ICONS: Bob Clay

Icons, a web series from Swing the Fly, looks at the most influential figures in spey casting and swinging flies from North America and beyond in the 21st century. In this installment we visit with Bob Clay, acclaimed Riverwatch bamboo rod builder, guardian of the Kispiox, and explorer of new waters.


Bamboo rods seem to hold an almost fatal attraction for flyfishers.  Even as fly rods are being made from newer and higher-tech materials, bamboo never seems to lose its luster.  Do you have any rational (or irrational) explanation for this?

Anybody that really gets into any sport gets interested in the beginnings of their sport.  The history of it all.  In flyfishing, the rod and the casting of the rod are a big part of it. The casting really got started with the bamboo rod.  The bending of the rod propelled the fly. Before, the rod was a long stiff instrument directing the line and fly. Sort of like dapping.  So casting combined with the physical beauty and the mystery of its construction hold a special place in the minds of flyfishers.

Your wife Kathy was an instructor at First Nation High School in Hazelton, BC.  Did she persuade any of her students to take up the two-handed rods?

I think my son Jed, who has many close friends in the First Nation community, has more to do with it.  He shared their love of flyfishing and helped many of his friends get started in the sport.

When you are fishing on your own, which river do you consider to be your “Home River” (or rivers)?

Well, since I have lived and fished on the Kispiox River for most of my adult life, I would say the Kispiox holds more memories for me than any other river. The whole Skeena drainage, with all its varied steelhead rivers, is a wonderful place to spend time. It’s truly a special place.

“I see it (The Kispiox) every day, in all its moods and promises.”

Bob Clay

Which river that you have never fished before would you most like to try?

As with all flyfishers, we dream of rivers close to home and far away. A friend once said anticipation is 90% of it.  For years I dreamed of fishing for sea run browns in southern Patagonia.  Reading about it and talking to people that experienced it really got me excited.  As much as I like fishing my home waters, I also enjoy the excitement of exploring new waters. That’s what keeps me interested.

What is your favorite fly?

Most definitely I would say all the variations of the floating deer hair fly. From Al Troth’s Elk Hair Caddis to Dan Gapen’s Muddler Minnow, deer hair on a hook is the most versatile fly for almost any species of fish.

What is your favorite two-hand rod, and what line do you most like to use with it?

At present it is my 10-foot Little Wing.  It takes a 270 grain line or so.  It’s light in the hand and can land any steelhead that you may encounter.  I believe that some of the bigger rods we fish with today are overkill.  They do make casting easier and they can propel the big flies and sink tips that are popular today.  They have their place.  But the lightness and quick response of a of a lighter, shorter rod appeals to me.

What is your favorite memory from your times on the water?

It’s the time shared with friends exploring new water. Sometimes we catch nothing and sometimes we find the motherload.

“A good fishing friend is hard to come by. When you find one, don’t let them get away.”

– Bob Clay

You’ve had a long list of contributions to steelheading and two-hand casting.  Is there one you’re particularly proud of?

We all have egos.  I try to keep mine in check.  So being proud of something is something I am wary of.  I am just another guy doing the thing I love to do.  Our sport has many facets:  Casting, flyfishing, fly tying, and rod building to name a few.  All these parts of the puzzle were built on those who came before us. We learn from them and add to it.

What is it going to take to save wild fish?

We have to explain to people that we cannot any longer eat wild animals of any type that are commercially harvested.  It’s just unsustainable. It’s one thing to harvest a fish that you caught, but trying to feed wild creatures to a growing world is quite another. There is no surplus in nature. It’s a myth that greed spreads – to rob nature. The only thing you see in a grocery store that wasn’t grown on a farm is wild fish and seafood.  It’s got to stop. If we want to eat fish from grocery stores we must eat farmed fish that are grown in a closed, captured environment. End of story.

What are your plans for the next five years?

Well, first to stay alive. As you get older parts wear out – it’s as simple as that. So, making health a priority enables you to enjoy the good things of life. Family and friends, the outdoors and fishing, building more rods, to name but a few. It’s called living the good life, it’s the only one we have.  And I could be wrong about that.