Littoral Zone #12 with Phil Rowley | What Trout See and Why it Matters with Jason Randall
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
Release Date: 09/23/2024
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...
info_outline
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
865 | Trout Spey Set Up and Casting Fundamentals with Nick Conklin
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
Show Notes: Https://wetfyswing.com/865 Sponsors: , , and Sponsors:https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors Last month on the Madison, I watched a perfect example of why Trout Spey exists. Wind ripping. Skinny water. A high bank behind us. Indicator rigs are getting ripped out of the drift the second they touch down. One angler finally stepped out of the rut, grabbed an 11-foot two-hander, and swung flies through water that had shut everyone else down. He wasn’t being heroic. He was listening to what the river was asking for. That moment frames this episode with Nick Conklin. We dig into...
info_outline
Using Attractor Patterns to Trigger Stillwater Trout with Phil Rowley (Littoral Zone #21)
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
#864 Show Notes: Presented By: , , , Sponsors: Stillwater trout don’t always eat because they’re hungry — and that’s where many anglers get stuck. In this solo episode of the Littoral Zone Podcast, Phil Rowley breaks down the power of attraction and explains why trout often strike flies for reasons that have nothing to do with feeding. When matching the hatch fails, attractor patterns can trigger responses rooted in curiosity, aggression, and territorial instinct. Drawing from decades of stillwater experience, Phil explores when and why attractor flies work, how to fish them...
info_outline
The River Retreat Lodge with John and Liz Douville (Traveled #38)
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
863 Show Notes: Presented by: If you’re trying to figure out where you can find giant stoneflies in July, chase technical midge eaters in March, and explore private spring creeks, all while staying in a five-star lodge that’s not priced like Jackson Hole, this episode shows you exactly where that place exists. Today we’re heading into Swan Valley, right in the heart of one of the most epic fishing zones in the West, with John and Liz Douville, owners of River Retreat Lodge. We dig into how they ended up buying a lodge in the middle of COVID, why March might actually...
info_outline
862 | Inside the Hidden World of Fly-Fishing Collectibles with Jim Adams
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
Show Notes: Https://wetfyswing.com/862 Sponsors: , , and Sponsors:https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors There’s a certain kind of fly fishing knowledge you don’t get from a quick scroll or a gear review. You get it from someone who’s been there when the “new” stuff was being invented, watched it cycle back around, and saved the paper trail along the way. That’s what this conversation with Jim Adams felt like: a walk through the hidden world of fly-fishing collectibles, rare books, and the history behind the gear we all obsess over. Jim’s story starts way back in 1943,...
info_outline
861 | How Wooldridge Boats Shaped Jet Boat History from the Rogue River to Togiak River and Beyond
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
#861 Show Notes: Presented By: Grant Wooldridge carries one of the most influential river-boating legacies in the West. As the great-grandson of Glen Wooldridge, who grew up on the Rogue River and helped pioneer early river boat innovation, Grant brings a family perspective shaped by generations of river travel and experimentation. While Grant was raised in Washington, the Rogue River stories and lessons passed down through his family remain central to the Wooldridge Boats legacy. We dig into early wooden boats, the evolution of jet technology, and why Wooldridge Boats continues to...
info_outline
860 | Scandinavian Fly Fishing with Marcus Bohlin of Nam Products
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
860 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/860 Presented by: , , , Today, I sat down with Marcus Bohlin of Nam Products to talk through the things Scandinavian anglers think about differently. Rod length. True line weight. Leader diameter. Presentation. We get into why a 14-foot 7-weight can actually feel easier to fish on rivers like the Deschutes, how Baltic salmon behave compared to Atlantic salmon and steelhead, and why Sweden keeps coming up as a place more anglers should be paying attention to. We also dig into Nám’s leaders, why six-piece two-hand rods make more sense than...
info_outline
859 | World Championship Fly Casting, Sweden Atlantic Salmon, and Scandi Line System with Tellis Katsogiannos from Guideline
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
Show Notes: Presented By: , , Tellis Katsogiannos has spent decades at the highest level of fly casting, earning world champion titles while helping shape how modern anglers think about efficiency, control, and simplicity. In this episode, Tellis shares how competitive casting sharpened his understanding of techniques, and how those lessons translate directly to real fishing situations. We also head to Sweden and Atlantic salmon water, where Scandi systems and Spey-style thinking demand precision over power. From line design at Guideline to teaching anglers how to improve without...
info_outline
Trout Fishing the Provo River in Utah with Mike O'Brien
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
Show Notes: Https://wetfyswing.com/858 Sponsors:https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors Fly fishing has a way of pulling you back when you need it most. And for Mike O’Brien, those quiet hours on the water turned into a full-on career shift, from financial services to guiding full-time in Utah. In this episode, we dig into what makes Utah such a sleeper fly fishing destination, why the Provo River is a legit year-round option, and the small tweaks that can turn a slow day into a “how is this even legal” kind of day. We also break down Mike’s go-to winter and shoulder-season setup: the bounce...
info_outlineShow Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/662
Presented By: Stonefly Nets, TroutRoutes, Smitty's Fly Box
In today’s Littoral Zone episode, Phil chats with Jason Randall about what trout see and why it matters.
Jason has written four books, including his famous trout trilogy, which dives deep into how trout behave in their environment. While Jason's passion lies in rivers and streams, the research and knowledge he's amassed is equally beneficial to stillwater fly fishers.
]His understanding of how trout see is crucial information for all fly fishers, guiding both our pattern selection and presentation techniques, information that helps us consistently make the correct pattern and presentation choice.
Show Notes with Jason Randall on What Trout See and Why it Matters.
2:20 - Jason Randall graduated as a veterinarian and did postgraduate work in fish health and medicine. Although he considered a career in fisheries, he ultimately chose private practice.
4:16 - Jason started fly fishing around 40 years ago but got frustrated early on due to a lack of guidance. He took a break, then later tried again this time with the help of great mentors.
Jason says his passion really started during a trip to Colorado. A guide introduced him to a caddis hatch that transformed the river into a feeding frenzy of trout. Watching the stream come alive with caddis and rising fish was a game-changer for Jason.
08:21 - Jason says he was lucky to have some amazing mentors like George Kustin who guided him in fly fishing and taught him about wet flies and soft tackles. Lefty Kreh took Jason under his wing.
09:31 - Jason also works with Temple Fork Outfitters on rod design and prototype testing. This year, they introduced a new European Nymphing Rod called the Elevare, which won Best New Rod at ICAST 2024.
Books by Jason Randall
13:00 - Jason’s trout fishing trilogy started in 2012 with Jay Nichols from Stackpole Books. The trilogy covers:
Feeding Time: A Fly Fisher’s Guide to What, When and Where Trout Eat
Trout Sense: A Fly Fisher’s Guide to What Trout See, Hear, and Smell
Moving Water: A Fly Fisher’s Guide to Currents
Jason also wrote Nymph Masters, a collaborative effort featuring tips from top nymph anglers like Gary Borger and Lefty Kreh.
Trout Sense
17:00 - Trout begins life as prey, eating small organisms like plankton. As they grow, they become predators, feeding on insects, crustaceans, and even small fish or mammals.
They retain the wide-set eyes of prey for spotting threats and the sharp focus of predators for hunting. This makes them tricky to catch.
21:10 - Jason explains how light works differently underwater, which affects how trout see. Refraction, or the bending of light when it moves from air to water, can also trick us into thinking we're casting right over a fish, but we could be a few feet off.
26:08 - Jason dives into how color fades underwater, starting with red, and how different colors are absorbed at various depths. Fluorescent colors like chartreuse stand out the most and create a strong contrast, which trout notice.
29:18 - Unlike humans, a trout's pupils don’t adjust to light, and their eyes have a football-like shape that lets them see clearly both in front and to the side.
Search Image and How Trout Decide to Eat
42:11 - Trout uses a "search image" to figure out what’s food and what’s not. They focus on four things: size, shape (profile), movement, and color.
If a fish keeps ignoring your fly from far away, it’s probably the size or shape that’s off. But if they come close, and then turn away, Jason says that it may be a color-based refusal.
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/662