719 | Flying with Ariel Tweto - Alaska, Bush Planes, Suicide Prevention
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
Release Date: 02/14/2025
874 | How Grundéns Turned Commercial Fishing Survival Gear into Fly Fishing Essentials
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
Show Notes: Https://wetfyswing.com/874 Sponsors: , , and Sponsors:https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors Most fly fishing gear is built for comfort. Some of it is built for performance. But very little of it is built with the assumption that conditions can turn from “kinda crappy” to “this could go bad” in a hurry. That’s where Grundéns comes in. In this episode, I sat down with Justin Waters, who’s right in the middle of translating nearly 100 years of commercial fishing toughness into gear that guides, steelheaders, and fly anglers lean on when the weather goes...
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873 | Fly Fishing Entomology Made Simple with Sawyer Finley
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
873 Show Notes: Presented by: This episode breaks entomology down into something you can actually use. Sawyer Finley, guide at Grand Teton Fly Fishing, explains how insects live, move, and emerge—and how trout respond to that reality, not just to textbook hatches. The focus is on observation, timing, and availability, not memorization. Show Notes:
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872 | Fly Fishing Patagonia with Nicolas Rivero of Guides Patagonia
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
#872 Show Notes: Presented by: In this episode, I sat down with Nicolas Rivero to dig into fly fishing Patagonia. We covered the two-basin setup in Patagonia, the famous Limay River, giant brook trout in mountain lakes, and what a full April trip with Moccasin Fly Club looks like on the water. If you’re curious about swinging flies for migratory trout, fishing both lakes and rivers in one week, or planning your first Patagonia trip, this one’s packed. Show Notes:
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871 | Fly Fishing Tactics for the Yellowstone, Bighorn, and Stillwater Rivers with Alex Hepworth from Montana Fly Fishing Lodge
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
#871 Show Notes: Presented By: Big Montana rivers can feel overwhelming, even for experienced anglers. In this episode, Alex from Montana Fly Fishing Lodge breaks down how he approaches iconic waters like the Yellowstone, Bighorn, and Stillwater Rivers—and why many anglers struggle to find consistency on large freestone systems. It’s a practical conversation focused on simplifying decisions, reading water effectively, and understanding what really matters on big rivers. We dig into fly fishing tactics like dry-dropper setups, nymphing adjustments, and streamer opportunities, along with...
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870 | Fly Fishing the Eleven Point River with Justin Spencer
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
870 Show Notes: Presented by: , , , Somewhere deep in the Ozarks, Missouri splits in two. One side is farmland and highways. The other is the Eleven Point River, where everything goes quiet. No houses. No roads. Just cold, spring-fed water sliding through Mark Twain National Forest and miles of wild trout water where you can float for hours without seeing anyone. In this episode, we dig into fly fishing the Eleven Point River and the surrounding Ozark streams with Justin Spencer. We talk about his indicator jig system, why movement matters more than anything, when the fishing is...
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869 | Beyond the Giveaway: Missouri River Dry Fly Fishing with Eric Johnson
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
Show Notes: Https://wetfyswing.com/869 Sponsors:https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors Blooming olives were popping. Trout were rising everywhere. And Eric Johnson was sitting in a drift boat on the Missouri River, staring at one of those dry fly days you don’t forget. What makes this episode different is that Eric isn’t a guide, brand rep, or longtime lodge regular. He’s the actual winner of our On DeMark Dry Fly Giveaway, and this conversation is a full behind-the-scenes look at what happens when someone really does win one of these trips. From the prize pack to the lodge vibe to the reach...
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868 | Davie McPhail - Fly Tying Lessons from a True Master
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
#868 Show Notes: Sponsors: Fly tying doesn’t start at the vise. It starts standing midstream, watching bugs drift past your boots and paying attention to what trout actually eat. That idea runs through everything in this conversation. In this episode, I sit down with Davie McPhail, one of the most influential fly tyers of our time. Davie grew up fishing Scottish rivers and lochs, learning fly tying the hard way. By watching insects, experimenting with materials, and tying flies that had to work. We dig into traditional spiders, modern...
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Emergers, Wet Flies, and Trout Behavior with Scott Sanchez (Traveled #39)
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
#867 Show Notes: Presented By: This Traveled episode connects with conversations sparked by the East Idaho Fly Tying Expo, where anglers gather to share patterns, techniques, and ideas that shape how we fish. Scott Sanchez joins us to break down one of the most important — and often misunderstood — feeding windows in fly fishing: the emerger stage. We dig into how trout feed in the surface film, how to read rise forms correctly, and why classic wet flies and soft hackles remain so effective when fish aren’t fully committing to dries. It’s a thoughtful, observation-driven...
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866 | Swinging for Alaska Chinook and Great Lakes Browns with Bailey Adamavich
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
863 Show Notes: Presented by: Today’s story bridges two very different worlds: the tight banks and icy tributaries of the Great Lakes, and the raw, tidal power of Western Alaska. Bailey Adamavich learned to fish where forty-foot casts matter and low water forces precision, then carried that foundation straight into blown-out rivers, chrome-bright kings, and some of the most intense Chinook grabs you can imagine. Bailey was our guide on the Togiak River, and we talked through one of my best days ever swinging for king salmon. We also dig into how Great Lakes tactics translate to...
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A Fly Fisher’s Guide to Jackson Hole with Fish the Fly Guide Service
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
#865b Show Notes: Presented by: Jason Balogh is back from Fish the Fly Guide Service to recap his season around Jackson Hole and break down how he introduces new anglers to fly fishing. We cover beginner-friendly gear, dry dropper setups, casting basics, and how to read water on big Western rivers like the Snake. Show Notes:
info_outline#719 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/719
Presented by: FishHound Expeditions
In this episode, we take a unique journey into the world of bush flying in Alaska with Ariel Tweto—pilot, adventurer, and star of Flying Wild Alaska. Ariel shares what it was like growing up in a family of pilots, the thrill of her first appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, and even a memorable drink with Harrison Ford.
Beyond the adventures, we dive into a more serious topic—suicide prevention in Native Alaskan communities, a cause close to Ariel’s heart. From broken bones to big dreams, this episode is packed with stories of resilience, passion, and making the most of every moment.
Episode Chapters with Ariel Tweto
4:43 - Ariel shares that flying has been an integral part of her life since birth, as her entire family is deeply involved in aviation. Her grandfather was one of the first Native American pilots to start an airline, founding Ryan Air in Alaska. Both her parents and extended family are pilots, and she grew up flying regularly, even before she could walk or talk.
8:33 - Ariel shares the unexpected journey of how Flying Wild Alaska became a TV show.
15:23 - Ariel recalls her first solo flight as a terrifying experience. Reflecting on the experience, she acknowledges that being a pilot isn’t her true passion. Though she respects the family legacy, she realizes she doesn’t have the mindset needed for full-time flying.
17:35 - She shares some of the projects she worked on after Flying Wild Alaska including being a recurring guest on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and doing an episode on The Late Show with David Letterman. Currently, she co-hosts Native Shorts where she discusses short films created by Indigenous filmmakers from around the world.
19:41 - Ariel remains passionate about adventure and action sports, participating in extreme activities like mountain biking and surfing. She has suffered multiple injuries, including a broken collarbone from mountain biking, broken ribs, and a recent severe facial injury while surfing in Mexico.
21:41 - She tells how her parents inspired and encouraged her to explore which has been instrumental in shaping who she is today.
26:47 - Ariel has had a love for travel since childhood. One of her earliest experiences was a trip to Texas with her cheerleading coach, where she was fascinated by the cultural differences—frying an egg on the sidewalk and learning line dancing. Her curiosity grew when she joined Alaska’s travel basketball team in middle school, leading her to the UK.
30:35 - Ariel started a nonprofit called Popping Bubbles in 2014, inspired by her personal loss of a number of friends to suicide. The organization focuses on breaking people out of their comfort zones, encouraging them to explore new experiences, meet different people, and see the possibilities beyond their immediate environment.
35:39 - She reflects on her father’s deep passion for flying, emphasizing that no matter how many close calls he had—including a crash where he broke his neck—he never considered stopping. His happiest moments were in the sky, exploring new landing spots, and he had no plans to retire from flying as long as his body and vision allowed. Although he once said he would stop off-airport flying at 70, Ariel and her family believe he would have continued beyond that.
43:00 - She tells us about her running routine. Sometimes she runs for as little as 30 minutes, but on days like she had in Utah, she ran for three hours simply because of the beautiful surroundings
44:40 - Ariel is currently working on the animated TV show The Great North, which is now in its fifth season.
47:09 - Going back to suicide prevention, Ariel emphasizes the power of human connection in addressing depression. She believes that feeling seen and valued is essential, as isolation often leads to hopelessness.
53:18 - Ariel played point guard in basketball. Growing up in Alaska, her high school team often flew to different villages for games. She later played college basketball in Boston but quickly realized she preferred a warmer climate with mountains, leading her to move to California.
57:00 - Ariel is an avid podcast listener. Some of her favorites include SmartLess, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, and Oprah’s Super Soul Sundays. She particularly enjoys Mel Robbins for her practical, life-changing advice.
1:01:23 - She also enjoys music, with her current obsession being Xavier Rudd, an artist from New Zealand known for his nature-inspired music and didgeridoo playing.
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/719