Fin & Fire's Podcast with Jeff Mishler

Episode 57 | Matt Davis is following his passion.  He loves to hunt and create the best American made upland gear available today. In this episode of Fin And Fire with Jeff Mishler I discover what makes Matt tick.  Where do his ideas come from? What does a day in the life look like?  Final Rise is a quality line of products and Matt tells his story while we share a common love for chasing upland birds.

Episode 56 | What makes one boat manufacturer stand out from the others?  Two things come to mind.  On-the-water performance and customer service. In this episode of Fin And Fire With Jeff Mishler, Joe Koffler dives into the details of his family business and the commitment of offer a quality product with the option to customize the details.

Episode 55 | Jim Akenson spent half his career studying the ecosystem of the Frank Church, River of No Return Wilderness in central Idaho.  He is at the epicenter of the Oregon Wolf Management Plan. In this episode of Fin and Fire With Jeff Mishler I sit with Jim at his home in Enterprise, Oregon and dive deep into the controversy of wolves on the landscape, the role of hunters and how to sustain a culture of passionate active participants in an outdoor lifestyle. 

Episode 54 | Once Big Horn Sheep were all but exterminated in Oregon, restoring the population was more of a challenge than anyone imagined, for a number of reasons.  In this episode of Fin and Fire With Jeff Mishler, Vic Coggins takes me through his 47 year career with the State of Oregon and the processes involved to maintain a sustainable population of this iconic Big Game animal.

Episode 53 | For Todd Moen, a lifetime of chasing anglers around the globe with a camera on his back and a passion for editing, created a library of the best fly fishing films available.  He's committed to this lifestyle. His success is proof of his talents.  In this episode of Fin And Fire With Jeff Mishler, I sit with Todd in his Oregon home and talk fly fishing, best trips, worst trips and share our thoughts on movie making techniques.  I love this podcast. 

Episode 52 | Jon Covich has been committed to the fly fishing industry for decades. Besides representing some of the industry's top brands, Jon is a travel liaison for Fly Water Travel. Exotic destinations are his specialty.  In this episode of Fin and Fire with Jeff Mishler, Jon and I discuss his the arc of his career and his favorite international destinations.

Episode 51 | Ted Fry is Raptor Archery and Raptor Archery is a reputable source for quality traditional archery gear. Ted's lifetime of outdoor experience fuels his passion to create traditional gear and teach others the joys we experience in the woods while carrying a bow. This long conversation is filled with life stories and discussions about the sport we love. It is one of my favorite podcasts.

Episode 50 | Levi Day loves to hunt and fish.  He has shaped his life around those two activities. And after two decades of teaching, Levi took a job with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.  Levi Day is committed to bringing young professionals into a field needing fresh, qualified and committed personnel. A membership base is critical to sustain support, but so is a passionate research and management community.

Episode 49 | It's never too late to improve your outdoor skills and in this episode of Fin & Fire with Jeff Mishler, shooting instructor Eric White takes me through the process of correct gun fit, gun mount, sight picture, stance, foot placement, establishing lead and trigger pull. And in the process, I realize I have been practicing what I thought were good fundamentals, incorrectly.  And that your instinct and reflexes play an important role in shooting success. 

Episode 48 | Derek DeYoung's view of the world he paints is manifested through vibrant color pairings, accentuated features, and a viewpoint pushing the realms of a first person perspective. In this episode of Fin and Fire with Jeff Mishler, Derek and I discuss his professional path and processes to create his highly sought, vibrant work.

Episode 47 | If you want to be the best angler possible, you should understand fly line design. In this episode of Fin And Fire With Jeff Mishler, I sit down with Chris Walker at the Rio Products factory and go deep into the process of designing modern fly lines and broach the subject of the holy grail of all lines.

Episode 46 | To succeed in the industry of fly fishing, Brian believes one must be open to change when presented with options. In this episode of Fin and Fire with Jeff Mishler, Brian and I sit down at his home in Idaho and revisit a lifetime of opportunities and experiences  that helped create his, "life well lived".