Hand, Heart and Soul - The Wader Makers

Throwback to 2004 fishing in Alaska, wearing Simms!

Marty and I have worn Simms waders forever, durability and quality have always been a necessity and Simms provides just that. Over the years, it’s become more than that, we’ve fished, drank beer and shared fishing stories with the great people committed to the quality and innovation. These are the wader makers, product developers, repair department and managers. Here’s the full story behind the great people that make Simms waders the best ! 

Swing the Fly - Going to Print

Marty lands one. photo by Mia

Swing the Fly Going to Print - Only 1 week left to take advantage of the Pre-Sale Pricing!

Our big pre-sale will expire November 1. We need you to subscribe now so we can handle the lofty costs of printing the 1st issue. In doing so, you get the absolute best pricing on the magazine and it is guaranteed for the life of your subscription! 
One more time HERE is where to subscribe.

Here's a few common questions with Zach's answers about the magazine. 

What is happening to the E-Mag?

At this time, we are sorry but we will no longer able to offer the E-Magazine for free. It will absolutely continue to be available but will cost $4.99 per issue. A short preview of each issue and our sponsors will be available before you must pay to view the full issue. Of course, we would prefer you subscribe to the very green, 100% recycled print magazine instead!


If you have trouble subscribing through the software, don't worry. 

To be perfectly honest, the subscription software isn't the most user friendly as we have found out the last couple weeks but it is what we have at the moment. I can tell you it is 100% safe and powered by Stripe which is used by many major companies. If you have a problem, email me (you can respond to this email here!) and I will absolutely take care of it!


If you don't recieve a confirmation email of your subscription, did it go through? 

Please email me here using the email you used to subscribe and your full name and I will verify it for you.

Just how sweet is Swing the Fly in Print going to be?!
Really Sweet! I am so excited to share all this great content in print with all of you!

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If anyone has any questions or trouble subscribing please reply here or email me at editor@swingthefly.com

I will personally get back to each and everyone of you as soon as possible.

One more time HERE is where to subscribe.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

 October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month,  Find out how Casting For Recovery helps women recover and find hope and how Simms Fishing Products is bringing awareness in October and you can support that effort. 

My grandmother had breast cancer, a good friend lost her life to cancer 5 years ago after numerous treatments and my mother at the age of 60, pasted away from pancreatic cancer 10 years.  Its heartbreaking to see women I love, loss their life's at such as early age. 

Cancer is a disease that can't be ignored.  Casting for Recovery is a non profit that provides hope, at no cost retreat to participants, which allow women whose lives have been profoundly affected by breast cancer to gather in a beautiful, natural setting and learn to fly fish. The retreats incorporate counseling, educational services and the sport of fly fishing to promote mental and physical healing. CFR currently has 45 retreats in 35 states scheduled for 2011.

Each Casting for Recovery retreat accommodates 14 women, who apply and are selected through a random lottery, and immerses them in the world of fly fishing for two-and-a-half days.

Volunteers share their love of the sport by teaching participants casting, tie the basic knots and all about the bugs . . . “What Fish Eat”. They attend a medical session to learn about and share the latest medical treatments available. Participants also attend an evening gathering to share their emotions and feelings about breast cancer with an experienced Psychosocial Facilitator. On the last day of the retreat, the women are in the water practicing catch and release fishing assisted by CFR staff and men and women “riverhelpers” from local fly fishing clubs. Many of the participants have never picked up a rod in their life but go on to become active in the sport or become volunteers for the Casting for Recovery program.


Ways you can support CFR. Support your local retreat  

Purchase one of these Simms products

Volunteer at CFR

One More Pull

A beauty James Reid landed on his Winter Run Bamboo, Doublehand 

The morning sun rises,

reflecting orange and pink skies.

One more session; before we have to leave.

Scurry to put on waders; 

forget the morning coffee buzz, just gotta get in the water. 

One last cast, 

one more pull, one more landed; 

it's never enough.

Spey Nations, Catskills and East Coast Flavor

Tight Lines Fly Shop and "Spey"

Amidst a busy summer with Marty running bass trips in 105 heat and low water and me working for TRCP, I dropped Tegan off at my sisters on Whidbey Island, Washington and flew to Newark, New Jersey for a quick tour starting at Tight Lines FlyShop and ending my trip on the Salmon River in Altmar, New York for SpeyNations. My mother was born and raised in New York. Despite still having relatives out East, I haven’t visited since I was a kid.  What I remember was the lights of the big city.  This time I would land in Newark, by pass New York City and head North to where the Catskills meet the Adirondacks.   My uncle told me that this is where my mother fell in love with the outdoors and I see why.

My flight arrives in Newark midnight, E.T. .  Nancy and Andrew Moy from Tight Lines ( a full service shop with a fantastic tying selection, spey rods and “Spey” the shop dog.  Half hour from New York, this is the place to go if you need material and equipment. )  arranged a shuttle to pick me up. I’m greeted by Mike, born and raised in New Jersey; he’s full of questions about the West coast. He speaks with pride about being an East coaster, we compare the cost of living and he tells me his from central New Jersey.  

If you’re from South Jersey, you don’t ever want anyone to ask if you’re from North Jersey, which you think is basically New York. If you’re from North Jersey, you don’t ever want anyone to ask if you live in South Jersey, which you think is basically Philadelphia, or worse, Delaware. If you’re from Central Jersey, doesn’t ever ask if Central Jersey really exist. It does.

Catskills Museum

The next morning I meet the Moy’s, full of energy and fun, this is going to be a great week! Heading north we stop at the Catskill Fly Fishing Museum that is working to protect and promote fly -fishing. Engulfed by a history that dates back to the early mid 1800’s with bamboo rods on display by H.L Leonard to a collection of art by Lee and Joan Wolf and more. I discover this is where fly-fishing in the U.S. really got its start and is the birth of the “Catskills Style.”  

In 1890, sporting magazine columnist Theodore Gordon wrote to the renowned English fly fishing author, Fredrick Halford, complaining of the selective nature of the brown trout's feeding habits, and soliciting suggestions on fly selection for Gordon's Catskill waters. Halford sent back a cache of flies that were productive on the placid English chalk streams of Kent (on display at the Catskill Fly Fishing Museum, in Livingston Manor, NY today). Gordon recognized the flies needed to change to  imitate the local hatches, so he tweaked the design of Halford's flies to created the high-floating Quill Gordon dry fly, the first of the iconic "Catskill style" of dry fly.   

Andrew and Collin on the Beaverkill

After an hour in the museum and becoming members, Andrew and I continue our journey to the Beaverkill River, a tributary to the East Branch Delaware.  At the Moy cabin we wader up for an evening fish.  Swinging isonychia nymphs  and drifting isonychia dries, trout smack our flies under a gray sky against the lush green “tropical” forest.  As dusk approaches, the sky lights up with Fireflies.  I’m as giddy as a child remembering catching fireflies as a kid in Tennessee. Nancy and I chase the flies trying to catch one, she manages to seize one and I let it crawl on me, watching it illuminate green, it flies away.    

Patrick shares his secret flies 

The next day we meet our sports to hone in their spey casting skills and fish the evening hatch. PJ and I miss the evening fish and head to Altmar.  She’s from Canada and new to the sport, is on a sole mission to  submerge herself in the Spey culture and what a better way than a full day lesson and off to Spey Nations for the weekend.

Malinda - Malinda's Fly Shop

Hand Crafted Fly Box by Adelcio Chavez

Get your Dunkin Donuts at the Simms Booth

We arrive at  Tailwater Lodge on the Salmon River.  Greeted with laughter’s and hugs by Patrick Ross and his friends as well as West coast locals Travis Johnston and James Shaughnessy, we’re happy to be there and eat  crab fitters and best burgers I've had hands down!  Patrick’s , a  long time angler who owns the Anglers Lodge where the first Spey Nations took place,  he has been hosting West Coasters since.  It's great to have local knowledge and a down to earth host.  Saturday morning arrives and PJ and I head to the Spey Nations location on the Salmon River. 

Spey Nations started as a format to share the passion for Atlantic Salmon, raise awareness for a fishery that people love and the two handed culture.  With coffee in hand we are greeted with hand shacks and hospitality.  The lot is lined with industry booths and people hustling to say hi to old friends and make new ones. The vibe is about having a good time and sharing the fervor we all have for preserving the fish we love and promoting the sport we are nuts about.   The evening ends with beers, BBQ and laughs and preparing for a class the next day with a group of awesome women that are avid anglers and the token guy (just kidding Ron).

Sunday’s class is a blast teaching single speys and snake rolls and working on casting with the non dominant hand up. We laugh, talk about fishing and flies.  I’ve made new friends and this is what our sport is about! 

Spey Army

After the class Patrick, Travis , Captin Jamie and I  head out for  a Northern Pike mission near Lake Ontario. This is my first time seeing Lake Ontario and I feel like I’m standing in the Kodiak harbor. Seagulls fly over head and sport boats line the docks.  What feels like a sea breeze chills the air. We launch “Team Water Spyder” and shoot up an estuary. Rods are rigged and 30 pound mono is tied on. We cast towards grassy banks and strip.  Patrick’s fly lands, a head turns and the speed of the Pike leaves a boil the size of Old Faithful.   We fish till we can’t see any more missing some great takes and landing a couple juveniles.  What a great way to end an East Coast trip.

Caption Jamie leads the way! 

Little but strong !

Lily's on the water

Rushing back to the West coast to pick up Tegan and hightail it back to Maupin for work and preparing for a session with Ron Wyden on the Oregon Economy and Recreation. I’m thrown back to the hustle of our life and grateful to have the opportunity to visit the East Coast and make new friends!  Thanks to all the good folks that made my trip possible and all the new friends I made, too many to list. Thank you Geoff and the Spey Nations Crew, Patrick Ross, Andrew and Nanacy Moy, Tailwater Lodge, Melinda’s Fly and Tackle Shop, Jamie Perry, Travis Johnston, Joe and Delores Saracione, Simms Fishing, Rajeffs Sports and  Costa Del Mar.  . An extra big thanks to my sister and brother in law for watching Tegan!!

Swing the Fly - Summer 2015

Swing the Fly - Click Here


Everything Spey - Altantic Salmon, lab's and pointers,  steelhead, trout from Quebec to the where the rivers meet the ocean on the west coast.  

Spey Nations - East Coast Spey Gathering

 Spey Nation is a celebration of the 2-handed rod culture in the Great Lakes Fishery offering the unique opportunity for enthusiasts and manufacturers to gather in a streamside setting in Altmar, New York on the Salmon River.

Spey Nation features a full BBQ, raffles, “On the water” demonstrations, and interaction with professionals from the East and West Coasts. Mixing styles, knowledge, and backgrounds, Great Lakes anglers finally have the opportunity to learn Traditional Spey, Scandinavian, and Skagit techniques from the experts, try specialized equipment on the water and talk with other fishermen in an atmosphere dedicated exclusively to 2-handed casting while enjoying a burger and a brew. 

Admission is free. The BBQ is free; Spey Nation is funded completely by generous donations to our raffles. All “Profit” is donated to grass roots Atlantic Salmon and Steelhead conservation projects in our watershed.

I'll thrilled to be attending and presenting along with Will Turek, Michael Mauri, Andrew Moy, Jay Peck, Lee Davison, Walt Geryk and Travis Johnson

Additional Spey Casting class with Andrew Moy at Tight Lines North and me , June 26th. A great opportunity for beginners or experienced casters if your looking to take spey casting to the next level! Call me for more details or check out Tight Lines Fly Shop . 

The Steamboaters

Bend Pool By Rob Elam

Marty and I first fished the Umqua River together in 2004, it was my first time on the Umpqua and I fell in love with the solitude and beauty of the river.  In 2006 after getting hitched on the Deschutes, we drove to the Umpqua for our honeymoon at the Steamboat Inn. 

Ironically, Marty had booked a guide trip for us with Bob Burruss.  Bob was a retired high school football coach that had the enthusiasm and fire or a football coach. We met him early in the morning to secure our first run. As we waited for dawn, we drank coffee and talked fishing. When it was time to rig the rods he noticed I had a double hand and asked, wouldn't you rather cast a single hand. I declined saying "I was much better at casting a two handed rod." Bob was filled with information about exactly where to stand and on what rock. He was also full Umpqua stories and rapid-fire advice to help build confidence and that's what you need to catch an Umpqua River summer steelhead.  

At the end of that first fishless day, Bob suggested a good place for us to start the next morning and wished us well. This is just one of the many great experience we have had over the years fishing the Umpqua. The river produces passionate souls that have a profound commitment to preserving the culture of the fly-water and the wild steelhead. 

Mark swings a fly by Marty Sheppard

If you've fished the North Umpqua then you should know about the Steamboaters. 

"The Steamboaters, organized in 1966. Don Haines suggested the idea for a group "to preserve the natural resources of the North Umpqua" to Colonel Jim Hayden as they traveled together to the Federation of Fly Fishers meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Knouses and Andersons seconded the idea at a gathering the next day and Stan Knouse suggested the name Steamboaters "because of its association with the inn where many of its members stay and because of the significance of Steamboat Creek, which enters the North Umpqua at the Station Hole." 

Clarence Gordon was made an honorary member of the Steamboaters, as was Roderick Haig-Brown, the eminent writer from Campbell River, British Columbia. Although he fished the river only once, Haig-Brown later wrote:

“The North Umpqua remains one of the best and most beautiful of summer steelhead streams, and it has the tremendous asset of several miles of water restricted to 'fly only.' The strong flow of bright water is broken up by ledge rock outcrops,the pools are deep and long and hold fish well, and the fish themselves are usually responsive and in excellent shape.”

The Steamboaters are pleased to announce their annual winter social on Saturday April 4, 2015. 

I'm honored to be the guest speaker, presenting on  “Community, Conservation and the Next Generation.”  Educating the next generation of fly anglers and conservationists through mentor ship and community involvement. 

The event will be held, once again, at the Southern Oregon Wine Institute on the campus of Umpqua Community College. The doors will open at 5:00 with appetizers and a wine and beer cash bar, dinner will start at 6:30, and the program will begin at 7:30. Find out more here. 

Keep'em Wet

Keepemwet started by Bryan Huskey 5 years ago when he was asked by a local fly club to give a presentation about his trout photography. He outlined anglers' responsibility to be good stewards of the resource and to handle catch & release fish with exceptional care, especially when additional time is taken to photograph fish. He called this portion of his presentation "Keep 'em Wet" that has transended into the hashtag #keepemwet. 

This winter, Native Fish Society  launched the “Keep ‘Em Wet” campaign to increase angler awareness about the negative effects of air exposure to wild fish.

"Don’t take us wrong,  I'm not saying we are purest, we’ve all taken fish out of the water to snap a photo, Native Fish Society staff members included.  But the more we learn about  handling fish we love the more healthy wild fish there will be to catch. 

As an outfitters Marty and I have have practised catch and release techniques from early on, teaching sports how to properly handle fish and how to minimize air exposure when taking photos.   

Even when anglers are taking precautionary measures, like crushing the barb, prolonged air exposure can make it difficult for fish to recover and there are delayed negative effects that may not be apparent even if the fish seems fine when it swims away.

Studies have shown that the longer a fish is exposed to air after exhausting exercise the higher their mortality rates are (Ferguson and Tufts, 1992; Gale et al, 2011).  Even 30 seconds of air exposure reduces a trout’s ability to recover and can provide a significant additional stress even when catch and release fishing (Ferguson and Tufts, 1992).

So, let’s get creative with the way we photograph our wild fish by keeping them wet and in the water.  Here's a few recommendations.  Till May 31st 2015, NFS will be holding a photo contest for the best picture of a wild, native fish from the Pacific Northwest with at minimum its gills in the water."

1. Keep the mouth, gill plates in the water cradling the backside of the fish or hand right under the pectoral fin, not squeezing the fish and  hold the tail with the other hand firmly. 

Wild 2013 photo by Marty Sheppard

2. Hold the tail firmly and lay the fish flat covering the gill plate. 

Winter Buck 2011 by Mia Sheppard

3. If you do feel inclined to take a photo of the fish out the water, quickly lift  for a second or two and then submerge the fish back. If you see there is no water dripping off the fish or its mouth is wide open gasping for air, it's been out of the water way to long. 

How to Enter the Photo Contest

To enter, email your photograph to mark@nativefishsociety.org and we will post it to our Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts with the hashtag #keepemwet. The top three photos with the most likes combined will win prizes!

Prizes for the Top Three Finalists

The first place winner will receive a brand new Gary Anderson Custom 12’0” 7wt Spey Rod donated by NFS Board Treasurer Peter Tronquet.  Our two runners up will get to choose between a day of steelhead fishing with Washougal River Steward Steve Lent on the Sandy River and a day of trout fishing with Willamette Valley Regional Coordinator Kyle Smith on the McKenzie River.

The three winning photographs will be published in the Summer 2015 issue of Strong Runs. Let the contest begin, good luck, and Keep Em’ Wet!

- See more at: http://nativefishsociety.org/index.php/conservation/keep-em-wet-campaign-photo-contest/#sthash.GhezXHJO.dpuf

Swing the Fly 2.2

Don't miss this issue some great reading on  the history of spey casting, finding a mentor and swinging for trout.

Swing the Fly 2.1

Swing the Fly

What Spey-O-Rama is All About

Speyorama from Keith Brauneis on Vimeo.

SOR and Casting for Recovery Update

Teresa, Me and Rebecca

Wonderful time at SOR this year, with great food and spirits, super company and amazing casting from the men and women, it’s impressive to see records being broken (Travis Johnson making a 198 foot cast) and the women making cast over 140.  The limits keep getting pushed, the casters keep progressing and new competitors enter each year .

Happy to raise funds again for the Northern California and Northern Oregon CFR retreats based on my longest cast.  (Made a 142 and still have the current record for longest cast!)  Congrats to all the women for kicking ass this year!

Caster	Left side		Right side
	Left Snake	Left Single	Right Snake	Right Single	Total	Longest
Whitney Gould	129	132	138	135	534	138
Mia Sheppard	130	142	124	129	525	142
Marcy Stone	116	123	132	130	501	132
Kara Knight	116	105	117	135	473	135
Donna O’Sullivan	122	110	109	128	469	128
Adrienne Comeau	111	111	110	125	457	125

Much gratitude for all the support and a big thanks to Rebecca Blair, Teresa LaBlanc for keeping me on track. GaryAnderson , Joe and Deloris Saracione and Simon Heish (Nextcast Products)  and Simms Fishing and Costa Sunglasses for the awesome gear, Franny Krieger for the hosting Tegan and I (Tegan really enjoyed her time with you) Travis Johnson for always talking me into competing and big hugs to Marty for putting up with me.   Special thanks to all that donated: Whitney Gould (Congrats on 1^st!) Doug Morgan, Rebecca Blair, Will Johnson, Chris Wilson, Scott Humphreys, Bill Swindell, Judith O’keeph, Tim Purvis, Emily Untalan, Henry Carlile, Ken Johnson, Larry Lessard, Jeffery Howard, Doug Morgan, Doug Ballinger, Paul Ridgeway, Eric Adema, Mark Heath, Anne Vitalie, Steve Egge, Teresa LeBlanc, Larry Friedman, Debbie Mathis, Joann Martinez, Paul Gatti,  August Abellar, Anthony Conte, Ingrid Medina, Steve Gomes, Marke Estis, Byron Jones, Kenji Muro, Fanny Krieger, Ken Morando, and many more that signed up at the ponds, sorry I don't have everyones names at this moment.  

My longest cast was 142 and Doug Morgan was the closest guessed 144.5, call me, let’s get a date on the calendar!   Mark Heath wins the Gary Anderson rod.  

Casting For Recovery

Update April 12th- Gary Anderson just donated a 6126 double hand rod. Make a donation and have a chance at winning this rod!

Spey-O-Rama is right around the corner and yes, I’m participating again, Marty thinks I’m nuts but I love it!  On April 11-13 you will have the opportunity to watch some world class spey casters compete at the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club ponds-- and to help raise money for a wonderful cause – Casting for Recovery CFR.    Once again, and as part of that effort, I will be sponsoring a CFR pledge drive.  

Casting for Recovery is a national non-profit support and educational program for women of all ages and in all stages of breast cancer. The funds raised this year  will directly benefit CFR retreat participants in Northern Oregon and Northern California.  For more information on CFR, please refer to the website.

To make a donation, please click on the following link to download a form.   : http://form.jotform.com/form/10195517743

This year, make a donation and take a guess at the distance of my longest cast and win a guided trip on the Sandy River. If there are more than two people that get it right then the names will go in a hat.  Write  what you think will be my longest cast in the comment box on the form.   

A Steelheaders Passage

Words By: Asher Koles of Bloodknots Fly Fishing Photos by:Asher Koles and Bryan Roller

The water we fish is a part of us. We are protective, secretive, but  willing to open the lines of communication with people from all sides of the spectrum without spoiling the sense of discovery one receives as a steelheader . It’s not because we don’t want other anglers and guides to catch fish. It has much more to do with the process, experience and body of knowledge we have built through grinding out days in high water, low water, and prim-o conditions. Through hooking fish, farming fish, falling apart mid-run, scouting water, loosing flies, having banner days and heart crushing dry spells. Revealing the conclusions from those experiences would spoil one's passage as a steelheadders. We don’t want to diminish the discovery but be willing to guide anglers to the steelhead passage and educate on respecting the resources .

Mia and Marty’s devotion to the steelhead is apparent upon first meeting them. Their fervor for swinging flies, guiding, and protecting these fish has inserted itself into every aspect of their lives. Their daily routine is dictated by the ebb and flow of their home waters. They play an integral role in the community of fisher people, guides, industry folks and conservationists in their region that are all connected to these fish. Their livelihood is based on the health and sustainability of the river systems and the return of wild steelhead. It was very apparent that they would give up that part of their lives to ensure the health and longevity of wild steelhead.

Our foray into this community was intimidating at first. Our experience with people that swing flies, was that they were generally vague, covert, elusive and purposely baffling about their practices. Bring a camera into the room and things get quiet quick. We are as guilty of this behavior to anyone outside our circles as much as the next guy. From our first introduction to Mia, Marty, Brian and their friends we got the feeling that this tight knit culture was in turmoil. Not only the steelhead, but the anglers and organizations that are involved in one way or another were at odds concerning the best way to manage the future of the fish, river-ways, and economic opportunities that beckon. 

What keeps coming to mind in all of these different aspects of protecting and managing steelhead is the simplicity of the fish. The fish has few goals: be at the top of the food chain, and pass on the best genes to the next generation to ensure biological succession. The goals of anglers and interest groups are convoluted and anthropocentric at their core. We want to catch fish. Some of us want to catch and release wild fish, some want to harvest fish. We want to do it a certain way. We think some ways are better than others. What we all have in common is the connection to the fish and the rivers.

When explaining the passion we have for steelhead, we are commonly asked, “Well if you care so much about this fish, why do you potentially threaten their well being by catching them?”. Before spending time around the Sheppards and their friends, that was a hard question to answer. The anglers are the reason these fish have any protection. Without the stewardship of the angling community, the fisheries and natural resources that are connected would continue to be mismanaged by politicians and government entities that have no tactile interactions with the ecosystems. We are the voice of the fish. It’s a double edged sword in many ways because of the multitude of the connections people have to these fish, but at the end of the day we as anglers, guides, scientists, politicians and conservationists must come to common ground on deciding the future of wild steelhead. The fish will keep running, spawning, doing their part. Let’s ensure that they are in a position to do so for both species sake.

Project Background:

Bloodknots is in the process of crafting a documentary on the connections the steelhead angling community, scientists and conservationists have to these fish. What drives both these species (human, salmonid) to go to such lengths to make the connection (swung flies and drive to the home waters)? Investigating what the primary threats are to the fish, what is making their journey harder than ever, and what are the passionate anglers, conservationists and scientists doing to restore sustainable conditions and populations?

Stay tuned on the film’s progress on our website, www.bloodknots.com and our blog, http://bloodknots.tumblr.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/bloodknotsflyfishing