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: Dry Fly Platforms – Parachutes – The Troutbitten Fly Box (S18, Ep2)

The parachute platform is our favorite style of dry fly and the favorite of many other anglers, because of its utility. Because it form is functional. Because it casts well, lands upright and keeps floating, even though heavy water. It fools picky trout and looks enough like an emerger and a spinner that you might get away with one fly, all the way through cycle. It’s a great dry-dropper fly, it’s easily adaptable. And perhaps its best quality . . . you can see the parachute post.

PODCAST: Dry Fly Platforms – Upright Hackles – The Troutbitten Fly Box (S18, Ep1)

Season 18 is a unique look at dry fly styles, through the concept of platforms. By taking a fly shape, a form or a set of materials, we can adapt the elements like color, wing style, tailing material or hackle length to meet the moment. Within the fly platform, we vary its properties to the river conditions or to a specific hatch.

In this episode, we look at the specifics for hook, tail, body, wing and hackle for our first platform in this Skills Series — the Upright Hackle.

PODCAST: Approaching the River (S17, Ep10)

The Troutbitten Podcast is available everywhere that you listen to your podcasts. ** Note ** The Podcast Player, along with links to your favorite players is below. We’re here to talk about approaching the river — approaching the trout — to put our boots in the best...

PODCAST: Fly Tying — Essential Tools and More (S17, Ep9)

Fly tying is more popular than ever. With the prevalence of high quality materials and excellent videos showing how to build flies, more fly anglers choose to tie their own patterns than ever before.

All of us at Troutbitten have been tying our own flies from the beginning, so we each have preferences for the tools we use. That’s what this podcast episode is all about. We discuss the essentials, like vise, scissors and a bobbin, along with some other tools and gear that each of us considers invaluable for tying materials to a hook.

The tools come first. And the quality of those tools can either help or hinder the process . . .

PODCAST: Fly Fishing Myths (S17, Ep8)

We’re here to clear the air about common myths in fly fishing. These misunderstandings change the way people fish, often without reason.

Most of what we bring up is well engrained into the fly fishing field of knowledge. Basically, most of you out there listening will have heard nearly everything we bring up. Maybe too, you’ll have a different take on things, and some of these won’t be myths to you at all. That’s good. Because you really should trust yourself and your own time on the water more than anyone else.

PODCAST/VIDEO: In Deep with Devin Olsen – Tight Line Tactics and Competition Influence (S17, Ep7)

I asked Devin to go in deep about competition nymphing styles, while specifically considering the rules and restrictions imposed on competitors. We consider whether those rules about flies and leader restrictions are helpful or hurtful for the common angler . . .

PODCAST: Troutbitten State of the Union, Fall 2025 – Catching Up With the Shop, Books, Videos, Events and More

For our State of the Union 2025, my wife, Becky, joins me for a lighthearted look at what’s going on in the Troutbitten world. We talk about the upcoming leader sale in the Troutbitten Shop (December 1st). We talk about the book, the In Deep series, podcast plans, shop changes, a live podcast event, a Troutbitten Film Festival and the the New Trail Troutbitten beer.

Becky and I also read a few listener comments.

PODCAST: Have Mono Rig and Euro Nymphing Styles Gone Too Far? (S17, Ep6)

Five or ten years ago, most tight line anglers were using a Mono Rig leader build with a butt section thick enough to mimic the functions of a fly line. But things have changed. Have Mono Rig leaders and tactics gone so far and become so common that these tools and these styles are actually hindering some angler’s growth?

PODCAST: The Spawning Process of Trout (S17, Ep5)

Where, when and how do trout spawn in a river? The spawning process is arguably the most important event of a trout’s life. As long term anglers, we should understand the process — not only because we then know how to give trout their space, but because the process is a fascinating look at a fish that we spend so much time chasing.

PODCAST: What Flies Catch Big Trout?(S17, Ep4)

Sometimes, the goal is to catch the biggest trout in the river. In those times, what’s the best fly to choose?

Size, shape, weight, color, flash — whether it’s a dry fly, nymph, wet fly or streamer, what are the qualities of a pattern that we have confidence will interest bigger fish?

PODCAST: In Deep – Fishing Simply, With Craig Matthews (S17, Ep3)

Craig Matthews details the mysteriously attractive nature of pheasant tail flies for trout, while also sharing stories and philosophies around a simple approach to this sometimes complicated game of fly fishing.

PODCAST: Back to Spot Burning – Evolution? (S17, Ep2)

Over time, not only have my own thoughts become more defined, I know the other Troutbitten guys think differently as well. So it’s time to revisit the hot button topic of spot burning. What’s the big deal? How does it hurt? When is it okay to name spots publicly? Is it alright if it’s part of a business? And are there different rules?

Basically, it’s a wide, wide world out there. And things change quickly, so it might be helpful to talk about spot burning again.