Episode 97 Featuring Matt Carara--Sitka Gear Apparel Product Line Manager Leader

To me, a Winston fly rod in the hand just feels right.  And it is the pinnacle of fly rod quality and purpose. In this episode of Fin And Fire With Jeff Mishler, Andy Wunsch, President and General Manager for Winston and Bauer breaks down both brands and discusses how Bauer Reels are designed and integrated into the legacy of Winston Fly Rods. 

The Best Fly Fishing Is Everywhere is a new book of short stories by Jesse Lance Robbins addressing the "why" of our fishing passion.  In this episode, Jesse and I sit down in a co-op workspace in Springfield, Oregon, share beers and a bunch of personal experiences from our separate lives of discovery on the water. 

In this episode of Fin And Fire With Jeff Mishler, Elk Calling Champion Tony Gilbertson and I wrap up our conversation about calling and hunting elk. This must-listen conversation is a great primer for any archery elk hunter getting ready for the season.  

Just in time for elk season, Tony Gilbertson and I spend an afternoon sharing elk hunting stories and calling techniques. As a pro staffer for Phelps Game Calls, he discusses the equipment he has designed and uses on his path to victory.  This conversation is broken into two parts. 

If you own any Sitka Gear, you know it's incredibly well designed and very durable.  In this episode of Fin And Fire With Jeff Mishler, I chat with Matt Carara at the Sitka facility in Bozeman, Montana.  We tell some hunting and fishing stories, and in the process, define what makes Sitka Gear an industry powerhouse. 

Simms waders and fly fishing go together like peanut butter and jelly.  In this episode of Fin And Fire With Jeff Mishler, I sit with Kyle Dresser at the Simms facility near Bozeman, Montana after taking a tour of the factory and discuss Gore-tex wader production and what it takes to maintain the Simms brand and product supply.

Rich Hohne has worked in the fly fishing business for over 30 years.  In that time, he has worked for the largest names in the industry. In this episode of Fin And Fire With Jeff Mishler, I sit down with Rich at his office in the Skwala Fishing headquarters in Bozeman, Montana and talk about what makes Skwala products exceptional.

Jayson Hayes builds beautiful boats.  Wood boats. One at a time.  In this episode of Fin And Fire With Jeff Mishler, Jayson and I sit in his shop and discuss his motivations and inspirations behind the effort to build custom boats for customers who understand the pleasures of fishing from a true Mckenzie boat handmade in the land of its origins.

It takes a full-on commitment to sink your roots into one place, one river, one purpose when you chose to be a fly fishing guide.  Jim Sens fell in love with the McKenzie River the moment he laid eyes on it.  In this episode of Fin And Fire With Jeff Mishler, Jim and I share our experiences of working on the river and he fill is the gaps with stories of a country life surrounded by the beauty of the Oregon Cascades. 

Bob Hodson left Southern California at age 19.  He took a caretaker job at a remote hunting lodge, surrounded by the wildness of a 1970's Alaska. In this episode of Fin And Fire With Jeff Mishler, Bob and I discuss his well lived life while maintaining a solid family unit and the endless pursuit of critters with a fly rod.