Dead Drifters Society: A fly fishing podcast
Reeling in the Excitement: Diverse Fisheries and the Anglers Who Love Them
Are you ready to submerge yourself into the world of fly fishing? Gear up for an episode teeming with stories from four passionate anglers; Kat, Katie, Conor, Paul, and Mitch. Listen as they let lines loose, sharing their summer fishing escapades and the diverse fisheries they've ventured into. From the waters of North Vancouver to the streams of Alaska, you'll hear how they've mastered the use of front-hook and trailer-hook flies, and the right colors and patterns that have led to successful catches.
Delve into the harsh realities of fishing as our guests recount their experiences with closures due to heat and fires. Yet, the spirit of fishing remains unscathed. Discover Kat's secret technique of keeping the fly in the water, and get hooked on Mitch's recount of the 2019 super hot year that led to closures. Feel the adrenaline rush as the group talk about their upcoming trip to the Northeast, and their plans to reel in pink salmon. And if that hasn't got you hooked, hear about their incredible catches of browns and rainbows, and the joy of fishing with friends from the Calgary Women’s Fly Fishing Group at a lake near Rocky Mountain House.
But this isn't just about the thrill of the catch. Tune in as we navigate through the potential impacts of unauthorized construction in river systems and the importance of protecting native fish habitats. Listen to their encounters with bears, the excitement of Fat Bear Week in Katmai National Park and the Brooks Falls, and their dream fishing destinations. So, if you're a seasoned angler or a budding fisherman, this episode has something for everyone. Come along as we cast our nets into the vast world of fly fishing!
Instagram:
•Kat
https://instagram.com/kathonthefly?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
•Katie
https://instagram.com/_misskatiedee_?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
•Paul
https://instagram.com/speyrodadventures?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
•Conor
https://instagram.com/southisland_flysupply?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
•Mitch
https://instagram.com/mpaisker?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Are you ready to submerge yourself into the world of fly fishing? Gear up for an episode teeming with stories from four passionate anglers; Kat, Katie, Conor, Paul, and Mitch. Listen as they let lines loose, sharing their summer fishing escapades and the diverse fisheries they've ventured into. From the waters of North Vancouver to the streams of Alaska, you'll hear how they've mastered the use of front-hook and trailer-hook flies, and the right colors and patterns that have led to successful catches.
Delve into the harsh realities of fishing as our guests recount their experiences with closures due to heat and fires. Yet, the spirit of fishing remains unscathed. Discover Kat's secret technique of keeping the fly in the water, and get hooked on Mitch's recount of the 2019 super hot year that led to closures. Feel the adrenaline rush as the group talk about their upcoming trip to the Northeast, and their plans to reel in pink salmon. And if that hasn't got you hooked, hear about their incredible catches of browns and rainbows, and the joy of fishing with friends from the Calgary Women’s Fly Fishing Group at a lake near Rocky Mountain House.
But this isn't just about the thrill of the catch. Tune in as we navigate through the potential impacts of unauthorized construction in river systems and the importance of protecting native fish habitats. Listen to their encounters with bears, the excitement of Fat Bear Week in Katmai National Park and the Brooks Falls, and their dream fishing destinations. So, if you're a seasoned angler or a budding fisherman, this episode has something for everyone. Come along as we cast our nets into the vast world of fly fishing!
Instagram:
•Kat
https://instagram.com/kathonthefly?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
•Katie
https://instagram.com/_misskatiedee_?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
•Paul
https://instagram.com/speyrodadventures?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
•Conor
https://instagram.com/southisland_flysupply?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
•Mitch
https://instagram.com/mpaisker?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
I mean, I'm not gonna lie, I was like very satisfied that it went for the hopper rather than the worm, but it was yeah To see it come out of that thin water, like the big ones that we caught that day including like the PD that was that was in like less than two feet of water. I like sitting in thin, thin, thin, thin water and the bow has these grasses, it just looks like really flowy hair. It's really cool. It's a neat, really neat fishery.
Speaker 2:That's probably been the coolest part about this experience was. Coming out here was, like you know, going from basically like if we're talking guiding, I've only guided on the couch and I've drifted a few other systems, but but you know only a couple and then coming out here I was like forced into three different systems and then going out there, I might hit up the bow and a couple others that some people have been talking about.
Speaker 3:So I'm like Welcome to Dead Drifter Society, a fly fishing podcast to share information, our adventures and our opinions. We want to see where everyone is at in life and on the water. We'll ask questions and get answers so we can learn everything there is to learn about fly fishing. And now here's your host, andrew Barony.
Speaker 2:Welcome back Dead Drifter. On this episode we sit down with a handful of people. I made an Instagram post asking if anyone wanted to come on and this was the group that we ended up with. So most of them had already been on the podcast and we had one person that wasn't. So future wise, I'll probably get her on if she's willing. And besides from that, we talk about trips that we're getting into fisheries, how they're looking and stuff like that, and then gets weird near the end, as it always does on these big group chats. So I hope you really enjoy and I'll see you down at the end.
Speaker 4:Look at her like a trout fly a bull trout.
Speaker 2:Anything. Yeah, the corner here ties the use of full flies. Yeah, you basically tie your fly on a hook like you'd start it. I guess you'd start with the tail, but when you are working up to your way on like wow, I'm just butchering.
Speaker 4:This is something I've been playing with, especially in our system. It's a rainbow, about a four and a bit inch rainbow.
Speaker 5:Oh yeah, I mean, that's the traditionally where the hooks are. So yeah, like an articulated fly, Articulated with the front hook. You tell me that things of rat tail.
Speaker 4:Yeah, that's a beast. Oh, like that, here they go. There's a beast with like a front hook.
Speaker 5:So that's related tails. So when I'm thinking front hook, I'm thinking like the bend of the hook is like where the eyes are. So the other hook would be here, but I trim it. I got Okay.
Speaker 4:And so this swims a lot better. Yeah, I can see them, the rear hooks and Andrew's actually right. Like for our fish, they tend to follow and then grab yeah, a lot of you get both, you get both.
Speaker 5:I got a lot of two flies and this was something that I was there we go I was trying to work on here for some bull trout. I mean, you can see, it's almost as big as my hand, just big with some red and blue in it and rubber legs.
Speaker 4:Yeah, that's great. I haven't seen blue for bull trout but I don't see why not. That's great.
Speaker 7:Yeah, like I'm going to use to like everything hidden from behind, like you guys are saying. So like everything is trailer hooks up here. So like when my buddies will come on down to you know Calgary area and let's go bull trout fishing, I like tied up a whole bunch of stuff and it's all like front hook a whole bunch of bars and then like one trailer hook in the back and it's like I was completely wrong to tie that way because, yeah, I was getting like hit sideways and then like missing fish.
Speaker 2:But yeah, Okay, well, since we have such a big group, I guess we can kind of start here, because the fishing talks already started. Let's start with the ladies and then we'll work through it. I'll just call out his name and you can say where you're from and stuff, do we?
Speaker 5:say where we're from and what we like. What?
Speaker 2:you like to do? Yeah, exactly, tell me a little bit about yourself so we can start with Katie, because my mouse was already over her, so boom.
Speaker 6:Hi everyone. I'm Katie. I live on Vancouver Island and clearly my one of my favorite things to do is go fishing, obviously, and then I like spending a long time with my two dogs that I have and just being outside and hanging out. That's what I like to do.
Speaker 1:Amazing, nice Because eating all the fish she just slayed up in Alaska.
Speaker 2:I don't want to get there. I was going to give her a hard time and if it didn't be like so, you're just in freaking Alaska. Yeah, it's just neck of the wood and you're just like out there not talking about it.
Speaker 6:Just cash, you know, no big deal.
Speaker 2:It's just whatever. It's another day for her.
Speaker 6:Yeah, just cash for a day.
Speaker 2:And then let's go with the doctor in the room.
Speaker 1:Yeah, hey, yeah, my name is Pat Wolski. I'm from North Vancouver, british Columbia. Yeah, today I think I've hit my 100 and 71st day of fishing this year. Now I beat my record Long Nice. Yeah, yeah, I've almost fished more days than I work, which is like unheard of because I'm a teacher librarian by trade. And then, yeah, basically I've been home maybe a total of six days this summer. I've been doing lots of touring, lots of fishing. Finally got up to the Kootenays. Yeah, I went to Alberta, finally caught my first tiger trout. That was amazing, actually. Yeah, caught a few of those beasts and my wrists are still hurting from it. And, yeah, dodged a bullet. Got back from Maui while we were there, while the fires were happening. And, yeah, I'm just currently in watching the sunrise go down and Aspen Grove, bc so just outside of Merritt, fishing in my favorite place.
Speaker 2:Nice, but you had help doing this fishing stuff. So once again, let's introduce your co-host. Who's your little co-host on the chair? I want to see her again.
Speaker 1:Oh, she's using hard Trout's Coat. This is Nora.
Speaker 6:Oh.
Speaker 1:Nora. Nora, I know she's got like her little blip right now she's super tired. She worked hard today. Yeah, she's been good. She just turned 10. I know the big 10 zero. She had her first river session, though, with me when I was on the Campbell. She was really well-behaved the first day and then the second day when I was down there, yeah, she turned into a total shark. Once she realized she could just walk for a hook set and then she started kind of hanging around the legs of all the other fishermen.
Speaker 4:Yeah, no one's all behaved on the Campbell, don't worry.
Speaker 1:She forgot. Yeah, she was. Well, we were in the non-retention section so it was nice and quiet. But yeah, we caught lots of nice pinks and a real blue on a Chinook, which was unfortunate, but it's just kind of fun, yeah, and yeah, it's kind of neat to see her. I don't know, I've never met an English bulldog that likes to fish, so it's a new one for me.
Speaker 2:And my mouse just is now known Cartner. So, cartner, you can go.
Speaker 4:Sure, yeah, my name is Cartner and I was on the pod not too long ago with Andrew. I'm based out of Victoria and not fishing as much as a cat is. That's pretty envious there, that's for sure. But getting out here and there over the summer with my little guy and doing lots of fly time and just backing up for a three-day trip with Nelson Carger out of Port Renfrew Hopefully get into some offshore coho surface action, which is definitely my jam.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, you like that saltwater stuff. Yeah definitely yeah, right on, Cool. And then I guess Mitch you're next.
Speaker 7:Mitch, I'm currently in Anchorage, alaska. I've been here for a couple of years. I like to fly fish, I like to hold fish. I like to release fish. Yeah, I don't know. I work for the US Fish and Wildlife so I work with fish in an everyday basis and then when I get out of work, usually around to the river. This year's been a bit less, but overall been getting out pretty good amount. So yeah, yeah love it.
Speaker 2:And then we got the Paul Watts. He's supposed to do my intros.
Speaker 5:Ladies and gentlemen, let's get the party started.
Speaker 4:Wham, wham, wham.
Speaker 5:Paul I love it.
Speaker 5:What's up guys? It's good to be back on the podcast. Yeah, it's Humpy season right now. I'm in Washington state and yeah, we've been kind of one of our rivers shut down completely for the whole pink season, the whole summer basically, and it may not even be open until next May. So we're waiting to find out from that. But meanwhile we're getting out at some of the other local rivers.
Speaker 5:I'm getting ready to go up tomorrow for two days for a local river, stay the night up there, fish for some pinks, and they got some cohoes that are swimming in too. We had some good rain on Wednesday or Tuesday and then we went up Wednesday thinking it was going to be a lot of fishing, but it looked like just complete chocolate milk. So we're hoping things will be better. The weather's been nice. It's kind of sunny and yeah, it's more sunny today than the cloudy, but the next couple days should be really good. So tomorrow I'm going to go up and then Sunday have an opportunity to help a buddy out with a guide trip. So it'll be kind of good a recon for Saturday to find out what's going to work and hopefully get those clients dialed into fish sooner than later.
Speaker 2:Yeah, keep that fly in the water. That's like the big one.
Speaker 5:I heard that helps I know.
Speaker 2:I know People are always like where do you usually catch the fish? I'm like the water mostly, actually only solely.
Speaker 5:I remember asking the older guys when I was like in my 20s at the fly shop, you know, and I would be like what's the best advice you could give me, just starting out, and they'd be like you want to know the truth. They're like yeah, what? And they're like right, I'm going to tell you a secret. And I'm leaning in right, like what is it, tell me. And they're like you're not catching fish unless your fly is in the water. I'm like come on, yeah, you got to give me something more than that. And they're like that's it, son. I'm like all right, thank you, sir.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, it's a fun fact. I like I'll have people that, like, pull their fly out of the water and be like man, why aren't these fish biting? And I'm like, because your flies in your hand, you have no chance. If it's not in the water, yeah, even just drag it, troll it behind the boat, you have a better chance If all else fails. If all else fails, yeah. So I know that there, you guys have a closure, we have a closure. Mitch, do you have any closures that are happening that were unexpected?
Speaker 7:Yeah, so right now we're on the fourth year from so in 2019, we had a super hot year that had a lot of adult and juvenile mortality of coho salmon. So, like the first time really anybody's recollection they closed, they, they reduced the slot, the like retention limits, coho and a lot of systems, and then they'd like plan up, shut it down and a lot of systems to this year. They started off the year by closing the canes from the jump to no retention unless it's in a like a hatchery water. Again, that's 10 years too late on trying to have them recover. But that's my opinion. They did really well. Early season Second round soccer did pretty well. Thanks, nobody really cares. Number wise, I guess, like we don't keep things up here and like pick seasons over. Pretty much chums. I don't think there was as many chums in some areas, but in some areas there was more chums. But yeah, closure wise, it's always got quite a bit and then either close or reduced and then, she know, gosh straight down.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it's a, it's a thing I mean. Sometimes it has to happen. So, yeah, that's a good thing. What about you, kat? Anything in your neck of the woods that's abnormal.
Speaker 1:Well, I would definitely say I'm concerned that, especially in the interior here. So obviously West Colona is still having their issues with fires. Yeah, things are somewhat contained, but I mean the Okanagan's like scorched earth is crazy, like having come back from Maui and then literally it was like white horse was getting evacuated and then West Colona was on fire is like just so over fire, like I could. I could easily put on a puffy jacket and be frozen for the next six months. Thank you very much. I'm really heat in that way, but yeah, I last this time last year like I keep fishing logs, so I'm I'm kind of looking at what temps and water temperatures were like today.
Speaker 1:Where we're fishing we're at a fairly higher elevation than some of the typical lakes in Merritt, so our temperatures are still quite healthy. They're sitting at about 58, 59 today. Top end was 62, which is fine. These fish seem to like a bit of warmer water. But I would like to not see the same trend that we saw last year, where I was literally still fishing in a t-shirt at the end of October. We're zero turnover on some of these lakes and then you know, fish don't even have chance to get down under the thermocline and then, you know, suddenly it's ice on. So there's just not enough chance for lake health in general in this area to kind of recover.
Speaker 1:Certainly it's obviously experience winter kill, which is natural, that's. You know, I think there was kind of an over stress about that, especially in this area, based on group like kind of group chats and groups that I've kind of just I'm more a boy or than a talker in. But you know, like if you're willing to do the miles and you're willing to go a bit higher up, I think we're going to hopefully see a pretty good fall. But yeah, I don't. I don't see much changing here, weather wise though they've had. We had rain when we came up for the first time two days ago. I was so happy to see it, but that's the first rain that Aspen growth has had in just under 60 days.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Which is not great hot hot weather the rest of the time in.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, like some lakes will get confused, they'll go into a second bloom or turn over and then you know it's just dropped down to the bottom as much as they can, which you know everyone experience. We're building fishing, but this will be tougher.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So it would part enough to move bigger fish today. Lots of little guys, though, some nice, some of the ones that in this lake, where we're stocked, it's some the ones that he put in, like the nursery ones that we call them. They're like eight inches. They've already grown to 12 to 15 over three months. Yeah, they're. They're little footballs now, which is nice to see. They're looking really healthy and quick release. So they're, you know, they're looking good and in good shape.
Speaker 4:Nice.
Speaker 2:How about you, katie?
Speaker 6:I know a lot of our little like systems and rivers are like really, really low just because of that hot weather and everything we've been having. And I've heard of like definitely the closure on the cow, which in which I'm sure Andrew and Kat you've heard of as well, and Connor, and yeah, I've had some friends go on to some other systems, even like north of the island, and they're like Tiny, tiny slows like even like the deeper pockets are like Low and and there's fish just stacked in there and they'd have like nowhere to go. So it's, yeah, it's kind of sad to see and I'm just hoping that we get like some more rain and some cooler temps just to keep what we have going for like Continue, going for the next like Generations too, but hard to say.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, and it's just been. It's been seeming like the summers are almost lasting longer and even the winter winter seemed to like last a little longer on the island.
Speaker 6:Yeah.
Speaker 2:It's just been, yeah, ongoing Mm-hmm. I'm always down with closures when they're helping the fish. Oh, absolutely like when they're well researched and they're actually yeah there to do something, versus just random. But yeah, it's one of those things you know as a fisherman or even a guy, that's like oh shit, but then at the same, yeah, it's like no, yeah, well, we want these things to To be in good health.
Speaker 6:So that's oh for sure, yeah, I. Go ahead and I was gonna say that and that's a good thing when you know there is closures, because, yeah, we do have to protect those smaller systems and what's still there and hopefully Keep it that way or we more make it better down the road. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, enough closure talk. So let's talk about things that are open. We'll get to you, katie, in a bit here with your whole Alaska trip.
Speaker 5:You got one to hear about a fish and trip in Alaska. Gee yeah boring.
Speaker 2:Mitch is out there. It's not even a trip for you. It's not as cool. Yeah, right, just there. Yeah, connor, I want to hear a little bit more about your, your plans. So you're going. You're hopefully going for coho on the top water, you said.
Speaker 4:Well, you never know right, they just kind of show up when you're, when you're there, or they don't. But yeah, it's kind of a regular thing I do with my, my dad and my brother every year. And Nelson has a great boat that's suited for fly fishing, has a great bow, it's like a center console, it's like just good, good size boat and, yes, it's great, great to be out there right, port Renfrew if you haven't been a fish there, I highly recommend it. It's a lot of fun and Very close to wilderness. You know, only hour 40 from Victoria.
Speaker 4:Yeah and yeah, that's right, do most of my freezer fishing. Nice, oh yeah, hopefully it's a bonk city, but you never know it is right now. Yeah. Yeah we're up there. So yeah, definitely some should look, is definitely on the table and Try. I got a snook on the fly on the strip set, but you know, easier said than done.
Speaker 7:Issues down there y'all.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, okay, All right, this is an assault though right. So it's this. Yeah, the rivers know, most of our rivers are not in retention. Okay, gotcha.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So like here are you for the top water, If it's the perfect scenario for the, let's say, the coho, are you? Are you testing like poppers? Are you still just doing streamers?
Speaker 4:Yeah, that's the plan, because you know I've gotten on closures or all types of kind of You're more. I guess what first comes to mind when you're thinking of coho kind of stuff. But I want to try some different things, like some kind of surfboard flies, some poppers, some of those bigger flies that I was showing you guys earlier as the big bucktail streamers they're like herring imitations and then Also just type some kind of classic style bucktails, you know for high-speed trolling when you're searching for fish, but kind of give them a more modern twist with, like, a spawn head. Or you know, some nice polar bear, different kind of stuff, nice, yeah, you know, you guys know you have so much fun filling your box for your your upcoming trip. Right, it's half the half the fun preparation for it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, honey, I was late till the last minute. I'm like, oh no, I need all these things, and then it's late nights. Yeah, yeah, for sure like salmon for a test. Yeah, exactly. By the end of it you're like you got everything. But you're like let's do some weird witchcraft stuff and you get your flies. I Love that. Yeah, and then I guess, paul as well, you have a trip coming up for pings.
Speaker 5:Yeah, we're going up Northeast and Be up there tomorrow. We're gonna. We're gonna get up there early and there's a section of the river Dead. I've had good luck with pinks. When I went out there Two weeks ago it was great. I mean, I probably got bit, probably like 20 times. You know, I actually hooked up maybe seven and brought you know two to hand not good numbers by any means, but there was a lot of activity there. And then the next day I went out there and there was like nothing going on.
Speaker 5:So I kind of use that area as kind of like a litmus test to kind of see what's moving in and what's you know coming in and out. So that float tomorrow is that one is. It's roughly about six to seven miles. So we're gonna fish that section very quickly and kind of just scout it and you know Fish. It will probably be done with that section probably about like Eight, maybe nine o'clock and then we'll get up to our main stretch, which is about a 10 mile float and we'll we'll fish that from my 10 till sundown. From there and then In those two areas I feel like we'll see, we'll have a good idea of possibly where some fish are.
Speaker 5:So then Sunday when we go to take clients out, they can just, you know, hook up with some fish. But again the fish might be there one day, in the next day they might just be like we're not here anymore, like so. But again, at least it gives us. You know, we're putting the time in, we're being purposeful for what we're doing, you know, and we're being intentional. But again I heard that you know there is 800 plus thousand fish coming into this system. So I mean, who knows? You kind of feel like with those numbers you'd bump into something by you know accident. So we'll see what happens. That's kind of the plan and We'll just go from there. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, you get there and you just hear crickets.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I would rather be crickets on Saturday. Yeah, just be epic on Sunday, you know, for the guys coming out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, and pink fishing can buy me fishing, but like, especially when I'm Kind of by the ocean or something, you know, there could be nothing for like one of my first trips ever Going for pink salmon. We got there and we stayed for like five days. There was nothing, wow, for four days. In the last day, just this big, like massive amount I don't know how many, so I'll just say massive amount came in and it was like super foggy out and we're all like walking out To the water like all the other anglers and you know, my friends, and we're all walking out and then you could like Kind of start to see the water break through. Hmm, a little bit it started like clearing up and you just see all these torpedoes and it was just like, oh my god, they're here, nice, yeah. And then the rest of the day was pretty good, but of course it was the last day so I didn't get into a ton, but I only needed you know, I wanted to bring some home for the freezer and cook some salmon for.
Speaker 5:Yeah, and I mean, at the end of the day, let's be honest, they're pinks, you know, I mean they're not the most Thrilling fish by any means, but I mean for me they're great practice because I'm still learning how to, you know, play a fish on a spade rod and you know when to set the hook, when not to set the hook. And I just look at him, it's kind of good practice from there yeah, set, always set. Yeah, well, my big, my biggest, because that was always setting. Like I was trout fishing and I had buddies. They were like no, don't, and I was like, oh, okay, what do you mean? And they were.
Speaker 5:I heard this from George Cook and I love this analogy. He said with with like still head or salmon, any fish, that's like coming in and out. He said that they'll do what he calls chew on the gum. You know, and he was demonstrating this with you know somebody's sleeve it, one of the spade vents, but he's like they'll come by and they're like grab, let go, grab, let go, and then they'll grab and turn. He said, and then that's when you lift up and go towards the bank. And I was like, okay, that makes sense.
Speaker 5:So a buddy I took out last weekend it was his first time fishing for Salmon and Shout out to my buddy, victor. He was like, hey, man, go to this spot right here. And sure enough, we went to that spot. There was pinks. He hooked up with this first salmon. We got it on video and he was so giddy, he was so excited. He's like oh, it's my first salmon, it's my first salmon on a flyer, oh my gosh, it was cool to get it on video and also it was cool to have it for him so he can always look back at it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I guess you're right like there's a big difference in like the nipping fish versus like an actual take. I mean either streamer fishing you see it a lot where you like feel the bump but you gotta like keep stripping and not pull it out of the water, or else she gone.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I mean, if you're nip fishing, you know like the jokes always been with the you know us is that? You know I Hooks sets are free. You know that indicator goes down. You're just setting no matter what. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, 100%. Well, let's go Katie, because she just got back from a trip, so it's not a trip up, oh gosh.
Speaker 5:Here by the last day. Katie, let's hear it, come on.
Speaker 2:Is it even worth it?
Speaker 6:Um, absolutely worth it. It was so much fun. Um, so, thankfully, one of my good girlfriend she Ended up meeting a guy and marrying a guy from Alaska and she pretty much said come up whenever you want to. So, yeah, so I it was about a year in the work to get it all figured out just because of my schedule and their schedules, but yeah, so I went up just pretty much near the end of their sockeye season, I believe, and I was in Kenai and Saldana area and so I fished Cooper landing as well and and got one of those big like famous rainbow trouts from there which was like super stoked on, yeah, and then spots were so pretty, yeah, and then I got to see like a little baby brown bear as well while we were drifting down the Kenai. It was awesome.
Speaker 6:What else? We went to Homer, alaska. We went to Seaward or Seward, alaska, oh my god, where else did we go? Um, stirling, yeah, we pretty much did like the whole like peninsula there, nice, yeah. And then we fished a few different rivers in the, not in Homer or a Seward, but pretty much all through like Kenai, saltotna area, that's. We did my mainly most of our fishing.
Speaker 5:Wow, I saw that thumbnail that you had of that soccer there. That thing's big and bright. That's a cool looking picture.
Speaker 6:Oh, it's so cool, Like the whole river, like you'd be drifting down and you see these massive patches of red and you're like what's that? And then all of a sudden it's just mounds of sockeye there.
Speaker 4:That's cool.
Speaker 6:Yeah, and they could, like you could walk right through them and they would like literally just come right back around your feet. Wow, yeah, they just did not care. They're like we're here to do our thing and whatever.
Speaker 5:That sounds horrible.
Speaker 4:Yeah, you get one of those rainbows right behind the sockeye.
Speaker 6:Yeah, I did yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:On a good old egg pattern from your said.
Speaker 6:Oh yeah, we were fishing like tropes.
Speaker 4:Right yeah, right on yeah.
Speaker 7:That's the way to do it yeah.
Speaker 6:Yeah, so it was pretty much like indicator long leader, few weights and a bead and a hook.
Speaker 2:It's not as fancy, but I tried to capture a salmon today in Cranbrook BC. It's a landlock salmon. It's called a coca-cola.
Speaker 6:Oh, coca-cola yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and they're about six to 10 inches long and I dangled an egg in front of it. I was like, oh, chicken, you're like do it. I just haven't caught any salmon this year, so I'm like normally I would have. You know, I've gone salmon fishing by now. My buddy sent me this massive spring salmon that he got and I was like wanted to send him back a salmon. You know, be like I'm still out here salmon fishing. Yeah, it didn't work out. I wanted nothing to do with me.
Speaker 6:You cried.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the client was nice enough. I showed him the photo and I was like, can I try to catch one of these coca-cola? He's like, yeah, go for it.
Speaker 6:Nice.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it's always scary. And this is Paul. This is a thing. If you ever, on your guided trip, don't take that rod and hand, or if you do and you're trying to show him something, maybe cut the fly off because you catch a fish oh, yeah, it doesn't. Or you catch the big one. Yeah, that's an error. Pass it. Yeah, that's the case.
Speaker 5:I'm passing it off to somebody.
Speaker 2:Yeah, today it like almost happened to me, in a sense, where I, like, was holding his rod, he was getting something out and he was almost ready. So I threw the dry fly out as like a pinky, which is like a pink stone fly basically, or like a chubby, pink chubby, and I threw it out and it just started drifting down and it's a big fish came up for it. I literally like I like pulled it out of his mouth and, like, said nothing. I just said nothing. I was just like holy shnutzle, that was a big fish. Thank you, you ready to go bud?
Speaker 5:Yeah, I was like dude you should try close to the boat, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:I was like and then there's another time where I passed me the rod and I was just holding it in the dry flies, like directly in the water, and I'm just like all of a sudden I feel like da, da, da, da. And I looked, looked down and it's just like 10 inch rainbow, just like chewing on it. I just like started moving it upstream and it went away and I was like, leave me alone, I'm not trying to catch fish. And I could catch fish, but then when I try, it's a whole different story.
Speaker 6:Yeah, it doesn't work.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, andrew, are those Westlopes pretty darn eager to come to a dry.
Speaker 2:They are when you figure out which dry. So like it's literally like change flies, like you get a refusal, maybe you don't have to go off one, but like let's say you're fishing a section and you see one refusal, like don't show that fish that same fly unless you had a really terrible drift. And this is kind of what I've pieced together from everyone slash my own experience. But once you find the fly, it's like hammer time.
Speaker 7:Okay, it doesn't sense to me, because if any bug lands on the surface, you'd think they would just eat it.
Speaker 2:Dude, and like you're fishing water, maybe you might see a few rises randomly, but like nothing consistent, no dry flies on the water and you're just like you're looking in the water and you see rolls, flashes from the meeting, nymphs, whatever, and then or a merge and kind of stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then all of a sudden you like toss this like massive dry fly and you'll get like a refusal. So then you tie on something a little smaller, different color refusal. You do this like 20 times in a row, all refusals, and then you put on this one that you weren't thinking about or like was your next in line, and then all of a sudden it's like fish, fish, fish, fish, fish, fish. And then I'd like 40 minutes later it's like what crack the code again. So it's like, wow, maybe the big how picky they are.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's crazy. I like Ray and the other guides that I'm working out with here, so we're like texting during this stuff and, hopefully, someone's on the river. I'm on because it's happened where I picked the right fly right off the bat, but it's rarely like that for me so far. Just because I don't have the experience considering, you know, it's my first season out here, but it's definitely there is a code to crack. And then you have this whole other dilemma. So like, if it's early morning and it's cool, are they really wanting to come up? So like, at least with a refusal you could be like, okay, these fish will come up, but if there's nothing and sometimes they won't come up for just anything they'll only come up for certain flies, certain colors, certain size, whatever it be. So yeah, my brain's melted many of times. Have you ever switched it up to the?
Speaker 4:streamer. That's what I'm doing.
Speaker 2:Most people can't fish a streamer. Yeah, a lot of the people are doing dry flies and like roll casting or like not the greatest, but, like you, try to work on their men as long as they can get the men. But I've definitely thrown under an indicator some nymphs, like if it's super tough and I think it's just cold and that's the reason, then I'll do, I'll do some nymphing and then once in a while I'll throw like a balanced leech or something like that underneath. And then I had one person that was able to cast and I threw him on the streamer and they clapped for a couple of like good fish.
Speaker 4:So yeah, so it does, you can pull them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and even mice patterns. I haven't done this one yet because, like I was when I first got here, I had to learn all the sections. I have like eight sections or nine sections of three different rivers that I've had to learn in five days. So I didn't actually get to learn them all, I only got to learn like certain ones and then like the other ones, so it was just a guessing game. I know I've gone and everyone fished, so it's gone well, but it's been like mind melting because, like, is it the person's drift? Is it the fly selection? Is it? Am I on the fish? Should I have? I should have had my boat over there and they've been fishing where I'm at, and so it's like every day I'm just like, okay, let's go, let's do this. But yeah, they're very. They're not much different from like rainbows in terms of like where they'll be and what kind of, and then they're like a rainbow slash, a brown, so like they're in brown spots but they're also in rainbow spots, and then obviously, weather depending is kind of the big thing. But now that we're getting a little, we're getting much cooler in the mornings it's been. It's been a little more difficult to find them right off the bat or find willing ones, I should say, but you can almost guarantee that they're, you know, the softer stuff. Yeah, but we had on the on the St Mary River we had who El, which is a two o'clock closure, right, and so when that two o'clock closure is happening, we go earlier, but then you have till two o'clock to have figured out what flies, and that's like stressful because and then by two o'clock, yeah, hard stop, yeah, yeah, that's by two o'clock, that's when the fish are like starting to like be down with what you're doing, and so, yeah, you're under pressure for that. But today, like my client, we had a really tough morning. We got some fish on the ants and like a couple of other fish, and then we went to a couple of nymphs and the nymphs weren't really working but we did land like two really nice ones and then we kept working drives for a while and then I started noticing a lot of coquini in the field of the run. So we went to some eggs, bought them a couple of good ones, and then I got a text from the boss man saying that the pinkies were working and you know, it's pink with like a red body, and then that worked and that was really cool.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, it's, it's just mind boggling. Sometimes he is staring at the water. You don't see anything happening and then you throw this like roughly large fly but you haven't seen anything in the area that looks like it besides maybe a grasshopper and even a grasshopper Like, and then we'd throw grasshoppers and they don't want it even close to like grass banks and stuff, and I'm just like so different from the cow gin. It's like you don't really fish dries unless you see stuff maybe for rounds, but you don't really like it's not your first thing, like oh, let's fish dries right now. So, yeah, it's been a cool experience, but and then, well, you're on cat, you're still on your fricking vacation of life apparently.
Speaker 6:Yeah, what's work Kat yeah.
Speaker 1:I have to pay to play like that.
Speaker 2:That's kind of how that works, I guess, because it's summer, so kids are not at school.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean I used to work a lot of summers when I first started teaching, but this is like my 19th year, yeah, so I kind of for my mental health it's. Yeah, I need the break.
Speaker 2:I was going to say earlier. It came into my head and I was like who's teaching these kids?
Speaker 1:No, I know, oh shit, I'm going to sign on my library desk.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, see you.
Speaker 1:No, it's been good. No, like the man, there's been so many good highlights, like probably since May. May was really when things started to pick up right For a lot of still water and every weekend trying to get out and whether it was with the raft or with dad here with our boat, and yeah, like we took bucket list trip. For sure was we flew out of Tofino. I trained trout scout to wear those mutt muffs and we put her in one of those Haberton beavers and we we flew out from the coast of Tofino over to this little remote mountain lake called pretty girl Lake and had the place to ourselves and fish just blew up the water masters and caught these beautiful cutthroat all day like all on ants. It was like a dream come true. Yeah, that was amazing. And Nora flew so well. She like slept the whole flight. She was like I swear, like when I get date, like down days, like if we have more than five days of not fishing. She's looking at me like let's go, like what are we doing? Right? I know I've given her a bit too much of the taste of the lifestyle, so I don't know what's going to happen when I go back to work, but I think there'll be a bit of a revolt. But, yeah, this the summer, like once, once I was out of school was like great because it was just fishing pretty much straight through.
Speaker 1:Went up to Ruddix Like that's a really cool lake. It's top of the mountain outside of Lytton, BC, and great little spot. Aggie and Gord own the resort there and it's cool because they've never stalked the lake. The lake was stalked way back in the seventies. Loggers came in through a bunch of fish in there and then just let it, let it do its thing, and so we caught. Like the biggest fish I caught out of there on that trip was probably about a seven, seven pounds, while wild rainbow, so it literally had like it looked like steelhead, just beautiful, and that was. That was a surprise that I kept that on. I was like, yeah, this is let's hope we keep this kind of thing. But you know, playing around with like this, with what, what do we call it? Yeah, like a six in the sticks, so basically like pretty heavy weighted, weighted line trying to get down there as fast as possible in like really thin water. That was a huge highlight.
Speaker 1:And then, yeah, basically July was like road trip time, so spent a lot of time up here and then drove from Merritt to Cranbrook and went up and saw Ray for a couple of days. We fished. We fished the elk the first day and then we fished the bull the next. And, yeah, like the dry fly action on those lakes in particular, including the St Mary's, like this was just before Houdal came into effect is, you know, I don't think there's it, nothing like it Like we caught over hundreds of fish in two days and, you know, equally lost as many, because you know you're you're watching your drift and you're watching your bug.
Speaker 1:And then you know you see it, come up for it and you're just like whoa, and then you, you know you don't even set because you're too busy watching it. Um, yeah, lots of that and um, but so scenic like the bull is by far my favorite. I think when I go, come back next summer, um, I'd like to do the upper portion and then do the lower a second day, kind of do a back to backer.
Speaker 2:I think I'm going to have to just pay for you and me and get the occlude guide, because I never get a fish with Ray, so maybe I'll have to pay for it to make that happen. Pay for Ray. Yeah, pay for Ray. Yeah, pay for Ray.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we did, we did both days. And then you know I was regretting that I had only booked, you know, certain amount of days on my trip to stay in the Coot-n-eath. I would easily, I like I'd easily stay another week, knowing what I know now about the access and, you know, being able to fish a lot of those from, just from the river bank. Um, so yeah, obviously that's going to change the plans for next year a little bit for me. But yeah, nora and I ripped up from Cranbrook to we went up to Alberta. Yeah, we had the absolute privilege.
Speaker 1:Houdal came into effect on the bow by the time we had arrived. So Nora and I started a pretty early day, 4.30. We met Paula Shearer over on the bow at Policeman's Takeout and had a hell of a day. Just like the amount of learning. Yeah, I worked so hard not to like fangirl all day because it's just such a privilege to fish with someone so knowledgeable. And, um, yeah, and obviously Alberta fished so differently, right in terms of being able to have up to three hooks on one line. So we were I know it's so cool, so like so unnecessary.
Speaker 1:But like I, know, it is wild, but, like, what I think so cool is just being able to like have the experience of trying out so many different techniques. Right, like, I think that's that for me for fly fishing is is the search, like you know, if this, if this was endless summer, this is, this is the endless, the endless search for fishing, like figuring out all the different ways that you can enjoy. Um, yeah, this I don't even want to call it a sport, because for me it's, it's life, so it's really cool. So we used a hopper dropper method, which is so cool. We only use two, basically, and you know, you have your worm at the bottom end and then the hopper on the top. And the coolest part was watching.
Speaker 1:Um, we had made an early decision in the day. It was basically like, are we after numbers or are we, are we hunting? And I was like, yeah, let's hunt. So we decided to hunt in some pretty thin water. Um, and the amount of takes, like watching these big browns take the hoppers right on the surface and then realizing when they're caught, it's just like it's amazing. I caught my personal best. I caught a two foot long brown on that river that day. Um, beautiful, beautiful fish and um, just such such cool, such cool scenery. Uh, nora loved the float. She, she was like super entertained by all the pelicans, cormorants, llamas, like there's random stuff on all the shorelines above, and we obviously had really great weather for it too. So that was just an amazing day Just blown away. That was funny too, cause, who doll? We're watching our clock and like literally at like one 58, we watched the drop, like we watched the hopper go down, and we're like, oh, it counts you can say in the bag.
Speaker 1:Bring it in and then you know, let let the rainbow go, cause there's some really feisty rainbows on that river too. So that was just amazing. And then, yes, good, addled up to Rocky mountain house and uh fished with some lady friends out of the Calgary uh women's uh fly fishing group. Uh, yeah, so, uh, yeah, keith and and Sam Brault and uh and Brandy, they all came up and met me and we went for a nice big fish over at uh, one of the lakes up there that has houses, some tiger, trout and uh, we lucked out pretty much about midday when they finally decided to come out and play.
Speaker 1:Nothing like it. It's so cool cause they're a hybrid right Like tigers are a hybrid of a brookie and a brown, so they have this like amazing ability to have. They have, like technically they basically have been a built an agility of a brookie, but then they've got this aggressive takes of the browns which is just like, uh, it beats out rainbows for sure, like they. They're so much fun to catch and and watch them go and just the patterning, just gorgeous fish. So I was really cool to see.
Speaker 1:And trout scout got her first full dunk cause we were busy trying to film a, a fish that Keith had in her hand and I wasn't watching, and Nora's literally like leaning over, leaning over, and then she went right over the water master, like what's wrong? Like right into the water. I've never seen my dog disappear, so that gave me a heart attack. But I will say that her PFD did its duty, brought her back up like literally two seconds later and I'm like, yeah, like grab the dogs, throw her in. I don't even think she had time to breathe the water cause she was like oh okay guys, like what are we doing next?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I almost caught one. Well, I was down there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then you know she's a flat face dog, so I was worried for like two more days while I was out in you know middle of nowhere, alberta being like, uh, I better not need a vet. So she was fine, but a bit of stress there, yeah, a bit of stress and then the helicopter parent, I know.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, the dog went in the water.
Speaker 1:No, and like she's, she's not a swimmer. So yeah, yeah, she's a sinker. So yeah, I was pleased that that worked out okay. I think she learned her lesson, although she's, you know, she she just got stoked when she sees this, but yeah, so we did that. And then I drove back through. I went through five national parks in a day, I guess the route I took through the ice fields down through um uh, from Alberta I went back down to Revelstoke.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:See some friends there. Um, we missed our opportunity to fish together, but that's okay, I'll be back up there, hopefully soon. And then, uh, right back to Merritt. So basically kind of rounded out the trip. It was like epic two weeks and then literally slept a night and then was on a plane to Hawaii. So it was like, but, yeah, I was pretty sad, my, my goal had been bone fish while I was there but unfortunately my guide and obviously his family everyone was, you know, everyone was in pretty panic mode. Um, a couple of days later, once those fires hit our well, we had one in our area and then there was one up country and then obviously the uh devastation in Lahina was far none. So, yeah, so yeah, it was pretty crazy. And then back to it as soon as we got back home get in some more fishing, got the pinks on the Campbell and then you're now.
Speaker 2:So please I know you're telling me if I, if I go to school, get my doctorate and then work at a high school, it's a high school you work at. I'm in middle, I'm in middle school, middle school. So screw, high school, middle school. No, I like it, I get. I get a. I get a fish like a hundred and something. Days like sign me up, e teacher, baby, that's right Back at the woods, okay.
Speaker 5:Yeah, yeah, let's do this.
Speaker 1:Honestly, honestly, I've cal like this, this summer alone has been like pretty, like yeah, like I said, not being home more than six days, like that's, that's the longest I've gone fishing and, frankly, um, I don't know if I'd push it as far as it had last time because, like I'm still a bit tired. Like I'm not complaining, but, like you know, there's a few days out there where I was kind of sitting there going like, oh man, like I'm actually like do I really want to fish? Like I'm pretty poop, like that's. That's never happened. So I think just like giving myself a bit more time to recover rather than push through. But, um, yeah, now that obviously back to work, I'll be relegated to like work, fishing weekends and maximizing that time. But, yeah, as much as I can on the holidays and as much as I can on the spring breaks and stuff like yeah, I don't know it's a, it's a push, because fishing for me is what clears my head and what kind of keeps me sane.
Speaker 2:So you got something left in your head at this point.
Speaker 1:Pretty much, pretty much. It's weird, though, like I feel like I go. If I go a week without fishing, I start to like, yeah, I got an itch, like it's like I gotta, I gotta be out there doing, doing it somehow somewhere, like, yeah, got a fish.
Speaker 2:You're a fish head. You just get scared, itching hard, Like, hmm, it's like what's wrong with you? I haven't caught a freaking rainbow or brown in a while.
Speaker 1:Even catching. I don't. It's not even about catching fish, although that's like a nice byproduct. It's just being like being out there, being in the water, being around water, really calming. So you know, I could tell like Hawaii, like we were there, for you know we had the privilege of being being there. We spread mom's ashes and we were there for 14 days, you know, and obviously having fish, and I was just like, oh shit, like I got a fish, like I got to get out there. So as soon as I got to the Campbell and had my feet in the water, it was like immediately, like I could feel it all on my body, like just totally relaxed, like it was like ah, like back to where you're supposed to be and what you know, it's grounding. So it's, yeah, it's important, important. I agree.
Speaker 6:I agree with you, kat. I feel the same way. Yeah, got a fish.
Speaker 2:It's like pinging in a pool. You just feel good and relieved. No, that's wrong, different. Sorry, my bad Shit. I was like, oh, I did say that. Damn my apologies. Well, I guess, mitch, you're the last one you lived in where everyone wants to go, so I don't even know if I'm allowed to talk to you right now about this.
Speaker 6:Can you adopt me yeah?
Speaker 2:Are you doing that Kind?
Speaker 7:of like the most comfortable, like sofa. It's like a sofa thing that it's like a pullout Dude. It's the most like if I fall asleep on the couch, like I don't try to go to bed, I just stay there. So like if you come like, hop on.
Speaker 2:We just got an invite.
Speaker 7:Yeah, yeah, formal invite. Come on through.
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 7:No, the summer's been good. It's been like wicked fucking rainy up here, though.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you guys didn't get a summer this year.
Speaker 6:It was wet.
Speaker 7:Dude. Yeah, it's like it's been nothing but like blown out systems. For the majority of the summer it has dropped to like fishable levels, but really early season all of it was rain and then like it's been raining the past like I don't know two weeks and it's only going to keep raining till snow falls. So like our summer has been pretty non-existent. That being said, I did get a chance to get out to Calgary for bull trout. I went with some buddies. I met with there Two guys that are Canadian company Backcountry Skins I don't know if you guys have heard of them Really good guys. Kelly and Mike are like absolute beauties of humans Met some other buddies and we went fishing out there for bull trout. For it was like a five day trip for me. We like hit the stampede for a day and then we just took off to the mountains and I caught my first bull. I went seven for eight for the whole trip. It was pretty sweet, yeah, just like liking massive canyons on like glacial blue water and like river crossings and like tossing big ass flies for these aggressive trout. It was like just mind blowing experience. And then just like the camaraderie of five guys in a Winnebago for five days like just eating beers and like having a good time, yeah, so like that was super fun.
Speaker 7:Coming back, I've done some decent fishing up here.
Speaker 7:It's been like the year of the grayling for me. It's like I can't keep it gray and then coming up in, like I guess I fly out in a week, I fly back east, buddy's got a wedding in Maine and I'll be out there for like 10 days out east and it's going to be like the gathering with the guys and then the wedding and then in between that there's going to be just like five days for me to kick it and go fishing. So there's a musky spot. I want to go for straight bass, smallmouth bass and then like landlock, atlantic salmon and brook trout are like kind of the main targets that I want to go for. So it should be a good year, should be a good time. But then, yeah, I come back and it's fall fishing and that's you know big old football, dollies and rainbows, and then you know just, you know river fishing and like I'll pick up a spade, I'll pick up the spade, I'll pick up the spade rods again and I'll start swinging come, come end of September-ish.
Speaker 2:So yeah, yeah, nice, yeah, well, it's my turn now. Yay, yay me. I'm excited because we just finally started figuring out our vacation plans. But I got the wife and kids kid. The other one's staying home, but the younger one's coming here to Cranbrook and we're going to go down the Elk as a fam jam, fam, jam, fam, jam down the Elk. It's going to be Luca's first time. That's my son his first time down a river.
Speaker 2:Nice, he's been to the river and the Elk is definitely a tamed river. They don't like assuming it doesn't blow out. But even when it was blown out, I saw him at two days ago when it was like raining. And then the day after I was on it when it was blown out and it was like not, not, not anything, anything crazy. So perfect system to take him down on.
Speaker 2:And then, yeah, so we're going to go fish and do a picnic and all that, which is super fun. And then we're family and my raft are going out to Alberta and I'm going to go to Drum Heller for two days, work the wife and kid and look at dinosaurs and whatnot, which is super exciting. And then going to the Calgary Zoo super exciting, that's great, yeah, and then I've hired a guide for the bow river and then I'm going to go down that do streamer fishing and then I'm just going to fish it for a couple of days, like three, three days with my raft and some friends that I have out there and yeah. So I'm super pumped on that.
Speaker 5:I haven't been to the bowl river.
Speaker 2:I've only ice fished in Alberta, so super fired up to just like finally get there. So I've been talking about this trip for so long and then I realized I like punched it in my phone. I was like I'm four hours away. Why would I not take my raft, Like it's already here, you know so yeah, yeah, I'll pick your brain after.
Speaker 4:That's a great trip. I'd love to fish the bow, oh I know, and I'll probably be.
Speaker 2:I was just about to say I'll probably message you, connor, because I'm really not the smartest person and decided that I wouldn't have time between the podcast and guiding to bring my any of my fly time stuff. It was the worst decision of my life, oh my God, I just regret it. So hard, even like when it blew out, I had like two leeches. I was told it was dry fly fishing so I brought like my nymphs, but I didn't bring any of my like your leeches or anything like heavier, that's like dark like, and then I'm just out there like trying to use like learn world muddlers under indicators. Luckily I had like six, six like well weighted, like 4.5 mil tungsten beaded. Nerd moment what? Yeah said nerd moment, nerd moment.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like baitfish minnows that I like use on the cow, and they were luckily in my streamer box and that saved me so, so bad. It was the only fly that was working. So it was literally like chocolate milk and like halfway through the day it finally like kind of started to get not as chocolatey. It was like if you run it down with water, crazy. And then, yeah, then they started getting into fish and I only had two that were like heavily dressed with like I use, like deer hair for the for the backs of them, and so the other ones were all meriboo and they just didn't stand out as much. And then at the very end of the day they just clapped and I was like thank, everything that I had just in there. And then Ray, of course, like I was like is anything working? And he sends me all the stuff I don't have and I was like I can't.
Speaker 6:Of course.
Speaker 2:I left my vice and I totally have time to tie. Like I don't know why, I thought I would not have a moment to tie.
Speaker 4:One at night. Man fills a box.
Speaker 2:Seriously, I just like I don't know what I was imagining. And then when I was like picking the or like my boxes that I was going to bring, I don't even understand my like. I must have been rushed or like totally just forgot in the moment, because when I got here and realized I didn't like bring all my boxes, I just like thought about it and was like what a fool. But luckily everyone's been really good here. One of the guys that work at the shop like I could just text him whatever I need and he'll tie it for me. So nice, he's been a blessing.
Speaker 2:Beautiful selection of flies. Yeah, I mean the dry flies, there's no issue. The pimps, I have like quite a few that are quite effective. There is one that I needed that I got. I tied up. I used to raise vice, but then I want to just use everyone's material and hooks and be that guy that's like hey man, can I get some hooks from you and some beads? You know so, and I literally have like everything I would need at home, everything. I have a wall of hooks, wall of beads, like every material I need, and it's just there at home. So yeah, Hard times.
Speaker 1:Glad you're taking Alberta trip. It's gonna be so much fun for you. Andrew, You're gonna love your time on the boat. I loved it.
Speaker 2:Well, and I, my fishery is really cool. I'm tempted to see if I could like even maybe guide out there for a little bit. I'm definitely thinking about it just for like a week or two.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's really neat Also, Deli, that you get to go see the dinosaurs. That's always been kind of a highlight to do this.
Speaker 2:Well, and I paved out there once, so I've been there, but I didn't actually get to like look around and like go see some stuff. So I'm super excited to get back there. But, more excited to see some when you literally twitched when you were talking about the Browns coming up for hoppers, I was like that's amazing. I want to use two flies so bad, just like I did it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like I mean, I'm not gonna lie, I was like very satisfied that it went for the hopper rather than the room, but it was yeah to see it come out of that. Then a water like the big ones that we caught that day including like the PD that was that was in like less than two feet of water. I like, sitting in thin, thin, thin, thin water and the bow has these grasses, you just looks like really flowy hair. It's really cool. It's a neat, really neat fishery.
Speaker 2:That's probably been the coolest part about this experience was. Coming out here was, like you know, going from basically like if we're talking guiding, I've only guided on the couch and I've drifted a few other systems, but but you know only a couple and then coming out here I was like forced into three different systems and then going out there, I might hit up the bow and a couple others that some people have been talking about.
Speaker 1:So I'm like well, yeah, if you could get up to Canon, ask us better get up there before they start doing some more stupid stuff, because there's ongoing things right now and some of their river systems was like unauthorized construction and things. Oh man, yeah, I know Native bull habitat is at risk right now, but, wow, more for another time. Yeah, yeah, there's a lot going on in that area. I wish I actually I think Department of Fisheries is dealing with it now like we're checking it out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I hope so. You know me too. Fisheries is there for a reason that's to protect those fish, so that's a good thing. But, yeah, I mean anytime we get out to, you know, anytime we get out to, I'm sure, all of us across the board anytime we're on a new piece of water, there's that excitement, or, you know, I guess, saltwater to lakes, to, yeah, new piece of water, it's just exciting to be there and then that chance that it actually catch some fish feels good. But exploring Exploring has always been something that I like doing, and so, yeah, now I'm just on this massive adventure.
Speaker 2:So explore your way north. Hey, I'm like working on it, but the people keep taking this like large portion of my money for me. Yeah, I've been looking into it, though. I'm trying to figure it out why they do that and what we're going to go, and but they keep taking my money from me every time I get paid. There's just this portion missing, or else I would have been up in Alaska a while ago, yeah, but yes, I will. I will definitely be rain checking that. I think you're actually going to need more than one couch, though, because I actually count five people here. Yeah, five people. So I mean.
Speaker 6:You're going to get a few more.
Speaker 7:There's a room of men now that can like, if you all take the floor like three to sleep in here. Then there's the floor in the family room, the couch that's like a queen size that can fit two. So Okay, like there's plenty of room. And then there's like a front yard for a tent. Like y'all are good.
Speaker 2:Perfect, so you're sleeping in the tent and giving us your bed. That's so nice of you.
Speaker 6:So generous Wow.
Speaker 7:I'll sleep in my truck. I'll just like pack up. Sleep in my truck, yeah.
Speaker 2:We'll turn off the porch lights. Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, that's, that's really nice. I really appreciate that and the fact that you're going to feed us and clothe us while we're down there. It's just.
Speaker 6:And give us an allowance. That's so nice.
Speaker 2:That's really nice.
Speaker 7:Take the keys to my truck and when you're done, just drive it home. Yeah, you just have it.
Speaker 2:I don't even need it anymore. Yeah, no, you'll see me in Alaska. You'll see my face out there. Alaska, watch out, here it comes, sweet man, I'm going back, I am so.
Speaker 7:Okay. So, like Katie, you went, like you did Alaska and you did, like you did the key, not peninsula, Like you missed out on, like I like the key and I also hate the key, and I.
Speaker 6:Yeah, yeah, I agree.
Speaker 1:No, she does either, because he lives there.
Speaker 7:No, but like I hate it for the fact of how many people go to the key and I like oh yeah, there's so many people there. I don't, unless I'm going to like get salmon for my freezer. I don't go to the keen eye in the summer.
Speaker 6:Yeah.
Speaker 7:The only go north and like hit all the more like intimate water streams of like, like rainbows and dollies, and they can go.
Speaker 7:You still get salmon up there, you get grayling and like it's just so much more like intimate and like smaller waters and like You're more in the thick of things, rather than like on this big river with thousands of other people floating it Like I don't know. Like that, to me coming up here, when I came up here in 2020, the key now was always a river of like this, like huge, amazing dream that, like you know, one day I'll get to fish it, and then you come up here and almost every single fish you catch up here or out of the keen eye, I mean even, I mean really anywhere you go, but especially the keen eye, like it's missing eyes, they're missing maxillaries, they're all scarred up, like they're so overhandled and over fish that like I just don't like hitting the keen eye in the summer because it's like hundreds of boats go down it, hundreds of people go down it, like it's just not worth it for me. Yeah.
Speaker 7:And then you got people yelling at you and like, oh, you took my spot and it's just like you know like I'll leave.
Speaker 6:Yeah, I guess I was pretty lucky, like we were, like I was sort of more at the end of the season at least like that's what my friends told me when I was there. But what? I was there from August 22 to the 29th.
Speaker 7:Oh, you just left.
Speaker 6:I just left, yeah.
Speaker 7:Oh shit, Okay yeah, that's like yeah, you were up here a good time.
Speaker 6:Yeah, so it wasn't like there wasn't, like there was still like. For me, looking at it, it seemed busy. But for what, alaska is that? That was like slow, they're like there was no one on the river.
Speaker 7:Yeah, yeah, like I was down there last weekend and it was like super slow, but, that being said, there was still, like you know, probably 100 people in the water.
Speaker 6:Yeah.
Speaker 5:So that's, a lot Wow.
Speaker 6:Yeah, but that's like, that's like slow, like you're still doing like amazing fishing and you're hitting great spots even with that many people.
Speaker 1:I believe it. I just come from a place of wanting a lake to myself, so it's hard to people.
Speaker 6:Yeah, we're not at all so.
Speaker 7:So I'll put it this way like the state closed the set netter season for like the saltwater sockeye season, right, they closed saltwater harvest of sockeye, so the first run of sockeye came in like record breaking numbers because nothing was caught and stopped from coming in.
Speaker 6:Yeah.
Speaker 7:And what the state will do is like once they hit their escapement goal of power money fish, they'll up the limit of sockeye per day. So I went from a six in possession to six in possession and then I went to nine a day, 18 in possession, wow. And then the state was was going to raise it to 12 a day, 24.
Speaker 6:Jesus.
Speaker 7:The like state DOT was like our roads can't handle this traffic. No.
Speaker 6:Yeah, oh, no, definitely not.
Speaker 7:Like with every with, like with every increase in, like career limits, like that, just like I took down to the Kenai, it was stupid, it was unbelievably stupid.
Speaker 6:Yeah, that's what my friend was saying. Like just the amount of traffic on that main highway going through Cooper Landing and everything was just like bumper to bumper.
Speaker 7:And it's a two lane road. It's one way, each way.
Speaker 6:Yeah, yeah, exactly yeah, it's a smaller highway.
Speaker 7:Yeah it. Just it was dumb. It was so like for the whole month of. I went down once I ran a suicide in June, june 15th, 14th into 15th, and didn't touch the Kenai until like end of July. Yeah, yeah it was. It was unbelievably stupid.
Speaker 1:So I know there's kind of a part of me that's like a little Machiavellian, that's kind of pleased that fishing created that much havoc.
Speaker 2:You just like seeing some chaos.
Speaker 1:I was like seeing some chaos, but then it was fishing, nothing else.
Speaker 2:Yeah. There's a tiny appreciation for that, but yeah, it's a good little thought, but that's crazy that they just kept increasing the limit.
Speaker 7:Well, yeah, because there were so many fish, they were just like screw it might as well, let people keep more. And then like more and more and more kept coming in. So they kept just increasing it until they couldn't.
Speaker 2:What if, like, we didn't do that and then the next, like four years, all of a sudden there would be.
Speaker 7:Andrew, I just be a sister of a river of?
Speaker 2:yeah, I know, but it would just be like a river of fish. There would be no water, it would just be these big fish flopping on each other.
Speaker 6:So it's a good thing, or like that.
Speaker 7:That was something that I was wondering is like way more than normal fish came into the system, but also way more than normal fish were harvested. So like I wonder if it added like a baseline amount of fish still spawning or if there was an increase in spawn, or like I'm interested to see like what the actual rate of like you see, like like retention into the population became, even though it was like that increase in retention of fish, you know you see, like grizzly bears that are too fat to even walk, they're just rolling around.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:They can't even move. They're just this big blob on the thing.
Speaker 7:You guys should check out the National Park System at King Salmon. They have Fat Bear Week. I don't know if you guys have seen that Is that the is that in Katmai? Yeah, yeah, it's at Brooks Falls.
Speaker 6:Yeah, I want to go to that so bad.
Speaker 7:So, like they know all the bears in the area that they're like tagged or like they're marked in some way, so they do like a, like a March man is bracket almost. And like the people vote on, like who they think is going to be the fattest bear of the year. And then they have some way of like they'll take a picture and they can like get the volume of a bear based off the size of a picture or something. I don't know how it works, and then they'll like determine on the crown like the fattest bear of the year.
Speaker 2:Can you repeat that again, where you, where you go to find that?
Speaker 7:That's like if you just type in Fat Bear Week 2023, it'll come up.
Speaker 2:Boom, fat Bear, week 2020. Let's go, let's go. Yeah, we should start betting on it. That's what I want. I want to see some cash flow from this, right.
Speaker 1:Well, like in fairness to the bear, does he even know that he's one? No, is he going to cut? Yeah or she?
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, no, but it's OK, because when we're out fishing and we're having a tough day, a barrel just like come out of the bush, walk to the river, grab a fish, walk back out, and we're just like what the fuck just happened? Does that bear just grab a fish? Is it going back for another? What just happened? You know we're just out there trying our little hard so we can't get anything.
Speaker 7:Yeah, but yeah, so like that, that's a fun little thing to like pay attention to and like kind of like the whole nation goes crazy for like a week and every step of the bears.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love that. That is so funny. Oh my god. Yeah, well, that's, you know that's probably a good note to end on Fat Bear Week. Fat Bear Week, yeah, yeah, yeah, well, check it out. It's really educational on who which bears getting the fattest. If that's what you're into the finding out in life. Fat Bear Week, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5:Round looking bear right there yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, right on, I do think that, yeah, we're just talking nonsense. Now, fat Bears, what just happened you can take that back to me.
Speaker 6:Take it a turn.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 7:I plug us.
Speaker 2:But Well, we've all seen some fat bears in our life, but I don't think we've seen the Fat Bear the week. So I think this has been porn information. Yeah, that's hilarious. That's another like major thing to me. Wanting to go to Alaska is just to see like a grizzly bear. Like you know, I don't want them too close, but like close enough that I'm like feeling uncomfortable. That uncomfortable wave comes on you. So it's like Real quick.
Speaker 7:I'll like I'll say one last story.
Speaker 7:Like first year I was up here down to the Russian River it's right off the quinoa and I was sockeye fishing and like everybody's like pretty nice, nice about the fact that, like if there's a bear coming to warn you, or like if they're coming from downstream, they'll be like hey, if you like, if you had downstream there's a salin, three cups, or like you know there's you know two brown bear or you know whatever, and they'll like kind of like let everybody know, so nobody's like jumped and surprised Like one of this.
Speaker 7:I think it was the second time I was down there. I sent a picture to my mom the next day and it's me holding like two sockeye salmon that I caught and like 20 yards behind me, on the other side of the river, is mom grizzly and her mom and four and three yearlings that were like ready to get kicked out and just like sauntering up and I was like sorry, mom, and I just like pieced off the river and I, you know, ran back to the not I didn't run, but like I went up the trail back to the truck and I was like all right, I'm out of here. But yeah, like plenty of friends have like had their stringer stolen by like brown bears, like walking through.
Speaker 2:So Geez, and that's an animal. Yeah, they're like the bears are talking. Watch this, wait for him. Yeah, you see he's gone, his four. Watch this. Just walks up, grabs your food.
Speaker 7:He can't do nothing.
Speaker 2:He can't even do anything.
Speaker 7:Pretty much, yeah. I mean like you get so jaded to bears up here where, like you see a bear on the other side of the river and you just like you don't do anything, like the Russian River is a small river, it's like you know 10 yards across, and like you see a brown or a black bear walking up, like on the other side, and you're just like whatever and you just keep fishing.
Speaker 2:It's pretty cool so that's awesome, that's super cool. Yeah, well, you're in a freaking dream destination place, so you better get that, those couches, ready.
Speaker 1:I don't know what Mitch's destination would like dream destination would be if he wasn't in Alaska, oh yeah, or if you're going to go to Alaska but where do you want to go, mitch?
Speaker 2:That's a good one.
Speaker 7:Okay. So like I was born in New Jersey, lived in Maine for seven years and I came out here like four years ago, three years ago, and I've realized that like I'm never going to be satisfied anywhere that it lives like retrospectively, like I loved Maine. At the end of the day, I wasn't like once I moved I was like shit, why did I move right? And I love Alaska. And once I moved out of Alaska and be like why did I ever move out of there? So to answer that question is like I don't know, it's just that has good fishing in a good river is like where I want to be. So yeah, it's, it's not a place, it's just like.
Speaker 5:By a river. You make the place, the place doesn't make you. Yeah, yeah, pretty much.
Speaker 2:Truth bombs. Well, me and Connor will message you from Christmas Island as we're going to change big things on fast. You hear that, connor, we got. We got dreams now.
Speaker 4:I wish I want to go to Oman or something like that. Oh yeah, yeah, the GTs.
Speaker 2:Well, you can get GTs at Christmas.
Speaker 1:Oh for sure, yeah yeah, you can get them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what draws you there to Omar?
Speaker 4:It's so unique, right, it's just a weird place, weird place that's up here. Weird place. It's just very, you know, very different from you know, culturally and geographically. It's like a desert with an ocean. Yeah, you know, a desert on an ocean, right, it's just bizarre, right. So I think it'd be cool to check out, yeah yeah, I like that.
Speaker 2:I like I'm salt trips are going to start happening in the next like 10 years. I need my son to be able to cast like a 10 weight, so I'm like yeah, man, yeah, I work him up to it.
Speaker 4:but yeah, I can stay in rods for that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, there's something about like everything has. You know, when I'm on a lake, there's something special about that. When you're on a river it's a little bit different, and when you're on the salt it's also different, like they're.
Speaker 7:They're also unique, but then it's all fishing at the same time, but then yeah, Salt, like saltwater fish is wild like a 10 inch fish in the freshwater versus a 10 inch fish in the saltwater. Like you'll get your hands into you, it's, it's dry around the ocean. Agreed so yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4:well, the salmonids are limited in their tail size relative to their body size, right?
Speaker 7:Yeah, yeah, but yeah, you catch a fish like a, like a. What are they? Jack Travali, which like so small and thin, but like I've used.
Speaker 4:But they're tall right, so they're longer or deeper than their body is.
Speaker 7:Using like a 12 weight for them and I was still like doubled over and I was like what the fuck is happening?
Speaker 4:you know Related to a GT right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, okay yeah, interesting or part of the fishing facts, I love it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's fine.
Speaker 2:I didn't even know that.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, because salmon have to swim upstream, right? So their tail can only be as tall as their body is, whereas like a pelagic species can like a marlin or a GT or something like that as a that kind of long forked tail that can be sometimes twice as deep as its body is. So that's how they get that much, much more power. Huh well, like a 20 pound tuna like a full of 20 pound. Okay, but like all over the ocean, right yeah.
Speaker 2:That's a good point now that I'm thinking of, like, all the fish that you know are in the salt that don't go into a system, yeah it's like it's something that I've, like, I guess, recognized looking at fish, but I've never like had it licked that.
Speaker 4:But like, yeah, because the salmon have to be able to, you know, scoot their belly up those tiny rocks so they can't have a big, big forked tail. That's kind of you know you ever see a video of, like a tuna and shallow water. They end up having to swim sideways, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Crazy. You just blew my mind, connor.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I'm here for buddy.
Speaker 2:I'm like jaw dropped, like fuck. It was like oh, no, yeah, that was like when I was younger. I worked at Dairy Queen and then I was like working and one day I was like the fucking queen of dairy. I get it now Just like it's right there in front of you. But you don't know. Until you know, connor, you didn't know You're the last ten minutes of the usual suspects.
Speaker 1:You put them all in the deck, yeah.
Speaker 2:Walking down the street. This was a really educational. We learned about why fish in the salt are faster and we learned about fat bear week. Like I just can't express. The education that I just went through is insane. Well, I appreciate you guys coming on and all and sharing everything because that was a lot of fun.
Speaker 6:Yeah, thanks for doing it, thanks for having us.
Speaker 2:My cheeks hurt a little bit from smile, so that's always a good thing, perfect, that's a good thing All the way down.
Speaker 1:You hear the coyotes now.
Speaker 2:I know I love how I've just been watching your sunset for you. I know I'm getting goose bumps, that's cool.
Speaker 1:And me. I love you. It's still going kind of I don't know if you guys can see like it's pretty. Yeah, it's pretty. I'm going to set up my GoPro for like a I got to set up the external battery. I'm going to take a full night lapse tonight, so so cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, you're on it with the freaking camera. Work lady.
Speaker 1:Dude the 12th dropping next week, but I don't think it's going to be any different. Go save your pennies.
Speaker 2:Okay, I didn't know we had to pay, but okay, I will. No, I don't Right on. Well, paul Katie, kat, connor Mitch that's a lot of names right there. But yeah, once again, I appreciate you guys coming on and chatting.
Speaker 7:Yeah, thanks for having us, yeah.
Speaker 4:Cheers, andrew. See you later.
Speaker 6:Good to meet you guys. Yeah, bye.
Speaker 2:Yeah, everyone, stay with us on your adventures and I'll chat soon.
Speaker 3:Thank, you for listening to Dead Drifter Society. Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes. In the meantime, keep up with the show and get to know Andrew on Instagram at deaddrifterssociety. Until next time.
Speaker 2:And there you have it. That was the group chat, so if you want to go follow along on their adventures, just go to the description and I'll have everyone plugged in, as always. If there's anyone else you'd like to hear on the podcast, just shoot me a message over at Dead Drifter Society on Facebook, instagram and Gmail and I'll see what I can do. Until next time, I'll catch you later.