WFS 368 – Silver Creek Outfitters with Bret Bishop – Team USA, Dry Dropper, Big Wood

Show Notes: wetflyswing.com/368

Presented By: Range Meal Bars, Stonefly Nets, Zoe Angling Group, Jackson Hole Fly Company

Sponsors: wetflyswing.com/sponsors

Bret Bishop tells the story of how he got into the Team USA and who his mentor was early on that made his and the team’s dreams come true. He shares how the team sets up their euro rigs while in competition and their mission to win gold in several competitions.

He also takes us fishing in Europe, his home waters, and talks about his favorite gears, brands, and some tips on dry droppers.

Listen to this episode to discover more tips and tricks from none other than Bret Bishop – 2006 Individual National Champion and current Captain of the Team USA. 

Silver Creek Outfitter Show Notes with Bret Bishop

3:13 – Bret Bishop talks about how he got into fly fishing. His parents wanted him and his brother to be self-sufficient anglers.

3:51 – For years in the summertime, his family would travel around and spend three months living in a VW bus and going trout fishing and camping.

4:17 – They ended up living in Sun Valley, Idaho which is where Silver Creek is. His parents were into spring creeks, so everywhere they went they would go and fish the spring creek.

5:42 – Bret talks about how their father taught them how to be self-sufficient anglers.

6:24 – He also learned fly fishing and the actual casting through attending classes.

7:30 – He shares how different is Silver Creek now than it was in the ’80s.

10:06 – He tells about how the Fly Fishing Team USA started. About 2003, his friend Pete Erickson, who we interviewed for episode 118, got into the team early. There was a lot of history before Bret joined the team.

11:36 – He got involved in the team when he was invited out to Bend, Oregon along with other guys to try out. He fished well enough that he made it to what they called the development team.

13:11 – In 2006, they had the first Fly Fishing National Champion in Boulder, Colorado.

15:20 – He shares why the team struggled during practice in Portugal in 2006 and why that made Portugal kind of a tough introduction to the world of European fly fishing.

16:37 – He talks about what makes fishing in Europe different.

19:26 – He shares the team’s quest to win gold in Italy. He also mentions one person who has been the backbone of the team in terms of financial support and making their dreams come true.

21:50 – He clarifies the difference among the Masters Team, Senior Team, and Youth Team.

22:31 – I ask what would it be like to have the Masters Team compete with the Senior Team.

24:36 – He emphasizes how important it is to work well together as a team and have great team chemistry and guide.

26:49 – Bret encourages people, especially the best anglers, to get a guide saing time trying to find the water they need to fish and learn some inside knowledge on techniques.

27:52 – I ask about the percentage of time that he uses certain techniques such as euro nymphing, dry fly, dry dropper, and streamers.

31:41 – Bret shares how euro nymphing started and became popular.

33:18 – He talks about how their current style of nymphing is different from what it was 10 years ago.

36:30 – He shares his setup and current favorite gears. His current choice of rod is the Echo Shadow X 10’6″ 3wt rod which he says is really light and just the right balance for everything.

37:10 – When he’s guiding, he uses a level line that’s a little stiffer such as those from Cortland and Umpqua. He currently uses the Cortland White Mono Line (.009″/8 LB) which he says works really well for guiding.

41:27 – He shares more about their practice and setup for a competition.

44:50 – He mentions some of their great guides who helped them win competitions through their techniques and fly patterns.

46:52 – He explains his process of how he goes through switching flies with a euro setup.

50:41 – Bret talks about fishing in his home water that is Silver Creek.

52:32 – He explains the big difference between a tailwater and a spring creek.

56:40 – Bret shares the best months to fish in Silver Creek.

58:34 – He mentions the other rivers and streams that he frequents to fish.

1:05:20 – He provides some tips on using a dry dropper saying it’s a matter of keeping your setup simple.

1:09:50 – He says the hardest thing to learn is how to cast a euro dry dropper and provides some tips for it.

1:13:52 – He mentions his favorite tools to use in fishing in his home waters.

1:17:33 – He encourages young anglers to be well-rounded and learn casting besides euro nymphing.

1:18:27 – He shares the most difficult type of fishing to teach.

1:19:48 – He mentions the upcoming events for Team USA as well as the women’s team wherein Tess Weigand is also a part. We interviewed her in episode 364.

Show Notes: wetflyswing.com/368