Ever wondered what it's like to chase the elusive muskie in the Ottawa River or dream about fishing in remote, untouched waters? Join us on this inaugural episode of Untamed Pursuits, where Jamie Pistilli and Ryder Knowlton share their passion for the outdoors, sparked by Jamie's admiration of Ryder's book, "The Guide's, a Collection of Untamed Stories." Listen in as we recount our most memorable fishing adventures, including Ryder's epic quest to catch a muskie on a fly. You'll get a taste of the thrill that comes with exploring new fishing grounds and a reminder of why we love and respect nature so deeply.
This episode is a journey into the heart of fishing and hunting, emphasizing the experiences and memories rather than just the end goal. Personal anecdotes abound, from the excitement of landing a bucket-list fish to the joy of cooking your catch for family and friends. Explore with us the essence of outdoor adventures and the importance of passionate and knowledgeable guides who can make or break your trip. Whether it's the diverse fisheries of the Ottawa River or the massive whitetail deer in Alberta, we take you through the highs and lows of our outdoor escapades and the lessons learned along the way.
But that's not all – we also touch on the significance of sustainable fishing practices and conservation efforts. From memorable bluefish runs in the Outer Banks to the challenges of making bluefish a tasty meal, we'll share our culinary adventures and commitment to preserving fish populations for future generations. Join us as we bring you stories from guides and conservationists around the world, promising a rich tapestry of outdoor experiences that will inspire and energize your own untamed pursuits.
Ever wondered what it's like to chase the elusive muskie in the Ottawa River or dream about fishing in remote, untouched waters? Join us on this inaugural episode of Untamed Pursuits, where Jamie Pistilli and Ryder Knowlton share their passion for the outdoors, sparked by Jamie's admiration of Ryder's book, "The Guide's, a Collection of Untamed Stories." Listen in as we recount our most memorable fishing adventures, including Ryder's epic quest to catch a muskie on a fly. You'll get a taste of the thrill that comes with exploring new fishing grounds and a reminder of why we love and respect nature so deeply.
This episode is a journey into the heart of fishing and hunting, emphasizing the experiences and memories rather than just the end goal. Personal anecdotes abound, from the excitement of landing a bucket-list fish to the joy of cooking your catch for family and friends. Explore with us the essence of outdoor adventures and the importance of passionate and knowledgeable guides who can make or break your trip. Whether it's the diverse fisheries of the Ottawa River or the massive whitetail deer in Alberta, we take you through the highs and lows of our outdoor escapades and the lessons learned along the way.
But that's not all – we also touch on the significance of sustainable fishing practices and conservation efforts. From memorable bluefish runs in the Outer Banks to the challenges of making bluefish a tasty meal, we'll share our culinary adventures and commitment to preserving fish populations for future generations. Join us as we bring you stories from guides and conservationists around the world, promising a rich tapestry of outdoor experiences that will inspire and energize your own untamed pursuits.
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 2:Our dream was to harness the knowledge of this amazing community and share it with passionate anglers just like you.
Speaker 1:Thus the Ugly Pike podcast was born and quickly grew to become one of the top fishing podcasts in North America.
Speaker 2:Step into the world of angling adventures and embrace the thrill of the catch with the Ugly Pike Podcast. Join us on our quest to understand what makes us different as anglers and to uncover what it takes to go after the infamous fish of 10,000 casts.
Speaker 1:The Ugly Pike Podcast isn't just about fishing. It's about creating a tight-knit community of passionate anglers who share the same love for the sport. Through laughter, through camaraderie and an unwavering spirit of adventure, this podcast will bring people together.
Speaker 2:Subscribe now and never miss a moment of our angling adventures. Tight lines everyone.
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Speaker 3:Welcome to the debut episode of Untamed Pursuits on your favorite network for all things outdoors, the Outdoor Journal Radio Podcast Network. I'm Jamie Pistilli and I'm here with my co-host down south. It's Ryder Knowlton. Ryder, how are you today? Hey Jamie, how you doing? Hey, great man. We've been talking about this for a while getting this podcast going and hit the old red button. We're ready to roll.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it's been a long time in the making and excited to kick it off.
Speaker 3:You know you're an outdoor enthusiast. You know big, avid outdoorsman and also an author, and I think your book, the Guide's, a Collection of Untamed Stories, is kind of how this whole thing came together. We spent some time in a boat and at the end of the day you told me that you wrote a book about fishing with guides.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I remember, you know, when you first called me about the podcast, I think you were thinking about, you know, who might be a good partner for you and you mentioned you looked over on the coffee table and there it was, you know, laying on table and and uh, and you and I have, you know, we look, we approach fishing very similar and and so, yeah, I think you could say the book was a big part of kind of kicking it off.
Speaker 3:that was great yeah, and we got out together. Uh, you know, I, I just admired the fact that, uh, you're just so passionate about the outdoors and loved every single second of it. I remember pulling into a, a spot and I don't think I've, you know, it's one of those spots that you know the fish are in a certain spot and you just looked around and said, wow, this is so nice here, and you know most people would add a half dozen casts off and you kind of looked at the spot and looked at the area and saw the rocks and saw the weeds and took it all in before you had a cast, which I totally admire. The way that you appreciate the outdoors and I'm sure with hunting, it's probably the same for you.
Speaker 4:Yeah, you know it's. I love hunting and I love fishing, but I really, I'll be honest with you, I get as excited about just the places. You know, the places you go and and I tend to be, you know, I tend to line up better with guides who are as much into the environment of where they're doing their thing as, as you know, you know catching a certain fish and so you know you and I hit it off right away and I never fished the Ottawa river system. You know, I heck. You could say that. You know what.
Speaker 4:What really got us fishing together was my failure as a muskie fly fisherman right down in the southeastern US. You know I've been trying to catch a muskie on fly for a number of years. We've got some good rivers in the southern US kind of a surprise for muskie, but you know, in the mountains of North Carolina and a little bit, I guess, in Georgia, but mostly North Carolina and Virginia and maybe a little in Kentucky. You know we've got some good muskie water but I've been catching them on plugs but it never managed to land one on a fly. And we've got some friends up in the Ottawa, some family friends up in the Ottawa area and we were going up to see them and I was, you know, researching.
Speaker 4:I love researching rivers and water, just reading about it and reading about the Ottawa river system, and you know, lo and behold, it turns out to be not just a place you can catch musky, but a real destination. You know, world-class musky fishery and, and you know, and so my pursuit of landing one of those suckers on fly continues. And that's when I saw you and saw your, you know a couple of shows you'd been on and reached out to you, and then you and I hit it off right away and I and reached out to you and then you and I hit it off right away.
Speaker 3:Dan, I was thinking maybe one day I can be in one of the chapters in your book. You know we can hopefully get that muskie in the net for you one day. But you know, going back, I think you know you've been fishing and hunting for we won't. You know name. Oh yeah, you can age me, it's okay to age me.
Speaker 3:I don't want to age you, but you've traveled all around the world and I think one thing you know when we were talking about getting this podcast together and it's not going to really be a local podcast we want to get guides on from all over the world. You know conservationists, guides and people who love the outdoors and people who are storytellers, and you know not just our neighbor, but you know people on the other side of the world or at the other end. You know there's loads of stories to be told.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, and I think you know what's exciting is. You know we get these folks on the show and we listen to their stories. You know it's not just us talking about stuff we've done, but it's, and that's really consistent with the theme of the book. You know the book is all about the guide stories that I've spent time with and I think that's what you and I were kind of excited about with this podcast ideas. You know, get folks on who are interesting and doing all sorts of different things right Tied to the outdoors and conservation, and have them on and and listen to their stories and what are they working on?
Speaker 4:And you know, and and what little you know what little part of the fishing world or hunting world or just the outdoors world you know are they, are they focused on? And what's cool about this is, you know, between the two of us, we know folks that do this stuff all over the world. So I think the the hope and the idea is we get folks on from all parts of the world that come on and you know are just interesting people and involved in, you know, in the hunting and the fishing and the outdoor conservation world in different places. It should be really interesting.
Speaker 3:You know for sure, and I think you know every person that you talk to and every person that you either hunt or fish with you can always pick up something new and you can always get better. So I think by opening this up to the whole world, we're going to meet some interesting people. We've got some pretty good, great guests lined up in our first couple episodes. We won't let the cat out of the bag, so to speak, yet, but in the next couple of weeks, once this one airs, the listeners out there can enjoy some fantastic guests and stories and fishing guides, hunting guides, and if you're out there and that's what you do, or you know you have a favorite guide that's got some great stories. Please make sure you get in contact with Ryder and I and we'd love to have them on as a guest.
Speaker 4:Yeah, you know you hit on something that's so important there that it doesn't matter if you know you've been fishing for two years or 20 years or 40 years. You know you can always learn more and both you and I talk about that all the time. You know that's you know. A day on the water with you know, with a fishing guide or your buddy, it doesn't make any difference. I'm always learning and I love being around people that you know have expertise in a certain area and I can show up and you know what might be a new place, just like I did up on the Ottawa River with you. You know I'd never fished here before, but suddenly I get to go up there and spend a couple of days on the water with somebody you know in that case with you, who really knows that system and that ecosystem and the fish and all. You know, all the different layers of it. And so you know you're always learning, no matter how long you've been doing this stuff.
Speaker 3:That is for sure. And I think another great part about this podcast is if you're thinking of doing a trip, you know we're going to have guides on from all over so we can get to not only get to know the fishery but also learn about. You know a little bit about the culture and the food and where to stay, and so it can kind of be a little encyclopedia on you know how to, what kind of guide to get and where to go.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, you know it's that picking the guide is such a huge part of it. And you know, as we get different people on and also just from our own experiences, you know, you travel all over the place and I've been fortunate to do that too, and you know, I think that you know, we can talk about and compare notes on some of the tricks we've learned over the years. You know what are ways, as you're looking at different guides, you can. You know you can book. You know what are some of the things to look for, that just to make sure it's the right fit for what you're trying to do.
Speaker 4:Or, you know, if you're trying to put together, maybe, a travel destination, maybe there's a place you've always dreamed of going and you're trying to, you're finally putting that trip together. Well, what are some tricks you can do to maximize your time and money? You know what are some things you can do to you know to try to, you know, get the best bang for your buck and make the most of your time. And so, yeah, no, I think there'll be a lot of real, practical things and, hopefully, things we can all learn on how to, you know, make some of those dream trips happen, and happen in a way that you know where you're maximizing your resources.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that is for sure. You know we'll talk about some of the trips and some of the places you've been to. But question for you, ryder how did you get interested in the outdoors and how did you get to the point where you decided to write a book Like what was your earliest outdoor memory? That kind of fueled the passion.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I had.
Speaker 4:You know I I grew up I don't think I realized till later, you know that what I was doing as a kid maybe wasn't the norm. I grew up on a small farm in in really in upstate New York Western New York, if you will not far from Binghamton, and you know, and the farm was a multi-generational farm and so I was gosh, I think I was actually the fourth generation from my family on that farm and, and you know, my great grandfather, you know, was an early, you know, fly fishing outfitter and guide down in the Catskills, and then my grandfather followed in his footsteps and of course, my dad, you know, was a real hardcore sportsman, you know, hunter and fisherman, and so I just, it just was always part of the, you know, it's just kind of what we always did. And on the farm we were very, you know, we were pretty self-supportive. You know both of my parents really had a lifestyle that made us, you know, kind of live sustainably I don't know if it's fair to say, off the grid, but you know we were growing our own vegetables and we were hunting and fishing for food. In other words, we were not hunting and fishing for trophies or, you know we enjoyed it, but we were doing it for food. And so, you know, my dad would go out back on the farm and, you know, maybe hit, you know, shoot a deer or rabbit or turkey, or whatever season it was, and that's what we're eating, you know, for the next couple of days and then, a couple times a year, would head out and go on, you know, fishing trips to fill up the cooler and bring the fish back, and, you know, and we would self-sustain ourselves that way.
Speaker 4:So I really grew up on a self-sustaining, small self-sustaining farm where we just did it ourselves.
Speaker 4:And we, you know, and it wasn't until I went off to college, really, that I for the first time met, you know, other kids who maybe had grown up in, you know, maybe in a less rural area, closer to the city, you know, maybe grew up in the suburbs and didn't do that. You know, it was like when I, you know, by the time I got in my late teens, I kind of started meeting people that had not done that and realizing, wow, maybe this was a little bit of a different way to grow up, but no, so we just always did it. We hunted and fished for food, growing up on the farm and so my earliest memories are just being around the farm and going out back and, you know, or heading up, you know we would go up and fish Ontario and the 10,000 lakes or do the smelt run and or head down to the Catskills. But it was always with my dad, usually, you know, early on, and we were doing it for substance more than anything else.
Speaker 3:I think when you get together, either with family or friends, and you go on a outdoor adventure, either whether you're hunting or fishing that is some of the best times in your life. I remember growing up as a kid, you know, going fishing with my dad and that's you know.
Speaker 4:that's the time where you sit and you have the meaningful conversations and you create those lifelong memories you know, oh yeah, you know, and it's, you know, I look back on it and we obviously those are great fathers sometimes, but we weren't doing it, you know, to bond. We were doing it just because it was part of who we were and it was who he was and I love doing it too. So we did it together and and those are priceless memories, you know he's, you know, gosh, my dad's 80 years old now and we're still get, we still get out there together and you know, and you know, wet a line whenever we can. But those are priceless memories. And what's really great is now, you know, you can pass that on to the next generation and it just keeps going. And what's amazing is, you know, obviously, you know, since, you know, I've grown up and we've had, you know, gone off in our various directions in the family, you know we're not hunting and fishing necessarily for food anymore, but we just love doing it and mainly just love being in the outdoors, you know, and and so those early days on the farm you know of, of hunting rabbits or deer turkey or whatever it was, you know, those early days stuck with me for life and it set, you know, set a whole lifestyle that I've just enjoyed, you know, you know my whole life.
Speaker 4:And and then eventually, of course, you asked about the book. And eventually, over time, you know, my, my fishing expanded, right it it, it went from being kind of local on the farm to maybe branching out around the East coast of the U? S and then eventually, like many folks, kind of expanded into the American West and then from there it just kept, you know, expanding, opportunities would open up and I would have the chance to go to, you know, more and more distant places for hunting and fishing. And over time, you know, as I went through my 30s and 40s, over time, you know, I suddenly realized I had formed some really great relationships with some fascinating folks that live in crazy places and that's what originally sparked the idea for the book. You know, was just starting to tell their stories of these just, you know, crazy stories. You can't make up with these people that live in these, you know, you know foreign, you know, and these just really remote, rustic, harsh places around the world that have these just incredible, you know, incredible daily lives.
Speaker 3:And in heading to some of those places you really A appreciate what you have. But also, I think fishing and hunting is about the journey. It's not necessarily and this is one thing we agree on, it's not necessarily about that trophy photo. It's more about the process to get from point A to point B right and everything that it takes to be successful and the happiness that you do feel when you are successful.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, it is a journey. And there's fish. You know, man, if there was ever a fish that's a journey, it's the muskie, right? Yeah, I mean that's a. Obviously they call it the fish at 10,000 casts.
Speaker 4:But you know, part of me, in a weird sort of way, part of me, is kind of excited. I haven't yet landed one on a fly, you know, cause it is the journey. And you know, eventually I'm going to do that and hell, I'll probably do it with you. But but it, you know, and then you go off and you, you know, you, you go try to find another one. But it's still kind of fun having that ghost, you know, having you know that, that that journey in front of you, trying to see if you can make it happen. But you know, you talk about us, you know, heading up some of those tributaries to the Ottawa and just pulling in and just settling into places before you start throwing the line. And that's what both of us were doing, man, you know, we were just enjoying the place, getting our arms around it, feeling out the water, and you know, and as you said, just experiencing the journey of seeing and experiencing these, you know, these fantastic places.
Speaker 3:I've landed fish that you know were on my bucket list and the emotion that you feel like. I remember my first tarpon that I landed. I think I gave the most uncomfortable man hug to the guys I was fishing with Exactly. Yep, you know it's just such a good thing to cross off the list, but you know that passion for certain fish doesn't go away. Then it's like, hey, you know, maybe I'll get a bigger one. Or you know, with tarpon I was kind of hoping for a smaller one because beat would beat you up pretty bad, but I haven't caught a permit yet On a fly. That's the one fish that is kind of my muskie that I have to cross off the old list.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, there's no question, the saltwater muskie is the permit and then the freshwater permit is the muskie. I really do feel that and my first permit, I bet my first permit didn't weigh eight pounds. I don't know if it was the smallest permit you know, caught that year this was down on the east coast of the Yucatan, you know, down in around the Ascension Bay area of Mexico, and and it was not a big fish, it was. It was about as small as a permit as it gets. But a permit's a permit and I could have cared less and oh yeah, no, I had many man hugs with the guides and I was. So I don't think I've ever been more excited to land a fish, you know, and just get that monkey off my back and just say, holy cow, okay, you know that one, I've done it now and now I can enjoy going in trying to do it again.
Speaker 4:But there was, you know I remember getting my first mature buck as a kid. You know, first mature whitetail, that was a big deal. I remember calling in my first turkey, you know I. You know that was a big deal, calling in my first turkey, you know, as a kid, and I'll never forget landing that first permit. Oh, my goodness, it was just. Those are special moments and the whole thing's one big journey, as you said. So what?
Speaker 3:are your favorite species? Well, I guess we could start with fish. What are your favorite fish that you've caught and what is on your to catch list?
Speaker 4:Oh man, I tell you, you know, I was lucky enough to be on with Pete and Ange, you know, a couple of weeks ago on their show, and we were talking about bucket list and you know, top it, man, if it isn't number one it's surely top three. Bucket list for me would have to be big brook trout up in, you know, newfoundland or Labrador. You know I've I've chased, I've chased brookies, you know, up in Maine we had family that, that, that that lives up in Maine and New Hampshire. I've never gone up to those areas where you really have a chance, you know, at a legitimate big brook trout. There's some river systems in Maine that were legendary, the Rapid River and others in Maine that are legendary, great history of big fish.
Speaker 4:But I would say top of bucket list for freshwater, for sure for me would have to be big brookies up in eastern Canada and then my favorite fish in saltwater, no question and matter of fact, if I could only fish for probably, if I could only fish for one fish the rest of my life, it would have to be baby tarpon, you know, and by baby I mean five to 20 pounds, I just a 10 pound tarpon looks and acts exactly the same as a hundred pound fish and you don't have to. You don't have to land a hundred pounder, you can reel in a 10-pounder. I love the visual, the optics of fishing in clear water for small tarpon. To me it's as fun as it gets. That would be my favorite. How about you? What are your favorites?
Speaker 3:Muskie is always something I love to do, but I do have a true passion for Atlantic salmon fishing, love getting out east when I can. But on my two catch lists I think peacock bass is on there and alligator gar I love the gar up here and something about a 200-pound gar. I don't even know what that would be like, but we get lots of you know, 50-inch plus fish here and they're so much fun to catch, especially sightseeing on the fly. So I don't even know what you know 50-inch-plus fish here and they're so much fun to catch, especially sightseeing on the fly. So I don't even know what a you know a 5-, 6-, 7-footer would be like. They're pretty gnarly-looking fish.
Speaker 4:That's incredible. It's a dinosaur. That's how I originally, you know, came across you online, was I was watching some of you had done a couple fishing shows and you know, obviously you're you're a well-known muskie guy, but the show that I actually caught, you know, jamie, that you were on was one of your, um, your uh gar. You know what is it Spotted gar up there you guys fish for, I guess, or?
Speaker 4:long nose long nose, yeah and uh, you were doing a show on on long nose gar fishing and that's how I came across you, um, but you and I have talked about, you know, maybe sneaking away and trying to go after a real legitimate monster, alligator gar they. You know a lot of that's down in Texas, trinity River and other areas where you can go down there and really I just can't imagine what a dinosaur to go after. It'd be so cool.
Speaker 3:Like you said, you know I spend time kind of fixating on a certain species and then certain location like the Trinity River. I've spent lots of time, you know, watching videos, reading stories and researching it. I think when I do step off the plane or get out of the car and get down to that river, I'm going to be excited like a kid on Christmas, that's for sure.
Speaker 4:Oh, totally. And what's so cool is, you know I really, man, I really do nerd out, you know, about going to these new places and read about it, which you know you go back to my first trip up to the Ottawa right and learning about what a fishery that is, which then, of course, eventually, you know, led to you and I meeting each other. But you know, when I kind of focus on a fish or focus on an area I love, I'll spend six months reading about a place you know before I go and I just love that. I love that experience of of, of just learning about a new location. And we, you and I've talked about the Trinity River down in Texas and I'll tell you another fascinating fish.
Speaker 4:You know, if you're a bass guy, if you're a bass fisherman, you know the Guadalupe system is so cool, it's a whole nother subspecies. You know there's lots of subspecies of bass. Obviously the smallies and the largemouth are the big ones, but you know you get into shoal bass and Guadalupe bass and all these cool little subspecies that live in different regions. You know of North America and you can really go and learn about a whole new ecosystem and and it to me it's just fascinating and and and it's, it's as fun. You know I love going on the trip. I love having it, seeing a new place and maybe catching a fish, but I really do enjoy, you know, the three to six months of research I spend reading about a place before I go. I just I love nerding out over it.
Speaker 3:Is there a particular way how you do find your guides? I'm curious how you chose me.
Speaker 4:Oh, you're the cheapest. I think you have a sale going on, and the shortest.
Speaker 4:So no, I tell you, I, you know, I, I. I think the thing that probably jumps out at me the most is if I can tell somebody's, you know, as into the place, that we're fishing not necessarily just about catching a big fish, right, or the promise of a fish. You know, one of the things I try to, you know, I appreciate that, but at the end of the day, fishing is fishing. It's not necessarily catching. You know, a guide's job is to, is to give, is to give you their all right, make their best effort, and to put and to take you to a place where you're in an environment that you have a shot at catching, whether it's a fish, or maybe it's an area where there's good genetics for deer. Whatever it is, the point is you're, they're taking you to a place where you got a chance to be successful, but they're sure the heck not guaranteeing success, and you know they're giving you the opportunity for success, and so I really do. Guides that focus more and maybe it's on their website or surely when I'm talking to them you know that are more about hey, listen, we got a. You know, we got a great. You know fishery here and you know, and here you know, maybe these are the months, the better months to come. Or you know we got a great fishery and you got a really good shot, you know at catching these types of fish, but their discussions are more about you know the place itself rather than some type of a promise of catching a certain fish or a promise of catching a big fish. And when you and I started chatting, you know I could tell by your website. You know that you were as equally excited about just the place that you're fishing and the fishery itself and knowing the fishery, and those are the things that I look for.
Speaker 4:You know if I'm online, if I'm, you know checking out websites and then I always call. You know I can tell right away. You know checking out websites and then I always call. You know I can tell right away. You know I'll always reach out to the guide and get them on the phone and talk to them and that's important for them too, you know. So they know what I'm into. You know I'm as into seeing the area and learning about the fishery and you know looking for other animals and critters and birdwatching, whatever it is. You know it's me kind of feeling out the guide, but in fairness to the guide them, feeling me out too and making sure it's a good match. So you know, those are the things that I look for. As somebody that's you know, you can tell that they're knowledgeable but also passionate about the whole fishery, not just trying to land a certain big fish.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's a good call. I'm the same way. I try, you know, when I travel I do book guides as well, and I, you know, doing that. I guess it's like you're a chef, right, when you're cooking a meal and then you go eat at a restaurant you're kind of looking things over and I always try to pick best habits and try to bring that home with me, to try to always, you know, be the best guide I can be.
Speaker 3:And you know, down in Florida I've gone on, you know, great guided trips Southeast, uh, in Gaspé. I've had some wonderful guides. I'm sure we'll have some of them on the show. And even down in South America, some of the uh, hardest working guides I've ever been with are down in Patagonia. It's, it's amazing how those guys really bust their butts to get, uh, get you, get you some fish and and they're so knowledgeable about the area too. Right, and especially, you know, you go to a country that's different, the animals are different, the birds are different, it's, you know, and I think you always, as a guide, have to kind of appreciate that. Some people come, you know, to Canada and they see a squirrel and they start taking pictures and getting all excited and you're like it's a damn squirrel, you know. But at the same time, if it's an animal you've never seen before, it's pretty cool.
Speaker 4:You're going to laugh, man. I had you and I've talked about this. I've done a bunch of things over in Africa and been lucky enough to do that and recently, of course you know you're coming off of heck. You were there last week. I think you had the musky show.
Speaker 4:And you know we're coming off of the show season and you and Dean and I were just talking about that today. You know how busy the conference, the convention and the show season is and and so you know all that starts back in January and and and so in the, in the you know in the punting and sporting world, a lot of those, whether it's Dallas Safari Club, you know SCI, some of the others, a lot of those big shows you'll have. You know you'll have guides coming in from around the world, as you said, and they'll just stay to try to knock out two or three of those conventions at a time and save money on the flights, right, and save money and time. And so we had a couple of my buddies from Zimbabwe, where one of them's really actually both of them are really into the fishing scene over there, and they came over for the shows and we had a couple days of downtime and we were able to get out there and do a little bit of bird hunting down in Georgia just for a couple days. Nothing big, but it was super fun and we took them out.
Speaker 4:I took them out the first morning. We're out driving around getting ready to go get the dogs and go up and see if we can kick up a quail or a pheasant or something like that. And uh, and we and you're gonna laugh, man, they, they got so excited about a squirrel I mean, it wasn't even a whitetail, you know, any animal is new for them because they're coming, literally coming in from africa and, um, we saw a fox squirrel, which is a big squirrel that lives in the southeastern US, and it was like seeing an elephant. I mean, these are guys that live in the world of you know, elephants, lions and, you know, and rhinos, and here they are. You know, here they are getting excited about a little squirrel, but for them it was a new animal and a new continent. So it was a big deal. And we stopped and they took a couple of pictures and I kind of laughed at myself and went on. But you're right, you know, for them it was a big deal because it was a new place.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's kind of like when you have children, right. You kind of have to look through the eyes of a child and how everything's brand new and they've never seen this before, never seen that, and get excited. And I love watching people get excited. I think that's why I became a guide. I, you know, sure I love to catch fish, but I get just as much satisfaction netting somebody's you know, first muskie or a nice smallmouth or a bass or a walleye or whatever the case might be right. Or watching just a kid catch a catfish, right. Just sometimes, just seeing somebody succeed and doing something that they set out to do is so rewarding.
Speaker 4:But that's got to be a huge part of your job, right. I mean, I, you know, I got to think that's what keeps it. You know, obviously, you know getting out there and trying to put people on fish right, that's exciting and you're focused on that. But I got to think just as much as that. You get energy, as you said, off of folks that show up that maybe have never done it before. Right, or just seeing. You know, especially kids. You know folks parents coming out there with their kids, whatever it is.
Speaker 3:I got to think you get a lot of energy from just the excitement of folks you have on your boat, yeah, and you know you hear new stories and you also get somebody new to laugh at your own jokes and stories too, which is also a good thing. But you know, keeping it fresh each day. I don't like fishing the same body of water every day. I don't like fishing the same body of water every day. I don't like fishing for the same species every day, although you know I do have my favorites and people call booking certain fish. But I do think you know, trying to enjoy each day and try not to look at yesterday, and I think there's the old saying and guiding should have been here yesterday, come back tomorrow. You know some days you can't do, you know you can't make the magic happen, even though we always, as guys, try as hard as we can. But you know, I think it's the time there and educating, and you know it is special when all the magic does come together.
Speaker 6:What brings people together more than fishing and hunting? How about food? I'm Chef Antonio Muleka, and I have 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.
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Speaker 1:Apple Podcasts or wherever else you get your podcasts.
Speaker 8:Hi everybody. I'm Angelo Viola and I'm Pete Bowman. Now you might know us as the hosts of Canada's favourite fishing show, 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, now, what are we going to talk about for two hours every week? Well, you know there's going to be a lot of fishing.
Speaker 6:I knew exactly where those fish were going to be and how to catch them, and they were easy to catch.
Speaker 8:Yeah, but it's not just a fishing show. We're going to be talking to people from all facets of the outdoors, from athletes All the other guys would go golfing.
Speaker 1:Me and G To scientists.
Speaker 6:To chefs.
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Speaker 4:You and I, you know, when we were fishing what was the last summer I can't remember if it was the last summer or the summer before but you and I were fishing up off the Ottawa and I remember, you know, at the end of the day we were talking about where to go and you were saying, you know the end of the day, we were talking about where to go and you were saying, you know everybody's going to be up in the ottawa but I think our better, better chance, you know, at muskie is off on some of these tributaries and you know, I think I can't remember if we raised a fish or two. I think at the end of the day we had as much activity, surely, as any of any of the guides up on the big river. But what was super cool is you never, you know you had me flinging a tube sock all day. You know a three pound tube sock on that 10 weight. But but what we? You know we never, we never landed a muskie on fly that day.
Speaker 4:But if you remember, I got my best smallie ever. I mean that was what an awesome for me. That was my best smallmouth in my life. I mean that that was an incredible. That made the whole trip right there right, and so you know, were we successful in landing a muskie? No, and will we have fun continuing to try to Heck? Yeah, but gosh, we caught a heck of a smallmouth and saw some beautiful water on some of the smaller water. You know that you wanted to get back in there and explore.
Speaker 3:It's funny. You know, one of the great things about guiding for muskies are using, you know, these giant flies or giant lures, and what tends to happen is you do get the biggest of all the other species too, like we had a guest last November got an 11 pound walleye in, you know, close to downtown Ottawa, which I'd never seen one that big. So that was a, you know, I thought it was a muskie till it got in the net and I looked on like that is a walleye, wow you know just like when we're fishing gar.
Speaker 3:Sometimes we'll get a big bass come up and smash a fly or a walleye in shallow water. Um, so it's like you said, it's it's enjoying each day, each moment, and you can't guarantee anything. But hey, when you are ready, hopefully the magic does happen.
Speaker 4:Well, and that's what's so cool about a system like the Ottawa, because it is diverse. You have no idea. There's a half a dozen different species of big fish. You could get out there and land. You might be targeting muskie, or maybe you're targeting smallies, whatever it is, but, as you said, you have no idea what you might get, and that's what makes it such a fun system. You know, that's a fishery that you could spend 20 years on and still just be peeling back the layers and figuring out how to approach it. You know.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and some days, you know, if I have a day off, what I like to do is try to go after a species I'm not very good at catching or I don't spend much time catching, so try to get some new spots. And sometimes you know you're fishing for musky and it's, you know, bluebird skies and it's, you know, no wind and it's hot, and sometimes you got to shift, shift gears and kind of offer your guests something different. Right like, hey, do you want to go catch a gar? Or you know what? I saw? A huge pot of carp yesterday in this little bay. Do you want to go? Try to catch a 25 pound carp on a fly, which is an absolute blast as well right, so well, and talk about.
Speaker 4:You know you think permit are hard on fly. Try to hook a, try to get a, a, um, a carp, you know to take a fly, that's got a. You know that's one of your journey. Fish too, um yeah, they're so hard.
Speaker 3:That's how I got into fly fishing. I kind of most of the people you know start with trout and kind of evolve from there. I grew up, you know, throwing spoons and spinners, and then got a little older not, I was about to say, more mature, but that's not the case yeah, we all know that no, I won't go there.
Speaker 3:But I started fly fishing and then I got into carp and I hooked a couple and then started landing some nice big fish and went wow, this is. I went from carp to salmon to trout and everything else and then got into the muskies Such, an underrated fish.
Speaker 4:My God, the carp is such an underrated fish on fly. What an awesome fish to go after.
Speaker 3:They remind me a lot like a redfish, right, they kind of fight, kind of similar, and you know they're, but redfish I haven't. I've only caught one in my life. That's another fish I'd like to spend some more time on.
Speaker 4:Well, how'd you get into it? So did you grow up like? Did you grow up in the Ottawa area? Like what brought you there? And then I really have never asked you, how'd you get into the whole guiding world? Because I know you're such, you know you're a well-known guide up there, but you know how long have you been doing it and what got you started on it.
Speaker 3:I've been guiding now full time for eight years. It's funny, the first money I ever made. As a kid I was 11 years old. I used to go fishing down. After school I'd get on the bus, go sit down by the river and fish and kind of learn all the different species. I grew up in Montreal and then moved to Ottawa when I was 14. And then, even from then, I used to rent 14-foot aluminum boats and kind of fish, fish, fish, fish, fish any time I had, and then everything kind of progressed, I guess, just like you with writing a novel.
Speaker 3:Right, I started writing some stories for different magazines and you know I worked in pretty much every industry, from health care to investment banking, to property management. And one day, you know, my wife just told me she said you know what you got to do what you love. Go buy a boat and do what, do what you want, and haven't looked back since. It's, uh, it's fantastic. Like you said, you know you don't make a good living, but you make a good life oh, absolutely, and it's uh, and every day, man, every day, is this incredible experience where you're?
Speaker 4:you know you're, you're feeling the excitement of whoever you've got on the boat with you that day. And people you know people are going to go fishing, for you know you're, you're feeling the excitement of whoever you've got on the boat with you that day. And people you know people are going to go fishing, for you know different, different goals, right, somebody may want to catch their biggest small, or somebody may be going after a certain, you know certain, size bass, or or somebody like me who's just never landed a muskie on fly and is hoping to do that. But you know, every day, you've got you know the excitement, you know, you, but you know, every day, you've got, you know the excitement. You know you might have a mom or a dad out there just want to take their kids out on the river for a day. You know, and you get that excitement of you know, whatever it is that they're trying to do, you can feel, you know you're feeling that excitement too.
Speaker 3:It's so cool about how you found guides. I think on the other side of it, when you talk to your clients, I love to get to know people a little bit beforehand and try to figure out their expectations. Because if their expectation is to have a shot at a 50-inch muskie, sure, yeah, absolutely, it happens every year. But will it happen on that one day or that one? You know some people book a half day and want the express drive-through through 50 inch muskie photo, which you know it happens. But uh, you know some fish you got to put your time in. But I think, asking you know and try to figure out expectations, hey, my, you know, with two smaller kids they just want to have action. Okay, that's one thing. Or hey, I'm just looking to get out and learn about your whatever's in your area. I think you asking questions and trying to figure out expectations as a guide it really helps with the stress level when you you know you know what, what you know how to come up with a plan and let them know what to expect.
Speaker 4:Well, and it's got to help you too. You know if you're, if you're because, again, you know you're getting to know your client. You know, just like the you're getting to know your client. You know, just like the clients getting to know you. And, and I got to think, I'm sure you do have folks who say, hey, listen, I had a free weekend, we wanted to get out on the river, and that's great, you know, that's perfectly fine. But I would imagine you also come across folks that that are looking at it as a journey.
Speaker 4:You and I've talked a lot about this. That's surely the case with me. And you know, when I find a new place, when I, you know you talk about, you know, alligator gar in the Trinity River. You talk about Guadalupe bass on the Guadalupe River, all you know, whatever it is you're doing, musky on the Ottawa River. You know those are journeys. And so when I think about a new place or a new, you know fish or a fishery, you know that I want to go explore.
Speaker 4:I go into it assuming, hey, man, this might be a two or three year process. You know, and you and I absolutely took that approach from you know, from day one. And you know. Yeah, man, we caught a heck of a smallie, but what did you know? The first thing we started talking about was plans for the next summer. You know what I mean. Hey, where are we going to go next year? You know, and so it is. I got to think it's also fun for you when you come across clients who do look at it as a hey, this may take. You know this isn't going to be a one afternoon and done thing. This is. You know, this is a new area that we want to spend, hopefully, the next several seasons getting to know a little bit.
Speaker 3:And it's really cool. You get to know your guests too. I got a lot of repeat guests that I know. You know it's a it's the first first weekend of July. You know you see certain people every year and you can catch up and you you got things in common and you know you could talk about memories and then you create new memories.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, no question, it's um, uh, uh, you're. Well, you become friends. You know it's, it's more than just a guide, you know, you know fishing person relationship, you know you're, you become friends and buddies. And then, in a perfect world, you know you, you can hope, you know, like what you and I've talked about, you take it to. You know, you, you, you find mutual interest and you say, hey, well, I want to go do this and you're like well, so do I, let's try to put together another trip, you know, and it becomes a long friendship.
Speaker 4:I think you know, when I think about the book, which was a long journey in itself, you know, I think the thing that really triggered it and got me interested in doing it was friendships. You know, with these guides, interested in doing it was friendships. You know, with these guides, and um and and and and and, over the course of many years, spending many years with these folks, realizing, boy, they got some great stories. But that getting to know them at that level happened because we, we became friends. You know, not just, not just, uh, hunting buddies or fishing, you know, glide guide, fishermen relationship, but really we became friends.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's so great. And you know, I've never hunted before, which is crazy, because I live up in Canada and we have animals all over the place. I do love eating wild game, so I'm thinking this year might be the year that I take the plunge and start hunting. So maybe, hey, we can have. I'll be the newbie guy. I'll have to get some guides to help me out on the way, but it'll be cool. With this podcast We'll be able to see things on, you know, from the client side of you, from the guide side of you, and then, you know, hear stories from everybody.
Speaker 4:Well, you, you know, you live. You know, if there was one place, if I could only do one type of hunting the rest of my life, no question about it, I'd be. You know, I'd hunt whitetail deer. And if I could only pick one place to do it, I'd pick Alberta, canada.
Speaker 4:You know, I just can't imagine a better place to go and just see truly remarkable animals. It's a different animal than we have. You know, we have big deer in the States. You know deer tend to be smaller in the southeast and through Texas, a smaller body, and then as we get into the Midwest and, you know, obviously up in Wisconsin and areas, you can get into some really great big giant deer. But you know, just the, you know a Saskatchewan or an Alberta whitetail is just a different animal. And so, yeah, I know, if you decide to take the plunge and start, you know, um, trying your hand at a little, uh, you know, deer hunting or even a little bird hunting, um, you definitely I can't imagine a cooler place to live than you know, being right where you are to try that yeah, I know where my problem is.
Speaker 3:We have so many great rivers and lakes around here that I'm always fishing. But at the same time I I got a lot of buddies who hunt and you know seeing them come back with moose or deer or birds and then enjoying the you know what you've caught after. I think it's such a great, amazing fulfillment. So I think this year I'm going to make the plunge.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, it's exciting to you know, to see people, to see people get interested in that. The part of it that I love that's always been the big connection for my family is the substance and that's a big deal to us and I love that part of it. It's a feeling of accomplishment when you feel like you're providing right. You know whether it's your friends or family, but you know there's areas of Canada and Alaska and others where you know getting that moose each year is a big deal. You know that's a big part of the annual. It's not just tradition but it's a big part of kind of filling the freezer. So it's. You know there's lots of layers to it and then, of course, in the process of doing it, you end up with this great life of just experiencing a connection to nature that's so unique and special really.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's for sure. And then I guess, once you get the meat, then you got to cook it. I'm a big chef myself and I've been learning a lot from one of our podcast brothers on the Outdoor Journal Radio Podcast Network, the Eating Wild Guys. I had a chance to see some of them over at the show, so you know I'll have to get some recipes from them. And yeah, hopefully this year will be the year.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, I remember the first time I cooked and I know you're a good chef. I remember the first time I tried. You know, in the southeast of the US one of the birds, you know, we hunt morning dove and we hunt quail. And quail are a little bit easier. They tend to be a little friendlier to try to cook because it's kind of like a small chicken. But the dove, you've got it Dove's kind of like duck. You know you got to cook duck, right, or you can really mess it up and you got to have to cook dove right or you can really mess it up. And I think my first effort at cooking probably both duck and dove, you know I ended up with these. You know I just remember these horrible little hockey pucks and my buddies were trying to be supportive and they I mean you couldn't even chew into these. It was just horrifying. It was like chewing into a hockey puck and it was a total failure. But it was fun trying it. And you know, over time you know you learn how to do it. But there are definitely, there is definitely certain game. It's no different than fish. You know, you've talked you and I've talked about this. You know that you know there's certain species of fish that you have to know how to prepare or can really be awful.
Speaker 4:I I grew up, you know, our our fish that we would fish for substance on the farm, interestingly, was bluefish. We would make the twice a year. We'd make the run, you know, would make the run, you know would bring the trucks and the boat down to the outer banks of North Carolina and we would fish the bluefish runs in the winter, you know November, march, april, nasty weather, but lots back. This was back in the 70s and the 80s and some great you know bluefish runs coming down the eastern side of the US and we could go down there and fill up freezers of fish and haul it back to the farm and I mean hell, we'd eat bluefish for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next three months.
Speaker 4:It was just horrible. But bluefish is one of those fish that you know is not necessarily a nice white, flaky fish. It's kind of this gray, greasy fish and you gotta you know you do your best to cover it up, but you know it's there's definitely, there's definitely game and fish species that you have to have more talent as a chef, you know, to make it something you can share with friends.
Speaker 3:Yeah, a lot of the. You know the white fish type freshwater fish, even like the groupers and snappers, it's pretty hard to screw up deep fried anything.
Speaker 4:Oh man, I think if I could have any I think my favorite fish of all if Pete was on he'd be cheering right now. But I just can't imagine anything better than walleye, holy cow. I mean, how do you beat just a nice little walleye fish fry?
Speaker 3:You know, there's, there's lots of great fish, um, but I don't know how you beat walleye at the end of the day, yeah, we got a. We got a trip book, um, at the end of June, so I'm excited to get up for walleye. Up in Quebec Last year we just, yeah, we had some delicious I think that trip. Half of it is food. Right, we know we're going to catch fish, so brought up supply for some walleye tacos and you know it's kind of everybody's in charge of a meal and we try to one-up each other and it's, yeah, I can my stomach's growling as I think about it.
Speaker 4:It's so great it's and that and that that becomes such a fun part of the trip. You know what I mean. The eating's as much fun as the as the fishing I got. You know I've got a good buddy that's got a. He and his wife have a farm in the Dakotas. You know they're in South Dakota and for us that's big pheasant country. You know that's really the prime, prime area for pheasant hunting in the US. Or you know that area around the Dakotas and and and we used to try to sneak out there each November and try to get some birds and no-transcript, it's all bow hunting, you know. And so I, you know I'm basically hunting those first few hours of the morning, maybe out through around midday, and then would have some downtime before going out in the afternoon and and and.
Speaker 4:He's like you know we just the Missouri River is just an unknown walleye, it's just a walleye fishery that people don't really think about. And he's like what do you say? We take one of the days and just focus on creating a fish fry? You know it wasn't just hey, let's get some, you know, let's go hunt deer or let's try to, you know, catch certain fish. It was all about the fish fry itself and we took one of the days and just had oh my goodness, you know, we just we had buckets of fried you know, fried walleye. It was just fantastic. But the whole trip became about eating you know walleye rather than even, you know, talking about deer hunting.
Speaker 3:It's funny, those poor fish, because they're so tasty they don't get put in the water. You know, put back a lot. I, surprisingly, when I'm guiding I do not. Last year I didn't harvest one walleye. Put them all back. But I'm, you know, especially with my local waters and depending where you're fishing. I think conservation's a huge thing. Some, some lakes and rivers have loads of numbers and it's okay to bring home your dinner. But gone are the days where you bring home your limit and throw them in the freezer and they get freezer burned. That drives me crazy.
Speaker 4:No, you don't do it. And one of the great things about muskie and I learned it early even here in the Southeastern US, which is not your typical muskie country, although there are some great fisheries down, great river systems and a lot of hardcore, focused muskie fishermen down here but you know, one of the really one of the things I learned early on was just how sensitive and I should say tuned in that's a better word tuned in, you know, the guide community was to river temperatures with a muskie. In other words, yeah, we're going to be out there in the winter and we'll fish them through March or April, but come June and July we're just not going to fish for them. You know, and they're there and and and and you know you could, but we're not going to. And it was across the board. I love to see it.
Speaker 4:You know there was such an awareness and a and a um, uh, a focus on taking care of the fish and making it a sustainable thing. We, you know, we talk about. You know how great a musky, a walleye fish fry is, and it is. It's a great thing, but at the end of the day, the only fish here in the Southeast, you know, for me the only fish I really keep. We're releasing everything we're catching on fly for sure, but the only fish that I do tend to keep are schoolie mahi, if we can get off the coast and and get out there and get into some small, you know, five, five, 10 pound dolphin five, 10 pound. You know, mahi, you know those we're going to keep and we'll make some fish tacos, but everything else we're releasing.
Speaker 4:Everything we're releasing and I love to see the. Obviously the guides are tuned into it. They're focused on conservation and what's really cool is we're starting to see and hear other people supported too. Hey, you know, we understand the importance of catch and release and really having a conservation focus on this, and you're seeing it much more across the board than we used to.
Speaker 3:You know, I fish for Atlantic salmon out in the East Coast. I fish for Atlantic salmon out in the East coast and now you know, before when you landed one, it was the you know the trophy photo where you take it out of the water and then you photo, photo, photo, photo photo, and then now they're not even taking the heads of the fish out of the water anymore, which, when you think about it, those fish have traveled from, you know, canada to Greenland and back right. So they're to take them out of the water. They're pretty prized and the numbers are not what they used to be. So it's good to handle fish properly and respect them.
Speaker 3:I think with muskies too. I don't measure every fish. I don't like taking every fish and bringing it in the boat and measuring it. You can kind of, after many, many mus muskies, you can kind of look at them and go, hey, that's, you know, 32, 34 inches, or that's 47, 48 inches. If you have a special fish, sure, you want a quick measurement, that's good. But I think with any fish you have to be thinking of the fish's best interests. And you know, have your release tools, have your camera ready and you know, if you do take a photo, grab it, take it out of the water and grab a quick shot and get it back in the water. But you know there's nothing better than watching a fish swim away after a great battle.
Speaker 4:Well, it's the best and what's really cool is the sporting community, you know, is really understanding that. You know, if you let's take tarpon, you know, you just look at the world of tarpon fishing and you think about what the photos were back in the 80s. Well, the photos in the 80s and earlier, you know a lot of those were a fish hanging on a dock. You know, surely, back in the, you know, in the 50s and 60s, obviously, you know you'll get the old black and white photos. And then you kind of went through a period of time where you know people might have been pulling a scale as a trophy, and then you know, and then starting to release the fish, but you'd still have all these pictures of these great big tarpon being pulled up into the boat, right, but you know, at least they were being released but they were being pulled up into the boat. And then over time you realize that you're really hurting the fish. You know, when you're pulling that fish out of the water, not just the weight issues of how you grab them and lift them, but the fact that you're pulling them out of the water really is hurting them and it's increasing, it's decreasing the chances they survive. They may. They may swim away, but you want is, what you want is a fish that swims away and then survives, you know, not just a fish that swims away and dies a couple hours later.
Speaker 4:And what I what's so great to see is that when you, you look at tarpon pictures today, obviously, um, you know iphones and and, and, uh, instagram and all that is just, you know, opened up a whole new world of fishing pictures that didn't exist even 10, 15 years ago. But you know, tarpon pictures today are all of fish in the water. You know you might pull the fish that maybe you pull the head up out of the water. Heck, half half the pictures I see here of folks that take, you know, underwater pictures of the fish and it's, you know. So it's not just good practice and it's not just really really helping the fish in the fishery, but it's just totally accepted as the you know new cool photos. Or the fish wet. You know, keep them wet, keep them in the water, and it's. I just love seeing how it's just almost become the new norm.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and on your Instagram it's a writer underscore the underscore guides. You can see a lot of the photos. You're, you're, you take some wonderful photography and you kind of capture the moments of the catch or the hunt in a way that is very respectful. Right, it's not the like we said, not the 1972 hanging off the dock photo.
Speaker 4:So oh no, or God forbid the old. You know 1972 photos of the. You know that. You know you have a white tail on somebody's head or something like that. Just, you know that was a whole different time and place and I love to see it. You know it's even in the world of hunting. You know there's such a focus now on waiting for that right animal and letting animals grow and letting them go through their. You know, seeing, hearing that as the talk around, you know the hunting clubs or the fishing clubs, you know here, and that's just kind of the chatter which is, yeah, man, let that one go and wait for the animal and also an appreciation, right, an understanding and appreciation of that game that you're pursuing and it's nice to see that, you know really starting to be understood by the whole community.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's for sure, and I think you know we'll wrap it up here. We got so much talking to do and we got some unbelievable guests coming on from around the world, so I think you know we'll be talking more conservation. We'll be talking about tips, tricks and, of course, stories here on the Outdoor Journal, radios, podcast networks, newest podcasts, untamed Pursuits. I'm Jamie with my co-host, ryder. Thank you so much, ryder, for this chat and looking forward to weeks to come.
Speaker 4:Can't wait for it, Jamie. Thanks again, man.
Speaker 3:Hey, thank you so much.
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 Gerry 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 Find Under the Canopy now on Spotify, apple Podcasts or wherever else you get your podcasts.
Speaker 7:How did a small town sheet metal mechanic come to build one of Canada's most iconic fishing lodges? I'm your host, steve Nitzwicky, and you'll find out about that and a whole lot more on the Outdoor Journal Radio Network's newest podcast, diaries of a Lodge Owner. But this podcast will be more than that. Every week on Diaries of a Lodge Owner, I'm going to introduce you to a ton of great people, share their stories of our trials, tribulations and inspirations, learn and have plenty of laughs along the way.
Speaker 8:Meanwhile we're sitting there bobbing along trying to figure out how to catch a bass, and inspirations, learn and have plenty of laughs along the way. Meanwhile we're sitting there bobbing along trying to figure out how to catch a bass and we both decided one day we were going to be on television doing a fishing show.
Speaker 4:My hands get sore a little bit when I'm reeling in all those bass in the summertime, but that might be for more fishing than it was punching.
Speaker 7:You so confidently you said hey Pat, have you ever eaten a drum? Find Diaries of a Lodge Owner now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.