Scroll down if you just want the good stuff; the links with the great podcast content from some of the best in the business. …but I did want to say something about why I’ve chosen the five podcasts that I’ve listed below.

I’ve found myself reading less and less contemporary fly fishing writing. Part of that has to do with my limited time. Casting Across isn’t my full-time gig. If it comes to reading or writing, I’m writing. If I read, it is the classics. The other part of it has to do with a sensitivity to maintaining my own voice. I don’t want to emulate someone who is doing what I am doing when I am doing it.

Enter podcasts. Perhaps hearing someone’s inflection and personality makes the whole experience very different than reading an article or essay. While I’m reading mostly classic fly fishing literature, I feel like I’m still hearing contemporary voices through the actual voices of anglers. I think I’ve honed in on these podcasts because they have different experiences, different perspectives, and different voices than me. I don’t think I sound like any of them in my writing or in my podcast.

And these are five of the voices that I think you’ll enjoy listening to; including one specific episode of each:

Anchored with April Vokey – Kirk Deeter on the Fly Fishing Industry

“The fly fishing industry.” That phrase alone might make some people want to click away. Ironically enough, that action would be presumptuous and pretentious. Reason being, this conversation between April Vokey and Kirk Deeter is incredibly informative, down to earth,  and normal. Deeter has probably had some impact on your fishing experience, whether you know it or not, through his work in Field & Stream, Trout Magazine, or Angling Trade. The conversation covers a wide range of topics, and, as usual, Vokey asks pointed and pertinent questions..

Brown Trout & Bridge Beer – #13

Okay, the full title of the episode is “Deep thoughts w/ Eddie Rivard, Brook Trout, mousing, and Matt’s holiday gift guide.” You can’t say these guys aren’t descriptive. This podcast is another in the around-the-table  sub-genre, and they do it pretty well. The conversation never lags because of chemistry that comes through in the presentation, and the content finds that good balance between angling and miscellany. Located in the Driftless (northern mid-west), the guys talk about and fish a unique area.

The Fly Fishing Consultant Podcast – Ryan Hudson Calls Out BroStaff Brand Ambassadors

When people sit on their iPhones and critique how other people post pictures on their iPhones, I usually don’t pay much attention. But when the fish in someone’s backyard – the fish that directly lead to someone’s livelihood – are the subject of those pictures, I’ll listen to what they have to say. Hudson runs Wyoming Fishing Company, and Rob Snowhite talks to him about his local fisheries and those who he’s seen abuse it. It isn’t a wholly negative conversation at all, but you can’t help but feel how close to home some of the more unsavory parts of 21st century fly fishing are hitting real people.

The Orvis Fly Fishing Guide Podcast – Trout Markings and their Significance

This episode isn’t about fishing… but it is all about something that fly fishers think about and obsess over. Why does one fish look like that,  while another of the same species looks like this? Tom Rosenbauer’s guest, John McMillan, is very knowledgeable about trout coloration. While the underlying science is probably pretty dull in this forum, McMillan’s passion for the fish and the fishing makes this a compelling listen. This is the type of information that is good to have in your head as you catch and appreciate trout.

Tailer Trash Fly Fishing – “A Beer With” Wes Hodges

Caveat #1: I have nothing against the whole Tailer Trash crew… even though this is my second “A Beer With”/Larry-centric recommendation.
Caveat #2: The best parts of this interview have nothing to do with fly fishing.
Larry Littrell sits down with Virginia fishing and hunting guide Wesley Hodges to talk about Wes’ life. Maybe it is because I’ve met Wes before, but it was compelling stuff. I could write paragraphs about the episode, but I’d still tell you to go and listen to it yourself. So, go listen to it.

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Here are a lot of other podcast and episode recommendations:

  I    II     III     IV     V     VI     VII      VIII   IX    X XI

And, of course, I think that the Casting Across Fly Fishing Podcast is worth listening to.

Do you have a favorite fly fishing podcast or episode? Please let me know in the comments below.