More Than a Grip and Grin and Wade Fishing the Puget Sound with Dave McCoy (Ep. 193)

Wipe the slate clean when you show up to a new fishery and take each fishery for exactly what it is.
Dave McCoy

In this episode we WadeOutThere with Dave McCoy, from Seattle, Washington. Dave grew up in Oregon, in a family of fly fishers. From both parents, to grandparents, to great uncles. Fly fishing was not just family vacations, it was a way of life.

After fishing the storied watersheds of his home state, Dave left home for Colorado, where he worked as a ski race coach. In need of a summer job, Dave put his knowledge of the river and rowing to use as a fly fishing guide. While guiding, Dave discovered photography as a way to share memories with clients and enhance their experience.

In 1999 Dave moved to Seattle and started Emerald Waters Anglers, a guide service and fly shop committed to the principles of sustainability and welcomeness that Dave carried with him from his initial experiences in Colorado.

We discuss:

Storytelling your day on the water through five thoughtful photographs
Tactics for reading water and catching sea run cutthroat
Reading water on the beaches of the Puget Sound
The importance of being nimble
Vulnerability
How many beaches you should be fishing
When you should be fishing the sound
Maximizing our time on the water in West Seattle

My conversation with Dave revealed to me the thoughtfulness that is possible to take into fly fishing and our approach to everyday parts of the experience. Dave’s idea of telling the day on the water in five photographs is an exercise in being deliberate. I tried it the other day and it was beautiful. Things slow down. I saw more of the river than I had before. I took more away than I would have otherwise. My photographs were not inspiring, but the experience was.

You can listen to the show on the podcast player below or anywhere that you enjoy podcasts. I hope this conversation shapes your experience fly fishing, int the way it did mine. And I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I enjoyed speaking with Dave.

VR,
Jason