#68 A Dam Gone, A River Changed

In this episode, we'll spend a day on the water with my friend Israel as he searches for his first musky. Along the way, we will chat with a journalist about the early years of fishing in Wisconsin's Northwoods and take a field trip to learn about the role trains played in the Badger State's fishing history.

In 2021, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources completed the removal of a derelict dam from The Dowagiac River, reconnecting the waterway for the first time in over 120 years. What happens when the status quo is thrown out the window and we're forced to confront change? This episode is about how the people, the water way, and the fish have adapted. Make sure to visit our website, drakemag.com to subscribe to the magazine as well as to see images of the dam removal process. Many thanks to this week's sponsors, Windstar Enterprises (windstarsolutions.com) and The Lodge at 58* North (thelodgeat58north.com).

In May of 2025 I found myself in a boat with a trout guy in search of warmwater fish. In this episode of The DrakeCast we throw poppers with Erik Johnsen, the community marketing manager at TroutRoutes, and discuss whether or not he is ruining flyfishing. Many thanks to Patagonia and their improved Swiftcurrent waders for helping make this possible. We'll be back in two weeks with another episode.

Across the country in late June and early July, mulberry trees fruit, producing tasty berries enjoyed by humans, birds, and squirrels alike. You’ll often see evidence of this on sidewalks in suburban neighborhoods stained purple by the fallen berries. But if these mulberry trees are hanging over water, fish are able to enjoy the fruits of their bounty as well. On today's episode we join guide Luke Annear of Freshwater Flats on an unnamed river in Southern Wisconsin in the search of carp and catfish. If you've ever wanted to catch a carp on the fly, and particularly on a mulberry fly, you can find Luke Annear on Instagram @freshwaterflats or on his website www.freshwaterflats.com. Many thanks to Patagonia and their improved Swiftcurrent waders for helping make this possible. We'll be back in two weeks with another episode.

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