Only Fins Fly Fishing Podcast - Ep. 1

Toby:
Hi, I’m Toby Swank, here with my son Alex.

Alex:
Hi, I’m Alex. Welcome to the podcast.

Toby:
We run a fly fishing outfitting business in Bozeman called Fins and Feathers Guide Service. I started it years ago, and Alex joined more recently. This podcast is about our stories and insights into fly fishing and the life around it.

Let’s start with something simple—recent fishing. We were out yesterday. We won’t say where, but how would you describe it?

Alex:
Technical. Very technical. And creative.

Toby:
What kind of water were we dealing with?

Alex:
The only water you could actually cast to. Everything else was iced over.

Toby:
Exactly. We had to find small pockets of open water and adapt. It turned into a problem-solving day.

When I left to grab gear, what were you thinking?

Alex:
It didn’t look promising, but I stuck with it. I saw fish moving under the ice, so I knew there was a chance.

Toby:
I was thinking we might be done soon, so I needed to make something happen. I hadn’t fished like that in a long time, but I remembered enough to try something different.

Alex:
While you were gone, I adjusted. Took off the bobber and started jigging through a hole in the ice. It worked.

Toby:
I came back with a bobber rig and started getting action. Good reminder that adapting matters.

Alex:
A little background—I’m Alex Swank. We’ve been working together running the outfitting business. Before that, Toby owned a fly shop here in Bozeman.

Toby:
I sold the shop to focus fully on guiding. Fishing has always been the center of my life.

Alex:
This podcast is about sharing that—our experiences, perspectives, and stories.

Toby:
We’ve spent a lifetime fishing together, but we come at it differently. I’ve been doing this for decades. Alex brings a newer perspective.

Alex:
A lot of people say they got into fishing because their dad taught them. You tried, but that’s not really how it happened for me.

Toby:
You weren’t exactly eager.

Alex:
Not at all.

Toby:
You’d say no every time I asked.

Alex:
Pretty much.

So how did you get into it?

Toby:
My first memories are fishing with my grandfather. He wasn’t serious about it, but he took me out. We caught crawdads, then panfish. At some point I realized there was an entire world underwater. That curiosity stuck, and I’ve been obsessed ever since.

Alex:
For me, it was different. I didn’t enjoy it growing up. Looking back at photos, I look happy, but I remember not liking it.

It changed later, when I started working in the fly shop. I met people, started fishing more, and realized I actually enjoyed it. Over time, it turned into something I cared about deeply.

Toby:
As a parent, it’s rewarding to see that shift—from resistance to genuine interest.

One of my earliest memories of you fishing was on the Missouri. I thought it would be perfect conditions. It wasn’t smooth, but you caught a fish early, and that moment stuck with me.

Alex:
Eventually I hit a turning point. I wanted to be part of it, not just along for the ride.

One of the more memorable trips involved a misunderstanding with a guide that turned into a family story we still laugh about. But that trip helped flip the switch for me.

After that, I started enjoying not just local fishing, but travel, gear, and the whole process.

Toby:
So what’s your go-to rod right now?

Alex:
If I’m fishing locally with small flies, probably my Winston.

Toby:
Nice. I’ve been using St. Croix rods a lot lately. They’ve become my favorites.

Alex:
That’s really what this podcast is—who we are and how we got here.

Toby:
The dynamic is what makes it interesting. Father and son, different perspectives, same passion.

Working together adds another layer—parent, mentor, business partner.

Alex:
And bald.

Toby:
That too.

Alex:
Let’s end with this—what’s something a fly shop doesn’t tell people?

Toby:
The person behind the counter probably hasn’t fished where you’re going recently.

Alex:
So take the advice carefully.

Toby:
Exactly. Even if they say they were there yesterday, don’t assume it’s current.

Alex:
That’s one thing they don’t tell you in the fly shop.