Fish Untamed

Zack Williams is the owner and publisher of Swing the Fly, the Brand and Editorial Manager for Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, and editor of their magazine, Backcountry Journal. He spent many years swinging flies for steelhead both in the Great Lakes Region and on the west coast before moving to Montana. In this episode, we discuss steelheading, angling as an identity, the threats facing public lands right now, and much more.

Instagram: @swingthefly

Take action for public lands here

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Phil Hayes is the founder and owner of Wilderness Lite LLC, makers of ultralight, packable float tubes. In this episode, we talk about how he keeps himself in shape at an older age, how he started his company to fill a void in the market for ultralight tubes, the specs of his tubes, how he keeps them light but durable, the benefits of using a float tube to access inaccessible places, where to find fish in alpine lakes, how to approach fish in a tube, and much more.

Website: wildernesslite.com 

Email: w...

Erik Johnsen is a Community Marketing Manager for TroutRoutes at onX Maps and an experienced Driftless Area angler. In this episode, we talk about how he got his start in the Driftless, some of the notable features offered by TroutRoutes, how to use these features to find more fishing spots, where they get their data, and how to use the app both during the season and in the offseason to maximize time on the water.

Website: troutroutes.com

Erik’s Instagram: @erikjohnsen 

TroutRoutes Instagram: @troutroutes

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Ryan Burch is working on a project called Tales of the 48, during which he is driving across the country with the goal of catching a fish in each of the lower 48 states. At the time of recording, he is mid-trip, having just passed through Colorado on his way west. In this episode, we talk about where the idea came from, the planning process, what he has experienced so far, his most memorable catches, the most challenging states, and much more.

Instagram: @talesofthe48

Email: talesofthe48@gmail.com

Website: talesofthe48.com

Oliver Ancans is a hunter and angler who spends a lot of time in the Brooks Range and interior Alaska. In this episode, we talk about fishing seasonality in interior Alaska, how to access fishing spots on the road system, how to book a bush plane, rod selection, techniques, and the importance of keeping wild places wild.

Instagram: @olleyeh

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Kevin Main is the co-owner of Tongass on the Fly in Petersburg, AK. They focus on fly fishing in the Tongass National Forest, particularly multi-day trips. In this episode, we cover the species available, seasonality, fishing techniques, how to get to Petersburg, DIY opportunities, the Anadromous Waters Catalog, and the importance of public lands.

Instagram: @tongassonthefly

Facebook: /tongassonthefly

YouTube: @tongassonthefly

Website: tongassonthefly.com

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This episode is our annual New Year episode where my friend Mel and I look back at our previous year of fishing and look ahead at the year to come. We talk about the goals we set, whether we accomplished them, and do a recap of some of our memorable trips and experiences along the way.

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Zig Peacock (also appearing in episode 137) is the President of the Weber Basin Anglers chapter of Trout Unlimited and an avid backcountry angler. In this episode, we talk about what he’s been up to since our last episode and how he does backcountry research, including the books, apps, and online resources he uses to find new fishing spots.

Instagram: @In2mtns

Youtube:  /in2mtns

Chapter Pages

Facebook: /WeberBasinAnglers 

Instagram:  @Weber_Basin_Anglers

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Patrick Bauman (also appearing in episode 100) is the owner of Colter Backcountry, a small business focusing on backcountry fly fishing gear. In this episode, we go over some updates to his product line and what’s coming up. Like previous guest, Steve Veals, Patrick is also in the middle of trying to fish every day for a year. We talk about the challenges he has faced along the way, and how he got started by learning to fish the surf in southern California and quickly becoming proficient at this new-to-him style of fishing.

Instagram: @co...

Shawn Larson has been on the show many times (episodes 63, 67, 138, and 155). In this episode, he is back to talk about his recent trip to fish an alpine basin in the High Uinta Wilderness. We talk about the planning, terrain, species, and gear of the trip, as well as resources he used to gain more knowledge about the area.

Utah Planning Resources: link

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Palmer Henson has been on the show many times (episodes 3, 62, 111). Normally, we chat about native brook trout where Palmer lives in Georgia, but today, we discuss a recent horse-packing trip he took into the Thorofare area of Wyoming, often cited as the most remote area in the lower 48. He walks me through the inspiration, the planning, the fishing itself for massive cutthroats, packing with horses, camp life, and much more.

Documentary: Cutthroat: The Race to Save Yellowstone

Palmer’s Instagram: @lost_angel_fly_fishing  (see June 30 and July 2, 2025 for pics from the tri...

Matthew Dickerson is a freelance writer who has published in The Drake, Backcountry Journal, American Fly Fishing, Written River, and Fly Fishing International. He has also written many books of both fiction and nonfiction. In addition to writing, he is passionate about native species, particularly those in the Salvelinus genus, such as brook trout and Dolly Varden. In this episode, we talk about his appreciation for native species and biodiversity, what it’s like to be an artist-in-residence for a national park, how Yellowstone Lake was affected by the introduction of lake trout, and much more.

Frank Burr is known as the Golden Trout Dude for good reason: he is a golden-trout-specific guide in the high Sierras of California. In this episode, we talk about how he uses tenkara and western techniques for high alpine golden trout, where to find them, how to get to both accessible and remote golden trout populations, the different subspecies, and much more.

Website: https://www.goldentroutdude.com

Instagram: @goldentroutdude

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Jeramie Prine is the owner and head guide of Dunoir Fishing Adventures near Dubois, WY. In this episode, we discuss fishing in the Wind River area, including seasons, hatches, species, and different types of water, as well as grizzly safety and the importance of protecting our public lands.

Website: www.dunoirfishing.com

Instagram: @dunoirfishingadventures

Facebook: /wyomingflyfishguides

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Kaitlin Boyer is a guide at Angler’s Covey and the lead instructor for the Professional Fly Fishing Guide Program at Colorado Mountain College. She has been guiding in the Colorado Springs area for nearly a decade and has lots of experience on the “tougher” rivers in CO, such as the South Platte. In this episode, we talk about why she prefers time on the water without her kids, how brand deals can become exhausting, the hatches we get in CO, and fishing some of CO’s famous waters such as the South Platte and the Arkansas.

Instagra...

Erin Spaulding is an angler, runner, and writer who has published work in the Flyfish Journal and the Drake, among other publications. In this episode, we talk about her experiences fishing the alpine of Washington as well as Puget Sound, her tips on being a better fishing writer, how she has dealt with a hyper-focus on fishing, and a story of getting stuck on Christmas Island due to a storm.

Instagram: @ink_and_flyline

Website: https://sightlinesstudio.com 

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Payton Skidmore is a native fish enthusiast, Utah Cutt Slam holder, Western Native Trout Challenge participant, and the creator of the Skiddy Fishing Youtube channel. In this episode, we talk about tenkara, filming fishing trips, what’s special about native fish, his yearly list of goals, catching suckers and whitefish, and where he stands in the WNTC and Utah Cutt Slam.

Facebook: /payton.skidmore/

Instagram: @skiddyfishing

Youtube: link @skiddyfishing 

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Nick Buckmaster is a fisheries supervisor with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. In this episode, we talk about all things Lahontan cutthroat trout. We discuss what his job entails, other desert species such as pupfish, the evolution of Lahontan cutthroats, the various morphs, how to fish for them, and much more.

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Jim Schottenham is a curator at the American Museum of Fly Fishing in Manchester, VT. In this episode, we talk about all sorts of things related to the history of fly fishing, including influential people, the value of historical pieces, the first mentions of the sport, the evolution of rods and reels, notable flies, tenkara, and much more.

Website: AMFF.org

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Amy McDonnell is a backpacker and a neuroscientist at the University of Utah. Specifically, Amy studies the effects of time in nature on the brain. In this episode, we discuss how various time spans spent in nature affect the brain, the benefits people self-report after spending time outside, whether directly interacting with nature (for example, fishing) has a more pronounced effect than other kinds of time spent outdoors, and much more.

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Ashley Peters is an angler, conservation communicator, and board member for the Outdoor Writers Association of America. In this episode, we discuss her work on a trail crew in Alaska, how to communicate the importance of conservation effectively, how to avoid the doom and gloom often associated with conservation work, how she has had to adapt her outdoor pursuits in light of a chronic illness diagnosis, and her upcoming trip to the Boundary Waters.

OWAA Instagram: @owaa_official

OWAA Facebook: /OWAAonline/

OWAA Website: OWAA.org 

S...

Rick Kustich is the Great Lakes Editor for Swing the Fly and an avid angler of both steelhead and muskies. In this episode, we talk about fishing for both species in New York, including how steelhead in New York compare to the other Great Lakes tributaries, what to do when the muskies aren’t biting, how Rick uses an overhand cast with a two-handed rod, and much more.

Swing the Fly: link

Instagram: @rickkustich

Website: rickkustich.com

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Shawn has been a guest on the show many times. Last time he was on, we joked about doing an episode about aging as a backpacker. He’s back today to do just that. There is relatively little fishing talk in this episode, since most of the hardship of getting old relates to getting to the fishing spot, not the fishing itself. We discuss changes he’s noticed as he has gotten older, gear considerations, injuries, recovery, preparation for the season, and much more.

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Danny Frank is the owner of Colorado Trout Hunters and guides in and around the Front Range of Colorado. In this episode, we talk about the specifics of fishing spring runoff, including timing of the runoff, daily fluctuations, freestones vs. tailwaters, reading water, fly selection, presentation, and much more.

Personal Instagram: @deltatroutforce 

Business Instagram: @coloradotrouthunters

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Steve Veals did something very few anglers have likely ever done: he fished every day for 365 days straight. In this episode, Steve tells me about how the idea came to be, what his stipulations were, the challenges and surprises he encountered along the way, and what his life has been like since finishing the challenge.

Website: www.stephenveals.com

Instagram: @steve_the_cholo

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Janet George is a retired CPW wildlife biologist and now on the board of the CO Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. In the past few years, Janet has been fishing her way through much of northern CO. In addition to several other personal “projects,” Janet has fished every lake in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. In this episode, we talk about how she came to start these goals, what she experienced along the way, and what’s next for her.

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Mia Sheppard is an angler, hunter, and snowboarder. She is owner/guide at Little Creek Outfitters and Juniper River Adventures on the Deschutes River. In this episode, we talk about fishing the Deschutes, avoiding burnout in guiding and fishing, starting a new program in Alaska, getting into hunting, and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

Little Creek Outfitters site: link

Mia’s Instagram: @miasriverkitchen

Little Creek Outfitters Instagram: @littlecreekoutfitters

Facebook: /mialittlecreekoutfitters/

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Kurt Finlayson is a former member of Fly Fishing Team USA and avid angler. These days, he mostly focuses on his own personal fishing projects, in which he sets goals for catching different sets of species. In this episode, we talk about how he got started in competition fishing, transitioning out of that professional role, and the fish projects he makes for himself, including his desert project, Colorado cutthroat project, and much more.

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Jen Ripple first joined me on the show way back in episode 19. I was thrilled to have her back on to catch up on what she has been up to. In this episode, we talk about her transition from DUN Magazine to DUN Outdoors, a more comprehensive women’s outdoor media space, as well as her new role working with Hardy and Greys and what it’s been like getting acquainted with more traditional and historied fly fishing equipment. We also talk about a few trips she has coming up for Guadalupe bass and trout in New Zealand.

Howard Croston is a full-time fly rod designer for the world-famous brands, Hardy and Greys and also the England World Team Captain. In this episode, we talk about competition fly fishing, what he does day-to-day as a rod designer, how high-end rods and reels differ from low-end rods and reels, how different rods require different designs, and some considerations for material, length, and action when buying a new fly rod.

Instagram: @howard_croston_fly_fisher_

Facebook: /Howard Croston Fly Fishing 

Hardy: link

Greys: link

Amanda Willshire is a full-time metal artist and part-time guide in Colorado. She has also competed in the Ladies Tarpon Tournament in Florida and recently got back from fishing in Brazil. In this episode, we talk about her metal fish art, fishing for tarpon in Florida, fishing experiences and mishaps in South America, and much more.

Instagram: @awdart

Website: link

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James Garrettson owns About Trout, an outfitter specializing in the San Juan River of northern New Mexico. In this episode, we talk about the San Juan as a whole, the different sections of river, seasonality, flies, species present, and the pros and cons of Euro nymphing.

Website: link

Instagram: @about.trout

Youtube: link

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This is the annual episode where Mel and I go through our fishing goals from the past year and talk about what we have in store for the upcoming year. In this episode, we switched things up a bit. As a new mom, Mel didn’t have as much time as she’d hoped to get out on the water, so in place of some of the goals she was not able to finish, she talked me through what it was like taking an infant fishing and what she anticipates for the upcoming year fishing with a toddler. I went...

Dave Zielinski loves following the cicada hatches around the eastern U.S. and is the author of Cicada Madness, which covers all things pertaining to fly fishing during these exciting emergences. In this episode, we cover the life histories of cicadas, the differences between annual and periodical cicadas, how to plan a fishing trip to coincide with the emergence, how to actually find the bugs once they’re out, and how to fish effectively during the hatch.

Cicada Madness book: link

Instagram: @down_home_boatworks

Website: www.downhomeboatworks.com

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Joe Croteau is a pivotal person in my life. He is the person who got me into fly fishing many years ago, hiring me at his fly shop before I really knew what I was doing. He knows fishing around Rocky Mountain National Park better than most. He recently released a guide book, Fly Fishing and Guiding in Rocky Mountain National Park. In this episode, we talk all about fishing in the park, including seasons, hatches, flies, gear, backcountry permits and camping, belly boating, and much more.

Sasquatch Fly Fishing: link

Joe’s...

Terry Wickstrom is the host of Terry Wickstrom Outdoors on 104.3 The Fan in Denver and has spent decades in outdoor radio, television, and print media. In this episode, we talk about ice fishing in Colorado, how Terry got started in the outdoor industry, the state of outdoor media, traditional radio vs. modern media, getting young people into the outdoors, and much more.

Terry Wickstrom Outdoors: link

Facebook: /TerryWickstromOutdoors

Youtube: link

Terry’s Music: Wickstrom & Dobroth

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Michael Broome first appeared on Fish Untamed in episode 131 to talk about completing the Wyoming Cutt Slam. Since then, he has completed both the Utah Cutt Slam and the first tier of the Western Native Trout Challenge. In this episode, we talk about his recent trip out west completing these challenges, lessons he learned along the way, and much more.

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Andrew Todd is a regular on the show, also appearing in episode 1 and episode 121. He is the creator of the Rocky Mountain Flyathlon and the nonprofit Running Rivers. This past summer, Andrew and I completed an Ültroüt (Andrew) and Troutwoman (me) together, and Andrew also completed a Lucifish run a few months later. In this episode, we catch up on how things went and lessons we learned along the way.

Running Rivers: https://runningrivers.org

Instagram: @flyathlon

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Graham Mott has been fly fishing for decades and has a lifetime of fun stories from the water. He recently released a book, “Hooked by Fly Fishing: Feel-Good Stories of Family and Friends, Life Lessons, Mishaps, and Mayhem.” In this episode, he tells me some of his favorite stories of fly fishing over the years, including being guided by a couple of outlaws in Alaska and hooking what he thought was a massive fish but turned out not to be.

Graham’s book: link

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Shawn Larson is a friend and multi-repeat guest on the show (episode 63 and 67), and Paul Vertrees is also returning to the show after appearing in episode 118. Paul and Shawn have been adventuring together all summer, and in this episode, we catch up on what they’ve been up to, including recent trips in the Driftless Area and the San Juan Mountains of Colorado.

Paul:

Blog: Tenkara Tracks

YouTube: link

Instagram: @tenkaratracks

Facebook: /TenkaraTracks/

Email: paul@royalgorgeanglers.com

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