Welcome Jesse Retan

Welcome to the team!

We would like to introduce our newest member of the Silver Bow Fly Shop team, Jesse Retan. I am stoked to have Jesse join the Silver Bow with his enthusiasm and love for all things fly fishing, conservation, and the outdoors.

If you have followed our social media over the years you probably have seen a photo or two of Jesse as he is a regular fishing partner of all of us at the shop. Jesse will be working both in the shop to assist you with your gear and fly needs, as well as filling in on the guide team. His knowledge of the Spokane River runs deep and anyone that is fortunate to spend a day with him on the water will hopefully walk away with a lot more knowledge and appreciation for our hometown fishery. Jesse is one fishy guy, and we mean that in a good way!

Please help us make Jesse feel welcome next time you're in the shop!

Some words by Jesse on his background in the fly fishing community and other passions.

Born in Spokane Washington. Grew up on a little farm in the shrub steppe and ponderosa west of Cheney. Pretty classic, hay pastures, cows and dirt roads.

My grandfather Art Retan was an avid fly angler and entomologist. He cut his teeth in the Sierra foothills. When he moved the family up to Pullman he brought his passion for fly fishing with him. My passion for fly fishing came when I inherited all of his gear in 2010. He was passionate about fly tying, bamboo rods, and clicker reels. All the old classics, Pfluegers and Fenwicks, and some Hardy Marquis' too.

I don't have lifelong memories of fly fishing, I did grow up in the woods though. Spending whole springs and summers camping in a converted bus with my dad. I grew up gear fishing small streams on camping trips, as well as dunking worms under bobbers at the local lakes.

I caught my first fish on a fly rod at Amber Lake somewhere around spring 2011. I then later upgraded some gear and fell in love with the Spokane River around 2012. I loved the challenge and difficulty of the Spokane and found myself coming into Silver Bow often to inquire on why I sucked!

The shop was so helpful but gave me just the right amount of info "not too much" to put me on a path to figure things out. If I remember correctly Bo was the first person to ever really help me. And later grew a friendship with Kenyon and everyone at the shop. The shop to me was like a family and aligned with what I valued. Excellent service, knowledge, experience and leadership in being stewards of the Spokane river.

This really started an indescribable passion that has led me to where I'm at today. As I described previously I spent my childhood outside and was intrigued by nature. As a kid I collected bones, wood, rocks, nests and bugs and really whatever I could find outside. Well, I still do that! In college at Peninsula CC and EWU I opted for natural science courses like geology, botany, hydrology, environmental science and wetland science. Although I then moved away from a biology degree to a Bachelors of Fine arts, emphasis in painting and drawing from EWU in 2013. Another passion of mine.

I am a naturalist at heart and I am passionate about preserving wild places with wild critters.

This path has led me to where I am today. I love to be out on the water fly rod in hand. I'd say my absolute favorite time of the year is summer. Kind of a cliche answer but it is tough to beat wet wading in shorts and a T-shirt. Although I love all the seasons, winter solitude, swinging flies, and the colors and changes of spring and fall.

I don't know if I have an absolute favorite method to fish, I will literally do it all. I love headhunting picky soft dry fly eaters with long lines and small flies. I love streamer eats, foam eats, and dropper eats. I’ll nymph with a bobber, a euro stick, doesn’t matter to me. I love swinging flies with a two hand rod for trout or stealhead, dry line or heavy sink tip. I’ll dab carp in a mud slough, I just love the challenge of it all!

For me that's been part of my own evolution as an angler, expanding my knowledge of tactics and evolving my abilities to catch different species.

One challenge I have not yet encountered is any saltwater adventures to catch species like permit, GT and bonefish. Definitely a goal of mine is to experience this challenge and have an opportunity to experience these species and the world they live in.

Another passion of mine is soccer. I’ve played since I was 4 and played competitively at the youth level for Spokane Shadow. I played at Peninsula college, Whitworth University and beyond that in semi professional PDL and NPSL leagues. I Have been coaching and teaching the game locally for Spokane Sounders for just under 10 years. I coach youth ECNL boys and GA girls teams and I am the Director for Player Development. I am an avid Arsenal supporter and really the only thing I take as seriously as fishing is soccer!

love life in the Northwest. If fishing or soccer isn't happening I just want to be outside on a run or on the bike on any of the incredible trails we have. I am proud to call Spokane home and I am so happy and thankful for the opportunity to join the Silver Bow crew.