The Podcast of Adventure Angling with Host Jim Klug

In this April 2020 episode of WAYPOINTS, host Jim Klug and his two guests discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 virus and the world-wide shutdown on fly fishing travel, the international network of lodges, guides and outfitters, and on the fly fishing industry as a whole. Jim is joined on the show by Ben Bulis (president of the American Fly Fishing Trade Association) and Bryan Gregson (legendary fishing photographer and world traveler) for a very open discussion about how this situation has and will change the world of destination angling. Discussions revolve around what businesses and fly fishing operations are doing to survive as well as how lodges, agents and traveling anglers are handling things and behaving. We all know that fly fishing is a small sport and a relatively small industry. But – most of all – it is a small community. The show also highlights some of the things that anglers can be doing to help ensure that the network and infrastructure of lodges and outfitters we all depend on will survive for the future.

Ben Bulis
Ben is president of the American Fly Fishing Trade Association – better known as AFFTA.  Ben has been the President and CEO of AFFTA since the spring of 2012, and under his leadership, the association has grown to record levels. A native of New Hampshire, Ben now lives in Bozeman, Montana with his family.

Bryan Gregson
Bryan is a well-known fishing photographer and world traveler. Also based in Bozeman, Bryan travels the globe working on assignments in some of the most remote corners of the planet. Known for his unique vision and storytelling abilities, Bryan is the humbled recipient of numerous awards and his work has been featured in publications and ad campaigns for Patagonia, Volvo, Nat Geo, Yellow Dog, 3M, The Drake and countless other magazines, ads and film projects.

Since COVID-19 first appeared in Wuhan, China in December of 2019, the effects on this new coronavirus on global economies and the travel industry have been dramatic. Many of those that travel the world to fish want to know how this event is actually impacting travel logistics, our ability to fish, and the destinations we love so much. To address this situation, we’ve sat down with Gary Leinen and Kimberly Franke – two people who are experts in their fields.

Gary’s impressive career in the public health sector includes 30 years of global USAID epidemiology work related to disease outbreaks throughout Africa and the Philippines. Gary is also a member of the Global Health Council and, in our view, one of the top authorities to discuss the current COVID-19 issue. In the first part of this episode, Gary helps us gain clarity on the current state of global travel and how this event may impact near-future access to the destinations we love. In part two of this episode, Kimberly Franke – the founder and owner of Kanna Travel – talks us through the realities of travel insurance and how the current situation is impacting and changing trip coverage policies. Whether planning a trip for the future or traveling to fish in the weeks or months ahead, this is an episode that you will not want to miss.

With over forty years of fly fishing the world, Jeff Currier has quite possibly fished more countries (60 and counting) and caught more species (over 400 and counting) with a fly rod than any person alive. Jeff is constantly traveling and developing new techniques for catching the most exotic fish imaginable in places where even the most avid adventurers are at times hesitant to go! As an active lecturer, published author, accomplished artist, IGFA World Record holder, and the subject of numerous films, articles, and media projects, Jeff is a fly fishing personality that is as entertaining and educational as he is legitimate. He is an incredibly reliable source of information and inspiration, the most senior member of the Yellow Dog Ambassador team, and a close friend. And while Jeff can boast one of the most impressive resumes around, he remains one of the most authentic and humble people in the industry – always willing to take his accomplishments one step further by passing on what he has learned. Kicking-off Season 2 of Waypoints is an episode that scratches the surface of a life deeply devoted to fly fishing the world: a sit-down that is packed with numerous tips and great fishing stories from around the world.

Episode 20 – WILL BLAIR: Fly Fishing the Legendary Waters of Kamchatka

Will Blair is one of the godfathers of fly fishing in Kamchatka. Since 1997, Will has helped pioneer some of the top fisheries on the Kamchatka Peninsula, developing and offering what is arguably one of the best rainbow trout fishing experiences found anywhere on the planet…Read More

Episode 19 – JIM BARTSCHI: An Industry Icon Talks Fly Rod Design, Travel and the State of Destination Angling

Jim Bartschi is the President and head rod designer at Scott Fly Rods in Montrose, Colorado. With close to 30 years at Scott, Jim has devoted his entire career to the fly fishing industry – building and testing some of the finest rods in the world…Read More

Episode 18 – CHARLIE CONN: Taimen Fishing and the Draw of Mongolia

This episode of Waypoints features Charlie Conn, an accomplished international angler, explorer, guide and conservationist. After graduating from Gustavus Adolphus College, in St. Peter, Minnesota (1994) with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Charlie moved to Livingston, Montana to work for Dan Bailey’s Fly Shop…Read More

Episode 17 – MARCELO PÉREZ: Bolivian Golden Dorado and a Life of Adventure

Writer, architect, explorer, and founder of Untamed Angling are only a few of the titles held by Argentinian dorado aficionado, Marcelo Pérez…Read More

Episode 16 – TOM BIE: Travel Writing and the State of Fly Fishing Media

Tom Bie is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of The Drake Magazine, fly fishing’s grassroots journal that over the past 22 years has become a powerhouse in the industry…Read More

Episode 15 – NICK BOWLES: Fly Fishing the Desert – Queenfishing in the UAE

Acrobatic queenfish, manmade reefs, massive skyscrapers, and indoor ski areas are only a few of the things that make Dubai one of the most unusual destinations in the world of fly fishing…Read More

Episode 14 – KEITH CLOVER AND ROB SCOTT: Pioneering African Waters

Since 2004, South Africans Rob Scott and Keith Clover have been pioneering some of the most exciting fishing opportunities in Africa, opening and establishing fisheries in Tanzania, Cameroon, Gabon, Lesotho, Sudan and of course South Africa…Read More

Episode 13 – TUCKER LADD: Gear and Equipment for the Traveling Angler

Tucker Ladd is the owner of Trouts Fly Fishing, a Denver, Colorado-based fly shop and outfitting service. Tucker has spent his entire professional career in the fly fishing industry, where he has worked as a fishing guide, fly shop employee, and now a shop owner with two locations…Read More

Episode 12 – ALEC GERBEC: Understanding and Explaining Tides for the Saltwater Angler

Alec Gerbec has guided for years in some of the world’s finest fresh and saltwater destinations. He spent eight years working in Bristol Bay, Alaska at Enchanted Lake Lodge and four years guiding in the Seychelles – one of the most tide-dependent fisheries in all of fly fishing…Read More

Episode 11 – ARNO MATTHEE: South African Angling Legend

Arno Matthee is an absolute legend in the world of adventure angling and exploratory travel. He grew up in South Africa, where he cut his teeth on yellowfish before heading to the outer atolls of the Seychelles when that fishery was still very much in its infancy…Read More

Episode 10 – Checking in on Abaco and Grand Bahama – October 2019 Updates Post Hurricane Dorian

On the first two days of September 2019, Hurricane Dorian – a Category 5 storm – hit the Bahamian islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama. For two days, the islands were pummeled by sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, with maximum gusts in excess of 220…Read More

Episode 9 – KIMBERLY FRANKE: Trip Insurance and Evac Coverage for the Traveling Angler – Deciphering the Ins-and-Outs

Kimberly Franke is the founder and principal for Kanna Travel Services, a Montana-based, full-service travel agency that specializes in trip logistics, flight ticketing and insurance solutions for adventure and sporting travel…Read More

Episode 8 – Wil Flack: Feeding Permit–Tips and Techniques for Chasing the Black-Tailed Devil

Permit and steelhead addict Wil Flack have been living, guiding and working in Belize for close to 20 years. Wil owns Tres Pescados Fly Shop on Ambergris Caye as well as the Belize Permit Club further to the south in Hopkins, Belize…Read More

Episode 7 – Shaun Lawson: The Realities of Fly Fishing in Mexico

Shaun Lawson is Yellow Dog’s program manager and director for our Yucatán, Baja, and Canadian programs. Shaun grew up on the Henry’s Fork River – literally…Read More

Episode 6 – DEVAN VAN DER MERWE: Fly Fishing Throughout the Seychelles

Devan Van Der Merwe is the general manager for Alphonse Fishing Company in the Seychelles. With more than a decade of guiding and working in the Seychelles, he knows the region and the out-island fisheries as well as anyone alive…Read More

Episode 5 – JAKE WELLS: Planning the Perfect Trip to Montana

Based in Bozeman, Montana, Jake Wells is Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures’ program director for all U.S. West programs, including the largest of those offerings – Montana…Read More

Episode 4 – BRYAN GREGSON: Photography Tips and Tricks For the Traveling Angler

Professional photographer Bryan Gregson has established an incredible reputation in the world of fly fishing as one of the most accomplished and well-traveled angling photographers in the world…Read More

Episode 3 – CAMILLE EGDORF: Alaska Trip Planning and How To Do It Right

Camille Egdorf is a Montana native who grew up splitting time between her home in Hardin, Montana, and her parents fishing camp in the Bristol Bay region of Alaska…Read More

Episode 2 – MIKE TAYLOE: What To Do When the Shit Hits the Fan – Straightforward, No-Nonsense Advice and the Emergency Action Plan For the Traveling Angler

Mike Tayloe is the co-owner and Director of Operations for Finns West, a unique company in the fly fishing industry that provides Wilderness First Aid courses and Emergency Action Plan development for fly fishing lodges, outfitters, guides and staff…Read More

Episode 1 – BRIAN O’KEEFE: The Dos Equis-Man of Fly Fishing Discusses A Life of Fishing Adventure

Fly fishing legend and industry veteran Brian O’Keefe has traveled to some of the wildest and most remote angling destinations in the world, including Sierra Leone, Tonga, Bikini Atoll, the Seychelles, Kenya, Cuba, Kashmir, Nicaragua, Venezuela and more…Read More

Introducing WAYPOINTS Overview – With Jim Klug

Founder and Director of Operations for Bozeman, Montana-based Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures (www.yellowdogflyfishing.com), Jim began working in the fly fishing industry at the age of 14…Read More