Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 439 is my conversation with Ed Emory, a fly fishing guide on the South Fork of the Snake River in Idaho and a friend of mine for years. Ed guides more than 140 days a year and has won the Jackson Hole One Fly five times, the most of any angler in the contest's history. I fished the South Fork heavily during my early guide years out of Jackson, so this one is personal. We get into the cutthroat-rainbow-brown fishery, his custom flies, and the conservation debate around native species.
Listen now: Megaphone · Spotify · YouTube.
Ed Emory is a legendary fly fishing guide based in Jackson, Wyoming who fishes the South Fork of the Snake River in Idaho more than 140 days a year. He has won the prestigious Jackson Hole One Fly competition a record five times, the most of any angler in the contest's history, and is deeply knowledgeable about the river's ecology, trout populations, and conservation debates.
The South Fork of the Snake River is in eastern Idaho. It is the fork of the Snake that flows out of Palisades Reservoir and runs through southeastern Idaho. It is widely considered one of the most important Western fly-fishing rivers, particularly for its mix of native cutthroat, rainbow, and brown trout. Tom fished it heavily during his early guide years out of Jackson, Wyoming.
The Jackson Hole One Fly is a prestigious fly fishing competition in which anglers must use a single fly for an entire session, so losing or destroying that fly can end your day. Ed Emory has won it a record five times, the most of any competitor in the event's history, which is part of what makes him one of the most respected guides in the region.
The South Fork holds a mix of native cutthroat alongside rainbow and brown trout, and managing for native cutthroat restoration can conflict with the recreational fishery anglers love. Ed discusses the tension directly, including the Idaho Fish and Game practice of electroshocking to manage non-native species, and lays out the conservation argument from a working guide's perspective.
Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 439 with Ed Emory is available on Megaphone, Spotify, YouTube, and the Tom Rowland Podcast feed. The video version is embedded at the top of this page.
Ed is a friend and a fellow guide, and in my experience he knows the South Fork of the Snake as well as anyone alive. I learned to guide on that river out of Jackson, so getting Ed on to talk about the fishery, the One Fly, and the conservation fight meant a lot to me. He has won the One Fly five times and spends more than 140 days a year on the water, and I wanted listeners to hear from someone who has truly earned his opinions.
Press play in the player above to hear it.
Ed and I both know this Idaho river intimately, the cutthroat, rainbow, and brown trout, the water flowing out of Palisades. He explains why it is considered one of the great Western rivers. Hear it in the episode.
Winning with a single fly for a whole session takes patience, fly selection, and nerve. Ed talks about what it takes and the story behind his custom patterns like the cutthroat candy. Listen to that section of the conversation.
Ed does not dodge the tension between restoring native cutthroat and protecting the fishery anglers love. He gives the working guide's view. Press play in the YouTube player above.
Ed walks through the Idaho Fish and Game electroshocking practice used to manage non-native trout and explains the conservation argument on both sides. Worth hearing in full.
Listen to the full conversation: Megaphone · Spotify · YouTube.
Talking to Ed reminded me how much two veteran guides can learn about the same river over many seasons, and how much there still is to argue about when it comes to managing a great fishery.
If you fish the West, or you care about how we balance native species with recreation, this conversation is worth your time. Press play in the player above, or grab Episode 439 on Megaphone or Spotify.
Ed Emory · South Fork of the Snake River · Jackson Hole One Fly · Palisades Reservoir · Idaho Fish and Game · cutthroat candy · Tom Rowland (host)
The Tom Rowland Podcast brings you long-form conversations with the most accomplished anglers, hunters, conservationists, and outdoor professionals in the game. Listen to every full-length Tom Rowland Podcast interview.
Ed Emory is a legendary fly fishing guide based in Jackson, Wyoming who has won the Jackson Hole One Fly competition a record five times, the most of any angler in the event's history. He spends more than 140 days a year guiding the South Fork of the Snake River in eastern Idaho, a river widely regarded as one of the most important Western fly-fishing destinations for its mix of native cutthroat, rainbow, and brown trout. He is known for custom fly patterns such as the cutthroat candy and is deeply engaged in the conservation debates surrounding native species management on the river.
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