Explore every episode of the podcast The Fly Culture Podcast
Dive into the complete episode list for The Fly Culture Podcast. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
Episode 281 - Pete Cockwill - The Fish, The People and Places Pt3
In the latest instalment of Pete's story he tells us about the work that he undertook at the estate he managed including the carp and trout on the lakes.
There is a very amusing story about how he had to bury a recently deceased donkey which will have you laughing out loud.
He also talks about mullet fishing with a bamboo rod and wet flies along with a little more about Alaska, Abel reels and a whole lot more.
Online friendships are one thing but what if you decide to meet up, are you going to get on?
I'd been talking with Mark from Shady River for a while now and we decided to eat a big breakfast and see if we could find some grayling.
I took my microphone on the spur of the moment and we ended up talking about the fishing and looking a little deeper into how fly fishing looks, is it growing and what it means to us.
We get a nice break from some good karma and have a fun day on the water.
This is recorded as it happens with no retakes or editing.
I catch up with Tiger Stamp and talk about his fishing career, how the fishing landscape looks and what his non-fishing friends make of him packing waders and rods and heading out to the river.
He is the sort of angler who thinks deeply about his approach to fishing and we talk about how he will fish a particular method and how he gets success from it.
There is some great information and advice that I hope you'll enjoy listening to.
Join me for the day as I fish Chew Valley Lake for pike with my friend Jethro Binns.
He shares plenty of tips and information for any one who is interested in pike on the fly but the day turns out to be a lot more than just this.
It is about friends fishing together and talking about what our pastime means to us with a few special fish along the way.
This podcast is recorded exactly as it happens. There has been no editing, retakes or scripts. You'll hear it exactly as the day unfolds and I hope you'll enjoy this as much as I did.
Tim Smith - Fishing, Farming and Fly Fishing Magazines
I talk with Sid Hiscox and Declan Morrison about their friendship and love of fly fishing.
We discuss whether you need to take phone fishing with you, where and why they fish and their fly fishing train wrecks along with a couple from my long list of them too.
They are the people behind the clothing brand Fera and have just released a fly fishing range called 'Trout Bum'
We talk about what went into launching it and why most fly fishing gear is green.
They are young and a breath of fresh air and are working hard to inject some colour into our pastime.
If you're a reader of Fly Culture or The Drake, you will have come across the writing of my guest today.
Johannes lives and breathes fly fishing and having left the fishing in Finland he is now back in Ireland and has a wealth of experience that we touch on in this episode.
From floating streamer patterns to pike on the fly via sea trout we cover a lot of ground.
I have always maintained that Johannes only speaks when he has something to say and when he does, it is worth listening to.
I catch up with Zoe to find out what fishing means to her especially the streams that flow off of Dartmoor in Devon.
Her background in fishing came from fishing the Catskills in the US before heading home to Devon. I learn about her experiences and what fly fishing means to her.
We also discuss the connection we all have with fly fishing and how it can mean different things to different people.
We cover a lot more ground including her 80,000 word PHD thesis that was based around fly fishing.
Zoe is a passionate fly angler who was extremely articulate and thought provoking during our discussion.
How many fishing clubs should you be a member of? What do you do if you get an emergency call and the river is alive with salmon?
I discuss these questions and many more with my guest James Gilbraith. We also talk about his latest book, Anarchy Pie, that carries on from his previous books, Terminal Chancer and Hooked on Hope.
James is an entertaining and very funny guest who will have you laughing out loud when you are listening to this episode!
Jay Bartlett on Char, Salmon, Music and Tying Flies
I catch up with Jay who was fresh from the vice and talk with him about production tying and getting ready for the fishing he has planned for the year.
We look at our pastime and I ask about the 'we need to bring more people into fly fishing' debate.
He tells me about his music career and I learn about playing guitar in front of large groups of people at a concert to standing alone on a river.
Jay has a relatively new passion in his life - char. He tells me about his trip to Greenland, the fishing and the film he made while he was there.
This is a varied discussion that covers a lot of topics that I hope you're going to enjoy.
There'll never be any charge for these podcasts, they're free to download.
In this episode I'm joined by guide and passionate angler, Stuart Wardle who shares a wealth of advice on how to fish a trout stream early in the season.
We talk about how to prepare, approach the water, make the cast and cover a trout.
We de-bug the 'must have' fly story and concentrate on presentation to get the best results when fishing.
My guest for this podcast has been the most requested by listeners and I am pleased to say that he joins me to talk about fishing, flies, bamboo rods, salmon fishing in Scotland and his new book, All the Time in the World.
This is an interesting and entertaining talk with one of the most influential and loved writers in fly fishing.
Join me for the day as I walk the famous chalk stream, The Frome with friends John Aplin and John Grindle.
What was planned as a days fishing turned out to be so much more as we eat a great breakfast, catch up, see John's amazing rod room, talk about fishing and of course, the famous grayling of The Frome!
Clement Booth first caught a trout from a stream near his home in South Africa in the 1960s.
He didn't have a fly rod but improvised using a fly line and old spinning rod.
It turned out to be the start of a long association with fly fishing that continued on the streams and salt water in South Africa before moving to the alpine streams of Germany and then on to the chalk streams of the UK.
We talk about the things he has learnt during this time and how fly fishing has been and continues to be such a large part of his life.
I welcome Jim Murray back to the podcast to talk about the new season, what to look forward to and where he is heading.
We also discuss what went into his TV program Robson and Jim's Icelandic Adventure and the much anticipated second series that will be out in April.
We spend time on his new project Activist Anglers that focuses on bringing anglers and non-anglers together to understand how they can help with environmental issues that affect fish and waterways.
Jamie Lee has spent most of his life travelling the world with a fly rod in his hand.
From a fishing career that started in Devon he has worked as a ghille in Ireland, spent countless hours sleeping on rocks hoping to catch black marlin in Australia, chased steelhead in British Colombia, has run a lodge in Russia and travelled extensively through the country there before settling by the banks of the Spey in Scotland.
Has he finally found home?
This is a brutally honest and open account of his life so far that is a must listen to episode.
Do you have a river that really gets under your skin?
Laurens Bubendorfer does. It is the Soca in Slovenia. His passion for it grew and grew to the extent that he left his job and home in Austria to move next to the Soca in Slovenia.
We talk about what the Soca means to him, how they are trying to re-introduce native Marble Trout back into the river and fishing dogs.
He has also made an amazing film called Emerald Paradise that took a number of years to film to ensure it captured everything that makes this river so special for Laurens.
It was a pleasure to speak with someone who feels just like we do about fly fishing.
I got the chance to visit Rio Gallegos in Patagonia.
Although the area is most famous for sea trout there is some amazing trout fishing on the main river but there is an amazing spring creek called Rio Chico that in parts, you could jump across.
Despite the size though the trout there grow to incredible sizes and if you can land your dry fly in the right place you better hold on!
Join me for the few hours I spent on this special piece of water.
I catch up with Sandy Nelson and talk with him about the fantastic guide he has put together for the hatches on his local river, The Don.
I have always felt we owe the fish to try and learn a little more about what they are eating and Sandy's guide is the perfect way to do so without getting overly technical.
We talk about what went into it, get some tips along with fly patterns you might find useful.
Although the guide is specific to The Don, the hatches are just the same as you'll encounter on your home water.
We also talk about rods too.
This is a slightly longer version of the podcast as we cover so much ground but I feel sure you will get plenty from it.
I first spoke to Simon Holme 3 or so years ago after he phoned me for some advice about how to go about working in the fishing industry.
His tenacity meant he landed his first job as a guide in Iceland and after that he booked himself a flight to New Zealand where he has spent time living in a van and fishing the crystal clear rivers for trout.
I talk with him about his experience as a guide, the fishing he has encountered on his travels and what he has learnt about himself as an angler and person.
Still in his twenties he is a wonderful advert for the future of our pastime.
Join me as I take you through the tackle I've used and liked, a few fishing tips and a look at the season that has finished and the one that is to come.
Recorded in one take, this was a fun look at the gear I've enjoyed using and why.
I should mention that there is no product placement nor have I been paid for mentioning any of the products.
I catch up with Simon Jefferies, International Sales Director for Cortland Fly Lines.
We talk about his fishing career, his previous life as a golf pro and the similarities with fly casting and golf, why the AFTMA scale for fly lines isn't working and the demise of the "influencer".
We cover a lot of really interesting ground in an open and honest conversation.
We can often think of corporate entities as faceless but Simon shows that often, the people working at many companies are just like you and me and love fly fishing like we do.
I catch up with writer Adrian Latimer to talk about his new book Sketches with a Fly Rod. We get a good look at what went into writing it along with Adrian reading a short excerpt from it.
We also talk about fishing, the creative process and the places he has visited with a fly rod.
It is also worth mentioning that this is his seventh book and like all the others, all of the the proceeds to fishing charities.
I talk with CEO of Wildfish (formerly Salmon and Trout Conservation) about the work he has done since taking on the role.
We also discuss fishing and the new initiative they have introduced called 'Off the Menu' where they are engaging the wider population about the damage salmon farms are doing to the environment along with the poor practices involved in this process.
As Christmas is fast approaching and a time when salmon might be on the menu, all I'd ask is that you give this podcast a listen and tell non-fishing family members about what is happening and why we should not be eating farmed salmon.
Nick is a smart and engaged person who is prepared to keep fighting on all fronts for the fish that inhabit our waterways.
Episode 269 - Luke Kozak on Fishing, Friends and the EA
I sat down and chatted with my friend Luke after eating a good breakfast and casting a few rods.
I talk with him about his fishing career, when he used to guide with me, the places he likes to fish and the people he has met along the way.
We also talk about the conservation work he did on rivers before joining the Environment Agency. He speaks about what is happening behind the scenes there.
I hope you'll enjoy the conversation as much as I did
In the final episode, Pete and Jon go dark to fish the Avon in Bristol’s Industrial heartland at Netham Weir. Will they uncover the silver they’re searching for?...
Including an interview with Luke Kozac, Environmental Project Manager for the Environment Agency, Wessex region.
“ Word is that the mayfly are hatching on the Bristol Frome. Pete and Jon head down to the river to see if they can tempt one of its legendary trout during this fishy food festival.
Including an interview with George Clark, (former) Project Manager for Bristol Avon Rivers Trust @bristolavonrt “
Buoyed by their success on the Trym, Pete and Jon venture into unfamiliar territory on the Colliter’s Brook, Pigeonhouse Stream and Malago. What unexpected treasures will they discover in South Bristol’s hidden gems?
Including an interview with trout scientist, Dan Osmond
We talk fishing, catch a few fish and he tells me about his book, Silver Ghosts, that is a fictional fishing story about a teenager who is in danger of veering off the rails until he discovers salmon fishing.
Will wrote the book to try and encourage youngsters into fishing with all proceeds going to worthy causes.
This is more than just a day fishing. It is a wonderful story about a man who cares.
Episode 268 - The BFFI 2025 - All the Fun of the Fair
Join me as I make the long trip from Devon to Staffordshire to spend the day at the British Fly Fair International Show.
I catch up with friends old and new, hear about fishing plans, new products, books and what it is like to tie at the show.
This is a series of short interviews with a number of people about what they've been doing at the show that is totally unscripted or planned, we just talk!
Some of the people appearing are: Howard Croston, Scott Mackenzie, Karl Humphries, Andy Buckley, Jan Hobot, Gareth Lewis, Marie Mallon plus may more.
We know the answer to this is no and I speak to Roger Fagan from the Wilton Fly Fishing Club located on the banks of the Wylye about their "fish first" policy when it comes to the management of their waters.
Roger talks openly about the work that goes into the club and their progressive approach to fly fishing.
Raymond Rainbird has been a fly angler from a young age. From the streams and lakes of South Africa to the rivers of the UK his passion for our pastime burns bright.
We talk about his fly fishing timeline along with many other subjects including the age demographic of fly anglers.
He has been involved in the tackle industry for many years and is now distributor of Douglas Rods and Shilton reels in the UK.
As with all of the podcasts there has been no payment to promote the products, I reached out to Raymond to learn about the rods as they were a brand I knew little about and wanted to know more.