Adventure Guides: Fishing Edition features the world's most colorful fly, salt and bass fishing guides in a fast-paced "reality TV" format. Host John Dietsch travels the globe and goes behind-the-scenes of outfitters, lodges and fly shops. As we learn about the waters these guides fish and the techniques they use, we also get insight into the trials and tribulations of the guiding lifestyle as well as the rewards of living life every day close to the fisheries they love and protect.
Episode 1
Redding, California: The Odd Couple
Odd couple "Dirty" Ernie Denison, and Lonnie "Redneck" Boles are good friends and the two most requested fly-fishing guides out of The Fly Shop in Redding California, home to some of the West's best rivers for Steelhead. In this Episode of "Adventure Guides: Fly Fishing Edition," host John Dietsch, who doubled for actor Brad Pitt in the famous fly fishing film A River Runs Through It, instigates a friendly competition to see which guide can put their clients onto the most fish. We will also see how spending 300-plus days on the water takes its toll on the life of these dedicated Steelhead guides.
Episode 2
Aspen, Colorado: Public vs. Private
Join us as we catch some hefty Rainbows and Browns on the Frying Pan and Roaring Fork Rivers near Aspen Colorado and look into the issues of private versus public water. In this Episode of Adventure Guides: Fly Fishing Edition host John Diestch takes us downstream of Aspen, Colorado to the Taylor Creek Fly Shop. We meet the shop's top guide Kyle Holt, and rookie guide Natalie Markuson. As rookie Natalie has to contend with clients who question her credibility as a female guide, Kyle battles a turf war with former head guide Bart Chandler. Chandler now guides high paying clients on a private stretch of the Frying Pan River that locals refer to as "Bart's World" that is off-limits to the public as well as Taylor Creek Guides.
Episode 3
Key West, Florida: In the Key of She
Sue Talbot and her boyfriend Brett Novik who are itinerant guides in Key West Florida. Like angler Ernest Hemingway before them, Sue and Brett spend half the year in Idaho and the other half in Key West, poling the flats for tarpon, permit and bonefish. Sue is only one of two female guides in the Keys. In this episode of "Adventure Guides: Fly Fishing Edition," host John Dietsch joins Sue on the flats as she shows us how a little girl from Idaho Falls packs a mighty punch on the flats even when she faces stiff competition from the local guides. Dietsch also explores what it is like to be a couple in the guiding world, as well as the attitudes of born-and-raised local guides who are wary of outsiders.
Episode 4
Cotter, Arkansas: The Dammed
John Wilson, Clint Wilkinson, and Lori Sloas are fly fishing guides on the White River in Arkansas. The White River is known for producing World Record brown trout, but it's also known for its difficulty and danger, due to the unpredictable nature of the hydroelectric dam that regulates the flow of water. In many ways this unpredictable flow mirrors the lives of these fishing guides who have endured personal hardship and physical danger to become some of the region's leading guides in their discipline. In this Episode of "Adventure Guides: Fly Fishing Edition," host John Diestch follows John, Clint and Lori as they get their clients into trophy fish, and reflect on how the river shapes each of their lives.
Episode 5
East Cape, Baja, Mexico: Fish Out of Water
In this Episode of Adventure Guides: Fly Fishing Edition we go fishing with "Big Jeff" Solis and "Little Jeff" deBrown, guides in East Cape, Baja, Mexico who get into Striped Marlin on the fly as well as Rooster Fish, Dorado, and feisty Ladyfish. Host John Diestch joins the two Jeffs with their filmmaker friends, Chris and Justin, who are fishing the tropical salt for the first time. The fishing heats up and so does the competition! You have to see it to believe it as one team gets a double striped-marlin hook-up on the fly, but can they land both fish?
Episode 6
The Guiding Life: Best of Adventure Guides
In this episode of "Adventure Guides: Fly Fishing Edition" host John Dietsch visits his favorite fly fishing guides. Guide Sue Talbot nails Permit, Tarpon, and Barracuda on the flats near Key West Florida. John Wilson, who guides year round on the White River in Arkansas, targets the largest brown trout on the planet. Jeff DeBrown and his guide buddy Jeff Solace get a double hook up on Striped Marlin and catch a beautiful Dorado with their clients. Dietsch also travels to Redding California to fish with Lonnie Bols and Ernie Dennison, the "odd couple" of fly fishing, for some feisty Steelhead. Join us on this incredible compilation of the Best of Adventure Guides: Fly Fishing Edition.
Episode 7
"San Diego: Bass and Makos"
On this episode of "Adventure Guides: Fishing Edition," host John Dietsch travels to San Diego to fly fish for massive mako sharks with guide Conway Bowman. When these monsters get near the boat, they're hunting you more than the other way around! Meanwhile, pioneer kayak fishing guide Jim Sammons and friend Matt Moyer take a day off for some urban fishing in the San Diego Bay. They'll catch dozens of spotted bay and sand bass in a morning of fishing with plastics.
Episode 8
"Mag Bay, Mexico: Saltwater Species"
This episode highlights the amazing fly and conventional fishing available in the rustic Baja California Sur, Mexico. Host John Dietsch joins owner of Mag Bay outfitters, Bob Hoyt, conventional guide, Harvey Tucker, and fly guide Jeff deBrown in search of the best fishing this region has to offer. John and the Mag Bay guides will catch smaller bait fish in the inland waterways of the esteros, go sight casting for marlin on the fly, and finish their trip by trolling for trophy grouper, dorado and yellowfin tuna on a long range boat. The episode also addresses the issues of commercial fishing in the area, and the need for an increase in responsible harvesting.
Episode 9
"King Salmon Alaska: Trout and Char"
This episode highlights the amazing fly-fishing available in King Salmon, Alaska. We join professional guide and owner of Blue Fly Guide Service, Patricia Edel, her father Rick Edel, and guides Will Cranz to fly fish for trophy rainbow trout, char and grayling. They take us out on their home waters of the Naknek River, followed by the Brooks Falls, and lastly they take a bush plane out to search for salmon run in the Ugashik Narrows. This episode showcases the beautiful Alaskan wilderness, the local brown bear population, and includes several amazing fishing sequences in which the Blue Fly crew bring in the record size trout famous to this region.
Episode 10
"Southern California: Blue Sharks and Yellowtail"
This episode highlights two different types of saltwater fishing available off the coast of Southern California. First up, host John Dietsch takes his son John Jr. out in a yacht from Marina Del Rey to fish for blue and mako sharks. Joining them is trophy winning guide and captain, Dave Kirby, and CEO of Golden Coast Charters, Steve Gambale. Trying out the methodologies of both fly and conventional fishing, everyone on board gets to pull in a shark. John also gets to pass down his love of fishing and the ocean to his son as John Jr. catches his first shark ever.
Next we head out with the sport fishing charter boat the Sea Adventure 80. On an overnight trip out of San Diego down into Mexican, captain Terry Clayton and the crew of the Sea Adventure 80 take over 25 clients to fish for yellowtail, albacore, and skip jack tuna on conventional gear. Fishermen both young and old learn new techniques and have a successful day of pulling in over 100 fish.
Episode 11
"Western States: Trout and Steelhead"
This episode explores two different types of fly-fishing found on the west coast. First up, host John Dietsch visits Crowley Lake in the Eastern Sierra to go nymphing for trout. Celebrated guide Harry Blackburn teaches John a very technical and effective technique pioneered by Harry himself called static midging.
Next we head to Maupin, Oregon to fish on the Deschutes River with spey casting god and top guide, Travis Johnson. Host John Dietsch and professional photographer Pete Belknap learn to spey cast on this broad river, in pursuit of the elusive and prized steelhead.
Episode 12
"Behind the Scenes: Salt and Fly"
On this episode of "Adventure Guides: Fishing Edition," we visit with four fishermen who have dedicated their lives to teaching anglers about the waters they love. First we head to Aspen, Colorado to sight cast for trout with top guide Mike Haas. Next we travel to San Diego to fish aboard The Sea Adventure 80 and get a behind the scenes look at running this legendary charter boat with Captain Terry Clayton. Our third stop is in Paradise Valley, Montana to visit an annual Orvis event at Depuy's Spring Creek and to meet with passionate fisherman, conservationist, and Vice Chairman of Orvis, Dave Perkins. Last up, we pay a visit to Captain Cary Dodson on his high-end charter boat The Success in Baja, Mexico.
Episode 13
"Turneffe Flats, Belize, Permit and Bonefish"
On this episode of "Adventure Guides: Fishing Edition," host John Dietsch heads south to the Central American nation of Belize to fly fish for permit and bonefish on the Turneffe flats. John will team up with his fishing buddy Ed, as well as two of the best local guides in the region, Dubs and Eddie, for a glimpse at the guiding life on this beautiful coral atoll in the Caribbean… and for a once and a lifetime experience of catching a permit on the fly.
