Fly Fish Food Shop Talk Podcast · Fly Fish Food

Shop Talk Podcast Ep 36 | AJ Jorgensen Guide Stories

·33 min·3 clips

AJ's wife catches a 36-inch trout on her first cast, shattering all his personal fishing records.

This episode introduces A.J. Jorgensen, the assistant manager at Fly Fish Food's Idaho Falls location, formerly Jimmy's All Seasons Angler. Hosts Curtis and Lance interview A.J. about his fly fishing background and the shop's remodel. A.J. began tying flies commercially at age 12 while growing up near Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park. He guided for two intensive seasons, logging over 280 days on Idaho's South Fork of the Snake River. The hosts conducted a "reference check" by fishing the South Fork with him, which involved euro-nymphing from a boat during a salmon fly hatch. A.J. describes the South Fork as a premier fishery with abundant hatches and trophy brown and cutthroat trout exceeding 30 inches. The remodel of the Idaho Falls shop includes custom, under-lit fly bins and a new front desk, aiming to stock over 4,500 different fly patterns. A.J. shares that his wife, Claire, consistently out-fishes him, holding personal bests including a 32-inch brown trout and a 36-inch Lahontan cutthroat from Pyramid Lake. He recounts a bizarre guiding story where a client used a modified wiffle ball bat as a funnel for a bathroom break over the side of the boat. A.J. previously worked as a lead oven operator for RIO Fly Lines, giving him deep knowledge of fly line construction, tapers, and care. He argues that a high-quality fly line is the most critical upgrade for any angler, significantly impacting performance more than the rod itself. A.J. estimates that with proper care, an angler can expect about 40 full days of use from a premium fly line. The conversation includes local Idaho fishing lore, such as a regular customer nicknamed "Neck Beard" known for driving exceptionally slowly on the Yellowstone Highway. The tone is casual, humorous, and full of shop banter, with frequent jokes and playful teasing among the hosts and guest. Listeners who enjoy stories from working guides, practical fly fishing tips, and insights into fly shop operations will appreciate this episode. Those seeking a highly structured, purely instructional podcast or who dislike crude humor and tangents might want to skip it.

As heard by us

A shop-update hangout that folds Idaho Falls plans, Saturday demos, and guide stories into the same conversation.

AJ Jorgensen's episode reads like a shop update first and a loose hangout second, with Idaho Falls, Saturday demos, winter plans, and a long run of guide stories all sharing the same space.

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Why you'd press play

You want Idaho fly-shop gossip, guide stories, and gear talk that never sits still.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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