Tailwaters Fly Fishing Podcast

Tailwaters Fly Company

A podcast hosted by Tailwaters Fly Company, providing useful advice and insights for fishing East Tennessee Tailwaters and the surrounding area.

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16 episodes
Updated June 13

Episodes16

Newest first

June 13 · 1 hr 57 min
Local Guide Ellis Ward
Join us as we talk with local guide and purveyor of bucktail, Ellis Ward. We’ll be discussing: How Ellis Ended up in East Tennessee How we got connected Streamer Fishing, Night Fishing, and Bug Fishing (sometimes in the same trip) Musky Fishing Long Sales Cycles in Guiding Bucktail Processing Fishing with Ellis Before Starting a Fly Shop Connect with Ellis, book a trip, purchase flies, or look for bucktail drops here: https://www.elliswardflies.com/ Check out why you should buy bucktail instead of processing it yourself here: Bucktail Processing - Deboning and Drying a Deer Tail - Fly Tying, Musky Bucktails, Bucktail Jigs Or follow him on social media: https://www.instagram.com/elliswardguides/ A special thanks to Corey J Smith for the amazing music!
May 27 · 1 hr 23 min
USA Fly Fishing Youth Team Captain Blake Hall
Join us as we talk with Blake Hall. Blake is the Captain of the USA Fly Fishing Youth Team and will be competing at the world championships in Ireland this July. When he’s not competing or in class, you might see Blake guiding on our local waters. Tonight we’ll be discussing: How Blake got into flyfishing and competitive flyfishing Making the USA Fly Fishing Youth Team Competing in three World Championships and key flies and tactics Blake’s preparation for major tournaments Guiding our local tailwaters (especially the South Holston) Confidence flies and key pieces of gear Applying lessons from competitive flyfishing to our local waters Support Blake on his trip to Ireland here: https://gofund.me/7220e7b6c Or follow them on social media: https://www.instagram.com/holston_native/ A special thanks to Corey J Smith for the amazing music!
April 18 · 1 hr 5 min
Local Guide Justin Shroyer & Trophy Water Guide Service
Join us as we talk with local guide and Founder of Trophy Water Guide Service, Justin Shroyer. We’ll be discussing: Growing up in a fishy family Applying an Environmental Biology & Ecology Degree from App State East Tennessee fly fishing history and Appalachian Angler River etiquette then and now Changes to our tailwater fisheries over the last 20 years The switch from rafts to hard boats Figuring out “The Low Water Game” on the South Holston Establishing Trophy Water Guide Service and holding to a high standard Losing a shop to Hurricane Helene and working through the other side Balancing a career in guiding with having a family Connect with Justin and Trophy Water Guide Service here: https://trophywaterguideservice.com/ Or follow them on social media: https://www.instagram.com/trophyguides/ A special thanks to Corey J Smith for the amazing music!
March 18 · 1 hr 31 min
Local Guide: Galen Kipar & Asheville Fly Fishing Company
Join us tonight as we talk with guide, and owner of Asheville Fly Fishing Company, Galen Kipar as we discuss: How Galen got into flyfishing and guiding in this part of the world His background in music and throughlines into flyfishing and guiding Making it through Helene as a small business owner Galen’s work with the Blue Ridge Guide Association and other conservation oriented groups Galen’s forays into farming Catching big fish on terrestrials Connect with Galen or follow him on social media here: https://www.ashevilleflyfishingco.com/ https://www.instagram.com/ashevilleflyfishingco/ Find the Galen Kipar Project, where you can listen to “Rushing Over My Bones” here: https://www.reverbnation.com/galenkiparproject/songs A special thanks to Corey J Smith AND Galen Kipar for the amazing music!
February 11 · 1 hr 37 min
Local Guide Korey Hartley & Appalachian Outdoors
Join us as we talk with local guide and owner of Appalachian Outdoors, Korey Hartley, as we discuss: How he got into fly fishing and fly tying His early trips to the South Holston Transitioning from a hectic corporate job to guiding What some of those early trips were like Some memorable moments on the South Holston and Watauga Appalachian Outdoors and everything you wanted to know about his tungsten beads, including How important good milling is to maximize sink rate Rigorous product testing Hot bead colors and sizes All of the effort that goes into sourcing top quality beads and getting them to you at reasonable prices Connect with Korey or follow him on social media here: https://www.appoutdoorsco.com/ https://www.instagram.com/appoutdoors/ Check us out and buy Korey’s beads at https://tailwatersflyco.com/ A special thanks to Corey J Smith for the amazing music!
Dec 24, 2025 · 1 hr 33 min
Tailwaters Wrapped
Join us tonight as John and Mandy talk about: Our most recent South Holston and Watauga River fishing report How we’re doing New faces in the shop Tailwaters Fly Company hard and fast rules Tying events Trying to fill fly bins thoughtfully What’s cool in the shop Classes Needing help with content production! Check us out at https://tailwatersflyco.com/ Before you step in the shop, check out the Corey J Smith and Braydon Wilhoit’s Instagram pages A special thanks to Corey J Smith for the amazing music!
Nov 26, 2025 · 1 hr 2 min
Local Guide Matthew Guinn
Join us tonight as we talk with local guide Matthew Guinn as we discuss: Diving into flyfishing and learning on your own in East Tennessee Battling with addiction and coming out the other side Tying over 20,000 flies in a year Tips for fishing the Sulphur hatch on the South Holston Reading clients and putting them at ease Fishing opportunities that complement our tailwater trout in East Tennessee Catching a 30lb striper on a 5 weight Connect with Matthew or follow him on social media here: https://bristolanglers.com/ https://www.instagram.com/bristol_agnelrs_llc/ Read the Garden & Gun Article here: “The Other Montana” Check us out at https://tailwatersflyco.com/ A special thanks to Corey J Smith for the amazing music!
Oct 17, 2025 · 1 hr 3 min
Local Guide John Stunkard
Join us tonight as we talk with local guide John Stunkard as we discuss: Current fishing conditions on the South Holston and Watauga Rivers What it takes to become a guide Saving up for a drift boat one fly at a time What those first few trips are really like Using humor to provide clients with feedback Tying flies as part of the daily routine Connect with John or follow him on social media here: https://southholstonangler.com/ https://www.instagram.com/stunkardguides/ Check us out at https://tailwatersflyco.com/ A special thanks to Corey J Smith for the amazing music!
Sep 29, 2025 · 1 hr 22 min
Inside Guiding: Behind the Scenes
Join us today as we talk with local guides Drayton Moore, Braydon Wilhoit, and Corey J Smith about all the small details that go into a successful day on the water for their clients on the South Holston and Watauga Rivers. We’ll discuss: How have the South Holston and Watauga been fishing? How many flies is it common to lose on a day out on the water? What are some of the major costs for guides behind the scenes? Should you tip extra if you break a rod? Is it normal to hook your guide? Guide sunburns What can you do to be a good client? Some of our guests’ best guiding memories from the year We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed getting together and having this discussion. Check Out Our Guests Tonight: Drayton Moore https://www.instagram.com/draytonmoore_flyfishing/ Due South Outfitters (828) 355-9109 https://www.duesouthoutfitters.com/ Braydon Wilhoit https://www.instagram.com/braydon_wilhoit/ South Holston River Lodge (423) 878-3457 https://southholstonriverlodge.com/ Corey J Smith https://www.instagram.com/coreysmit423/ https://www.instagram.com/coreyjsmithmusic/ Trophy Water Guide Service (423) 896-7237 https://trophywaterguideservice.com/ Check us out at https://tailwatersflyco.com/ A special thanks to Corey J Smith (as always) for the amazing music!
Sep 4, 2025 · 1 hr 37 min
Tailwaters Fly Company's 1 Year Anniversary with John & Mandy
Join us today for a special episode as we celebrate our first year of being open! We laugh, talk, and tell stories about: Our most recent trip and fishing report on the South Holston River Why we started Tailwaters Fly Company Finding the perfect place to open a shop What it’s like to fill your house with boxes of fly shop inventory The trout mural on our building Hanging slatwall Hurricane Helene Our favorite aspects of running the fly shop The fact that we have amazing customers Some of our favorite items in the store Ethical considerations of our materials and fly bins Thank-You’s to everyone that has helped to make this happen Check us out at https://tailwatersflyco.com/ A special thanks to Corey J Smith for the amazing music!
Aug 28, 2025 · 1 hr 32 min
Local Legend: Houston Brown
Join us today as we talk with Houston Brown, an East TN native and life-long angler who we at Tailwaters Fly Company consider to be a local legend (even though he’s only 25 years old!). We’ll discuss: Houston’s background and how it shaped his passion for fishing Some of the best and biggest fish Houston has caught on the Watauga and the South Holston The joy of targeting a variety of species Houston’s view on the health of the Watauga post-Hurricane Helene Some exciting personal news for Houston and Whitney And of course, Houston’s famous fish corkboard We hope you enjoy this unique chat with someone who truly loves and respects our local waters and the variety of fish they hold. Follow Houston on social media to keep up with his current fishing adventures… and maybe start your own corkboard… https://www.instagram.com/houston_brown_/ Check us out at https://tailwatersflyco.com/ A special thanks to Corey J Smith for the amazing music!
Jul 30, 2025 · 54 min
Local Guide Clint Waddell
Join us today as we talk with local guide Clint Waddell as we discuss: The most recent South Holston and Watauga River fishing report Clint’s near death experience and how it helped him become a guide Clint’s wheelchair accessible drift boat and his ability to take people fishing with disabilities and mobility issues Some of Clint’s most rewarding client experiences, including catching fish with someone who is blind Clint’s new role on the Blue Ridge Guide Association, and all of the great work that they do Clint’s outlook and what makes spending a day on the water with him special Check out the local news story on Clint and his client “Blind Fisherman Celebrates his First Trout in Tennessee” Follow Clint on social media for some great client shots and reach out to him here: https://www.facebook.com/bluemountainonthefly/ https://www.instagram.com/bluemountainflyfishing/ https://bluemountaintherapy.com/fly-fishing/ Check us out at https://tailwatersflyco.com/ A special thanks to Corey J Smith for the amazing music!
Jul 9, 2025 · 12 min
Prey Detection by a Stepwise Visual Template Matching Mechanism
Join us as we discuss a recent study on trout feeding behavior and size of food. We discuss: The motivation for conducting this study Collecting trout from the South Holston How many cockroaches a trout will eat Trout difficulties in switching between food sizes Potential impacts of biodiversity on trout feeding behavior Check out the research paper “Prey Detection by a Stepwise Visual Template Matching Mechanism” and the accompanying Fly Fisherman Magazine article “Now I See You: How Trout Appetite Shifts from Hatch to Hatch” Check out Tailwaters Fly Company for all you need to tie those little South Holston bugs. A special thanks to Corey J Smith for the amazing music!
Jun 6, 2025 · 20 min
Cicada Madness
Join us for a book review (or endorsement) of Dave Zielinski's "Cicada Madness." Dave brings clarity to an often misunderstood flyfishing opportunity, periodical cicadas. Listen as we talk about: How this Book Helped me Climb the Cicada Learning Curve Highights from Dave's book My Process for Tackling Brood XIV Finding Cicada Success with the Family Grab a copy of Cicada Madness Check us out at https://tailwatersflyco.com/ Or pick up some periodical cicada flies A special thanks to Corey J Smith for the amazing music Follow us on Instagram for more great stuff
May 19, 2025 · 1 hr 21 min
Periodical Cicadas with Caleb Corona
Join us for our discussion with Caleb Corona of Reagle Beagle Fly Fishing Caleb’s East Tennessee Fishing Roots Life Cycle Details Requirements When Buying a Meat Thermometer to Measure Ground Temps Tips on Locating Periodical Cicada Emergences Gear, Flies, and Tactics Useful Periodical Cicada Resource Caleb’s Cicada Patterns and Favorite Materials Contact Caleb at about periodical cicadas, tying, or guide trips at his website: https://regalbeagleflyfish.wixsite.com/regal-beagle-fly-fis ...or find him on Instagram @regal_beagle_flyfishing Check us out at https://tailwatersflyco.com/ It's not too late to pick up a copy of Dave Zielinski's awesome book "Cicada Madness" Check out some of Caleb’s Cicada Flies Find the materials we talk about in the show: Gamakatsu B10s Ahrex SA280 Widow's Web A special thanks to Corey J Smith for the amazing music
May 12, 2025 · 57 min
Periodical Cicadas with Matt Reilly
Sit in on our discussion with Matt Reilly as we talk periodical cicadas. Few fishermen or guides have as much experience chasing the periodical cicada hatch as Matt. Listen as we talk about: Matt's Experience Fishing and Guiding the Periodical Cicada Hatch Life Cycle Basics Tips on Locating Periodical Cicada Emergences Timing Gear, Flies, and Tactics What it Takes to be Successful Fishing this Hatch (hint: sometimes it's multiple oil changes) Useful Periodical Cicada Resources Contact Matt and get on his short list for periodical cicada trips at: https://www.mattreillyflyfishing.com/ Check us out at https://tailwatersflyco.com/ It's not too late to pick up a copy of Dave Zielinki's awesome book "Cicada Madness" Or pick up some periodical cicada flies A special thanks to Corey J Smith for the amazing music

Tailwaters Fly Fishing Podcast

Local Guide Ellis Ward

USA Fly Fishing Youth Team Captain Blake Hall

Local Guide Justin Shroyer & Trophy Water Guide Service

Local Guide: Galen Kipar & Asheville Fly Fishing Company

Local Guide Korey Hartley & Appalachian Outdoors

Tailwaters Wrapped

Local Guide Matthew Guinn

Local Guide John Stunkard

Inside Guiding: Behind the Scenes

Tailwaters Fly Company's 1 Year Anniversary with John & Mandy

Local Legend: Houston Brown

Local Guide Clint Waddell

Prey Detection by a Stepwise Visual Template Matching Mechanism

Cicada Madness

Periodical Cicadas with Caleb Corona

Periodical Cicadas with Matt Reilly