Learning from Failure on the Water

Guest Spencer Seim owns and operates ZiaFly guide service in Taos, NM. He's been tying flies since age eight and just finished his 23rd season guiding the southern Rockies. Spencer is well known for his classic Atlantic salmon flies, as well as his own patterns for fishing the Taos area. Spencer lives with his wife, Sophia, daughter Olivia, and son Ivo. From hopping freight trains, bouncing throughout the Rockies looking for fish, to tying flies, making hooks, and dyeing feathers, Spencer is always eager to share his hard-earned knowledge with others. Spencer's work has been featured in America's Favorite Flies, The Drake magazine, Smithsonian magazine, and The Feather Thief. In addition to Getting Unstuck, he has been a guest on numerous podcasts, including Destination Angler, Wet Fly Swing, Getting Unstuck, Ask About Fly Fishing, and This American Life. Summary In this riverside conversation, fly-fishing guide Spencer Seim reflects on how his lifelong passion for fly fishing has shaped his identity, philosophy, and environmental ethics. From his early fascination with anglers in the southern Rockies to his work guiding others on Colorado and New Mexico rivers, Spencer sees fly fishing not just as a sport but as a spiritual and meditative practice—a way to connect deeply with nature and oneself. He describes the river as "a living thing" and "the ultimate connection to nature," teaching humility, adaptability, and respect. Each day on the water is a dialogue between person and place, one that demands observation and openness rather than mastery or control.

Spencer explains that true success on the river—and in life—comes from learning through failure, adapting to changing conditions, and maintaining realistic expectations. The "frontier of the mind," as he calls it, is the mental space where curiosity and growth thrive, often nurtured by time spent in solitude outdoors. As a parent, he uses these same lessons to teach his daughter resilience, kindness, courage, and the value of learning from mistakes.

He also extends his stewardship ethic to conservation, recounting a story of helping prevent gas drilling in the Valle Vidal wilderness and emphasizing that "Mother Nature is not a resource, she's the source." Ultimately, Spencer frames both fly fishing and life as opportunities for "quiet lessons"—moments of discovery, humility, and connection that flow like the river itself.

The Key Takeaway

Spencer's central insight is that fly fishing mirrors life: success comes through humility, awareness, and adaptation. The river teaches us to listen to nature, to others, and to our own inner dialogue.

Social Media https://www.ziafly.com/spencer-seim