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Diaries of a Lodge Owner
In 2009, sheet metal mechanic, Steve Niedzwiecki, turned his passions into reality using steadfast belief in himself and his vision by investing everything in a once-obscure run-down Canadian fishing lodge.
After ten years, the now-former lodge owner and co-host of The Fish'n Canada Show is here to share stories of inspiration, relationships and the many struggles that turned his monumental gamble into one of the most legendary lodges in the country.
From anglers to entrepreneurs, athletes to conservationists; you never know who is going to stop by the lodge.
Diaries of a Lodge Owner
Episode 67: Reeling in Success from Fish to Fabric w/ Tim Dawson
From the tranquil waters of Brantford, Ontario, to the bustling fashion world of Toronto, Tim Dawson's story is one of passion, family, and success. Join us as we sit with this Canadian clothing mogul, the man behind the Legacy Brand Campus Crew, who reveals how his early dreams of fish farming shaped his journey in the competitive world of retail and wholesale fashion. Discover the magic that happens when personal passions, like fishing and the outdoors, intersect with business, as Tim recounts his childhood enchantment with aquariums and the pivotal moments that led him from fish farming aspirations to thriving in the family clothing business.
Tim invites us into the fascinating world of fish farming, a realm teeming with potential, from raising tilapia to stocking programs for conservation. We take a stroll through the strategic evolution of Campus Crew, a brand that transitioned from a beloved mall staple to a powerhouse in the wholesale sports apparel industry with licenses from NCAA, NHL, and NBA. As Tim shares his journey, we learn the value of networking and building relationships, underscored by his dedication to maintaining unparalleled quality and style in fashion.
Sharing is more than just caring; it's a way of life for Tim, as we explore moments of camaraderie and excitement on fishing trips with friends and family. From the thrill of his son's first catch to heartwarming tales of lifelong friendships forged through shared outdoor adventures, Tim paints a vivid picture of life lived in harmony with nature. This episode captures the essence of community, family bonds, and the joy of passing down traditions. Join us for a heartfelt conversation that celebrates the intersection of personal passions and professional success.
This episode of Diaries of a Lodge Owner is brought to you by Nordic Point Lodge a luxury outdoor experience with five-star service.
Speaker 2:It was awesome for me to be able to merge my passions into the business world. So you know, it all started with fishing and all that Got into the business world. So you know, it all started with fishing and all that Got into the family business. You know, like I said, we were very university-based sports teams and all that, and I'm like there's a whole market out there, oh yeah, in the fishing world, outdoor world, yep, that, I think, is my passion, yeah, and there's money to be made. So that's where I've really taken, I've built the company out in this direction as well.
Speaker 1:This week on the Outdoor Journal Radio podcast Networks Diaries of a Lodge Owner, stories of the North, willie does this one without me, that's right. Willie's flying solo on this one and he has the pleasure of speaking with a Canadian clothing mogul and owner of Legacy Brand Campus Crew. And it is our pleasure to introduce to all of you Tim Dawson On this show. Willie and Tim talk about the importance of networking and building relationships and how it directly impacts sales. They talk fall musky fishing tactics and sprinkle in a few captivating tales like only Willie can do. So. If you're interested in successful networking and sales, or just love great stories, this one's for you. Here's Willie's conversation with Tim Dawson.
Speaker 4:Folks, welcome to another episode of Diaries of the Lodge Owners Stories of the North. We got a really special guest here with us today, a special guest to the show, to the whole Outdoor Journal Radio Network and to myself personally, A man that I find has created his own path and at the same time walked a journey with his family that has brought him to some crossroads at times and to make some tough business decisions that have set him up for the future that he's in. Now we're going to chat about some fall musky stuff here and what's been going on in the great white north, and with that I want to introduce everybody to Mr Tim Dawson.
Speaker 2:It's a pleasure to be here everyone. I couldn't be happier. I'm excited to be on the show here and, yeah, I've had the opportunity to spend the last five days up north with Will, and it doesn't get better than that.
Speaker 4:Matt, I'm super to have you here. We're live right now actually in my kitchen. Tim's been up. He came up to Nordic here for a couple days to help me close up a few things at camp and, you know, kind of get him back in the game. He's from down in the Brantford area and we figured, you know, it would be a good time of year to get him up here and chase some fall muskies and some big pike and see the beautiful nature of what we have to offer up here in northwestern Ontario.
Speaker 2:So thanks for coming brother, no problem, yeah, it was much needed. Yeah, right, little man at home. So Well, yeah, you got a little young fella now it's uh over a year and a half, so life's been busy, you know, between that and the business.
Speaker 4:So well in saying that with your life, let's, uh, let's dive right into it here. I know, uh, we're running solo today. Just before we hop in here, guys, mr, our host of the show, mr ste Steve Nitzwicky, has some family obligations and we decided to run a solo show. Yes, stepped up, see, I'm working on it, I'm working here. I'm working here, learning, learning. So, everybody, thank you very much again for being here and let's enjoy the show. Tim, let's start with you know where did you grow up, tim, and what was your childhood like? And where you know? Walk me through your young past life.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so grew up, born and raised in Brantford still there and yeah, just a passion for fishing and outdoors Like that and sports was my childhood.
Speaker 4:So you went to high school and public school in in Brantford. Yeah, you're up there, your local boy um Brantford's, northwest of Toronto. If anybody doesn't know, it's about 18 hours south of here yeah, it's a hike long hike from here. Um, so you finished high school, you in that area, did you go to college?
Speaker 2:Yes, I actually went for like. I wanted to become a fish farmer at one point.
Speaker 4:Okay, well, this is interesting. Yeah, I think you knew this. So when I did not know this, so a fish farmer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I always had a passion right for fish, everything to do with that. So growing up had dozens of aquariums, breeding fish breeding koi breeding, discus, and even at one point I had a stock tank near the furnace. So did your dad so hold on.
Speaker 4:Did your family, did your family breed these fish and and and and and and teach you these ways when you were younger?
Speaker 2:my dad's passion, okay, yeah so my dad had the passion of just the same thing right Fishing. He loved aquariums, had a giant puffers when I was growing up, like little little and saltwater aquariums. And then, you know, I remember being some of my best childhood memories Friday night there is a little pet, crazier little fish store in town and then a couple of them and it was like, okay, let's go get some fish, and me and my little brother would be just so jazzed up, right, like we each get to go pick a new fish, and then that's you know. And then we get in my dad's ear and they be like, well, dad, what if we opened another, had to cut another aquarium and we did these kind of species?
Speaker 4:what an interesting way to get into fishing in the outdoors. I don't think I've ever heard anybody getting into it. From a background like that of farming fish out of your house and raising an aquarium fish, whether they be saltwater or fresh, that's a really interesting thing. So what so? Your dad, you, you, you, you fell in love with the idea of the fish and, and, whether it be a species or saltwater, freshwater, so you, you just developed this passion. Now did your dad? When you were younger, he, he had this passion with you. Did you have a passion for the outdoors and fishing with him as well? Did it? Did it grow from, from the you know you're? You're having it at home and just doing it as a passion, at home, as a hobby, versus getting into it with your son as an outdoor adventure. Is that what? How this?
Speaker 2:yeah, it definitely helped, right, because then when we're so young, it was easy for him to like get us involved with that, get us excited with the whole fish thing, and then slowly started taking us to more fishing spots as we got older and you know they always have. But I had the dangerous spot, so that was another thing where it's like, hey, boys, like you know, you got a waiter across the river and follow these channel breaks and it can be pretty dangerous right wherever you take you in the certain deep pockets you can fall into so you're talking creek fishing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, big river, big fish and river fishing and that was always a niche too right. It's like he'd take us to the irrigation stock ponds and stuff like that and then when he'd leave friday night to do that evening shift. It's like I can't wait till I'm older.
Speaker 4:Can't wait till I'm right, I want to get out there. So this was close. This was always close to your home. Then, yeah, we did a leopard.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so then, uh, but yeah, my dad always says he's like I created a monster, right, because you know he had a couple aquariums and that and, like I said, I got older and then it was just fishing everything like whether it was raising fish.
Speaker 4:I want fish and fish and fish.
Speaker 2:Exactly. It's like all I wanted to do. I'm like christmas. It's like I want a rod, a new vest, new boots, new waders, I want a new aquarium. They're like okay. And then I'm the one that actually really took it into the breeding breeding side of things. Where then it's it got really okay so hold on.
Speaker 4:So then you went, so you. So at that point you. So now you're a young man, you've your hobby with your father, has turned out to an outdoors hobby and an adventure. And then you. So then at that point in your life you just hop back here. So you, you went to school for fish farming. Yes, okay. So tell me, that's an interesting career. I again, I've never met anybody in the fish farming industry. So what does fish farming entail and why did you go that way? For, like, after you graduated, did you? Did you go that way for a bit, or did you just? I started for you?
Speaker 2:kind of walk me through that, yeah so kind of like I said, I had the aquariums and everything, and then right near the end I started, uh, raising tilapia on a big stock tank.
Speaker 4:For actually that was that was your first fish you raised.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like for like to eat right. And then I started I was breeding other things to sell, but those I was just breeding to eat, okay. And I'm like, okay, like what if it is for a living? Like I have family that's farmers, tobacco farmers or corn, but I'm like why don't I get into fish farming? Kind of sparked that idea. So, yeah, I went to school for it. My goal was to have a massive and a tilapia.
Speaker 4:sorry to interrupt you, but a tilapia is a saltwater fish, Freshwater.
Speaker 2:It is a freshwater fish. Yeah, it's a freshwater fish, oh I thought it was a saltwater fish, no, sorry.
Speaker 4:And where are they? What area of the world are they from?
Speaker 2:I think they're more Asia way and like over there. But yeah, so then you can have them raised to like market size. They grow quick and market size. They could be grown there in like three months. Huh, from fry to like almost market size. Wow, that's fast, like they pump quick. So then I'm like that could be a moneymaker For sure. So I was looking into that and then also wanted to breed like native species. Okay, breed like native species for stocking. They get like a double consumption side where I'm supplying food and then another side where I'm working with the government, the ministry, to help raise.
Speaker 4:So is this the thing that the MNR and the provincial government obviously would have to work?
Speaker 2:with. I would work with them and get grants. It was my goal to then raise walleye or whatever and then help use the stock programs Plus have more of a moneymaker side.
Speaker 4:What a great idea.
Speaker 2:Pumping up the slap, yeah, but then there's a. It's a big thing.
Speaker 4:So fish farming has two directions that you create. You have the stock part of the fish farming, yeah, and then you have the, which I didn't even know was a thing. So you have the raising fish for the sale.
Speaker 2:And what's the thing? So you have the raising fish, yeah, for the sale, and they're so into the toronto fish market and then you get contracts and then they go to the grocery stores and I thought, like you know the way the world's growing, that's a, that's a locked and loaded safe industry right because everyone's gonna have to eat with the way they're pulling out of our waters as well. Right, it's like. Well, how about we you know, we start raising them instead of?
Speaker 4:pull the conservation act instead of pulling them out of the wild so that can sustain nice huh. Let's say, uh, I did not know any of this and and we have a really good. Yeah, I did not know this, which is awesome. I love this, so okay. So, you, you, you're, you're in college now, you're, you have these directions that you want to go. What was the? Did you follow those directions or did you end up shutting it down? I got about a path from there almost two years into it.
Speaker 2:Okay. And then networking, checking out other like connections. I had a guy that had a trout farm near me. It's a lot like it is. It's a big thing. I would need a lot of money up front to even get that kind of business started. Right, I'm 18, 19 years, 19 years old.
Speaker 2:I'm needing millions of dollars to build a proper system and the filtration systems and it's, it's insane Like to actually get like a proper big one up and started. And then I'm like you know, then I had the family business going as well, yeah. So then it was kind of that crossroad and it's like, okay, am I all in or do I go work my dad and join? The family business so, okay.
Speaker 4:So then you made the decision at that point to join your family business. Yes, okay, huh, well, that's awesome. I, uh, I did not know any of that. So, um, your family business, just so everyone knows, there's uh, tim and his family, tim Senior, uh, which is, uh, he is a staple in the clothing and fashion business in the Toronto and the GTA area. Uh, he is, uh, he is a one-of man and and and when it comes to business, uh, my knowledge of him, he, he is second to not very many, um, mr Tim, tim Dawson senior. I wish we were actually here today and someday we'll get you up here to this beautiful country and uh, but we want to give you a shout out and uh, yeah, so Tim was one of uh campus crew. Was your dad's company and your family, your family business, not just your dad, it was your family business, from what I understand.
Speaker 4:So so just to tell everybody that. So tim's tim is now a. He is the sales manager and takes care of all of the outdoor sales and a lot of the lodges and fishing areas and outdoor world in supplying them with swag we call it so promotional items for your business hats, shirts, mugs, anything that you can put your stamp on at the highest level of product. That's what Tim's business is and his family. So we, so Tim, so now our family, our Diaries of a Lodge owner, family and followers out there. They now know what the background is of your family.
Speaker 4:So you made this decision to go back and work with the family business instead of moving forward in the fish industry. So let's, maybe we'll stop there with you. Let's hop back a bit and let's talk about campus crew, because that's that's really why we're here today, because we you're. That's what's brought you guys to the, to the top of your game in southern ontario and the gta. So why don't you tell me so you made that decision? You're about to do that? Can you just back up, tell me how your dad and your family kind of got into this business and how it evolved in the? You know the ups and downs to get to where you are now. You know let's take a few minutes and maybe walk me through that for sure.
Speaker 2:So it was 1988 is when the retail chain of Campus Crew began. Okay, so it was actually my Uncle, nick Rizzo Sr, that started the brands. My dad hopped in shortly after they partnered up and, yeah, it was just a juggernaut for a while. I was in all the malls pretty much in Ontario.
Speaker 4:So they started this clothing line. They so what is it? What were? What was their idea? Were they were they starting? Were they wanting to? Who were they wanting to target? What was their plan? Do you know?
Speaker 2:yeah, it's uh like, just they wanted high quality product out there, right? Okay, because I still hear it. I run into people now. They're like I got a hoodie from 1980s, like late 80s, early 90s, and they still wear it's all cuffs are ripped up, but they're like, it's my favorite hoodie and that was. Their big vision was bringing a fashion brand, a lifestyle, comfort clothing line that just stood up and was worth your money and high quality products.
Speaker 4:Nice, so so really just the quality of the product to always be at a maximum and just, and start growing from there.
Speaker 2:That's always been our thing Great customer service and just quality products Like believe in what we're selling, not cut corners, you know, skip, skip, washes and things like that, so um interesting, interesting, so interesting, interesting.
Speaker 4:So. So campus crew started. So so did you start by? Uh, did you, did you hold, were you a wholesaler off the top, or did you? I think at one point you got into retail stores, in the malls, correct? I think you said so. You and I remember, uh, growing up just just East of Oshawa. I remember going to the Oshawa center and going to Campus Crew and buying their stuff, because at one time it was the staple Everybody had to have a Campus Crew hoodie and or the track pants that went with it and the Birkenstocks to go underneath. That was the hip thing back in the day. So did you start wholesaling and then move into that, or how did that?
Speaker 2:progression. It always started as a retail, so it was a campus crew brand and we were just retail.
Speaker 4:Okay, so it did start just retail, yeah, in 1988 was just retail.
Speaker 2:Where was your first stores? It started in Brantford, so we launched in Brantford and then just moved our way out Hamilton and then London and just kept growing and growing All the Oshawa.
Speaker 4:So I'm talking like I'm talking like 1992, probably ish 93, when I would have first been at your family stores. I that's a fast growth period, like that's really quick to grow, like that. That's incredible. And so how many retail stores at one time did you have? I?
Speaker 2:think it was pushing like just over 50, wow, and all in Ontario. That is crazy. You know we'd have them. We'd add seasonal stores as well. They used to do really well. You pop up in Muskoka, like all around that area, and you'd have your year rounds, your seasonals and like a kind of like satellite, yeah shops yeah and you keep the whole shop and that you know you got a marina where you're on port carlin or something.
Speaker 2:Those stores always did well, where everyone's all you get all the boat traffic coming through yeah, restaurants there, the marina, that everything they need. So they come in, do a little shopping, get some food, fill the boat and they kind of leave. So those stores always did really well, too well, and it's uh, you know, our hoodies boat and campfire for anybody out there.
Speaker 4:I've I've I've been buying swag for oil companies and for for my little businesses and for, you know, one of uh good good friend of my, brian gustafson. You know I know his quality of his products up here. He are very high. Everybody that uh that I know, um, that has product and quality that they want to put out there for merch wants it high quality and I'm telling you right now, tim, your product is second to none appreciate that there is nothing as comfortable and as breathable and and the style and look of everything is amazing.
Speaker 4:It truly is. You guys have a great product. So the retail stores how long did that go on for? I think the last.
Speaker 2:I'd say it was about 16 years ago. We started dipping into the wholesale side of things.
Speaker 4:Okay, so then. So over time, the stores you ended up getting into a wholesale department instead of the store end of it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Because we had all the NCAA licenses. We're selling the NCAA product NHL, NBA. We were doing all that.
Speaker 4:So you ended up picking up contracts for the NCAA D1 schools and that was what we were retailing. I see what you mean. I see what you mean, so wow that's huge, huge.
Speaker 2:Yes, we had all those licenses to sell all that product, right like fighting irish. All that stuff um that is incredible yeah. So it's not cheap though to get those licenses and it's a lot of headaches, and then you know you're like royalties and all that, right for sure.
Speaker 4:Then we kind of dipped into, you know, the wholesale side of things, and then actually then you step back from those, those schools and that um, that part of the business, and you step back to a more wholesale side, just in the direction that you're in now yeah and then.
Speaker 2:But we started going to these shows where the buyers from those schools would be those big, unsaleable eight schools okay instead of selling their product.
Speaker 2:We started doing direct wholesale, like you know, with the ucla, bruins or something like that. You know what I mean. And then we're like, wait, okay, so we started doing that, doing these big orders, and then you know it's a lot for sure and staffing, a lot of overhead running. You know all these different rents and it was a tough grind. Then you kind of step back, you're looking at your numbers. Most of your time is going into managing these retail stores, with the rents going up in malls, everything it was tough, it was tough.
Speaker 2:We're looking at it, we're like, okay, we're making more money on this side, but it's not getting our full attention the wholesale side. So you know, a lot of people at one point thought we went bankrupt because we just said you know, we made a, you know we all sat down, made a decision and let's just let's pull this plug, let's put all our eggs in the wholesale side. We shut down every store, boom, liquidated everything.
Speaker 4:Well, it's. You know what, If you think about it, though, like you did it at the right time because the world was changing to online shopping, there's, you know, if you look now, like I know, here in Kenora, you know, everyone knows now I'm up at Lake of the Woods in the Kenora area. That's where my home is. I don't live at Nordic Point Lodge, I just work there and own it. But I live down at Kenora and we have a little mall here, and I remember being younger coming up here for my first time ever traveling. It was coming through, you know, 18, 19 years old, when I was heading out to work on the rig, and that mall was booming. You know they would have had, you know, all those little clothing stores like the Jean 33 or the Thrifty's, and they would have had, they would have had all those stores a dollar store, a buck or two or whatever, and a bulk barn.
Speaker 4:And you know, every mall was built the same and they had the same stores in it, and the bigger malls had the stores like yourself, the same stores in it, and the bigger malls had the stores like yourself. And but now those I know, now that mall here is, uh, it's, it's very run down. I think it's a grocery store and a couple of marks work warehouse and and the rest is pretty much office buildings or abandoned space that's not leaseable. Um, so it sounds like you guys made a good, great decision.
Speaker 2:We did yeah, it's tough right with the online ordering now and the website platforms and everything like that, yep. So, yeah, we put it all into the wholesale. So now we've got one big building. Yep, we stock.
Speaker 4:So how big is?
Speaker 2:your building 25,000 square feet. Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 4:That's a lot of clothing, buddy. Oh yeah, A lot of clothes Close.
Speaker 2:And then so that's just stock Floor to ceiling, all racking full of our blank campus crew line Broider machines chugging 24-7.
Speaker 4:So you operate. That building is running 24 hours a day. Yes, wow, so we got three shifts.
Speaker 2:It's a factory, yeah, it's pumping.
Speaker 4:That's not a warehouse, that's a factory.
Speaker 2:No, yeah, it's a factory. So it's like we got our whole warehouse side in right, where it's just rows and rows of products, and then you got your pickers. So I get an order right, I write one with you, I send it in and then team picks it and then it goes out and staged near the machines and we do the full art for you everything. So we wanted to make this now like a one-stop shop wholesale company for people, yep, where you can come to us. We have a full-time graphic designer team, so it's like we'll create fun logos for you, redesign products On top of the campus crew line. I have those billion dollar stock houses, access to all those, so I can get you what you have now campus crew line and, above and beyond, you want something you ask me I'm gonna be able to source so you truly are a one-stop shop for all of your merchandise and for even the setup for your, for your graphics designing uh, your logo designing everything.
Speaker 2:You come to me tim, say tim, I want a hoodie, I want just a wall-like feature on it or something, and we'll create. You know, we'll take your company name, we'll redesign it with some custom logos. You know, you shoot it back to the client. We just go back and forth revisions and that's what people like. Like it's not like. Oh, like, I can work with you. What do you need?
Speaker 4:what an interesting concept. That's awesome. Well, and then, buddy, I know that that product. Everything I've seen from it is like we run your sweats, your toques, your hats, your sweat, your hoodie.
Speaker 2:His hoodies are sorry, they're the best feature, that's the bread and butter. That's our number one seller.
Speaker 4:Yeah, hands down you know and uh, you know, uh, buffs for your face for the sun and the wind, and the um jackets, and you know there's it's amazing folks. Why don't you tell everybody where they can go and look at your product?
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, you go to campuscrewcom. You know we'll have our online catalog there. There'll be a contact page where you can get a hold of me, tim Jr. My email will be there cell phone.
Speaker 4:And yeah, you just hop on a call and it's just timjr at campuscrewcom. Tim Jr, I love that you kept it.
Speaker 2:Tim Jr, tim Jr. I love that.
Speaker 4:People get confused because there's Tim at Campus Crew and then Tim Jr at Campus Crew. Oh, that's so awesome. That's so awesome. Well, I know, like this, the family story is incredible to me, that what you guys have been through and how you sustained it together and that and the proper business decisions at the right times to manipulate and move your business in the direction you needed to go to get you to be, you know, I would say, the number one supplier right now of the quality items in toronto and the gta. I don't know anybody in that.
Speaker 4:you know there's eight million people in toronto, gta to be to know that you're the big dog in the fashion clothing industry. On a wholesale end is a big deal, so congrats to you guys on that.
Speaker 2:I appreciate that and it was awesome for me to be able to merge my passions.
Speaker 4:Well, let's get into this conversation.
Speaker 2:Right into the business world. So you know, it all started with fishing and all that Got into the family business. You know, like I said, we were very university-based sports teams and all that, and I'm like there's a whole market out there, oh yeah, In the fishing world, outdoor world, Yep, it's that Like it's my passion, yeah, and there's money to be made.
Speaker 4:So that's where I've really taken I've built the company out in this direction as well. So so you've taken it to. You know, like marine companies, outdoor suppliers, fishing suppliers, I know lodges, it's huge, yeah, lots of lodges. That's great, that's huge, that's awesome. Um, you know, I think uh all the, if you guys go on to uh, to fishing canadacom, all of the swag there is is uh is tim's product, uh, which you know, angelo and pete's, you know, and steve's uh swag there, it's, it's, it's incredible the. The logo designs.
Speaker 4:I love the new logo designs I love the old I love everything about it and uh, yeah, go to fishingcanadacom guys to, uh, to take a look at that fishing, so let's. So you merged fishing into your business, which is your passion. We've we've talked about how you got there, your childhood. We talked about your business development, where you guys are at now. So fishing takes you into these avenues of sales and networking, and if anybody has heard I can't remember which episode I'd have to go back and look, but I believe it was maybe 39.
Speaker 4:And I did one on networking and power branding with Steve. I think it was my second episode I did with him on the show here and that is a very underestimated resource in the world and a good networker and a good salesman combining them together, like yourself, is is, uh, is a very hard thing to find and a lot of people desire it. So you, you take this passion. And now, where did you start promoting to these places? So I know I met you at the toronto sportsman show. Yeah, it was close to three years ago now. Um, so is that what you did? You started going to these shows to promote to these people or did you knock on doors? Or did you do a little bit everything? How did?
Speaker 2:a little bit of everything so you know, going to these industry shows, yeah, you know, before we know you'd be set up at sports shows and things like that, where now it's like no, let's do the fishing shows and knocking on doors, boat shows and stuff like that. Boat shows, yeah, the Toronto Boat Show, the Toronto Sportsman Show and all those different avenues. And just introducing myself, you know I'll do phone calls as well, but I'm a very in-person, old-school kind of guy like that.
Speaker 4:Yeah, for sure. School kind of guy like that. Yeah, um, that's what make to me, that's what makes your customer service amazing. Because there is not there. There is that that portion of the world is lost, yeah, and it's.
Speaker 2:It's almost to the point where it's disgusting yeah, I meet people and they're like I haven't met my rep. It's been, they've been doing business for five years and they never met their rep. I'm like, pardon, how?
Speaker 4:does that even happen like?
Speaker 2:people like, hey, can we get on a zoom? I'm like, where are you? Like, let me come to you. I will bring the clothing line to you. I want to shake your hand, like I'm old school, like that, and that's how I met you well so that's yeah, so then we get.
Speaker 4:So that's where we're going with this. So we so sportsman show. It was our first year down there with the nordic booth. Uh, fish in canada had a smaller booth set up on the first entrance there. When you walked in, ant Pete and Steve were set up there. I was down a couple blocks from them and then you were over to my south.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was my first year setting up there as well. Oh, that was your first year. That was my first year.
Speaker 4:Yeah, you have a great setup. Your booth and your setup that you promote is incredible. It looks beautiful, Thank you. So we I actually was introduced to Mr Nitz wiki Um, just walking by his booth. We were chatting, we got to know each other and I'd met Pete before, just on the creek. You know he probably don't remember it years ago, but I remember meeting Pete down in Port Hope and then, but Ange, you know, Ange was my, he was my idol.
Speaker 4:We're just like a lot of people that listen to this show and a lot of people in Canada, not just Ontario-wide. You know he's like a. He's like the Don Cherry. He's the goat of that's right of hockey, but not that's Wade, you know what I mean. He's the. He's known and uh, I got a chance to meet him personally and actually have a good conversation with him and it was one of the highlights of my, my life, to be honest with you. And uh, I believe right after that I was walking back to my booth and I had a big shit-eating grin from side to side from just shaking my idol's hand. And and I get to my booth and I turn around and this handsome young stocky feller named Tim Dawson Jr is at my booth and Tim put his pitch to me and wasn't really a pitch, we just chatted, you kind of. We just that's what I liked about you right away. You just chatted to me.
Speaker 3:And I was like I like this guy because he's real and he just wants to chat.
Speaker 4:And you always looked me in the face right, you always had someone say you could talk to me. And that's a big thing, right, when you can talk to somebody and actually communicate. Yeah, that's a big thing, right, when you can talk to somebody and actually communicate yeah, that's a big thing. And you know, I really enjoyed meeting you that day. I'm glad that you came up to my booth and stalked me. Yeah, I'm glad, because it's been a great relationship and working relationship ever since then.
Speaker 2:One of my partners, quinn, I work with. He always jokes around, he goes. I looked over, he goes. You and Willie were both in like a power stance, your arms are crossed and you guys are just laughing. He goes, uh-oh, he goes. Those guys are gonna be good, buddy. Those guys are gonna be inseparable.
Speaker 4:Wow, oh man. So so, tim, we we met there, so that. So I'm just trying to get a layout for the folks too here. So you, this is how it would normally go down for you, right? Yeah, because you would normally just talk to somebody and and, like the old school way, and communicate with them, find out what their needs and desires are and their passions for what their, their product, they need, and you know. And then from there, uh, what I saw you do was was incredible. So tim made me a few products. He actually took our logo and, uh and uh, which. We have an incredible logo. We have a beautiful. I love your logo, our logo. You want to know how our logo was made? So our logo was made by my daughter, my 14 year-old daughter, and she drafted it up. One day we sent it to Dave's daughters. They kind of put their spitting image on it and then we sent it out to get professionally managed. Yeah, and that's what the kids come up with, that's awesome. That Nordic Point Lodge logo is pretty awesome. It's got meaning. And it's a Wicca logo, right, right, awesome, it's got meaning. And it's a Wicked logo, right, right.
Speaker 4:So we go and Timmy prints me up some products just to test. And I happen to be down in the area and Tim says to me Willie, you know, I think it was late, I think it was fall, it was fall. And he says to me Willie, let's go, let's go fishing, let me take you fishing. I wasn't going to say no, yeah. So Tim lined up a guide, a muskie guide, for us to go on Lake St I. Didn't have my boat down there or nothing, so we had to go and get a guide and go down Lake St Claire. Have my boat down there or nothing, so we had to go and get a guide and go down lake st claire.
Speaker 2:That was our plan and uh, take the story from here, tim, you, uh, you tell me because it's your stomping ground. So yeah, so yeah, I get in touch with the guide that morning. Who was the guide? Kyle moxon? Okay, yeah, he's a stick out there on st claire. I've heard that name before and uh, yeah, he's like Tim, we can grind it if you want, but it's not going to be a good day, like pissing rain, massive waves and he goes. I recommend we don't do it. And you were leaving like you had the next day, and then you had to jet back up.
Speaker 2:So I'm like, ah, we gotta make something work here. So I called Will. I'm like it's still a little early for the steelhead run near me on the grand, but I'm like we could take a whirl at it. So he was in. So what I do is highly down a big, huge hill.
Speaker 4:I launch it yeah, this hill is like folks. This hill's like 30 feet straight down a mud cliff, just, everyone has an image. Me and Tim are. I don't know if anyone you'll see pictures of me on the podcast imaging, but me and Tim are probably about I'm pushing 275, 280, and as a linebacker and Tim's a fullback, that's you know, he's pushing 250, 260 as well. So there's these two big guys, monkeys going down the hill here with this aluminum boat.
Speaker 2:Yeah, getting the batteries down there, I rig up the trolling motor, you get all the gear down, and that's how I like to do it though it's a big river and I can cover ground in this area and you know I like to do a little troll up and then you cast the anchor, work some more areas and, well, we got you on one we, yeah, we dragged this boat up and down, we put that troll, that little tiny trolling motor on and, uh yeah, we ended up pulling the steelhead out of there.
Speaker 2:I've got on the cast. You got on the cast, which is nice too. I got that one on the cast.
Speaker 4:Right, you're right, we got on the troll. Smaller was on the troll. Yeah, you know. You know what. It's been a lot of years since I caught a steelhead and I'll never forget that because I don't think I've ever told this on my story.
Speaker 4:But when I was a kid so growing up in Coburg I would fish all the time on the streams. Actually, I think I did tell this to Steve in my first episode, but I grew up there fishing Coburg Creeks and out Rice Lake area and with my best friend, who you remind me a lot of Yourself and my, you know, the best man who was at my wedding, kyle McMahon. He reminds me you both you men remind me a lot of Kev. And so Kev was my best friend when I was a kid and you know, since we were three years old, he was my goalie in hockey. We played together our whole lives. He was, you know, mom would drive us to school every day. We'd take the bus. He was my best friend and he was my fishing partner.
Speaker 4:There wasn't a lot of people at Coburg that fished. There was a couple, but not Not many. So we would steelhead fish and it would take me away from my home. I didn't have the best place growing up in childhood. You know my household was a little strict, so I would try and get away from my home as much as I could. And Kevin was my, he was my outreach and fishing was my outreach was my, he was my, my outreach and fishing was my outreach. And man's catching steelhead for I'm guessing close to eight years with him in a creek and at 16 we lost him. We uh, he drowned in lake ontario, fishing, fishing and and uh ended up passing away, unfortunately. But since then I've never caught a steelhead.
Speaker 2:No way it's been that long.
Speaker 4:Yeah, man.
Speaker 2:I was 16 years old. I'm happy I was able to do that for you. I was 16.
Speaker 4:I don't think I've told too many people that story. I don't think I've ever told you that that's heavy. Since the day I put him in the ground, I never, ever, have caught a steelhead, and not for any reason, it just I didn't. It wasn't the same. But that day with you was the same and it was fun and it was exciting. So, folks and this is remember, this is when I'm just this, right now he's my sales rep so we're not even tight yet, like no, that's what I mean.
Speaker 4:So this is. I'm describing our relationship and and that's growing so quick because of the networking and the sales in the proper direction that you pushed, Not aggressive. You weren't a used car salesman, you weren't a right. You're not calling me on a 1-800 number, that is totally irrelevant. You're just as soon as the person hangs up on them, you're calling the next one. You had passion and you did your background and you understood me and you understood what I was about and what I wanted. And I remember coming off the water I had to get to a meeting and drive back to the hotel. Well, Tim's dragging this boat up with his worker up the hill and I'm looking at this guy and I'm going shit, this guy is doing a lot of work for a friendship and a sale and I respect that Because an oilman, that's what my whole career is man.
Speaker 2:I'd made sure one of my partners, quinn, was at the when we pulled out to make sure you could just go, and I didn't want you to have to lug that boat up, so I had someone else there for me waiting.
Speaker 4:And right then I was hunk line and sinker man. I don't I, I uh, we actually have an investor at my lodge who does the same thing you do out of dallas, texas, but we won't use them because it's not for any reason, but your, your customer service and the quality of your product is just too good and and that networking and sales passion that you have to bring your passion of fishing into your family and big business, the whole thing, that that's a full circle. And and I think now you know like I think we did like twenty thousand dollars, twenty five thousand dollars business last year yeah, you're smoking it like I mean for a, for a lodge.
Speaker 4:You know our uh, it's really well. You know any of the lodge owners out there or business people that do need swag? Please reach out to me me Will at Nordic Point Lodge, or reach out to Tim timjrcampuscrewcom and you will see exactly what I'm talking about.
Speaker 1:In every angler's heart lives a fishing paradise With stunning scenery and wildlife on a trophy, multi-species fishery, having outstanding accommodation and a food experience to die for. They treat you like royalty, tailor-making a package that works for you. Nestled in northwestern Ontario, nordic Point Lodge is that paradise, and Will and his team can't wait to show you a luxury outdoor experience with five-star service. So follow your heart. Book now.
Speaker 3:Back in 2016,. Frank and I had a vision to amass the single largest database of muskie angling education material anywhere in the world.
Speaker 6:Our dream was to harness the knowledge of this amazing community and share it with passionate anglers just like you.
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Speaker 5:As the world gets louder and louder, the lessons of our natural world become harder and harder to hear, but they are still available to those who know where to listen. I'm Jerry Ouellette and I was honoured to serve as Ontario's Minister of Natural Resources. However, my journey into the woods didn't come from politics. Rather, it came from my time in the bush and a mushroom. In 2015, I was introduced to the birch-hungry fungus known as chaga, a tree conch with centuries of medicinal use by Indigenous peoples all over the globe.
Speaker 5:After nearly a decade of harvest use, testimonials and research, my skepticism has faded to obsession and I now spend my life dedicated to improving the lives of others through natural means. But that's not what the show is about. My pursuit of the strange mushroom and my passion for the outdoors has brought me to the places and around the people that are shaped by our natural world. On Outdoor Journal Radio's Under the Canopy podcast, I'm going to take you along with me to see the places, meet the people that will help you find your outdoor passion and help you live a life close to nature and under the canopy. And help you live a life close to nature and under the canopy. Find Under the Canopy now on Spotify, apple Podcasts or wherever else you get your podcasts.
Speaker 4:So now we got the business, we got you growing up, we got your lifestyle yeah, so now you are in Brantford. You just had a baby boy born yeah, so now you are in Brantford, you are. You just had a baby boy born yeah, a year what a year and two months ago.
Speaker 2:Yeah, over a year and a half, buddy.
Speaker 4:Is it a year and a half now? Oh, my goodness yeah.
Speaker 2:January 23rd. It's great, time's flying Wow.
Speaker 4:Timmy, timothy, timothy III, td III.
Speaker 5:That's what you call him. Td III. Little Timbit.
Speaker 4:Little Timbit TD III. I love that. Kept it going Nice. He is a little spitfire. He's a cute little boy. Has he caught his first fish?
Speaker 2:yet he has. He got a little perch on his Mickey Mouse rod. Nice it's background on my phone. Nice, as a dad, it was just exhilarating. It's like I caught a 50-inch muskie that's my way to describe it. I was so jazzed up for him. He's got this perch in his hand, he's holding it. That's awesome. My dad was there too. And then runs and pa-pa, pa-pa and he's showing him.
Speaker 4:So all three tips, all three of us were there, tv3 were all there. Yeah, nice.
Speaker 2:So it was just a surreal moment, you know, from my dad doing that with me. He's there and I remember those little days when he, like I, was little.
Speaker 4:And now he got to be a brother. Is this in Brantford, where you guys were fishing?
Speaker 2:Or do you?
Speaker 4:have a, do you get away to the north?
Speaker 3:at all Like.
Speaker 4:I know, you're with me, but do you get away into yeah?
Speaker 2:so my wife's side, her parents and grandfather own a cottage on Stoney Lake. Oh, okay, so we do a lot of fishing there, which is northeast of Peterborough, yep, correct, really good lake. That trip was after the blue line fishing tournament that me and my uncle put on, so he'll rent the place for a while, and then that was on Georgia Bay.
Speaker 4:We actually got his first fish, oh that's awesome, yeah, and then now.
Speaker 2:Uh, anytime, thank you, just love it. We get anywhere. The dock will take him to the river and just the littlest fish he's just fired up got him on a big largey actually, and if I brought that one in for him, you helped him out, oh, yeah, and then so so over to so so, timothy does he.
Speaker 4:And back to the your, your the raising the fish just quick here when you're raising. So so, timothy does he. And back to the your, your the raising the fish just quick here when you're raising. So so, tim, you still raise coys. That's just a, that's just a side, yeah, hobby from your prelim life that you kept that passion. So now you have all these coys at your house and your dad's and you're raising them, and that's a whole other thing yeah, we've talked mini fish farm man.
Speaker 4:We've talked about that lots and it's an insane. It's an insane thing. So, but, timothy, does he not go out there in the backyard and go? Dad, I want to catch this fish, does he not like? Where's my rod?
Speaker 2:yeah, like he does it. I think he almost knows because we feed them every like every day. Right, we go out and you turn off the big air pumps and the stones and the water goes flat and then they all just shoot out from the other grassy areas wherever they're hiding, because that's our grow-out pond, is the one I have at my house. We're seniors, we transfer all the big ones so, yeah, you'll get like 100 come shooting out and we put the flakes on a little net so you get it out in the middle and drop it in and he just loves it. He lifts them up and he just the point and uh, it's just awesome, that's great well, that's a little guy, that's great.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, he's a foot buyer man, that's some.
Speaker 2:I think we're on day five now, yeah, so yeah, well, let's get into that.
Speaker 4:So now we're, we're, uh, we're caught up on the family too. And uh, we're caught up on the family too. And uh, campus crews powering on forward and uh, timmy needed a break. I, uh, we've been, I've been trying to get Tim up here for man, yeah, it's gotta be all three years on here, so, um, and it just hasn't worked out. We're, we're. You know, I got a busy life, you got a busy life and we're 18 hours away, bro.
Speaker 4:Right, so it's a but. So we finally got them up here and, uh, we took them out and did some fishing first day. We, uh, we went for the Cisco bite, so we actually had. I sent four gentlemen out to this exact same spot. Sorry, two gentlemen out to the exact same spot. Sorry, two gentlemen out to the exact same spot the day before Tim gets here, just to make sure it's still on fire, because I knew it was going. Well, we get a report back from them, gentlemen, that they caught four muskies the biggest was 46 in about three hours of trolling big cranks over open water. So we were pretty jacked up.
Speaker 4:Yeah, got the itch, let's get her. We got the itch, so we got out there and we swang hard. Oh, we put a shift in. Oh, yeah, we struck out first day, and that happens, that's musky fishing. But we struck out hard on the first day. But the weather was good, it was beautiful, it was great to just get out on the water with you and hang out. I really appreciate it. To be honest, I really appreciated that. That was, you know, four hours in a boat where we just bullshitted and hung out, and it was great. We went back to my house and hanging out with my son and Adam our good friend there and one of my top guides and that was a great day. Actually, that was my favorite day of the trip because we just got to chill.
Speaker 2:The fish is a bonus. Exactly, I'm either Southern Ontario and in the office working or I'm on a boat with my good buddy Will. Yeah, the beautiful scenery, and that was an awesome day Just catching up and just being up here with you right?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I agree, and, uh, that was an awesome day just catching up and just being up here with you, right? Yeah, I agree, I agree 100. So so day two, we had a second boat. I had, uh, one of my, uh, one of my workers there, dennis, he's my, he's my maintenance guy, he's my, he's my go-to, my bar backbone.
Speaker 4:Yeah so, dennis, and uh, adam brow. I said he owns, uh, he owns lake of the woods fishing adventures. Now, folks, he bought that off of us, myself and krista, a little while ago. And uh, great guy, if you're ever looking for a trip on lake of the woods, come on up, talk to adam. But uh, so they ended up tailing in another boat and basically they took one side of the lake and we took the other and we started working and and uh, holton, my, my, my boy came with us that day, my oldest son and uh, holton had never seen a muskie before. We will whenever we just like everyone knows, when you take the kids fishing, you want to the kids go perch fishing some bass you don't you want to engage them.
Speaker 4:We don't want to bore them. Well, as we know, we already struck out on day one. So you know it's musky fishing is not a game for that. But he's at the age now, 12, turning 13, where he's he's stiffening up a bit. So we took Holton out and we put about oh man, we covered a lot of water in probably about four or five hours and we saw a couple fish. You had two whacks, didn't you? I think you had two whacks coming around that one point we doubled back and we came back across that point and we couldn't stick one.
Speaker 4:But you had something hot.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're in 30 feet of water.
Speaker 4:Yeah, that was the suspended fish, yeah, yeah. So then I think we ended up what we did was we, we found the boys. We went back and found the boys and kind of they had said they hadn't seen nothing either and it was uh, it was slow for them. So now we're getting on to like one o'clock and there was some boulder piles kind of sitting 50 yards, maybe 60 yards off this rock point, and I'm talking big boulder piles like a seagull shit rock and everyone has that on their every lake has a seagull rock right or a shit rock, so that's the kind of rocks it is.
Speaker 4:And then off of them was a tapered sandbar. So we decided to troll in past that sand, slash gravel bar over it and then troll the shoreline. I think there were some nice points there Cover some water, look around with the live scope and see what was out there. And so, as we did that, you know, we made two passes. It was a pretty long stretch and we didn't pick nothing up, changed a couple of baits. So we were on our last run back and we were just going to gonna, we were probably 100 yards from the stop it or the start of it, and Tim switched baits and we downsized. And when we downsized, just the concept so everyone knows is, you know, usually this time of the year the muskie are wanting to upsize because they want a fatty food source and to bulk up. For some reason they, as you're going to hear they, ended up wanting to downsize. So we, we downsized, um, and we were the whole, the whole day.
Speaker 4:We were trying to preach the the ball game ethics of. It's the third inning, it's coming into the seventh inning. Well, this was the top of the ninth and we were Babe Ruth-ing it for the fence. So Holton's rod was out, tim's rod was out, and we're pulling, and we're pulling and we're just about to this reef and I said, boys, we're going to pop over this reef, keep uh. I said, boys, we're gonna pop over this reef, keep your rod tips up, we're gonna tap on them. You're gonna go tap, tap and we're gonna smash one. And I'm pulling a hail mary out of my ass.
Speaker 4:right oh yeah thinking my son's here too. We got to keep the optimism up in the boat for sure, because bases loaded. Step up right well, sure enough it wasn't.
Speaker 4:It wasn't a half a second tim turns to me and he's like I got one fish on and I'm looking at him and I'm like no way, like we gotta be snagged on something. Yeah, there's no way. And I turned my head and I saw that rod pumping and I was like we are on a fish. So he's slamming into neutral and holton reels up his rod and and holton was jacked because he never seen him. He's seen lots of muskies that we've caught with gas and lots of everything, but he's never seen you just being in the boat, right like one of the boys, get one that adrenaline spike oh, everything the vibes go from here to through the roof so we served.
Speaker 4:So timmy pulls in this this 40 inch musky beautiful fish, big fat girl. And uh, wasn't your pb? No, we were trying to breast a pb there that day, but you know what a fish is a fish and that was a beauty. That was a beauty we could fight and the story that came along with it was was incredible. Yeah, we called, you, called it, we, literally called it.
Speaker 4:We did that, we pointed up it was all bullshit but it worked. Yeah, so, so, yeah. So we put one in the boat finally and we uh, it was getting later in the day, we had to get back into uh, it was getting later in the day, we had to get back into town. So we pulled the boat and ended day two. I think we got some good rest that night.
Speaker 4:We made a plan to go out on day three and hit some different structures with some different baits. We wanted to still rock we're still fishing rock and sand but we wanted to maybe step it in a little tighter to shore and run some different patterns, color patterns. So we stopped and grabbed up a couple 10-inch jakes, some smaller jakes, and one was a sucker slash, small mouth pattern. It looked like, yeah, it could have been mistaken for both. One was the old, uh, fire tiger slash with the with the red on the bottom, uh, the natural fire tiger kind of color, and then the other was that silver. So tim sees one on the shelf and he says willie, I've caught a musky on this bait before. It's a good one. He showed, even showed me the picture right proof in the pudding.
Speaker 4:So he pulls this bait out and uh, it was a silver jake, metallic silver with with a blackish slash navy blue on the top. It's a really dark, yeah like a dark solid with a blackish slash navy blue on the top.
Speaker 4:It's a really dark color, yeah like a dark solid navy blue With a big black dot on the sides and it's a nice looking bait. So, yeah, so we end up, we leave Gus's shop there and we head out onto the lake and we pulled for about an hour and a half with the other color, with the new colors, except for that silver. Those first two colors Changed up a few things. We didn't get nothing. So we decided to put on that silver that Tim had said and advised me on Buddy, you weren't shitting, that was a good color, it was hot, it was hot.
Speaker 4:So we again, we were team fishing. Adam was in his boat with another gentleman and me and Tim were in ours. And so, timmy, we come around that one point by Wolf Island and, bang, bang, I hit the bottom twice and boom, loaded up and you grabbed the rod. You grabbed the rod, you grabbed the rod of the holder and it was another musky. It was like it wasn't big, it was like 38, 38, it wasn't big. But uh, we didn't get a good hook set on it, because when it popped off the bottom that second time, when you grabbed it, I think, when it was like a short set, I don't think you got a full stroke on it, so we, we ended up just in the back treble with one one, one hook on the back treble bringing him into the boat.
Speaker 4:We could see it. He got about 10 feet from the boat came out, so um, close enough for us, though, that's fish number two, and uh, so then we continue, we double back. We just kept doubling back and doubling back. We ended up hitting three pike off that point. That were that were? They were huge man, and they were they looked like. I sent steve a picture of them last night. He was like holy mackinac like that was like they were like cfl football width from the shoulders and the head right to the tail.
Speaker 2:It was nuts, they've been eating.
Speaker 4:Yeah, like they were not thin anywhere and we thought they were big musky way they hit like I'm guessing they were, like you know, 25, 26 inch girls, like they were big, right, like so, um, that ended up being a great, a great mornings into the afternoon. I had meetings in the afternoon I had to get back for, but uh, on the way back in then to our teammate there, adam Brow. He ended up hitting a 52 and a half and big, big fish too. I think Adam texted me. I think he said the girth on that fish was, I think he said, 30. Yeah, was 30 inches, which is insane. Like that's a big, big muskie.
Speaker 2:It's getting fall ready oh yeah, right fish down there. No this it's uh.
Speaker 4:So that's day three. Uh. Day four is uh today and we're uh. After this we're gonna go, and after this episode actually we're gonna dunk the boat. Try and go. Stroke one more.
Speaker 2:Tim's got a flight here at four o'clock at winnipeg, so uh quick shift in, hopefully get that pb and then hit the flight covered in slime, that's the plan.
Speaker 4:That's the plan. Um, no, it's been a great trip. I've been super happy to have you up here. It's, uh, I know that, uh, this part of the world you love, you've been up here before. Once you, you come up with your buddy Orlando. Yeah, tell me about Orlando's story. I think you guys popped a couple big ones up here too with Orlando.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was up here with Orlando Lifelong best friend, brantford boy, he was my fishing partner. Right, he was your Kevin. Yeah, exactly A lot of my buddies are golfers or weren't into fishing, so it A lot of my buddies are golfers or weren't into fishing, so it was me and him. When you're telling that story, that was me and him. We'd get out, we'd work the steelhead runs and then into the bass fishing and we did everything together on the Grand River and so he works up here as well. So I flew up seeing him two years ago, yeah, and he'd never got a 50 up here. Yeah, he just recently moved up.
Speaker 2:And then, uh, we're out trolling and coming into a pinch point, some narrows, and we just had a feeling it's just about to get dark and there's three of us in the boat. We kind of made a game plan, like because this pinch point, the current was really bad, so like if someone pops here, someone's gonna get that one rod crank, someone's gonna hop on the, get us right out of here, push us over here out of the current, and then we put on we're like some 50 cent. We're like he put on 50 cent on the boat and he goes boys, we're going to catch a 50. Listen to the 50. And kid you not, we go through the pinch point and just bang. We're like fuck, snag, like cause, it's just flat, like not even pumping. Lando pops it out and then all of a sudden the most violent rod thrashes and we're like holy. So we fight that in. I get on the boat, get us out of the like, the current and everything Kind of tuck us in a little calmer area.
Speaker 2:And yeah, yeah, you got a hog on yeah pounding the 50 cent rolling on dubs, oh yeah, nice, and we get in the bag and for me to be there with my best friend for that moment. So how big was it? Real?
Speaker 2:it was 53 and that was his first like over 50 and got the 53 listening to 50 with his boy from his childhood, flew up and it was just for me and him right, that hug, that embrace, at that moment like, like you said, the emotions, the adrenaline when you bought a fish, like that it's it was surreal moment for me you know, and all our listeners out there and our, our diaries family, like you know those experiences.
Speaker 4:Make sure you cherish those, right like those that's, I know, and everyone loves that man when you can, when you put a big fish or a good, great experience, whether it's with a child or a loved one. I know, I've had them with my wife, a best friend, uh, you know, a colleague. Those are awesome times, like my dad, right like that was another one tell me that story.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I don't think I've heard this one it was my dad's 50th birthday and he'd actually never even caught a muskie, so he was. He's just a big bass guy, right, multi-species guy, but never targeted muskie, um, so I was really like which is crazy that he didn't catch one just pike fishing exactly we got.
Speaker 4:I've had. I've had a father and son at my place catch a 52 and a 54 and a half on Nedrigs. On Nedrigs no bullshit On Nedrigs. Kyle was guiding them and smallie fishing you hear it a lot. I'm surprised he didn't.
Speaker 2:Anyways, yeah, so yeah, it's his 50th birthday, so we get out. We're on Lake St Clair, it's five of us. We had a boat and five musky that day. Each guy got one, which is pretty awesome, but my old man gets first dibs right, first rods popping Tis. So well, we're not even, I'd say, 40 minutes into our troll Jet Bang, his rod pops. Well, one of the rods and we're like hey, senior, you're up. He corks it back and this thing's just violent and I'm like let's go.
Speaker 2:Like, let's go and seniors cranking, cranking, cranking. I got the bag ready and just boom, get it in 50 on the dot, boom get it in 50 on the dot 50 inches?
Speaker 4:no way on his 50. That kid, no bullshit. I'm not making him seeing you put a 50 inch in the boat on his 50th on his 50th birthday. Yeah, if you don't believe in god and there's a problem with you and that's what like in his first month and then.
Speaker 2:But that guy, I've been fishing musky for years. I'm still trying to crack the 50 he comes out first 40 minutes in.
Speaker 4:They always come you know what I just got mine the first few years ago, right yeah, yeah it's, uh, it's a process.
Speaker 2:It's a process that's an incredible but I was like so happy for him. I'm like that's just, it's wicked.
Speaker 4:I, I can't even it's such an incredible thing like, but you know that's uh traumatic justice for your dad. He's such a great human and and those times in his life that have that. You know that's uh traumatic justice for your dad. He's such a great human and and those times in his life that have that. You know those things happen. I I truly believe are because you're 100, you're a good person and you have good values and you're you're those things come back and the sacrifices he's made growing up dealing with me.
Speaker 2:I'm a brother, not even probably getting his line wet because he's changing this, changing that.
Speaker 4:I'm doing a snag, just like I was yeah, yeah oh, my goodness, that's awesome. What a uh, what a wild story. So you're heading home. What's uh, what's in the future? What's uh. What is campus crew got on the go now? Is there any? Is there anything new that that you can tell us about? You got any new colors coming in, or maybe some new swag that's gonna heat up the market here? Anyway, yeah, I gotta give us an inside track yeah, so I got some really nice.
Speaker 2:The new color palette it's all launching, so this is the one that I saw I brought up. Uh, made a little special one for will. Just arrived in the building like the week before I came Nice, so it's fresh. When is it going to be able to buy? It's now available. It is now. Yeah, just launching now, so I made sure to pull one for Will. Get it all done up.
Speaker 4:Nice. So everyone knows this color palette is similar. It's the new thing over the last few years that Carharty, caramel Brown, it's the new, the new thing, yeah last few years that that car hardy caramel brown. Look you know, and it's that, but you have several shades of it and it's beautiful. It's a, it's a great color to go with your line. I love it. I love it. Um, so you got that on the go.
Speaker 2:Timmy jr, the wife, family and yeah, just living, just just keep on grinding every day right and then fish when I can. Nice so nice. But uh, you know we're getting there near our mid end of november that steelhead fishing will really pick up, so hopefully got little man out there. I won't take him on the boat on the river, but we'll just do you make sure, when you go home you tell nick.
Speaker 4:I said I, I really uh, I miss nick too. He's a good, yeah, he's gotta send us some pecs.
Speaker 2:He's pretty, uh pretty jealous yeah yeah he's like I'm coming next time. It's been a great. He actually just had his third, uh, third kid, so that's there's no way he was. You know it's been a wild few weeks.
Speaker 4:But you know, everyone knows, I got married here. Uh, september 14th, me and chris actually got married finally. We've been trying for years with with COVID. Then I went on my honeymoon and we caught the giant white sturgeon. I have him coming on the show. Jeff Awesome, the guy from River Monsters. Insane, that guy, the stories he's got. You have to go out and do that.
Speaker 2:It's number one on my list. We should do it together.
Speaker 4:We should go like me, you, nitswiki, get on my list at the Fraser River. We should do it together. We should go like me, you, nitswiki, you know, get a couple of the boys and let's go and do that. It's awesome, I'm in. Well, jeff, you got to hear that episode. When I get it on? Yeah, 100%, I will. Yeah, I, you know, I've been fortunate. I fished with Steve in the tournament here a few weeks ago and then I had my, you know, one of my best friends up here, timmy, up musky fishing, a big pike fishing, for a few days here. So I've been very fortunate. I don't get to have these experiences. It's been, I think we Krista told you it's been. I bought a new house in March and I didn't go to it until July. Yeah, cause I'm just too busy.
Speaker 2:It's your first weekend here, oh yeah.
Speaker 4:Krista said this morning, it's our first Saturday as a family in this home, which is pretty wild when you think about it. I've been very fortunate to have you guys up here and I appreciate you coming. I love you like a brother. Everybody out there, please go to campuscrewcom. Please take a look at Tim's product. If you're a lodge owner or if you're a fisherman or any business that's looking to to promote and some promotional items, reach out to him at timjr, at campuscrewcom. Everybody on the podcast today, make sure you go to fishingcanadacom, get into the contest. Those contests are insane. It's like people are winning garments yes, like I mean like the Rick Payne won the Nordic Point trip. There's guys giving away stuff all the time. You know, and you got to check that out. The other podcast out there you just did one with. You can actually hear Tim on the Eating Wild podcast.
Speaker 2:Yeah, me and Antonio did one together.
Speaker 4:Antonio, yeah, thorne.
Speaker 2:Thorne, smash, smash yeah. Unbelievable so smash, yeah, unbelievable.
Speaker 4:So beauties down there, all those guys buddy he made me a pork sandwich one time yeah and I think it moved like you know, the episode of seinfeld when george eats the mango and he's like I think it moved. I think that happened with the pulled pork yeah, he's wicked. Yeah, he's not just a stick he's a stick in the kitchen in the next week or two?
Speaker 2:yeah, nice should be so.
Speaker 4:Well, you know what, timmy, this brings us, I think, to the end of another episode here of Diaries of a Lodge Owner Stories of the North, and I'm greatly appreciated to have you here and thank you very much for coming.
Speaker 2:No, thank you. You have me here hosting me, taking me out fishing. And yeah, nordic Point, it's a gem up here.
Speaker 4:Thank you very much, buddy, for coming. I appreciate it. We're family brother. I love you, I love you and on that note, everybody get on the water, have some fun. Fishycanadacom outdoor journal radio network. And this is it for diaries of a lodge owner.
Speaker 1:Stories of the north I'm a good old boy, never meaning no harm. I'll be all you ever saw been reeling in the hog since the day I was born, bending my rock, stretching my line. Someday I might own a lodge, and that'd be fine. I'll be making my way the only way I know how, working hard and sharing the north With all of my pals. Well, I'm a good old boy. I bought a lodge and lived my dream. And now I'm here talking about how life can be as good as it seems. Yeah.
Speaker 7:What brings people together more than fishing and hunting? How about food. I'm Chef Antonio Muleka and I've spent years catering to the stars. Now, on Outdoor Journal Radio's Eat Wild podcast, luis Hookset and I are bringing our expertise and Rolodex to our real passion the outdoors.
Speaker 6:Each week we're bringing you inside the boat tree stand or duck blind and giving you real advice that you can use to make the most out of your fish and game.
Speaker 7:You're going to flip that duck breast over. Once you get a nice hard sear on that breast, you don't want to sear the actual meat. And it's not just us chatting here. If you can name a celebrity, we've probably worked with them and I think you might be surprised who likes to hunt and fish. When Kit Harington asks me to prepare him sashimi with his bass, I couldn't say no. Whatever Taylor Sheridan wanted, I made sure I had it. Burgers, steak, anything off the barbecue. That's a true cowboy. All Jeremy Renner wanted to have was lemon ginger shots all day. Find Eating Wild now on Spotify.
Speaker 3:Apple Podcasts or wherever else you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1:Hi, find Eating Wild now on Spotify, apple Podcasts or wherever else you get your podcasts. Hi everybody, I'm Angelo Viola and I'm Pete Bowman. Now you might know us as the hosts of Canada's favorite fishing show.
Speaker 8:But now we're hosting a podcast. That's right. Every Thursday, ang and I will be right here in your ears bringing you a brand new episode of Outdoor Journal Radio. Hmm.
Speaker 1:Now, what are we going to talk about for two hours every week?
Speaker 8:Well, you know there's going to be a lot of fishing.
Speaker 7:I knew exactly where those fish were going to be and how to catch them, and they were easy to catch.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but it's not just a fishing show.
Speaker 7:We're going to be talking to people from all facets of the outdoors, from athletes, All the other guys would go golfing Me and Garton Turk and all the Russians would go fishing. To scientists. Now that we're reforesting and letting things breathe, it's the perfect transmission environment for line to chefs.
Speaker 8:If any game isn't cooked properly, marinated, you will taste it and whoever else will pick up the phone Wherever you are. Outdoor Journal.
Speaker 1:Radio seeks to answer the questions and tell the stories of all those who enjoy being outside.
Speaker 8:Find us on Spotify, apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.