Podcasts

PODCASTS

Life on the Water

Troutbitten Crew Circa 2021 - Photo by Bill Dell

The Troutbitten Podcast Crew (winter, 2021) Austin, Trevor, Josh, Dom and Bill. (Missing is Matt Grobe)

In the fall of 2021, I started the Troutbitten Podcast. And what I’d thought of for years as a back burner project quickly became my primary focus.

Immediately after launch, the Troutbitten Podcast hit the top of the Wilderness Podcast Charts and became the number one independent fishing podcast in the states. It has held there ever since.

The podcast succeeds because of my friends, my co-hosts — my best fishing buddies. They are Austin Dando, Trevor Smith, Josh Darling, Bill Dell and Matt Grobe.

By breaking away from the industry-standard podcast formula of guest interviews, the Troutbitten Podcast is something different. These guys, their ideas, their collective experience and comradery are all that any episode needs.

Troutbitten Podcast seasons follow two distinctly different formats, alternating every other season.

The odd-numbered seasons are longer, free-form discussions on any fly fishing topic, ranging from tactical to ethical. While the even numbered seasons feature a Skills Series that narrowly focuses on one set of fly fishing skills.

Yes, Troutbitten

A Priceless Resource

Best Fly Fishing Podcast

Great podcast for any style of fly fishing. Many great tips and tricks to make your time on the water more productive. Pretty funny crew to listen to as well

Changing How I Fish

I found this podcast through the troutbitten website where I poured over the articles daily. This podcast has changed the way I handle my gear, approach the water, think about trout and insects, and even how I land a fish. This is good stuff, whether you are new to fly fishing or been at it a few years like me. There is always more to learn and here is where to learn it. Thanks for creating this!

WOW!

RT190, 06/21/2022

Troutbitten is a great resource of information and reading, I just found and listened to a few podcast I’m so happy I found ya. Domenick has a phenomenal resource for people pursuing flyfishing beginner or the advanced he and his team continue to impress.

Having this podcast is like being in a conversation with friends I haven’t met. So thankful to Troutbitten. Keep up the great resource.

Troutbitten Austin and Beer - Photo by Bill Dell (1)

WHERE TO LISTEN

The Troutbitten Podcast is easily found in any podcast player. Just search with your app, and you’ll find it.

Also, find a full list of the podcast archives, download them or listen directly HERE.

Finally, every Troutbitten Podcast episode is listed here below.

Thanks for listening.

Podcast: The Airing of Grievances — S3-Ep13

Some of the fly fishing industry trends, these habits, these practices, just seem wrong. And the gear, the ads, videos and articles, — a lot of it steers people in the wrong direction.

So we thought we’d have a little fun with this and call out as many issues as we can fit into one podcast. But it’s all in good fun. And quite honestly, most of the things we bring up could certainly benefit from a fair dose of constructive criticism.

Podcast: What’s the Deal With Junk Flies? — S3-Ep12

Junk flies are never a sure thing. They are simply another option to help solve the daily puzzle on the river.

You can’t just put any kind of bright, flashy materials on a hook and fool trout. There’s a reason why trout eat these flies. And there’s a reason why these patterns shine for so long and then fall off at the end of a season. There’s also a huge difference between the way stocked trout respond to some junk flies vs the way wild trout respond . . .

Podcast: Why Do We Miss Fish, and Why Do We Lose Fish on a Fly? — S3-Ep11

We all miss fish and lose fish on a fly. Why does it happen? Is it an accident? Is it avoidable? And how can we improve our hookup and landing ratio on the water?

Podcast: Learning a River and Discovering Its Secrets — S3-Ep10

Rivers are an ever-changing, complex ecosystem of life, water and land. They are influenced by weather, surrounding community development and sometimes the anglers themselves. Nothing is static. Nothing is truly predictable. But there’s also no denying the habit of trout. And once you spend time wading with these fish, observing their habits and watching how the changes affect their behaviors, then time itself finally stacks in your favor. The observant angler becomes part of that ecosystem. And we begin to predict the paths of trout by instinct . . .

Podcast: A Fly Fishing Life, and Doing the Hard Things — S3-Ep9

The rewards are in that work. The enjoyment is in the journey. But it’s also pretty sweet to be standing midstream among the best hatch of the season, with a precision casting stroke carrying the fly into the ring of every rise. Set the hook, and you know that you’ve earned it.

Prepare, practice and enjoy the payoff. . . .

Podcast: Rude on the River, Front Ended and the Golden Rule — S3-Ep8

Just like the previous episode, this podcast deals with space on the river. But this time, it’s not about finding space as much as how we share it. Sometimes, we’re forced to share more than we’d like. Other times, there’s simply no question that another angler has broken the code. And how do we deal with that? This is our topic.

Podcast: Find Your Water — Find Space — S3-Ep7

If you want space, if you want to find your own water, it’s there for you. Be an explorer. Fish offbeat times and offbeat locations. Fish bad weather and rough conditions. Find your water, and find space.

Podcast: Why It Always Comes Down to Fly Casting — And What Matters Most — S3-Ep6

It’s fly fishing. So it starts with fly casting. Here’s how to improve accuracy and control over the system with just a few key adjustments.

All fly fishing styles require the same casting fundamentals and the ability to control lengths of line in the air. And we must build casting loops with speed for the line to go anywhere . . .

Podcast: Find Feeding Fish — Exploring Water Types and More — S3-Ep5

Rivers are in a perpetual state of change, and the trout’s feeding patterns respond to those changes.

There are many factors that encourage trout to move into and feed in certain types of water. While the real-world conditions and events are infinite, there are five major factors that influence where and how trout feed in a river. They are: water temperature, water levels and water clarity, hatches, bug and baitfish activity, light conditions, and spawning activity.

And if we learn to recognize all of this, we have the keys to the puzzle.

Podcast: How to Fight Bigger Trout — S3-Ep4

Something electric happens when we hook into the fish of the day, the fish of the season or maybe the fish of a lifetime. Our hearts beat faster. The adrenaline pumps because the stakes are raised. This is the fish we’ve been waiting for, and we don’t want to lose the opportunity.

Podcast: Hatches and Strategies — S3 Ep3

One of the greatest attractions to fly fishing can also present one of the biggest barriers. It’s the bugs.

Understanding everything we can about these bugs and how trout respond to them is a big piece of the puzzle that we’re trying to solve out there. And sometimes, it’s the keystone. Because at certain times, the bug life of a river is the central player in a trout’s daily life . . .

Podcast: Inefficiencies That Waste Your Fishing Time — S3 Ep2

Flies in the water — that’s where we want them. A trout at the end of the line. That’s what we’re aiming for. But there are seemingly endless tasks required for a fishing trip. And how we approach those chores really defines the way our day will go — simply because our fly is either in the water . . . or it’s not . . .