June 6, 2025 • 21 mins
Packing multiple adventures into a short period of time can sometimes make a mediocre experience of them all. Brent's sharing a recent trip that had him fishing in the Gulf one day and then in the heart of Texas chasing hogs the next. Two distinct and contrasting activities performed in such a short time span can diminish the returns of each. They key to fun and meaningful returns though, according to what Brent found out, is the people with whom you spend time with. He's also sharing a listener story where a lazy river float trip nearly turned tragic. All that and more on this week's "This Country Life" podcast.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to this country life. I'm your host, Brent Reeves
from coon hunting to trot lining and just general country living.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I want you to stay.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Awhile as I share my experiences and life lessons. This
country life is presented by Case Knives on Meat Eaters
Podcast Network, bringing you the best outdoor podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
The airwaves have to offer.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
All right, friends, grab a chair or drop that tailgate.
I've got some stories to share. Trucks, boats and airplanes.
Unexpected results from a planned out and can test your metal.
Scheduling those outings back to back can test your stamina.
(00:50):
But good or bad, we reap what we sow and
we'll never get anywhere standing still. Sometimes, in my eagerness
to please everyone and do everything, over extend and don't.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Really enjoy the opportunities afforded me.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Now I'm gonna talk about if that's the case today
on a recent trip. But first I'm gonna tell you
a story. Corey Coleman, a crane operator, native Texan and
one of the one thousand, one hundred and nine folks
(01:25):
calling Oor City home, sent in this little jewel. He
calls the Jasper disaster a Buffalo River story. Now I
think Coors, missing his calling running that crane, he ordered
to be naming books and movies for a living. He
wrote this story pretty good too, and I'm about to
turn it loose, so in my voice and Corey's words,
(01:48):
here we go. I've been itching to see the Buffalo
River ever since I listened to the beargrease that featured it.
Something about the wildness, the history, and the raw beauty
stuck with me. After eight months of talking with friends
and slowly putting together a plan, we were ready the
(02:11):
gold float, thirty nine miles through some of the most
breath taken terrain any of us had ever seen. Four companies,
eight people, a mix of kayaks and canoes. None of
us were pros, but we weren't clueless either. When we
checked in with the park office, we were told the
river was low but floatable, and that sounded perfect, especially
(02:34):
for a group with varied experience. We figured slower water
mit fewer surprises. By that first night, we set up
camp during a lull in a decent storm, and when
we woke up the next morning, our first full float day,
the river had come up about eight inches, still floatable,
still within reason, but a little faster than expected. And
(02:56):
we were optimistic, a little more current, a few less shortages,
and that optimism lasted about four hours. By the end,
we'd only made it about five and a half miles.
Our goal had been ten. More concerning two kayaks in
a tandem canoe had flipped into rapids. People were okay,
(03:17):
but it rattled us with another storm. Forecasting we decided
to stop early and set up camp what we thought
was safely above the high water mark.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
We were wrong.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
The thunderstorm rolled through, heavy but manageable. We thought we
were in the clear and finally drifted off asleep until
about three am, when we woke to find our sleeping
paths floating.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
In the span of a.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Couple hours, the Buffalo River had risen nearly ten feet.
It was immediate chaos. We knew the boats were gone,
no chance. The priority became clear. We were in waste
deep water, hauling packs and supplies the higher ground in
the One guy didn't even have time to get dressed.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
He was fair and gear in his underwear.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
About thirty minutes, we'd moved a week's worth of cappin
supplies for eight people, one heck of us crampled By sunrise,
we'd regrouped the while we started affectionately calling Hobo Cam.
The early light did a lot from morale, and we
took stock of what we had and what we didn't.
(04:25):
One gall had gone the whole morning barefoot, no one
had dry clothes, and the bullnettle man. We were calling
it fireweed. By the end, it earned the name. We
knew the Buffalo River Trail was somewhere north of us,
so two of us set off to find it. Eventually
we made it to Irby and were able to get
(04:46):
a shuttle back to retrieve our vehicles, and while waiting
at Irby Landing, we met some outfitters who were trying
to track down lost rental boats and clients. We weren't
the only ones, apparently, who were caught off gold. By
the time we hiked back in, our group had already
broken down camp and started hauling gear out. Everything was
(05:08):
dried out as best as possible. Everyone stepped up, nobody complained.
It was a full on team effort to get ourselves
out of the woods, literally and figuratively. We holed up
at the Gordon Motel in Jasper, Arkansas, to regroup and
get cleaned up. At the Ozar Cafe one of our
(05:28):
crew spotted a T shirt that read Jasper Disaster, and
it felt.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Like a sign.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
After hot showers and a bit of reflection, no one
wanted to quit. We found another camp site and finished
the trip the best way we could, and we didn't
let the river beat us. In the end, we lost
four kayaks, two canoes, all of our fishing gear, and
maybe ten percent of our camping supplies, but we came
(05:56):
out of it tighter than ever. This was the kind
of true that could have broken friendships, but it didn't
made them stronger, And according to Corey Coleman of Or City, Texas,
that's just how that happened. Well, Corey, I appreciate you
sending in your story that's some great lessons and perseverance
(06:19):
and adapting to a situation that could have turned dire
and making the best of it out of that trial.
The bonds with those you care about strengthens. That's one
way to know that you're running in the right circle
of folks. Thanks for sharing. I have a problem with
(06:45):
saying no, I spent a career wanting to be a
helper and help folks, but most importantly I was raised
to put others before self. I know I can be
selfish at times, but it is the flaw of humanity
and something righteously work on and struggle with daily. There
was only one true selfless person to walk this planet,
(07:07):
and he paid the ultimate price for it, which validates
Oscar Wilde's saying of no good deed goes unpunished, but
saying yes nearly all the time the folks doesn't have
to be at the cost of oneself. And while I
have on occasion bore the brunt of coming up on
the short end of the stick, sometimes sometimes it works
(07:29):
to my advantage. And such was a recent trip with
my friend John Howard. John's a lifelong resident of our
town and served our community and stayed as a firefighter
for quite a while. He builds houses now a lot
of them, and has a dirt moving operation. He's quite
reserved and he doesn't talk a whole lot. His daughter
(07:52):
dances with Bailey at the dance studio, and it was
through that relationship that my family became friends with their family.
And what prompted the invitation to go fishing. Now I
know you're thinking, what's the issue. It's fishing and invitation
to go fishing. Who wouldn't want to go fishing. Brent,
you love fishing. I know all that, But this three
(08:14):
day fishing trip was eight and a half hours five
hundred and twenty miles away in Venice, Louisiana, which isn't
a big deal. I love Venice and the funny talking
folks that lived there, aside from their overwhelming infinity and
love for that football team I shall not name that
they all seem to support down there. The people of
Louisiana are my people. I love them all. This U
(08:39):
was I needed to get some podcasts and other non
fun work related stuff done prior to leaving for a
hog hunting in Texas that would start the following day.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
The fishing trip ended.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Now, that was a hunt with the good folks at
Magpool at the sell Mark Ranch, an iron and a
half from Dallas near Teague, Texas.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Y'all, don't start chunking rocks at me.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Having to coordinate back to back fishing and hunting adventures
is a.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Problem a lot of folks would love to have.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
I'm blessed beyond measure to be where I am, but
I have other obligations with this job and my literal
outdoor adventures. Compared to my talking about them ways heavier
on the sutting behind a computer screen than stomping around
out in creation. I write all this stuff I say
on here so I can make sense of it to
(09:28):
explain exactly what I'm trying to say.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Now that means I have to type it.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
My typing abilities are only slightly comparable to Edward Scissard Hands,
who's probably faster. So I got to work, wrote and
recorded two shows ahead of time for my gall river,
packed it back, and took off with my friend John
for South Louisiana. We skipped breakfast and left later than anticipated,
(09:54):
so we stopped in Pine Bluff eat dinner what most
everyone else can lunch anyway. After our Google search for fish,
we rolled up to the Underwater Seafood on Main Street.
It's a family owned concern, turning out some of the
best fried catfish I've ever eaten in a restaurant. It
(10:16):
was good, The Hush pubbies were good, the Coast Law
was good. But what impressed me the most was the
man who brought out our food. He stood at the front,
greeting people as they came in and visited with what
were no doubt regular customers When he came to our table,
he sat down our food, and before I could say
thank you, he said, bow your heads.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
I was going to do that anyway.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
I do it before every meal, either out loud when
requested or to myself, but regardless of where I am.
But this is the first time I've ever had a
waiter blessed my food and thank.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Us for coming in.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
I appreciated the effort, and the food was outstanding, and
it pretty well set the tone for how the rest
of the trip was going to go. Continuing on on
our trip, we stopped near Gilsburg, Mississippi, and visited the
(11:15):
memorial dedicated to the members of Leonard Skinnert who were
killed in the infamous plane crash on October twentieth, nineteen
seventy seven. I was eleven when that happened. The band
was set to perform in a little rock at Barton
called Seeum two days later, and it would be ten
years and seven days before the survivors of that tragedy
(11:37):
reunited and finished that tour, and me and some friends
were there in the audience when they did. We hustled
through New Orleans and made it to our destination of Venice,
sometime around midnight that night. We weren't fishing until the
next afternoon, so we lacked the area of urgency I
usually have on these trips. There was no production schedule
(11:59):
or deadline. It's just time and the opportunity to see
the sites and fishing environment, vastly different from what I
normally do. With my friend John, we checked into my
friend Renee, crossed the Cypress Cove Lodge. I met Renee
when me and a whole host of media and folks
were there last October. It was my first experienced fishing
(12:20):
on our southern coast and I absolutely loved it.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Now.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
On that trip, we spent two days fishing inshore for
red fishing speckled trout. Offshore was for tuna, and holy cow,
was that every exciting water is so clear you could
literally see one hundred feet deep. And when I was
fortunate enough to hook into one good night nurse, that
was a whole lot like work. I wasn't sure who
(12:45):
had who, but in the end I put him in
a headlock on the back of that boat and got
my picture tuk. He wound up feeling the heat of
my blackstone grilled back at Cassa day reeves. When that
trip was over, Man, what a time. This time we'd
be fishing offshore once again, but it would be for
red snapper, no trolling for chummed up tuna. We fished
(13:06):
with Patrick and his son, Paxton. Patrick is a friend
of John's and Paxton. He's a baseball player, just making
time until he gets called up to the big leagues.
He's filling his hours with elementary school and fishing while
he waits. We became friends pretty quick. Paxton and I
have a lot in common. We both like playing outside
(13:29):
better than sitting on the couch and naps after fishing.
They are a welcome activity. The first afternoon, we didn't
venture far off the bank, maybe a forty minute ride
off shore to an abandoned oil platform.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
We look fanning to me anyway.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Once we got there, we cut up some frozen fish
called poogies.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
The proper name I found out is men Hayden.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
A little did I know as we were cutting up
these thin, silver, football shaped, mental looking fishing about the
size of a dog dollar bill, that these were of
great historical importance. Historians believe that these were the fish
that tis quantum, better known as squanto encouraged the pilgrims
to plant alongside their seeds as fertilizer after those big
(14:17):
brass buck of loving folks started tilling up the gardens
back in sixteen twenty. Here I am four hundred and
five years later baiting up a hook one thousand, six
hundred and fifty miles southwest of Plymouth Rock with the
descendants of fish I'd only been anecdotally learning about in
(14:37):
school when I was Paxston's age. My education has now
come full circle. I have now learned everything. Anyway, we
were fishing one hundred and eighty six feet deep. That's
so foreign to me. That's like at six first downs
plus two yards. In the one hundred and five year
history of the NFL, only a handful of kickers have
(14:58):
made field goals from beyond that distance. And we were
fishing with a sixteen ounce weights that took a while
to get to the bottom as they free spooled off
thrills above the ways. We had two drop hooks rigged.
They were on eight inch leads, and the cut bait
was secured with circle hooks that had a point so
fine you couldn't see it. Man, those things were sharp.
(15:22):
You drop your bait, locking your reel, and wait for
a bite, which didn't usually take long. The key to
catching them, believe it or not, was not setting the hook.
When you got a bite, you were just supposed to
commence the reeling and let the fish catch himself. That
was harder than reeling in two thirds of football field
(15:42):
worth the line, which if you're wondering, equates to one
hundred and fifty five thousand and six cranks of a
fishing reel, or somewhere thereabouts. We filled the ice chest
that afternoon and the next day with more red snapper, amberjack,
and the possible record al Macko that John caught that
we misidentified as an amberjack that got himself flayed and
(16:05):
is now lying in a state of cryogenic suspension waiting
to be revived on my blackstone. It was a fantastic
trip called lots of fish, made some new friends, ate
a lot of good food, and slept very little, three
quarters of which would be repeated starting the following Monday.
About four hours after I went wheels down at the
(16:27):
Dallas Fort Worth Airport that, according to Moe Bandy in
nineteen seventy six, was the biggest airport in the world. Now,
if you don't know who he is, do yourself a
favor and let Google tell you how Moe got his
heart broke there.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Forty nine years ago.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
Anyway, I was meeting up with my colleagues Matt Miller
and my boss Garrett Long for a nighttime hog hunt
on the previously mentioned ranch guests of magpull and hosted
by Kevin Reese and Jeff Hamilton. The majority of the
next forty five hours would be spent behind a rifle,
either at the range shooting footage and steel targets, or
(17:08):
in the field shooting footage and pork chops. The first
night I sat in a blind with Dwayne Liptak, a
former fighter pilot and Bronze stard with valor to vice
recipient for his actions on the ground during the Global
War on Terror. Now, we poked holes in a couple
of hogs before the sun lit up the other side
of the planet, and when it did, we sat in
(17:29):
the dark scanning the field for more bacon factories. I
was glad the pilot was there. He was going to
come in handy when it came time to land the
box blind that we were sitting in. After the thunderstorm
that blew up pounded us with high winds and big
fat rain.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
I just knew it.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Any minute we were going to be airborne and flying
nap of the earth to a yet to be determined
new area of operations. Fortunately, the anchors held true and
the only thing that got that was us as we
abandoned the blind and got in Jeff's truck. The most
dangerous part of that night was the ride back to
the house with Jeff. Ah, I'm just kidding, Jeff, No, really,
(18:12):
I was terrified. I'm not sure Dwayne had a scary
flight in Afghanistan. I'm kidding, Jeff, kidding, Jeff, No, I'm
not kidding at all. The next day was more of
the same, minus the high winds and storming. The rides
with Jeff varied from between driving miss days in fast
and furious. Much like the hog hunting, long periods of
(18:34):
time in the field spent waiting on something to happen.
A lesson in patience. All hunters learned to accept this
time for relaxation and deep thought and reflection opportunities really
to learn more about yourself, and if you're fortunate enough
to be spending that time with someone, who volunteered to
put his life on the line for his nation in
(18:55):
any capacity, an opportunity to learn more why they do that.
Now I've seen the same thread through all of them
that I come to know in the military and the
first responders who outdoors people or not, and regardless of
religious affiliation, political beliefs, or ideology about foreign affairs, all
(19:18):
held true to a similar idea of others. But for self,
it's not hard to recognize the sacrifices that they make,
but it's hard sometimes to see the prices that they pay.
The folks I had the pleasure of being in the
company on both of those trips make me appreciate even
(19:39):
more how blessed I am to get to do the
things that I do, keep company with the people I
get to spend time with, doing things and being in
places with people we all find important enough to protect
to the last measure. Now that's what makes me say
yes to just about everything. I've met some pretty incredible
(20:01):
people and shared some incredible adventures because of it. No
good deed goes unpunished, No, how about, no great reward comes.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Without a little sacrifice.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Just like Corey Cole, our protagonist in the first story
in John Dwayne and all the others in the second
and everyone listening. We all, at some time in our
lives have been or we'll be asked to step up
and do something that we didn't plan on or sign
up for.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
Or we will volunteer say.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Yes to an invitation that turns out better for someone else.
But life isn't measured in an upset float on the
river or a lack of rest on a series of
sleepless trips. The measure is the journey from start to finish,
and a trip without obstacles, well that just makes for
(20:54):
a shorter, more boring riot. Father's Day is next week.
In my case, signature Minie Trapper, pocking knife, and the
new This Country Life merch is online at the Meat
Eater dot com and at the store in downtown Bozeman.
For all you folks that may be vacation in the
(21:15):
Treasure State, stop buying. See my buddy Alex Zimmerman and
his band of Untouchables and they will hook you up.
Thanks for listening to us here on the Bear Grease Channel,
home of history, science and buffoonery. Until next week. This
is Brent Reeves. Sign it off, y'all, be careful,
Welcome to this country life. I'm your host, Brent Reeves
from coon hunting to trot lining and just general country living.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I want you to stay.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Awhile as I share my experiences and life lessons. This
country life is presented by Case Knives on Meat Eaters
Podcast Network, bringing you the best outdoor podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
The airwaves have to offer.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
All right, friends, grab a chair or drop that tailgate.
I've got some stories to share. Trucks, boats and airplanes.
Unexpected results from a planned out and can test your metal.
Scheduling those outings back to back can test your stamina.
(00:50):
But good or bad, we reap what we sow and
we'll never get anywhere standing still. Sometimes, in my eagerness
to please everyone and do everything, over extend and don't.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Really enjoy the opportunities afforded me.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Now I'm gonna talk about if that's the case today
on a recent trip. But first I'm gonna tell you
a story. Corey Coleman, a crane operator, native Texan and
one of the one thousand, one hundred and nine folks
(01:25):
calling Oor City home, sent in this little jewel. He
calls the Jasper disaster a Buffalo River story. Now I
think Coors, missing his calling running that crane, he ordered
to be naming books and movies for a living. He
wrote this story pretty good too, and I'm about to
turn it loose, so in my voice and Corey's words,
(01:48):
here we go. I've been itching to see the Buffalo
River ever since I listened to the beargrease that featured it.
Something about the wildness, the history, and the raw beauty
stuck with me. After eight months of talking with friends
and slowly putting together a plan, we were ready the
(02:11):
gold float, thirty nine miles through some of the most
breath taken terrain any of us had ever seen. Four companies,
eight people, a mix of kayaks and canoes. None of
us were pros, but we weren't clueless either. When we
checked in with the park office, we were told the
river was low but floatable, and that sounded perfect, especially
(02:34):
for a group with varied experience. We figured slower water
mit fewer surprises. By that first night, we set up
camp during a lull in a decent storm, and when
we woke up the next morning, our first full float day,
the river had come up about eight inches, still floatable,
still within reason, but a little faster than expected. And
(02:56):
we were optimistic, a little more current, a few less shortages,
and that optimism lasted about four hours. By the end,
we'd only made it about five and a half miles.
Our goal had been ten. More concerning two kayaks in
a tandem canoe had flipped into rapids. People were okay,
(03:17):
but it rattled us with another storm. Forecasting we decided
to stop early and set up camp what we thought
was safely above the high water mark.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
We were wrong.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
The thunderstorm rolled through, heavy but manageable. We thought we
were in the clear and finally drifted off asleep until
about three am, when we woke to find our sleeping
paths floating.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
In the span of a.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Couple hours, the Buffalo River had risen nearly ten feet.
It was immediate chaos. We knew the boats were gone,
no chance. The priority became clear. We were in waste
deep water, hauling packs and supplies the higher ground in
the One guy didn't even have time to get dressed.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
He was fair and gear in his underwear.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
About thirty minutes, we'd moved a week's worth of cappin
supplies for eight people, one heck of us crampled By sunrise,
we'd regrouped the while we started affectionately calling Hobo Cam.
The early light did a lot from morale, and we
took stock of what we had and what we didn't.
(04:25):
One gall had gone the whole morning barefoot, no one
had dry clothes, and the bullnettle man. We were calling
it fireweed. By the end, it earned the name. We
knew the Buffalo River Trail was somewhere north of us,
so two of us set off to find it. Eventually
we made it to Irby and were able to get
(04:46):
a shuttle back to retrieve our vehicles, and while waiting
at Irby Landing, we met some outfitters who were trying
to track down lost rental boats and clients. We weren't
the only ones, apparently, who were caught off gold. By
the time we hiked back in, our group had already
broken down camp and started hauling gear out. Everything was
(05:08):
dried out as best as possible. Everyone stepped up, nobody complained.
It was a full on team effort to get ourselves
out of the woods, literally and figuratively. We holed up
at the Gordon Motel in Jasper, Arkansas, to regroup and
get cleaned up. At the Ozar Cafe one of our
(05:28):
crew spotted a T shirt that read Jasper Disaster, and
it felt.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Like a sign.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
After hot showers and a bit of reflection, no one
wanted to quit. We found another camp site and finished
the trip the best way we could, and we didn't
let the river beat us. In the end, we lost
four kayaks, two canoes, all of our fishing gear, and
maybe ten percent of our camping supplies, but we came
(05:56):
out of it tighter than ever. This was the kind
of true that could have broken friendships, but it didn't
made them stronger, And according to Corey Coleman of Or City, Texas,
that's just how that happened. Well, Corey, I appreciate you
sending in your story that's some great lessons and perseverance
(06:19):
and adapting to a situation that could have turned dire
and making the best of it out of that trial.
The bonds with those you care about strengthens. That's one
way to know that you're running in the right circle
of folks. Thanks for sharing. I have a problem with
(06:45):
saying no, I spent a career wanting to be a
helper and help folks, but most importantly I was raised
to put others before self. I know I can be
selfish at times, but it is the flaw of humanity
and something righteously work on and struggle with daily. There
was only one true selfless person to walk this planet,
(07:07):
and he paid the ultimate price for it, which validates
Oscar Wilde's saying of no good deed goes unpunished, but
saying yes nearly all the time the folks doesn't have
to be at the cost of oneself. And while I
have on occasion bore the brunt of coming up on
the short end of the stick, sometimes sometimes it works
(07:29):
to my advantage. And such was a recent trip with
my friend John Howard. John's a lifelong resident of our
town and served our community and stayed as a firefighter
for quite a while. He builds houses now a lot
of them, and has a dirt moving operation. He's quite
reserved and he doesn't talk a whole lot. His daughter
(07:52):
dances with Bailey at the dance studio, and it was
through that relationship that my family became friends with their family.
And what prompted the invitation to go fishing. Now I
know you're thinking, what's the issue. It's fishing and invitation
to go fishing. Who wouldn't want to go fishing. Brent,
you love fishing. I know all that, But this three
(08:14):
day fishing trip was eight and a half hours five
hundred and twenty miles away in Venice, Louisiana, which isn't
a big deal. I love Venice and the funny talking
folks that lived there, aside from their overwhelming infinity and
love for that football team I shall not name that
they all seem to support down there. The people of
Louisiana are my people. I love them all. This U
(08:39):
was I needed to get some podcasts and other non
fun work related stuff done prior to leaving for a
hog hunting in Texas that would start the following day.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
The fishing trip ended.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Now, that was a hunt with the good folks at
Magpool at the sell Mark Ranch, an iron and a
half from Dallas near Teague, Texas.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Y'all, don't start chunking rocks at me.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Having to coordinate back to back fishing and hunting adventures
is a.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Problem a lot of folks would love to have.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
I'm blessed beyond measure to be where I am, but
I have other obligations with this job and my literal
outdoor adventures. Compared to my talking about them ways heavier
on the sutting behind a computer screen than stomping around
out in creation. I write all this stuff I say
on here so I can make sense of it to
(09:28):
explain exactly what I'm trying to say.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Now that means I have to type it.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
My typing abilities are only slightly comparable to Edward Scissard Hands,
who's probably faster. So I got to work, wrote and
recorded two shows ahead of time for my gall river,
packed it back, and took off with my friend John
for South Louisiana. We skipped breakfast and left later than anticipated,
(09:54):
so we stopped in Pine Bluff eat dinner what most
everyone else can lunch anyway. After our Google search for fish,
we rolled up to the Underwater Seafood on Main Street.
It's a family owned concern, turning out some of the
best fried catfish I've ever eaten in a restaurant. It
(10:16):
was good, The Hush pubbies were good, the Coast Law
was good. But what impressed me the most was the
man who brought out our food. He stood at the front,
greeting people as they came in and visited with what
were no doubt regular customers When he came to our table,
he sat down our food, and before I could say
thank you, he said, bow your heads.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
I was going to do that anyway.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
I do it before every meal, either out loud when
requested or to myself, but regardless of where I am.
But this is the first time I've ever had a
waiter blessed my food and thank.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Us for coming in.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
I appreciated the effort, and the food was outstanding, and
it pretty well set the tone for how the rest
of the trip was going to go. Continuing on on
our trip, we stopped near Gilsburg, Mississippi, and visited the
(11:15):
memorial dedicated to the members of Leonard Skinnert who were
killed in the infamous plane crash on October twentieth, nineteen
seventy seven. I was eleven when that happened. The band
was set to perform in a little rock at Barton
called Seeum two days later, and it would be ten
years and seven days before the survivors of that tragedy
(11:37):
reunited and finished that tour, and me and some friends
were there in the audience when they did. We hustled
through New Orleans and made it to our destination of Venice,
sometime around midnight that night. We weren't fishing until the
next afternoon, so we lacked the area of urgency I
usually have on these trips. There was no production schedule
(11:59):
or deadline. It's just time and the opportunity to see
the sites and fishing environment, vastly different from what I
normally do. With my friend John, we checked into my
friend Renee, crossed the Cypress Cove Lodge. I met Renee
when me and a whole host of media and folks
were there last October. It was my first experienced fishing
(12:20):
on our southern coast and I absolutely loved it.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Now.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
On that trip, we spent two days fishing inshore for
red fishing speckled trout. Offshore was for tuna, and holy cow,
was that every exciting water is so clear you could
literally see one hundred feet deep. And when I was
fortunate enough to hook into one good night nurse, that
was a whole lot like work. I wasn't sure who
(12:45):
had who, but in the end I put him in
a headlock on the back of that boat and got
my picture tuk. He wound up feeling the heat of
my blackstone grilled back at Cassa day reeves. When that
trip was over, Man, what a time. This time we'd
be fishing offshore once again, but it would be for
red snapper, no trolling for chummed up tuna. We fished
(13:06):
with Patrick and his son, Paxton. Patrick is a friend
of John's and Paxton. He's a baseball player, just making
time until he gets called up to the big leagues.
He's filling his hours with elementary school and fishing while
he waits. We became friends pretty quick. Paxton and I
have a lot in common. We both like playing outside
(13:29):
better than sitting on the couch and naps after fishing.
They are a welcome activity. The first afternoon, we didn't
venture far off the bank, maybe a forty minute ride
off shore to an abandoned oil platform.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
We look fanning to me anyway.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Once we got there, we cut up some frozen fish
called poogies.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
The proper name I found out is men Hayden.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
A little did I know as we were cutting up
these thin, silver, football shaped, mental looking fishing about the
size of a dog dollar bill, that these were of
great historical importance. Historians believe that these were the fish
that tis quantum, better known as squanto encouraged the pilgrims
to plant alongside their seeds as fertilizer after those big
(14:17):
brass buck of loving folks started tilling up the gardens
back in sixteen twenty. Here I am four hundred and
five years later baiting up a hook one thousand, six
hundred and fifty miles southwest of Plymouth Rock with the
descendants of fish I'd only been anecdotally learning about in
(14:37):
school when I was Paxston's age. My education has now
come full circle. I have now learned everything. Anyway, we
were fishing one hundred and eighty six feet deep. That's
so foreign to me. That's like at six first downs
plus two yards. In the one hundred and five year
history of the NFL, only a handful of kickers have
(14:58):
made field goals from beyond that distance. And we were
fishing with a sixteen ounce weights that took a while
to get to the bottom as they free spooled off
thrills above the ways. We had two drop hooks rigged.
They were on eight inch leads, and the cut bait
was secured with circle hooks that had a point so
fine you couldn't see it. Man, those things were sharp.
(15:22):
You drop your bait, locking your reel, and wait for
a bite, which didn't usually take long. The key to
catching them, believe it or not, was not setting the hook.
When you got a bite, you were just supposed to
commence the reeling and let the fish catch himself. That
was harder than reeling in two thirds of football field
(15:42):
worth the line, which if you're wondering, equates to one
hundred and fifty five thousand and six cranks of a
fishing reel, or somewhere thereabouts. We filled the ice chest
that afternoon and the next day with more red snapper, amberjack,
and the possible record al Macko that John caught that
we misidentified as an amberjack that got himself flayed and
(16:05):
is now lying in a state of cryogenic suspension waiting
to be revived on my blackstone. It was a fantastic
trip called lots of fish, made some new friends, ate
a lot of good food, and slept very little, three
quarters of which would be repeated starting the following Monday.
About four hours after I went wheels down at the
(16:27):
Dallas Fort Worth Airport that, according to Moe Bandy in
nineteen seventy six, was the biggest airport in the world. Now,
if you don't know who he is, do yourself a
favor and let Google tell you how Moe got his
heart broke there.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Forty nine years ago.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
Anyway, I was meeting up with my colleagues Matt Miller
and my boss Garrett Long for a nighttime hog hunt
on the previously mentioned ranch guests of magpull and hosted
by Kevin Reese and Jeff Hamilton. The majority of the
next forty five hours would be spent behind a rifle,
either at the range shooting footage and steel targets, or
(17:08):
in the field shooting footage and pork chops. The first
night I sat in a blind with Dwayne Liptak, a
former fighter pilot and Bronze stard with valor to vice
recipient for his actions on the ground during the Global
War on Terror. Now, we poked holes in a couple
of hogs before the sun lit up the other side
of the planet, and when it did, we sat in
(17:29):
the dark scanning the field for more bacon factories. I
was glad the pilot was there. He was going to
come in handy when it came time to land the
box blind that we were sitting in. After the thunderstorm
that blew up pounded us with high winds and big
fat rain.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
I just knew it.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Any minute we were going to be airborne and flying
nap of the earth to a yet to be determined
new area of operations. Fortunately, the anchors held true and
the only thing that got that was us as we
abandoned the blind and got in Jeff's truck. The most
dangerous part of that night was the ride back to
the house with Jeff. Ah, I'm just kidding, Jeff, No, really,
(18:12):
I was terrified. I'm not sure Dwayne had a scary
flight in Afghanistan. I'm kidding, Jeff, kidding, Jeff, No, I'm
not kidding at all. The next day was more of
the same, minus the high winds and storming. The rides
with Jeff varied from between driving miss days in fast
and furious. Much like the hog hunting, long periods of
(18:34):
time in the field spent waiting on something to happen.
A lesson in patience. All hunters learned to accept this
time for relaxation and deep thought and reflection opportunities really
to learn more about yourself, and if you're fortunate enough
to be spending that time with someone, who volunteered to
put his life on the line for his nation in
(18:55):
any capacity, an opportunity to learn more why they do that.
Now I've seen the same thread through all of them
that I come to know in the military and the
first responders who outdoors people or not, and regardless of
religious affiliation, political beliefs, or ideology about foreign affairs, all
(19:18):
held true to a similar idea of others. But for self,
it's not hard to recognize the sacrifices that they make,
but it's hard sometimes to see the prices that they pay.
The folks I had the pleasure of being in the
company on both of those trips make me appreciate even
(19:39):
more how blessed I am to get to do the
things that I do, keep company with the people I
get to spend time with, doing things and being in
places with people we all find important enough to protect
to the last measure. Now that's what makes me say
yes to just about everything. I've met some pretty incredible
(20:01):
people and shared some incredible adventures because of it. No
good deed goes unpunished, No, how about, no great reward comes.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Without a little sacrifice.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Just like Corey Cole, our protagonist in the first story
in John Dwayne and all the others in the second
and everyone listening. We all, at some time in our
lives have been or we'll be asked to step up
and do something that we didn't plan on or sign
up for.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
Or we will volunteer say.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Yes to an invitation that turns out better for someone else.
But life isn't measured in an upset float on the
river or a lack of rest on a series of
sleepless trips. The measure is the journey from start to finish,
and a trip without obstacles, well that just makes for
(20:54):
a shorter, more boring riot. Father's Day is next week.
In my case, signature Minie Trapper, pocking knife, and the
new This Country Life merch is online at the Meat
Eater dot com and at the store in downtown Bozeman.
For all you folks that may be vacation in the
(21:15):
Treasure State, stop buying. See my buddy Alex Zimmerman and
his band of Untouchables and they will hook you up.
Thanks for listening to us here on the Bear Grease Channel,
home of history, science and buffoonery. Until next week. This
is Brent Reeves. Sign it off, y'all, be careful,
Host
Clay Newcomb
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