Hey, Peter, your podcast is one of our favorites! What inspired you to start it, and what do you enjoy most about creating each episode?

Oh man, so the podcast got started at the urging of my good friend Alex Blackwell. He had been pushing me to start it for about a year before I finally pulled the trigger. That whole year I was pondering how to approach it and execute it. I finally realized that no matter how well I filmed a trip, I couldn't tell the full story and that's the gap I realized could be filled by the podcast. Basically, a film can show how much a person enjoys fly fishing and the outdoors and the podcast can fill in the why.

The best part has to be digging into the why, digging into what motivates people to want to spend more time in the pursuit of the outdoors. It's hugely motivating and inspiring getting to hear other peoples stories and learn from them. I feel like the podcast has helped me advance my fly fishing abilities a lot faster than it otherwise would have.

How did you first get into fly fishing, and how has that journey shaped your podcast and video content?

I picked up a fly rod for the first time in high school. I wish I could tell you that it was off to the races from there, but that wasn't the case. When I went off to college and even through the early years of my old job I didn't fish much, maybe 2-3 times per year. I didn't pick up a fly rod again for almost ten years. It would take way too many pages to go through that entire personal development arc, so, in short, fly fishing got me out of a not so good place in life and put me on a path to who I want to be.

Fly fishing, podcasting, and filming all go hand in hand and at the end of the day I want to be on the water. This is how I get to do that as much as possible.

Your YouTube videos are captivating! What motivated you to begin sharing your adventures through videography?

The YouTube channel, Skiff Wanderer, was born out of two things and if you get bored and rewatch a lot of the old videos you might be able to pick this up. First, I wanted to share my journey of trying to figure out saltwater fly fishing. I had just moved to Texas, just picked up my skiff and wanted to share all the experiences that I was having and lessons I was learning with as many people as possible. Second, I wanted to share my journey as a videographer. Instagram was a great place to show my growth as a photographer and YouTube is the best place to show your growth as a videographer. If you go watch early videos, the film work is cringe and there aren't very many fish. I wanted to show the reality of both of these pursuits and that it's ok to suck when you first get started.

Can you share a memorable experience from your podcast or videos that really resonated with you?

Hands down the Rough Log I filmed with Shane Bonnot. Shane didn't have a lot of fly fishing experience and had never caught a redfish on fly. I had no experience guiding someone that didn't fly fish as much as me. We started the day working on his cast and I prayed I could make it happen for him. Watching him hook into his first redfish was amazing and I'll never forget that day. Anytime you get to see someone catch their first fish on fly is awesome. You see the gears start turning and you know they're hooked on the sport after that.

Past that, anytime I get to fish for a new species or in a new area. Each one offers its own unique challenges and I walk away with so much knowledge.

What are five tips you would offer to anglers looking to improve their videography skills while on the water?

1. Can't be scared to get in the water with a camera in your hand. I doubt there is a single professional photographer or videographer that hasn't dunked a camera. It's part of the game. It's also why you spend so much on quality equipment that can handle the abuse. My old Sony a7riii lasted me five years. In the fourth year, I was having issues with the audio jack so sent it in to get repaired. I was told it was too corroded to fix. That camera lasted me another year before I finally retired it. It still works by the way, the monitor is a little glitchy though.

2. Slow down. I spend a lot of time with guys who want to rush through their day on the water. Get the fish, take a pic, release the fish, on to the next. You can't do that in videography, you have got to slow down.

3. Your camera should go everywhere with you. When I was learning photography, my camera lived in my truck and went everywhere with me and I shot everything I did.

4. You're going to suck. I'm a believer in the 10000 hour rule. Videography is no different. It's going to take time to master, hell I'm still figuring things out. The more time you put in, the better you're going to get. I recommend breaking everything down into the smallest lessons possible, analyzing each shoot for what can be improved and then focus on one of those improvements next time you're in the field.

5. Patience. If I wanted to summarize the first four tips, I'd do it with this one word. It's going to take time to master filming, it's going to take time to master fly fishing. If you aren't patient and don't accept this, you're going to want to quit.

How do you find the balance between fishing, podcasting, and creating videos?

Is there supposed to be a balance? Haha, I'm still working on balancing everything. Enjoy the process, embrace the chaos and realize you can't do everything. One day I might be able to give you a solid answer for this, and if that day never comes, well I was on the water anyways.

What upcoming projects or episodes are you excited to share with your audience in the future?

Lost and Wandering, volume one is currently being released and I'm getting ready to hit the road to film volume two. In that series, Peter Jordan and I visit fly shops, podcast with the owners and get to spend time on the water with local guides. We're trying to paint a complete picture of the shops and the areas they operate in. If you're a DIY guy or you love to travel, definitely check it out. Who knows it might inspire your next trip.

Oh, and my buddy Austin Young and I are cooking up a big camping trip. It won't get released until fall 2025, but I haven't been this excited about a trip since 2022.