688 | Grand Teton Fly Fishing with Scott Smith - Jack Dennis, Snake River, Trout
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
Release Date: 12/04/2024
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:
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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_outlineShow Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/688
Presented By: Grand Teton Fly Fishing
Scott Smith, owner of Grand Teton Fly Fishing, takes us on a journey through the Yellowstone area. We’ll uncover tips for fishing the area's rivers, learn about pre-hatches, and hear Scott’s biggest tip for landing those tricky fish sipping bugs off the surface.
Plus, Scott will also share stories about his mentor, Jack Dennis. This is going to be a good one!
Show Notes with Scott Smith on Grand Teton Fly Fishing.
02:03 - Scott grew up fishing creeks in North Georgia. Fly fishing for him came later when he picked up a rod at 12 at a garage sale and taught himself through magazines and VHS tapes. He eventually met Jack Dennis, who became his mentor.
Check out our episode with Jack Dennis.
Starting Grand Teton Fly Fishing
05:52 - Scott moved to Jackson Hole in the late '90s. Over the years, he built a career, mentored new guides, and created a loyal client base. In 2011, he and Mark Fuller took over Jack Dennis' business and started Grand Teton Fly Fishing.
11:55 - Scott tells us about the waters they guide in western Wyoming. They cover Yellowstone National Park's lakes to Grand Teton National Park's Snake River headwaters. Scott says they customize trips based on how long guests stay and what they want to do.
Fishing in Jackson Hole
15:41 - We hear about what fishing looks like throughout the year in Jackson Hole. Scott says they do a lot of drift boat fishing to cover large rivers like the Snake, but there’s still plenty of wade fishing when the conditions are right.
March to October is the best fishing season, with good hatches and fewer crowds.
Early March is great for dry fly fishing, especially with midges and blue-winged olives.
The peak fishing season starts in mid-June and continues in July through September.
Fishing in September and October
23:20 - We talk about the fishing conditions in September and October. As the water cools down, the fishing gets better, with some great hatches like the Hecuba fly. Scott says this is also when the Jackson Hole One Fly event usually happens.
28:09 - Scott says that the Snake River is both forgiving for new anglers and challenging for experts. The Snake River is home to the Snake River Fine-Spotted Cutthroat, a subspecies of the Yellowstone cutthroat.
34:52 - Scott says that when he's guiding, he always looks for spots where fish are likely to be. The key is looking for subtle sips, usually signs of bigger fish feeding.
40:10 - If you’re not seeing much action on the surface, Scott suggests switching to attractor patterns or terrestrials like beetles and ants. You can also add a dropper fly, but it might limit how close you can fish to the bank.
Scott’s Top 8 Fly Patterns
1. Small chubby (black, purple, tan)
2. Small black foam flies
3. Golden Stone Water Walker
4. Parachute Adams
5. Parachute Hare's Ears
6. Mercer's Missing Link
7. Callibaetis Flies
8. Small streamers
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/688