Swing the Fly

This week the first ever guest returns, Adrian Cortes. We have a fantastic time discussing his love for low holing, being like a heron or another bird, being an intruder in nature, his rational fear of serial killer otters, fish hocking loogies, the glory of gases, and some fun fishing stories.

This week I’m joined by Dan Gaetz. We jump right in to talking about his latest article for Swing the Fly, when he noticed a change on the river, his three fish limit, the business of the outdoors, finding more outdoor hobbies and birding, easy mistakes we all make, the need for more eyes on our rivers, and so much more.

This week I’m joined by Rick Kustich and Daniel Ritz and we’re talking Spey Nation coming up on August 7 – 9. We cover how it came back post Covid, what’s new this year like; new classes including tying and trout spey, hands on testing and learning, the raffle that benefits the local Mayfly Project, and special guest Bruce Kruk, and we talking about Rick’s new podcast, “Hunting with a Fly.” For more on Spey Nation check out swingthefly.com/spey-nation/

On this week’s episode I’m joined by Adam Slavinski and Adam Schroeder. We talk about their young starts to fishing, how they met and got into the industry, their latest venture and the birth of Second Bend Outfitters, incriminating videos and good work relationships, and so much more.

On this week’s episode I’m talking with Mackenzie Berg and Mark Martin. We discuss Mackenzie’s fishing beginnings, meeting with strange men on rivers, fly tying, writing and the need to make, ciricling back, conservation and time, working in Alaska and working with community, the trials and tribulations of rebuilding a boat, and so much more.

Bob Dylan famously refuses to explain his music or lyrics, viewing songs as living experiences meant to be felt rather than riddles to be solved. He maintains that if a song moves you, that is all that matters, and has stated that over-analyzing lyrics ruins their organic magic. We’re proud to feel the same way. That said, we did a lot of thinking about the “theme” of this latest issue of the Swing The Fly Journal. At first, we anticipated it being easy. “Trout Spey?” But what does that even mean?

It’s incredibly easy not to listen. Steelheader elitism. Host narcissism. The exponential speed at which the world moves and the endless distractions. Tough to say. Any excuse is embarrassing. This past March, Swing The Fly and 7 friends had the supreme pleasure of swinging flies for sea-run...

Sponsorships are transactional. Partnerships are long-term. Genuine, authentic partnerships are collaborative, born out of mutual respect and trust. Swing The Fly is proud and grateful for the support from our small, close-knit family of partners, so starting in 2026, we’re bringing back the Partner Highlight Series.

The old key initially jammed when opening the worn metal door. Eventually I was able to work the lock free and like walking through a portal in time, entered a hotel room stuck in the 50s. The initial aroma of cleanliness settled in as a strong scent aimed more at masking years of mold, mildew and w...