Ep 68: Adventuring in Ontario, with Mitch Duesling
Mitch Duesling is one of the three crew members of So Fly, a fly fishing podcast and digital media brand based in Toronto. This is the first of three episodes I’m doing with them. In this episode, Mitch tells me about how his first fish on the fly was a unique one (walleye!), shares his love of a good cocktail, and fills me in on Temagami, one of Ontario’s most beautiful and wild places for an angler to visit.
So Fly Website: link
So Fly Youtube: link
Instagram: @thesoflycrew
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Katie
You're listening to the Fish Untamed podcast, your home for fly fish in the backcountry. This is episode 68 with Mitch Duesling on adventuring in Ontario. I would love to just get a background on how you got your start in fishing.
Mitch
Oh yeah, for sure. Well, I think it was kind of like, I got started in fishing kind of like a lot of people do, which was just, you know, I was a spin fisher when I was a kid and I really had a lot of fun doing that and my parents on like a boat so we would go out sometimes and you know cruise like the the Rideau canal system in Ottawa and yeah I would just catch sunfish on spinner rods and things like that you know and then yeah when I was you know like 13 or so 12 or 13 we got a cottage like my family got a cottage up in the middle of like nowhere And, um, that's kind of around the same time I got into fly fishing. So, uh, my uncle actually is a huge fly angler and, um, that's where I saw it. And I was like, oh, that's kind of a cool looking thing. You know, I'm going to see what that's about. And that's it. I just kind of like started learning about fly tying first, weirdly. I kind of started with that and then, uh, slowly got into, got my first rod at, uh, I think it was, it was a place called, um, Le Baron, which is an auto was like a small fishing store, but I got like a scientific angler, you know, like a, like And it was great. And that was it. And then I caught a walleye on the fly. And it was huge and it like totally rocked my world. And that was it. I was hooked.
Katie
Was a walleye your first fly or fish on the fly then?
Mitch
Yeah, it was. Yeah, it was. It was kind of it was like totally by chance. Like I had no idea what the hell I was doing. Like I was in a canoe on that lake where my family cottages and I was just kind of like fumbling with my line and a fumbling my anchor because I had an anchor out and it was stuck on a big tree on the bottom of the lake, and I was kind of pulling on that. And I almost flipped the boat and then I picked up my law on my rod and it was heavy and I was like, now I'm stuck on the bottom too. And it started to pull back and I was like, oh man. And I got this fish up and it was like a big it was probably like a 22 inch walleye. It was a nice fish. And I almost like flipped the canoe and like died. And it was like a totally bad scene. But it was like it was totally like it had me hooked. It was like so exciting, you know, like that first fish on a fly rod. it's so it's just a whimsical moment you know
Katie
you've got to be one of the only people whose first fish on a fly was a walleye like I know a lot of people who've never caught a walleye at all let alone on the fly let alone as their first fish you've got to be one of like a handful of people that that's happened to
Mitch
yeah it was a weird experience you know like I mean you know after that it was like I hadn't caught a walleye after that for so long it was like bass and smallies and largemouth stuff like that but yeah it was it was exciting maybe that's like part of the reason why I got so into it because I was it was just like wow I can't believe I caught this fish you know I was like
Katie
yeah
Mitch
nothing like I had caught on a spinning rod before I was like okay this is kind of amazing.
Katie
Now is this all in Ontario did you grow up in Ontario?
Mitch
Yeah so I grew up in I'm in Toronto now I grew up in Ottawa Ontario which is which is our nation's capital and out there it's all like warm water fishing like there's not a ton of trout fishing and stuff like that so and it is you know There is a lot of walleye opportunities like that part of Ontario. But yeah, it's mostly like bass and pike and things like that, you know?
Katie
Do you still do much walleye fishing? Or have you kind of transitioned over to some of the other species that are available around you?
Mitch
Yeah, we've totally like- you know, just like soul fly, we've been able to travel and fish so many different places. So it's been cool to do that. And when I moved down to southern Ontario, there's a lot of great trout fishing down here. So I was like, I just want to do that. I just want to go catch trout. Like I've got enough bass. But that being said, yeah, while I totally love I love fishing for walleye like there. I don't know if you know, but they're like Ontario's like fish. Like they're like our mascot. You know, I get people in Ontario like go bananas for walleye. I don't know what it is. I mean, they're delicious. I think that's probably part of it, which is not great. But, you know, there's people just love walleye here. And it's mostly, you know, spinning people and stuff like that. But I love catch them. We go to we've been lucky enough to go to a place for the last two years in a row, which is in our home province. It's pretty far away, but we can drive there and fly. It's a quick little flight, so it's kind of COVID-friendly for us. Timing just kind of worked out. But we went there two years in a row, and the walleye fishing there, it's called Esnagami Lodge. The walleye fishing is absurd. It's like hundreds of walleye you catch in a week. So it's like, yeah, yeah, totally still fish walleye on the fly. That's a big part of my fly fishing life.
Katie
How are you targeting them with a fly rod? Are you just like dropping a big streamer down with a sinking line or how do you get down to where they are? Maybe you're fishing somewhere that's a little bit shallower.
Mitch
Yeah well you know it depends where you're at. I think typically it's yeah it's a full sinking line, a big you know like streamer with a like I've got these patterns from Eric, that guy that owns Esnagami. It's got like a big kind of metal skull on it, and so it just sinks right to the bottom. And great action in the water. But yeah, total sinking line. It's basically spin fishing, but we just have like flat rods, you know. And then and then typically there, it's just a lot of like because it's a lake, it's just kind of a lot of drifting with the wind and slow retrieves and trying to get down deep. But that being said, like I've had many walleye moments where we've been in shallower water, like maybe it's at a rapid, you know, a rapid kind of waterfall section. So like the fish aren't so spooky because they've got that, you know, kind of like nervous water to protect them. But and when they're in that shallow, I mean, geez, like we were catching them on top water in Esnagami.
Katie
Oh, that's cool.
Mitch
Which, yeah, that's the only place I've ever been able to do that. But Aldo and I were catching them on poppers. It was insane. We were like, what is happening?
Katie
That's that's fun. I I have done a little bit of walleye fishing, very little dedicated walleye fishing, but the river that I grew up fishing used to be primarily a smallmouth bass fishery and it still is but um there's been kind of like a population change I feel like over the past decade or so where there's been a lot more walleye and so I catch them incidentally fishing for smallmouths but they're in you know they're not that deep of water they're in the deeper parts of the river but the deeper parts of this river you know 10 to 15 feet deep so they're not they're not uh completely unavailable but I definitely have never seen one come to the surface as far as I'm aware.
Mitch
Oh I we couldn't believe it we were like let's just try and then they were like hitting every cast. We're like, this is ridiculous. But you know, there's such a beautiful fish, you know, like I know a lot, they're not necessarily like, I mean, those ones were hitting pretty hard, but they're just such a cool looking species, you know?
Katie
Do you find them fun? I know a lot of people say that they don't like them because they kind of just, they kind of just feel like a log at the end of the line, if you don't do a lot of thrashing and stuff. And I like that I kind of like that whole of like, I'm just yanking back on what what feels like a rock. Do you like that or do you find it boring?
Mitch
No, I totally love it. I mean, I get people are, you know, people call them wet socks up here. Like, it's like, yeah, I get it. You know, people say the same about Lake Trout. I mean, we've had, I've had walleye go bananas and I've had them just kind of float up to. To be honest, like I'm not really, I don't like get it, I don't fish for the fight. You know, like I don't, I actually like, that's the part that kind of stresses me out the most. 'Cause A, I'm like, oh, I'm gonna lose this thing Or B, it's like, I don't want to stress out an animal. I feel bad. But getting it to the boat and having a second with the fish and letting it go, that's the part I have a lot of fun with. So I tend to use heavier gear anyway. And so yeah, I like that walleye. Just kind of float up there like, whatever.
Katie
Let's do this. Yeah. That's funny you mention that, because I associate most fishermen with the opposite feeling of, like, I fish for the fight. If I don't actually get to the boat, I don't really care. to feel that tug on the end of my line. And I get that way with a lot of smaller fish. Like if you've caught 10 fish that day, it's like pinch that barb, let it shake off the hook before it even gets to the net. Because I got what I came for. I don't actually need to put my hands on the fish. But I also see where you're coming from. That's kind of a special moment to have it there and be able to look at it. That's what you're striving for when you go out. But I don't think I've ever heard anyone actually say out loud that I don't really care about the fight.
Mitch
Yeah, I mean, you know, like, sure, it's fun and it's exhilarating. And it's like, Oh my God, this is crazy. And oh, this is such a big fish and all that stuff. But no, yeah, like I prefer just the moment where you actually get to look at the thing or like, yeah, you know, see it up close, like I almost I've been thinking over the last few years, like eventually I'll probably just scuba dive, you know, just so I can swim with fish and see them instead of fishing for them. You know, like I just love seeing the fish versus the actual, you know, fight of it. But yeah, I mean, it is also very fun.
Katie
Totally. Right. Are there other things that you- I mean, I'm sure there's all kinds of things you get from fishing. But is it mostly that? Is it getting your hands on the fish? Is it the camaraderie? Is it just being out in nature? What is it that is really driving you?
Mitch
Yeah, it's a good question. I mean, there's so many things about fly fishing that's awesome. It depends where you're going. Down here in Southern Ontario, we go out fishing different times of the year dictate what we're fishing for. You know, we've got trout season that's open from, you know, the spring, like April to, you know, like it's only really open for the summer, but we kind of stop trout fishing because it gets so hot. So we just don't do it. So we've got a few weeks, you know, really to go out and and hit the hatches and like catch trout here in Santa Clara. So it's like that I'm doing that because it's like, yeah, I'm getting out with, you know, some friends. We're going to a really cool, beautiful local place, which is which is always fun, like to be able to, you know, finish work and hop in the car and go fly fishing till the sun's gone. Like, that's great for a bunch of reasons, you know, and and getting a chance to like, see those fish and interact with those fish and just like be part of the history that's, you know, taken, taken part there. Like all of those things are really exciting. But then we've got this other side of our fly fishing life, which is, you know, we travel. Right. And so it's like kind of more expedition, like adventure based stuff. And I love that stuff. Like I really love going on adventures with people and, um, and go on fly fishing places I haven't been or, or places that I've been many times. Like going on trips is a blast and, uh, getting to meet new people and, and fish new water and stuff like that. It's just so much fun for, for all of the adventure reasons, you know? So, yeah, I think, um, I think there's, there's, there's a huge slew of reasons why I fly fish, what I get out of it, but, um, I think at the end of the day, it's just, I don't know, like, it's also just something I can't, I just, I have to do like I just love doing it and I don't really know why and it's kind of a weird thing like fishing you know like when you really think about what you're doing you're like this is kind of a weird like activity yeah but it's just so like I can't imagine ever existing without fishing in some way or being being fishy in some way you know
Katie
yeah I've heard that a lot from a lot of people and I like I identify with that as well and I think it's something that you can't really explain and I'm sure people in with different hobbies have that feeling too uh that it's just like, you know, if you're trying to list out logically why you do this, it does sound kind of weird. It's like, I don't know, I like throwing this in the water and seeing if something eats it and then I pull it into myself. And it's like, when you say it like that, it sounds weird.
Mitch
But that's a good point.
Katie
If you do it, you understand that there's just…
Mitch
it's like anything can sound dumb, right? Like hockey, like you're just hitting a piece of rubber with a stick. Yeah, I guess that's a good point.
Katie
Yeah, but if you do it, you just you have that feeling. And it's, it's not even a question of, like, whether you're going to keep doing it. It's just something that you do.
Mitch
Something you do, yeah. Absolutely.
Katie
So getting into SoFly, I want to hear the history of how this started. Like how'd you guys all meet and how did SoFly come about? Because I was kind of browsing your website before we got on here and it looks like you do quite a bit of media stuff. And SoFly, it appears if I interpreted it right, SoFly is just like one of your projects, which I wasn't aware of. So I'd love to hear how SoFly got started and also how you kind of got in the media and what else you do?
Mitch
Yeah, for sure. Yeah. Yeah. So, like, so yeah, like, let's see here. I moved to Toronto in like 2015 and I was getting into, I came here to get into, you know, an industry and advertising, the advertising industry. I needed a job and I thought, hey, that would be a fun thing to do, go make TV commercials. And so I got down down to Toronto and I was able to get an internship actually through I was at school and I was doing like kind of a work placement type of thing and I found someone in Toronto. It was an agency called one advertising and they were like yeah sure come and you know do your placement or whatever here and I was like okay so I came down here to Toronto went to one advertising and at that time I was also doing like a fishing kind of just like like many people like a little blog on the side just to kind of have you know a bit of a fish and outlet because I've always been into, you know, doing creative projects and stuff. So it was called Drift Fishing, and it was just it was just like a website with. Sometimes I'd write articles and stuff like that, put pictures on it. But anyways, I was like, I want to, like, do more of that stuff. I know I want to do more of that stuff moving forward. But like, I can't do this stuff on my own. Like, I need an I need an art director. Like, I need a designer, like a graphic art person, you know, like someone to help me. It's just so much better when you have a team. And so anyways, I was just I was kind of always in my mind. I started this this placement and I walked in to the job the first day. And there was a there was an art director. There is all tall and muscular and he's wearing, you know, tight pants and a press dress shirt. And it was Yilma, who's my co -host of the show. Fancy, fancy Yilma. And I was like, Who is this? Who's this guy? And I like and he just like immediately looked at me. We smile at each other. I was like, Oh man, this guy's is a funny dude. And and the creative director said, Yeah, you know, like, Hey, Mitch, fly fishes. And Yilma was just getting in, like his girlfriend, bottom a fly rod or something like that. And he's like, Oh yeah. So anyways, we I was there for like three or four months and we just kind of got to talking about, you know, fly fishing. And I was like, Hey, I want to do some kind of creative thing. Like, would you be up for it? Like, do you want to just do something with me? And he's like, Yeah, let's yeah, I'm down. Like, we'll figure it out. And we we ended up chatting a bunch of times like down at a bar called McVeigh's on Queen Street and and Brainstormed about what we could do and then another guy joined someone I had known through friend They're like, oh this guy lives in Toronto. You should you just move there. You should meet him. His name is gab he's a photographer and he's from Quebec and So we all kind of got together and we're like, do you guys all want to do this something? They're like, yeah, no idea what and then you almost you'll move actually, you know, we're like well let's come up with a name, a logo, I guess. It's like Yilma thought of the name Sofly, and he called me, he's like, "What about Sofly?" I was like, "That's such a fun, stupid name. That's perfect." Then yeah, one day we were driving to go fishing actually, and I was like, "I think we should do a podcast. I think that's what we should do." I always wanted to do some radio thing. I love podcasting, I love radio shows, I love interviews, and thought, "Hey, why don't we give that a shot?" And they were just like down, they were just like, sure, whatever, surprisingly. And so I was like, well, this is a cool opportunity, like I don't wanna waste this, right? So we, that's it, we just like got some like crappy snowball microphones and we got together in my apartment downtown and we cranked out the first episode and it was terrible, we had no idea what the heck we were doing. And we just kind of talked about like our fishing lives, it's like anyone cares, you know? And, but that was it, and then we just kept doing it from there And eventually Aldo joined as well. We had him on the show and he joined the podcast as well and Gab moved back to Quebec. So now it's Aldo and Yilma and I and Aldo's just been, you know, amazing. Like again, crazy that we've we all met like it just doesn't make sense to to meet people that are like down to like give up huge chunks of their week and months to like do some fly fishing creative thing for fun. It's kind of a wild thing, right?
Katie
Yeah, I'm kind of impressed with that just knowing even my own schedule, like I just have to schedule with one person at a time. And even that feels hectic at times. I can't imagine doing it with like three or four other people, I guess two or three other people and doing that consistently and matching up everyone's schedules. That just sounds hectic. So I'm impressed that you've kept it up for as long as you have.
Mitch
Yeah, I mean, we just like, again, like been lucky that like the three of us have just been like down to do that, you know, like, kind of mold our schedules around it and just like keep going and just like not stop and and I think that's the reason why we're all like well let's keep doing stuff together because clearly we can't like we haven't killed each other yet and we're not we're still friends you know very much and it's like that's I think a unique opportunity you know so it's like well let's just keep making stuff until like we just get so bored of it and we or we hate each other
Katie
right yeah so when did you guys start the podcast? Do you know what year?
Mitch
Yeah we started in 2016.
Katie
January 2016. Long time now.
Mitch
Yeah yeah it's been a few years for sure and you know in the beginning like we were kind of a little more as we were learning how to do podcasting we were kind of like not very consistent and eventually I think around like episode 10 or something like hey we got to like put these out every you know we got to be consistent because people like aren't paying attention so we started to kind to strap ourselves down and get to it. But yeah, 2016.
Katie
Have you noticed that that consistency matters a lot? 'Cause I've thought about that myself just in terms of I feel this need to be out on a schedule 'cause in my mind everyone's waiting for it on Thursday mornings, even though I'm sure nobody is. But I almost fear for myself that if I started skipping, I would lose my, I think I need to stay on that track to keep my own momentum.
Mitch
Yeah, totally.
Katie
I try to convince myself that the listeners are waiting for it, but really I'm thinking that it's just for myself. Have you guys noticed anything with the consistency, like when you started being consistent? Like, did you get a better response from people? Or was it kind of the same thing that I mentioned where it's like, just for yourselves, you felt like you needed that kind of routine to stick with it?
Mitch
Way better response. Like, we definitely felt, yeah, we felt like the, because I think what it did, what is is that being consistent and actually trying to be responsible in terms of putting stuff out, it's like, "Okay, these guys are..." It makes it feel like a real thing, like an actual program where it's like, "Okay, I know this is going to come out on these days." If you do it long enough, people are like, "Okay, well, maybe we should listen," because it's like they haven't stopped.
Katie
Yeah, there's a lot.
Mitch
So it's like, I think if it's consistency and just being reliable in terms of as a source of content and entertainment, I think it helps. And it just makes it feel more, more real and kind of more stable, you know, Yeah, people are waiting. People are waiting for your show, you know, and it's even if it's like five people like that, if you keep doing it, and you know, it'll turn into 10, 2040, and then it'll just take off, right. But I promise there's people that are like, this is the day you know, fish on time comes out and it's like, don't miss it because that those people will be like, well, you know, it's good.
Katie
And remind yourself too, even if you've got, like say you've got 100 listeners and it feels terrible, and then you think about what a roomful of 100 people would look like, and you're like, wow. If you actually, if you saw that group of people, it would be, you would think it's a lot of people. But seeing that number, you're like, oh, it's not that many 'cause you hear about shows that are getting a million downloads an episode, and you're just like, well, I'm never gonna be there. But it's like, I don't know, imagine seeing a roomful of 300 people that all came to see you.
Mitch
It is cool, it is cool. I've thought of that too, actually, 'cause yeah, 'cause you know, like yeah, I think because what we do with this podcasting and stuff, we wanna know if people are out there listening 'cause if they're not, it's like, but at the same time, you know, like, we've never really done it to be like, you know, oh man, we don't have X number of listeners, like we should hang it up. I think that just what we do, if we were like that, like we just wouldn't, I don't think we would ever like be able to make it 'cause it's just such a slow burn, like the podcast, getting the word out. so many of them, you know, like, and there's so many, there's just so many like entertainment like platforms, like you can just spend your life on YouTube. So it's like, let's just let's we do it for the fun of it. And and we we love that there's some people listening and and they like to chat with us about their fishing lives. And sometimes we can hit the water and it's just like a really cool like outlet for, you know, meeting people getting out to cool places and and getting to be creative and not have it be, you know, dictated by by like some client or like some, you know, whatever brand, you know.
Katie
Yeah, it's like your own creative outlet, but it's also fun and it brings you a lot of, like you said, like it's a great way to meet people. I feel like I've met a lot of great people just from asking them to talk to them. I was talking to somebody else about this recently too, but it's really easy to get someone to talk to you when you bring up a podcast. Like you can't just email some expert in the field and be like, "Hey, can you just like talk to me "for an hour and let me pick your brain?" They're like, "No, I'm busy." But if you're like, "Hey, I'm gonna record it and release it to everyone." They're suddenly like, "Sure, I'll come up."
Mitch
All of a sudden, it's like a legitimate thing.
Katie
I know, it's insane.
Mitch
But it's 100% true, right? We've been able to meet, I've been able to meet some of my heroes, people that I admired when I was growing up, writers and anglers and stuff like that. And they're just like, if we send them a note, we're just like, "Hey, we're this rinky dink fly fishing podcast in Toronto. Can we interview you?" Sure, yeah, whatever. Sometimes it takes a couple tries. Like, yeah, get back to me in a year. Okay, and we do. And eventually they're just like, sure. And it's insane, it's so cool. But if we were just, yeah, hey, can I talk to you on the phone? They'd be like, block immediately.
Katie
Yes, creepy. Do you have any highlights? Like any, you said that you've gotten to talk to some of your heroes or people you've looked up to. Anyone come to mind as kind of like the highlights of your time podcasting?
Mitch
Oh yeah, totally. Yeah, like total hero highlights. of people I was like, Oh man, I would love to talk to that person. Uh, two right off the top would be one Mark Kingwell. So he's a writer, um, and he's actually a philosopher and like a, a professor at university Toronto here. Um, and he's just like, he wrote this book called a catch and release. And I read it when I was like 14. And I just thought it was a great book. You know, like at that time I couldn't get my hands on enough fly fishing writing. It was kind of like a starting to kind of become more prominent. You know, like the, of course, there is always the instructional books, which I had plenty of, but the, just like the, you know, the books, just about stories, but these people's fishing trips and stuff, I loved it. So yeah, Kingwell, like I read his book a few times when I was a kid and it was like, this is so cool. Um, and one, like one day during the podcasting, like a couple of years ago, I was like, Um, where, like where I should, we should hit Kingwell up, you where and I was like, Oh yeah, he's I thought he lived in New York. I look him up and he's like lives like down the street from me. And I'm like, Oh my God, that's insane. Like where I was in Toronto. So I emailed them and he got back to me in like five minutes. He was like actually on a fishing trip at the time. And he's like, I'm down. I'm so down to come on the show. And so we went to the agency. You and I were working out of a time called the hive on King Street. And one day and Kingwell came by and we all got together and we just got to jam in person, which was which was awesome. So that was huge. That was super cool because I was just like, wow, I can't believe again that that worked out so well. And then the other one would be Les Stroud, who was Survivorman. I don't know if you've ever seen that.
Katie
Yeah. Yeah. I watched that as a kid.
Mitch
Oh, it's the best, right? Like I watched it as a kid, too. Is, you know, he's like surviving by himself in the middle of nowhere with like no camera crew and filming the whole thing.
Katie
And I feel like he was like the first one. I mean, there's been a lot since then or a lot of similar shows like Alone and stuff like that. And I like those too. But I feel like Les Stroud was the one that as a kid I was I was like, I want to do what this guy does.
Mitch
Exactly. Yeah, 100%. He kicked off the whole like survival thing, you know, and and then the Bear Grylls came and all that like sort of sensational stuff. Yeah. Like Stroud was totally a pioneer in that sort of thing. I mean, the show was huge. It was awesome. And so, yeah, it was like he's not even like he fly fish. It's like he's fly fished a bit. And he's like more of a spin fishing person. But that's cool. And, you know, I was just like, I don't care. Like, just come on the show so I can talk to you about like whatever bears. Yeah. And so, yeah, I contacted him, like just on a whim. I emailed like his whatever, some some email address that was in relation to him. And they're like, Oh, like he's too busy. Like he was like, contact me in a year. And I was like, OK, so a year went by and I did it again. Oh, like he's still too busy. Like he's got so much stuff. I'm like, OK. I was like, well, this probably isn't going to happen. And then another year went by, like or six months, eight months, something like that. And I was like, I was like, man, we just got to we got to do this. So I was like, OK, I know Les Stroud goes to a place in Ontario called Temagami, Ontario, and we've got friends in Temagami that own an outfitter. And I was like, Listen, Stroud, Stroudinator, if we can go to Temagami and you come up there because he was playing a show there, I was like, if we can get me there on that day, will you record with us? He's like, Yes, fine. If you could be there before the show that I'm playing that day, fine. I'll come by Temagami outfitter, Cohen, you can record me. So we did. I took a day off work, Yilma and I. And we like drove north to Temagami and and set all up the gear and everything. We brought our photographer friend Andy with us to shoot it. And yeah, Stroud like rolls up and he's just like super nice. And he's got his dog with him and he did the show. And then we recorded an awesome episode. He just talked and talked and talked. And then afterwards, he was like, Yeah, you guys should like come to my show. And I remember. So we went to his concert across the street and hung out. And it was it was awesome. It was like a total like, oh man, it was such a good moment. I was like, wow, I can't believe that happened. Like, it was so cool that that happened.
Katie
It's cool to see your heroes as like real people. It's so easy to think of them as this like abstract person that exists on screens and stuff that or in writing that doesn't actually, you know, walk around during the day and like go to the store and do like real people things. And then you talk to them and you're like, wow, you're just a guy. But it's crazy to have that experience and realize that this is just a guy who's willing to come on and chat about whatever. And yeah.
Mitch
Yeah, exactly. And he's got, oh, I got to go like eat lunch or I got to take my dog out or, oh, I forgot my keys in the car. Like all of those little like human things, you know, you're like, oh, yeah, that's right. Like you're not always just in the bush, like, you know, cutting trees down to like survive. Like you're just a guy. He actually rolled up in an orange Jeep, like a bright orange Jeep. And he was like, that's an interesting choice. And he rolled his window down. He's like, this is not my Jeep. He rented it or something. He wanted to make us know. I was like, OK, fair enough. He was like, I don't drive a bright orange Jeep or whatever it was. I was like, all right, that's fine. But it was awesome. It was really cool.
Katie
I had a Temagami on my list, actually, to bring up. I was going to bring it up after- and maybe we can. I wanted to hear the rest of your media story, too, like what else you do. But I do want to touch on Temagami. And specifically, I don't know if- are the aurora trout in Temagami? Or is that a separate area? Because that's another thing I'm really interested in hearing about.
Mitch
Yeah, there are auroras in Temagami. So Temagami is just a massive area, and right in kind of- like in northern Ontario. And actually, the auroras are in our northern kind of swath of land. So they're not too far from, as well, like Timmins and like Elk Lake and places like that. They're in backcountry lakes. Originally, they were only in a couple of lakes in Ontario, like when they were first discovered. But I think since then, the MNR has stalked. They're still only in a couple lakes, but the MNR I think has stalked like one or two more to help the populations keep going. But they're super protected fish. Yeah, they're only found in Ontario. You can only fish 'em, the seasons are very limited.
Katie
Are they a subspecies of brook trout or what are they considered, do you know?
Mitch
That's a good question. I don't think they're a subspecies of brookies. They're like their own trout.
Katie
Are they their own species?
Mitch
They're their own, yeah. And it's like they are brook trout looking in that way. Like they've got greens and oranges and things like that. But they don't have the patterns of a brookie. They're much more kind of just like plain on the side. And they're very-- like their heads and their eyes are very dark, dark, dark kind of mean looking fish.
Katie
Huh, OK.
Mitch
Yeah, they're their own trout.
Katie
Yeah, because when I've seen pictures of them, it looks like a brook trout that got like wiped clean almost. And I assumed maybe it was a brook trout that got isolated and over time developed some sort of different pattern, the way that like our cutthroats out here, you know, look a little bit different, but they're all, they're all versions of cutthroats. I wasn't sure if it was actually a version of a brook trout or if it was its own deal.
Mitch
My understanding is it's like, it's its own trout. And it was discovered like way, way back when this, I think it was an angler or two from like Boston or something, were up fishing in that area and they caught this fish and they were like, this doesn't look like anything else. And they, they actually, yeah, they, they, they discovered it was its own trout and they actually ended up taking it back and I think the they got it taxidermied and it's somewhere in a museum but yeah no it's like it's totally on like trout and it's just in Ontario and it's super super cool I still haven't caught one but I have seen hatchery auroras because they have they have our M&R here in Ontario have actually like you know reproduced them in pens but just again to protect them because there was some issues with the lakes and mining things like that. Um, but they're, they're crazy cool looking up close. Very, very cool. I'd love to catch one. We tried. It was, it was a valiant effort, but it was like, it was such a fail. It was kind of funny actually.
Katie
What happened?
Mitch
Well, we like, we were like, okay, we're going to go do this Aurora thing, you know, like everybody's so interested in Aurora trout, obviously such a cool species. And, um, we're like, let's go do this. We'll make a video. It'll be so cool. We'll do a podcast. You know, we're going to catch an Aurora trout. It's gonna be insane. and spent like two days bobbing around this lake. It's just totally still water, the calmest water ever, like pretty deep to in a lot of spots. And we just didn't even have a single bite. And that's not to say they're there. Like we know people that have caught a rose in that lake. But, you know, on a fly rod in like, you know, 40 feet of water. Some some of the parts were like 50 feet deep. It's like middle of like it's kind of hot out. It's like these fish are just they're not they're not going to come up for my, you know, fly like there's no way. So we tried, but we did everything we thought we could. We just, it just didn't happen.
Katie
Do you think it was the conditions that day or are they known for being like really, really hard to catch? Is, is there any sort of reputation around that or do you think you just kind of got dealt a bad hand that day and it just wasn't meant to be?
Mitch
I think we just didn't know what the heck we were doing on the fly rod, to be honest, because I think if we, you know, if we had like spoons or like worms, uh, we definitely would have been luckier. Like we know people that have gone there don't really know much about fishing casting out a spoon You know if you cast they get an aurora, they're like wow look at this is crazy And they don't really know what it is and you know what's going on So yeah like on a spinning rod with you know like spoons or whatever something deep something that can drop down deep like great but on flies like we just I don't think we really we're not experts to water people at all and furthest thing from that and so I think it was just you know we were like well Let's you know we tried a few things we had we had some still still water rigs on we also were like We had full sinking lines with streamers on the end We were like drifting with the wind we tried that for a few hours, and it's just never lined up So I don't know I I mean I don't think it was a luck thing I think we just we we didn't have the the skills needed to take that one that day
Katie
still water can be kind of daunting
Mitch
Yeah,
Katie
I think so we've got some alpine lakes here Which are in my opinion not terribly hard to fish because they're generally kind of small I mean you can kind of walk the whole way around them. You'll probably see the fish cruising So you can kind of figure it out, but bigger lakes like that It's like there's no there's not the reading water You can get in a river where you can say like, okay I see a seam there an eddy or pocket and I know that there's probably fish there It's just kind of such a big sea of water that looks the same. I mean like where do you start? I know there's people who really specialize in that and can target fish there But I also know a lot of people who really struggle with that just because it's so overwhelming and I could see that
Mitch
Oh, yeah
Katie
I could see myself having the same issue you guys did just showing up there and being like well now what?
Mitch
What do we do? Yeah, like squirmy worms, I guess squirmy worms, you know, it was just like a bowl of water like well, we've got two days. Let's see what we can do But yeah, it can't definitely be daunting for sure like still water is a whole other art in itself So yeah, it was just, you know, didn't happen. Unfortunately, beautiful fish though. We saw it. We did see them at the hatchery. We're like, wow.
Katie
I assume you guys would go back and try again at some point.
Mitch
Oh, for sure. For sure. Yeah. Like they're, you know, being a, being a trout that's just in our home province, like that's where it is. I mean, that's so cool.
Katie
Yeah.
Mitch
We have to catch one. So we, we will definitely put in some more research, figure out a way to do it and, uh, definitely go back, but it's gotta be on a fly, you know, like we, we're not gonna cheat. We're not gonna put on a worm. We thought about it, but it's not gonna we got to do it on a fly rod just cuz it'll be so much cooler You know
Katie
feels right
Mitch
Yeah, totally.
Katie
Tell me more about Temagami. Is it what what is Temagami? Is it a region? Is it a specific park like what what is included in Temagami?
Mitch
yeah, so Temagami is a Huge expanse like region in Ontario. It's located about four or five hours from Toronto in Ottawa So it's it's not a bad drive at all. It's all highway driving. So super accessible It is kind of like the last it's kind of like the fur the closest furthest like, you know Wild experience you can have if you're in Ontario Because you don't have to go that far, but it's like right on the edge of like where Ontario gets like really wild You know, like once you go past Temagami and then it's like there's nothing there like get to fly places So yeah, Temagami is just like this beautiful really, you know relatively untouched place If people in Ontario are listening or people that know Algonquin Park, it's it's like Algonquin Park But just like there's no one there like there's not that many people in Temagami Tons of lakes like tons of rivers. It's really known for its paddling. So it's like a huge paddling destination actually less was talking about it as like Potentially like the greatest place in the world could to canoe and paddle because it's just endless portages and and routes and places You can explore Great perfect water for paddling and things like that. So Yeah, huge camping destination hiking all that kind of stuff and for us, you know, we we got introduced to it because Yilma was working for a fellow that knew the guy Eric who became our friend and he was opening an an outfitter in Temagami right when we were starting so fly. And so. Yeah, like Yilma's boss was like, well, you should go meet this guy and like do something with him. And we were like, OK, so like we it was like our first trip, you know, Yilma and Gab and I and we like rented a we didn't want to drive our own cars for some reason. I don't know why we're like, it's so far, you know, it was like four hours. Like it's so far away. So we like rented a Dodge Durango and like loaded it up with all of our gear and roll it to me. And I like first impressions. It was like, wow, like that was like the most Northern Ontario. I think any of us had been at the time, you know? So, you know, being from Ottawa and Toronto was like, wow, this is like so wild and an amazing, but yeah, we met Eric and we've for us, it was all about the fishing. So lots of, you know, we were catching bass and warm water fish like that. Walleye is a big thing up there. And they do have lakes with trout and there's rivers with, you know, Brookies for sure, and, and even rainbows and things like that. So yeah, it's just like a very good Ontario place and it's huge, like there's so many places to explore.
Katie
Sounds almost like the Boundary Waters, maybe the Boundary Waters, but maybe even accentuated a little bit more, just because even though the Boundary Waters being a wilderness is, you know, there's not roads and stuff built up in it, still has a decent population around it, I assume. It sounds like your kind of, Temagami's almost on the fringes of where people are even living, which I'm sure just kind of adds to that feeling of being way out there.
Mitch
Yeah, like Temagami is a town. So like it is a region, but there's a town called Temagami as well. So yeah, it's a huge, huge, huge region in Ontario, but then the town of Temagami is very small and there's like not that many people there. And it's really like the people that are there, maybe the loggers or like miners, or not even just people that have just been there for a while. And it influxes in the summer when people come paddle and hike and all that stuff. But yeah, there's not many people up there. It is definitely like a remote, quiet place, you know.
Katie
Do you guys make it up there fairly often? I've definitely heard it several times on your show, but I never know like how many different trips I'm actually hearing about or if you're just referencing things.
Mitch
Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, we do. We go all the time.
Katie
Oh, really? Okay.
Mitch
Well, because we kind of hit it off with Eric, the owner, and his wife, Karen. We became Friends and they're just super fun to hang out with and they've just been so Cool about having us up there and you know like just come hang out fish do whatever you want like take my van I don't care and take a canoe. It's just like wow okay, so basically he was like you guys come up here hang out And just you know maybe you know what we do is we give him photos and videos and podcasts And we try to like you know pump up his lodge and stuff in the outfitter as much as we can because it's a great business He's got going on Temagami is really an amazing place So yeah, we became friends and so we've we've gone up tons tons and tons like that that first trip was just the just the this icing on the you know, the tip of the iceberg because after that we went back every year and Eventually started going back multiple times a year winter a few times in the summer You know maybe in the spring because it's not like I said, it's not that far You know, despite what we thought the first time we went up like we go after work now, you know It's not a big deal. I mean No, I was just gonna say although lived there all summer. So like he actually ended up working there Oh cool and opening a bar with Eric in the outfitter and a restaurant. So yeah, like we were constantly in tomorrow See, it's awesome
Katie
Yeah I feel like a four-hour drive sounds like a lot until you know that what's on the other end of that is something you Really want to do and suddenly you're like, oh, it's only four hours instead of oh god it’s four hours
Mitch
Well, you know once you start traveling it's like you get it's just so much easier, right? Because you're like, oh, like the first trip, it's like, wow, we're so north. And then the second trip, it's like, whoa, now we're so north. And then the third trip, we're like, actually north. We're like, oh, no, this is, you know, so just like everything. It doesn't drive and it's like not a big deal anymore.
Katie
And it's all perspective at that point.
Mitch
Totally.
Katie
What are the logistics for doing a trip like that for somebody who's not in the area? Like it sounds like it's it's not built up much at all. Is it is it feasible to do without hiring an outfit or if you're not in the area to drive up with your own canoe? Or are there facilities that you can rent stuff and kind of go do a DIY trip in Temagami?
Mitch
Yeah, if you wanted to just go up to Temagami and experience it without anyone's help, yeah, 100%. Like it's the logistics involved really are, you know, if you've got a canoe and some experience camping and things like that, look at a map, find a place you think you can get to and access. There's a lot of logging roads and things like that. So, you know, you can get on water. Obviously, you know, you need permits and and things in certain places and, you know, check, check, uh, you know, check. Um, information about like where you can camp and things like that. But, um, yeah, all that stuff you can find pretty accessibly online or, or even just call up, you know, an outfitter for info and they'll help you. Like Eric would give you knowledge and stuff. Uh, but yeah, there's a drive up place. Like you just roll up in your car off the highway really. And you can plop your canoe into the water and go,
Katie
that's pretty cool.
Mitch
And you could just be gone. Oh yeah. Like, you know, you go, people go and they do paddle trips and they don't see anyone for like a week, like you don't see anyone. You know, so it is a great place to go and really feel remote and isolated. And it's just beautiful because the nature there, they've got so many like old growth forests. So it's like just beautiful pine forests. And it's just such a wild, but just like very rich, colorful feeling wilderness, you know? Unlike maybe certain wildernesses where it's like, you know, we go so north now, The wilderness there is just like scary and rugged, like the trees are small and the rocks are big. Whereas in Temagami, the trees are like huge, you know, and you just feel like tucked into this really beautiful, like fertile, like natural place, you know. Foxes running around and deer, you know, it's like very idyllic. But yeah, it's very easy to have a trip there.
Katie
I feel like I read a, I don't know, I was reading something, a book that was, it was set somewhere roughly in this region, Like somewhere in your half of Canada, basically. And they were talking about the same thing. They'd gotten so far north and so much into this rugged country that the trees had shrunk to the point they were basically waist height, but they were so tightly packed that you could nearly walk on top of them. And it's just barren. And I don't know where I heard this or read this, but it sounds like that's what you're describing. There comes a point where the land- it's almost too much for life to really do well. and it's like the life that's there is just kind of barely hanging on and it's just gnarly and rugged.
Mitch
Yes, exactly. That's exactly what I'm saying. Like, and actually on the drive through Ontario, you can see it like so like, once you pass Temagami, it starts to happen. So like Elk Lake, the highway in Ontario, like the province, if you look at the province on a map, the highway basically just goes like straight up and then it starts to kind of curve in the middle of Ontario. And then it just goes west like there's no roads in the north of Ontario. like polar bears and stuff. So, you know, yeah, like if you if you actually do that drive, which we've done a ton now after around Timmons, it starts to get, you know, where the trees start to, you know, and then Cochran, they really start to come down. And then when you get to Hearst, Ontario, it's like it starts to feel like that north, right? The trees are all the same like height. They're like kind of an evergreen. All of them are evergreen trees. Things are cold and they just feel harsh, you know?
Katie
Yeah.
Mitch
Yeah. And in the wilderness, there's just like badass. Like it's like wolves the size of a Toyota, you know, like they're eating moose like it's crazy. It's but that's what's cool about it, too, you know. But yeah, Temagami is is badass as well, but just much more. Yeah. Much just more, you know, I don't know, full and just kind of. It's just a beautiful place. Amazing.
Katie
It sounds like Ontario is pretty diverse in that way. I've been to Ontario many times, but always in the the southern half, at least.
Mitch
Yeah,
Katie
but it sounds like it goes pretty far north and has quite a landscape change.
Mitch
Oh man, it's it's huge. Like it's got it's got so many different vibes to it, you know, like Southern Ontario is very feels very like a lot of parts of Southern Ontario feel very like upstate New York, you know, like that kind of stuff like lakes and, you know, beautiful nature and stuff. But yeah, then Temagami is kind of that classic, like, I don't know, like camping, paddling, you know, like destination and then the north is very cold and and then like the northwest is very rugged and rocky and this big lakes, you know, because we've also got the Great Lakes, you know, so it's like that's not a thing like the Great Lakes are just such cool systems and the rivers that come off of the Great Lakes are all different too. And like from the Niagara, which is just deep and very aggressive water and it's like blue, you know, to like rivers, we fish like the Grand River and things like that, which are much more just you know classic kind of you know the Great Lakes trip like there is a ton of diversity in places you can go and fish you can catch and it's really cool in that sense like we are really lucky to have that you know.
Katie
Do you do most of your fishing and traveling in Ontario just because it is so vast that you can kind of fit all that into your own province or do you wander out much to some of the neighboring provinces or down to the states at all?
Mitch
I'd say most of mine is Ontario personally. SoFly though like last few years as I mean, COVID kind of messed things up a bit. But despite that, like we've been able to take some trips, quite a few to the States, um, and, uh, to the salt as well. So, um, I've missed all of those. Like, I don't know how I keep missing salt trips. I mean, you know, now COVID and stuff like that, it's a little different, but. It was just one of those things. I'll get the next one. I'll get the next one, but like, yeah, Yilma and Aldo went to Tobago right before, uh, the lockdown and they fished Tobago, which is like Yilma's. He was born there and it was kind of a cool experience. And before that they went to Tulum, Mexico. And yeah, we've done Montana. Aldo and I fished upstate New York all the time. We were kids and we got to get back up there ASAP. But Texas has been a big one for us. Indiana we went to fish bass.
Katie
Huh, I haven't heard that one before, listed as a fishing destination.
Mitch
Yeah, oh yeah, it was great, it was cool. It was actually someone that listened to the podcast. He was like, you guys want to come fish with me in Indiana? We're like, yes, we do. He's like, really? And we're like, yeah. He's like, we'll do small mouth. I'm like, that sounds awesome.
Katie
And he was going to go fish somewhere new.
Mitch
Is that like this guy wants to kind of have us down and take us on drift boats. We're down, you know what I mean? Like we'll come make a film and we did. Um, and it was, yeah, it's a big small mouth fishery there. So it's like lots of small mouth fishing and, and warm water pike and even some walleye and stuff like that. But, uh, yeah, it was definitely a different destination.
Katie
Yeah. That's, that's, that's cool. And it's fun. And I think that there's become a bit of a more of a focus on some of these fisheries. Because it's fun to go watch the media of Alaska and Montana and all these classic destinations. But I feel like in the past couple of years, there's been a push to highlight some of these lesser appreciated places, where it's like, there's good fishing in every state. I mean, Texas, until recently, wasn't thought of as a fly fishing destination. And I feel like past couple of years, now it's kind of blowing up. And you have to remember that there's fish to catch in every state and there's there's probably at least one hidden gem that is like an incredible fishery everywhere that you know I almost I almost envy people from Indiana in this case because it's like no one thinks about it but you know they get to appreciate it and no one's like flooding in to take all their fish.
Mitch
Oh you're totally right like it is so cool like I think wherever a fly-fishing like culture exists and a fly-fishing culture is like one person with a fly rod you know if there's someone doing that Anywhere then it's cool. You know, it's like a scene right like in school Texas has been yeah, you're right. Texas is wild like I'm growing up I was always like Texas is like the large-mouthed place, you know, like build dance spinning rods big casters things like that It's like blowing up like it's it's fly fish central, you know
Katie
Yeah,
Mitch
which is cool because it should be I mean the red fishing is just amazing there. It's crazy
Katie
You'll have to come down to Colorado at some point. We'll go hit the high country.
Mitch
Oh Colorado is definitely on the top of the list, you know, Colorado. I'd love to go to the, I've never been to Montana still, we were gonna go, but like right before COVID and then COVID hit, so we had to bail, but yeah, Colorado would be amazing.
Katie
I want to, I want to bring up one thing I saw on your website before I hit you with your own five questions, because I want to, I want to reverse the tables here and hit you with the Michi's Fishy Five, but before that, I saw on your website that you're really into making cocktails, and I wanted to hear more that like is that something you ever incorporate with fishing do you ever are you like the camp bartender when you go out or is that kind of a separate hobby that you just do in your own time
Mitch
oh my god I love cocktails all actually Aldo would be the camp bartender because he's actually a bartender he's like very well versed in cocktails and yeah no I just kind of like maybe it actually was although a little bit but a few years ago I just like really got I mean cocktails are amazing you know like who doesn't love a good cocktail. And COVID, like when I was at home, I really started to get into him because I was just like, I couldn't go to bars. I was just like, well, what am I going to do? So I just started I got some books and started learning how to do it. And since Aldo knows I would bug him, you know, what's this? What's that? I need to tell me and give me tips and stuff like that. But oh, there's nothing better than being like on a fishing trip and having some cocktails at the end of the day, like in the sun, you know? It's a it's a fun thing for sure. And but yeah, when you when you talk to all the last camp, because he's he's the cocktail man, that guy. He's running right now, he's actually running a Christmas bar in Toronto called Sippin' Santa. It's like a tiki Christmas bar. That sounds fun. I went by, he had like a Santa hat on. Yeah, it was cool. But yeah, I love cocktails. I love cocktails.
Katie
Maybe this comes back to the fighting the fish versus catching the fish. Is it the drinking of the cocktail? Do you want the final product or do you just have fun playing chemist and mixing things together and experimenting? Like what part of it is what you're really into?
Mitch
Well, it's a little, well, I like having a few of them. I like the effect of that. Okay. - You know, it's fun to. (both laughing) But I think it's kind of like fly tying actually, like to kind of talk about it like that. 'Cause it's sort of like, yeah, playing chemists, you know, like mixing things up and seeing what you can make. Like that was the cool thing I realized with cocktails. It's like, oh, people are just making this stuff up. Like you can just mix stuff together. And it's like, this is a new drink. We called the blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, you know? and syrups and just all that stuff. It's so fun to explore the flavors and what you can make. And it's kind of like fly tying in a way, right? Like 'cause you can sit down at the vice and just be like, I'm gonna mess around and make some bass flies and tie some crazy stuff up and just kind of be creative and just kind of reckless in your creativity and just see what happens. And yeah, cocktails are fun like that. Exploring just, you know. I also really like the history of them, you know? Just like the history of some of these drinks. And I got really into tiki or like tropical drinks 'cause the history of those I just find really cool. I don't know, it's a whole other world, you know? And it's just like an interesting thing, cocktail, like the world of cocktails. What a weird and strange kind of hobby.
Katie
Another thing that if you think about it logically, it's just kind of odd that there's all these liquors that objectively don't really taste that good. I know people can appreciate a good whiskey, but it's not like someone wants to drink it like a glass of water, you know? But then people have found ways to turn them into something that's really enjoyable to drink by just concocting all these recipes.
Mitch
Totally.
Katie
Yeah, it does sound like kind of, like you mentioned fly tying, it's like a creative outlet, but you've got a starting point. Like you're probably not just randomly mixing things, but you've got a, okay, these things taste good together. Let me tweak the ratios or add like one thing in or subtract one thing. And it gives you like a blueprint to start with, but still the freedom to mess around and add your own personal touch to it.
Mitch
Well, and they're also just like, so cocktails are just so central to just good moments, being either just relax like you're never stressed out I'm never stressed out and having a cocktail I mean you know I'm never using like I'm not like I don't drink in that way right so it's like it's always like when I'm hanging out with friends or relaxing or like part of a conversation I love like chatting and hanging out and it like a good cocktail is kind of always there so it's just like you know it's just a cool little uh they're just they're just kind of a nice just a nice thing in that sense.
Katie
It's like a feel good it feels good to have cocktail and have like just have a drink in front of you, kind of like having a beer.
Mitch
Yeah, just chat, you know. Like that's, it's just so much fun. I love just getting together, having an old-fashioned and just chatting, you know. Absolutely.
Katie
Super fun. I'll have to ask Aldo about that too, and hear his response compared to yours and see how being a bartender affects that.
Mitch
Totally, yeah, yeah, for sure. He'll probably just say I'm a hack and I have no idea what I'm doing, and he's totally, totally right.
Katie
All right, well, I just want to end here by hitting you with your own five questions. I don't know if you've done this on your own show. I'm sure maybe someone's turned the tables on you before but if that happened I listened to it a long time ago so I'm gonna throw these back at you and I know you kind of already answered one of them we talked about like what fishing means to you but I'll go in the order you've got them what's your favorite fish and why?
Mitch
Yeah wow good question.
Katie
Whoever wrote that was just a genius.
Mitch
I think I mean it's tricky like actually thinking about it right now what my favorite fish I think it'd probably be a steelhead you know and I I mean, I say that because I have, I've never caught a West coast steelhead. Um, my favorite fish is a great Lake steelhead.
Katie
Ooh, you're going to ruffle some feathers there.
Mitch
Yeah, I know. Totally people in their steelhead debate, you know, get out of here. There's steelhead. I don't care, but the great Lake steelhead, you know, specifically, uh, they're just amazing fish. And, and we've, we fish for them right now. Actually, we're going out this weekend. Uh, the fall all through the winter is really like steelhead season for us. We can't really fish for much else. Anything else. So it's all about steelheading. They're just such beautiful, cool fish. And I really like the the season and the the the feeling that comes along with steelhead fishing, the cold ruggedness of it. And and, you know, got a bundle up and, you know, we we bring food now and we go out like we cook hot dogs and have fun and kind of turn it into a whole other thing. And I don't know, it's just it's a good time. And then getting a chance to hold a steelhead. I mean, they're just such, you know, powerful, beautiful, crazy fish. And the fact that they do go into the Great Lakes, I mean, Great Lakes are pretty cool. Like, you know, sometimes I just look out of Lake Ontario 'cause we live on the, Toronto's on the shores of Lake Ontario. And wow, that lake is big, man. I guess it's a pretty cool looking piece of water. And so I think, yeah, steelhead are in there and then they come in in the fall. Just such a cool fish.
Katie
It's just a, yeah, cool lifestyle. Or sorry, a life cycle.
Mitch
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love steelhead.
Katie
All right. Second question. If you could fish anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? I know you always qualify it with, uh, if it, if it's a, the best time of year to be there.
Mitch
Not necessarily right now. Yeah, exactly. That's important. You know? Uh, I think that's, you know, it's funny. Like I've asked, we asked this question. I don't even know what my answer is. Um, I could go anywhere in the world right now. I mean, you know, there's this too, right? I think it would, it's either like a place I've been that I really love. and just like have very fond memories or a new place. So, yeah, probably be a new place just to try something new. We've been locked down for a while. You know, travel's not really been possible. I would love to go to like some really crazy like, you know, the Zambezi or something like that in Africa, like fish, tigerfish, you know, like to some really cool trip like that.
Katie
Just like the most exotic thing you could think of.
Mitch
Just yeah, just some really epic like let's go fly fishing and on the Zambezi, that would be so wild. It would probably be that or like, you know, down for like Golden Dorado or something like that, you know, one of those two, it'll be an exotic trip.
Katie
Do you ever watch a river monsters?
Mitch
Oh yeah. Yeah.
Katie
Is that where you're getting these? Like, it's, I feel like I've seen a lot of these on river monsters. Like that's specifically where I've seen, uh, the, the Goliath tiger fish caught. And when you mentioned that, I'm like, yeah, that, that sounds pretty gnarly on a fly rod.
Mitch
Oh yeah. Jeremy Wade was wherever monsters, that guy's awesome. Uh, yeah. like the Zambezi, like fly fish and tiger fish. I've always wanted to do it because they're just so cool. They're so crazy looking. And it would just be such a wild- Africa is such a cool place. And it would just be such a wild trip for us, like being so far away. And I don't know. I think that would just be such an adventure. And I feel like maybe that's what I need right now. I'm being locked down for two years.
Katie
Yeah, go do something crazy.
Mitch
Something crazy, yeah, like that. That would be fun.
Katie
Cool.
Mitch
That would be fun.
Katie
We don't have to spend too much on number three just because we- sorry, I guess that's number four. We will do number three. What's your favorite fishing memory?
Mitch
Oh yeah. Fishing memory. I'm actually, it's kind of crazy. Cause I'm like drawing blanks on all these right now. I didn't even remember this.
Katie
I’m surprised your answer isn’t just ready to go.
Mitch
Yeah. My favorite fishing memory. Jeez. I, I think it would probably be, uh, when I was about 15, my uncle and I went steelheading for the, like me for the first time, uh, I came down here from Ottawa and we went out to fly fishing on the, the Grand river. Um, and, uh, yeah, he was like, you know, I was only in fly fish for a couple of years and he was like, Yeah, come on down. He got me, he got a spay rod in my hands. I bought a new pair of waders, you know, I was so stoked and we went out and, uh, fished the whole day and didn't catch anything cause that's kind of the, how it goes with steelheading and the next day we were fishing, that was the last day. And I was just down for two days. And, um, Yeah, it was like the, you know, couple hours into the morning and I was like, I'm not going to catch anything. Like I hadn't had a bite like I was like, it's not going to happen. And he hadn't got anything. And I was like, no, it's nothing. Nothing's going to happen here. And lo and behold, you know, I was looking at a bird in a tree. I was like, quiet morning, you know, I was like a bird singing. And I wasn't even watching my line and I'm just swing, you know, cast out, swing, gas, hit, swing. And my arm basically gets like ripped out of my body. And I'm just like a heart attack moment. You know, I was like, oh, my God, I can't believe what just happened. Like it was just like I kind of went into shock, you know, you like kind of black out, you're like, Oh my God. And then this beautiful steelhead just jumps out of the water, like in the middle of this section of the river. And my uncle's like freaking out. He's like, Oh my God, like, keep your tip down, like keep tend like just yelling all the directions, you know, tight your line, like put the thing. I'm like, so I was listening to him, which, you know, I don't know. Like that always happens around official trips. People start yelling, like what to do. Just just do what you think is right, because it's like, you know, I mean, I was going to lose this fish either way because we were using big hooks there. You have to use single hooks. And it was just I did not get a good hook set. And I didn't listen to him at all. And I was just kind of I screwed up and the fish jumped off my line. But I got to see it. It jumped out of the water. And I was like, Oh my God, I was so excited. And then we went to the shore and he was like, Well, like, there you go. You hooked a steelhead, you know, and I like had a sip of scotch from his flask. And I was like, Oh my God, this is crazy. Like, I was just so hooked on steelheading. And then I went home to Ottawa and I bought a spay rod. And then I didn't use it for six years because there was no steelhead where I lived. But after that, yeah, steelhead tons. Yeah, that was a great memory. It was such a good time.
Katie
Yeah, I really appreciate that your memory is having not caught a fish. This is another one of those, if you just logically said, oh, my favorite memory is having a fish briefly be attached to me via a 60-foot piece of string. People would be like, what? Why is that appealing? But again, if you do it, you get it. Like you understand that it could just be like the flash of a big fish. You might've gotten like one glimpse at a giant brown trout or something. And that's your favorite memory because it's just so like stark in your mind. Like you're so tuned into that.
Mitch
Oh, I can see it. So like a picture in my mind, that fish out of the water. I can see that moment, you know? And the thing is too, like Michael's a nice guy. Like he was cool. He was like, it's good, you hooked it. Like, that's awesome. You know, like he wasn't like-
Katie
Not yelling at you or anything.
Mitch
What are you, you lost it. Yeah, like, you know, like thank God, 'cause if he was like kind of a mean guy, that wouldn't have been so good, but you know, it was just a special moment with us. And yeah, it was just, that burned in my brain.
Katie
Oh, that's cool.
Mitch
That fish. Just so cool, it was, yeah.
Katie
All right, fourth question, we don't have to spend too much time on, 'cause we already covered, the question's why do you fly fish? But I think we covered that pretty well at the beginning. So we can skip on to number five, which is I think your guys' favorite question, and I like it too. If you were a fly, what fly best represents who you are?
Mitch
Yeah, that's such a weird question. People are always like, I don't know, stop, why are you asking me this? Go away.
Katie
Well, I think a lot of people are like, what's my favorite fly? And that might not necessarily be the fly that is you.
Mitch
Yes, so you're right. And a lot of the times, I was just like, well, whatever. And even, I think I've answered this question before, way back when Aldo and I were just chatting, we were like, whoa, what would we be? And I think I said like a Lady Caroline because I just love that pattern. Like it's just such a beautiful spay pattern, you know? And it's just like, I just love that fly. And so it's like, that's what I would want to be, a Lady Caroline.
Katie
Right, but are you beautiful?
Mitch
What would I be? Yeah, exactly, beautiful, you know? Like, you know, an elegant, rustic, you know, it's got a cool look, it's history to it. That's not what I would be if I'm a Lady Caroline. You know, like, I'd be like, geez, I don't know, like, I mean, everybody says Wooly Bugger too on the show. I feel like that's just such a, you know, most people are like Wooly Bugger. I think I'd probably be like that too. You know, probably like, honestly, yeah, honestly, probably like a Little Adams or something like that, you know? Like just a Little Adams dry fly, just kind of blipping along.
Katie
Just humble and classic.
Mitch
You know, yeah, you know, kind of, kind of squat and furry, you know?
Katie
Parachute or regular Adams?
Mitch
I think I'd go regular, you know, 'cause unless I had like a really cool haircut or something like that, then I'd be a parachute.
Katie
You need a mohawk or something.
Mitch
No, I think, yeah, like, I don't know. I think I'd like to think of myself as just like, just kind of going, just going with the flow and just trying to have fun. And I feel like that's a fly for that, you know what I mean? Yeah, people who are using Adams aren't high strung.
Katie
They're not the people who are frantically tying on another fly and cursing the fact that their first fly didn't work. Like, they're just like, I don't know. I'm just happy to be out, I'll just tie this on.
Mitch
toss this on and just yeah I'm happy to be here.
Katie
Exactly. I think that might be my favorite answer I've heard like thinking of all the ones I've heard on your show and it's like you said it's usually a woolly bugger or something but I like that answer. That's fun. Thanks. Well we can get wrapped up. If you want to share you know where people can find your show any social medias or anything like that people can find SoFly or any of your personal I know you had a personal website and everything. So feel free to plug whatever you want.
Mitch
Oh my god, amazing. Thank you so much. I mean, like, thank you so much for having me on the show. It's so cool when you hit us up like, loved, just love that you wanted to talk. Like, it's fun. Yeah, where you can find all of SoFly stuff at SoFly.ca. On Instagram, we're @thesoflycrew. And we put out podcast episodes bi-weekly. We're going to start making more YouTube videos. That's basically it. But SoFly.ca for all of our stuff and yeah you know but thanks so much for having me on like it was a it was a blast get the chat we should definitely go fish
Katie
absolutely I would love to hit up Ontario at some point I'm from the eastern US so Ontario feels like my my part of the country kind of
Mitch
yeah it's just like that
Katie
I really appreciate you coming on I love your show it feels like it's probably the most I don't know if fun is the right word but just you feel like you're sitting around the table with a bunch of buddies and just what fishing is about you know, just hanging out with people and having a good time and I feel like your show captures that better than probably anyone I listen to. So thanks for putting on a great show and this is a lot of fun talking to you.
Mitch
Thanks so much, that means a lot. Appreciate it.
Katie
Alright guys, thanks for listening. Don't forget to head over to the website fishuntamed.com for all episodes and show notes and also please subscribe on your favorite podcasting app. That'll get my episodes delivered straight to your phone. And also if you have not yet, please consider going over to Apple Podcasts and leaving a rating or review. That's very helpful for me and I'd greatly appreciate it. Other than that, thank you guys again for listening and I will be back in two weeks. Bye everybody.
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