In the Bucket #20 | Steelhead Stewards of the Pacific Northwest with Trevor Covich and Ed Fuhrken of Waters West Fly Fishing Outfitters

Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast

Dave Stewart

Hobbies, Wilderness, Leisure, Sports

4.7 • 530 Ratings

🗓️ 24 September 2025

⏱️ 122 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

#818 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/818

Presented By: Waters West

In today's episode of In the Bucket podcast, we're joined by Trevor Covich and Ed Fuhrken of Waters West Fly Fishing Outfitters. Both are long-time stewards of Pacific Northwest steelhead, guiding anglers while battling issues like habitat loss, hatchery impacts, and river access.

They talk about what it's like behind the fly shop counter: the tension between preserving wild runs and serving a growing demand for steelhead experiences. You'll hear stories about closures, managing stock versus wild fish, and how trout tactics don't always translate to steelhead crisis zones. Trevor and Ed also reveal the subtle art of timing your swings, staying wet when it counts, and treating every steelhead encounter like it matters—not just for you, but for the rivers downstream.

Along the way, you'll pick up practical advice: what fly anglers can do to reduce mortality, how to engage with managers and neighbors about river health, and why education and access matter just as much as gear. If you care about fish, fair futures for rivers, and how fly fishing can be part of the solution, this episode lands hard and hopeful.

#818 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/818

Transcript

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0:00.0	well i i love doing it and like i said i lived for the first 30 seconds of every fish that's what
0:09.2	i live for is the first 30 seconds of every hookup and if you don't capture it you can't really
0:16.0	relive it the same way and like i've watched some of those things like a thousand times you know
0:20.6	some of those keep me warm in times, you know, some of those
0:21.1	keep me warm in the wintertime. And then also you like, you give those to your clients and it's
0:26.6	pretty awesome.
0:42.3	Welcome to In the Bucket, the podcast that explores the culture of spay fishing in the Pacific Northwest, a spectacular land of mountains and wild rivers where every cast has a story to tell.
0:47.3	I'm your host, Brian Niska.
0:50.3	Welcome to In the bucket, and today's show we're going to be joined by pro-guide Trevor Kovic and fly shop owner Ed Furkin.
0:57.0	This is Trevor's second time on our show, and he's an old friend of mine, so I'm excited to catch up with him.
1:01.7	Ed's a good buddy of Trevor's and runs a superb fly shop close to some of the Pacific Northwest's best fishing.
1:07.7	I'm looking forward to this discussion. It's time to get in the bucket.
1:16.8	Right on, folks. Super excited about today's show. I'm back again with Trevor Kovic,
1:22.8	my good buddy from Alaska and Washington, and we are joined today with Mr. Ed Furkin.
1:28.6	Guys, why don't you tell the listeners a little bit about yourself?
1:31.1	My name is Trevor Kovic from Washington State.
1:34.2	Live out in Forks, Washington.
1:36.6	Mostly a year-round fishing guide and a friend of Ed's here on the show,
1:41.0	and we fish around quite a bit and just like I've fished around with you.
1:45.2	So I think we're just going to talk fishing and some other stuff.
1:48.3	My name is Ed Furkin.
1:49.9	I am the owner of Waters West Fly Fishing Outfitters, the fly shop in Port Angeles, Washington.
	...

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