This week, my guest is Davy Wotton, who is originally from Wales but now lives and guides on the White River in Arkansas. I get frequent questions about swinging soft hackles and wet flies, a technique that I am not the best at, so I brought in the angler whom I consider the ultimate expert on this kind of fishing. Davy blends the British traditions with American conditions, so he really has the best perspective on this kind of fishing, which can be both challenging and subtle—especially when fish are taking emergers. It’s a long podcast, but since I have never done one on this topic, I make up for lost time. And Davy had many interesting points to make.
The Fly Box is a bit shorter this week because the main podcast is so long. But we cover some interesting questions, as usual:
- What can I do to keep my Stimulators floating?
- When do you fish a nymph and when do you fish a streamer?
- Can you use weed guards on trout flies?
- Why am I breaking off so many fish?
- Do some rod guides work better than others?
- More on pressure and its effects on fish
- What is the difference between a freshwater and saltwater rod?
- How can I see my fly in a fast riffle?
- How do I know if small streams hold trout?
- Why do trout bump my flies and why do they come off quickly?
If you don’t see the “Play” button above, click here to listen.
Did anyone else feel like they were being chastised for the better part of that podcast? Can’t imagine fishing with that guy.
That said, a dense and informative podcast that gives you a lot to consider.
Chastised? Uh, no.
Enlightened? Absolutely!
Davy Wotton presented some of the most authentic, old-school information you’ll ever hear on traditional wet fly and soft tackle techniques. And Welshmen obviously don’t worry about American snowflakes
RE: Drying flies
Several years ago a friend recommended that I carry a small patch of ShamWow cloth for drying flies. I think I bought it through a late-night infomercial. It is not terribly expensive (if you buy any you end up with a lifetime supply), is very absorbent, does not deteriorate, dries out quickly, and can be washed. After drying a fly with it for a few seconds, it’s pretty much as though the fly has not been used before. Highly recommend it.
Tom
Amadou
Bounty. The quicker picker upper!
Hi, when will the podcast be published to Google podcasts? Not showing up in my feed. Davy Woton is the real thing.
Not sure if its intentional or not, but this episode is not the most recent posted to spotify, insteaf “Species Specific Release Techniques” is up there, but I haven’t seen that one mentioned on your site. Maybe the wrong episode was uploaded to streaming services?
Sometimes the streaming service is a week ahead of the blog, just due to scheduling.