The Destination Angler Podcast

Episode 178 of the Destination Angler Fly Fishing Podcast – Aug 27, 2026. Our destination is Colorado's Gunnison Valley and the Taylor River to crack the code on one of the West's great technical tailwaters. Known for large trout this Gold Medal tailwater is a graduate school for the advanced fly angler where light tippets, long leaders and perfect drifts are a must. And if you get it right, the rewards can be a legit shot at the trout of a lifetime. Joining me is head guide and fly shop manager, John Evon, Taylor River Anglers in Almont, Colorado. John gives us the low down on the Taylor from top to bottom and along the way, we hit the famous hog trough and hear stories about epic hatches, banner 50 fish days, and a broken reel, an abandoned rod, and one very big rainbow. In this episode: Why the Taylor River is considered graduate school for fly anglers The legendary Hog Trough—and the monsters that live there · A 40¼-inch Colorado record rainbow from a river barely 50 feet across · Fishing the Taylor with light tippet, long leaders, and perfect drifts · Exploring the Upper Taylor, pocket water, undercut banks, and high-country trout · Big summer caddis hatches and terrestrial fishing · Where to find miles of public access away from the crowds · How a nine-year-old caught roughly 50 trout in three hours—then got tired and quit · The bizarre story of a broken reel, an abandoned rod, and one very big rainbow · Why experienced anglers sometimes get humbled on the Taylor · John's unlikely journey from a Chicago office job to Colorado fishing guide · What John has learned about teaching beginners on one of Colorado's most technical trout streams · And why the Taylor River's combination of big trout, technical fishing, and spectacular mountain country keeps anglers coming back With host Steve Haigh | Destination Angler Podcast — THE podcast for anglers who travel. Connect with John Evon: @harmelsonthetaylor and @taylorriveranglers | https://www.harmels.com/fly-fishing Be the first to know about new episodes. Become a subscriber Follow the show and never miss a destination. Destination Angler Podcast: Website | YouTube | Instagram & Facebook @DestinationAnglerPodcast Check Out Our Sponsors: Frontiers Travel THE one-stop outdoor travel company that's been helping anglers experience the world's greatest fisheries for more than 55 years. Your Experts in Fly Fishing & Wing Shooting. [email protected] | 1-800-245-1950 | [email protected] | +44 (0)1285 700 940 Facebook | Instagram | Vimeo High N Dry Fishing Where science and performance meet. Check out the full lineup of floatants, line dressings, and sighter waxes at www.highndryfishingproducts.com Facebook @highndryfishingproducts Instagram @highndryfishing Redd's Flies Premium flies, tied with purpose. Redd's is a family-run company built around premium hand-tied flies — including exclusive patterns you'll only find at Redd's Flies. Delivered to your doorstep in days, not weeks. A portion of every order goes directly to organizations protecting trout habitat and restoring rivers. Use this link and discount code DESTINATION to save on your next order. Facebook: @ReddsFlies Instagram: @ReddsFlies TroutRoutes The #1 Mapping Resource for Trout Anglers. Podcast listeners can try one month of TroutRoutes PRO for FREE by clicking the link in the episode description. Explore 50,000 trout streams with TroutRoutes today. Get 1 Month Free Facebook @troutinsights Instagram @TroutRoutes *** Comments & Suggestions: host, Steve Haigh, email [email protected] Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Recorded Aug 6, 2026

Episode 176 of the Destination Angler Fly Fishing Podcast – July 30, 2026. Our destination is Oregon's North Coast with diehard steelhead guide Matt Thornton who covers the obsessed steelhead culture of the North Coast, why mindset is everything, and the incredible run they've had this year. Matt also shares stories of snorkeling for steelhead, teaching clients to fight steelhead with his Lab, and the long odds—and big rewards—of spey casting. Stick around to the end to learn about Matt's conservation organization, The Wilderness Calling which is researching steelhead migration patterns…you might be surprised by what they're learning. In this episode: · Why Oregon's North Coast has become one of the world's premier wild steelhead destinations. · The unique culture of spey fishing—and why steelheaders willingly endure the "fish of a thousand casts." · Why mindset may be the most important skill a steelhead angler can develop. · Matt's unforgettable story of snorkeling a run and discovering fish where everyone thought there were none. · How steelhead behavior can surprise even the most experienced anglers. · Teaching clients to fight steelhead with his Labrador, Boomhauer. · This year's outstanding steelhead run and what made it so special. · Matt's favorite fly pattern and color. · The mission of The Wilderness Calling and the cutting-edge research they are doing using $5,000 tracking tracking tags. · Why understanding steelhead migration could have a major impact on future conservation efforts. With host Steve Haigh | Destination Angler Podcast — THE podcast for anglers who travel. Connect with Matt: Instagram: @the_wilderness_calling https://www.thewildernesscalling.org/ | [email protected] | 907.602.6759 Book a trip with Matt: Northwest Fly Fishing Outfitters Be the first to know about new episodes. Become a subscriber Follow the show so you never miss a destination. Destination Angler Podcast: Website | YouTube | Instagram & Facebook @DestinationAnglerPodcast Check Out Our Sponsors: Redd's Flies Premium flies, tied with purpose. Redd's is a family-run company built around premium hand-tied flies — including exclusive patterns you'll only find at Redd's Flies. Delivered to your doorstep in days, not weeks. A portion of every order goes directly to organizations protecting trout habitat and restoring rivers. Use this link and discount code DESTINATION to save on your next order. Facebook: @ReddsFlies Instagram: @ReddsFlies TroutRoutes The #1 Mapping Resource for Trout Anglers. Podcast listeners can try one month of TroutRoutes PRO for FREE by clicking the link in the episode description. Explore 50,000 trout streams with TroutRoutes today. Get 1 Month Free Facebook @troutinsights Instagram @TroutRoutes Frontiers Travel THE one-stop outdoor travel company that's been helping anglers experience the world's greatest fisheries for more than 55 years. Your Experts in Fly Fishing & Wing Shooting. [email protected] | 1-800-245-1950 | [email protected] | +44 (0)1285 700 940 Facebook | Instagram | Vimeo High N Dry Fishing Where science and performance meet. Check out the full lineup of floatants, line dressings, and sighter waxes at www.highndryfishingproducts.com Facebook @highndryfishingproducts Instagram @highndryfishing *** Comments & Suggestions: host, Steve Haigh, email [email protected] Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Recorded June 5, 2026

Episode 162 of the Destination Angler Fly Fishing Podcast – January 15, 2026 Our destination is the Upper Connecticut River—a remote tailwater in far northern New Hampshire that delivers outstanding fly fishing with remarkably light pressure. In this episode, I'm joined by veteran guide Bill Bernhardt, a 20-year Orvis-endorsed guide and co-owner of Points North Outfitters in Pittsburg, NH. Bill explains why this system fishes more like a Western tailwater than classic New England water—and why it remains one of the region's true sleepers. We talk trout and landlocked salmon, seasonal strategies, favorite fly patterns, remote ponds, and the miles of public access that make solitude easy to find for anglers willing to explore. Plus, tales of huge Atlantic Salmon, landlocks pushing 30", guiding a blind man, and mistakenly trespassing on Ted Turner's Patagonia paradise. 🎣 Is the Upper Connecticut River New England's best-kept fly fishing secret? You decide. With host Steve Haigh Be the first to know about new episodes. Become a subscriber Contact Bill Bernhardt: · Points North Outfitters · Facebook | Instagram @pointsnorthnh · YouTube Destination Angler Podcast: Website YouTube Instagram & Facebook @DestinationAnglerPodcast Please check out our Sponsors: Got Fishing Crafting world-class fly-fishing adventures specially designed to your level of experience and budget. Facebook @GotFishingAdventures Instagram @GotFishing High N Dry Fishing Where science and performance meet. Check out the full lineup of floatants, line dressings, and sighter waxes at www.highndryfishingproducts.com Facebook @highndryfishingproducts Instagram @highndryfishing Redd's Flies Premium flies, tied with purpose. Redd's is a family-run company built around premium, hand-tied flies that actually hold up and flat-out catch fish, delivered to your doorstep in days, not weeks. A portion of every order goes directly to organizations protecting trout habitat and restoring rivers. Facebook @ReddsFlies Instagram @ReddsFlies TroutRoutes The #1 Mapping Resource for Trout Anglers. Podcast listeners can try one month of TroutRoutes PRO for FREE by clicking the link in the episode description. Explore 50,000 trout streams with TroutRoutes today. Get 1 Month Free Facebook @troutinsights Instagram @TroutRoutes Comments & Suggestions: host, Steve Haigh, email [email protected] Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Recorded Nov 13, 2025

Episode 160 of the Destination Angler Fly Fishing Podcast – Dec 18, 2025 Today Our destination is the Upper Delaware River, a legendary tailwater often called the crown jewel of the East. This tailwater system is known for clear, cold water all year long and highly selective wild brown and rainbow trout – a graduate school for fly anglers where precise presentation and light tippets are the rule. Joining me is long time guide, fly shop owner, and Upper Delaware expert, Joe Demalderis, Cross Current Outfitters in Hancock, PA. He's been fishing the Delaware since the 1970's, appeared in many national fishing magazines like Field & Stream, Trout, American Angler, and quoted in fly fishing books like, 50 Best Tailwaters to Fly Fish, and Paul Weamer's Fly Fishing Guide to the Upper Delaware River. We cover important questions like, what are the major hatches and the most effective fly patterns, what's the character of the water from top to bottom, why is a downstream presentation a must along with stories of swimming porcupines, wild trout so selective they even refuse naturals, and some bougie shore lunch ideas. With host Steve Haigh Be the first to know about new episodes. Become a subscriber Contact Joe Demaldaris: Cross Current Outfitters Destination Angler Podcast: Website YouTube Instagram & Facebook @DestinationAnglerPodcast Please check out our Sponsors: Redd's Flies Premium flies, tied with purpose. Redd's is a family-run company built around premium, hand-tied flies that actually hold up and flat-out catch fish, delivered to your doorstep in days, not weeks. A portion of every order goes directly to organizations protecting trout habitat and restoring rivers. Facebook @ReddsFlies Instagram @ReddsFlies TroutRoutes The #1 Mapping Resource for Trout Anglers. Podcast listeners can try one month of TroutRoutes PRO for FREE by clicking the link in the episode description. Explore 50,000 trout streams with TroutRoutes today. Get 1 Month Free Facebook @troutinsights Instagram @TroutRoutes High N Dry Fishing Where science and performance meet. Check out the full lineup of floatants, line dressings, and sighter waxes at www.highndryfishingproducts.com Facebook @highndryfishingproducts Instagram @highndryfishing Got Fishing Crafting world-class fly-fishing adventures specially designed to your level of experience and budget. Facebook @GotFishingAdventures Instagram @GotFishing Comments & Suggestions: host, Steve Haigh, email [email protected] Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Recorded Oct 22, 2025

Episode 158 of the Destination Angler Fly Fishing Podcast – Nov 19, 2025 Our destination is the legendary South Island of New Zealand – world famous for trophy trout, technical fly fishing, and friendly people – with 40-year Kiwi guide and conservationist Tony Entwistle. Tony shares the unvarnished truth about NZ today and offers sage advice on important questions like how selective are NZ trout today? What's the single most important skill for any fly angler arriving there? And, what are the odds today of catching a trophy trout NZ over 10 pounds? We also hear what was it like guiding during the early days of heli-fishing and a great story of a first cast and a vanishing fly line! Stick around for the back half of the show where Tony stack mends a pile of technical tips on spotting fish, approaching water, and playing big trout. With host Steve Haigh Be the first to know about new episodes. Become a subscriber Contact Tony Entwistle: https://www.flyfishingwithtony.com/ | [email protected] | +64-27 473 2483 Destination Angler Podcast: Website YouTube Instagram & Facebook @DestinationAnglerPodcast Please check out our Sponsors: High N Dry Fishing Where science and performance meet. Check out the full lineup of floatants, line dressings, and sighter waxes at www.highndryfishingproducts.com Facebook @highndryfishingproducts Instagram @highndryfishing Got Fishing Crafting world-class fly-fishing adventures specially designed to your level of experience and budget. Facebook @GotFishingAdventures Instagram @GotFishing TroutRoutes The #1 Mapping Resource for Trout Anglers. Podcast listeners can try one month of TroutRoutes PRO for FREE by clicking the link in the episode description. Explore 50,000 trout streams with TroutRoutes today. Get 1 Month Free Facebook @troutinsights Instagram @TroutRoutes Comments & Suggestions: host, Steve Haigh, email [email protected] Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Recorded Oct 9, 2025

Our destination is the legendary Penns Creek in central Pennsylvania—Part 2—with Team USA world champion angler and guide Tess Weigand. Tess unleashes a flood of hard-won tips from years of guiding and competing to help you crack the code on one of the most technical trout streams in the East. We dive into the chaos of the Green Drake hatch, Tess's go-to fly patterns, how to handle the crowds, read tricky currents, and stay calm when "everything is hatching at once." It's a masterclass in patience, stealth, and observation—with lessons stretching from Montana to Norway. Stick around to the end when Tess shares a moving story about her gold-medal moment with Team USA in Idaho—and what it really meant to her. With host Steve Haigh Be the first to know about new episodes. Become a subscriber Destination Angler on YouTube Contact Tess: https://www.twflyfishing.com/ Instagram @tessweigand Facebook @tess.weigand/ Destination Angler Podcast: Website YouTube Instagram & Facebook @DestinationAnglerPodcast Please check out our Sponsors: Got Fishing Crafting world-class fly-fishing adventures specially designed to your level of experience and budget. Facebook @GotFishingAdventures Instagram @GotFishing TroutRoutes The #1 Mapping Resource for Trout Anglers. Podcast listeners can try one month of TroutRoutes PRO for FREE by clicking the link in the episode description. Explore 50,000 trout streams with TroutRoutes today. Get 1 Month Free Facebook @troutinsights Instagram @TroutRoutes High N Dry Fishing Where science and performance meet. Check out the full lineup of floatants, line dressings, and sighter waxes at www.highndryfishingproducts.com Facebook @highndryfishingproducts Instagram @highndryfishing Comments & Suggestions: host, Steve Haigh, email [email protected] Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Recorded Sep 18, 2025

Our Destination is Part 1 of a 2-part series on the legendary Penns Creek in central Pennsylvania with Team USA world champion competition angler and guide, Tess Weigand. Tucked into the Pennsylvania woods, Penns Creek is hallowed water— it's PA longest limestone-creek, a bug-factory, and home to some of the most educated trout in the East. Tess is a founding member of the women's Team USA and has represented the United States at world championships in Norway, British Columbia, the Czech Republic, and most recently, Idaho, where they took first place. Listen in as Tess shares her favorite patterns, her go-to competition tactics, and what separates the top anglers from the ones who get schooled. With host Steve Haigh Be the first to know about new episodes. Become a subscriber Destination Angler on YouTube Contact Tess: https://www.twflyfishing.com/ Instagram @tessweigand Facebook @tess.weigand Destination Angler Podcast: Website YouTube Instagram & Facebook @DestinationAnglerPodcast Please check out our Sponsors: High N Dry Fishing Where science and performance meet. Check out the full lineup of floatants, line dressings, and sighter waxes at www.highndryfishingproducts.com Facebook @highndryfishingproducts Instagram @highndryfishing Got Fishing Crafting world-class fly-fishing adventures specially designed to your level of experience and budget. Facebook @GotFishingAdventures Instagram @GotFishing TroutRoutes The #1 Mapping Resource for Trout Anglers. Podcast listeners can try one month of TroutRoutes PRO for FREE by clicking the link in the episode description. Explore 50,000 trout streams with TroutRoutes today. Get 1 Month Free Facebook @troutinsights Instagram @TroutRoutes Comments & Suggestions: host, Steve Haigh, email [email protected] Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Recorded Sep 18, 2025