Wade Fellin's guest appearances

Wade Fellin

The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast

Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast

Sam Sifton

Joe Moore

David Brooks

Steven Rinella

John Gierach

Mike Schmidt

Theodore Roosevelt

Brittany Howard

Benny Blanco

Matthew Lewis

Tim Johnson

Dan Andrews

Pat Dorsey

Steve Davis

Justin Lewis

OwlTail

This week my guest is guide and lodge owner Wade Fellin [45:48] of Big Hole River Lodge. Wade is on the vanguard of trout health in Montana, particularly in the Big Hole Valley, and they have been seeing trout die at the time of year when water temperatures and flows are optimum, which is concerning. Wade shares with us how they are obtaining samples of trout to send to a lab, and some possible reasons for this problem, and what might be done to address the issue. He also makes it clear that trout fishing in Montana is still awesome and that people should not cancel a trip or not plan a trip. Fishing is still great but we need to perhaps take even more care in releasing fish—and in deciding how many fish to catch in any given day.  In the Fly Box this week, there are some great questions, tips, and comments from listeners, including: A listener shares with us how he analyzed a problem with his casting and solved the problem.  Are we over-using UV cure resins in our fly tying? I can't afford new waders and have leaks in my old ones. Should I try to buy a pair of used waders? When fishing dry flies in lakes, should I twitch the fly or just let it sit? When aren't all nymph patterns tied on jig hooks? Why am I missing so many small trout in a local stream? With the severe flooding in Vermont, how will that affect my fishing when the water drops? A listener wants to give a shout-out to two generous anglers who gifted him and his wife with a box of flies while they were on their honeymoon on the Henry's Fork. Good tips on the benefits of a long-handled net Why am I missing hook sets on my fiberglass rod? How can I involve my family more in my fly fishing? Do you have any tips for coiling line so that it does not tangle when I shoot line? I am moving from DC to Dallas and I know there is no trout fishing around. Are there any fly-fishing opportunities near Dallas?

This week my guest is guide and lodge owner Wade Fellin [45:48] of Big Hole River Lodge. Wade is on the vanguard of trout health in Montana, particularly in the Big Hole Valley, and they have been seeing trout die at the time of year when water temperatures and flows are optimum, which is concerning. Wade shares with us how they are obtaining samples of trout to send to a lab, and some possible reasons for this problem, and what might be done to address the issue. He also makes it clear that trout fishing in Montana is still awesome and that people should not cancel a trip or not plan a trip. Fishing is still great but we need to perhaps take even more care in releasing fish—and in deciding how many fish to catch in any given day.  In the Fly Box this week, there are some great questions, tips, and comments from listeners, including: A listener shares with us how he analyzed a problem with his casting and solved the problem.  Are we over-using UV cure resins in our fly tying? I can't afford new waders and have leaks in my old ones. Should I try to buy a pair of used waders? When fishing dry flies in lakes, should I twitch the fly or just let it sit? When aren't all nymph patterns tied on jig hooks? Why am I missing so many small trout in a local stream? With the severe flooding in Vermont, how will that affect my fishing when the water drops? A listener wants to give a shout-out to two generous anglers who gifted him and his wife with a box of flies while they were on their honeymoon on the Henry's Fork. Good tips on the benefits of a long-handled net Why am I missing hook sets on my fiberglass rod? How can I involve my family more in my fly fishing? Do you have any tips for coiling line so that it does not tangle when I shoot line? I am moving from DC to Dallas and I know there is no trout fishing around. Are there any fly-fishing opportunities near Dallas?

Montana trout suffer mysterious disease, with Wade Fellin

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/398  Presented By: Chota Outdoor Gear, Togens Fly Shop, Drifthook, Country Financial Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors  Wade Fellin of Big Hole Lodge is here to take us into one of Montana's most well-known trout streams. We find out which hatch is Wade's favorite throughout the year. It coincides with Mother's Day. And we also find out which big celebrities are doing shows nearby as we speak, not too far away from Wade's operation there. We also find out some of the struggles with pressure as everything grows. Wade has definitely seen some things there. We get a couple of tips on that as well. For me, the Montana stream is another bucket list. Big Hole Lodge Show Notes with Wade Fellin 3:23 - Wade and I talk about Montana and the celebrities who are shooting a show in Montana like Kevin Costner and Harrison Ford. 5:40 - He describes Bozeman, Montana where he grew up. He also talks about the work he does with a water quality advocacy group. 8:42 - We talk about the Madison and Smith Rivers and the permit and licensing regulations for these waters. 11:57 - He shares the amazing story of how his parents built and grew the Big Hole Lodge. 14:45 - He talks about their first clients who were the writer Thomas McGuane III and his son and how Thomas helped them get the word out for the lodge. 15:48 - He tells the months when it gets pretty packed in the river and some issues with water resource management. 19:01 - He shares when the season starts for their lodge. 20:34 - He talks about brown trout issues causing the Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) to consider closing these rivers on Oct 1st this year. He also shares their schedule and operation hours in their lodge. 25:07 - He shares when his dad and grandfather joined the army and special forces. 27:05 - He mentions the healing facility in the Big Hole River called the Freedom Ranch where his dad volunteers to teach fly casting. He also shares how fly fishing helped the veterans in the healing facility. 29:40 - We talk about the rivers in Montana and the laziness in fly fishing. 33:14 - He walks us through the other rivers in Montana that people can fish in. 39:26 - He tells a story of catching the most gorgeous 29-inch brown trout he ever saw after 30 years of fishing the river. 45:10 - He talks about his dad's career at his age. 47:01 - We dig into the Big Hole River. He also recommends an itinerary of the rivers in Montana. 50:06 - He talks about their plans for the lodge. 52:00 - We touch a little bit on the laws in Montana on stream access and the upcoming legislative session that could put fly fishing lodges like theirs, which rely on public access to public waterways, out of business. 54:41 - He tells the hatches that really get him excited when he thinks of the Big Hole. 56:23 - We go into detail about their hatch chart and his favorite hatch, the Yellow Sallies. 1:01:33 - He describes his fly and hopper box and the day box they give their clients in the lodge when guiding. 1:03:23 - He recommends some other fly shops other than their lodge. Among these are Great Divide Outfitters, Healing Waters Lodge, and Hook &amp; Horn. 1:04:50 - He shares how they got the 2017 Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing Lodge of the Year award and why he loves the Big Hole Lodge and the people in it. 1:07:02 - I ask him about his favorite Harrison Ford movies. 1:08:05 - We talk about one of the trips they offer in the lodge which is the horseback assisted mountain lake fishing. Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/398 

Show Notes: <a href="https://wetflyswing.com/398" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://wetflyswing.com/398</a> Presented By: <a href="https://www.chotaoutdoorgear.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Chota Outdoor Gear</a>, <a href="https://wetflyswing.com/togens" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Togens Fly Shop</a>, <a href="https://wetflyswing.com/drifthook" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Drifthook</a>, <a href="https://representatives.countryfinancial.com/services/rep.dalton.gendron.html" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Country Financial</a> Sponsors: <a href="https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors</a> Wade Fellin of Big Hole Lodge is here to take us into one of Montana's most well-known trout streams. We find out which hatch is Wade's favorite throughout the year. It coincides with Mother's Day. And we also find out which big celebrities are doing shows nearby as we speak, not too far away from Wade's operation there. We also find out some of the struggles with pressure as everything grows. Wade has definitely seen some things there. We get a couple of tips on that as well. For me, the Montana stream is another bucket list. Big Hole Lodge Show Notes with Wade Fellin 3:23 - Wade and I talk about Montana and the celebrities who are shooting a show in Montana like Kevin Costner and Harrison Ford. 5:40 - He describes Bozeman, Montana where he grew up. He also talks about the work he does with a water quality advocacy group. 8:42 - We talk about the Madison and Smith Rivers and the permit and licensing regulations for these waters. 11:57 - He shares the amazing story of how his parents built and grew the Big Hole Lodge. 14:45 - He talks about their first clients who were the writer Thomas McGuane III and his son and how Thomas helped them get the word out for the lodge. 15:48 - He tells the months when it gets pretty packed in the river and some issues with water resource management. 19:01 - He shares when the season starts for their lodge. 20:34 - He talks about brown trout issues causing the Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) to consider closing these rivers on Oct 1st this year. He also shares their schedule and operation hours in their lodge. 25:07 - He shares when his dad and grandfather joined the army and special forces. 27:05 - He mentions the healing facility in the Big Hole River called the Freedom Ranch where his dad volunteers to teach fly casting. He also shares how fly fishing helped the veterans in the healing facility. 29:40 - We talk about the rivers in Montana and the laziness in fly fishing. 33:14 - He walks us through the other rivers in Montana that people can fish in. 39:26 - He tells a story of catching the most gorgeous 29-inch brown trout he ever saw after 30 years of fishing the river. 45:10 - He talks about his dad's career at his age. 47:01 - We dig into the Big Hole River. He also recommends an itinerary of the rivers in Montana. 50:06 - He talks about their plans for the lodge. 52:00 - We touch a little bit on the laws in Montana on stream access and the upcoming legislative session that could put fly fishing lodges like theirs, which rely on public access to public waterways, out of business. 54:41 - He tells the hatches that really get him excited when he thinks of the Big Hole. 56:23 - We go into detail about their hatch chart and his favorite hatch, the Yellow Sallies. 1:01:33 - He describes his fly and hopper box and the day box they give their clients in the lodge when guiding. 1:03:23 - He recommends some other fly shops other than their lodge. Among these are Great Divide Outfitters, Healing Waters Lodge, and Hook &amp; Horn. 1:04:50 - He shares how they got the 2017 Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing Lodge of the Year award and why he loves the Big Hole Lodge and the people in it. 1:07:02 - I ask him about his favorite Harrison Ford movies. 1:08:05 - We talk about one of the trips they offer in the lodge which is the horseback assisted mountain lake fishing. Show Notes: <a href="https://wetflyswing.com/398" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://wetflyswing.com/398</a>

WFS 398 - Big Hole Lodge with Wade Fellin - Fly Fishing Montana, Hopper Box, Yellow Sally

This week the main topic of the podcast is the issue of etiquette on our more crowded trout streams, in particular the conflicts that have arisen due to the popularity of fishing from drift boats and the issues that have developed both with boat and wade anglers. My guest is Wade Fellin, Montana native, lifelong fishing guide, and lodge owner. Wade gives some examples of recent poor etiquette he’s seen on his home river, the Big Hole, and how these kinds of conflicts can be avoided. We also explore some ways that clients as well as guides can help mitigate these issues. In the Fly Box this week, as usual we have some interesting questions (and tips) that I hope will be of interest to everyone. Some of the topics we explore are: What do you think of flies with spinner blades in front of them? Are Tenkara rods good in small brushy streams? Should I be worried about fishing in a lightning storm with my graphite rod? What are your thoughts about orientation on articulated hooks? What can I do about CDC getting slicked back on my flies? Is swinging flies for smallmouths a valid tactic? Can I swing wet flies with my level competition line? What can I do about red dye running from materials on my flies? Is it OK to use a level leader when surf and jetty fishing? What can we do about fish in heavily fished areas getting mangled mouths? Can I catch catfish on a fly? I have heard people say they catch trout with 80-foot casts? What is a practical casting distance?

This week the main topic of the podcast is the issue of etiquette on our more crowded trout streams, in particular the conflicts that have arisen due to the popularity of fishing from drift boats and the issues that have developed both with boat and wade anglers. My guest is Wade Fellin, Montana native, lifelong fishing guide, and lodge owner. Wade gives some examples of recent poor etiquette he’s seen on his home river, the Big Hole, and how these kinds of conflicts can be avoided. We also explore some ways that clients as well as guides can help mitigate these issues. In the Fly Box this week, as usual we have some interesting questions (and tips) that I hope will be of interest to everyone. Some of the topics we explore are: What do you think of flies with spinner blades in front of them? Are Tenkara rods good in small brushy streams? Should I be worried about fishing in a lightning storm with my graphite rod? What are your thoughts about orientation on articulated hooks? What can I do about CDC getting slicked back on my flies? Is swinging flies for smallmouths a valid tactic? Can I swing wet flies with my level competition line? What can I do about red dye running from materials on my flies? Is it OK to use a level leader when surf and jetty fishing? What can we do about fish in heavily fished areas getting mangled mouths? Can I catch catfish on a fly? I have heard people say they catch trout with 80-foot casts? What is a practical casting distance?