Conversations with experts, guides, and passionate anglers about all things fly fishing. Learn tips, techniques, and stories that bring the sport to life.
TCO Flycast
Claim This Podcastby TCO Fly Shop
5.0(1 reviews)
9 episodes
Updated Daily
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Podcast Overview
Conversations with experts, guides, and passionate anglers about all things fly fishing. Learn tips, techniques, and stories that bring the sport to life.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
1/22/2026
1 verified contact email on file for TCO Flycast
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Recent Episodes
July 9, 2026
PA Smallmouth Bass Spring Recap, Summer Strategy & Gear Talk | TCO Flycast Ep. 9 - Mike Rosa
<p>In this episode of the TCO Flycast, Bill catches back up with Susquehanna River guide Mike Rosa for a full recap of a strange, unpredictable spring — and a look ahead at summer smallmouth strategy. Mike breaks down why this year threw every pattern out the window: a brutal winter freeze, cold water lingering into spring, and fish that wouldn't show up on schedule.</p><p>We dig into how Mike adapted — skipping the tributaries early to chase big fish in the main river, fishing oversized flies slow when nothing else worked, and reading a river that stayed high and off-color for months. From there we get into the summer transition: gear changes, leader tricks, grass and shade structure, and how a guide's daily game plan shifts from sunrise topwater to midday hunting.</p><p>Mike also shares his full rod and line lineup for the Susquehanna, a barrel swivel trick every angler should be using, an update on his guide lodge on the river, and advice for anyone wanting to try smallmouth fishing for the first time. We close out talking about the upcoming Bass Thumb Tournament and why fishing early in the day matters more than people think.</p><p>If you fish the Susquehanna — or want to start — this one's full of real, in-season insight you won't find anywhere else.</p><p>The best way to support this podcast is to choose TCO Fly Shop for all your fly fishing gear needs. Find our online store here:https://www.tcoflyfishing.com/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=flycast_ep9_mike_rosa</p><p>Bass Thumb Fly Fishing Tournament (July 9-11, benefiting Project Healing Waters & Susquehanna Greenways): <a href="https://www.tcoflyfishing.com/products/bass-thumb-fly-fishing-tournament-2026"><u>https://www.tcoflyfishing.com/products/bass-thumb-fly-fishing-tournament-2026</u></a></p><p>Streambred Anglers Website: <a href="https://www.streambredanglers.com/"><u>https://www.streambredanglers.com/</u></a></p><p>Mike’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sba_flyfishing/<br>Chapters:</p><p>00:00 Intro & Recapping the Spring Season</p><p>01:26 A Cold Winter and a Slow, Unpredictable Spring</p><p>02:15 Skipping the Tributaries for the Big Susquehanna</p><p>03:23 A Trout Fishing Detour During High Water</p><p>04:42 The Triple Deceiver: Mike's Dirty Water Go-To</p><p>06:02 Frog Season Starts Early and Never Stops</p><p>07:38 Why a Tough Puzzle Makes Guiding More Fun</p><p>08:34 Pre-Spawn to Post-Spawn: This Year's Timeline</p><p>10:24 Tributaries vs. Main River Right Now</p><p>11:27 Ice-Scarred Trees From a Brutal Winter</p><p>12:34 Slowing Down and Sizing Up in Tough Conditions</p><p>14:09 Gearing Up for the Summer Transition</p><p>15:30 Grass, Shade & Structure: Summer Smallmouth 101</p><p>17:22 A Guide's Daily Game Plan</p><p>18:32 Hammocks, Lunch Breaks, and Island Life</p><p>19:09 Long Leaders for Low, Clear Water</p><p>19:40 The Barrel Swivel Trick Every Angler Should Know</p><p>21:33 Night Fishing on the Susquehanna</p><p>23:17 Previewing the Bass Thumb Tournament</p><p>24:30 Last Year's Tournament: Chasing Big Fish, Not Numbers</p><p>25:12 Sight Fishing vs. Blind Casting Grass Lines</p><p>27:09 Sizing Down Streamers for Summer</p><p>28:13 Retrieve Tricks and the Half & Half</p><p>29:49 Crayfish Colors for Every Water Clarity</p><p>31:11 40+ Floats Later: Lessons From a Wild Spring</p><p>36:02 Sage Rod Lineup for the Susquehanna</p><p>38:58 Fly Lines for Wind and High Water</p><p>41:18 Why an 8-Weight Rules This River</p><p>41:42 An Update on the Guide Lodge</p><p>43:31 Advice for Beginners Trying Smallmouth</p><p>46:05 Creek Fishing Nostalgia</p><p>46:56 Final Words: Beat the Heat, Fish Early </p>
July 3, 2026
Renowned Fly Tyer and 23-Year Army Veteran | TCO Flycast Ep. 8 - Son Tao
<p>Son Tao joins Bill at the TCO Reading shop for a wide ranging conversation about the path that brought him to fly fishing. Son came to the United States as a four year old refugee from Vietnam, served 23 years in the Army with multiple combat deployments, and found his way into fly fishing during his recovery, eventually through Project Healing Waters. He talks about how a single conversation on Hammer Creek planted a seed that took 16 years to grow, how his accidental start on social media turned into one of the most respected voices in fly tying, and why he still walks into a fly shop just to talk to the people behind the counter.</p><p>We get into the engineer and artist behind the vise, his guiding philosophy, what makes Pennsylvania such a humbling fishery, and a closing message for any veteran who might be struggling.</p><p>The best way to support our content is by choosing TCO for all your fly fishing gear. You can find our online store here: https://bit.ly/4eZHOCm</p><p><br></p><p>Chapters</p><p>00:00 Intro</p><p>01:34 Leaving Vietnam as a refugee</p><p>03:41 A spinning rod and the river</p><p>04:31 Answering the call after 9/11</p><p>05:27 Leading soldiers in combat</p><p>09:09 Enlisting instead of becoming an officer</p><p>10:37 The Hammer Creek spark</p><p>12:36 A bonefish in Hawaii</p><p>14:29 Finding Project Healing Waters</p><p>17:26 What Project Healing Waters really does</p><p>20:10 From participant to volunteer</p><p>21:32 Winning the national fly tying competition</p><p>23:46 How the social media took off by accident</p><p>25:23 Staying authentic with sponsors</p><p>28:22 Cigars on the river</p><p>29:12 Learning to tie from books</p><p>32:03 The engineer's eye for a fly</p><p>34:44 From artist to fly tier</p><p>37:05 When is a fly finished</p><p>39:17 Why he doesn't sell flies</p><p>40:22 Tying for the conditions</p><p>41:52 Better tier or better angler</p><p>43:46 Photography on the water</p><p>45:21 From film to digital</p><p>47:20 The three second rule</p><p>50:35 Measuring success on your own terms</p><p>52:18 Answering every question</p><p>54:40 The human connection of a fly shop</p><p>56:06 Guiding in Pennsylvania</p><p>58:33 Guiding mixed experience groups</p><p>01:01:18 How Pennsylvania ranks as a fishery</p><p>01:02:17 The 24 inch brown that ended the day</p><p>01:03:39 Favorite species to target</p><p>01:05:31 Catering gear to the species</p><p>01:06:21 Advice for the first timer</p><p>01:08:01 His favorite fly ever tied</p><p>01:09:37 A message for veterans</p><p><br></p>
May 4, 2026
From Alaska to PA Smallmouth | TCO Flycast Ep. 7 - Jake Villwock
<p>In this episode of the TCO Flycast, we sit down with guide, author, and fly designer Jake Villwock to talk smallmouth bass. From reading conditions in unpredictable spring weather to building flies that solve real problems on the water, Jake breaks down the mindset and tactics behind consistently finding fish.</p><p>We dig into Jake’s background from commercial fishing roots to Alaska, and how that path led to building Relentless Fly Fishing and writing Smallmouth Bass Flies: Top to Bottom. This one covers everything from fly design and seasonal strategy to why observation beats any “perfect plan.”</p><p>If you want to better understand how smallmouth actually feed and how to adapt on the water, this is a must-listen.</p><p><br></p><p>Topics include:</p><ul><li>Early season smallmouth patterns and water temps</li><li>Reading fish behavior vs sticking to a plan</li><li>Pre-spawn movement and aggressive feeding windows</li><li>Jake’s path from Alaska to guiding in PA</li><li>Building Relentless Fly Fishing</li><li>Fly tying progression and problem-solving design</li><li>The story behind the Roamer and other patterns</li><li>Writing Smallmouth Bass Flies: Top to Bottom</li><li>Bridging the gap between trout and bass fishing</li><li>Topwater, subsurface, and bottom presentations</li><li>Travel, fly fishing culture, and hosted trips</li></ul><p>Jake's New Book - Favorite Flies for Smallmouth Bass: 50 Flies from Local Experts:https://www.tcoflyfishing.com/products/favorite-flies-for-smallmouth-bass-50-flies-from-local-experts </p><p><br></p><p>Smallmouth Bass Flies Top To Bottom: https://www.tcoflyfishing.com/products/smallmouth-bass-flies-top-to-bottom</p><p>Book a Guide Trip with Relentless: https://www.relentlessflyfishing.com/</p><p>Chapters:</p><p>00:00 Intro & Current Smallmouth Season Report05:30 Growing Up in a Commercial Fishing Family09:46 College: From Accounting to Entrepreneurship12:29 Moving from Alaska to Pennsylvania & Joining TCO14:42 Starting Relentless Fly Fishing Full-Time16:03 Building the Guide Service & Becoming Established18:18 Where Relentless Guides Today19:34 The Story Behind the Name "Relentless"23:13 How Jake Got Into Fly Tying27:27 Evolving Fly Design & The Roamer31:26 The Roamer's Origin Story33:53 Writing the First Book: Smallmouth Bass Flies Top to Bottom37:27 Imposter Syndrome & Finding Your Voice as an Author40:50 Fishing the Water Column: What "Top to Bottom" Means44:24 Hatches, Dry Flies & Smallmouth Acting Like Trout45:41 Overnight Float Trips & Riverside Cooking47:23 What Doors the Book Opened49:03 Fly Shows & Networking Led to Brazil52:30 Hosting a Trip to the Amazon for Peacock Bass54:08 The New Book: Favorite Flies for Bass57:07 Fly Design Inspiration from Spin Fishing1:02:15 Jake's Hunting & Archery Journey1:05:17 Competitive 3D Archery & the Fishing-Archery Overlap1:07:49 How to Find & Book with Relentless Fly Fishing1:09:27 Fly Tying Masterclass Video & Where to Buy the Books</p>
9 total episodes available
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is TCO Flycast?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
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This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
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Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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