Hilary Hutcheson has been a whitewater fly-fishing guide on the Flathead river system in Montana for over 25 years. She is the owner of Lary's Fly & Supply in Columbia Falls, MT. She's an environmental activist, conservationist, producer, director, frequent writer for Fly Fisherman magazine, and is on the board of the American Fly Fishing Trade Association. In this episode, Hilary joins editor Ross Purnell in a cabin in Pennsylvania to discuss why fly fishing for smallmouth bass is accessible to fly fishers across the country and how they can help trout. A rafting-guide at heart, she dives into techniques such as crab crawling and running clean lines through whitewater. She also co-directed the Yeti film "The Tengu Club" which explores a fishing club founded by pre-World War II Japanese-Americans, the devastating effects the internment camps that split their families apart had on them, how they survived afterward, and how the club and this part of American history ties into her heritage and cultural awakening.

Andy Mill is a two-time Olympian, competed in the downhill event in four World Championships, and went on to win 12 major fly-fishing tarpon tournaments as well as a Del Brown Permit tournament title and a Fall Fly Invitational Bonefish Tournament, making him the first person in history to win major tarpon, permit, and bonefish tournaments. He had a celebrity marriage and very public divorce, he was friends with presidents, and he wrote the greatest book about tarpon ever written. He learned to trout fish from Ernest Schwiebert, tied flies with Chuck Fothergill, and went on to become host of "Sportsman's Journal with Andy Mill." He was mentored by Steve Huff, Flip Pallot, and Lefty Kreh, and is widely considered the most successful saltwater angler of all time.

Now, Andy and his son Nicky are the host of the very popular Mill House podcast. Andy took the time to sit down with Fly Fisherman editor Ross Purnell in person in Florida and discuss his life, what he's learned about the dynamics of winning, and his current passions, which include bowhunting for elk in Colorado, golf, and conservation efforts with Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, American Saltwater Guides Association, and Captains for Clean Water.

Look for Andy Mill on the cover of the Aug.-Sep. 2026 issue of Fly Fisherman and the story "The Many Lives of Andy Mill" by author Monte Burke.

Tess Weigand is the captain of the USA Women's Fly Fishing, and individual Gold Medalist, and team Gold Medalist in the FIPS Mouches Women's World Championship. She splits her time between guiding Pennsylvania's Penns Creek and Montana's Yellowstone and Madison rivers along with her Newfoundland dog, Eight, when she's not competing. She deep dives into the intricacies of entomology, how stocking over wild fish in Pennsylvania is detrimental to wild and native fish, the importance of observation, her evolution into fly fishing, and what it takes to win gold in the FIPS Mouche Women's World Championship. The 5th FIPS-Mouche Women's World Championship takes place July 27-August 2, 2026 in Norway. Stay tuned for more coverage and updates.

Ross Purnell sits down with Mayfly Outdoors CEO Jeff Wagner in the Montrose Colorado headquarters for Ross, Abel, Renzetti, Dyna-King, Airflo, and several other brands. They discuss the unsung heroes of fly fishing; the best warmwater fly fishing in Nebraska; being a "fish nerd" installing aquariums; how Cabela's influenced the course of fly fishing; "geeking out" on casting, and learning to cast from Mel Krieger, Tim Rajeff, and Bruce Richards. Jeff reveals how stretchy lines pair best with stiff rods and low-stretch lines work best with more flexible rods, how the $249 Ross Cimarron Creek reel has "open source" pawls you can 3D print at home, how Mayfly manages to anodize reels in Colorado and protect the environment at the same time, the unique artistry behind each Abel reel, giving back to conservation organizations, recycling aluminum, and much more. If you've ever wondered how fly line tapers are like a wizard throwing fireballs, this techy podcast is for you. There's even an Easter egg that reveals brand new Abel artist collab, so don't miss this behind the scenes look at one of the most interesting people in the fly-fishing world.

Born and raised in the upper Midwest, Erik Johnsen's first connection to fishing was with panfish and bass. He found his passion for fly fishing chasing wild and native trout in Wisconsin's Driftless Region. He studied geography and graduated from the University of Wisconsin, which led to him becoming a member of the TroutRoutes team. TroutRoutes is a fly-fishing app that gives anglers a powerful tool backed by onX Maps to find access points, map out your next adventure, download offline maps, and even find specific species to chase with a fly rod. Erik lives in Southwest Wisconsin with his wife Cally, and two sons, Arlo and Frankie, on their homestead property.

Tiki Furimsky is an avid fly fisher and skier from Crested Butte, Colorado. He hails from the legendary Furimsky family. His grandpa, Chuck, started The Fly Fishing Show, and his dad, Ben, is the president and CEO. Tiki and editor Ross Purnell discuss how to get kids into fly fishing, gear for kids, cutthroat trout or brook trout, striped bass on the fly, and why the shows are great for learning. From shredding the ski slopes to fly fishing the Salmonfly hatch, Tiki and friends are on the water and becoming the next generation of fly fishers and conservationists.

Shawn Combs got started as fly fisher in Kentucky, got a degree in mechanical engineering, and started with Orvis in 2011. He was the designer of all of Orvis's very successful Helios rods, and was most recently responsible for the development of all of Orvis tackle including waders, reels, boots, and packs. After 15 successful years at Orvis, Combs announced was leaving Vermont to take on a new role as vice president of Scott. We had the chance to sit down with Shawn in the Montrose, Colorado, Scott Fly Rods factory to find out what inspired the move, how he feels about his former employer and co-workers, how he will collaborate with Scott President Jim Bartschji, and what the future holds for fly rod design. You won't want to miss this inside look at two of the biggest brands in fly fishing.