Untamed Pursuits
Embark on a wild adventure like never before with the groundbreaking podcast, "Untamed Pursuits."
Join the intrepid duo of renowned author and outdoor enthusiast, Ridr Knowlton, alongside the seasoned professional fishing guide, Jamie Pistilli, as they traverse the globe in pursuit of the world's most exciting fishing and hunting destinations, and the fascinating creatures that live there. From the lush rainforests of the Amazon to the icy depths of the Arctic Circle, each episode promises heart-pounding encounters, captivating tales, and invaluable insights into the natural world.
With Ridr's profound storytelling and Jamie's unparalleled expertise, prepare to be transported to the front lines of adventure, where every roar, splash, and rustle ignites the senses and leaves listeners on the edge of their seats. "Untamed Pursuits" isn't just a podcast—it's an adrenaline-fueled odyssey that will redefine your perception of nature and leave you craving more. Buckle up for the ride of a lifetime!
Untamed Pursuits
Episode 17: The Art of Patience and Passion in the Wild
Ever had a fishing trip that takes a turn you never expected? Join us as we navigate through a tale where a simple day on the water turns into an epic adventure, complete with a 49-inch musky, a fierce battle, and an unexpected hospital visit. Despite the chaos, the triumph of landing such a remarkable fish shines through, highlighting the unpredictable yet deeply rewarding life of a guide. We dive into the essence of what makes these experiences unforgettable, from personal highs and lows to the camaraderie that binds us all.
In the world of fishing, mindset is everything. We share heartwarming stories of clients like Tammy and Nick Tryon, whose unwavering optimism transformed a seemingly disappointing day into one filled with success and joy. Their journey, along with others, underscores how a positive attitude can turn the tide in fishing and life. We explore the emotional depth of outdoor pursuits, drawing parallels between fishing, hunting, and the patience and dedication they demand. The narrative also touches on personal reflections, including the profound impact of losing a mentor, and how these experiences shape our passions.
Finally, we take a closer look at the fascinating behavior of fish, such as muskie and redfish, whose longevity and territorial nature provide endless intrigue for enthusiasts. Stories of patience paying off and lessons learned from the natural world offer listeners insights into the virtues of persistence.
What brings people together more than fishing and hunting?
Speaker 2:How about food?
Speaker 1: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.
Speaker 4: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 1: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 Harrington 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, apple Podcasts or wherever else you get your podcasts.
Speaker 3:The water is the water. That is the water that is the water.
Speaker 5:that, and welcome to this week's episode of Untamed Pursuits. I'm your host, Jamie Fusselli, here with my trusty sidekick down in the Carolinas, Mr Ryder Knowlton. Ryder, what's happening, my brother?
Speaker 6:Oh Jamie, I'm watching our Carolina Panthers struggle in this season. Man, it's tough. It's tough. Sometimes it's hard being a fan.
Speaker 5:You know I'm a Vikings fan living in Canada. So I'm ready for our 8-8 season. No matter how we start off strong or start off weak, I know where it's ending up, so that's a good thing with fanning right.
Speaker 6:You know my other team's, the Bills, and so it's fun. You know they're having a great season, as they always do, and so you know one of the teams wears me out, but the other one's kind of fun to watch.
Speaker 5:That's sports, right, and hockey's just getting started. Here in Ottawa, our Senators are off to a better start and fishing we got a couple more weeks left here in the season, which is great. Some stories from the last couple of weeks I got another injury, which that was. I don't even know if I want to go there, I'm so traumatized.
Speaker 6:but you got to describe the photo. You sent me a gruesome photograph. Let's explain to our listeners, uh, what you sent me, um, in a, in a text, because it was a gruesome picture yeah.
Speaker 5:So I had a fishing for musky. I got a hook in my hand while attached to a musky and it was not happy. Anyway, the hook went in so deep that it buried into the bone. Uh, when I cut it out, I wasn't able to pull it up backwards. I wasn't out to, wasn't able to pull it through forwards, so I had to cut my losses. I think that was the first muskie I caught myself this year because I've been busy guiding.
Speaker 5:So it was like 12 o'clock and my day was cut short and we'd voted too early and I thought this could be an epic day. And then it was an epic eight hours in the hospital, you know, a surgery where I had, you know, I had to have my finger cut open and then stitches, and it was awful. Hey man, did you land the fish? I did. It was the most honest fish in the river, a 49-inch fish, which somehow they go from 47 to 50 all the time up here. But it was an awesome fish. It was an amazing fight and I think if I didn't catch the fish I would have been a lot more pissed off. But sitting in the waiting room looking at the photo of the fish, I was like that's okay, but you know, you're sitting there and you get this big hook stuck in your hand and people are walking, by, going, oh man, what is?
Speaker 5:that, you know, and it's part of life as a guide, right Like things happen, you got a lot of. I was actually out in my buddy Corey's boat, so he, you know, he was like hey, man, I'm launching. It was. He lives right near the river, so instead of me trailering 40 minutes, I thought, wow, this is great. You know, for the first time this year I can hop in a boat, I don't have to worry about trailering, and uh, there we go. It was, uh, one of those lessons learned.
Speaker 6:But uh, Dude, I wish I could say this, but you're no stranger to that.
Speaker 5:No.
Speaker 6:I haven't. I know you've had a, now I I don't know. I didn't put that together. I didn't realize it was your fish. I thought my I was. I was assuming that you were helping a client land a fish. I didn't realize you were actually um trying to land your own muskie.
Speaker 5:Yeah, it was funny because I was in a buddy's boat and normally have all my release tools and everything and the fish. There was one in the fish and one in the net and normally what I would do is grab my pliers and pull the extra hook out of the net and then unhook the fish. But because I was in a different boat, you know, the pliers weren't there, so I just thought, oh, I'll just grab the hook out of the net and then unhook the fish. But because I was in a different boat, you know, the pliers weren't there, so I just thought I'll just grab the hook out of the net and as I grabbed it, the fish went bananas. And the next thing you know I'm connected to the fish and it was, uh, created a couple new words on the river, I'm sure if anybody was, I won't say it was stretch. I was that because I don't want to reveal the exact location of the fish, but it was one of those. Wow, there we go.
Speaker 6:You know, it's like you know the old saying when, if you know, if you see a a fish photo and the and the fisherman's hand doesn't make it all around the base of the tail, you know it's a big fish, right? You know, if you're holding the fish and either the girth, you know hanging underneath your left hand, or if you got the tail on the right hand and your fingers don't go all the way around, as crazy as it sounds. When you sent me that photo, the first thought that crossed my mind was the size of the hooks. I looked at it and I was like God, there's some meat on those hooks. Those aren't some little. It's not like you nailed some little, you know. 16, size, 16 trout fly into your neck or something. There was some meat on that hook that was embedded deep in your hand.
Speaker 5:The bad part is it went like you know, your finger kind of bends over. It went in there all the way to my thumbnail and unfortunately right now I have zero feeling in my whole top part of my finger. It feels like a dead nub. So hopefully that comes back yeah but I was out in the cold today and it hurt like hell, so I got some issues I gotta deal with forward. But life is a fishing guide. You know that's what you do.
Speaker 6:You got to keep the positive attitude right, no matter what happens.
Speaker 5:And speaking of positive attitude we had, so this is probably a good segment for today. I had loyal fellow. You know these two folks, uh, tammy and nick, try on um. They got out fishing with me last year and they're huge supporters on the network. They listen to every single podcast on the outdoor journal radio podcast network and we got out. I got out with them twice and we got two muskies both time last year.
Speaker 5:And I will normally normally, you know, when you get clients aboard you're always trying to paint a positive picture and there's good times and bad times. But I was in probably the biggest slump I had since I was a guide. You know, a couple days in a row, no fish in the boat lost a couple. You know, a couple of days in a row no fish in the boat lost a couple. And my PFA positive fishing attitude was pretty low. But I knew I had two amazing positive people coming aboard, right. So I was trying to be positive and like I was so excited they were coming.
Speaker 5:But deep down inside I was thinking like, oh man, as a guide it's like a couple of days in a row Haven't netted a fish. Where do you go and what do you do. And anyway they show up to the dark big smiles and hugs and they're like, hey, last two times we caught two. Today we're going to have three. And I was like, yeah, we're going to have three. And I'm thinking to myself like, um shit, if we get one, I could be super happy nothing like expectations if I could turn the, turn the uh, you know, turn the ship around.
Speaker 5:But in reality, when you're fishing, if you think you're gonna get skunked, and if any, you know, I I have a lot of guests that show up. They're like never caught a muskie, I'm not catching one today. Well, I'll be dead honest. Those are not the people that you're giving high fives to, that they've caught their first muskie. Right, it's the ones that are willing to learn. They're like oh, it's a beautiful day today, I think we're gonna catch one.
Speaker 5:I think when you're holding a fishing rod and I'm sure in hunting is the same way, if you're going out there and visualizing and you have a positive mindset, that's when positive things happen, right? So, and I think they, as soon as they got on board, all the negative feelings I had for the last couple of days were gone and I thought, okay, how am I going to get these folks to fish? They're both going to get one. Yep, and away we go. And, sure enough, the best day of the season voted too early fish. And then, nick you know, landed a 48 as we were trolling back to the dock and I thought like I went back home. I couldn't sleep, thought like I went back home, I couldn't sleep, I was so happy. And then when I woke up, I'm like I wonder if we get through again. And then, sure enough, the next day I got through again. So amazing, I think. It's just a. It's the mindset of the outdoors and and when you're hunting and fishing, I think yeah, I think that's right.
Speaker 6:Well, and it's, um, it's, it's so important to have a positive attitude, especially if you're, you know, not just fishing in your backyard, but if you made the commitments to go travel somewhere. You know, imagine, you know, I don't know where they're from, but I know you have folks that come in from all over the place. You know, to fish with the end and to fish the Ottawa area, the Ottawa area, and you know, and if you've, you've made the investment of time and money to go, commit, you know, might be two day trip, three day trip heck, some folks go and and do a week trip and attitude, positive attitude, might be the most important thing of all. You know, you know, not just in that, in the day you're out on the water, but making sure that the whole experience works. And one of the things that's interesting, I think it depends on what you're fishing for. You know, if you're taking a six-year-old out for their first fishing trip, well, you want to catch fish, you want to get that kid fish, you want to get them excited about becoming, you know, a fisherman, and so you want them to catch fish. But if you're out, you know, on your own, if you're on a fishing trip.
Speaker 6:There's a lot of species and muskie, my goodness, if there's ever a species that falls into this category maybe more than any other, even maybe more so than a tarpon or a permit it would be a muskie. And that is that. It's more of a journey. You're not necessarily going to catch a muskie that day. You're continuing your journey as a muskie fisherman and that journey can take. You know, that journey can take years. Sometimes I'm a classic example of that. Heck, that's how you and I met I. Sometimes I'm a classic example of that. Heck, that's how you and I met I. You know I, I have, I've caught muskie before on spinning tackle, but I have, am determined to catch a muskie on fly and I still haven't done that.
Speaker 6:And you know, and, and, and it's so important to keep that attitude, that positive attitude, knowing that you know this. This is going to be a journey and it might take a couple trips. Sure, the hex could take a couple days, might take a couple trips, might take a few years of going back. And what you're looking for with that guide or that outfitter is access to a great area where you got a good chance to find that game, access to hardworking guides that know what they're doing, that are going to put you in position but at the end of the day it's still fishing and hunting and know what they're doing, that are going to put you in position, but at the end of the day, it's still fishing and hunting. And with some of these species, man, you, just you have to keep that positive attitude because it might be, you know, a long journey to eventually you know land that muskie or land that permit or land that tarpon?
Speaker 5:Yeah, absolutely. I went, you know, fishing in Gaspé. I fished, you knowlantic salmon to gas pay. This year was a tough year. I went, you know, four days. I didn't catch a fish, but conditions were different. Like every year. You you kind of have to suck up what's going on around you and sometimes you're good and sometimes you're bad, and you just got to keep fishing and enjoy the time on the water. I I think the whatever hits the net or or or whatever, that is a bonus, but actually enjoying the time and the outdoors and the water, that's that's what it's all about. And if you can keep positive, well, when everything comes together, that's that's when it matters.
Speaker 6:You hit it right in the head. It's. You know, landing that fish is a bonus. You know, getting that buck down is a bonus. It's about being outside and doing those things and part of the you know our web, you know our podcast Untamed Pursuits right, it's the pursuit of those things and that pursuit can become a you know a journey more than anything else, a journey more than anything else, one of the. You know one of the fish in my world of saltwater fly fishing, maybe the best example of this and boom.
Speaker 6:You know some of our listeners are going to not believe me when I say it, but the permit is such an interesting fish and for those listeners that don't know what it is, the permit is a saltwater flats fish, in other words, as you're fishing the coast on the flats flats meaning those tidal flats might be two feet deep, might be five feet deep, but you're typically in a flats boat. And the three classics, of course, are bonefish, tarpon and permit. And of those three, the one that's the most frustrating and usually takes the longest and requires the most patience and positive attitude is by far the permit. Folks can usually figure out bonefish pretty quick and that's more of a fun fishing. Tarpon's definitely more of a you know, jumping in the deep end and heavyweight wrestling and a you know hand-to-hand combat adventure. The permit's a different animal and it reminds me a lot of a muskie. A muskie, if you're a pike fisherman and you're used to seeing those pike just charge after that top water and blast it, explode. It so visual, so fun, so cool, nothing but fun. Pike fishing is nothing but fun.
Speaker 6:And if you're used to that, and then you go out and you dabble in the world of muskie fishing and you have your first day of getting skunked and go, what the heck was that? And the answer is well, man, welcome to muskie fishing. And then maybe the next time you go out you actually raise a couple of fish but you don't get any. You know you don't get any follows. Well, what the heck was that? That was muskie fishing. Maybe the third time you go out you get a couple of follows. For the first time they engage. That's not dissimilar to tarpon fishing. You know where you might get a follow. Whether you get an eat or not, at least you get a follow. And and then, if you're, you know, with musky, if you're really lucky, maybe the follow turns into a little bit of figure eight, whipping the rod around the boat trying to keep that fly moving, just trying to keep moving and keeping that fish engaged, and the actual take you know, if it happens at all, could you know might be trips down the road.
Speaker 6:And with permit, I've got friends who are, you know, hardcore tarpon fishermen and flats fishermen. You know that have been trying for decades to get their first permit as crazy as that sounds decades. I've had two friends that fished for permit for over 20 years before they finally got their first permit on fly and it's such a I mean, that's such a meaningful moment. But the great thing is, every time they would re-gear up and go back out. They had that positive attitude hey man, maybe it'll happen today.
Speaker 6:And of course, the beauty is just what you're saying, jamie every day out on the water, in that case the flats, a day on the flats is so special and everything else.
Speaker 6:You're spending a day in the aquarium looking at all the other life out on the flats and just being out there. But imagine keeping that attitude for, you know, for 10 years trying to get a fish and and so it's. It's so important on so much of what we do, especially when you get into getting into some of this adventure, travel and and, um, you know places where you've you've invested the time and energy uh, time and money. You know and you're committed, you're going and you're going to be there for three days fishing hard, and you and you, you really want to keep that positive attitude, not only for yourself but for the guide. Talk about that, jamie. How does the, how does the attitude of the, of the clientele affect you? I mean, the guide, more than anybody, of course, has to keep the positive attitude, to keep the energy there and to keep the focus. But I've got to think you probably feed right off of that too, right From your clients.
Speaker 5:Yeah, the toughest thing is you know you get a guest, you know you have the folks that show up, hey, today is a great day. And then you get other people. The wind's going from the east and last time I was out I didn't catch anything. And as soon as people start off with the bad aura and the bad, it's hard to turn those folks around. And when you're in a boat for half day, four or five hours, or a full day, eight to 10 hours, it's hard to get people to change the way that they're thinking, their whole mindset. If they have an attitude going in, it's hard to make. You know, unless they get a fish, then they're like oh, it's a great day. But for the most part you have to. When you show up, like you said, you're on a vacation and you spend your hard-earned money to go on a fishing trip. You have to enjoy the day and where you are. I think catching a fish is a bonus. But think of how many times, ryder, you've been on a trip where you see a different kind of bird you've never seen, or a different animal, or you see something that has nothing to do with hunting or fishing. That makes your day right, like.
Speaker 5:I just think of so many great. I remember July 4th this year. I had two American guests going up and we're talking telling stories and the guy goes. You know, I'm so happy I'm up in Canada, but I feel really sad I'm not in America for July 4th and, as he said, that a bald eagle flew over and landed on the tree and we're both like whoa, like it was just. All of our hearts were just so warm and I thought, wow, like, and they felt like they were like it was just those, like, and they felt like they were like it was just those. That's one example of all these little tiny things that, if you're enjoying the moment and not worrying about the species, that can happen right.
Speaker 6:Oh, totally. And yeah, I remember. I remember taking a guy on his first fly fishing trip. You and I have both done that more times than we could ever count. You know how many people have we introduced to the world of fly fishing and outdoor adventures and it's so rewarding. And I took this guy he was older than me At that time, I was probably in my I guess early 40s and he might have been late 50s, early 60s, and we were fishing the Ruby River in central, south central Montana, not one of the most famous rivers in Montana, but a great fishing river and a really neat river.
Speaker 6:And we were working along the Ruby and, candidly, not catching a darn thing. That particular day we were kind of self-guiding, which meant I was guiding and I was not putting us on any fish whatsoever. And about halfway through the day he just stopped and looked around and he kind of put his arms up in the air and he goes holy cow, look at where we are, man, and he goes. Do you realize? You know he goes, ryder, I'm whatever, it was 55 years old, I'm 60 years old. And he said I've never done this before. And I thought about it and when he said that I kind of questioned. I was like, well, you know really, and I was kind of thinking to myself but obviously I was very respectful of the moment and he kept going on. It was kind of almost an emotional moment for him and he said I've never done anything like this You've. You've opened me up to a whole new world. He goes I can't believe I've been missing out on this. We hadn't caught a fish all day With. The day before we'd fished the beaver head and we'd caught a bunch of fish, but that day on the Ruby, we hadn't caught a single fish. And um, and he and he was so in the moment and as I thought about it I realized this is somebody who'd been working. It started to make sense. I mean, his career kept him in, you know, new York, philadelphia. He spent a long time in Philadelphia. He just his career and life and kids and all that kind of stuff he just had never. He'd never engaged in having, you know, a part of his life really be tied to the outdoor world, you know a part of his life really be tied to the outdoor world, and this was his first time he'd been immersed in it. He might've gotten little flavors of it here and there, but he's sure the heck had never gone away and been out in the wilds of Montana for three days. And you know, to see somebody, let's say, at 60 years old, experiencing that and realizing, holy smokes, this is a whole new chapter of my life.
Speaker 6:The best part of the story was over the next three or four years. He would follow up with me and he would send me texts and emails I guess not texts in those days, but emails with photos. And it was he and his grandkids. He was taking his grandkids fly fishing up in the mountains of North Carolina because that was now part of his life and I was so excited to see it. And it's easy to you know, it's easy to say all this stuff. You know, pardon me, you know, if he has a listener, I'd be like, yeah right, you know, at the end of the day, let's catch some fish. I get it, I do get that.
Speaker 6:But there is so much more to it and that's an example of a day that, mostly because of my shortcomings of a guide on the Ruby River, we didn't catch a single one, but where he had a, he had an incredible day outdoors without a single fish. But just real, you know, realizing holy smokes. This is such a special thing, and and and, and, and. Those are the things to your point. You know has nothing to do with landing the fish, but my goodness, the things you get to see. You know I'm a bird watching nerd and you know that. And gosh, I remember you and I fishing together a couple of times. You know, spending more time looking for eagles, you know, and birds on the trip than anything else. At the end of the day, you want to catch fish. Don't get me wrong. You know we're not sitting here talking about, hey, let's find ways to make an excuse on a bad day of fishing. The point is that it's always a great day out on the water or in the woods. You know whether you're catching or shooting something.
Speaker 3:it's still a great day out there. 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 4:Our dream was to harness the knowledge of this amazing community and share it with passionate anglers just like you.
Speaker 3:Thus the Ugly Pike podcast was born and quickly grew to become one of the top fishing podcasts in North America.
Speaker 4: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 3: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 4:Subscribe now and never miss a moment of our angling adventures. Tight lines everyone.
Speaker 3:Find Ugly Pike now on Spotify, apple Podcasts or wherever else you get your podcasts podcasts.
Speaker 7: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. 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.
Speaker 7: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. 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.
Speaker 6:Find Under the Canopy now on Spotify, apple Podcasts or wherever else you get your podcasts? Tell me, jamie, I mean I want to hear this. Is you know musky is such an important fish to you but the other fish that you are involved in that has such a obviously a cachet to it and I've got no experience with it. But talk about Atlantic salmon. I've talked to fishing men and women who've tried for years and are still trying to get their first Atlantic salmon. Talk about that and attitude and mindset on another fish. That's more of a journey than anything else.
Speaker 5:So Atlantic salmon. I'm not a guide for them, but I've been guided many times and I try to do one trip a year. That's my freshwater. Oh, they're such a special fish. They fight so hard. But at the same time you need everything to go right. You need the water level to be right, you need the weather to be right. Usually after rain, when the rain you know the river goes up a bit, the fish will move.
Speaker 5:This year we got out the river was record low and in the morning you could tell the guides. Their attitude was hopefully we get one today and you could just see that they're just going about the motions right and show up to the first river, go up to the first spot and the guy goes there's going to be two fish beside the first big rock, there's one in front of it, two in the rapids and one here. And then you show up and those exact same fish are in the same place and they've seen every fly. They do not care right and there's like almost no chance of success. But at the same time you're standing in some of the most fabled waters and when that comes through your head it's just like you know the fish are there, you know you're fishing and you gotta enjoy the time, even if you know there's. You know, some of the some of my buddies go fishing in in in june for atlantic salmon and sometimes the fish are not even in the rivers yet and the guides are. Some of them will tell you oh look, I think I see something. I saw a flash beside the rock, even though there's no fish in the river. But you know you're fishing some legendary water and you, you gotta just keep casting.
Speaker 5:And this year was really, uh really tough for me. I me, I lost, uh, a good colleague, um Colin McEwen, who was the producer of the new fly fisher. I'd like to give a small shout out to him and his family. Um, the first night of my trip I showed up and I saw that Colin had passed and he's, you know, one of my fly fishing mentors and I remember I stayed up all night watching videos and looking for old photos and stuff, and the next day I was standing in the river and the guides were like that's going to be a tough day and I thought you know what?
Speaker 5:It's not going to be a tough day. I'm going to be casting, I'm going to be fly fishing, I'm with all my great friends. We got great lunch, great shore lunch, we got amazing dinners and then great stories after. And like, regardless of the fishing, this is going to be a great trip. And I remember casting, you know, picturing my friend beside me, going boy, I sure you know. I know he wishes he was here now and, just like you, got to enjoy each day, right? So yeah, that's it. Sorry, I get a little emotional and sad, but uh, I think I get it.
Speaker 6:I get it and uh, that um, you know there's two shows. That is one of them for us. Uh in the saltwater world. Uh, walker's cake chronicles was the other. But I mean I can't tell you how many times I've watched. I watched, you know, your buddy's show so many times and and and you know we have. We have other shows coming up where we're talking about planning trips, planning. You know the logistics of thinking about what, what are some of the destinations that you want to start focusing on and how would you go about planning that and what's the preparation? One of the things I do early on, um you know, is um is. I do so much research but I also just watch videos, I watch shows and I get ideas you know about. It might be a river, it might be a lake and you know a new fly fisher and uh and um and the Walker's K were two of those shows for me and um, and so I I always, I loved, I always loved your buddy's show and and that show opened doors for adventures, even for me as a fan, you know you, you've got a very personal connection there, but even just for a random fan like me, that show, you know, worked opened doors and led eventually to whole new trips and adventures. You know that I've been able to do One of the areas that you know that patience and just positive attitude my goodness, it's so important is the world of hunting.
Speaker 6:We've been talking about fishing and in the world of fishing, and specifically species, whether it's tarpon or permit or muskie or Atlantic salmon where patience, but just positive attitude and, I think, an understanding that, hey, man, this is going to be a long-term journey, this is going to take time and I'm going to immerse myself in this and it's not about catching a fish in the next six hours, it's about trying to accomplish that over the next couple of years maybe. But let's talk, you know, for a second. You know, as we're getting into deer hunting season and I can't imagine anything, you know that talk about patience and positive attitude. You know, when you get into the hunting world and hunting, I tell you, I honestly think hunting sometimes is more emotional than fishing. But when you get into the hunting world you talked about how many things have to line up perfectly for it to work.
Speaker 6:Of course, up in Canada, for you guys, you're in whitetail heaven. You know. You guys have got the biggest whitetail anywhere, but the thought of not just the hunting situation to line up perfectly, but the fact that, whether hoping that that buck makes it through the prior season to grow another year, to age another year and actually survive a season so you can hunt that buck the next year. Think of the emotions that go just into that, where you're not only trying to be successful but you're trying to, you know, pattern an animal and then also hope that it has a chance to grow to the point where it becomes an old, mature buck that you want to harvest and you know and doesn't get taken, you know, too young by somebody else. You know that season. Talk about emotional ups and downs and the importance of keeping a positive attitude. You know in the hunting world as well as the fishing world.
Speaker 5:I think that too, when I see a really big muskie, you get a follow and you don't see the fish again and I always wonder, like I wonder how old that fish is and I wonder, was that, as last year, just like a big buck, right, like sure you can only live so long and and maybe somebody else catches them, maybe they don't treat them well and like, oh, I spent a lot of time. You know that when you're on the water, it's that so many things go through your mind and you sort of think how many fish live here, like there's so many.
Speaker 6:Well, with a muskie, when you have territorial fish, you know muskie falls into that category you surely, you know, you surely are going to see that fish again. It's interesting. And one of the fish we have down here that is such a fan favorite in the southeastern US is the redfish, also called the channel bass, also called the drum. The big ones are called the old drum. But you know it's the classic redfish of the US, southeast, all the way from gosh, all the way from the East Coast, all the way down and around Carolinas, georgia, all the way around Florida, of course, famous, famous in Louisiana and famous, famous in Texas, and it covers that whole kind of Gulf area and then up the southeastern east coast. But the biggest redfish in the world, the biggest drum they call them old drum, biggest drum in the world come in and spawn every year off the coast of North Carolina. What's amazing about that fish? And I'd love to compare, you know, jamie, and talk to some of your experts about muskie and really figure out how old those fish are to your point. But a drum, you know they've determined that drum can live 50, 60 years and these fish, you know, a good drum, a good red fish in Louisiana is going to be 30 pounds. A good red fish in the coast of the Carolinas, charleston, savannah area, it might be 15 pounds. It varies by where you're fishing for them. But a big drum off the Outer Banks of North Carolina, especially during their spawn, which is going to be August, september, early fall, usually, you know a big fish, a big drum in that area might be 50 pounds. There's fish out there that are going to be 60 pounds and what's so crazy to think about is, of course, my dad's an old fisherman. You know fish the Outer Banks, but my grandfather was a drum fisherman on the Outer Banks and he would chase those fish from Nags Head all the way down through Rodanthe. He'd fished a lot down in Rodanthe and I thought about that too, man, I thought about, you know it's possible, if you think about that spawning pattern of those old drum. Well, they're coming down the East Coast of the US, they're bopping out as the Outer Banks reach out into the Atlantic. They're coming around the bend of Hatteras and then they're tucking in underneath and they're going up into the Pamlico Sound on the inside of the Outer Banks and then they're going up those rivers the Neuse, the Pamlico, to spawn.
Speaker 6:And what's crazy to think about is that those same drum that I fish for in August or September very well could be the exact same fish. There's a really decent chance that at least a couple of those fish that I might be casting at are the same fish my grandfather cast at, theoretically, in the 70s or 80s. You know he was all over that in the late 70s. So who's to say there wasn't a five-year-old, you know puppy drum off of Rodanthe that today is a you know, a 50-year-old or 60-year-old old drum in the Pamlico Sound. It's so crazy to think about that, man, but it's to your point. With a muskie it's possible and I promise you. You're seeing in the world of muskie, you're seeing in the world of muskie territorial fish. You're seeing that same fish over and over again.
Speaker 5:I've caught one giant fish. It was a 54-incher three years ago and I posted it up. And then, sure enough, I got two messages from people saying I don't want to ask where you caught it, but was it here? You caught it, but was it here. And one guy he was another fellow guide, he basically gave me the gps coordinates of where he caught it and it was probably a cast or two away. It had a weird kind of a gash near the tail. And sure enough, I got two messages from two different people saying hey, where'd you catch it? Obviously a territorial fish, I'm not going to be giving that up.
Speaker 5:But one guy said I've caught that fish before and he sent me a picture. Sure enough, it was the same fish and he caught it twice. He caught it four years before. It was like 51. And then it was 52 and a half and then two years later it got up to 54. So they they grow really slow, but it was really neat to see that that fish and it was all the same same period of the year. I know muskies do move around the river depending on bait fish and patterns and whatever, but at this period of time this fish would hang out at this one reef and we'd both caught it three times, which is cool, right.
Speaker 6:Dude, it's super cool. And what's crazy is, you know, is the growth. Think about that. You know what I mean Keeping those fish protected, catching them again, and you know, and a muskie grows like an alligator. You know, an alligator grows super fast for the first few years of its life and then, as it gets older, you know, it grows shorter. Obviously, length slows down, it gets more into the mass. But it's like me, like what you were, kind of like you and I right, but it's. But it's interesting hearing you talk about the muskie length, that that fish was continuing every year, that that fish is surviving. It's getting to be bigger and bigger.
Speaker 5:And with genetics, hey, that might be as big as she would ever got, but I guess we'll never know until we catch it again. And it might limited like not every human grows to six feet or five five in my case, but you know what I mean like we all have our genetics, but these fish will continue to grow oh for sure.
Speaker 6:And again, well, and it gets back to your point on on on patience and positive attitude, you know what I mean and that these things, this stuff does take a long time. You might get to the point where you're going after a certain fish yeah, you know what I mean. Maybe it's a new size. You might get to the point where you're going after a certain fish yeah, you know what I mean. Maybe it's a new size range, maybe it's a new slot that you're trying to, you know, get a new personal best. That stuff takes time, I would tell you. You know, as a hunter and I've done a lot of hunting in Canada there you know there's so many times that that keeping a positive attitude and effort not only the guides, holy smokes have I seen some guides do a great job of in just the most miserable conditions. You know, keeping a smile on, and they know they got to keep things going. They know they got to keep the energy there day after day after day. You know, as a sheep hunter, you know there's so many ups and downs, it's so emotional and the hardest, the toughest part of of mountain hunting and I've done a good, a decent amount of mountain hunting in Canada, bc, and, and both Northern and Southern BC, and, and, and and your mindset, positive attitude, is so important. I think it's more important than the physical part. People talk about the training you need to do to be prepared, obviously, as you do, for those mountain hunts as a sheep hunter. But the attitude, the mental side of those hunts is the toughest part of all, toughest part of all.
Speaker 6:And I I can remember, jamie, you know, one of the trips being in Northern BC and, um and uh, hunting an area where there was this, this great big uh below us. We were up, we were up on the up at the ridge line of these mountains, and below us in the valley was this a storm came in, kicked off a forest fire and um, we, um, you know, we ended up getting stuck in uh, from um, the smoke. The smoke got so bad up at our base camp that you couldn't see anything. There's no point in going sheep hunting. You couldn't see anything through the binoculars and so we just bedded down in the tent.
Speaker 6:Day after day after day. You're just sitting there waiting, man, and it's so. You know, you've you've invested a lot of time and money in this trip and you're just watching the days click off. There's nothing you can do. Finally, one night a big storm comes in, blows through, knocks out the storm and then, of course, then you get, we got fog from the storm. So the next morning I'm thinking, oh man, the smoke will be gone, we'll be able to see again, we can go hunting again. And sure enough, the fog the next morning was even thicker than the smoke was.
Speaker 6:And you just realize there's times you just got to keep the attitude and the effort and after several days of that we got up there and ended up getting our sheep. But there were four or five days there where you really had to just hunker down and pick up a softback and read a couple of books and just keep a positive attitude. And I've always been amazed, even on those trips where you're cold, you're wet, you're stuck in snow, all your clothes are wet, whatever it is. Man, you've seen it too. Hell, you did it yesterday or today. I saw I think it was today. You were out there today and it was tough conditions, but you're out there catching fish, I know you had a heck of a day today landing a bunch of walleye.
Speaker 6:But I've always been amazed at how guides keep that positive attitude. And in that case, as a sheep hunter, I'm the hunter, I'm the client, so it's my job to do it too. And you need to do it, because the sky can open up the next day and you can see your ram and you can, it can all come together for you. But you just got to be able to mentally get through those tough periods and realize, hey, man, it's just going to take time, and you just got to get through those low points, you know, so you can keep that positive energy and be ready. You know and be ready.
Speaker 6:Talk about a fish. You know, you and I talk about musky so often. But you know, you never know when that fish is going to rise. And imagine if you know you're. Imagine or or for me, of course, as a hunter, you never know when that buck you've been waiting for for 10 years is going to come out of the edge and come out of the woods and step out for a second. And you got to be ready, and so you got to keep that attitude and that effort the whole time.
Speaker 5:Yeah, it's. You know, I think, one thing with our podcast we're fishing and hunting. We're also, you know, largely a travel podcast, right? So getting from point A to point B, and I think that's half the journey in itself I was in New York last weekend with my daughter and we drove there and we were staying just in New Jersey, right across from New York City and checking a little place and I went to get parking. Well, it took four and a half hours to find a parking spot, right?
Speaker 6:So yeah, man, welcome to New Jersey.
Speaker 5:And I was beyond frustrated, right. But every time I drove around this corner and I had the you know the city view of you know the skyline in New York, I would just kind of soak it in and I'm like I can't change the fact there's no parking. It's just like when you're fishing I can't change the fact that they're not biting, but at the same time I can enjoy where I am right. So we kind of drove around and then I got to the point where I was so frustrated that I'm just like I'm going to put on my favorite song. I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that, I'm going to listen to music from New Jersey, right? And then, you know, springsteen started getting a little louder.
Speaker 6:A little Black Sabbath, a little Judas Priest, absolutely.
Speaker 5:What could you do? But I think you know anything in life, especially with travel. If you start getting frustrated going through airports or borders or looking for parking, you can ruin your whole trip pretty easy. And accommodation.
Speaker 6:It doesn't help dude, it doesn't help. If anything, some of those situations you just talked about, it only hurts. It only hurts the process.
Speaker 5:And some of the accommodations you book from afar it looks nice online. When you get there it's not exactly what you think. It is what you think it is and it's you know. Don't sweat the small stuff, kind of enjoy what you got.
Speaker 6:And that's it. That's all you can do. It's all you can do. It's great advice.
Speaker 6:And you know and I said you know we're going to have shows about preparing for trips.
Speaker 6:You know how do we prepare for trips, how do we plan logistics, how do we determine where we're going. We'll talk about all that stuff, but I think just talking having a show and talking about the importance of attitude and just positive energy and all those things, it just not only does it make the trip better. I, honest to goodness and you experienced it with those guests that you talked about at the very beginning of the show it helps make the trip more successful. You're going to have a better attitude. You're going to be ready when that whitetail steps out from the edge. You're going to be ready when that muskie rises for the first time in two seasons. You know you're going to be ready to go, and you never know when it can happen. It might happen in the last five minutes of the trip, but it can happen. And and um, you know. So not only does it make it more enjoyable for you and the guide, uh, uh, but it also I, I really believe it gives you a better chance of success.
Speaker 5:That is for sure. So you know what. We got some great episodes coming up. We got some guys from all over the world. If you're a guide, uh, and you want to be on the show, or you know, we've been talking to some tourism boards too about maybe coming on and promoting their area. If you're interested in any type of promotion, we do have some advertising opportunities available. Please contact us. And, yeah, looking forward to keep chatting here. We got some good stuff coming down the pipe and you got some trips coming up too. Ryder and I got some trips. Call you Air Miles for a reason you know.
Speaker 6:My kids are a little more local than yours. I still, for the record, prefer the nickname Buffalo Balls, but I'll go with Air Miles if that's what you guys want. But yeah, we're heading out at 4 am tomorrow. Morning I'm packing tonight, you and I are taping the show. Morning I'm packing, tonight you and I are taping the show, and then I'll be heading to Minnesota at 4 am tomorrow for grass season. So we've got a lot of cool stuff coming up.
Speaker 5:Well, we'll catch up when you get back. We got some guests online. If you have any questions, comments, queries, hit us up on Instagram at Untamed Pursuits, and for now I'm Jamie Pistilli here with my trusty co-host, Ryder Knowlton. Thank you so much for listening to Untamed Pursuits on the Outdoor Journal Radio Podcast Network.
Speaker 8: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, 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 1: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.
Speaker 3: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 Garth and Turk and all the Russians would go fishing.
Speaker 5:To scientists, now that we're reforesting and letting things freeze.
Speaker 1:it's the perfect transmission environment for life To chefs. If any game isn't cooked properly, marinated, you will taste it.
Speaker 8:And whoever else will pick up the phone Wherever you are. Outdoor Journal Radio seeks to answer the questions and tell the stories of all those who enjoy being outside. Find us on Spotify, apple.
Speaker 2:Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. How did a small-town sheet metal mechanic come to build one of Canada's most iconic fishing lodges? I'm your host, steve Niedzwiecki, 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 we both decided one day we were going to be on television doing a fishing show.
Speaker 2:My hands get sore a little bit when I'm reeling in all those bass in the summertime.
Speaker 1:But that might be for more fishing than it was punching you so confidently confidently you said hey, pat, have you ever eaten a drum?
Speaker 2:find diaries of a lodge owner now on spotify, apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.