The DrakeCast - A Flyfishing Podcast

For those of you who subscribe to the Drake Magazine, you'll notice it's been a while since we've heard anything about Clyde, the magazine's 1974 Mercury Marquis that travels the country. This car invites mishaps, cops, and adoration from anyone who sees him. But where has he been, and what's he been up to? Today on the podcast, we speak with writer John Agricola to check in on Clyde and hear about his latest adventures.

In this episode of The DrakeCast, we sit down with Drake Magazine founder and editor, Tom Bie, to talk through the Fall 2025 issue of the magazine. We'll provide some background information on the stories we ran, why we ran them, and hear contributor Mike Fitzgerald read his essay that we both thought was fantastic. The Fall 25 Issue should be on fly shop and newsstand shelves across the country. If you’re a subscriber, feel free to follow along with the print issue. If you’re not yet a subscriber, you can sign up online at Drakemag.com. Its $38 for the year.

In this episode of The DrakeCast we return to The Lodge at 58* North for the second half of a week of fishing Alaska’s Bristol Bay. In between fishing for pike, rainbows, and king salmon, we'll hear about the troubles facing the region's fisheries.

In this episode, we'll spend a day on the water with my friend Israel as he searches for his first musky. Along the way, we will chat with a journalist about the early years of fishing in Wisconsin's Northwoods and take a field trip to learn about the role trains played in the Badger State's fishing history.

In May of 2025 I found myself in a boat with a trout guy in search of warmwater fish. In this episode of The DrakeCast we throw poppers with Erik Johnsen, the community marketing manager at TroutRoutes, and discuss whether or not he is ruining flyfishing. Many thanks to Patagonia and their improved Swiftcurrent waders for helping make this possible. We'll be back in two weeks with another episode.

Welcome to Part 2 of the Patagonia Swiftcurrent miniseries. Today, we speak with Alex Gonsiewski about a fishing trip that did not go as planned. Alex is a flyfishing guide in Oregon, where he targets trout and summer steelhead on the Deschutes River, summer steelhead on the John Day, and winter steelhead on the North Oregon coast. Between rainbow runs, Alex hosts angling trips around the world. He's taken clients to Mexico, Belize, Bolivia, Alaska, Christmas Island, and Puerto Rico. In 2023, Alex and a group of clients flew to Sudan for nine days of fishing on the Red Sea's Nubian Flats. Unfortunately, while Alex and company were on the water, the country fell into a vicious civil war that has since claimed the lives of 150,000 people and displaced more than thirteen million. To find out more about Alex and see his stunning photography, you can visit his website: https://www.alexgonsiewski.com/ or find him on IG: @alexgonsiewski Many thanks to Patagonia for making this episode possible. To check out their brand new Swiftcurrent Waders and find out how you can win an Alaskan fishing adventure, visit this link: https://drakemag.com/swiftcurrent-wader-contest/

A year ago today, May 25, 2022, a fire started in the middle of the Bolivian jungle, burning down a lodge in one of the most sought-after fishing destinations in the world. To tell that story, we have Drake magazine founder, Tom Bie. To get more stories like this pick up a copy of The Drake at your local fly shop or subscribe at drakemag.com. This episode was made possible by generous support from The Eleven Experience, Scott Fly Rods, and Grundens. If you like the show, give em some of your money.

Today, with the help of Drake magazine editor and founder, Tom Bie, we’ll be walking through what you can find in the Fall 2022 issue of the Drake. If you’re hearing this, it means you should be able to buy it at your local fly shop or on our website, drakemag.com. Many thanks to Scott Fly Rods and The Eleven Experience for making this episode possible, and a big thanks to all of the advertisers in the print magazine as well. A shout out to Hansi Johnson for chatting with us about his photo. You can find him on instagram @hansski43

A few months ago a family friend gave me a taxidermied brown trout that had been mounted in the 80s. When I went to the friend’s house to get the story behind the fish I somehow left with the rod and reel that had caught it, plus a whole lot more. This episode is the story of that fish, the rod, and the anglers that came before us. Music for this episode was written and recorded by Russell Pedersen and appears on his album, Steal from the Rushes. You can see him live with his band Horseshoes and Hand Grenades at a few concerts this summer in Wisconsin. They always put on a heck of a show. (Link to the album: https://russellpedersen.bandcamp.com/album/steal-from-the-rushes) This episode was made possible by generous support from The Eleven Experience, Scott Fly Rods, and Howler Bros. If you like the show, give em some of your money and tell em we sent ya.

As you’ll see in the title, this is a continuation of the Steelhead miniseries that started years ago - Chapter 3 to be exact. And while I recognize that the vast majority of anglers will never set foot in a native steelhead watershed, I’m harping on this issue because I think these fish are a bit of a canary in the coal mine for fisheries, and the world as a whole. I’m worried that their health is a sign of things to come for our rivers and really all of us. And the past 12 months have brought But today, I wanna head to a little corner of Oregon where things haven’t quite gone to shit. Where, despite the efforts of miners, noxious air and a million other villains, that lil yellow bird is still chirping. For now. And there might be something you can do to make sure it stays that way. TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK AT THE OCTOBER 15 ODFW COMMISSION MEETING, FOLLOW THIS LINK: https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_2jsvNgcdRiCHUZjgmXUJzg TO FURTHER EDUCATE YOURSELF, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE NATIVE FISH SOCIETY WEBSITE: https://nativefishsociety.org/news-media/stand-up-for-wild-fish-in-southern-oregon

It’s been a while, but as of right now, despite the fact that no one was asking for it, The DrakeCast is back for a little bit. We’ve got six episodes slated for release between now and the end of 2021. The first of these episodes (which also happens to be the second of the Steelhead Miniseries) is a story of the fine line between exploration and exploitation. 70 miles west of Juneau is the minuscule town of Elfin Cove, which you can only access by boat or floatplane. Instead of roads, wooden boardwalks connect the municipal gas station to the bar that’s open when it wants to, to dozens of boats moored in front of fishing lodges. One of these lodges is the aptly named Elfin Cove Resort, which is where this episode takes place. During the main fishing season, Elfin Cove normally froths with meat-haulin gear guys aiming to fill the freezer. But in May of 2018, hardly anyone was in town. We were certainly the only non-commercial fishermen. And we weren’t there for your typical halibut jigging or king trolling. Instead, we would enter the heart of the Tongass National Forest in search of steelhead. This is the story of what we found, and the questions that you have to ask yourself when fishing. In this episode we slide across glacial bays in a jet boat, eat at a greasy spoon diner with Mark Hieronymus (the Sportfish Outreach Coordinator for Trout Unlimited & part-time Simms model), and wade into unnamed Tongass rivers. This reboot of the DrakeCast would not have been possible without generous support from Howler Brothers, Scott Fly Rods, and The Eleven Experience. If you like the show, go buy their stuff and let 'em know we sent ya.

Hurricane Dorian carved a scar through the soul of the Bahamas. Hear about this bonefish paradise before, during, and after the storm. In this episode we profile a lifelong Bahamian guide, talk to a lodge owner about the current state of the island and its inhabitants and learn how you can help either from the comfort of your fly tying station or with a click on the ol' gram. Many thanks to Rob Neher of East End Lodge, Our Spokane, Washington Correspondent Josh Mill, as well as Scott Fly Rods & Yellow Dog Fly Fishing Adventures for making this episode possible. For more information on where to donate, visit www.drakemag.com