Podcasts

PODCASTS

Life on the Water

Troutbitten Crew Circa 2021 - Photo by Bill Dell

The Troutbitten Podcast Crew (winter, 2021) Austin, Trevor, Josh, Dom and Bill. (Missing is Matt Grobe)

In the fall of 2021, I started the Troutbitten Podcast. And what I’d thought of for years as a back burner project quickly became my primary focus.

Immediately after launch, the Troutbitten Podcast hit the top of the Wilderness Podcast Charts and became the number one independent fishing podcast in the states. It has held there ever since.

The podcast succeeds because of my friends, my co-hosts — my best fishing buddies. They are Austin Dando, Trevor Smith, Josh Darling, Bill Dell and Matt Grobe.

By breaking away from the industry-standard podcast formula of guest interviews, the Troutbitten Podcast is something different. These guys, their ideas, their collective experience and comradery are all that any episode needs.

Troutbitten Podcast seasons follow two distinctly different formats, alternating every other season.

The odd-numbered seasons are longer, free-form discussions on any fly fishing topic, ranging from tactical to ethical. While the even numbered seasons feature a Skills Series that narrowly focuses on one set of fly fishing skills.

Yes, Troutbitten

A Priceless Resource

Best Fly Fishing Podcast

Great podcast for any style of fly fishing. Many great tips and tricks to make your time on the water more productive. Pretty funny crew to listen to as well

Changing How I Fish

I found this podcast through the troutbitten website where I poured over the articles daily. This podcast has changed the way I handle my gear, approach the water, think about trout and insects, and even how I land a fish. This is good stuff, whether you are new to fly fishing or been at it a few years like me. There is always more to learn and here is where to learn it. Thanks for creating this!

WOW!

RT190, 06/21/2022

Troutbitten is a great resource of information and reading, I just found and listened to a few podcast I’m so happy I found ya. Domenick has a phenomenal resource for people pursuing flyfishing beginner or the advanced he and his team continue to impress.

Having this podcast is like being in a conversation with friends I haven’t met. So thankful to Troutbitten. Keep up the great resource.

Troutbitten Austin and Beer - Photo by Bill Dell (1)

WHERE TO LISTEN

The Troutbitten Podcast is easily found in any podcast player. Just search with your app, and you’ll find it.

Also, find a full list of the podcast archives, download them or listen directly HERE.

Finally, every Troutbitten Podcast episode is listed here below.

Thanks for listening.

Podcast: Recovering Slack — Tight Line Skills Series, #4

To dead drift a nymph, we cast it upstream. And as the river flows downstream, it sends the fly back toward us, creating slack. Usually, we simply pick up that slack and maintain contact with the fly (sometimes directly, sometimes slightly).

Slack maintenance is a critical skill. And if the goal is to be in contact with the nymphs and know where they are — if this is a tight line rig — then allowing too much slack in the system destroys everything that we’re working toward. We recover the slack in three ways: by lifting the rod tip, by leading the rod tip, and with the line hand.

Podcast: Stick the Landing — Tight Line Skills Series, #3

Part three of this Troutbitten Skills Series focuses on sticking the landing. Because after putting ourselves in great position to present the fly, we shouldn’t waste the perfect tuck cast and delivery. As the fly hits the water, all the elements of our system are in position and ready to drift. That’s sticking the landing.

Like a gymnast who tumbles, somersaults and then lands on two feet with no body movement, the best completion of a cast happens with no extra movement. Instead of landing and then recovering or correcting, we stick the landing, ready to drift.

Podcast: Turnover and Tuck Casting — Tight Line Skills Series, #2

Part two of this Troutbitten Skills Series focuses on the tuck cast. A good tuck is a turnover cast — where the loop unfolds completely in the air. In fact, a tuck cast is a fly-first entry, and it’s perfect for setting up the tight line advantage, where we keep everything up and out of the water that we possibly can.

We tuck cast not just to get deeper, but to setup the fly, tippet, sighter and leader in the best possible position to drift the flies down one seam. Accuracy starts with a good tuck, and not just accuracy over where the fly goes, but where all the parts of the leader go too . . .

Podcast: Angle and Approach — Tight Line Skills Series, #1

Season Two of the Troutbitten Podcast is a mini-series of connected episodes that build out specific tactics. This series is an advanced course in the nine essential skills for tight line and euro nymphing. The first skill is angle and approach — it’s a detailed look at setting up for the right range and the best angles for tight line and euro nymphing . . .

Podcast Ep 15: Memories and Fishing Plans

Episode 15 is for story telling. And I’m joined by my friends, Bill, Josh, Austin and Trevor to share memories and make a few plans. This is the final episode for season one of the Troutbitten Podcast. And at the tail end of this busy year, it’s a great time for reflections and resolutions.

My friends and I share a few lighthearted stories about the dumbest things we’ve ever done on the river. We also share who and what we miss most from years past. And lastly, we talk about what we want to change most about our fishing lives . . .

Podcast Ep 14: Winter Fly Fishing Tips and Tactics

Because the trout have different habits in the winter, we refine our approach to meet them on their own terms. Is that . . . low and slow? Sure, sometimes. Nymphing is often seen as the go-to approach, but for the winter trout angler who’s attentive, the opportunities for some great streamer action are there too. Even dry flies can be an option if you keep your eyes open.

Why do so few anglers fish in the winter? Well, honestly, because it’s a challenge that many fishermen are not ready for. What does it take to catch trout in the winter? That’s what we discuss in this podcast . . .

Podcast Ep 13: Big Trout From Pennsylvania to Montana — With Guest, Matt Grobe

In this episode, I get together with my long time friend, Matt Grobe, for a candid, entertaining, fun and technical discussion about wild trout, big trout, and the differences between the fishing cultures and opportunities available in two of the meccas for trout fishing in the states — Pennsylvania and Montana.

Matt has lived and fished hard in both states, and he’s been fortunate enough to live a life on the water, not just chasing wild trout, but chasing the big ones. He’s always had a knack for turning over the next top tier fish. And in our conversation, Matt offers some great tips for targeting big trout and consistently putting them in the net.

Podcast Ep 12: Nymphing Tight Line to the Indicator Style — Contact Nymphing Principles with an Indy

When it’s the best tool for the job, then putting an indy on a tight line rig is a deadly variation to a contact nymphing system. I build my leader to be ready for it. The rod I carry is designed for it. Because tight line to the indicator is a problem solving approach that gets the job done when pure tight lining simply cannot . . .

Podcast Ep 11: Dealing With Weather and Fighting the Elements

Pushing through the tough times — dealing with bad weather and difficult conditions — puts you one step ahead of most anglers. The rivers and the parking lots are empty when the wind is howling, the snow is blowing or it’s pouring rain. Sure, we’d all like to fish the sweetheart days. But the more you learn to fight the elements and win — to have success on the water — the more you long for those tough conditions.

In this episode, my friends and I talk about fighting the elements. How can we effectively fish through rain, wind, cold weather, ice, snow, hard sun and everything else that nature throws at us?

Podcast Ep 10: Reading of “The Kid” — With Special Guests Joey and Aiden

The kid was ten years old and small for his age, but his legs were strong and he waded without fear. He fished hard. We shared a passion and a singular focus, so I enjoyed having him on the water. He stood just tall enough not to lose him in a field of goldenrod, and he weighed less than the family dog. But like the shepherd, he was sturdy, tough and determined, with unwavering perseverance keeping him focused during the inevitable slow days with a fly rod. . . . He only talked of fishing.

Podcast — Ep. 9: Breaking Down Streamer Presentations

Make that fly swim. Give life to the streamer. Convince the trout that they’re looking at a living, swimming creature.

That’s what this podcast conversation is about. How do we move the fly with the line hand and the rod tip, with strips, jigs, twitches and more? We talk about head position, depth, speed and holding vs crossing currents and seams. We touch on natural looks vs attractive ones. Should we make it easy for them or make them chase?

Podcast — Ep. 8: How Many Trout? Expectations, the Liars and Reality

We’re out there to catch trout. That’s what brings us to the water. But how many do we catch? And really, how many should we catch? What are the expectations? And how can we know that we’re fishing well?

Counting is a way to gauge our success, not just against how well we did last time out, but how well we are doing compared to what is possible. What’s the bar? What’s the ceiling? How many trout could be caught if we had everything just right — the best fly and the perfect drift . . .