EP041: Devin Olsen - Modern Nympher, Film Maker and Using Water to Hide from Trout
Release Date: 05/23/2018
Reno Fly Shop Podcast
Welcome to season 6 of the Reno Fly Shop Podcast. We felt it fitting to start it off with the 2020 State of the Truckee River with Travis Hawks from the Nevada Department of Wildlife. This is our 6th State of the Truckee episode presenting the results of the NDOW annual sampling of the Truckee River fishery. We started these recordings (2016) in the middle of a multi year drought and as you will hear in this recording the Truckee River has made a miraculous recovery. Fish populations and composition in many locations are as good or better than ever sampled. As Travis presents, Mother Nature...
info_outline EP057: Rob Ramsay - Fly Fishing Christmas Island - History and Perspective from a SuperhostReno Fly Shop Podcast
Christmas (Kiritimati) Island has been considered one of the best flats fishing locations since it was first explored in the 1970s. It has allowed countless anglers to cut their teeth fly fishing for bonefish, trevally and triggerfish. The chance to visit this destination once is on every anglers bucket list. Imagine having the chance to fish Christmas Island, not only once, but every year for the last 20 years. And not just for a week but the entire month of January. Sound impossible? Let me introduce you to one of the nicest guys to walk the flats of Christmas Island, Rob Ramsay. Rob began...
info_outline EP056: Helen Neville and Mary Peacock - LCT Recovery - Challenges and OpportunitiesReno Fly Shop Podcast
Dr. Helen Neville, Senior Scientist with Trout Unlimited, and Dr. Mary Peacock, professor of Biology at the University of Nevada, Reno, have been instrumental in the efforts to protect and recover the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout to its historic range. While both specialize in the genetic sequencing of LCT, Helen’s and Mary’s research have differed in that their recent focus has been on the stream form and lake form, respectively. Much of our conversation focuses on the Truckee River watershed and the complex issues that must be considered in the recovery of the LCT in a significantly...
info_outline EP055: John Bartlett - johnmontanacarp Shares the 4 rules for Carp on the Fly, demystifying where to find them and how to catch themReno Fly Shop Podcast
"The biggest surprise for the new carp angler is that carp don't always live in ugly places." - John Bartlett, @johnmontanacarp 16 years ago, John Bartlett started to chase carp on the fly… As a lifelong trout angler, John grew up using light rods and fine tippet around Montana and the Pacific Northwest but as things began to evolve in his life he had to adapt if he was going to get to fly fish. He began to explore and establish an option for fly fishing closer to home to allow spending time with his growing family. Today, he still chases the occasional trout and goes on annual...
info_outline EP054: Brad Befus - The Anatomy of a Fly Line and Why They MatterReno Fly Shop Podcast
Today’s podcast episode is one that I have thought about doing for a while. It finally came down to the 1,000th time I heard shop staff stress to a customer how important a fly line is to overall casting performance that I went ahead and recorded this episode with Brad Befus, the president of Scientific Anglers. If you have spent any time here in the shop you will undoubtedly heard us stress the importance of considering the line when purchasing a new rod/reel setup. It is the component part that most likely is the least expensive in the whole rig and/but will have the greatest...
info_outline EP053: Travis Hawks - 2019 State of Truckee RiverReno Fly Shop Podcast
"It is amazing how the Truckee River has responded since 2015 in its recovery from damaging drought. Now in 2019 we are at or near top conditions ever recorded." -Travis Hawks, Senior Fishery Biologist, NDOW Five years ago Travis Hawks and I got together to catch up and discuss how the Truckee River was faring in the middle of one of the worst droughts ever witnessed. Travis and I have known each other for years and as a result we could be candid and open about what Travis observed during NDOW’s annual Fall biological sampling. In 2015 Travis’ data...
info_outline EP052: Gilbert Rowley: Creating Good Content and Being Responsible When Doing ItReno Fly Shop Podcast
"When creating GOOD content you can not plan too much” -Gilbert Rowley Hey everyone, welcome to the Reno Fly Shop Podcast. I am excited to bring you these episodes to keep you informed on what is happening in the fly fishing world and to introduce you to the people that are creating positive impacts and steering it forward. While fly fishing is romantically interative and experiential. Most of our world is digital from this audio podcast to email to YouTube and much of the information we get about fly fishing when we aren’t on the water is from this digital world. We have the...
info_outline EP051: Capt. Chuck Ragan - Fly Fishing Guide, Zen Punk Rocker and Bass MasterReno Fly Shop Podcast
I feel the most grounded and at the most peace when I am on the water.” -Capt. Chuck Ragan I am excited to bring you today's guest, Chuck Ragan. It was difficult to find time to sit with Chuck due to his very busy schedule as a fly fishing guide and professional musician. As we tried to put this episode together we traded many phone and text messages. It was always fun to find out where he was at the time and the spots varied from Europe, Asia to all over the U.S as he was touring with his band Hot Water Music. We didn’t give up and when we did get together to record this episode...
info_outline EP050: David and Dillon Renton - Raising a Family on the River and Making Big Water Small on the lower Deschutes RiverReno Fly Shop Podcast
We are excited to introduce you to today’s episode which is the first installment of a new series we are presenting in partnership with Fly Water Travel. We will feature a new destination every few months for the next year. During each episode we will present information and exciting details about fly fishing destinations around the world by chatting with the guides and outfitters that make these trips possible. We will introduce you to world famous destinations in freshwater and saltwater, domestic and international. We hope to pull back the curtain by sitting with the colorful people...
info_outline EP049: Landon Mayer: Master of the Short Game and Hunter of Giant TroutReno Fly Shop Podcast
Look before you step. Look before you fish.” – Landon Mayer, Mastering the Short Game Today's guest, Landon Mayer, like many successful people, is many things all at once. He is a guide, an author, fly designer, he is a film maker, and a loving committed husband and parent. And like many successful people this hectic schedule fuels his desire to create than to consume. He doesn’t have to move about the country presenting and instructing at shows and to clubs on fly fishing and fly tying. Nor does he have to travel around the world to create a new instructional video,...
info_outline"To really understand Euro Style Nymphing the angler has to dive in and believe it will work."
-Devin Olsen
After a bit of a break it is exciting to be back in the saddle and putting out podcast episodes for your enjoyment.
During this break we have been very busy around the shop supporting many of your adventures on the water and working on some new and exciting projects that we will get to announce soon.
Here at the Reno Fly Shop we have fully embraced the technical approach of European Style Nymphing (ESN) for fly fishing our local rivers. It is an amazing techique that really allows us to have a level of sensitivity with our flies that we haven't been able to find with other techniques. Plus advancements and availability of good quality gear that before often had to be chased down from European sources is making it that much more enjoyable and accessible. We are also really lucky that experts in ESN are willing to share their experience, knowledge and passion to better understand the many variables and nuances of this effective technique.
In today's episode I had the chance to sit down with Devin Olsen. Devin is the co-producer and co-host of Modern Nymphing, Elevated the much anticipated sequel to the very popular movie Modern Nymphing, European Inspired Techniques. Devin also runs tacticalflyfisher.com which has become an important source of ESN inspired gear and equipment for the competitive angler.
Devin, much like his partner and previous podcast guest Lance Egan (Episode 27), shares information without hesitation. In this recording we get to really dig into the weeds on many of the tactics and techniques I have wondered about. Plus through this wide ranging conversation we cover
- reading water,
- hiding from trout using natural features,
- fly selection,
- when and when not to use it added weight, and
- squeezing the most fish out of each section of water.
We covered so much ground and spent so much time working through details we lost track of time. Not wanting to make these episodes too long. I asked and Devin generously agreed to come back for a second episode later this summer. Devin will squeeze us in between his summer guide season, U.S. Team Trials and hopefully representing the U.S.A at the next World Championship in Trentino, Italy on the Sarca and Noce Rivers and Cornisello Lake.
I hope you enjoy this wide ranging conversation with Devin and take a moment to check us out on Facebook at the Reno Fly Shop Podcast Group. There you will find more discussions of this and other episodes. In the group later this summer I will open the opportunity for you to submit questions to Devin and or myself prior getting back together so we can get them answered while recording the next episode. Please check it out and provide any feedback or questions in the Facebook group.
SHOW NOTES
Devin's blog post ROD LENGTH AND REACH: A TRIGONOMETRY PERSPECTIVE from tacticalflyfisher.com
DVDs of Modern Nymphing, European Inspired Techniques are available in the shop now and DVD copies of Modern Nymphing - Elevated will be available soon.
Both are available digitally on Vimeo with these links
Modern Nymphing -European Inspired Techniques
ESN inspired episodes on the Reno Fly Shop Podcast
EP018: George Daniel - Dynamic Nymphing Techniques, Approach and Equipment
EP027: Lance Egan - European Style Nymphing, The Rainbow Warrior and Modern Nymphing
EP036: George Daniel - Stream Tactics, Techniques and Blanding Styles to Catch More Trout
Modern Nymphing Elevated - Beyond the Basics from Capture Adventure Media on Vimeo.
Producers of the Modern Nymphing film series: