Tom Rowland Podcast

Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 1020 is a conversation with Adria Gutierrez, a Venice, Florida charter captain who live-streams her entire fishing charters on TikTok. She runs inshore, nearshore, and offshore trips out of Venice, Boca Grande, and Charlotte Harbor, holds federal permits, and has turned a full-day live stream into a booking engine, a shirt business, and a source of viewer tips.Listen now: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube

Andy Strelcheck is the Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Regional Office, working with federal fisheries throughout the Gulf, South Atlantic, and U.S. Caribbean. I brought Andy back on the podcast to get a direct explanation of what happened when the proposed South Atlantic red snapper season was stopped less than a day before Florida’s opening date.

We break down exempted fishing permits, recreational catch surveys, discard mortality, descending devices, fish tagging, red snapper stock assessments, and the frustrating situation where fishermen can see more fish while receiving less access. Andy also explains why anglers should participate in fishing surveys, how missing information increases uncertainty, and why there is encouraging news for several grouper and snapper fisheries.

If you liked this episode, share it with a friend, rate the show, and stay tuned for more unfiltered conversations.

Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 1018 is a conversation with marine life artist Dennis Friel, host of the Connected by Water podcast, on what it actually takes to paint fish for a living — from the Star brite SeaSafe event and a live-painted mahi, to leaving a 17-year music-business career, to whether AI is the next Napster for working artists, and where he really stands on Florida's shark debate.

On the Tom Rowland Podcast, David Graham of Boundless Pursuit recaps intense international fishing adventures driven by his desire to “overcome” difficult fisheries. Fresh from India, he describes targeting the rare goonch catfish in the Ramganga River near Jim Corbett Park, where tigers and leopards roam and recent attacks underscored the danger; he details guides, bait, heavy tackle, and improvised rock sinkers, and landing two goonch in 10 days. He also revisits his Republic of Congo trip for goliath tigerfish, explaining the complex logistics arranged through lodge owners Mark and Hilly, the harsh realities along the river, and the explosive fight that finally produced a major fish on day eight. Graham discusses conservation, sustainable tourism, planning, and funding trips while working a regular job and raising two daughters.00:00 Welcome And Sponsor00:34 Catching Up After Years01:29 Why India And The Goonch04:36 River Habitat And Dam Impact07:02 Ten Days Two Fish08:13 Finding Guides And Access10:09 Tigers Leopards And Real Danger14:13 Packraft Mission And Pug Marks16:45 Leopard At Camp19:01 Bait Tackle And Rock Weights25:08 Wels Catfish Side Quest28:23 What A Goonch Looks Like31:09 Goonch River Adaptations31:49 Brutal Fights In Rapids32:54 Monster Head Close Up33:26 Can You Go Back35:42 Guides And Planning38:16 Congo Tigerfish Tease40:26 Congo Lodge Connections43:03 VIP Entry Logistics46:43 River Scale And Risks49:45 Wildlife Gone Missing50:36 Tigerfish Mystery And Teeth54:38 Village Life Perspective58:14 Gifts For The Kids01:00:19 KabeKabe Dance Ritual01:02:13 Eighth Day Breakthrough01:05:43 Goliath Power Runs01:06:38 Mist And Bite Window01:07:35 Ferocious Surface Attacks01:08:48 Eighth Day Hookup01:10:52 Landing And Aftermath01:11:46 Bizarre Jaw Anatomy01:13:32 Sustainable Tigerfish Future01:15:49 Congo Logistics And Optics01:21:30 Safety And Risk Limits01:25:24 Finding Fish By Local Names01:28:44 Why He Chases Friction01:34:21 Funding Trips And Sacrifice01:37:50 Wrap Up And Where To Follow

Ed Emory is a fishing guide on the South Fork of the Snake River in Idaho who guides out of South Fork Lodge. He has guided for 36 seasons and logged about 67,000 guided river miles, which he points out is roughly 2.8 times the circumference of the globe with clients in his boat. He is known for targeting and landing exceptionally large brown trout and for an analytical, psychology-driven approach to guiding and fighting big fish.How big was the brown trout Ed Emory's client caught on the South Fork?

The fish measured 30.5 inches, with a girth Ed describes as about as big around as his thigh and a pectoral fin large enough to cover his client's entire hand. It is the largest brown trout he has landed on the South Fork since his 31.2-inch brown in 2011, and it cleared the 30-inch mark that Idaho recognizes for a catch-and-release state record. The fish was caught, measured, photographed, and released on film.

Who caught the 30.5-inch brown trout?

A client named Caroline Langdale, whom Ed describes as a petite angler from Georgia, on her first-ever day fishing the South Fork. She turkey hunts and had caught saltwater fish such as tarpon and redfish before, and Ed credits that saltwater experience for how she fought and landed the fish, keeping the rod bent at the right angle and sliding the fish sideways into the net rather than trying to lift it.

What is Ed Emory's approach to fighting a big trout? Ed treats it like a prize fight. He throws a jab to test what the fish will do, reads its response, and refuses to accelerate the fight, letting the fish tire itself rather than forcing it. He stresses situational awareness, knowing the river bottom, the hazards, and the depth where the fish lives, and keeping big fish in the 10-to-15-foot water they are comfortable in rather than dragging them into deep holes. He says landing big fish is mostly between the ears.

Why is the South Fork producing so many big fish this year?

Ed's theory is that the population of smaller guardian fish is near a historic low, so a fly reaches the largest trout instead of being intercepted by the many smaller fish that would normally feed first. With fewer fish between the angler and the big ones, anglers are gaining access to trophy browns that usually sit concealed at depth, feeding on the easy food that drifts to them.

What is the conservation debate on the South Fork of the Snake River? Idaho Fish and Game has worked to remove rainbow and hybrid trout, including by electroshocking, which was halted when funding ran out, to favor cutthroat. Ed argues the river is no longer a native cutthroat fishery but a wild, naturally reproducing one, since hatchery Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat have passed through the dam from Palisades Reservoir for decades. He favors cutthroat-centric management, such as placing egg boxes with Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat eggs in the river, and letting anglers decide what they keep.