In this episode John and Nick kick off The Deep Wade with a discussion about their background in science, fishing, and conservation, and what makes different species of salmon, trout, and char stand out from one another. They take a deep dive into each species' strengths and how those evolutionary traits undergird their success in Nature -- such as diversity in steelhead, large body size in Chinook salmon, and body shape and swimming capacity in coho salmon. John and Nick close it out with some interesting observations on bull trout, such as why they are classified as "gorgers" and how such behavior might influence the long held adage that brown trout are more difficult to catch because they are "smarter" than other species. Tune in for this, and more, to better understand your favorite fish and why their traits are important to fishing and conservation.

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In this episode John and Nick discuss whether they set the hook when swinging flies for steelhead and why. There are many facets to hooking and landing steelhead, and setting the hook is one of the more divisive topics. They both agree, however, that they almost always set the hook. They take a deep dive into why they share the same strategy, and as John notes, based on his data from hooking over 2,000 steelhead, the data suggests a clear result: He lands more fish when he sets the hook than when he doesn't. And it's not even close. Tune in and learn more about swinging flies for steelhead and how to improve your success as an angler.

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This is a repeat episode from John's Barbless podcast back in 2020.

Original description: In this episode, John breaks down the remarkable life history diversity of steelhead, including the benefits of rainbow trout, using very simple language to expand upon a very complex topic. His analogies and metaphors, such as what Danny DeVito, Ah'nold, and the Mountain have in common with O. mykiss, offer a unique glimpse into the attributes that make steelhead stand apart from so many other Pacific salmonids. Tune in for some humor and knowledge about his favorite fish.

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