Erin Block works as a librarian and freelance writer. She is the author of countless articles and 2 books including, The View from Coal Creek and By a Thread. But of course, Erin is more than that, she is an angler, hunter, and forager. In this episode, we dive into Erin’s life and she reveals how she got into fly fishing and hunting for food and why she has chosen to step away from fly fishing.

Brita Fordice started tying flies as a kid. Born and raised in Washington state, she grew up fishing for trout, salmon and steelhead. Brita is an accomplished angler and guide in Puget Sound, where her custom patterns are well-known for their appeal to salmon and cutthroat trout. In this episode, we geek out on fly-tying and dive into the nitty gritty of material modifications, hook strength, fly tying thread, dying feathers, tip and tricks and more. This episode is brought to you by OluKai!

Hoagy Carmichael is a producer, director, author and bamboo rod builder. Growing up as the son of one of America’s most cherished songwriters, Hoagy is no stranger to the pressures of passing on legacies. In 1968, he met bamboo rod builder Edmund Everett Garrison, where he would eventually chronicle the work of one of fly fishing’s greats. You can find this video in the Members section of AnchoredOutdoors.com This episode is brought to you by Norvise!

Keep Them Wet Fishing is a science-based movement that encourages anglers to focus on their fish handling practises while catch-and-release angling. In this episode of Anchored, I meet up with Dr. Andy Danylchuk and Sascha Clark Danylchuk to discuss the movement they started, and to learn about the data they’ve collected over the last few years. This episode is brought to you by Cross Current Insurance, the fishing and outdoor industry's insurance company!

Captains For Clean Water started out as a group of fishing guides who were fed up with Florida’s water management practices. The organisation advocates for the elimination of harmful, large-scale freshwater discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the east and west by restoring the natural flow south into the Everglades and Florida Bay. In this episode of Anchored, I meet with captains Chris Wittman and Daniel Andrews, the founders of CFCW, to try to wrap my head around the issue.

Kirk Deeter is the vice president of media at Trout Unlimited and the editor of TROUT Magazine. He’s also an editor-at-large for Field & Stream and the editor-in-chief of Angling Trade. The workload isn’t new to Kirk—he’s been working in the fly fishing industry since 2000 and is no stranger to the long hours of journalism. In this episode of Anchored, I meet with Kirk to get the inside scoop on his industry magazine, his thoughts on diversity, and whether we’re loving our fisheries to death.

Daniel Galhardo was born in Brazil, but came to the States as an exchange student, where he fell in love with trout fishing. When Daniel accidentally stumbled on the topic of Tenkara fishing, he was immediately intrigued. Tenkara is an old form of fly-fishing that uses only a rod, line and fly, but no reel. In this episode of Anchored, we talk about how it’s done, its advantages, disadvantages, and how it compares to other forms of fly fishing.

Josh Niland is quite possibly the hottest chef on the scene right now. Owner of the Saint Peter restaurant and fish butchery in Sydney, he has risen to fame for using of an average 91% of every fish he buys. In this episode of Anchored, we discuss why fish should be dry-handled and kept away from water, as well as how and why to age fish, the best method to gut them, the differences between farmed and wild-caught fish, and whether fresh fish is really best.

Meredith McCord is a keen angler, professional trip host, and world traveler. Today she holds 180 records through the IGFA, and she shows no signs of slowing down. Meredith has worked her entire career to make it so that she can fish as often as possible. In the second part of this two-part episode of Anchored, we wrap up Meredith’s timeline and discuss tipping guides, mellowing out, being lonely and the real reason she continues to chase records.

Meredith McCord is a keen angler, professional trip host, and world traveler. Today she holds 180 records through the IGFA, and she shows no signs of slowing down. Meredith has worked her entire career to make it so that she can fish as often as possible. In Part One of this two-part episode of Anchored, we discuss chasing records, how she got into the fishing industry, and the rumors she’d like to address.

Land Tawney is the President and CEO of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. The organisation is a non-profit sportsmen's group based in Montana. In this episode of Anchored, I sit down with Land to get a better understanding of what he and BHA do. We discuss public land, taking action, handling criticism and more!

John Gierach is one of the most iconic fishing writers of all time. Having published 20 books and countless articles, it’s been said that John may be the only fly fishing writer who’s made a decent living at the craft. In this episode of Anchored, I meet with John for the first time at his home in Colorado. He lets me pick his brain about his upbringing and life as an author, as well as his thoughts on staying passionate about fishing, being a trout bum, climate change, and the use of profanity.

The American Fly Fishing Trade Association is the sole trade organisation for the fly fishing industry. Over the years, AFFTA has worked hard to grow the industry, all while balancing the tricky task of sustainability and diversification. I meet up with Ben Bulis, the organisation’s president, and Matt Smythe, the communications and membership director. We discuss the size of the industry, overseas manufacturers, guide protection, inclusion, pro deals, and the pink it & shrink it strategy.

Jen Ripple is the owner and editor-in-chief of Dun Magazine, an international women’s fly fishing publication—the first of its kind. In this episode of Anchored, Jen and I discuss what it’s like to pick up fly fishing later in life, the risks of starting the industry’s first female-only magazine, empowerment, dating people who don’t fish, plus we take a closer look at the fishing-in-bikinis controversy.

Jude Mayall is a chef, industry advisor, and author of the Outback Chef Cookbook. I first learned of Jude while looking for new reading material at the library. I was immediately intrigued by her knowledge and appreciation of Australia’s native ingredients, so I reached out to see if she’d be willing to sit down with me. In this episode of Anchored, Jude and I discuss the history of native plants and spices, how to use them, and the basics of safe sourcing.

For this week’s episode of Anchored, I went back through the archives of a television show I used to host. While sifting through files, I found one of my favourite interviews that never made it to air. It’s a fascinating discussion with author and salmon aficionado Topher Browne. Topher and I discuss how fly size relates to the speed of water, how the barometer affects fish, as well as water temperature, DNA, thyroxine levels, and if fish are more likely to bite when the water is rising.

I’m often asked how Anchored came to be. The short answer is that it stemmed from a television series I used to have. Limited airtime meant my interviews were cut into soundbites, leaving some truly wonderful history sitting on the editing floor. I thought it might be time to dig into the archives and share some interviews that took place at a time when I’d never even dreamt about starting a podcast. This week’s episode features Chris Henshaw, a dear family friend and renowned reel-maker from the UK.

Nigel Millgate grew up in the rural community of Dubbo, New South Wales. He’s a proud Karulkiyalu man of the Ngemba Nation, with deep roots to his ancestral lands. For the last ten years, Nigel has worked within indigenous communities across Australia. In this episode of Anchored, Nigel and I sit down to discuss the indigenous people of Australia, their incredible history, and a little bit of insight on where they are today.

In this episode of Anchored I’m joined by Catherine Laflamme and Tim Arsenault from Michael and Young Fly Shop to revisit the discussion about choosing a first fly fishing setup. Both Tim and Catherine are accomplished anglers, casters and salespeople, so I thought they’d be perfect to answer questions from a someone who is new to fly fishing. We discuss fly line composition, taper, weight, function, and all the little things many of us just assume to be common knowledge.

When John Gierach mentioned Bill Fitzsimmons in “Trout Bum,” he wrote about Bill’s professionalism, skill, and deliberate efforts to avoid the camera. So, naturally, I was delighted when Bill agreed to share more of his story here on Anchored. In this episode, we discuss the early days of saltwater destinations, fly size, and if catch-and-release fishing is selfish.