WFS 415 – Mavrk Fly Fishing with Jeff Sasaki – Euro Nymphing, Stinger Reel, Truckee River

Show Notes: wetflyswing.com/415

Presented By: Mavrk Fly Fishing

Sponsors: wetflyswing.com/sponsors

Jeff Sasaki, Designer of Founder of Mavrk Fly Fishing, walks us through his euro nymphing setup today and the physics behind the famous Stinger Micro Reel. We get a bunch of casting tips and talk about what it’s like to fish the Truckee River in California.

We discover how he transitioned from owning a successful cellphone case company to making the lightest fly reel in the world. Jeff also tells us how he fishes dry flies with a euro nymphing rig. Wait… WHAT??? Does that actually work? Listen to this episode to find out!

Show Notes with Jeff Sasaki

04:40 – Casting Tip: You got to get all the slack out of your line even if that means starting out with short casts.

07:00 – We noted the Stinger Micro Reel which is designed specifically for euro nymphing tight line techniques. It weighs about 1.3 ounces.

16:10 – Jeff spent most of his career as a product designer. He started out with transportation design. He became the first Industrial Designer at Fox Racing.

21:00 – Jeff designed an aluminum iPhone case so his dog wouldn’t chew on his phone. He started the company, Element Case and later sold it.

30:00 – He tells the story of how biologists repopulated the Bonneville cutthroat in Idaho and later found them at Pilot Peak in Nevada.

38:30 – Jeff describes how he casts dry flies with a euro nymph rig.

41:45 – Tip: If you want more control of your flies, go with the heavier leaders – 20 to 15 pound. 15 to 12 is a good all around.

58:48 – The Stinger doesn’t work with any other kind of fishing except for euro nymphing.

1:07:45 – Jeff mentioned James Park from Red Truck. He was on the podcast in episode 246.

Show Notes: wetflyswing.com/415