Podcast: Fishing and Conservation, with Dave DiBenedetto of Garden & Gun

[Interview begins at 39:49]

This week, my guest is Dave DiBenedetto, Editor-in-Chief of Garden & Gun Magazine, who is a lifelong fly fisher. If you read the magazine, you can see that they frequently publish fly-fishing stories, and also that they stress conservation. In their latest issue, they make public their Champions of Conservation Awards, which go to people who are making a difference at the grassroots level in all areas of conservation. Recipients range from Capt. Bennie Blanco in the Florida Everglades; to Savi Horne, who works to keep agriculture sustainable for Black farmers; to Dr. Jennifer Rehage, who has discovered shocking levels of pharmaceuticals in Florida’s bonefish population—and seven other fascinating individuals who have made a difference. We also talk fishing, from marsh redfish to small-stream trout in the mountains of the South.

In the Fly Box, we have these questions and more:

• What is your take on small-river fishing from a kayak for smallmouth bass?
• What is the best way to travel with a fully assembled fly rod inside an SUV or Jeep?
• Can I fish a dry/dropper or indicator rig with my 10-foot, 3-weight Euro rod?
• What is the minimum number of fly rods one can own for the most diverse situations and number of species? And what rods should they be?
• Is there any way to have a smooth connection from line to leader with the convenience of a loop-to-loop connection?
• Do we need to be as careful when releasing bluegills and bass as we are with trout?
• Is there anything wrong with adding colored marks to the end of my fly line and Euro-nymphing with a short leader?
• Will trout that are eating tiny flies take a bigger dry at last light?
• Can I Euro-nymph in small streams with a short rod?
• What is the minimum and maximum amount of gear you would take for an afternoon of fishing?
• The fish I get in my net quickly often struggle a lot. Should I play them longer?
• Is there an app to analyze your casting?
• Someone suggested using thinner-bodied Zebra Midges. Is that a good idea?