#64 Cold & Clear w/ John Larison

Welcome to Part 2 of the Patagonia Swiftcurrent miniseries. Today, we speak with Alex Gonsiewski about a fishing trip that did not go as planned. Alex is a flyfishing guide in Oregon, where he targets trout and summer steelhead on the Deschutes River, summer steelhead on the John Day, and winter steelhead on the North Oregon coast. Between rainbow runs, Alex hosts angling trips around the world. He's taken clients to Mexico, Belize, Bolivia, Alaska, Christmas Island, and Puerto Rico. In 2023, Alex and a group of clients flew to Sudan for nine days of fishing on the Red Sea's Nubian Flats. Unfortunately, while Alex and company were on the water, the country fell into a vicious civil war that has since claimed the lives of 150,000 people and displaced more than thirteen million. To find out more about Alex and see his stunning photography, you can visit his website: https://www.alexgonsiewski.com/ or find him on IG: @alexgonsiewski Many thanks to Patagonia for making this episode possible. To check out their brand new Swiftcurrent Waders and find out how you can win an Alaskan fishing adventure, visit this link: https://drakemag.com/swiftcurrent-wader-contest/

Cold & Clear by John Larison originally appeared in the Winter 2016 issue of The Drake Magazine and to this day, it is one of best stories about steelheading we've ever run. Today, we bring you the author reading his story. After the reading, we'll hear an interview with John from 2019. This episode is made possible thanks to generous support from the team at Patagonia, who are celebrating the launch of their undated and improved Swiftcurrent Waders. For more information on the waders, and how you can win a trip to Alaska with Frigate Travel, visit our website: https://drakemag.com/swiftcurrent-wader-contest/

A year ago today, May 25, 2022, a fire started in the middle of the Bolivian jungle, burning down a lodge in one of the most sought-after fishing destinations in the world. To tell that story, we have Drake magazine founder, Tom Bie. To get more stories like this pick up a copy of The Drake at your local fly shop or subscribe at drakemag.com. This episode was made possible by generous support from The Eleven Experience, Scott Fly Rods, and Grundens. If you like the show, give em some of your money.

Today we have a story from the Winter 2022/23 issue of The Drake Magazine called “Numbers Game,” that basically asks the question, do I need to catch more fish? The author, Stephen Sautner, does a better job answering that question than I have heard in a long time. To continue this discussion and many others, get your hands on the latest issue of The Drake Magazine either on our website, drakemag.com, or better yet, at your local fly shop. If you like what you heard, make sure to check out Stephen’s new audiobook “Fish on, Fish off.” In it he reads 50 stories about angling and misadventure. Think of it like a six-and-a-half-hour podcast of real-life fishing stories about heartbreak, terror, and triumph. “Fish On, Fish Off” is available on Audible and Audiobooks.com.

Today, with the help of Drake magazine editor and founder, Tom Bie, we’ll be walking through what you can find in the Fall 2022 issue of the Drake. If you’re hearing this, it means you should be able to buy it at your local fly shop or on our website, drakemag.com. Many thanks to Scott Fly Rods and The Eleven Experience for making this episode possible, and a big thanks to all of the advertisers in the print magazine as well. A shout out to Hansi Johnson for chatting with us about his photo. You can find him on instagram @hansski43

This week we have a couple old episodes that we’ve smashed together. They’re both about the Mississippi River, and they’re both about family and fishing on 11/11, Armistice Day, Veterans Day, which is when this episode is being released. If you’re listening on 11/11, I’m currently down on the Mississippi, probably not catching fish. Many thanks to our sponsors The Eleven Experience (https://elevenexperience.com)and Scott Fly Rods (https://www.scottflyrod.com) for helping make this episode possible

A few months ago a family friend gave me a taxidermied brown trout that had been mounted in the 80s. When I went to the friend’s house to get the story behind the fish I somehow left with the rod and reel that had caught it, plus a whole lot more. This episode is the story of that fish, the rod, and the anglers that came before us. Music for this episode was written and recorded by Russell Pedersen and appears on his album, Steal from the Rushes. You can see him live with his band Horseshoes and Hand Grenades at a few concerts this summer in Wisconsin. They always put on a heck of a show. (Link to the album: https://russellpedersen.bandcamp.com/album/steal-from-the-rushes) This episode was made possible by generous support from The Eleven Experience, Scott Fly Rods, and Howler Bros. If you like the show, give em some of your money and tell em we sent ya.

Today, with the help of Drake magazine editor and founder, Tom Bie, we’ll be walking through what you can expect from the coming Fall 2021 issue of the Drake. If you’re hearing this, it means you should be able to buy it at your local fly shop or on our website, Drakemag.com. Many thanks to Scott Fly Rods, The Eleven Experience, and Howler Brothers for making this episode possible, and a big thanks to all of the advertisers in the print magazine as well. A shout out to our voice actor Bobby Eckert, who is a guide in upstate New York. He plays a mean Alec Baldwin and knows what he’s doing behind the oars. You can find him on instagram @freestoneflytours

As you’ll see in the title, this is a continuation of the Steelhead miniseries that started years ago - Chapter 3 to be exact. And while I recognize that the vast majority of anglers will never set foot in a native steelhead watershed, I’m harping on this issue because I think these fish are a bit of a canary in the coal mine for fisheries, and the world as a whole. I’m worried that their health is a sign of things to come for our rivers and really all of us. And the past 12 months have brought But today, I wanna head to a little corner of Oregon where things haven’t quite gone to shit. Where, despite the efforts of miners, noxious air and a million other villains, that lil yellow bird is still chirping. For now. And there might be something you can do to make sure it stays that way. TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK AT THE OCTOBER 15 ODFW COMMISSION MEETING, FOLLOW THIS LINK: https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_2jsvNgcdRiCHUZjgmXUJzg TO FURTHER EDUCATE YOURSELF, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE NATIVE FISH SOCIETY WEBSITE: https://nativefishsociety.org/news-media/stand-up-for-wild-fish-in-southern-oregon

When the idea for this podcast was first tossed around, we knew we wanted it to be an extension of the Drake Magazine - and one of the ways we envisioned doing so was by having magazine contributors read their stories. In this episode Andy Harris reads his essay “The Club,” which appeared in the Spring 2021 Issue of the Drake Magazine. The story is about a young man fishing private water forty years ago, but I found it to be pretty timeless because it’s about why we fish, and the social capital that we place on and gain from our piscatorial pursuits - a question I’ve been asking myself for the past few years. If you want to read other stories of this calibre, make sure to subscribe to the Drake. $40 for the year. Every single one of us could benefit from less time on our phones. Let a print magazine help you do so. Finally, many thanks to The Eleven Experience, Scott Fly Rods, and Howler Bros. for making this show possible. If you like the show, give em somma your money and tell em we sent ya.