WFS 459 - Forged Fly Fishing with Richard Wilby - BC, Stillwater, Steelhead

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/459 Presented by: Trxstle , Stonefly Nets Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors Richard Wilby, the man behind Forged Fly Fishing, shares his journey of creating a fly reel company and a fishing gear company simultaneously. He shares his lineup of reels, what it's like living in Merritt BC, and the rich stillwaters of the area around this part of the world. We also find out which is the perfect stillwater reel. Forged Fly Fishing Show Notes with Richard Wilby 3:10 - Richard tells how he first got into fly fishing and why he started his company, Forged Fly Fishing. The first reel they launched was called Requiem in remembrance of his father. 5:32 - Not soon after releasing the Requiem, they launched the Royale which is now upgraded to be called Anthem Steelhead/Spey Reel. 6:15 - He explains the difference between a center pin reel and a mooching reel. 6:55 - For stillwater fishing, they have the Invictus Fly Reel which is a smaller version of the Anthem. 7:43 - We dig into his process of starting a fly reel company. The most difficult part of his journey was finding proper manufacturers. 10:05 - He has complete control over every aspect of the design of their reels. He shares more about the process of designing their products. 12:18 - He talks about their current location in Merritt BC which is his sister's cattle ranch. 13:39 - He mentions some places in their area where you can catch giant Kamloops rainbows. His favorite lake to fish in is Knouff Lake. 15:48 - He uses the Swellfish Classic Inflatable Boat (12'10"). 17:23 - He proudly talks about his Pro Staff at Forged Fly Fishing. 18:53 - We dig into the other company he started in 2018 called Spitfire Fishing Products. He named it after his grandfather who fixed and designed machine guns for the Spitfire aircraft and the Hurricane during World War II. 21:31 - One of their sought-after products at Spitfire is their Hawker Spoons. All of their products at Spitfire are for ocean, stillwater, and any type of fishing. 24:53 - They also have Pro Staff at Spitfire. 26:11 - They have physical shops in their area. Their products are also available in several fly shops in Canada which you can find in the Retailers section on their website. 28:15 - He shares how he gets going out there during stillwater season. He fishes mostly in the spring and more in the fall. This year, he plans to do more river fishing. 29:52 - We dig into steelhead fishing. For steelhead runs, he usually goes to Cowichan River with a Scandi setup during winter right around Christmas. 33:37 - He gives a heads-up about their products at Forge Fly Fishing and Spitfire Fishing Products. 34:43 - We talk a bit about Riley, his dog which is a Golden Retriever and Border Collie cross. She loves the water. 35:28 - He tells more about what they do in his sister's cattle ranch. He and his wife have been helping out there. 39:40 - For stillwater fishing, his fly box usually contains a lot of leech, scud, and blob patterns. 41:12 - He talks about the new big thing that's coming out soon from Forged Fly Fishing. He also shares a significant tip for manipulating the reel while fishing. 45:09 - I ask him about his bucket list of trips. This includes Terrace and Kenai. 46:20 - For stillwater fishing, his go-to fly is a ruby-eye leech. 46:38 - He mentions some of the guys in their area who are reliable sources for fishing. Some of them are their Pro Staff at Forged and John Kent who designed the pumpkin head leech. 47:32 - He describes what it's like living in Merritt BC. Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/459