passionate about every subject. From learning about faraway places to fly fish to techniques on casting this blog has a little of everything for all anglers. From the angler who likes to listen to a well-developed fishing feature to the casual observer looking for a great tale or conservation story you can find it on The Drake Cast.
In continuation of the description above The Drake Magazine promoted its listeners to check out The Fly Tapes. Of course, I was going to give it a shot and what I discovered was a strong Pacific Northwest influenced podcast that was based off a great spoken word series that has been running for the past 3 years called “Writers on the Fly”. Both the pod cast and the spoken word series have a strong mix of humor, well told stories, conservation and all around great content. This podcast has not only lead me to some great binge listening but I have picked up a great book or two to read from some of these prolific writers.
Sadly, I did not know anything about April Vokey before listening to her podcast. I think I found it by some random search on iTunes but I can’t remember. Full disclosure I listened to her first couple episodes and it was a struggle getting through them not because of the content but more the poor recording quality and production. But, WOW I am glad I stuck it out. April has a world class appeal with her variety of guests and she is great about getting all the information you want and need from her guests. Though I am not a big politics person and if I was I would lean liberal her interview with Donald Trump Jr. was one of the best podcasts I had heard to date. She was able to navigate the topics and keep most things even keel without agendas or political bias getting in the way. If her career in the fly fishing industry fails for some astronomical reason I would suggest her being an investigative reporter. April is a must add to any podcaster’s list.
Let me start by saying this is one of the most “get lost in” podcasts I have come across. You feel like you are listening to a conversation with your friends about fishing and good times. After a couple episodes you feel like Tim Evans is one of your best friends from High School that you can just drink beer and BS with all night then get up early to fish with the next morning. Don’t be fooled by my first couple sentences because this travel, leisure and fishing podcast does not hold any punches when it comes to subject matter. Tim covers it all from what to look for in a guide, traveling tips and how fish populations have been affected over the years. He does his research about each area he travels to and passes his knowledge onto the listener in a very upbeat way. Like an old friend you can download an episode and it’s like you have been listening to it for years.
As with all things Orvis this pod cast reflects the extensive research, time and pride Orvis puts into all of its products, tips and programs. Tom Rosenbauer’s well-articulates conversations and explanations makes this podcast appealing to anglers of all ages, experiences and walks of life. Between the flawless production and the well-planned conversations anyone can stream an episode and find it appealing. If you had to choose one “catch all” fly fishing podcast in your que this is the one. Just make sure you have a pen and paper to take notes on the knowledge that will emanate from your speakers because you will not want to miss one detail.
Give them a listen, gain some perspective, and you will become a better angler. Thanks for reading and until next time stay warm until spring when you can listen to podcasts in your truck on the way to the river.
