From Alaska to PA Smallmouth | TCO Flycast Ep. 7 - Jake Villwock

From Alaska to PA Smallmouth | TCO Flycast Ep. 7 - Jake Villwock4 mei1 u 11 min

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In this episode of the TCO Flycast, we sit down with guide, author, and fly designer Jake Villwock to talk smallmouth bass. From reading conditions in unpredictable spring weather to building flies that solve real problems on the water, Jake breaks down the mindset and tactics behind consistently finding fish.We dig into Jake’s background from commercial fishing roots to Alaska, and how that path led to building Relentless Fly Fishing and writing Smallmouth Bass Flies: Top to Bottom. This one covers everything from fly design and seasonal strategy to why observation beats any “perfect plan.”If you want to better understand how smallmouth actually feed and how to adapt on the water, this is a must-listen. Topics include:<ul><li>Early season smallmouth patterns and water temps</li><li>Reading fish behavior vs sticking to a plan</li><li>Pre-spawn movement and aggressive feeding windows</li><li>Jake’s path from Alaska to guiding in PA</li><li>Building Relentless Fly Fishing</li><li>Fly tying progression and problem-solving design</li><li>The story behind the Roamer and other patterns</li><li>Writing Smallmouth Bass Flies: Top to Bottom</li><li>Bridging the gap between trout and bass fishing</li><li>Topwater, subsurface, and bottom presentations</li><li>Travel, fly fishing culture, and hosted trips</li></ul>Jake's New Book - Favorite Flies for Smallmouth Bass: 50 Flies from Local Experts:https://www.tcoflyfishing.com/products/favorite-flies-for-smallmouth-bass-50-flies-from-local-experts Smallmouth Bass Flies Top To Bottom: https://www.tcoflyfishing.com/products/smallmouth-bass-flies-top-to-bottomBook a Guide Trip with Relentless: https://www.relentlessflyfishing.com/Chapters:00:00 Intro & Current Smallmouth Season Report05:30 Growing Up in a Commercial Fishing Family09:46 College: From Accounting to Entrepreneurship12:29 Moving from Alaska to Pennsylvania & Joining TCO14:42 Starting Relentless Fly Fishing Full-Time16:03 Building the Guide Service & Becoming Established18:18 Where Relentless Guides Today19:34 The Story Behind the Name "Relentless"23:13 How Jake Got Into Fly Tying27:27 Evolving Fly Design & The Roamer31:26 The Roamer's Origin Story33:53 Writing the First Book: Smallmouth Bass Flies Top to Bottom37:27 Imposter Syndrome & Finding Your Voice as an Author40:50 Fishing the Water Column: What "Top to Bottom" Means44:24 Hatches, Dry Flies & Smallmouth Acting Like Trout45:41 Overnight Float Trips & Riverside Cooking47:23 What Doors the Book Opened49:03 Fly Shows & Networking Led to Brazil52:30 Hosting a Trip to the Amazon for Peacock Bass54:08 The New Book: Favorite Flies for Bass57:07 Fly Design Inspiration from Spin Fishing1:02:15 Jake's Hunting & Archery Journey1:05:17 Competitive 3D Archery & the Fishing-Archery Overlap1:07:49 How to Find & Book with Relentless Fly Fishing1:09:27 Fly Tying Masterclass Video & Where to Buy the Books