Loop to Loop

Tess Weigand on winning Gold for USA women's fly fishing team, guiding, and mentorship

Tess Weigand is the captain of the USA Women's Fly Fishing, and individual Gold Medalist, and team Gold Medalist in the FIPS Mouches Women's World Championship. She splits her time between guiding Pennsylvania's Penns Creek and Montana's Yellowstone and Madison rivers along with her Newfoundland dog, Eight, when she's not competing. She deep dives into the intricacies of entomology, how stocking over wild fish in Pennsylvania is detrimental to wild and native fish, the importance of observation, her evolution into fly fishing, and what it takes to win gold in the FIPS Mouche Women's World Championship. The 5th FIPS-Mouche Women's World Championship takes place July 27-August 2, 2026 in Norway. Stay tuned for more coverage and updates.

Jeff Wagner on how growing up a "fish nerd" and "casting geek" helps him guide Mayfly Outdoors today

Ross Purnell sits down with Mayfly Outdoors CEO Jeff Wagner in the Montrose Colorado headquarters for Ross, Abel, Renzetti, Dyna-King, Airflo, and several other brands. They discuss the unsung heroes of fly fishing; the best warmwater fly fishing in Nebraska; being a "fish nerd" installing aquariums; how Cabela's influenced the course of fly fishing; "geeking out" on casting, and learning to cast from Mel Krieger, Tim Rajeff, and Bruce Richards. Jeff reveals how stretchy lines pair best with stiff rods and low-stretch lines work best with more flexible rods, how the $249 Ross Cimarron Creek reel has "open source" pawls you can 3D print at home, how Mayfly manages to anodize reels in Colorado and protect the environment at the same time, the unique artistry behind each Abel reel, giving back to conservation organizations, recycling aluminum, and much more. If you've ever wondered how fly line tapers are like a wizard throwing fireballs, this techy podcast is for you. There's even an Easter egg that reveals brand new Abel artist collab, so don't miss this behind the scenes look at one of the most interesting people in the fly-fishing world.

Erik Johnsen from TroutRoutes discusses species lists, access points, and navigating offline maps

Born and raised in the upper Midwest, Erik Johnsen's first connection to fishing was with panfish and bass. He found his passion for fly fishing chasing wild and native trout in Wisconsin's Driftless Region. He studied geography and graduated from the University of Wisconsin, which led to him becoming a member of the TroutRoutes team. TroutRoutes is a fly-fishing app that gives anglers a powerful tool backed by onX Maps to find access points, map out your next adventure, download offline maps, and even find specific species to chase with a fly rod. Erik lives in Southwest Wisconsin with his wife Cally, and two sons, Arlo and Frankie, on their homestead property.

Tiki Furimsky on getting kids into fly fishing, salmonflies, and The Fly Fishing Show

Tiki Furimsky is an avid fly fisher and skier from Crested Butte, Colorado. He hails from the legendary Furimsky family. His grandpa, Chuck, started The Fly Fishing Show, and his dad, Ben, is the president and CEO. Tiki and editor Ross Purnell discuss how to get kids into fly fishing, gear for kids, cutthroat trout or brook trout, striped bass on the fly, and why the shows are great for learning. From shredding the ski slopes to fly fishing the Salmonfly hatch, Tiki and friends are on the water and becoming the next generation of fly fishers and conservationists.

Rod designer Shawn Combs on leaving a dream job at Orvis to take a dream job as VP at Scott Fly Rods

Shawn Combs got started as fly fisher in Kentucky, got a degree in mechanical engineering, and started with Orvis in 2011. He was the designer of all of Orvis's very successful Helios rods, and was most recently responsible for the development of all of Orvis tackle including waders, reels, boots, and packs. After 15 successful years at Orvis, Combs announced was leaving Vermont to take on a new role as vice president of Scott. We had the chance to sit down with Shawn in the Montrose, Colorado, Scott Fly Rods factory to find out what inspired the move, how he feels about his former employer and co-workers, how he will collaborate with Scott President Jim Bartschji, and what the future holds for fly rod design. You won't want to miss this inside look at two of the biggest brands in fly fishing.