Ep 170: Backcountry Research, with Zig Peacock

Erik Johnsen is a Community Marketing Manager for TroutRoutes at onX Maps and an experienced Driftless Area angler. In this episode, we talk about how he got his start in the Driftless, some of the notable features offered by TroutRoutes, how to use these features to find more fishing spots, where they get their data, and how to use the app both during the season and in the offseason to maximize time on the water. Website: troutroutes.com Erik’s Instagram: @erikjohnsen  TroutRoutes Instagram: @troutroutes Waypoint TV Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan Burch is working on a project called Tales of the 48, during which he is driving across the country with the goal of catching a fish in each of the lower 48 states. At the time of recording, he is mid-trip, having just passed through Colorado on his way west. In this episode, we talk about where the idea came from, the planning process, what he has experienced so far, his most memorable catches, the most challenging states, and much more. Instagram: @talesofthe48 Email: [email protected] Website: talesofthe48.com Waypoint TV Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oliver Ancans is a hunter and angler who spends a lot of time in the Brooks Range and interior Alaska. In this episode, we talk about fishing seasonality in interior Alaska, how to access fishing spots on the road system, how to book a bush plane, rod selection, techniques, and the importance of keeping wild places wild. Instagram: @olleyeh Waypoint TV Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin Main is the co-owner of Tongass on the Fly in Petersburg, AK. They focus on fly fishing in the Tongass National Forest, particularly multi-day trips. In this episode, we cover the species available, seasonality, fishing techniques, how to get to Petersburg, DIY opportunities, the Anadromous Waters Catalog, and the importance of public lands. Instagram: @tongassonthefly Facebook: /tongassonthefly YouTube: @tongassonthefly Website: tongassonthefly.com Waypoint TV Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is our annual New Year episode where my friend Mel and I look back at our previous year of fishing and look ahead at the year to come. We talk about the goals we set, whether we accomplished them, and do a recap of some of our memorable trips and experiences along the way. Waypoint TV Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zig Peacock (also appearing in episode 137) is the President of the Weber Basin Anglers chapter of Trout Unlimited and an avid backcountry angler. In this episode, we talk about what he’s been up to since our last episode and how he does backcountry research, including the books, apps, and online resources he uses to find new fishing spots. Instagram: @In2mtns Youtube:  /in2mtns Chapter Pages Facebook: /WeberBasinAnglers  Instagram:  @Weber_Basin_Anglers Waypoint TV Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patrick Bauman (also appearing in episode 100) is the owner of Colter Backcountry, a small business focusing on backcountry fly fishing gear. In this episode, we go over some updates to his product line and what’s coming up. Like previous guest, Steve Veals, Patrick is also in the middle of trying to fish every day for a year. We talk about the challenges he has faced along the way, and how he got started by learning to fish the surf in southern California and quickly becoming proficient at this new-to-him style of fishing. Instagram: @colterbackcountry Website: www.colterbackcountry.com Waypoint TV Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shawn Larson has been on the show many times (episodes 63, 67, 138, and 155). In this episode, he is back to talk about his recent trip to fish an alpine basin in the High Uinta Wilderness. We talk about the planning, terrain, species, and gear of the trip, as well as resources he used to gain more knowledge about the area. Utah Planning Resources: link Waypoint TV Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Palmer Henson has been on the show many times (episodes 3, 62, 111). Normally, we chat about native brook trout where Palmer lives in Georgia, but today, we discuss a recent horse-packing trip he took into the Thorofare area of Wyoming, often cited as the most remote area in the lower 48. He walks me through the inspiration, the planning, the fishing itself for massive cutthroats, packing with horses, camp life, and much more. Documentary: Cutthroat: The Race to Save Yellowstone Palmer’s Instagram: @lost_angel_fly_fishing  (see June 30 and July 2, 2025 for pics from the trip) Waypoint TV Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matthew Dickerson is a freelance writer who has published in The Drake, Backcountry Journal, American Fly Fishing, Written River, and Fly Fishing International. He has also written many books of both fiction and nonfiction. In addition to writing, he is passionate about native species, particularly those in the Salvelinus genus, such as brook trout and Dolly Varden. In this episode, we talk about his appreciation for native species and biodiversity, what it’s like to be an artist-in-residence for a national park, how Yellowstone Lake was affected by the introduction of lake trout, and much more. Instagram: @troutdownstream Blue Sky: @matthewdickerson Facebook: //MatthewDickersonBooks/ Recent Books:  The Salvelinus, the Sockeye, and the Egg-Sucking Leech A Fine-spotted Trout on Corral Creek The Voices of Rivers Birds in the Sky, Fish in the Sea Waypoint TV Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices