“The best new podcast in the outdoor space.”
-Joe Dilschneider, Madison River Outfitters
SEASON 1 Celebrating The road less taken
Dick Vincent: Walking on Water
When your grandfather walks to Montana with a buffalo rifle, the draw of the West is in your DNA. Born in Bozeman in June of 1940, Richard “Dick” Vincent grew up in the tiny Montana towns of Norris and Garrison. He fished the waters of the Madison and Clark Fork rivers alongside his father and grandfather. Raised in a family of ranchers, Dick’s affinity for the outdoors was complemented by a growing interest in biology. “I grew up on it and it was the love of my life, it was the best river on the planet,” says Dick, recounting his early years on the Madison.
Throughout his high-school years in the late 1950s, Dick worked on a few small water-chemistry projects, alongside biology teacher Bud Lilly. Byrd was a famous angler and his own right. But what set deck apart was his desire to study the data of the fisheries that he was managing and bring truth to power when he realized that stocking reduce the populations rather than raised it, and he had to take this information for an angry status quo that one of their annual stocking. Today trout run wild and reproduce naturally, and the Rockies are considered a model for rivers around the world - with their ability to maintain a healthy fishery year-round, and reproduce naturally. It was a battle to get there, and It was truly how the West was won.
STU APTE:
THE BOXER
A LIFE IN THE RING.
Stuart C. Apte. The fisherman, the myth, the boxer. Apte was born in humble circumstances near the water in Miami Florida in 1930. He was never far from the water after that. He fought and flew his way up to the Navy, Pan AM pilot and guide upon early (and fortuitous) lay off in 1956 he began laying the groundwork for a guiding life in the Keys and by 1960 he was full time. He became the gold standard of modern saltwater flyfishing. Among his 44 world records, his Pacific Sailfish and Dorado records still stand. He was a constant friend and fishing partner to Joe Brooks and baseball. Great Ted Williams. The friendships were a testament to his devotion to the sport and to them. A boxer by trade since his teens, and a fighter pilot trained for the North Korean conflict, his aggression could be offputting at times. But for those who understood his passion, it was a lesson in how to succeed on the water (He introduced the renowned "down and dirty" fish tactic"). Today, he just wants to see the fish swim forever. He is a stalwart member of the BTT.: The Bonefish & Tarpon Trust. Since its founding in 1997, he has recruited captains and supported science in the study and conservation of tarpon, bonefish and permit. He was inducted into their circle of honor during a list of luminaries that changed the sport. He was long down, killing, tarpon and record chasing years ago. And while he's a bit mellower today, he is 95, he never slows of talking about his favorite fish and wildlife. It has blessed him.
April Vokey: Steel Wheels
When you know, you know. April Vokey knew at an early age that fishing and the outdoors were going to be central to her life. Live from Australia at April's Eastern HQ (BC Canada is the other) we discuss a busy life on the water and off. The story starts during her childhood ventures with her parents in the outdoors. Fast forward to a burgeoning guiding career and growing media outdoor presence, then a car accident propelled April's focus on what and where she was going with that mission It all helped her reflect on how she might change her path using both role models and gut instinct to live to the fullest. She found ways to support herself that ultimately gave. way to full time dawn trips to the river for steelhead. She made the jump and never looked back. (shout out to Olive Garden) Now splitting her time between hemispheres, she has built a life and her brand from guiding, fishing, exploring and sharing knowledge. Her podcast "Anchored," and it's investigative cousin, "Into the Backing" as well as her Master Class series provide a growing archive of knowledge and legacy in the field and stream. In the end, it's all just a brief respite in between her ventures out the door to find new species and new adventures. @ ApriVvokey.com
Bill Schulken. What the Truck.
Bill knows best. He personifies the theme of our podcast. Going your own way in the outdoors. In fact, he's the only one on the point overnight these days.The man living on the bluff breaks down what swims beneath in MTK NY - and above. He's seen UAP's out there too. We travel to Montauk, NY to hang with the man who arrived pre-internet, amid giant blitzes, and no-sleep anglers. Bill Schulken made his truck into the cliffside outpost to see it all. One of the most dynamic anglers we've ever met. This former marine from Queens (via UPS - yes, the "King of Queens was this guy). He went his own way to commit his life every year to being there 24/7 to see where the adventure takes him. Note: we have a cameo in the episode from another passionate angler who drives up beside us while we're on the cliffs. It's an outdoor experience that's personal and candid brave, personal survival, and the value of this outpost to him. These chats were inspired by the moments between takes where we often discovered longer conversations and new topics that we did not have time to share at length in our feature films. Bill was in Running the Coast (HowardFilms.com) during the height of the striped bass population. What memories.Thanks for jumping in with us.
Leave no Mark.
The 6th sense story of Mark Krowka.
The public enigma. The winningest tournament angler in the Florida Keys (63 Grand Tournament championships, 450 tournament trophies, 10 IGFA World Records, over 900 Grand Slams) can’t be reached by cell phone, has no social media presence, and decodes an entire saltwater ecosystem without a tide chart, watch or electronics. And so, it’s maybe no wonder if you haven’t heard of him. - if you aren’t an angler living in the Florida Keys. Mark went his own way by following his instincts, and after growing up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on the water, he took his skills a little south of South Beach - And is the gold standard in Islamorada, Florida for saltwater angling. His species pursuit on fly or conventional tackle is a well-rounded all-time success. Mark’s unusual ability to see beyond the moment is documented in our conversation, and call it what you will, it's a sixth sense. His unusual and involuntary connection with the metaphysical world continues to UFO’s which he has documented in his very early morning flats rides. It's a story you won't forget.
More: HowardFilms.com
Paul Dixon: All in.
A great guide is a combination of things. A friend. A coach. An ally. A steward of the resource. And, of course, the person that knows where the fish are. Checking all these boxes made Paul Dixon one of the top guides in fly fishing. He spent a lifetime figuring out not only where the fish are, but how best to share them with others. He has been recognized for his efforts with The Izaak Walton Award and the Bonefish Tarpon Trust Lefty Kreh award among others. In the early days in Montauk he shared new found LI striper footage that caused such a stir the fire marshall told Paul Dixon and Bob Popovics to stop their presentation because of the number of people eagerly blocking the hallway at a flyfishing show to get a look. And so it began.
Paul Dixon, a native of Newport Beach, CA. In the mid ’80s, he moved to the East Coast, and began fishing for striped bass and blue fish in the waters off of Long Island. In 1994, Paul opened Dixon’s Sporting Life in East Hampton, while developing To the Point Charters. Paul has been featured on: ESPN’s fishing shows Guidehouse Montauk,The Walker’s Cay Chronicles as well as numerous articles and magazines.
Greg Myerson: World Record Candor
Greg Myerson went fishing in 2011. When he woke up, the national news was waiting at his door. The IGFA world record striped bass that he had caught in the night, was growing in legend without him knowing. In many ways, it was just another day for a Mad Professor out on the water. But the story of the world record begins long before then. Myerson’s obsession with fishing and the outdoors, combined with a need for finding the next big thing, and risk taking along the way, put his life in danger more than a few times. His unusual upbringing put him in a different world to start, but where he ended up was very different. He's now living off the grid in nature. Having survived numerous near death experiences, and finding a renewed lease on life from his connection to nature, makes this episode one of our favorite stories to be able to share. Enjoy.
Matt Miles:
Miles up River.
Matt Miles wasn't looking for accolades when he was recognized as guide of the year by Orvis. He was more concerned with following the fish. He's been on his own path since going his own way after high school. He headed west from Virginia with his snowboard to see if he could make a life out of the sport. But life had other plans. And a chance meeting with a fishing guide, sparked his natural gift and started him on a different path: The zen guide. He removed anything that was going to complicate his fishing life. No fly shop. No staff. No merchandise and no trips unless he was on them. We share his office - and discuss life on the water and off, when trying to beat the odds, survive as a fishing guide and cracking the code with clients that trust him for fish fooling answers for Trout. Musky (maybe, we get into this topic). Smallmouth. Striped bass. Today, we are looking for summer smallmouth with cicadas buzzing in the warm Virginia air.
Matt's website: mattmilesflyfishing.com
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All episodes and movies streaming at: Howardfilms.com
Brian O’Keefe:
Life of Brian.
Ever dreamed of a life of adventure? What do you think it would take? How much would you sacrifice? Brian O'Keefe has spent most of his seven decades answering that question. Professional angling skills, coupled with an ever present camera, helped him chart the rise of modern fly fishing. As a photographer, skier and reluctant world-record holder, Brian has done laps around the globe. His photographs have chronicled the rise of modern fly fishing (especially saltwater fly fishing) from A-to-Z. He brought some of the first images home from Bikini Atoll and Baja to Cuba Bahamas, Belize, Christmas Island, Sierra Leone, Yukatan, New Zealand and more. His iconic photo of a weekend warrior being yanked off of his JetSki with a Scott flyrod's "unmatched lifting power" (look it up) was a perfect example of being anywhere and everywhere from the 80s on. Brian hit the road as a kid, exploring local waters, then after college, headed way east to New Zealand and beyond. While risking life, limb and a few visits from tarpon fishing in a war zone, his ability to find the right Image wherever he landed, allowed magazines and travel sites to share visions that put people on planes to follow in his footsteps. Brian's expert skiing also resulted in testing more boundaries, which we touch up on as well. Sit back and enjoy the ride in this interview on location in Idaho with flyfishing's favorite adventure photographer. Brianokeefephotography.com
Mike Iaconelli.
Mic Drop. From NJ to BASS Champ.
"Ike" became the unexpected face of professional bass fishing as a sport grew in the late 90s into the early 2000s. A sport dominated by anglers from below the Mason Dixon line with not much precedent for a kid from New Jersey. A DJ, a break dancer and a kid with so much energy and flare that there were rumors his enthusiasm was not all real. But after a day on the water with him, we can assure you it is. The only angler to have won The Bassmaster Classic (2003), Bassmaster Angler of the Year title, and a B.A.S.S and a Nation Kayak Series Championship. But resting on your laurels in a sport without a guaranteed future kept him running. And that's where we found him today. Up the river, under some girders with no one around except the cars buzzing over our heads in downtown Philadelphia.
Let's go.
This was an off camera opportunity for Mike to share another side of himself. Going home. Floating on the waters where he went as a kid with his grandfather. And taking the time to have a candid conversation about the sport that gave him his career, and has also presented challenges to those trying to make it their life. (2 episodes)
Mike Iaconelli's website: mikeiaconelli.com
Bill Wetzel: Stripers don’t sleep.
Guide Bill Wetzel goes his own way - and it’s usually towards the water. We first met him when filming Running the Coast. Today, on the point of Montauk, he’s one of one. A year-round shore, fishing guide and tournament winner on the beaches and rocks of Montauk, New York. While many anglers have quit, passed on or moved - he remains. He’s first out in nor’easters to find the Striped Bass pushed in by the wind and following bait. To get to his dream water required adjusting to a sudden move from the Midwest to the inner city and finding his way back to the shore no matter the obstacle. Surviving on as little as three hours of sleep, breaking two ribs, and hit by rogue waves, he’s still on the beaches and walking through the sand and rocks at all hours. And has learned lessons to keep it all intact at home. At the end of the day, if the fish aren’t sleeping, neither is he. 2 episodes.
Bill’s website: surfratsball.com
Oliver White: The Human Bucket List.
You may recognize the face of one of fishing’s global ambassadors, but behind the glasses and beard there’s a longer story. A global checklist can make life a bit of a blur. But that motion is what Oliver White lives for. Share a revealing conversation on life and fly fishing as we cast and chat our way down the South Fork of the Snake River in Idaho. The first of our OUTDOOR STUDIO Episodes. (What happens in the boat is now shared from the boat.) We discuss a life of loosely planned adventures, what it takes to keep following your dreams when you get knocked down (way down), and finding a new path to create: off-the-grid non-profits, must-see fishing films, unique destinations lodges and a new family.
Photo: Adam Barker Photograhpy
Andy Mill: Through the Mill. A Pit Stop on a Life at Full Throttle.
How fast can I go? Most people won’t try to find out the answer, but Andy Mill strapped on a pair of skis, and tried. Whether it was going downhill, riding a motorcycle, or driving a sportscar, speed was the goal. But so was challenging himself to be his best, no matter what life threw at him. And it threw a good bit. Where does an Olympic skier go when he can't compete again? They reinvent themselves over and over as life requires until they land on their feet, and finally get a second chance at gold. Andy Mill takes a truly candid look back at a rough and tumble (and successful) life. And what makes a man philosophical on a search for the meaning of life.
Bob Popovics Tribute: One More Tuesday Night.
The Leonardo da Vinci of the vise. This nickname given by the West Coast editor of Tail fly fishing magazine, Al Quattrocci personifies Modern flyfishing's original innovator. In honor of Bob’s famous Tuesday Nights, where the fly fishing industry gathered in his attic, we did it one more time. An evening of candid memories and camaraderie with Bob's closest friends, including Lance Erwin, Joe Carey, West Coast editor of Tail magazine Al Quattrocci, Author Nick Curcione, John Abplanalp and photographer Tom Lynch and Angry Fish Gallery (photo credit).
It’s your road.
Every other Tuesday, Jamie Howard shares in candid conversations (often in unusual settings) with guests who took their own road - motivated by the power of nature to go their own way. The revealing chats were inspired by the conversations had between takes on shoots when the cameras were off. That might've been lost, until now. First season guests include NFL players, Award winning photographers and difference makers from National Geographic, Fishing guides, Game wardens, Adventurers and more. To learn more, become a brand partner or suggest a guest, contact: info@howardfilms.com