WFS 316 – Victor Babbitt on Tahoe Fly Fishing and the Missouri River

Show Notes: wetflyswing.com/316

Presented By: Reyr Gear, Jackson Hole Fly Company, LakeLady Custom Rods, Trxstle

Sponsors: wetflyswing.com/sponsors

Victor Babbitt takes us into the Tahoe area and then over his new gig in Missouri. We talk about Carson Lake, Pyramid Lake, Walker Lake, and Tahoe Lake – how they’re all connected to each other and the ocean. Find out how Tahoe fly fishing used to be back in the day and how it is different now with the people and tourism. Victor tells us why he sold the fly shop, Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters, and why he bought 14 acres of land by the river in Missouri. Victor also tells us about his fly fishing hero, Mel Krieger, and what it was like to sit at the same table with Lefty Kreh.

Tahoe Fly Fishing Show Notes with Victor Babbitt

05:10 – In 1984, Victor moved to Tahoe

07:20 – Victor and his brother opened up Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters in 1994 – after 28 years, they sold the business to Brendan Burnside and John Brassfield

13:00 – After passing the fly shop, Victor had started fishing in the Missouri rivers, Craig and Cascade

15:30 – Victor tells the story of how they bought that 14 acres of land with lodge on the riverside of Missouri

21:00 – Victor’s last couple of years in Tahoe, California, he felt different about the people and tourism there

26:20 – Victor talks about how you can get away from the crowd when fishing Tahoe waters

29:50 – The Truckee River was got dewatered by an extreme drought about 7 years ago but came back to how it used to be – Victor fishes them January

32:45 – He’s got a PAC 1300 Outcast Boat

36:00 – Rick Hafeley was on the podcast at WFS 037 where we talked about Entomology and fly fishing

37:30 – Fishing is usually not great 2nd half of November, December, and going to January on the Truckee river – fishing gets good mid-January. We talk about the hatches in different seasons

44:45 – Victor talks about the Carson Lake, Pyramid Lake, Walker Lake, and Tahoe Lake – how they’re all connected to each other and the ocean

47:14 – Victor talks about the Heenan Lake back in the days when they caught 30-inch fish

54:50 – He mentions some fly shops in Missouri – Headhunters Fly Shop, The Trout Shop, Trout Montana

58:14 – Victor was a chef when he was younger – he studied culinary and restaurant management

1:02:18 – Parachute Adams, Purple Creys, Purple Wolf are his go-to flies

1:06:24 – Mel Krieger was Victor’s fly fishing hero – he did some casting lessons and shows with Mel over the years – scroll below to watch one of his casting videos

1:08:07 – Victor talks about his experience with Lefty Kreh when they used to sit at the same table and listened to his jokes

Tahoe Fly Fishing Conclusion with Victor Babbitt

Victor Babbitt took us into the Tahoe area. We talked about Carson Lake, Pyramid Lake, Walker Lake, and Tahoe Lake. We found out how Tahoe fly fishing used to be back in the days and how different is it there now. Victor told us why he sold the fly shop, Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters, and his plans for the river side land in Missouri that he just bought.

Show Notes: wetflyswing.com/316