1 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:13,320 Speaker 1: This is the meat Eater Podcast coming at you shirtless, severely, 2 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: bug bitten, and in my case, underwear listeningcast. 3 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:19,320 Speaker 2: You can't predict anything. 4 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:22,800 Speaker 1: The meat Eater Podcast is brought to you by first Light. 5 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: Whether you're checking trail cams, hanging deer stands, or scouting 6 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: for el, First Light has performance apparel to support every 7 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: hunter in every environment. Check it out at first light 8 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 1: dot com. F I R S T L I t 9 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: E dot com. Is being a master fly tire a thing? 10 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:43,279 Speaker 1: Or is that just a description? 11 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 2: That's just a stupid description. 12 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 3: It's not like. 13 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:53,239 Speaker 4: Exactly, like somebody probably just labeled you that, right, Yeah. 14 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 2: One time I got a labeled it was like one 15 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 2: of the top five tires in the world. And the 16 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 2: ironic part was that was only time for like three years. 17 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 2: So it's not something that I wanted that label with 18 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:07,320 Speaker 2: because it causes a lot of haters. Oh really, Oh yeah, 19 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:10,679 Speaker 2: they're like, uh, like to me, fishing is fishing, but 20 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 2: in fly fishing you have a lot of pretentious motherfuckers that. 21 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: Are you recording, phill, Yes, I am recording that. 22 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 3: I have cameras, but we've got it. Yeah, we're good. 23 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:23,320 Speaker 5: God, he's saying. 24 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 3: It people saying this is greeting and tying that we 25 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 3: are Actually we're. 26 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 1: Joined today by one of the top five fly tires. 27 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:38,199 Speaker 1: Please out, top five in the world, the entire world, 28 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:44,680 Speaker 1: the entire world, one of the top five. SANTAO, welcome. Thanks. 29 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: What do you trying to say that off air? Not 30 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: he's trying to say it off air because he's saying 31 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: it with a certain eye roll. I want to hear more, 32 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 1: honest eye roll. 33 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 5: I want to hear more about what you're getting that. 34 00:01:58,600 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: Well, the uh. 35 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 2: At the advent of social media, you have a lot 36 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 2: of people that are on there more or less just 37 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 2: for the insta fame. 38 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: Non be talking about haters next, But what's your Instagram handle? 39 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 1: Probably about five. 40 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 2: Out of the ten people that you'll see posts on 41 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 2: there don't even fucking fish. They just post flies just 42 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:21,919 Speaker 2: for the likes. And you would say, you could look 43 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 2: at them and there'll be like these super colorful flies 44 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 2: that I don't know what the hell they mimic, but 45 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:29,640 Speaker 2: they pretty much. It's for artsy and it is a 46 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 2: form of the fly tying. Fly fishing industry is some 47 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 2: people will just tie just for the tranquil aspect of 48 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 2: it and for the mental health. But the vast majority 49 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 2: of don't even tie the are fish that you see 50 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 2: post up on there and then. 51 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 1: So there's a so there's a social media. Uh, let 52 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 1: me say something else too. The start of this thing 53 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,119 Speaker 1: is we have them described here as a master fly tire, 54 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:58,079 Speaker 1: but also a master sergeant. So you are a master 55 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: like indisputably that's master sergeant in the US Army. Yes, 56 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:10,920 Speaker 1: questionably a master fly tire. Questionably lower lowercase m uppercase 57 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 1: M in the military, lowercase M. As a fly tire, 58 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: like you're not a certified master fly tire. 59 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 2: No, that is just labels that will people give for 60 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 2: whatever reason. People like the label everything. And in the 61 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 2: fly fishing world like you got these master casters, master tires, etcetera, etcetera. 62 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 2: To me's fishing is fishing. 63 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:30,799 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know what you want to know? The most 64 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 1: annoying thing fly fishermen. 65 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 2: Do what catch and release everything. 66 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 1: No, No, that is a bottom. I'm glad. I wish 67 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: everybody did that because that's more fish for me to eat. 68 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 6: Right. 69 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: The most annoying thing they do is they have taken 70 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: certain fish and they've broken their name down to letters 71 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 1: GT so giant Travaldi becomes a GT. Why is a 72 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 1: bluegill not a BG? It's like it doesn't mean it, 73 00:03:57,040 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 1: or like a yellow perch. Oh, you know I was 74 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: out for yps LB's yps. 75 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 3: You know what, Debbie, why are you not hitting strike indicator? 76 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 1: So obvious? 77 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 3: That's just like he was. 78 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:16,719 Speaker 5: He was attacking pretentious carp fly fishman the other day. 79 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:18,599 Speaker 1: Which I totally agree I was doing that. 80 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 5: Yeah, we were talking about how stupid. 81 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 1: Listen, I fly fish this summer more than more than 82 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 1: any person in America. Really, not how much I fly 83 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,840 Speaker 1: didn't see you do it, That's how much I fly 84 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 1: fished this summer more than any other American master angler. 85 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 4: I bet the uh at the spot up there, I 86 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 4: mean I have hours, probably two. 87 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: Into it. Oh then me and Yannie fly fish went 88 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: fish and cutthroats on the I'm not gonna say like 89 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 1: I'd love to talk greater. Do you tell about it? 90 00:04:56,560 --> 00:05:02,040 Speaker 1: I have never seen anything like uh this lake we 91 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: rode horses up to in Wyoming. I have never ever 92 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:11,599 Speaker 1: in my life seen cutthroat fishing like that. Nice fishing, 93 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: crazy cut Bonneville. 94 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 3: Now you're giving away where you. 95 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:27,600 Speaker 1: Were, dude, Like unbelievable unbelievable big black spots. What does 96 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 1: that means? Oh? Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry the fish. 97 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:30,160 Speaker 4: Did you release him? 98 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 2: Uh? 99 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:36,160 Speaker 1: We killed three? 100 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:38,679 Speaker 3: How big we talking? 101 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:41,280 Speaker 2: Uh? 102 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:44,280 Speaker 1: Probably eighteen on the top end? 103 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:45,160 Speaker 3: Sweet? 104 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 1: Probably eighteen on the top end, and you'd look for him, 105 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: you know, Oh, so much fun man, Maybe maybe like 106 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 1: fly fish because I'd kind of outgrown it, but it 107 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: made me kind of love it again. 108 00:05:57,080 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 4: Man, well you had fun with all the times you 109 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:00,080 Speaker 4: went fishing with me. 110 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:03,159 Speaker 3: Did you abbreviate cutthroat or do you call them cuts? 111 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:15,040 Speaker 1: Gantt their giant c cts? Uh, get back to the 112 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:20,840 Speaker 1: arts and joke. So so in the fly tying world, 113 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 1: there is there's a social media element to the fly 114 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:28,359 Speaker 1: tying world, and there are fly tires that don't fish. 115 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 1: They're just in the craftsmanship. Yep, the artistry. 116 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:35,040 Speaker 2: Yes, so uh like you got. You get a mix 117 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 2: of people that will try to showcase their flies that 118 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,839 Speaker 2: do a lot of fishing. They showcase a lot of 119 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 2: different guide flies, and you have other ones that will 120 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 2: just explain that a guide fly guy fly is like 121 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,960 Speaker 2: basically fly that's really easy to tie that will catch 122 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 2: sand wan warm and an egg or a midge or 123 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 2: something like that. 124 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 3: You bust them out and clients are gonna lose them. 125 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 2: Then you have other ones that will tie, like these 126 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 2: super intricate flies. I have like a ton of material, 127 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:03,839 Speaker 2: a lot of different wild colors, and so there's a 128 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:08,120 Speaker 2: there's a big difference flies that have been known historically 129 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 2: to catch fish for decades in some cases even hundreds 130 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 2: a year, like the Royal Coachman for example. Then you 131 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:17,720 Speaker 2: have these other funky wild color flies that people that 132 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 2: are into fly fishing per se. They'll look at them 133 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 2: and they see all these wonderful colors and they hit 134 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 2: the like button. So that's that's disparity between two. And 135 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 2: like my heartache with it is that you have a 136 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 2: lot of new people that have no idea what the 137 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 2: hell they're doing when it comes to fly tie or fishing. 138 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 2: And they'll see some of these flies and they these 139 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 2: some of these individuals have like pretty large accounts, and 140 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 2: they think that's actually a fly that they should be 141 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 2: fishing with or learning how to tie. In reality, they're 142 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 2: they're totally wasting their time. 143 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: But so do you like tying? You like tye and 144 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 1: stuff that can be fish. 145 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 2: Yes, that's what my pretty much my account is based 146 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 2: off of flies that actually work. 147 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 1: This is the most amazing This is probably I mean, 148 00:07:57,120 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 1: I haven't you know, I'm not like a hobbyist, but 149 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: this is probably the most amazing fly I've ever held 150 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 1: in my life. 151 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 3: That thing's awesome. 152 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 2: It works, maybe, like. 153 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:13,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, it is unbelievable the artistry and then the the 154 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 1: life that's in this thing. Yeah. 155 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 3: So a lot of these are tum And do you 156 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 3: feel like that would catch a fish? 157 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 1: Steve catch a lot of fish. 158 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 2: It feels like when I said that, I'd catch a 159 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 2: lot of kinds of fish. 160 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 3: But does a fly like that earn you a master title? 161 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 3: Or do you have to tie specific flies in order 162 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:39,200 Speaker 3: to be a master? 163 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 2: No, basically there's there's really no criteria. Like, to me, 164 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 2: that's a stupid label master tire I. 165 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 7: Put it in the script. You guys can blame me. 166 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:54,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, to me, like I wouldn't even come close to Like, 167 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 2: you have people that have been time for like forty 168 00:08:56,600 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 2: fifty years that have set the foundation for everybody else 169 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:02,960 Speaker 2: that is starting or has just started in the last ten, 170 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 2: you know, fifteen years, And they're the ones that came 171 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 2: up with the innovations using different type of materials, where 172 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 2: it was like using deer hair at one point in history, 173 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 2: or parts of a pheasant or a muskrat or whatever 174 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 2: the case may be. It wasn't me, It wasn't like 175 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 2: anybody in this generation. Those guys are the master tires. 176 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 2: They are the ones that you know, wrote the books 177 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:26,079 Speaker 2: that showed people that you could use hair from a 178 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:29,200 Speaker 2: lama and catch fish with it. None of us are 179 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 2: very innovative nowadays. I mean there were people that will 180 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 2: label themselves as such. But those folks that from forty seventy, 181 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 2: one hundred and fifty years ago, they're the master tires. 182 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 5: Is there some specific old school tires that you emulate 183 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:47,319 Speaker 5: or like, really you're into them? 184 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, more or less because of their personalities versus and 185 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 2: a lot of cases. Also, you know, their flies are exceptional. 186 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 2: But one of the local guys there, Kelly Gallup, he's 187 00:09:57,920 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 2: the one that came up with a lot of these 188 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 2: for flies here, like this sex Dungeon, the mini sex Dungeon, 189 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 2: him and his crazy fucking names. But they actually work 190 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 2: and they catch a lot of fish. And then other 191 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 2: guys like Pat Dorsey out of Colorado that fishes a 192 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:13,720 Speaker 2: lot of tail waters and basically mimic. All his his 193 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:16,320 Speaker 2: guide flies off of what the fish are eating there 194 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:19,960 Speaker 2: and they work like crazy. That one Boxer as like 195 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 2: a bunch of twenty four to twenty six is that 196 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:25,320 Speaker 2: are flies that Pat designed and they work. So those 197 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:27,200 Speaker 2: are just a few of the guys that that I 198 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 2: have looked up to over the years, and they really 199 00:10:30,559 --> 00:10:33,079 Speaker 2: want to know what they're talking about. And two also 200 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:35,439 Speaker 2: they catch a lot of fish, so it's not like 201 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 2: they're just coming up with crazy shit that don't work. 202 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 2: The stuff that they they put in their books and 203 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:41,920 Speaker 2: stuff that they talk about all or proven patterns that 204 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 2: work everywhere in the world. 205 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 1: We're gonna we're gonna cover off on your life history 206 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:49,880 Speaker 1: a bit, but just just to just to tee it up. 207 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 1: Then we got to touch on a couple of things. 208 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:57,160 Speaker 1: You were born in Vietnam in Vietnam and then grew 209 00:10:57,240 --> 00:11:01,000 Speaker 1: up in Pennsylvania, but you spent some number of months 210 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,960 Speaker 1: in uh In, not in Vietnam. 211 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:06,439 Speaker 2: Now, I for like the first almost a year and 212 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 2: a half of my life, I lived in a refuge 213 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 2: camp in Malaysia. So my dad was in the military 214 00:11:12,679 --> 00:11:16,160 Speaker 2: in the Vietnam and as part of the South Vietnamese army. 215 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 2: If we would have got caught or he would have 216 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:20,400 Speaker 2: got caught, he probably would have been executed yep. And 217 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 2: so as after the fall of Saigan, the North Vietnamese 218 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:27,960 Speaker 2: and the Communist started, you know, sweeping down further south. 219 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:30,960 Speaker 2: And the town that I was born is called Baklu, 220 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 2: which is all the very southern point of Vietnam. So 221 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:35,960 Speaker 2: that gave us a couple of years, but eventually they 222 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 2: would have came through there anyways, and so. 223 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:41,240 Speaker 1: We gave you extra years, yeah, because they. 224 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 2: Were still working from from what they renamed the Ho 225 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 2: Chi Min city on the way moving down to the 226 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:47,640 Speaker 2: southern point of Vietnam. 227 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:51,320 Speaker 1: And it was not like you turned like post nineteen 228 00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:54,480 Speaker 1: seventy five. Yeah, yeah, they were still fighting their way 229 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 1: south or just moving there. 230 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 2: Just moving their way south and basically implementing communism, and 231 00:11:58,559 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 2: like every single town on that got it. 232 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:02,920 Speaker 1: So they weren't encountering like resistance all the way. 233 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:06,320 Speaker 2: So now now I see, Yeah, basically, I mean I 234 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:08,200 Speaker 2: was the opposite of most kids that I grew up 235 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 2: in Vietnam. I came from a very well to do 236 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 2: family and my grandfather pretty much owned the entire like port, 237 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:16,719 Speaker 2: so he got all the royalties of the ships and 238 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:18,839 Speaker 2: stuff coming in. I had pretty much everything that a 239 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:21,599 Speaker 2: kid could want growing up in Vietnam and then to 240 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:25,319 Speaker 2: baby basically know and and my this was my parents. 241 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:27,719 Speaker 2: I was so young. I had no idea this shit. 242 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:29,439 Speaker 2: But what they told me was that all that was 243 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:32,960 Speaker 2: gonna be taken away. And also at the same time, 244 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:36,240 Speaker 2: my father run the risk of being executed. So we 245 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 2: literally left in a banana boat. I mean we fled 246 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 2: out of there in a boat and landed on the shore. 247 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:44,840 Speaker 1: Talk about bad luck, an actual banana boat. 248 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:48,839 Speaker 2: We left there and went to the refuge camp in 249 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:52,720 Speaker 2: palal Badong, which is about the size of four football fields, 250 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:55,199 Speaker 2: but it housed that any given time about ten thousand refugees. 251 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:58,640 Speaker 2: So it was packed like sardines in there. And that's 252 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:00,920 Speaker 2: a sour subject of itself because I refused eat sardines 253 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:04,440 Speaker 2: because that's what we had. But we were given as 254 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:07,560 Speaker 2: far as a canas gardines and a vaga ris like 255 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:10,840 Speaker 2: every day who ran the camp on the Malaysian government 256 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:16,600 Speaker 2: they ran, yeah, I mean totally off subject well as 257 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 2: well similar to the subject, but on the trip there 258 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 2: where while we were on the boat, they suffered probably 259 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:28,079 Speaker 2: about thirty five percent casualties from dysentery and other diseases 260 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:31,079 Speaker 2: and so like as a at that time, I think 261 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:33,320 Speaker 2: I was four and a half and I was seeing 262 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:36,320 Speaker 2: like babies and people just being thrown overboard as they died, 263 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:39,440 Speaker 2: and that that like left an imprint in my head 264 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:41,319 Speaker 2: for a long time, because I started having nightmares when 265 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:44,840 Speaker 2: I was a teenager. Basically just waking up and. 266 00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:46,839 Speaker 3: Well, also being able to avoid disease at four and 267 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:49,080 Speaker 3: a half years old, it seems like a minor miracle. 268 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 2: The whole family made it, so that was a minor 269 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 2: miracle in itself there. But there was a lot of 270 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:55,480 Speaker 2: people that died and they just like chucked them overboard. 271 00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:58,000 Speaker 2: And it was actually Thay pirates that saved our asses 272 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:01,319 Speaker 2: because the tire ship was out of way and so 273 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 2: we were getting raided and everybody was like swallowing all 274 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:06,640 Speaker 2: their jewelry and all that stuff because that's what they 275 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:09,520 Speaker 2: were going to set their their future on. But in 276 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:12,440 Speaker 2: exchange for basically pillaging the boat, they gave us water 277 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:13,640 Speaker 2: and then we made it the rest of the way 278 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:14,199 Speaker 2: of the Malaysia. 279 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:16,600 Speaker 1: What year were you born. 280 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:17,680 Speaker 2: I was born in seventy four. 281 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 1: You're forty nine, yep, fifty in. 282 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:24,560 Speaker 4: March what was the island called again. 283 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:28,960 Speaker 2: Palau Bedung p u l a u b I d 284 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:32,800 Speaker 2: o ng. Then you guys spent how many months at 285 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:37,160 Speaker 2: the eighteen months there and then uh from there to US. Yeah, 286 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 2: the US wasn't my parents' first choice because we had 287 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 2: no family over in the US. We had family in Europe, 288 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 2: Australia and other places, and so they they applied for 289 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:49,040 Speaker 2: political asylum and all those other countries and they all 290 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 2: told us the fuck off, and the US was the 291 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 2: only one that said yes. And that's how and then 292 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:54,600 Speaker 2: it was a men in Knite family. That's how I 293 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:57,200 Speaker 2: end up in Pennsylvania, was a Mena Nite family from 294 00:14:57,240 --> 00:15:00,400 Speaker 2: this church called Grafdale Mennonite Church that end up basically 295 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 2: picking our family name out of some refugee book and 296 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:05,360 Speaker 2: then sponsored as and helped us with the paperwork to 297 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 2: get to the US. And we started off in like Oakland, 298 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:11,320 Speaker 2: California for the first I think it was almost a 299 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:13,560 Speaker 2: year there living in there in the city. And then 300 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 2: eventually they got us to Pennsylvania where they helped my 301 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:18,240 Speaker 2: parents settle and find work and whatnot. 302 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 3: The manner of speaking for The Mennonites didn't rub off 303 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 3: on you. 304 00:15:25,520 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 2: I think the military soury of those beliefs that I 305 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 2: might have had grown up, you know, but they did 306 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:36,560 Speaker 2: lay a pretty good foundation because it's basically you learned 307 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 2: to appreciate things a little bit more coming from that 308 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:42,040 Speaker 2: type of culture. I mean, we went to their churches 309 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:44,000 Speaker 2: for a little bit, but they allowed us the freedom 310 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 2: to basically, you know, worship how we saw failed. 311 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:48,000 Speaker 3: That's awesome, that's amazing. 312 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:47,760 Speaker 8: You know. 313 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 1: Art my mom and dad's church when I was a 314 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:55,800 Speaker 1: little kid, they had sponsored some South Vietnamese refugees who'd 315 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 1: been in the military and for I don't know where 316 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:01,600 Speaker 1: they went, but they came in. They stayed there and 317 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 1: my dad and him with ice fish together, which he 318 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:05,800 Speaker 1: had to have thought was the wildest thing in the world, 319 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:07,280 Speaker 1: right to like all of a sudden come to the 320 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 1: US and like instantly be ice fishing. But but they 321 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 1: just I don't know. I'd love to find out what 322 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 1: happened to that family. Are we still actually I was 323 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:20,440 Speaker 1: probably four or five years old or you stay in touch. 324 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, we still stay in touch with them. My mom 325 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 2: is still very close to them, so they she still 326 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:29,480 Speaker 2: lives like twenty minutes away from where they are. 327 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:31,480 Speaker 5: Were you guys near Lancaster? 328 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 9: Yeah? 329 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:34,720 Speaker 2: Really yeah yeah, Lancaster County. 330 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, all right, hang tight, I'm gonna talk about some stuff. 331 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:39,840 Speaker 1: If you've got any comments, feel free, okay. I mean 332 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 1: as a master fly tire. 333 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:44,000 Speaker 5: Or a master sergeant or. 334 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:45,800 Speaker 1: A master Yeah you can. You can weigh in as 335 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:49,920 Speaker 1: a sergeant or a fly tire as you see fit. Oh, 336 00:16:49,960 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 1: one thing, what was it? I gotta replug it. I 337 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 1: got to replug it. Where is it? If you have 338 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:05,399 Speaker 1: an event planned, if you had an event plan in 339 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:09,560 Speaker 1: northern Michigan and you need a my Buddy's bar. My 340 00:17:09,600 --> 00:17:13,480 Speaker 1: buddy has a new business. He has a camper trailer 341 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:16,479 Speaker 1: rigged out like a bar. So if you're having an event, wedding, whatever, 342 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:19,840 Speaker 1: and you want a bar, there's no change of money. 343 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 1: Like when you hire his services. You buy the booze. 344 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:27,240 Speaker 1: He picks up the booze, pulls the bar up all 345 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:31,840 Speaker 1: the mixers custom cocktails at your event. So your guests 346 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:35,920 Speaker 1: just walk up to the camper trailer full bar back there. 347 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:38,160 Speaker 7: Love it. 348 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:40,720 Speaker 8: He's gotta he's gotta do like a tiki bar version 349 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:43,000 Speaker 8: of that, and then we'll do like a meat Eater podcast. 350 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:49,639 Speaker 4: Yeah, we'll send them some forest for foods garnishes first 351 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:51,360 Speaker 4: bar too. 352 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:55,480 Speaker 1: You better be serious, you don't know that. Roamingnomi dot com, 353 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:59,480 Speaker 1: Roaming n O m I so, roaming Northern Michigan dot 354 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:04,880 Speaker 1: com packages prices, phone numbers and all. Matt Droz very 355 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:07,240 Speaker 1: dear friend of mine from growing up. A lot of hunting, 356 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:09,440 Speaker 1: a lot of fishing, a lot of drinking, a lot 357 00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:19,840 Speaker 1: of drinking, a lot of drinking. Sure h, too much drinking. 358 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 1: What else we got? Oh? Season twelve announcement, So a 359 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:31,320 Speaker 1: bunch of new mediater episodes premiering. When is this? 360 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:34,200 Speaker 7: It launches on October twelve. 361 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, premiering October twelve. So you go find them. Go 362 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 1: to our meat Eater website or our me eater YouTube channel. 363 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:43,320 Speaker 1: So the website or the YouTube channel October twelve, bunch 364 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 1: of new episodes. We have the episode coming up of 365 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:53,159 Speaker 1: hunting black Bears in a wet suit, all kinds of stuff, 366 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:58,520 Speaker 1: Big mule Deer, Big Out, lots of cool episodes, Big Squirrels. 367 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:01,560 Speaker 1: October twelve on the met eater website and on the 368 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:04,640 Speaker 1: meat Eater YouTube channel. Brand new episodes. You can catch 369 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 1: them first. There also have a live tour coming up 370 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:11,240 Speaker 1: in early December. We don't have all the dates yet, 371 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:15,000 Speaker 1: starting like the first week of December. Like we're gonna 372 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:16,639 Speaker 1: it's gonna be a bus tour. We're gonna do I 373 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 1: don't know, like ten cities in thirteen days or something 374 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:19,200 Speaker 1: like that. 375 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:21,160 Speaker 7: He love those live tours. 376 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:23,680 Speaker 4: We're gonna be like Tails from the tour bus. 377 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:26,600 Speaker 1: Tails the tour bus, big trivia component to the tour. 378 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:30,240 Speaker 1: Spencer is Spencer Newhart has to go to all tour dates. 379 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:31,520 Speaker 5: Is he driving the bus. 380 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:36,840 Speaker 1: He's driving the bus. He's driving the bus. So it's 381 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 1: gonna be We're yeah, we're doing a live tour over 382 00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:42,280 Speaker 1: damn place, uh in a bus, which is I kind 383 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:45,159 Speaker 1: of like the idea of this bus thing in the 384 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:47,919 Speaker 1: tour bus spinal tap. So stay tuned for that. You 385 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 1: better buy some tickets, man, better buy some tickets. Got 386 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:56,360 Speaker 1: a new calendar. I't called me Eater's dirty doesn't so 387 00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:57,320 Speaker 1: it just so happens. 388 00:19:58,680 --> 00:19:59,680 Speaker 7: Oh it's coming soon. 389 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:02,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, picture that. You make twelve seasons of a show 390 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:04,720 Speaker 1: and then you got twelve months in a year. At 391 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:07,240 Speaker 1: some point someone's going to be like, I got an idea, 392 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:14,720 Speaker 1: so this year calendar every year. Every month you follow me? 393 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:20,200 Speaker 1: Every month is a year? Eh, yeah, it's genius. 394 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:26,360 Speaker 3: A facial expression twelve twelve smirks of Steve twelve years. 395 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:30,600 Speaker 1: Twelve years of the show captured in twelve months, So 396 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:33,120 Speaker 1: like January is I don't know what the hell two 397 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:35,000 Speaker 1: thousand and twelve years ago. 398 00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 7: You can see Steve age ever so slightly. 399 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:40,919 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, a lot, dude, No, no, no. 400 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:44,080 Speaker 4: I don't think a lot, just twelve years smirks. 401 00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:49,680 Speaker 1: So check that out. Also, Oh, Phelps on Phelps Unleashed. 402 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:52,680 Speaker 2: Why is this? 403 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:53,640 Speaker 1: Say, don't read this. 404 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:58,639 Speaker 8: Because I put the whole description in it and it 405 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:00,399 Speaker 8: takes a long time to read all of it. 406 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 7: Those are just some highlights, Oh that you can. 407 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:08,280 Speaker 1: Hit well, Phelps's bugle tube is is improved. I'm just 408 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:09,199 Speaker 1: gonna skim through it. 409 00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:09,919 Speaker 7: Yeah. 410 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:12,800 Speaker 1: So, Jason Phelps, who comes on the show often host 411 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:16,400 Speaker 1: of Cutting the Distance, founder of Phelps Game Calls, has 412 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:20,399 Speaker 1: a new generation of the Unleashed Bugle Tube. I didn't 413 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:23,280 Speaker 1: think that there was a problem with the old one, 414 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:32,080 Speaker 1: but apparently never satisfied. So basically, people that had the 415 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:35,200 Speaker 1: Unleashed tube had various comments about it, and Jason being 416 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:37,320 Speaker 1: the obsessive that he is is going on and address 417 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:46,680 Speaker 1: various condoms. Comments. One, the new version recycled plastic. That's cool, Uh, 418 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:50,399 Speaker 1: guys had some people had a problem with the mouthpiece, 419 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 1: So now you can remove the mouthpiece, meaning your tube 420 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:57,240 Speaker 1: comes with a mouthpiece on it. But some people like 421 00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:00,600 Speaker 1: the smaller aperture. So now when you get it, you 422 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:03,040 Speaker 1: either like the mouthpiece, which I think the mouthpiece is great. 423 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:04,280 Speaker 1: I don't know why you wouldn't like it, but some 424 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:09,600 Speaker 1: people don't want the mouthpieces just blow straight into the tube. 425 00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:16,159 Speaker 1: Comes with the easy bugler and the flared mouthpieces. It's lighter, 426 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:20,760 Speaker 1: so twelve point five hours, twenty inches in length, so 427 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,880 Speaker 1: V two version two, he says, it gets the same 428 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:28,440 Speaker 1: exact sound in a little bit smaller package. They dress 429 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:34,399 Speaker 1: the whole thing and neoprene reduced noises from touching on 430 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 1: brush and adaptable. So a complete calling system for any 431 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:43,280 Speaker 1: calling style with one purchase two comes equipped with a 432 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:46,920 Speaker 1: flared mouthpiece for diaphragm calling. Earlier, when I was talking 433 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:51,080 Speaker 1: about people not liking the mouthpiece, that's what I meant, 434 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:55,360 Speaker 1: meaning there's a read piece that goes on it too. 435 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:57,360 Speaker 1: If you don't like using diaphragm calls. You can use 436 00:22:57,359 --> 00:22:59,760 Speaker 1: the red mounted on the bugle tube, or you can 437 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:02,480 Speaker 1: pull or read off put the flared mouthpiece on it 438 00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:04,600 Speaker 1: if fits over your mouth better, or if you want 439 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:06,879 Speaker 1: to go ultra lightweight. I suppose a fellow could just 440 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:10,439 Speaker 1: pull the freaking the flared mouthpiece off as well and 441 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:16,320 Speaker 1: run it that way outstanding back pressure for no articulation, 442 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:23,760 Speaker 1: devastating bugles, mind bending screams. Who writes this copy? Is 443 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:24,480 Speaker 1: this Ukraine? 444 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:28,679 Speaker 7: Nope, let's think about it. 445 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:32,679 Speaker 1: Devastating bugles love it? Just knock them over dead with 446 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:37,879 Speaker 1: a mind bending screams. You bend their mind and devastate 447 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:43,360 Speaker 1: them thunderous chuckles and grunts. I'm sold. 448 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:45,119 Speaker 5: We need a sound effect there. 449 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:48,359 Speaker 1: The Unleash V two is a new standard that all 450 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:51,480 Speaker 1: beagles will be measured against. Now I gave a buddy 451 00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:55,040 Speaker 1: my want to borrow. I let my buddy borrow one. Um, 452 00:23:56,359 --> 00:23:58,119 Speaker 1: he went on. But he's got nothing to gain from this. 453 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:00,520 Speaker 1: He went out the way that text me how wonderful 454 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:07,719 Speaker 1: it was, and they killed a bowl. He said it 455 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:09,080 Speaker 1: was the ship and bitching. 456 00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:11,600 Speaker 2: Wow. 457 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:20,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, So the new V two is out. Uh, here's 458 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:25,399 Speaker 1: a lengthy one. This is interesting. A lot of the 459 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:29,840 Speaker 1: news is full of uh, A lot of uproar going 460 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:37,040 Speaker 1: on around refuges. Okay's covered as fair a bit wildlife 461 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:43,679 Speaker 1: refuges in lead ammo. Okay, So certain refuges, you have 462 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:46,119 Speaker 1: states that are getting rid of that, that are banning 463 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:53,600 Speaker 1: lead ammo, banning lead sinkers, fish and sinkers, switching those 464 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:56,400 Speaker 1: over with sinkers that when you bite them, you hear 465 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:58,119 Speaker 1: your teeth crack. 466 00:24:59,240 --> 00:24:59,520 Speaker 5: Uh. 467 00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:06,880 Speaker 1: And there's a thing now where certain wildlife refuges are 468 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:11,679 Speaker 1: looking to ban or have they implemented it cal or 469 00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:14,760 Speaker 1: not implemented it yet, it's a plan to implement a 470 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:17,960 Speaker 1: ban on led AMMO in wildlife refuges. 471 00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 3: I think that there's probably some that always have had 472 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:26,679 Speaker 3: for sure in the regulations. But you know, because one 473 00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:30,399 Speaker 3: of the interesting things, right when you bring up refuge it, 474 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:35,840 Speaker 3: ninety nine percent of people go like, well, migratory birds, right, 475 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:39,399 Speaker 3: And for how many years now has it been illegal 476 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:44,560 Speaker 3: to use anything but non toxic ammunition for migratory birds. 477 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:47,040 Speaker 1: Since when I was a little boy, A long. 478 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:53,359 Speaker 3: Time, right. So I had to go through each one 479 00:25:53,359 --> 00:25:55,920 Speaker 3: of these and make sure that there was big game 480 00:25:56,000 --> 00:26:00,960 Speaker 3: hunting as a you know, legal means of recreation on 481 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:03,280 Speaker 3: each one of these things, and you can't hunt white 482 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 3: till the year or you know, blackwater refugees on here 483 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:13,640 Speaker 3: for SIKA and so yeah, you would have to switch over. 484 00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:17,119 Speaker 3: But yeah, I think in some regulations it's just straight 485 00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:19,680 Speaker 3: up non toxic across the board, got it? Which is 486 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:22,159 Speaker 3: kind of an interesting thing, right, because we always complain 487 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:24,560 Speaker 3: about how complicated regulations are. 488 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:27,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, but neither here nor there. So the US Fish 489 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:31,560 Speaker 1: and Wildlife Service looking to add or there's a proposal 490 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:36,720 Speaker 1: or new rule going into place to ban traditional ammunition 491 00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:41,639 Speaker 1: which we call that ammunition on eight national wildlife refuges, 492 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:46,919 Speaker 1: including Blackwater, chink fatigue. Don't even how to pronounce that? 493 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:51,960 Speaker 1: One Eastern neck, eerie, great thicket, Patuxent, How do you 494 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:52,760 Speaker 1: say that? Any? 495 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:52,879 Speaker 2: No? 496 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:54,040 Speaker 3: Close enough for me? 497 00:26:54,520 --> 00:27:03,480 Speaker 1: Patux At Research Refuge, Rachel Carson Refuge, Wallops Island. UH. 498 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:16,000 Speaker 1: The NSSF n SSF National Shooting Sports Foundation UH shared 499 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:18,359 Speaker 1: a letter that they had written to Martha Williams, and 500 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:20,320 Speaker 1: Martha Williams has been on the on the show as 501 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:25,120 Speaker 1: a guest. Because Martha Williams, who heads the US Fish 502 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:30,680 Speaker 1: and Wildlife Service, used to head Montana's State Fishing Game Agency. 503 00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:33,679 Speaker 1: So in that capacity. Martha Williams was on the show before. 504 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:36,800 Speaker 1: We have not had her on in her current capacity, 505 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:39,359 Speaker 1: but would love to have around and talk about some 506 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:43,760 Speaker 1: of this stuff. Note to krind you get that krinn it, 507 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:47,960 Speaker 1: so that'd be interesting. So the NSSF Shared a Letter 508 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:54,560 Speaker 1: is sort of an open letter challenging, challenging some of 509 00:27:54,600 --> 00:28:02,360 Speaker 1: the assumptions within the led band tackling. First goes on 510 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:07,080 Speaker 1: like any like any good compliment sandwich. It congratulates the 511 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:10,439 Speaker 1: US Fish and Wildlife Service for expanding hunting and fishing 512 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:14,359 Speaker 1: opportunities on the refuge system and then gets into the 513 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:17,560 Speaker 1: meat of it, and it's lays out this interesting argument 514 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:23,439 Speaker 1: that the so the US Fish and Wildlife Service is 515 00:28:24,119 --> 00:28:33,520 Speaker 1: tasked with protecting wildlife populations, okay, and because there is 516 00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:40,960 Speaker 1: a lack of any evidence that lead contamination from ammunition 517 00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:46,600 Speaker 1: is having any population level impacts on wildlife, there's no 518 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:59,400 Speaker 1: sound reason to ban lead ammunition. Meaning bald eagles are 519 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:02,680 Speaker 1: it's commonly pointed to bald eagles like a bald eagle 520 00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:05,640 Speaker 1: can get onto a carcass. Anyone wants to argue the 521 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:07,600 Speaker 1: truth of this is just wasting their time, like this 522 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:10,880 Speaker 1: is a thing that can happen. A bald eagle can 523 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:13,960 Speaker 1: get onto a deer carcass, is someone killed with land ammunition. 524 00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:16,800 Speaker 1: The bald eagle can eat that lead ammunition, and the 525 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:20,960 Speaker 1: bald eagle can die from lead toxicity. It's just like, 526 00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:24,960 Speaker 1: this is not a debatable point. That is a thing 527 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:28,680 Speaker 1: that happens. And there is a. 528 00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:30,880 Speaker 5: Very few bald eagles around at one point because of 529 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:33,600 Speaker 5: not because of lead, not because of lead, because of 530 00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:34,800 Speaker 5: dt T. 531 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:36,920 Speaker 10: But now the eagles are back. 532 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:40,360 Speaker 1: To bring this full circle, partially full circle, we just 533 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:46,120 Speaker 1: mentioned the Rachel Carson refuge. Rachel Carson wrote if you've 534 00:29:46,200 --> 00:29:49,080 Speaker 1: heard people over the years mentioned the book Silent Spring. 535 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:51,720 Speaker 1: Rachel Carson wrote a book called Silent Spring about the 536 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:56,760 Speaker 1: devastating effects of DDT on birds. It was so it 537 00:29:56,800 --> 00:30:03,000 Speaker 1: was a insecticide. Is that correct? Prolific use insecticidey an insecticide. 538 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:05,640 Speaker 1: If you watch old movies that they like to have 539 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 1: the thing where they're spreading DDT and kids are playing 540 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:12,400 Speaker 1: in the clouds as it goes down the road. Rachel 541 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:17,280 Speaker 1: Carson Silent Spring made the case of how DDT was 542 00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:21,400 Speaker 1: devastating to birds. DDT gets into a bird system, how 543 00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:23,240 Speaker 1: it would impact the bird is the bird. It would, 544 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:25,960 Speaker 1: for some weird reason I have never studied up on, 545 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:29,880 Speaker 1: would cause the bird's shell to get very thin. The 546 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:32,960 Speaker 1: bird incubating its own egg would crack its own egg. 547 00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:36,920 Speaker 1: The shells got so thin that a bird would crack 548 00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:42,760 Speaker 1: its egg trying to incubate it. And this devastated a 549 00:30:42,800 --> 00:30:48,160 Speaker 1: bunch of raptors, eagles, peregrine falcons, osprays, all these other 550 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:53,680 Speaker 1: birds got devastated from DDT DDT. This is like DDT 551 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:59,560 Speaker 1: was having a absolute population level impact on birds. DDT 552 00:30:59,840 --> 00:31:06,200 Speaker 1: was band. Since then, bald eagles have recovered so much 553 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:10,600 Speaker 1: that they were They're one of the very few species 554 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:13,520 Speaker 1: to ever come off the Endangered Species List. I think 555 00:31:13,560 --> 00:31:15,520 Speaker 1: two percent of things that go on the ESA come 556 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:21,280 Speaker 1: off because of recovery they recovered. However, a baal to 557 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:23,480 Speaker 1: youle can eat lead ammo and it can die. A 558 00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:26,760 Speaker 1: bald eagle can hit a wind turbine and it can die. 559 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:29,320 Speaker 1: A bald eagle can get hit by your car and 560 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:29,880 Speaker 1: it can die. 561 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:32,120 Speaker 3: A ball these strand barber wire fence a ball you. 562 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:36,720 Speaker 1: Can hit a three strand barberier fence and die. No no, no, no, 563 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:39,800 Speaker 1: no no no. One of the things that can kill 564 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:44,000 Speaker 1: a bald eagle is lead toxicity. So the argument here is, 565 00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:52,200 Speaker 1: without being able to point to any population level impacts 566 00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:55,880 Speaker 1: of lead AMMO, how can you ban lead AMMO in 567 00:31:56,000 --> 00:32:03,800 Speaker 1: protection of wildlife populations? And this letter makes this case. 568 00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:05,720 Speaker 1: This letter also points to a couple of things like 569 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:09,200 Speaker 1: this recurring and you see this all over the place, 570 00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:16,160 Speaker 1: This recurring idea that there is a lead toxicity element 571 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:23,440 Speaker 1: to humans from eating harvested game, which is completely unsubstantiated. 572 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:25,520 Speaker 1: The only time they've ever gone to this they went 573 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:28,040 Speaker 1: into North Dakota and tested a bunch of hunters for lead, 574 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:30,160 Speaker 1: and the hunters all had lower lead than people that 575 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:33,320 Speaker 1: live in cities. The reason people in cities have high 576 00:32:33,440 --> 00:32:35,960 Speaker 1: lead is because up until the eighties, they were putting 577 00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:40,160 Speaker 1: lead in fuel and that was a soluble lead. So 578 00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:43,560 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna go through the whole letter, but it's 579 00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:47,160 Speaker 1: really compelling, but it's like it's this thing where if 580 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:51,000 Speaker 1: you want this is this thing that happens so much 581 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:56,000 Speaker 1: in anything contentious, anything political, is if you're pushing for 582 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:58,560 Speaker 1: a thing that you want to be true, like you're 583 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 1: sort of pursuing in a gen that you have, and 584 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:08,680 Speaker 1: you welcome, you welcome information, but then you wind up 585 00:33:08,760 --> 00:33:13,640 Speaker 1: welcoming like somewhat suspect information if it helps make your point. 586 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:16,680 Speaker 1: And I think that the issue here, the reason we 587 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:20,160 Speaker 1: keep talking about this is the issue here is as 588 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:25,240 Speaker 1: management agencies, states, whatever try to mandate a move away 589 00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:29,080 Speaker 1: from LED ammunition, I think it's important, like at least 590 00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:35,160 Speaker 1: tell people the truth. Stop acting like there's a human 591 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:38,160 Speaker 1: health concern when no one has been able to substantiate it. 592 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:43,440 Speaker 1: Don't act like there's a population level bald eagle concern 593 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:47,320 Speaker 1: when nothing substantiates it. If your argument is that if 594 00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:49,560 Speaker 1: you kill a deer with leed amo and leave it out, 595 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:56,840 Speaker 1: you could kill a bald eagle, have that be that right? 596 00:33:56,960 --> 00:34:00,560 Speaker 3: And people make commutigate this, which this is one of 597 00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:03,400 Speaker 3: the there's some things in here that I don't like 598 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:05,120 Speaker 3: the way it's written, and there's some things that they 599 00:34:05,160 --> 00:34:06,240 Speaker 3: included that I do like. 600 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:09,279 Speaker 1: But tell me some of the ones. Tell me tell 601 00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:10,799 Speaker 1: me a highlight of each of those. 602 00:34:11,080 --> 00:34:16,239 Speaker 3: So population level effect, right, And we've covered this many times, 603 00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:18,400 Speaker 3: so it'll just be really brief. Right, they are talking 604 00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:20,560 Speaker 3: about bald eagles and and most of the and it 605 00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:24,600 Speaker 3: seems like all these refuges are in Bald Eagle territory, 606 00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:28,759 Speaker 3: and that's the raptor of concern. But if you had 607 00:34:28,760 --> 00:34:34,480 Speaker 3: a refuge system in an area that overlapped with condor populations, 608 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:41,640 Speaker 3: a condor death could have a population level effect, and 609 00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:45,520 Speaker 3: then it would be necessary to take further precautions, right. 610 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:50,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, because a condor is a population, yes, exactly. 611 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:59,440 Speaker 3: The other piece of this is you can mitigate that 612 00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:05,720 Speaker 3: raptor eating off your gut pile by removing the guts 613 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:11,400 Speaker 3: from the field or by burying the guts on site. 614 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:16,600 Speaker 3: So this weekend, and I apologized to some of the 615 00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:19,880 Speaker 3: folks I know, but lead kills really well. And I 616 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:22,520 Speaker 3: went out and shot a bunch of upland birds with 617 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:26,680 Speaker 3: seven and a half shot lead, and I made the 618 00:35:26,719 --> 00:35:30,520 Speaker 3: decision to package up, even though I was like way 619 00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:34,080 Speaker 3: the hell out on BLM ground. I made the decision 620 00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:40,520 Speaker 3: to remove all the guts and the carcasses from the field. 621 00:35:40,719 --> 00:35:43,120 Speaker 1: So if you're in the heat, you're gutting birds, you're 622 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:45,000 Speaker 1: gutting into a bag and just throwing the bag into 623 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:45,840 Speaker 1: your game bag. 624 00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:50,600 Speaker 3: Which eventually became a really horrible, disgusting bag. Yeah, but 625 00:35:51,719 --> 00:35:54,680 Speaker 3: it's not gonna go kill something I didn't intend to kill. 626 00:35:55,239 --> 00:35:58,080 Speaker 3: So I did like the fact that they provided a 627 00:35:58,120 --> 00:36:00,839 Speaker 3: good alternative, like a common so it's alternative. 628 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:09,640 Speaker 1: Yeah. And then this letter from the NSSFY they applaud 629 00:36:11,200 --> 00:36:16,359 Speaker 1: education efforts. They don't they're not chastising people that are 630 00:36:16,400 --> 00:36:21,000 Speaker 1: making non toxic AMMO. They don't use the word non toxic. 631 00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:25,920 Speaker 1: They're not chastising manufacturers of They're sort of pointing to 632 00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:31,239 Speaker 1: they're sort of applauding the free market economy or the choice, 633 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:36,200 Speaker 1: but pointing out that I would not have guessed this, 634 00:36:38,160 --> 00:36:42,840 Speaker 1: some of the percentages on some of the percentages on 635 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:44,760 Speaker 1: use of AMMO. Where's this stuff? 636 00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:48,279 Speaker 5: Oh the one percent of were you looking at the 637 00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:49,000 Speaker 5: rifle ammo? 638 00:36:49,239 --> 00:36:49,560 Speaker 1: Yeah? 639 00:36:49,719 --> 00:36:50,680 Speaker 5: Where that too? 640 00:36:52,719 --> 00:36:57,000 Speaker 1: That copper is one percent of center fire ammo used? Yep. 641 00:36:57,520 --> 00:37:02,440 Speaker 1: My social circle, like my social circle, which includes people 642 00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:09,640 Speaker 1: that that use copper for a handful of reasons, some 643 00:37:09,719 --> 00:37:16,360 Speaker 1: performance issues, some lead issues. I would it reminds me 644 00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:19,920 Speaker 1: of one when I have a skewed sample size in 645 00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:22,640 Speaker 1: my social circle. I say, we're doing the kids trivia 646 00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:27,120 Speaker 1: and and my younger kid had to guess what percentage 647 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:30,560 Speaker 1: of kids went fishing during the pandemic, and he thought 648 00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:33,520 Speaker 1: that ninety percent of kids went fishing during the pandemic, 649 00:37:34,239 --> 00:37:34,840 Speaker 1: like he had. 650 00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:38,200 Speaker 5: A very skin biases it, Like that's all I did. 651 00:37:39,520 --> 00:37:41,719 Speaker 3: That's a friends here. 652 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:43,239 Speaker 2: It is non non lead. 653 00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:46,480 Speaker 5: Center fire rifle ammunition makes up the smallest share of 654 00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:50,920 Speaker 5: the market and is approximately one percent of all ammunition produced. 655 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:57,759 Speaker 1: So yeah, but produced, so that that includes all target sure. 656 00:37:58,080 --> 00:38:02,520 Speaker 5: I mean when you're buying a ace of cheap two two. 657 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:13,480 Speaker 10: Three, I'm gonna, you know, just go do some shoot. 658 00:38:15,560 --> 00:38:17,319 Speaker 1: I'm gonna make this. I'm gonna make this relevant to 659 00:38:17,360 --> 00:38:20,919 Speaker 1: our guests. Watch this. When you time flies are using 660 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:23,040 Speaker 1: non toxic Could you ever tie a fly with lead? 661 00:38:23,680 --> 00:38:26,440 Speaker 2: One of the most common means to weigh down to. 662 00:38:26,440 --> 00:38:29,000 Speaker 1: Fly is using lead reps, and you're still using it. 663 00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:31,719 Speaker 2: I use it partially. They have the alternative where it's 664 00:38:31,719 --> 00:38:35,160 Speaker 2: stainless steel to also wait, but and some some patterns, 665 00:38:35,200 --> 00:38:37,200 Speaker 2: the lead works way better. Let a flip shot. 666 00:38:37,280 --> 00:38:38,879 Speaker 1: He's like, lead till I'm dead? Is that what you're 667 00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:39,440 Speaker 1: trying to tell me? 668 00:38:39,560 --> 00:38:41,880 Speaker 2: And then also wait with the split shots. 669 00:38:42,160 --> 00:38:42,440 Speaker 1: Yep. 670 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:44,240 Speaker 4: It also wraps really nice. 671 00:38:44,560 --> 00:38:48,640 Speaker 1: Yes, it does, it does. I would view I would 672 00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:52,359 Speaker 1: imagine that. I would imagine that the amount of you 673 00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:56,840 Speaker 1: see fishing get rolled into this I I do not 674 00:38:56,960 --> 00:39:00,800 Speaker 1: see this being fishing this problem, do you know what 675 00:39:00,840 --> 00:39:01,120 Speaker 1: I mean? 676 00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:04,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, there's a very few states to help all lead weights. 677 00:39:04,040 --> 00:39:06,920 Speaker 2: I mean New York was one of them. I went 678 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:11,000 Speaker 2: out there for some lake run salmon and I was 679 00:39:11,040 --> 00:39:14,000 Speaker 2: missing some weights, so I went to the local tackle 680 00:39:14,040 --> 00:39:16,680 Speaker 2: shop to get some, and all they had was the alternate. 681 00:39:16,719 --> 00:39:19,200 Speaker 2: I'm like, what the hell? I had no idea kind 682 00:39:19,200 --> 00:39:21,040 Speaker 2: of like blindsided me that I couldn't get lead weights. 683 00:39:21,160 --> 00:39:24,160 Speaker 1: I get the leads. So just for folks, listen, when 684 00:39:24,160 --> 00:39:26,839 Speaker 1: we started talking about lead split shot, it's a different thing. 685 00:39:27,160 --> 00:39:31,279 Speaker 1: Lead split shot is not. There's different ways that lead 686 00:39:31,320 --> 00:39:38,360 Speaker 1: gets introduced into to wildlife center fire like deer Okay, 687 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:41,799 Speaker 1: deer hunting, that's introduced because you shoot the deer and 688 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:44,000 Speaker 1: you got the deer and your bullet fragments and is 689 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:46,840 Speaker 1: led around. You leave the guts whatever. Later on you 690 00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:49,279 Speaker 1: throw the bones in the ditch, stuff eats that they 691 00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:56,719 Speaker 1: ingest lead unintentionally, split shot and steal shot or sorry 692 00:39:57,600 --> 00:40:00,920 Speaker 1: back when you could use lead to hunt ducks. In 693 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:04,719 Speaker 1: split shot, you have it can enter an animal by 694 00:40:05,719 --> 00:40:07,400 Speaker 1: an animal could get hit by a chunk of that 695 00:40:07,520 --> 00:40:09,960 Speaker 1: lead and not be lethal. Then it has lead in it, 696 00:40:10,200 --> 00:40:14,960 Speaker 1: but they pick it up as grit so or they 697 00:40:15,040 --> 00:40:17,120 Speaker 1: pick it up they just see something shiny and different 698 00:40:17,120 --> 00:40:19,640 Speaker 1: and they're down there feeding and they ingest it. So 699 00:40:19,719 --> 00:40:23,440 Speaker 1: the lead sinker thing is that they're just intentionally ingesting it. 700 00:40:23,440 --> 00:40:26,279 Speaker 1: It's not getting like blasted into something. It's being picked up, 701 00:40:26,760 --> 00:40:31,040 Speaker 1: not eaten along with flesh. Is that clear? 702 00:40:32,239 --> 00:40:33,960 Speaker 5: And I think a lot of time, a lot of 703 00:40:34,040 --> 00:40:36,200 Speaker 5: times they're just picking it up as they're feeding on 704 00:40:36,239 --> 00:40:36,480 Speaker 5: the bike. 705 00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:37,799 Speaker 2: It just happens to end up and. 706 00:40:37,920 --> 00:40:41,640 Speaker 1: Happens oh yep, got it as straining through the bottom. 707 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:46,480 Speaker 1: But I just, man, uh, I just feel that the 708 00:40:46,480 --> 00:40:49,200 Speaker 1: fishing thing has to be just like almost a non issue. 709 00:40:49,600 --> 00:40:53,160 Speaker 5: I think there's places where there's a carpet of leadhead 710 00:40:53,200 --> 00:40:55,279 Speaker 5: jigs on the bottom of certain places. 711 00:40:55,400 --> 00:40:57,879 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, I can name a few. 712 00:40:59,880 --> 00:41:02,640 Speaker 1: I could go there, But I mean I could name 713 00:41:02,719 --> 00:41:06,439 Speaker 1: one Lincott home that's got about forty pounds in my leg. 714 00:41:08,640 --> 00:41:12,879 Speaker 5: But you know what I think is interesting about this 715 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:17,400 Speaker 5: is the NSF nss F is weighing in on something 716 00:41:17,440 --> 00:41:23,640 Speaker 5: from the Wildlife Service, this agenda, But that agenda had 717 00:41:23,680 --> 00:41:26,200 Speaker 5: to come from outside. 718 00:41:27,480 --> 00:41:29,720 Speaker 1: You think it's being imposed on the Wildlife Service. 719 00:41:29,880 --> 00:41:30,319 Speaker 2: I don't know. 720 00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:34,560 Speaker 1: I don't know about that. No, it might be you know, 721 00:41:34,800 --> 00:41:39,440 Speaker 1: like the stuff in Alaska with them trying to with 722 00:41:39,480 --> 00:41:44,000 Speaker 1: them trying to subvert Alaska's ability to manage its wildlife. Right, 723 00:41:44,160 --> 00:41:47,880 Speaker 1: that came from on high for sure. That came from like, 724 00:41:48,880 --> 00:41:52,319 Speaker 1: you know, I'm not a conspiracy theorist generally speaking, but 725 00:41:52,360 --> 00:41:55,759 Speaker 1: I believe that that was driven by donors. That that 726 00:41:55,840 --> 00:41:58,680 Speaker 1: was driven by Now, when you see something in politics, 727 00:41:58,680 --> 00:42:01,640 Speaker 1: it's so like, what do you remember when who the 728 00:42:01,680 --> 00:42:03,839 Speaker 1: hell was it that got elected for mayor New York? 729 00:42:05,080 --> 00:42:09,040 Speaker 1: And right away he goes after the Central Park horse 730 00:42:10,080 --> 00:42:17,120 Speaker 1: carriage rides. Oh yeah, de Blasio wins to become mayor 731 00:42:17,160 --> 00:42:20,240 Speaker 1: of New York and his first thing is Central Park 732 00:42:20,320 --> 00:42:24,120 Speaker 1: carriage rides. He's sort of like, this has to be 733 00:42:24,160 --> 00:42:28,600 Speaker 1: from a donor. It's so out there and so outside 734 00:42:28,640 --> 00:42:31,879 Speaker 1: of the concerns of voters and so outside of what 735 00:42:31,960 --> 00:42:36,120 Speaker 1: your mandate must have been when you were elected that 736 00:42:36,200 --> 00:42:41,359 Speaker 1: there's no way this wasn't a quid pro quo from 737 00:42:41,360 --> 00:42:41,880 Speaker 1: a donor. 738 00:42:41,920 --> 00:42:42,160 Speaker 2: Class. 739 00:42:42,520 --> 00:42:43,439 Speaker 4: Yeah, I don't even really. 740 00:42:44,280 --> 00:42:47,960 Speaker 1: Everybody in the city is like what, Yeah. 741 00:42:47,520 --> 00:42:50,200 Speaker 4: That's what I'm thinking right now. I don't really understand, 742 00:42:50,239 --> 00:42:53,480 Speaker 4: like what like he just didn't like the horse that. 743 00:42:53,520 --> 00:42:55,920 Speaker 1: They were mean to the horses in Central Park, Meaning 744 00:42:55,960 --> 00:42:58,759 Speaker 1: it was so outside of anyone's concern, It was so 745 00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:01,120 Speaker 1: outside of the campaig and you get it, and you're 746 00:43:01,120 --> 00:43:03,239 Speaker 1: like that is like I don't know this for sure, 747 00:43:03,239 --> 00:43:09,680 Speaker 1: but that is satisfying a particular donor who made a 748 00:43:09,719 --> 00:43:10,319 Speaker 1: deal like. 749 00:43:10,360 --> 00:43:12,680 Speaker 4: Set the horses free. Kind of Yeah, I. 750 00:43:12,600 --> 00:43:14,319 Speaker 5: Mean I don't know, cal Do you know of like 751 00:43:15,320 --> 00:43:19,319 Speaker 5: outside forces that were pushing this agenda or is it just. 752 00:43:20,480 --> 00:43:22,960 Speaker 3: I mean, the the lead free thing has been around 753 00:43:22,960 --> 00:43:28,640 Speaker 3: for a really long time. The refuge system has certainly 754 00:43:28,680 --> 00:43:32,080 Speaker 3: like a lot more traffic, right like think of like 755 00:43:32,680 --> 00:43:36,920 Speaker 3: the bird watching community and refuges, So there could certainly 756 00:43:36,920 --> 00:43:40,440 Speaker 3: be some lobbying from from different groups there for sure, 757 00:43:44,760 --> 00:43:48,839 Speaker 3: you know. I I do think about like the where 758 00:43:48,840 --> 00:43:53,240 Speaker 3: we were hunting seek a deer, Like think of the 759 00:43:53,320 --> 00:43:56,760 Speaker 3: amount of copper in you know, like a fifty col 760 00:43:57,239 --> 00:44:02,719 Speaker 3: Muzzleoderu Sabbot or whatever or the equivalent like twelve gage. 761 00:44:02,880 --> 00:44:05,399 Speaker 3: I mean, that's a the chunk of that's a big 762 00:44:05,480 --> 00:44:09,040 Speaker 3: chunk of copper. Like that's not just falling out of 763 00:44:09,080 --> 00:44:11,800 Speaker 3: the sky, that's we're digging that out of the ground 764 00:44:11,800 --> 00:44:12,120 Speaker 3: there too. 765 00:44:12,640 --> 00:44:14,600 Speaker 1: That's the thing to have cost, right. So that's the 766 00:44:14,640 --> 00:44:17,480 Speaker 1: point this letter raises, is that lead as comes from 767 00:44:17,480 --> 00:44:21,600 Speaker 1: recycled car batteries. Lead ammunition comes from recycled car batteries. 768 00:44:21,600 --> 00:44:26,600 Speaker 1: And it points up just the tooling and sourcing. Meaning 769 00:44:26,640 --> 00:44:30,959 Speaker 1: if all you know, it's a little bit like uh, extremes, 770 00:44:31,440 --> 00:44:34,879 Speaker 1: if all states right now were to somehow miraculously say 771 00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:36,920 Speaker 1: that you couldn't use lead ammunition, there's no way they 772 00:44:36,960 --> 00:44:40,200 Speaker 1: would ever satisfy. It would take a long time for 773 00:44:40,239 --> 00:44:41,280 Speaker 1: the demand to be said. 774 00:44:41,320 --> 00:44:42,880 Speaker 4: A hard time to find any bullets. 775 00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:47,400 Speaker 1: The letter is a little punchy, says the service's unsubstantiated 776 00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:49,719 Speaker 1: statement of possible risk to hunters due to the use 777 00:44:49,760 --> 00:44:52,880 Speaker 1: of lead component ammunition to harvest game is very concerning, 778 00:44:54,960 --> 00:44:59,320 Speaker 1: and it goes on to it goes on to attack 779 00:44:59,440 --> 00:45:04,319 Speaker 1: this this thing that came out years ago. I remember 780 00:45:04,320 --> 00:45:06,160 Speaker 1: when it came out, was like X rays of deer 781 00:45:07,640 --> 00:45:14,600 Speaker 1: showing how many, how much, how much lead fragmentation. 782 00:45:14,560 --> 00:45:16,080 Speaker 5: From the wound channel. 783 00:45:16,120 --> 00:45:18,080 Speaker 1: But then it goes on to say that they never 784 00:45:18,200 --> 00:45:22,120 Speaker 1: substantiated this leg fragmentation. Their jack, it's a jacketed AMMO, 785 00:45:22,600 --> 00:45:24,799 Speaker 1: and all they're doing is showing that something showed up 786 00:45:24,800 --> 00:45:29,399 Speaker 1: on an X ray, but no biopsy to show what 787 00:45:29,600 --> 00:45:32,279 Speaker 1: or no digging around to show what it was. It 788 00:45:32,320 --> 00:45:35,759 Speaker 1: was on the x ray, and then the study was 789 00:45:35,800 --> 00:45:39,279 Speaker 1: only done with one specific kind of ammunition and then 790 00:45:39,280 --> 00:45:43,080 Speaker 1: extrap so they do a study with one specific lead 791 00:45:43,400 --> 00:45:46,200 Speaker 1: ammunition and loaded in a certain way out of a 792 00:45:46,239 --> 00:45:50,920 Speaker 1: seven mili remmag and then they take what is there 793 00:45:51,480 --> 00:45:57,480 Speaker 1: and then extrapulate out that all harvested venison has blank right, 794 00:45:57,680 --> 00:46:00,800 Speaker 1: even though there's this huge variation and how people harvest 795 00:46:00,880 --> 00:46:06,439 Speaker 1: venison and all the ammunitions used. But the statistic came 796 00:46:06,480 --> 00:46:08,840 Speaker 1: from a study in which only one type of ammunition 797 00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:09,399 Speaker 1: was used. 798 00:46:10,280 --> 00:46:13,160 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, I mean, sometimes you know I've shot I 799 00:46:13,160 --> 00:46:16,880 Speaker 4: have a seven meg. Sometimes, you know, you shoot a 800 00:46:16,920 --> 00:46:20,799 Speaker 4: certain bullet out of there and the thing blows up, 801 00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:25,840 Speaker 4: you know, and it lead everywhere. Other times, just yeap, 802 00:46:25,880 --> 00:46:26,720 Speaker 4: clean a whistle. 803 00:46:26,960 --> 00:46:30,080 Speaker 1: If I punched Brody ten times and gave them seven 804 00:46:30,120 --> 00:46:31,080 Speaker 1: black eyes. 805 00:46:31,440 --> 00:46:32,680 Speaker 2: A lot of lead money, would you. 806 00:46:32,640 --> 00:46:35,359 Speaker 1: Be able to say all punches seventy percent of all 807 00:46:35,400 --> 00:46:42,480 Speaker 1: punches result in the black eye. I might have talked 808 00:46:42,480 --> 00:46:45,439 Speaker 1: about this for too long, but again I just want 809 00:46:45,480 --> 00:46:49,839 Speaker 1: to continue to make a clear man. If you as 810 00:46:49,880 --> 00:46:55,560 Speaker 1: an individual, Like if you, as an individual, don't like 811 00:46:55,640 --> 00:46:59,360 Speaker 1: the idea of the of that you leave your gut 812 00:46:59,400 --> 00:47:07,000 Speaker 1: pile out. You know, if you're using certain if you're 813 00:47:07,040 --> 00:47:09,560 Speaker 1: using that ammunition and you leave your gut pile out, 814 00:47:09,640 --> 00:47:12,400 Speaker 1: there is a chance that you will kill a raptor. 815 00:47:15,239 --> 00:47:18,160 Speaker 1: Bear that in mind and behave accordingly, you might decide 816 00:47:18,200 --> 00:47:19,719 Speaker 1: that you don't care about I think that most people 817 00:47:19,840 --> 00:47:24,000 Speaker 1: thinking about it, like that gut pile right there, Like 818 00:47:24,239 --> 00:47:26,840 Speaker 1: that gut pile that I'm walking away from right now 819 00:47:27,280 --> 00:47:30,000 Speaker 1: has a chance of killing a rat, like it actually 820 00:47:30,080 --> 00:47:30,920 Speaker 1: killing a raptor. 821 00:47:31,560 --> 00:47:34,360 Speaker 4: No one ever, really, not a lot of people think. 822 00:47:34,360 --> 00:47:37,279 Speaker 1: No of that. No, you have that in the back 823 00:47:37,280 --> 00:47:39,960 Speaker 1: of your head, and have that in the back of 824 00:47:40,000 --> 00:47:42,759 Speaker 1: your head. If more people had that in the back 825 00:47:42,800 --> 00:47:49,680 Speaker 1: of their head. This speaking of cause and you know, 826 00:47:49,840 --> 00:47:51,719 Speaker 1: causal relationships, I'm just going to go out on a 827 00:47:51,760 --> 00:47:54,480 Speaker 1: limit and say, hypothetically true, if more people had that 828 00:47:54,520 --> 00:47:56,840 Speaker 1: in the back of their head, we might not be 829 00:47:56,920 --> 00:48:00,600 Speaker 1: talking about ammunition bands right now. I don't know is 830 00:48:00,600 --> 00:48:01,600 Speaker 1: that a wild statement. 831 00:48:02,120 --> 00:48:05,239 Speaker 3: I don't think it's a wild statement. We'd certainly because 832 00:48:05,320 --> 00:48:08,520 Speaker 3: you know, there's a statement in this that I would 833 00:48:08,560 --> 00:48:12,040 Speaker 3: follow in the list of things that I don't really 834 00:48:12,200 --> 00:48:16,600 Speaker 3: like the way it was written into this letter. There's 835 00:48:16,640 --> 00:48:22,520 Speaker 3: a really specific study on falcons eating lead paint off 836 00:48:22,560 --> 00:48:26,400 Speaker 3: of water towers where these falcons nested, And in this 837 00:48:26,520 --> 00:48:30,520 Speaker 3: letter it kind of says like, all birds land on 838 00:48:30,560 --> 00:48:33,000 Speaker 3: water towers and build nests on water towers and eat 839 00:48:33,120 --> 00:48:35,279 Speaker 3: lead off of water towers. But if you talk to 840 00:48:35,320 --> 00:48:39,600 Speaker 3: the bird people, they're like, it's not all birds. There's 841 00:48:40,239 --> 00:48:46,759 Speaker 3: two super smart birds out there, falcons and vultures that 842 00:48:47,239 --> 00:48:50,120 Speaker 3: have a lot of free time because they are very 843 00:48:50,120 --> 00:48:53,040 Speaker 3: smart and very efficient at what they do, and they 844 00:48:53,080 --> 00:48:56,240 Speaker 3: mess around a lot and consequently getting a lot of trouble. 845 00:48:56,640 --> 00:48:59,400 Speaker 1: Got it. Do you know we have a great horned 846 00:48:59,400 --> 00:49:00,160 Speaker 1: owl roost. 847 00:49:00,200 --> 00:49:03,880 Speaker 3: Under our saw the picture that awesome. 848 00:49:05,600 --> 00:49:09,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, he lives in the He lives in the eve supports. 849 00:49:09,239 --> 00:49:12,400 Speaker 5: Must You don't ever see skunks or raccoons or anything 850 00:49:12,680 --> 00:49:13,319 Speaker 5: wandering around. 851 00:49:13,360 --> 00:49:13,480 Speaker 9: You know. 852 00:49:13,520 --> 00:49:18,319 Speaker 3: It's a fun parallel here for our guest is the 853 00:49:18,360 --> 00:49:21,719 Speaker 3: fact that the millinery trade was one of the things 854 00:49:21,719 --> 00:49:25,840 Speaker 3: that absolutely decimated all types of birds, mostly pretty birds, 855 00:49:26,520 --> 00:49:30,239 Speaker 3: all across the world. Uh and fly tying has its 856 00:49:30,239 --> 00:49:30,799 Speaker 3: hands in that. 857 00:49:30,960 --> 00:49:35,319 Speaker 1: Yeah, a lot of blood on your hands. Buddy, it's 858 00:49:35,360 --> 00:49:37,399 Speaker 1: a long letter. Oh Phil hit us with the fish 859 00:49:37,440 --> 00:49:40,759 Speaker 1: and lures song. He'll appreciate this, son, Am I saying 860 00:49:40,800 --> 00:49:44,120 Speaker 1: your name right? Son? This is one of the best 861 00:49:44,120 --> 00:49:49,719 Speaker 1: songs ever written. It really is. This guy is the 862 00:49:49,800 --> 00:49:53,720 Speaker 1: weird al of fishing. 863 00:49:54,120 --> 00:49:56,600 Speaker 3: Email here, which was a niche we had? 864 00:49:57,000 --> 00:49:58,960 Speaker 1: You've had You've had how many hours to get this 865 00:49:59,000 --> 00:49:59,560 Speaker 1: thing scored? 866 00:50:03,320 --> 00:50:04,960 Speaker 3: Only kind of little Jimmy Buffett vibe. 867 00:50:05,000 --> 00:50:06,960 Speaker 2: Baby, this was not what I was respecting. 868 00:50:09,760 --> 00:50:11,319 Speaker 1: Love fishing. 869 00:50:12,640 --> 00:50:16,200 Speaker 11: I love to cast them while I'm drinking a course 870 00:50:16,680 --> 00:50:21,520 Speaker 11: for a while on the rocks and drinking the doors. Clever, 871 00:50:22,000 --> 00:50:30,560 Speaker 11: little mechanic, cold works of all. 872 00:50:29,640 --> 00:50:32,080 Speaker 1: I love fishing. 873 00:50:32,760 --> 00:50:40,240 Speaker 2: Scott wouldn't want any fewer. I'm a better fisher man 874 00:50:40,280 --> 00:50:41,160 Speaker 2: than you are. 875 00:50:41,719 --> 00:50:45,200 Speaker 11: When I'm at the morning good store, I love loading 876 00:50:45,280 --> 00:50:46,320 Speaker 11: up my call. 877 00:50:47,040 --> 00:50:48,720 Speaker 3: This guy who's like I can rhyme anything. 878 00:50:49,000 --> 00:50:56,600 Speaker 1: Give yeah, just gonna cover it, tremble hook. Sometimes your 879 00:50:56,719 --> 00:51:01,200 Speaker 1: lime gets not in some blooded some skitter on top 880 00:51:01,400 --> 00:51:05,400 Speaker 1: of the water. Look at that big mass. I'm glad 881 00:51:05,560 --> 00:51:11,040 Speaker 1: that I caught her. This guy's got a Rhydey dictionary. 882 00:51:12,000 --> 00:51:15,400 Speaker 1: It's like Eminem. I think Eminem stole all his ship 883 00:51:15,400 --> 00:51:16,480 Speaker 1: and this guy. 884 00:51:17,520 --> 00:51:20,000 Speaker 2: Some of the red all. 885 00:51:19,880 --> 00:51:23,160 Speaker 11: Kinds of exotic coups as your boating paddle. 886 00:51:27,360 --> 00:51:33,319 Speaker 1: The solo is amazing, love. 887 00:51:33,440 --> 00:51:35,399 Speaker 3: Can you imagine him doing that with one hand while 888 00:51:35,400 --> 00:51:36,439 Speaker 3: he's recording here. 889 00:51:38,040 --> 00:51:42,200 Speaker 11: I would be poor, so so effective. I think I 890 00:51:42,239 --> 00:51:47,360 Speaker 11: could catch fishing the sewer design. 891 00:51:47,880 --> 00:51:57,960 Speaker 2: Little These are real crooners joining. 892 00:51:57,680 --> 00:51:59,920 Speaker 1: That professional mass fishing. 893 00:52:02,640 --> 00:52:06,360 Speaker 3: I can see some success, like doing the old folks homes, 894 00:52:06,400 --> 00:52:08,920 Speaker 3: like in around like something. 895 00:52:09,080 --> 00:52:11,000 Speaker 1: He's from buying Falls Michigan the Artist. 896 00:52:11,600 --> 00:52:14,640 Speaker 5: Uh oh, your buddy should get him to tour around 897 00:52:14,640 --> 00:52:20,920 Speaker 5: with the barge. 898 00:52:18,480 --> 00:52:21,480 Speaker 7: For a like three time Cola. 899 00:52:21,640 --> 00:52:27,160 Speaker 1: George Peter Block, Junior Boying Falls, Michigan's the Artist. Unbelievable artistry. 900 00:52:27,840 --> 00:52:31,320 Speaker 1: You think those flys are cool? That song. 901 00:52:33,200 --> 00:52:35,440 Speaker 5: That's Grammy material, That's just unbelievable. 902 00:52:35,480 --> 00:52:36,680 Speaker 2: I'm just gonna give this ship up now. 903 00:52:37,040 --> 00:52:39,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, you're gonna like you're like, I went into 904 00:52:40,000 --> 00:52:44,560 Speaker 1: the wrong business. I should have been a songwriter. All right, 905 00:52:44,600 --> 00:52:52,160 Speaker 1: let's let's die back in, walk me through getting from well, 906 00:52:52,239 --> 00:52:54,600 Speaker 1: let me let me let me do a quick recap. Uh, 907 00:52:55,040 --> 00:52:57,400 Speaker 1: just because people might so blown away by that song. 908 00:52:58,640 --> 00:52:59,640 Speaker 4: It's hard to focus. 909 00:53:00,600 --> 00:53:05,360 Speaker 1: Your father fought, Your father fought for the n R no. 910 00:53:05,760 --> 00:53:08,840 Speaker 2: How's it go in our the South Vietnamese Army h 911 00:53:08,920 --> 00:53:10,600 Speaker 2: N r v N r v N was it? 912 00:53:10,680 --> 00:53:11,160 Speaker 1: No, no, no no. 913 00:53:11,440 --> 00:53:14,279 Speaker 2: The n v A was the the opposite opposition A 914 00:53:14,480 --> 00:53:16,600 Speaker 2: r v N. I guess I know. 915 00:53:16,840 --> 00:53:19,399 Speaker 1: Southamese Army got South Vietnamese Army. 916 00:53:19,480 --> 00:53:20,240 Speaker 2: Yeah. 917 00:53:20,320 --> 00:53:22,680 Speaker 1: You were born the year before the US pulled out 918 00:53:22,719 --> 00:53:27,440 Speaker 1: of Vietnam. Yes, US pulls out of Vietnam. Your family 919 00:53:27,480 --> 00:53:31,239 Speaker 1: was from the south of Vietnam. The Communists came from 920 00:53:31,239 --> 00:53:34,120 Speaker 1: the north. Your father saw the writing on the wall 921 00:53:35,120 --> 00:53:38,040 Speaker 1: that he would wind up in a re education camp 922 00:53:38,120 --> 00:53:47,000 Speaker 1: or wind up executed. Yep, you guys, flee, have a 923 00:53:47,000 --> 00:53:54,600 Speaker 1: treacherous journey to Malaysia. Correct, apply for asylum all over 924 00:53:54,640 --> 00:53:58,400 Speaker 1: the world, and get asylum in the US. Correct. But 925 00:53:58,760 --> 00:54:03,279 Speaker 1: here's what part of a little curious about. Uh did 926 00:54:03,280 --> 00:54:09,520 Speaker 1: you did your father Like did your father have colleagues, friends, 927 00:54:09,560 --> 00:54:12,320 Speaker 1: whatever that he met from the US military or was 928 00:54:12,360 --> 00:54:14,920 Speaker 1: he not working hand in hand with the US military 929 00:54:14,960 --> 00:54:16,560 Speaker 1: during the war. Uh? 930 00:54:16,600 --> 00:54:22,040 Speaker 2: He did prior to the actual official US involvement. I 931 00:54:22,080 --> 00:54:24,040 Speaker 2: don't know, like all the details of it, but I 932 00:54:24,080 --> 00:54:26,160 Speaker 2: know like in the fifties he had worked with some 933 00:54:26,239 --> 00:54:31,360 Speaker 2: of the initial advisors that came over to the Vietnam 934 00:54:31,480 --> 00:54:34,279 Speaker 2: and then from my recollections, I believe it was some 935 00:54:34,320 --> 00:54:35,840 Speaker 2: of them that helped get. 936 00:54:35,719 --> 00:54:38,560 Speaker 1: Us got okay. So that's what I wanted to jump to, 937 00:54:38,719 --> 00:54:43,360 Speaker 1: is how you at this point you're in Malaysia and 938 00:54:43,400 --> 00:54:44,239 Speaker 1: you're how old? 939 00:54:44,560 --> 00:54:47,480 Speaker 2: Uh got there? I was about four and a half. 940 00:54:47,360 --> 00:54:49,960 Speaker 1: Okay, fly tie and not on your mind? 941 00:54:51,080 --> 00:54:52,160 Speaker 2: I was staring at with sardines. 942 00:54:54,600 --> 00:54:57,160 Speaker 1: Sardines on your mind? And then you come to the 943 00:54:57,280 --> 00:55:01,120 Speaker 1: US and what happens like like, how did you get accepted? 944 00:55:01,200 --> 00:55:03,640 Speaker 1: You get your asylum, gets accepted, and all of a sudden, 945 00:55:04,440 --> 00:55:08,200 Speaker 1: what a plane shows up? How does that work? You're 946 00:55:08,239 --> 00:55:10,640 Speaker 1: in a you're in a refugee camp in Malaysia, Like 947 00:55:10,640 --> 00:55:12,919 Speaker 1: how does it you get a letter saying you've been 948 00:55:14,040 --> 00:55:15,440 Speaker 1: given asylum in the US? 949 00:55:15,719 --> 00:55:15,839 Speaker 10: Well? 950 00:55:15,880 --> 00:55:17,560 Speaker 1: Then then what uh? 951 00:55:17,640 --> 00:55:19,120 Speaker 2: Like I said it was, I don't know like all 952 00:55:19,120 --> 00:55:22,640 Speaker 2: the details, but that Menna knit family from Lancaster, Pennsylvania 953 00:55:23,000 --> 00:55:26,160 Speaker 2: helped us with the paperwork and then eventually got us 954 00:55:26,200 --> 00:55:29,640 Speaker 2: onto the plane where we end up landing in California 955 00:55:30,160 --> 00:55:33,000 Speaker 2: and then was there for a couple of years while 956 00:55:33,320 --> 00:55:36,080 Speaker 2: I guess with getting our green cards and all that 957 00:55:36,120 --> 00:55:36,800 Speaker 2: other stuff. 958 00:55:37,200 --> 00:55:39,560 Speaker 1: And then how many family members, five total. 959 00:55:39,960 --> 00:55:42,920 Speaker 2: My brother was born in the refuge camp, so I 960 00:55:42,920 --> 00:55:46,400 Speaker 2: got a younger brother, a younger sister, and mom and dad. Okay, 961 00:55:47,080 --> 00:55:50,160 Speaker 2: and then eventually that that Men and Night community got 962 00:55:50,239 --> 00:55:53,279 Speaker 2: us over to Lancaster, Pennsylvania and helped my parents find 963 00:55:53,320 --> 00:55:54,319 Speaker 2: work and whatnot out there. 964 00:55:55,040 --> 00:55:56,719 Speaker 1: And how what in the world did you get like, 965 00:55:56,760 --> 00:55:58,640 Speaker 1: how did you ever even get introduced to fishing? 966 00:55:59,239 --> 00:56:02,640 Speaker 2: Well? When I was when I was a young kid, 967 00:56:03,160 --> 00:56:05,640 Speaker 2: basically being an immigrant, I didn't have all the luxuries 968 00:56:05,640 --> 00:56:08,240 Speaker 2: of most other kids where parents spoil them with toys 969 00:56:08,280 --> 00:56:11,239 Speaker 2: or whatnot. So here was poor. We were poor shit, 970 00:56:11,680 --> 00:56:14,520 Speaker 2: and so we were playing like with sticks or hand 971 00:56:14,560 --> 00:56:17,160 Speaker 2: me downs and whatnot. And then my first fishing round 972 00:56:17,239 --> 00:56:19,759 Speaker 2: was like some old Shakespeare spitting a rod that my 973 00:56:19,800 --> 00:56:21,680 Speaker 2: neighbor couldn't sell from a garad sale and he gave 974 00:56:21,680 --> 00:56:22,000 Speaker 2: it to me. 975 00:56:22,560 --> 00:56:25,200 Speaker 1: You know, you're into the real bottom end tackle, one 976 00:56:25,239 --> 00:56:27,960 Speaker 1: of the shit that doesn't sell out a garage sale. 977 00:56:28,640 --> 00:56:30,440 Speaker 1: Like when you go to a garage sale and you 978 00:56:30,800 --> 00:56:33,600 Speaker 1: look at the rod and choose not to buy that rod. 979 00:56:34,320 --> 00:56:35,200 Speaker 1: That's a rough rod. 980 00:56:35,800 --> 00:56:38,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, from what I recall, we had like thirty pound 981 00:56:38,680 --> 00:56:41,680 Speaker 2: test line on it. I know the difference between four 982 00:56:41,680 --> 00:56:43,839 Speaker 2: pound test line and eighty pound test line. Back then, 983 00:56:43,880 --> 00:56:45,520 Speaker 2: all I knew was that I could use it to 984 00:56:45,560 --> 00:56:46,240 Speaker 2: catch fish. 985 00:56:46,480 --> 00:56:48,000 Speaker 1: And then the guy gives it to you. 986 00:56:48,120 --> 00:56:50,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, he gave it to me. And then where I 987 00:56:50,520 --> 00:56:53,680 Speaker 2: grew up there, there was a small creek that runs 988 00:56:53,719 --> 00:56:58,200 Speaker 2: through the area. It was only gosh, maybe half a 989 00:56:58,200 --> 00:57:00,680 Speaker 2: mile from my house. It runs through the little community 990 00:57:00,680 --> 00:57:04,280 Speaker 2: park there and h Connostova River and in there everything 991 00:57:04,400 --> 00:57:08,239 Speaker 2: from car up to all sorts of panfish and smallmouth 992 00:57:08,320 --> 00:57:11,080 Speaker 2: pass and the homeline yards, and so that's where I 993 00:57:11,120 --> 00:57:14,000 Speaker 2: pretty much spent most of my my child who was 994 00:57:14,080 --> 00:57:16,400 Speaker 2: just basically fishing there that that creek. 995 00:57:16,480 --> 00:57:17,360 Speaker 1: Were you self taught? 996 00:57:17,440 --> 00:57:18,960 Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah. 997 00:57:19,160 --> 00:57:21,160 Speaker 1: Were there other Vietnamese dudes running around or was it 998 00:57:21,200 --> 00:57:21,880 Speaker 1: just your family? 999 00:57:22,200 --> 00:57:24,600 Speaker 2: I think we were the only minorities in the whole town, Right. 1000 00:57:24,640 --> 00:57:26,360 Speaker 1: Did you guys feel some pressure on that or were 1001 00:57:26,360 --> 00:57:27,320 Speaker 1: people pretty accepting? 1002 00:57:27,680 --> 00:57:28,840 Speaker 2: People are very accepting. 1003 00:57:29,040 --> 00:57:31,800 Speaker 1: I mean, uh, they probably knew the history too, right, Yeah. 1004 00:57:31,880 --> 00:57:34,680 Speaker 2: Like Pennsylvania gets a bad rep because of like the 1005 00:57:35,160 --> 00:57:40,280 Speaker 2: Lester right, because of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, but everywhere in 1006 00:57:40,320 --> 00:57:43,919 Speaker 2: between it is very very conservative. And that's how that 1007 00:57:43,920 --> 00:57:46,600 Speaker 2: that community was a very conservative community. And then the kids, 1008 00:57:46,680 --> 00:57:49,760 Speaker 2: they pretty much everybody just took them in. So there 1009 00:57:49,800 --> 00:57:51,560 Speaker 2: were a couple of kids there that went to the 1010 00:57:51,600 --> 00:57:53,800 Speaker 2: same school, most of them were on the older side. 1011 00:57:53,840 --> 00:57:55,400 Speaker 2: And then a lot of them helped me out too 1012 00:57:55,480 --> 00:57:58,040 Speaker 2: by basically just showing me some of the ropes. 1013 00:57:58,760 --> 00:58:01,400 Speaker 1: Do you this has enough to do with time flies 1014 00:58:01,480 --> 00:58:06,600 Speaker 1: or fishing, but do you feel when you were growing 1015 00:58:06,720 --> 00:58:10,640 Speaker 1: up and and and you were young and Vietnam was 1016 00:58:10,960 --> 00:58:16,600 Speaker 1: still fresh for people, what did you encounter like a 1017 00:58:16,600 --> 00:58:22,120 Speaker 1: feeling did you encounter among Americans? A like like a 1018 00:58:22,200 --> 00:58:28,960 Speaker 1: guilt for withdrawing Vietnam? Like when people met your dad, Okay, 1019 00:58:29,080 --> 00:58:30,920 Speaker 1: people meet your dad, and your dad served in the 1020 00:58:30,960 --> 00:58:35,280 Speaker 1: South Vietnamese Army, was there sort of an implied like, 1021 00:58:35,360 --> 00:58:38,560 Speaker 1: oh man, I'm sorry, no that thing. 1022 00:58:38,760 --> 00:58:40,840 Speaker 2: No not maybe if I had growing up somewhere else, 1023 00:58:40,920 --> 00:58:42,760 Speaker 2: But like I said, the area I grew up in, 1024 00:58:42,760 --> 00:58:45,320 Speaker 2: it was very conservative. People kept their opinions themselves. They 1025 00:58:45,360 --> 00:58:48,520 Speaker 2: pretty much left you alone, unless you know they you 1026 00:58:48,680 --> 00:58:49,840 Speaker 2: got involved in their business. 1027 00:58:50,080 --> 00:58:50,360 Speaker 1: Uh huh. 1028 00:58:50,480 --> 00:58:53,280 Speaker 2: So people had opinions, they kept it themselves. So I 1029 00:58:53,520 --> 00:58:55,560 Speaker 2: really didn't experience it any of that. If if my 1030 00:58:55,640 --> 00:58:57,120 Speaker 2: parents did, they shielded us from it. 1031 00:58:57,320 --> 00:58:57,520 Speaker 1: Yep. 1032 00:58:57,880 --> 00:59:00,520 Speaker 2: So growing up, growing up, going through school, well, I 1033 00:59:00,520 --> 00:59:02,000 Speaker 2: mean I really resaw. 1034 00:59:01,960 --> 00:59:04,640 Speaker 1: That got it. But you were the only Vietnamese kid around. 1035 00:59:04,720 --> 00:59:07,680 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, And were you raised around people who weren't 1036 00:59:07,720 --> 00:59:08,600 Speaker 1: Mennonite too. 1037 00:59:08,480 --> 00:59:11,840 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, like this, Uh, they're actually the very small 1038 00:59:11,840 --> 00:59:15,560 Speaker 2: minority there. There's uh Menonites, there's there's Amish, and then 1039 00:59:15,640 --> 00:59:20,400 Speaker 2: there's obviously all the other Christian non denominations and whatnot. 1040 00:59:20,520 --> 00:59:24,080 Speaker 2: So the school I went to, I mean I think 1041 00:59:24,080 --> 00:59:27,080 Speaker 2: there was maybe ten twelve minorities all together with the 1042 00:59:27,080 --> 00:59:32,120 Speaker 2: class of about a thousand, So it was predominantly Caucasian area. 1043 00:59:32,640 --> 00:59:35,920 Speaker 2: And I really didn't have any friends growing up there 1044 00:59:35,920 --> 00:59:37,400 Speaker 2: were other minorities. It was all the kids that I 1045 00:59:37,480 --> 00:59:39,440 Speaker 2: ran around with were all the Caucasian kids. 1046 00:59:39,720 --> 00:59:41,920 Speaker 1: And they these were kids that grew up hunting, fishing. 1047 00:59:42,040 --> 00:59:44,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's probably one of the reasons why I listened 1048 00:59:44,360 --> 00:59:48,000 Speaker 2: to country music. Also, very confused. 1049 00:59:50,640 --> 00:59:54,360 Speaker 1: Did your folks have any sense of did your folks 1050 00:59:54,360 --> 00:59:57,600 Speaker 1: have any sense of fishing as a as a sort 1051 00:59:57,640 --> 00:59:59,640 Speaker 1: of recreational pastime. 1052 01:00:00,040 --> 01:00:01,720 Speaker 2: They didn't care as long as I was bringing fish home. 1053 01:00:02,000 --> 01:00:03,280 Speaker 1: Oh so they liked the fish. 1054 01:00:03,360 --> 01:00:05,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, like my culture, they we don't waste anything and 1055 01:00:06,200 --> 01:00:08,919 Speaker 2: I catch a fish, they ate it. So I didn't 1056 01:00:08,960 --> 01:00:10,520 Speaker 2: know the difference between what was a good any fish 1057 01:00:10,560 --> 01:00:10,880 Speaker 2: and what was. 1058 01:00:10,880 --> 01:00:12,040 Speaker 1: A horrible mudfish. 1059 01:00:12,160 --> 01:00:13,760 Speaker 2: If I caught it, I brought it home. I mean, 1060 01:00:13,880 --> 01:00:15,919 Speaker 2: like a lot of fishermen out there is like they catch, 1061 01:00:15,960 --> 01:00:19,000 Speaker 2: they keep everything they catch, the conservation and none of 1062 01:00:19,040 --> 01:00:20,560 Speaker 2: that shit was really in the back of my mind 1063 01:00:20,560 --> 01:00:22,680 Speaker 2: as a kid. I mean, I brought carp home, and 1064 01:00:22,680 --> 01:00:24,600 Speaker 2: then it was finally my mom was like, don't bring 1065 01:00:24,640 --> 01:00:26,120 Speaker 2: this shit on anymore because. 1066 01:00:26,840 --> 01:00:27,560 Speaker 1: She got picky. 1067 01:00:28,200 --> 01:00:30,600 Speaker 2: She got picky because it's so hard to clean because 1068 01:00:30,600 --> 01:00:32,760 Speaker 2: there's so many bones in it. All I saw was 1069 01:00:32,800 --> 01:00:34,960 Speaker 2: just a big fat fished everybody. 1070 01:00:35,000 --> 01:00:37,479 Speaker 1: So let's say you brought a carp home. How would 1071 01:00:37,480 --> 01:00:40,200 Speaker 1: she prepared it when you were a kid? What were 1072 01:00:40,200 --> 01:00:40,640 Speaker 1: you eating? 1073 01:00:40,920 --> 01:00:43,800 Speaker 2: I think it was basically drowned in a lot of 1074 01:00:43,840 --> 01:00:47,160 Speaker 2: fish sauce and other seasonings to actually get rid of 1075 01:00:47,200 --> 01:00:49,400 Speaker 2: some of the mud taste at it. From my recollection, 1076 01:00:49,800 --> 01:00:51,760 Speaker 2: I only recall eating it a handful of times, and 1077 01:00:51,760 --> 01:00:53,520 Speaker 2: then she complained about it, and I never kept the 1078 01:00:53,520 --> 01:00:54,000 Speaker 2: carp again. 1079 01:00:54,160 --> 01:00:56,720 Speaker 1: So what if you brought a bluegill back or a 1080 01:00:56,760 --> 01:00:59,560 Speaker 1: small off pass back the way we prepared was. 1081 01:00:59,520 --> 01:01:03,439 Speaker 2: A little bit diff where generally American culture they'll filay 1082 01:01:03,480 --> 01:01:05,720 Speaker 2: the fish, you just eat the flats, and then with 1083 01:01:06,240 --> 01:01:07,920 Speaker 2: a lot of the Asian cultures, they'll got to take 1084 01:01:07,960 --> 01:01:10,040 Speaker 2: the gills out and whatnot, cut the fins off, and 1085 01:01:10,080 --> 01:01:13,919 Speaker 2: then they'll either broil or defried the entire fish after 1086 01:01:13,920 --> 01:01:16,640 Speaker 2: the scales are obviously removed. The like probably one of 1087 01:01:16,640 --> 01:01:18,919 Speaker 2: the tastiest part is the crispy skin. 1088 01:01:19,160 --> 01:01:23,040 Speaker 1: No, uh, you were getting introduced to American style food though. 1089 01:01:23,440 --> 01:01:27,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I mean at home almost everything was still 1090 01:01:27,360 --> 01:01:30,440 Speaker 2: Vietnamese food. But we were getting the slow introduction because 1091 01:01:30,560 --> 01:01:34,400 Speaker 2: like as a poor kid, I got foods the meal tickets, 1092 01:01:34,880 --> 01:01:37,680 Speaker 2: so all my lunches were the basically cafeteria food, and 1093 01:01:37,720 --> 01:01:40,640 Speaker 2: that's vast majority of the introduction I had to American food, 1094 01:01:40,640 --> 01:01:43,280 Speaker 2: where I thought that slop was like great, yeah. 1095 01:01:43,360 --> 01:01:44,080 Speaker 3: Like Salisbury. 1096 01:01:46,120 --> 01:01:48,920 Speaker 8: What'd your mom do with the her mom and or 1097 01:01:49,040 --> 01:01:51,280 Speaker 8: dad do with like the squirrels and deer and other 1098 01:01:51,280 --> 01:01:53,120 Speaker 8: stuff because he was hunting in a lot. 1099 01:01:53,640 --> 01:01:56,160 Speaker 2: You're un small game too, Yeah, I mean, uh, it 1100 01:01:56,280 --> 01:01:59,440 Speaker 2: was very very different being forty nine years old and 1101 01:01:59,480 --> 01:02:01,640 Speaker 2: when I grew up where I was riding my little 1102 01:02:01,680 --> 01:02:03,640 Speaker 2: bike with a shotgun on my shoulder for five miles 1103 01:02:03,760 --> 01:02:06,800 Speaker 2: next down to go hunting, and nobody would think any different. 1104 01:02:07,320 --> 01:02:10,520 Speaker 2: And I mean there were times where I rode my 1105 01:02:10,560 --> 01:02:12,880 Speaker 2: bike by the sheriff, like we had one sheriff in 1106 01:02:12,920 --> 01:02:14,919 Speaker 2: the town and waved him good luck. 1107 01:02:15,200 --> 01:02:18,520 Speaker 5: Were you were you self taught on the hunting thing too, 1108 01:02:18,600 --> 01:02:20,760 Speaker 5: or do you have buddies you ran around with? 1109 01:02:20,960 --> 01:02:23,840 Speaker 1: Or I started basically just. 1110 01:02:25,800 --> 01:02:28,000 Speaker 2: Squirrels were the first thing that we shot, yep. And 1111 01:02:28,200 --> 01:02:30,160 Speaker 2: I didn't have a weapon at that point, like a 1112 01:02:30,240 --> 01:02:34,320 Speaker 2: rifle or a shotgun, so neighbors let me won yep. 1113 01:02:34,600 --> 01:02:35,280 Speaker 1: That's how it went. 1114 01:02:35,320 --> 01:02:38,600 Speaker 2: Back then teach me how to use it. So I 1115 01:02:38,680 --> 01:02:40,160 Speaker 2: kind of figured how to use it on my own. 1116 01:02:40,200 --> 01:02:41,400 Speaker 2: I mean I took it out to the back of 1117 01:02:41,400 --> 01:02:44,480 Speaker 2: a farm they had gave me some twenty two rounds 1118 01:02:44,520 --> 01:02:47,120 Speaker 2: and figured out how to use a rifle. Common sense 1119 01:02:47,200 --> 01:02:49,760 Speaker 2: was a big thing too, like, you know, this thing's 1120 01:02:49,760 --> 01:02:51,720 Speaker 2: gonna fire a bullet. Might want to aim in a 1121 01:02:51,720 --> 01:02:54,640 Speaker 2: place where I'm not gonna kill myself. So I figured 1122 01:02:54,680 --> 01:02:57,080 Speaker 2: out how to use it. And then as time went 1123 01:02:57,120 --> 01:02:59,440 Speaker 2: by and some of the other caliber weapons and whatnot. 1124 01:02:59,520 --> 01:03:02,760 Speaker 2: Then I was taught by either the friends or their 1125 01:03:02,840 --> 01:03:05,840 Speaker 2: dads and whatnot. But my first my first rifle I 1126 01:03:05,840 --> 01:03:09,280 Speaker 2: shot was the twenty two and that was self taught 1127 01:03:09,440 --> 01:03:11,680 Speaker 2: and the same day with a shotgun. They handed me 1128 01:03:11,720 --> 01:03:14,640 Speaker 2: a shotgun, this twenty gage shotgun, I don't remember what brand, 1129 01:03:14,680 --> 01:03:17,040 Speaker 2: and just put the round here and pulled the trigger. 1130 01:03:18,000 --> 01:03:19,320 Speaker 1: Did your siblings get into it? 1131 01:03:19,440 --> 01:03:21,480 Speaker 2: Now? They're like one eighty of me. I mean, if 1132 01:03:21,520 --> 01:03:23,240 Speaker 2: you pictured, you were just like you were. 1133 01:03:23,920 --> 01:03:25,880 Speaker 1: You were just obsessed as a kid. But it wasn't 1134 01:03:25,960 --> 01:03:27,000 Speaker 1: universal in the family. 1135 01:03:27,120 --> 01:03:29,479 Speaker 2: Yeah, if you met me and my siblings, you would 1136 01:03:29,480 --> 01:03:30,640 Speaker 2: think I was adopted. 1137 01:03:31,800 --> 01:03:32,680 Speaker 1: Because of what they're into. 1138 01:03:32,920 --> 01:03:35,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, their total opposite is I mean, they're your your 1139 01:03:35,280 --> 01:03:41,400 Speaker 2: typical nine to five professional CPAs and finance And even 1140 01:03:41,600 --> 01:03:44,560 Speaker 2: when I mean I started off down that route when 1141 01:03:45,040 --> 01:03:47,360 Speaker 2: I finished college and then went and worked out for 1142 01:03:47,520 --> 01:03:50,560 Speaker 2: RCA own by Thompson Multimedia when I was an engineer, 1143 01:03:51,120 --> 01:03:54,520 Speaker 2: and but in the back of my mind, I was 1144 01:03:54,560 --> 01:03:57,360 Speaker 2: always just looking forward to getting off work so I 1145 01:03:57,360 --> 01:03:59,000 Speaker 2: could go fishing or go a hundred. It was a 1146 01:03:59,120 --> 01:04:01,880 Speaker 2: means to do what I wanted to do. Where both 1147 01:04:01,920 --> 01:04:04,160 Speaker 2: my brother and sister, you know, that's that's their career 1148 01:04:04,160 --> 01:04:06,800 Speaker 2: and that's what they enjoy. To me, working has always 1149 01:04:06,840 --> 01:04:09,560 Speaker 2: be been a means and tellten until I joined the military. 1150 01:04:09,600 --> 01:04:14,280 Speaker 1: That was yeah what, Uh you went to college first? 1151 01:04:14,720 --> 01:04:17,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, I went to college first. And then uh those 1152 01:04:17,120 --> 01:04:18,880 Speaker 2: years where they're kind of boring, was more or less 1153 01:04:18,880 --> 01:04:22,000 Speaker 2: just focuses on study. And then where'd you go to school? Lehigh? 1154 01:04:22,480 --> 01:04:27,240 Speaker 2: And then uh from there we uh just went to work. 1155 01:04:27,760 --> 01:04:31,000 Speaker 2: And then it provided an astronomical amount of money for 1156 01:04:31,040 --> 01:04:33,040 Speaker 2: a kid that my age, that had nothing before. 1157 01:04:33,640 --> 01:04:35,360 Speaker 1: So did you have a lot of pressure from your 1158 01:04:35,400 --> 01:04:36,640 Speaker 1: folks to go to school? Oh? 1159 01:04:36,680 --> 01:04:38,680 Speaker 2: God, yeah, like if we didn't get like they were 1160 01:04:38,680 --> 01:04:40,720 Speaker 2: into the whole American dream thing and all that. Yeah, 1161 01:04:40,840 --> 01:04:43,720 Speaker 2: I mean the stereo type for most Asian families. If 1162 01:04:43,720 --> 01:04:46,320 Speaker 2: you're not a doctor, you're not a lawyer, you're not 1163 01:04:46,360 --> 01:04:51,960 Speaker 2: my kid. So, uh, there's always been a lot of pressure. 1164 01:04:52,000 --> 01:04:54,720 Speaker 2: They always guild us with the fact that you know, 1165 01:04:54,760 --> 01:04:57,120 Speaker 2: we gave up everything to give you guys a better life, 1166 01:04:57,240 --> 01:05:00,320 Speaker 2: and they would give trip the shit out of us. 1167 01:05:01,040 --> 01:05:03,840 Speaker 4: Doesn't fall into that category. 1168 01:05:03,600 --> 01:05:06,480 Speaker 2: Uh no, but it does play big part into turning 1169 01:05:06,520 --> 01:05:08,840 Speaker 2: me into who I am today. Because of the upbringing 1170 01:05:08,880 --> 01:05:11,600 Speaker 2: I had and the rules and the strictness that my 1171 01:05:11,680 --> 01:05:12,760 Speaker 2: parents had and whatnot. 1172 01:05:13,280 --> 01:05:16,160 Speaker 1: Give me an example of the overrule the strictness. 1173 01:05:16,840 --> 01:05:19,960 Speaker 2: Basically, eat everything you have on your plate. So I 1174 01:05:20,040 --> 01:05:21,600 Speaker 2: was raised never the waste food. 1175 01:05:22,760 --> 01:05:24,720 Speaker 1: Because you guys knew starvation man. 1176 01:05:24,840 --> 01:05:27,000 Speaker 2: And so even to this day, even I do not 1177 01:05:27,600 --> 01:05:29,880 Speaker 2: like what is before what's in front of me, I 1178 01:05:29,880 --> 01:05:32,280 Speaker 2: will force myself to finish it. And sometimes it gets 1179 01:05:32,320 --> 01:05:34,760 Speaker 2: me pretty difficult, like and where my travel is going 1180 01:05:35,240 --> 01:05:38,200 Speaker 2: through Europe or some of these trying some of these 1181 01:05:38,240 --> 01:05:41,360 Speaker 2: local cuisines that I was just like, I would still 1182 01:05:41,400 --> 01:05:45,840 Speaker 2: force myself to eat it. And then so that's basically 1183 01:05:46,040 --> 01:05:48,960 Speaker 2: Appreciate what you have is another one because you never 1184 01:05:49,000 --> 01:05:52,880 Speaker 2: know when it's gonna be all taken away. So basically 1185 01:05:52,880 --> 01:05:55,600 Speaker 2: try not to take anything for granted. Yeah, like always 1186 01:05:55,600 --> 01:05:59,040 Speaker 2: just live in that moment per se. Uh. My first 1187 01:05:59,080 --> 01:06:02,160 Speaker 2: time coming here to Montana several years ago, I always 1188 01:06:03,600 --> 01:06:06,240 Speaker 2: like envisioned what Montana was like, and it was that 1189 01:06:06,280 --> 01:06:09,760 Speaker 2: way because my first experience with Montana wasn'm Bozeman. It 1190 01:06:09,880 --> 01:06:12,520 Speaker 2: was going up the Twin Bridges and then floating the 1191 01:06:12,520 --> 01:06:15,120 Speaker 2: Smith River and then saw on the beauty that Lewis 1192 01:06:15,120 --> 01:06:18,880 Speaker 2: and Clark National Forest had being surrounded by nature and 1193 01:06:18,920 --> 01:06:21,400 Speaker 2: the river and you're just with that small group of people, 1194 01:06:21,560 --> 01:06:25,160 Speaker 2: not massive crowds. So what I had picture of Montana 1195 01:06:25,200 --> 01:06:28,479 Speaker 2: was gonna be like was what I experienced. Now years 1196 01:06:28,560 --> 01:06:32,120 Speaker 2: later I realized Montana isn't always like that going through 1197 01:06:32,280 --> 01:06:35,480 Speaker 2: Yellowstone or the Madison River and then you got people everywhere, 1198 01:06:35,520 --> 01:06:38,600 Speaker 2: and it's one of the most popular tourist destinations. But 1199 01:06:38,640 --> 01:06:41,000 Speaker 2: it never changed the fact that I know what Montana 1200 01:06:41,040 --> 01:06:42,880 Speaker 2: has to offer, and then each time I come here, 1201 01:06:43,120 --> 01:06:44,800 Speaker 2: I try not to take it for granted. I just 1202 01:06:44,840 --> 01:06:47,920 Speaker 2: appreciate each day here and again that comes from the 1203 01:06:48,000 --> 01:06:49,440 Speaker 2: upbringing that I had for my parents. 1204 01:06:49,760 --> 01:06:52,280 Speaker 1: So what was it your decision like to get in 1205 01:06:52,320 --> 01:06:52,880 Speaker 1: the military. 1206 01:06:53,320 --> 01:06:57,120 Speaker 2: Well, nine to eleven happened. I was working. I think 1207 01:06:57,120 --> 01:06:59,640 Speaker 2: I had just gotten back from Paris. The like I said, 1208 01:06:59,640 --> 01:07:02,680 Speaker 2: the company zoned by Thompson, So I would spend several 1209 01:07:02,680 --> 01:07:06,280 Speaker 2: months at the year traveling to France, to Poland, to 1210 01:07:06,400 --> 01:07:09,000 Speaker 2: Mexico where they had their their factories. So anytime that 1211 01:07:09,680 --> 01:07:11,800 Speaker 2: we completed something with R and D, we would go 1212 01:07:11,800 --> 01:07:14,400 Speaker 2: out there implement that technology into the factories in the 1213 01:07:14,400 --> 01:07:18,560 Speaker 2: assembly lines and troubleshoot. And they were an engineer, yeah, 1214 01:07:19,160 --> 01:07:22,120 Speaker 2: in the applications engineering department, where we basically would took 1215 01:07:22,360 --> 01:07:25,240 Speaker 2: the pretty much the final products of everything that the 1216 01:07:25,240 --> 01:07:28,160 Speaker 2: physics labs and everybody else put together, and then we 1217 01:07:28,560 --> 01:07:33,240 Speaker 2: made the final product what it is. So nine to 1218 01:07:33,240 --> 01:07:36,120 Speaker 2: eleven happened. It was like a lot of people, you know, 1219 01:07:36,160 --> 01:07:37,960 Speaker 2: waking up turning on the news and I was like, 1220 01:07:38,000 --> 01:07:41,320 Speaker 2: what the hell? And I literally didn't I mean I 1221 01:07:41,360 --> 01:07:43,560 Speaker 2: don't think anybody went to work that day and I 1222 01:07:43,600 --> 01:07:44,640 Speaker 2: was set there, glued. 1223 01:07:44,360 --> 01:07:44,760 Speaker 1: To the TV. 1224 01:07:45,480 --> 01:07:48,959 Speaker 2: So like most other people, I felt bad. I wanted 1225 01:07:49,000 --> 01:07:51,200 Speaker 2: to do something. I went and gave blood. I mean, 1226 01:07:51,200 --> 01:07:53,240 Speaker 2: there was a lineup there were to give blood. So 1227 01:07:53,240 --> 01:07:55,120 Speaker 2: I gave blood, and I felt that still wasn't enough. 1228 01:07:55,680 --> 01:07:59,240 Speaker 2: And then I was thinking about things I could possibly 1229 01:07:59,280 --> 01:08:05,680 Speaker 2: do to to help like basically America. And then I 1230 01:08:05,680 --> 01:08:08,080 Speaker 2: got that phone call from also my dad, and he's like, hey, 1231 01:08:08,120 --> 01:08:10,800 Speaker 2: you you really needed to do something to join the 1232 01:08:10,840 --> 01:08:13,560 Speaker 2: military or something to pay back our you know, our 1233 01:08:13,600 --> 01:08:14,720 Speaker 2: family's debt to the US. 1234 01:08:15,440 --> 01:08:17,120 Speaker 1: Because where was he calling from. 1235 01:08:17,520 --> 01:08:17,760 Speaker 4: Uh? 1236 01:08:17,800 --> 01:08:20,040 Speaker 2: Well, at that point, my parents were divorced because all 1237 01:08:20,080 --> 01:08:22,920 Speaker 2: the years that they spent working all these long hours, 1238 01:08:22,960 --> 01:08:26,160 Speaker 2: their relationship kind of like just like uh disappeared. And 1239 01:08:26,200 --> 01:08:28,200 Speaker 2: at that point, you know, the kids are all growing up, 1240 01:08:28,320 --> 01:08:31,559 Speaker 2: so they were divorced. But I don't know exactly where 1241 01:08:31,560 --> 01:08:33,280 Speaker 2: he was calling from, but he just told me that 1242 01:08:33,840 --> 01:08:35,920 Speaker 2: I had to do something because I was the oldest, 1243 01:08:36,280 --> 01:08:40,360 Speaker 2: and oh, really, yeah, I'm the oldest, and I don't 1244 01:08:40,360 --> 01:08:42,080 Speaker 2: know if I should say this, but my brother's two 1245 01:08:42,120 --> 01:08:45,759 Speaker 2: week and my sister's a girl, so it was really 1246 01:08:45,840 --> 01:08:48,559 Speaker 2: up to me. And then h I had already thought 1247 01:08:48,560 --> 01:08:50,439 Speaker 2: about it a little bit, but that kind of like 1248 01:08:50,479 --> 01:08:53,120 Speaker 2: pushed me over the edge. And then literally the very 1249 01:08:53,160 --> 01:08:54,880 Speaker 2: next week, I was down in the Army recruiting station 1250 01:08:55,560 --> 01:08:59,080 Speaker 2: and uh submitted my two week notice to the company. 1251 01:08:59,080 --> 01:09:01,080 Speaker 2: Everybody thought that I was no uts because it was 1252 01:09:01,120 --> 01:09:04,080 Speaker 2: one of those companies that you got there and people 1253 01:09:04,240 --> 01:09:06,280 Speaker 2: left when they died, because it was really good company 1254 01:09:06,280 --> 01:09:07,880 Speaker 2: to work for. They gave you like thirty days vacation 1255 01:09:07,960 --> 01:09:10,280 Speaker 2: a year and another thirty days of six days, so 1256 01:09:10,320 --> 01:09:11,880 Speaker 2: literally you have sixty days year where you didn't have 1257 01:09:11,920 --> 01:09:14,519 Speaker 2: to shut the work and still got paid. It was hourly, 1258 01:09:15,280 --> 01:09:18,120 Speaker 2: very very good wages, where like the average media income 1259 01:09:18,160 --> 01:09:21,000 Speaker 2: in Pennsylvania back then or Lancaster then was about twenty 1260 01:09:21,040 --> 01:09:22,840 Speaker 2: four thousand, and I was making way more than that, 1261 01:09:23,000 --> 01:09:26,639 Speaker 2: so I was able to go do all these great 1262 01:09:26,680 --> 01:09:29,400 Speaker 2: things that I absolutely love and not I ever have 1263 01:09:29,439 --> 01:09:32,240 Speaker 2: to worry about the cause like muskie fishing. I mean 1264 01:09:32,280 --> 01:09:33,960 Speaker 2: I was a fly fishing back then, but going up 1265 01:09:33,960 --> 01:09:37,120 Speaker 2: to Canada or going to the Codes to shoot wild 1266 01:09:37,160 --> 01:09:40,200 Speaker 2: game and hunting wherever I wanted because I really didn't 1267 01:09:40,200 --> 01:09:44,040 Speaker 2: have any school, loans or anything. And it was a 1268 01:09:44,040 --> 01:09:45,519 Speaker 2: tough decision because I knew I had to give all 1269 01:09:45,520 --> 01:09:48,240 Speaker 2: that up. Another part was the fishing, and I fished 1270 01:09:48,240 --> 01:09:50,400 Speaker 2: a lot in the chest speak literally like when it 1271 01:09:50,439 --> 01:09:52,280 Speaker 2: was a hunt season, after work, I would drive an 1272 01:09:52,280 --> 01:09:53,880 Speaker 2: hour and a half down to the Chesapeake Bay and 1273 01:09:53,960 --> 01:09:56,240 Speaker 2: go after stripe bass to call them rock fished out 1274 01:09:56,240 --> 01:09:58,400 Speaker 2: there at the East Coast, or go flounder, or go 1275 01:09:58,479 --> 01:10:00,639 Speaker 2: and grabbing with some of my friends. And I knew 1276 01:10:00,680 --> 01:10:03,439 Speaker 2: all that was going to go away, because I mean 1277 01:10:03,479 --> 01:10:05,360 Speaker 2: I wasn't a idiot. I looked up the salary difference, 1278 01:10:05,600 --> 01:10:08,400 Speaker 2: and I knew that going from over sixty thousand a 1279 01:10:08,439 --> 01:10:10,559 Speaker 2: year down to basically making like twelve hundred dollars a 1280 01:10:10,560 --> 01:10:12,559 Speaker 2: month was going to be a drastic change in lifestyle. 1281 01:10:13,040 --> 01:10:15,000 Speaker 2: But it was the plan was only going to be 1282 01:10:15,040 --> 01:10:17,720 Speaker 2: three years and so and then you would. 1283 01:10:17,439 --> 01:10:19,439 Speaker 1: But you went in as a trained engineer. But you 1284 01:10:19,479 --> 01:10:22,320 Speaker 1: didn't go and become a you didn't be like, I 1285 01:10:22,320 --> 01:10:23,439 Speaker 1: want to be in the corps. 1286 01:10:23,800 --> 01:10:23,880 Speaker 8: No. 1287 01:10:24,560 --> 01:10:27,920 Speaker 2: The way I looked at it was, uh, well the 1288 01:10:27,960 --> 01:10:28,960 Speaker 2: corps was a different story. 1289 01:10:29,160 --> 01:10:31,719 Speaker 1: So they were actually I mean the Army Corps of Engineers. 1290 01:10:31,760 --> 01:10:33,360 Speaker 2: Sorry, but the Marine Corps was the first one to 1291 01:10:33,479 --> 01:10:36,400 Speaker 2: a corps. Yeah, but the recruiter was was a lazy 1292 01:10:36,400 --> 01:10:38,120 Speaker 2: son of a bitch, and he wanted me to run 1293 01:10:38,160 --> 01:10:40,519 Speaker 2: the background check and my fingerprints. He was actually having 1294 01:10:40,520 --> 01:10:42,120 Speaker 2: me do all this stuff, and I was I thought 1295 01:10:42,120 --> 01:10:44,080 Speaker 2: that was what you're supposed to do. So it was 1296 01:10:44,120 --> 01:10:46,400 Speaker 2: actually coming back to the Marine Corps recruiting station with 1297 01:10:46,439 --> 01:10:48,599 Speaker 2: all these documents and whatnot, and then I found out 1298 01:10:48,600 --> 01:10:50,639 Speaker 2: I was missing something and I had to go again. 1299 01:10:50,720 --> 01:10:52,400 Speaker 2: And then the Army guy was out there puffing on 1300 01:10:52,439 --> 01:10:54,559 Speaker 2: a cigarette and he's like, hey, what are you doing? 1301 01:10:55,560 --> 01:10:56,960 Speaker 2: And then he told me I'll take care of all 1302 01:10:57,000 --> 01:10:58,880 Speaker 2: of that for you. Like, oh, what do you guys 1303 01:10:58,880 --> 01:11:00,800 Speaker 2: have to offer? And they're like, well, there's college loan 1304 01:11:00,840 --> 01:11:04,400 Speaker 2: repayment and all this other stuff. And so went in 1305 01:11:04,439 --> 01:11:06,920 Speaker 2: there talk to him a little bit. He sold sold me. 1306 01:11:07,000 --> 01:11:08,720 Speaker 2: This guy was willing to cater everything to take care 1307 01:11:08,720 --> 01:11:11,120 Speaker 2: of all the paperwork, and I literally just had to 1308 01:11:11,120 --> 01:11:13,000 Speaker 2: show up and I was like, this is totally different 1309 01:11:13,000 --> 01:11:15,880 Speaker 2: the Marines. These guys really wanted me. So I was like, 1310 01:11:16,040 --> 01:11:18,519 Speaker 2: I knew the Marines had the grunts. Armies also had 1311 01:11:18,520 --> 01:11:20,599 Speaker 2: the grunts. I was like, all right, I'll go Army 1312 01:11:20,920 --> 01:11:23,479 Speaker 2: because everybody that pictures, you know, the fighting force, they 1313 01:11:23,479 --> 01:11:25,519 Speaker 2: always think Marine Corps first, and that was that was 1314 01:11:25,560 --> 01:11:27,439 Speaker 2: the same way. And then he told me all the 1315 01:11:27,439 --> 01:11:30,000 Speaker 2: different things that the Army had to offer and I 1316 01:11:30,040 --> 01:11:33,240 Speaker 2: ended up signing with the military. Now, everybody blames their 1317 01:11:33,280 --> 01:11:35,439 Speaker 2: recruiter for their miserable life in the military. 1318 01:11:36,200 --> 01:11:37,160 Speaker 1: They never lied to me. 1319 01:11:37,600 --> 01:11:41,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, But the difference was my recruiter actually was a 1320 01:11:41,240 --> 01:11:43,240 Speaker 2: really good guy, and he was actually trying to talk 1321 01:11:43,320 --> 01:11:45,680 Speaker 2: me out of going to the infantry because I had 1322 01:11:45,720 --> 01:11:48,799 Speaker 2: maxed out my ASVABA. My scores were off the charts 1323 01:11:48,880 --> 01:11:50,559 Speaker 2: and I could have done anything. They were offering me 1324 01:11:51,160 --> 01:11:57,560 Speaker 2: all these military intelligence MOS's the job, along with civil affairs, 1325 01:11:58,120 --> 01:12:00,840 Speaker 2: all the stuff that requires high test scores. And I 1326 01:12:00,880 --> 01:12:03,200 Speaker 2: was like, no, if I'm gonna give up three years 1327 01:12:03,200 --> 01:12:04,960 Speaker 2: of my life to make a difference, put where the 1328 01:12:04,960 --> 01:12:07,599 Speaker 2: fight's at. Put a rifle my head, and I chose 1329 01:12:07,640 --> 01:12:10,080 Speaker 2: to join the infantry with the mindset it was only 1330 01:12:10,120 --> 01:12:13,680 Speaker 2: be just three years. And uh, because if I was 1331 01:12:13,720 --> 01:12:17,160 Speaker 2: gonna join, I wanted to deploy and the them West 1332 01:12:17,160 --> 01:12:20,240 Speaker 2: that was the highest rated deployed was eleven bravo as 1333 01:12:20,280 --> 01:12:28,080 Speaker 2: an infantryman. And that's what I selected. MHM, Hindsight's twenty twenty. 1334 01:12:28,280 --> 01:12:29,160 Speaker 3: You know what you asked for. 1335 01:12:29,920 --> 01:12:32,920 Speaker 2: I got what I asked for and for. But uh, 1336 01:12:33,040 --> 01:12:34,479 Speaker 2: to all the young kids out there that might be 1337 01:12:34,520 --> 01:12:38,040 Speaker 2: thinking about the military, really consider your life choices. Infantry 1338 01:12:38,080 --> 01:12:40,519 Speaker 2: is very rewarding. You're gonna have a brotherhood of people 1339 01:12:40,720 --> 01:12:44,000 Speaker 2: and the combat of arms that you will never experience 1340 01:12:44,000 --> 01:12:46,920 Speaker 2: anywhere else. Do a lot of cool shit, and you're 1341 01:12:46,920 --> 01:12:48,760 Speaker 2: gonna do a lot of stuff that's really gonna test 1342 01:12:48,760 --> 01:12:52,080 Speaker 2: your psych and your your body. However, there's gonna be 1343 01:12:52,080 --> 01:12:54,920 Speaker 2: sacrifices that you're gonna give up, and that number one 1344 01:12:54,960 --> 01:12:56,800 Speaker 2: sacrifice is going to be your body in your brain. 1345 01:12:56,920 --> 01:12:58,720 Speaker 2: If you're willing to give up. That sacrifice is. 1346 01:12:58,640 --> 01:13:00,559 Speaker 1: The the body you gotta give up. The body and 1347 01:13:00,600 --> 01:13:01,920 Speaker 1: the brain you're gonna give up. 1348 01:13:01,920 --> 01:13:02,880 Speaker 3: Both those are two big. 1349 01:13:02,760 --> 01:13:07,040 Speaker 2: Parts what's left because after twenty two years of service. 1350 01:13:07,080 --> 01:13:09,760 Speaker 2: I've already had eleven surgeries to fix all sorts of 1351 01:13:09,760 --> 01:13:12,599 Speaker 2: different elements by me I have. I may look very 1352 01:13:12,720 --> 01:13:14,559 Speaker 2: young for a forty nine year old, but I probably 1353 01:13:14,560 --> 01:13:16,639 Speaker 2: have the body of a sixty year old. And then 1354 01:13:17,160 --> 01:13:20,200 Speaker 2: your brain will also start start failing you too, because 1355 01:13:20,200 --> 01:13:23,519 Speaker 2: you're gonna go through some some really troubling times when 1356 01:13:23,640 --> 01:13:25,639 Speaker 2: you're gonna you're gonna have to have some metal fortitude 1357 01:13:25,720 --> 01:13:28,639 Speaker 2: or intestinal fortitude alone. Was a metal strength to overcome 1358 01:13:28,640 --> 01:13:29,840 Speaker 2: a lot of the shit that you deal with in 1359 01:13:29,880 --> 01:13:30,400 Speaker 2: the infantry. 1360 01:13:30,520 --> 01:13:42,320 Speaker 6: But it is a very ruarding mos at uh. 1361 01:13:42,840 --> 01:13:44,439 Speaker 1: I want to keep on the chronology, but let me 1362 01:13:44,439 --> 01:13:47,479 Speaker 1: ask you this. At this point nine to eleven you 1363 01:13:47,560 --> 01:13:53,479 Speaker 1: going into the infantry, are you just eating and sleeping, 1364 01:13:53,600 --> 01:13:54,200 Speaker 1: fly tying. 1365 01:13:54,880 --> 01:13:58,160 Speaker 2: I wasn't even touching that yet once you're aware to 1366 01:13:58,240 --> 01:14:00,439 Speaker 2: some of it at this point right, nothing, I mean, 1367 01:14:00,880 --> 01:14:02,639 Speaker 2: you know, there is such a thing as a fly rod. 1368 01:14:03,200 --> 01:14:05,720 Speaker 2: For like ten years, my first ten years I was, 1369 01:14:05,800 --> 01:14:08,160 Speaker 2: I was gone a lot, so when I got back, 1370 01:14:09,080 --> 01:14:09,920 Speaker 2: I'll spent more less. 1371 01:14:09,960 --> 01:14:10,920 Speaker 1: Where all did you get sent to? 1372 01:14:11,400 --> 01:14:18,120 Speaker 2: Iraq, Afghanistan, Southern Philippines, Kuwait, so Middle East? When I 1373 01:14:18,160 --> 01:14:21,000 Speaker 2: got back, my first duty station was Korea. I was 1374 01:14:21,040 --> 01:14:23,880 Speaker 2: really upset because they weren't deploying all they do. 1375 01:14:23,920 --> 01:14:25,719 Speaker 1: But that's really common though, right, Yeah. 1376 01:14:25,560 --> 01:14:27,880 Speaker 2: It's really common. A lot of first assignments there are 1377 01:14:27,920 --> 01:14:30,800 Speaker 2: to places that you actually don't deploy out of and 1378 01:14:30,840 --> 01:14:33,519 Speaker 2: then your next one. Now, the fortunate thing for me 1379 01:14:33,600 --> 01:14:35,760 Speaker 2: and my mindset back then was it was only a 1380 01:14:35,840 --> 01:14:38,400 Speaker 2: year and then I was able to pick whatever assignment 1381 01:14:38,400 --> 01:14:41,439 Speaker 2: I want. So I knew that Hawaii was getting ready 1382 01:14:41,439 --> 01:14:41,600 Speaker 2: to go. 1383 01:14:41,680 --> 01:14:42,439 Speaker 1: Because did you. 1384 01:14:42,439 --> 01:14:45,439 Speaker 3: Get bumped up in rank because of your education? 1385 01:14:45,560 --> 01:14:45,760 Speaker 1: Yeah? 1386 01:14:45,800 --> 01:14:48,400 Speaker 2: I came in as a specialist four on an E 1387 01:14:48,479 --> 01:14:49,559 Speaker 2: won the E nine scale. 1388 01:14:50,760 --> 01:14:54,160 Speaker 1: I got another totally off the off subject, not off subject, 1389 01:14:54,160 --> 01:14:58,680 Speaker 1: but out of chronology when you were in So, when 1390 01:14:58,680 --> 01:15:03,719 Speaker 1: you're stationed in Korea and you had time off, would 1391 01:15:03,720 --> 01:15:07,560 Speaker 1: you drank? No? But can you with your background and 1392 01:15:07,600 --> 01:15:10,280 Speaker 1: your family, would it be inadvisable for you to go 1393 01:15:10,320 --> 01:15:11,080 Speaker 1: to Vietnam? 1394 01:15:11,520 --> 01:15:15,800 Speaker 2: Actually, Uh, that's a really sour subject because my grandfather 1395 01:15:16,200 --> 01:15:19,000 Speaker 2: was dying and I was out in the field training 1396 01:15:19,640 --> 01:15:23,559 Speaker 2: and my family, my mom called the unit to give 1397 01:15:23,640 --> 01:15:25,960 Speaker 2: them a Red Cross message to let him know that 1398 01:15:25,960 --> 01:15:30,600 Speaker 2: my grandfather was dying, and a flight from Korea to 1399 01:15:30,680 --> 01:15:33,760 Speaker 2: Vietnam is really short and it's very expensive, and it 1400 01:15:33,840 --> 01:15:35,680 Speaker 2: was I could have literally gone just like that on 1401 01:15:35,800 --> 01:15:39,480 Speaker 2: a whim, and they never notified me. So my grandfather 1402 01:15:39,560 --> 01:15:42,800 Speaker 2: passed away, I was within like a really short hop 1403 01:15:42,840 --> 01:15:45,320 Speaker 2: of getting there to be by his bedside, and they 1404 01:15:45,320 --> 01:15:45,840 Speaker 2: never told me. 1405 01:15:46,920 --> 01:15:47,000 Speaker 1: So. 1406 01:15:47,400 --> 01:15:48,880 Speaker 2: Yes, I could have gone to the Vietnam to answer 1407 01:15:48,960 --> 01:15:51,160 Speaker 2: your question, but that happened while I was over there 1408 01:15:51,200 --> 01:15:51,759 Speaker 2: in Korea. 1409 01:15:51,880 --> 01:15:54,479 Speaker 1: Yeah, and then and your family would not have been 1410 01:15:54,560 --> 01:15:55,280 Speaker 1: pissed about it. 1411 01:15:55,400 --> 01:15:59,240 Speaker 2: Now Yeah, Now, my family pretty much has allowed me 1412 01:15:59,280 --> 01:16:01,840 Speaker 2: to make my own life choices and do whatever I want. 1413 01:16:01,920 --> 01:16:04,720 Speaker 2: Is just live with the repercussions of my choices, and 1414 01:16:04,760 --> 01:16:07,240 Speaker 2: that's how they pretty much have treated I mean, yeah, 1415 01:16:07,240 --> 01:16:10,040 Speaker 2: there was always those pressures doing well and whatnot. But 1416 01:16:10,080 --> 01:16:11,840 Speaker 2: at the end of the day, all my parents wanted 1417 01:16:11,880 --> 01:16:12,280 Speaker 2: to be. 1418 01:16:12,400 --> 01:16:16,639 Speaker 1: Was just happy. Yeah. So you spent time in when 1419 01:16:16,640 --> 01:16:20,160 Speaker 1: you spent time in Iraq, Afghanistan, these are long stints 1420 01:16:20,200 --> 01:16:22,000 Speaker 1: of time or short in and outs, or. 1421 01:16:22,200 --> 01:16:24,760 Speaker 2: They were all VERI the longest I was there for 1422 01:16:25,240 --> 01:16:29,880 Speaker 2: was fifteen months straight. Yeah, fifteen months straight. And then 1423 01:16:30,000 --> 01:16:33,519 Speaker 2: the shortest I was gone for was six months, and 1424 01:16:33,560 --> 01:16:36,800 Speaker 2: then you had nine, twelve, fourteen's all mixed in there 1425 01:16:36,840 --> 01:16:40,120 Speaker 2: and you were there, and what role combat operations for 1426 01:16:40,120 --> 01:16:40,839 Speaker 2: the most part. 1427 01:16:40,760 --> 01:16:44,479 Speaker 1: Yeah, as an officer, as a non commissioned officer. 1428 01:16:44,320 --> 01:16:47,120 Speaker 2: As a non commissioned officer, okay, because by the time 1429 01:16:47,160 --> 01:16:50,599 Speaker 2: I went on my first deployment with my second duty 1430 01:16:50,600 --> 01:16:53,599 Speaker 2: assignment there, which was Hawaii, I was already a sergeant 1431 01:16:53,640 --> 01:16:57,639 Speaker 2: and five then. So that's the difference with the military 1432 01:16:57,720 --> 01:17:00,519 Speaker 2: versus the civilian side. You could be like a twenty 1433 01:17:00,600 --> 01:17:03,400 Speaker 2: year old you wreck a sergeant or a corporal, and 1434 01:17:03,400 --> 01:17:05,280 Speaker 2: you're alread gonna have three to four people that you 1435 01:17:05,360 --> 01:17:09,840 Speaker 2: control their lives. And then with how many people usually 1436 01:17:09,880 --> 01:17:11,720 Speaker 2: as a fire team leader, you would have three to 1437 01:17:11,760 --> 01:17:15,200 Speaker 2: four people that fall underneath you and you're their immediate supervisor. 1438 01:17:15,600 --> 01:17:18,240 Speaker 2: And eventually when you make squad leader. In a typical 1439 01:17:18,280 --> 01:17:21,360 Speaker 2: infantry unit, you have anywhere from nine to eleven if 1440 01:17:21,400 --> 01:17:23,040 Speaker 2: it depends on whether it's you know, with the light 1441 01:17:23,080 --> 01:17:26,639 Speaker 2: infantry or a striker infantry. And then as a platuoncer 1442 01:17:27,360 --> 01:17:29,400 Speaker 2: once you get up, which is generally about twelve to 1443 01:17:29,400 --> 01:17:33,200 Speaker 2: fourteen years in then you have thirty six to forty four. 1444 01:17:33,640 --> 01:17:35,639 Speaker 2: And then as an infantry company first arm you would 1445 01:17:35,640 --> 01:17:37,320 Speaker 2: have anywhere from one hundred and thirty six to over 1446 01:17:37,320 --> 01:17:40,160 Speaker 2: two hundred and then that was my role for the 1447 01:17:40,200 --> 01:17:43,639 Speaker 2: last five years was as a first art And you're 1448 01:17:43,640 --> 01:17:45,040 Speaker 2: retiring now next year. 1449 01:17:45,280 --> 01:17:48,600 Speaker 1: Yep. Twenty years, twenty two years, twenty two years. 1450 01:17:49,320 --> 01:17:51,559 Speaker 2: Army has changed quite a bit. There's a lot of 1451 01:17:51,600 --> 01:17:54,439 Speaker 2: things that I absolutely love and I wasn't looking back 1452 01:17:54,479 --> 01:17:58,160 Speaker 2: on it. I wouldn't change anything I had done. But 1453 01:17:58,200 --> 01:18:01,000 Speaker 2: at the same time, the way it's right now with 1454 01:18:01,439 --> 01:18:05,320 Speaker 2: me coming up through basically the entire duration of my 1455 01:18:05,439 --> 01:18:09,320 Speaker 2: time in through all these wars and conflict and having 1456 01:18:09,360 --> 01:18:12,719 Speaker 2: certain expectations of how people should be and how soldiers 1457 01:18:12,720 --> 01:18:15,200 Speaker 2: should be has changed quite a bit. Now that we're 1458 01:18:15,439 --> 01:18:18,559 Speaker 2: considered like a peace time military, got it, And that's 1459 01:18:18,560 --> 01:18:20,360 Speaker 2: not what I signed up for. And now that I've 1460 01:18:20,600 --> 01:18:22,479 Speaker 2: I've done my time, it's time for me to move on. 1461 01:18:23,680 --> 01:18:25,960 Speaker 1: You just don't mean you don't want to, you don't 1462 01:18:26,040 --> 01:18:29,360 Speaker 1: feel the need to be there during peace time. 1463 01:18:29,760 --> 01:18:32,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, the drive isn't the same anymore, along with you know, 1464 01:18:32,960 --> 01:18:34,960 Speaker 2: other factors like my body is starting to give out. 1465 01:18:35,040 --> 01:18:38,000 Speaker 2: And I've always been one of those that you can't 1466 01:18:38,000 --> 01:18:40,040 Speaker 2: tell people to do something you can't do it themselves, 1467 01:18:40,080 --> 01:18:41,960 Speaker 2: You do it yourself, got it? And I'm now at 1468 01:18:42,000 --> 01:18:45,679 Speaker 2: the point where I cannot be as physically fit as 1469 01:18:45,720 --> 01:18:48,760 Speaker 2: I used to be, where I always pride myself that 1470 01:18:48,800 --> 01:18:51,240 Speaker 2: my fitness was higher than most I got it. Can 1471 01:18:51,360 --> 01:18:53,080 Speaker 2: run out with the best of them, with the seventeen 1472 01:18:53,080 --> 01:18:54,960 Speaker 2: eighteen year olds, and can't really do that anymore with 1473 01:18:55,000 --> 01:18:56,840 Speaker 2: like basically all the injuries that I've had. 1474 01:18:57,160 --> 01:18:59,960 Speaker 1: So when you talk about surgeries you had, you had, 1475 01:19:00,560 --> 01:19:03,320 Speaker 1: you had injuries within the military, yeah, I got you, 1476 01:19:03,479 --> 01:19:03,960 Speaker 1: I got you. 1477 01:19:04,320 --> 01:19:08,200 Speaker 2: And then within them from doing certain things, and then 1478 01:19:08,240 --> 01:19:11,519 Speaker 2: also just the wear and tear where we would do 1479 01:19:12,760 --> 01:19:14,560 Speaker 2: certain things as an infantryman where you have to be 1480 01:19:14,560 --> 01:19:17,639 Speaker 2: able to carry a thirty five pound ruck a pack 1481 01:19:17,680 --> 01:19:19,760 Speaker 2: on your back along with your weapon, your prograss I 1482 01:19:19,760 --> 01:19:21,479 Speaker 2: mean all in all, you end up carrying probably close 1483 01:19:21,520 --> 01:19:23,880 Speaker 2: to sixty five pounds wor a gear and you have 1484 01:19:23,920 --> 01:19:26,719 Speaker 2: to do that foot march twelve miles and under three hours, 1485 01:19:26,760 --> 01:19:28,680 Speaker 2: which you either can walk really fast or you have 1486 01:19:28,720 --> 01:19:30,720 Speaker 2: to jog some of it short legs like me. I 1487 01:19:30,720 --> 01:19:32,400 Speaker 2: had to run a lot of it because there's no 1488 01:19:32,439 --> 01:19:34,680 Speaker 2: way in how I maintain a fifteen minute pace with 1489 01:19:34,760 --> 01:19:37,240 Speaker 2: all that gear on with my short legs, So I 1490 01:19:37,280 --> 01:19:39,000 Speaker 2: had to jog and run, and you would do that 1491 01:19:39,080 --> 01:19:42,240 Speaker 2: every year along with all the other conditioning foot marches 1492 01:19:42,280 --> 01:19:44,559 Speaker 2: where it might be six miles, might be nine miles. 1493 01:19:44,560 --> 01:19:46,439 Speaker 2: And then when you go to the field, we do 1494 01:19:46,479 --> 01:19:49,320 Speaker 2: all these different infantry battle drills for training aspects of it. 1495 01:19:49,439 --> 01:19:52,160 Speaker 2: Some of them are like, for example, move into contact 1496 01:19:52,360 --> 01:19:55,160 Speaker 2: or move into daylight. Moving daylight is exactly what it 1497 01:19:55,200 --> 01:19:57,519 Speaker 2: sounds like. You start off walking at night and you 1498 01:19:57,560 --> 01:20:01,080 Speaker 2: keep walking until daylight on. If you don't find the enemy, 1499 01:20:01,120 --> 01:20:03,559 Speaker 2: then you basically you halt. Or if you do move 1500 01:20:03,560 --> 01:20:05,360 Speaker 2: into contact, you keep walking until you find the damn 1501 01:20:05,439 --> 01:20:07,400 Speaker 2: enemy and then you take the fight to them, or 1502 01:20:07,560 --> 01:20:09,479 Speaker 2: you're doing a reconnaissance. I mean, there's a whole lot 1503 01:20:09,520 --> 01:20:11,920 Speaker 2: of different aspects of it. And then there's no such 1504 01:20:11,960 --> 01:20:14,559 Speaker 2: thing as we can't walk there because of the terrain. 1505 01:20:14,680 --> 01:20:18,160 Speaker 2: You may do like in Korea that would really test you, 1506 01:20:18,200 --> 01:20:20,839 Speaker 2: that will break your freaking body because of the elevation 1507 01:20:21,000 --> 01:20:23,120 Speaker 2: and then the mountains that you're walking up and down. 1508 01:20:23,200 --> 01:20:25,280 Speaker 2: So you find all the different drawls, the different cuts, 1509 01:20:25,800 --> 01:20:28,599 Speaker 2: and you make your path and you would sometimes walk 1510 01:20:29,240 --> 01:20:34,400 Speaker 2: fourteen eighteen thirty hours. We had one combat operation after 1511 01:20:34,439 --> 01:20:36,320 Speaker 2: we had a soldier killed that we were hunting for 1512 01:20:36,360 --> 01:20:39,519 Speaker 2: specific people where it was a ninety six hour operation. 1513 01:20:40,040 --> 01:20:43,639 Speaker 2: We we're up four days straight, and fatigue and everything 1514 01:20:43,680 --> 01:20:45,960 Speaker 2: starts kicking in. And that's where the fitness has to 1515 01:20:46,000 --> 01:20:49,040 Speaker 2: come in. Because if you're not fit, you're tired, you're 1516 01:20:49,080 --> 01:20:52,280 Speaker 2: gonna fall asleep, and somebody's gonna die. So those are 1517 01:20:52,280 --> 01:20:55,080 Speaker 2: the things that start stressing your body and really start 1518 01:20:55,120 --> 01:20:58,479 Speaker 2: stressing your brain. You know, one incident like or a 1519 01:20:58,680 --> 01:21:00,960 Speaker 2: one event like that is it's not so bad, but 1520 01:21:01,040 --> 01:21:04,840 Speaker 2: you multiply that over the course of numerous combat deployments, 1521 01:21:04,920 --> 01:21:07,080 Speaker 2: twenty plus years of service, and it has its toll. 1522 01:21:08,080 --> 01:21:13,080 Speaker 1: When after Afghanistan had gone for twenty years and people 1523 01:21:13,120 --> 01:21:17,280 Speaker 1: started to draw parallels between Afghanistan and Vietnam, and then 1524 01:21:18,600 --> 01:21:21,280 Speaker 1: we pull out of Afghanistan in a way that seemed 1525 01:21:22,520 --> 01:21:28,320 Speaker 1: reminiscent at a minimum, right of our withdrawal from Vietnam. 1526 01:21:29,479 --> 01:21:32,639 Speaker 1: What'd that look like after having spent time there? What 1527 01:21:32,680 --> 01:21:33,880 Speaker 1: was that like? Emotionally for you? 1528 01:21:35,080 --> 01:21:39,240 Speaker 2: It was it was disheartening. And I'm gonna leave it 1529 01:21:39,240 --> 01:21:41,599 Speaker 2: at that because I'm still an active duty remember, oh, 1530 01:21:41,720 --> 01:21:42,960 Speaker 2: and I might actually say something. 1531 01:21:42,960 --> 01:21:43,880 Speaker 1: I might We'll talk to you. 1532 01:21:44,000 --> 01:21:45,920 Speaker 2: We'll talk to you in a year Yeah, talk to 1533 01:21:45,960 --> 01:21:48,280 Speaker 2: you in a year and I'll tell you very passionate 1534 01:21:48,280 --> 01:21:51,160 Speaker 2: feelings about that. But it was very disheartening. Yeah, because 1535 01:21:51,160 --> 01:21:53,960 Speaker 2: there were there were there were good men and women 1536 01:21:54,000 --> 01:21:56,639 Speaker 2: that that lost their lives on how it was handled. 1537 01:21:56,840 --> 01:22:03,599 Speaker 1: Yeah, I got it. Still not time flies start. 1538 01:22:03,640 --> 01:22:06,040 Speaker 2: Time flies in the seven years ago is when I started. Okay, 1539 01:22:06,080 --> 01:22:09,320 Speaker 2: so what happened seven years ago? So I was getting 1540 01:22:09,320 --> 01:22:12,000 Speaker 2: ready to leave Hawaii. I was still recovering from some 1541 01:22:12,040 --> 01:22:16,200 Speaker 2: of the injuries that I was getting medical help for, 1542 01:22:17,160 --> 01:22:19,120 Speaker 2: and at that point right there, I was really not 1543 01:22:19,280 --> 01:22:23,040 Speaker 2: doing platoon sergean't work anymore where. I was just getting 1544 01:22:23,040 --> 01:22:26,719 Speaker 2: ready to PCs permanent, change the station and leave Hawaii. 1545 01:22:27,320 --> 01:22:30,639 Speaker 2: Packed up all the stuff, they shipped it off. We're 1546 01:22:30,640 --> 01:22:33,240 Speaker 2: living out of the hotel room until our flight. So 1547 01:22:33,320 --> 01:22:35,640 Speaker 2: I had a couple of weeks left and I was 1548 01:22:35,720 --> 01:22:36,400 Speaker 2: hitting the drink. 1549 01:22:36,240 --> 01:22:37,519 Speaker 1: Pretty hard in Hawaii. 1550 01:22:37,600 --> 01:22:40,400 Speaker 2: In Hawaii because the one thing I don't want to 1551 01:22:40,400 --> 01:22:41,720 Speaker 2: get too far ahead of myself. But one of the 1552 01:22:41,800 --> 01:22:44,559 Speaker 2: things that like with non commissioned officer or leaders in 1553 01:22:44,600 --> 01:22:46,640 Speaker 2: general in the military is when you have soldiers that 1554 01:22:46,680 --> 01:22:49,320 Speaker 2: you're responsible for, you will put it on a facade 1555 01:22:49,400 --> 01:22:51,840 Speaker 2: in order to present that appearance to those soldiers. So 1556 01:22:51,880 --> 01:22:53,920 Speaker 2: you put it on up a wall, and you always 1557 01:22:53,960 --> 01:22:56,080 Speaker 2: have to show because they're gonna mimic everything you do. 1558 01:22:56,479 --> 01:22:58,800 Speaker 2: So even if I wanted to be or pissed as 1559 01:22:58,880 --> 01:23:00,800 Speaker 2: drunk every day, I really could. And because I had 1560 01:23:00,840 --> 01:23:04,240 Speaker 2: soldiers that were responsible for But the minute that you 1561 01:23:04,360 --> 01:23:07,800 Speaker 2: take those leaders and you have them no longer in 1562 01:23:07,840 --> 01:23:11,400 Speaker 2: charge of anything, then that wall comes crumbling down real fast. 1563 01:23:11,400 --> 01:23:13,920 Speaker 2: And that was happening to me, where all the things 1564 01:23:14,000 --> 01:23:17,600 Speaker 2: I kept bottle up inside for years and years. You know, 1565 01:23:17,680 --> 01:23:21,759 Speaker 2: soldiers that were lost over in combat, people that I knew, 1566 01:23:21,800 --> 01:23:24,400 Speaker 2: that were very close to and no longer around, injuries 1567 01:23:24,400 --> 01:23:28,040 Speaker 2: that I felt, and then just a shearer amount of 1568 01:23:28,160 --> 01:23:30,680 Speaker 2: horror that you see over the Middle East, where you 1569 01:23:30,720 --> 01:23:34,160 Speaker 2: know they'll strap like one of the soldiers that we 1570 01:23:34,160 --> 01:23:38,120 Speaker 2: had passed away died from a suicide vest and it 1571 01:23:38,200 --> 01:23:42,400 Speaker 2: was like basically a little many metal, late handicapped child 1572 01:23:42,560 --> 01:23:45,840 Speaker 2: girl that they strapped the vest to. So so you 1573 01:23:45,880 --> 01:23:48,200 Speaker 2: walk in there, you know, selling cigarettes and whatnot to 1574 01:23:48,200 --> 01:23:51,360 Speaker 2: all the soldiers to get accustomed to see and seeing 1575 01:23:51,400 --> 01:23:54,320 Speaker 2: these local national kids, and they strapped the vester and 1576 01:23:54,320 --> 01:23:58,719 Speaker 2: they blew her up. Soldiers wearing what he mic rounds 1577 01:23:58,720 --> 01:24:02,479 Speaker 2: on his vest because he was grenaeddeerse rounds exploded and 1578 01:24:02,600 --> 01:24:05,360 Speaker 2: basically just tore his inside out. So those are the 1579 01:24:05,400 --> 01:24:08,920 Speaker 2: things that you'll deal with that you basically just have 1580 01:24:08,960 --> 01:24:11,200 Speaker 2: to pack away. There's some people that can't, and then 1581 01:24:11,240 --> 01:24:13,840 Speaker 2: they're the ones that will have like those mental breakdowns. 1582 01:24:13,840 --> 01:24:18,400 Speaker 2: And though uh they are the vocal about PTSD et cetera, 1583 01:24:18,479 --> 01:24:21,639 Speaker 2: et cetera. Well, I couldn't have that luxury because I had, 1584 01:24:22,080 --> 01:24:24,160 Speaker 2: you know, I had soldiers that I was responsible for. 1585 01:24:24,280 --> 01:24:27,960 Speaker 2: I at thirty six other men that if I broke down, 1586 01:24:28,000 --> 01:24:31,439 Speaker 2: then what were they gonna do? So I bottle a 1587 01:24:31,479 --> 01:24:34,400 Speaker 2: lot of that crap up. So the minute that I 1588 01:24:34,439 --> 01:24:36,120 Speaker 2: no longer was in charge of anything, I had all 1589 01:24:36,160 --> 01:24:38,000 Speaker 2: this free time in my hands. As I was getting 1590 01:24:38,000 --> 01:24:40,400 Speaker 2: ready to leave Hawaii, you know, I was drinking pretty 1591 01:24:40,400 --> 01:24:43,280 Speaker 2: heavily try to drown out some of that shit. And 1592 01:24:43,400 --> 01:24:46,920 Speaker 2: uh though, the time where I first started getting into 1593 01:24:47,280 --> 01:24:49,800 Speaker 2: the fly fishing aspect of it, I was at a 1594 01:24:49,800 --> 01:24:53,599 Speaker 2: bar and there was an old guy that kept on 1595 01:24:53,760 --> 01:24:54,920 Speaker 2: trying to talk to me, and I was kind of 1596 01:24:54,920 --> 01:24:57,600 Speaker 2: like brushing them off, and then he brought up the 1597 01:24:57,640 --> 01:25:01,120 Speaker 2: subject of fishing. So keep in mind. I absolutely loved 1598 01:25:01,320 --> 01:25:03,800 Speaker 2: fishing as a kid, but I didn't really dangle in 1599 01:25:03,800 --> 01:25:05,400 Speaker 2: it at all because I was so busy with the 1600 01:25:05,400 --> 01:25:08,639 Speaker 2: military for so long that it kind of like took 1601 01:25:08,640 --> 01:25:11,879 Speaker 2: a back seat to everything I was doing in the military. 1602 01:25:12,200 --> 01:25:14,519 Speaker 2: But that sparked, you know, my interest right away. It 1603 01:25:14,560 --> 01:25:16,280 Speaker 2: was brought back, you know, some of those fun memories. 1604 01:25:16,520 --> 01:25:18,280 Speaker 2: And that's how he got me to open up. And 1605 01:25:18,320 --> 01:25:21,439 Speaker 2: he took me out to Conniehiwaba and I don't even 1606 01:25:21,520 --> 01:25:24,519 Speaker 2: know what sized fly rod or whatnot. It was just 1607 01:25:24,560 --> 01:25:26,519 Speaker 2: some huge rod and showing me how to do some 1608 01:25:26,560 --> 01:25:30,800 Speaker 2: basic casts and Uh handed me this who was this 1609 01:25:30,840 --> 01:25:34,840 Speaker 2: guy was Korean War vet? Yeah, it was just another vet. 1610 01:25:35,400 --> 01:25:39,240 Speaker 2: Uh caught my first fish and it was the most 1611 01:25:39,240 --> 01:25:41,360 Speaker 2: exhilarating feeling. It was totally different than anything I had 1612 01:25:41,360 --> 01:25:45,599 Speaker 2: caught I had done with conventional gear because that rod 1613 01:25:45,720 --> 01:25:49,160 Speaker 2: was so long and you feel like every headshake, every movement, 1614 01:25:49,400 --> 01:25:52,160 Speaker 2: the runs and whole nine yards. I had no idea 1615 01:25:52,200 --> 01:25:54,200 Speaker 2: that it was the trophy sized bonefish as my first 1616 01:25:54,240 --> 01:25:54,920 Speaker 2: fish that I caught it. 1617 01:25:55,000 --> 01:25:59,280 Speaker 1: In Hawaii, Hawaii. It was huge bonefish, man bonefish. 1618 01:25:59,479 --> 01:26:01,519 Speaker 2: That was my first fish on a fly rod. To me, 1619 01:26:01,560 --> 01:26:02,000 Speaker 2: it was just a. 1620 01:26:01,960 --> 01:26:03,679 Speaker 1: Fish, but you caught it on a flat in Hawaii. 1621 01:26:03,800 --> 01:26:09,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, huh. And so unfortunately, soon after that we we 1622 01:26:09,439 --> 01:26:14,439 Speaker 2: left Hawaii and moved to my next assignment and again 1623 01:26:14,600 --> 01:26:18,760 Speaker 2: got all caught up in uh in the military, and 1624 01:26:19,360 --> 01:26:23,520 Speaker 2: didn't fly fish again for for almost like six seven months. 1625 01:26:23,600 --> 01:26:26,559 Speaker 2: And but were you like not at all? 1626 01:26:26,600 --> 01:26:27,760 Speaker 5: You weren't thinking about fish? 1627 01:26:27,920 --> 01:26:30,320 Speaker 2: No. You know how my mindset is when I get 1628 01:26:30,760 --> 01:26:34,040 Speaker 2: a focus on a very on specific task, I get 1629 01:26:34,120 --> 01:26:37,200 Speaker 2: like obsessed with making sure it gets done right. And 1630 01:26:37,240 --> 01:26:38,840 Speaker 2: the task that I had on hand was that we 1631 01:26:38,840 --> 01:26:44,160 Speaker 2: were certifying National Guard guardsmen before they deployed overseas, and 1632 01:26:44,320 --> 01:26:45,680 Speaker 2: we wanted to make sure that they knew what the 1633 01:26:45,720 --> 01:26:49,880 Speaker 2: hell they were doing, otherwise, you know, they could suffer casualties. 1634 01:26:49,880 --> 01:26:51,920 Speaker 2: So that was my main focus. I was traveling to 1635 01:26:52,000 --> 01:26:55,720 Speaker 2: places like Graling, Michigan, to Drumming, New York, all over 1636 01:26:55,760 --> 01:26:58,439 Speaker 2: the place, and we would get these battalions, brigades of 1637 01:26:58,520 --> 01:27:01,080 Speaker 2: National guardsmen and then we ran them through the gauntlet. 1638 01:27:01,560 --> 01:27:03,960 Speaker 2: And so that's what I was doing for a long time. 1639 01:27:04,479 --> 01:27:10,240 Speaker 2: And then the time that I got re rekindled with 1640 01:27:10,840 --> 01:27:13,160 Speaker 2: the fishing aspect of it was I was actually driving home. 1641 01:27:13,560 --> 01:27:18,000 Speaker 2: I lived about sixty eight miles or so from work 1642 01:27:18,720 --> 01:27:22,200 Speaker 2: one way, because a big part of my life is 1643 01:27:22,200 --> 01:27:24,840 Speaker 2: my kids, and I wanted to find the best schools 1644 01:27:24,840 --> 01:27:27,320 Speaker 2: I could put them in. So the area around post 1645 01:27:27,400 --> 01:27:31,320 Speaker 2: generally most military posts, not exactly the great is where 1646 01:27:31,320 --> 01:27:33,920 Speaker 2: you got a lot of strip bars, pawn shoves, and 1647 01:27:34,120 --> 01:27:37,599 Speaker 2: oh yeah, so it was the best schools was up 1648 01:27:38,360 --> 01:27:40,800 Speaker 2: about sixteen miles away in northeast Indianapolis, in the town 1649 01:27:40,840 --> 01:27:44,840 Speaker 2: called Fishers. And I made that commute every day, so 1650 01:27:45,400 --> 01:27:47,600 Speaker 2: long drive home, listen to a lot of radio, a 1651 01:27:47,640 --> 01:27:50,519 Speaker 2: lot of audible whatnot. And this one time I had 1652 01:27:50,560 --> 01:27:53,880 Speaker 2: the radio on and there was a commercial for the 1653 01:27:54,280 --> 01:27:57,880 Speaker 2: Indianapolis Sports and Outdoor Show and I was like, WHOA, 1654 01:27:59,320 --> 01:28:02,360 Speaker 2: maybe I'll check this out. It's only fifteen minute diversion 1655 01:28:02,360 --> 01:28:05,840 Speaker 2: from getting home. So I was stealing uniform, drove there 1656 01:28:05,920 --> 01:28:06,639 Speaker 2: and went started. 1657 01:28:06,680 --> 01:28:08,639 Speaker 1: I just went there right then, just went there right then. 1658 01:28:09,120 --> 01:28:12,160 Speaker 2: And it's walking around checking out all the boats and 1659 01:28:12,200 --> 01:28:13,800 Speaker 2: the hunting lodges, and I. 1660 01:28:13,720 --> 01:28:15,360 Speaker 1: Mean the radio ads work man. 1661 01:28:17,120 --> 01:28:20,520 Speaker 2: And so when I got over to the Fishing. 1662 01:28:20,240 --> 01:28:23,000 Speaker 1: Air and visited the guy that did the ad by, 1663 01:28:23,600 --> 01:28:26,000 Speaker 1: I want you to know I literally came here because 1664 01:28:26,000 --> 01:28:26,759 Speaker 1: of that radio. 1665 01:28:26,560 --> 01:28:30,719 Speaker 3: Ad when you said the exit now, yeah, yeah. 1666 01:28:30,840 --> 01:28:33,040 Speaker 2: It was very similar to the guy that does those 1667 01:28:33,120 --> 01:28:36,080 Speaker 2: four wheeling ads where they you know, they're yelling and screaming, 1668 01:28:36,160 --> 01:28:36,760 Speaker 2: come check this. 1669 01:28:36,840 --> 01:28:40,479 Speaker 1: Out right now, you know, I will, damn damn it, 1670 01:28:40,520 --> 01:28:40,920 Speaker 1: I will. 1671 01:28:41,880 --> 01:28:44,960 Speaker 2: And so I went and then when I made it 1672 01:28:45,000 --> 01:28:47,240 Speaker 2: over to the fishing area, they had a very little 1673 01:28:47,240 --> 01:28:49,240 Speaker 2: small corner there just for the fly fishing. I was 1674 01:28:49,320 --> 01:28:51,559 Speaker 2: checking out the no show and eventually I made over 1675 01:28:51,560 --> 01:28:53,720 Speaker 2: to the fly fishing area and then I got I 1676 01:28:53,760 --> 01:28:56,600 Speaker 2: was I was hearing, hey, soldier, come here. Who the 1677 01:28:56,640 --> 01:29:00,919 Speaker 2: hell's calling me? I realized I was still in uniform. 1678 01:29:01,120 --> 01:29:05,519 Speaker 2: So there's a organization called Project Healing Waters fly Fishing 1679 01:29:05,840 --> 01:29:08,600 Speaker 2: and they had a chapter there out of an Indianapolis, 1680 01:29:09,040 --> 01:29:10,960 Speaker 2: and they had a little booth there. They're trying to. 1681 01:29:11,120 --> 01:29:12,760 Speaker 1: You shit me because you had your uniform on. 1682 01:29:12,960 --> 01:29:15,040 Speaker 2: That's how I had a big target on my Bag's like, yeah, 1683 01:29:15,080 --> 01:29:18,160 Speaker 2: there's a soldier. So went over there and they start 1684 01:29:18,200 --> 01:29:20,240 Speaker 2: telling them about themselves and what they do and now 1685 01:29:20,280 --> 01:29:24,839 Speaker 2: they help veterans overcome disabilities, whether it's mental or physical. 1686 01:29:25,160 --> 01:29:27,680 Speaker 2: You're like, I having to know a guy and how 1687 01:29:27,720 --> 01:29:31,439 Speaker 2: they healed through fly fishing and whatnot. And I was like, oh, 1688 01:29:31,600 --> 01:29:34,120 Speaker 2: flyfishing is pretty cool. I did that once. They're like, 1689 01:29:34,560 --> 01:29:36,240 Speaker 2: we'll show you how everything else you need to know, 1690 01:29:36,360 --> 01:29:39,280 Speaker 2: so sign up with their email list and next thing 1691 01:29:39,240 --> 01:29:41,280 Speaker 2: you know, I got this notification. 1692 01:29:41,600 --> 01:29:44,479 Speaker 1: Intervention dude, and it's like God was like talking to 1693 01:29:44,479 --> 01:29:45,840 Speaker 1: you through your car radio. 1694 01:29:47,439 --> 01:29:50,880 Speaker 2: And I am was left though on my first outing 1695 01:29:50,960 --> 01:29:57,120 Speaker 2: that they had So being being a soldier, you kind 1696 01:29:57,160 --> 01:30:00,920 Speaker 2: of feel like you're almost an outsider to civilians at times. Uh. 1697 01:30:01,439 --> 01:30:03,240 Speaker 2: You change over the years, and one of the things 1698 01:30:03,240 --> 01:30:05,919 Speaker 2: that changed about me was I didn't like being around strangers. 1699 01:30:05,960 --> 01:30:07,720 Speaker 2: I didn't like being around crowds. I didn't like it 1700 01:30:07,800 --> 01:30:10,920 Speaker 2: being around in an environment I couldn't control. So it's 1701 01:30:11,000 --> 01:30:13,519 Speaker 2: that fight or flight mentality, and I was getting that 1702 01:30:13,840 --> 01:30:15,880 Speaker 2: like that first day I was at that outing. Even 1703 01:30:15,920 --> 01:30:17,360 Speaker 2: though there were other vets there, I didn't know who 1704 01:30:17,439 --> 01:30:18,760 Speaker 2: was a VET, who was a volunteer, who was what. 1705 01:30:18,960 --> 01:30:22,080 Speaker 2: It was just completely I'm the only one there that 1706 01:30:22,120 --> 01:30:22,959 Speaker 2: didn't know anybody. 1707 01:30:23,479 --> 01:30:25,680 Speaker 1: You know, man, I don't know if that's particular to that, 1708 01:30:25,760 --> 01:30:28,599 Speaker 1: because that might be your age shining through too, because 1709 01:30:28,600 --> 01:30:31,799 Speaker 1: I got that problem bad. Even ship. 1710 01:30:33,520 --> 01:30:35,880 Speaker 2: Could be that too, and you come found them with 1711 01:30:35,880 --> 01:30:37,920 Speaker 2: the military, and then you exceptlified it even more. 1712 01:30:38,320 --> 01:30:38,439 Speaker 8: So. 1713 01:30:38,520 --> 01:30:40,240 Speaker 2: I was actually getting ready to leave and I was 1714 01:30:40,280 --> 01:30:42,120 Speaker 2: walking back to my car and I was about to 1715 01:30:42,200 --> 01:30:45,000 Speaker 2: drive off, and this older gentleman my name, Oh, I'm sorry, 1716 01:30:45,080 --> 01:30:47,759 Speaker 2: you're getting ready to leave that first fishing outing. 1717 01:30:48,439 --> 01:30:50,519 Speaker 1: So they host you on a fishing outing. Then you 1718 01:30:50,680 --> 01:30:51,920 Speaker 1: get there and it was too much. 1719 01:30:52,000 --> 01:30:53,720 Speaker 2: There was too much going on, and. 1720 01:30:53,800 --> 01:30:55,760 Speaker 1: So you're almost say, never mind, this isn't for me. 1721 01:30:56,040 --> 01:30:58,360 Speaker 2: Yeah. I literally walked to my car, was hopping in 1722 01:30:58,439 --> 01:30:58,800 Speaker 2: and then. 1723 01:30:58,720 --> 01:31:00,559 Speaker 1: This this unannounced you're just leaving. 1724 01:31:00,600 --> 01:31:01,160 Speaker 2: I was just leaving. 1725 01:31:01,200 --> 01:31:01,599 Speaker 1: I was just. 1726 01:31:03,200 --> 01:31:06,000 Speaker 2: And uh, this gentleman like in a way that was weird. No, 1727 01:31:06,280 --> 01:31:07,599 Speaker 2: to me, it was normal, was like but I mean 1728 01:31:07,680 --> 01:31:08,840 Speaker 2: like in a way they would be like, wow, that 1729 01:31:08,880 --> 01:31:12,320 Speaker 2: guy just left. Yeah, I'm sure they they deal with 1730 01:31:12,360 --> 01:31:14,240 Speaker 2: that quite a bit because they deal with a lot 1731 01:31:14,280 --> 01:31:16,800 Speaker 2: of soldiers that and veterans that are going through quite 1732 01:31:16,840 --> 01:31:20,519 Speaker 2: a bit. But this guy named Joe Smith, he's uh 1733 01:31:20,960 --> 01:31:24,080 Speaker 2: find out you know, he's the program coordinator there. He's like, hey, 1734 01:31:24,240 --> 01:31:26,320 Speaker 2: what's where are you going? And then he kind of 1735 01:31:26,320 --> 01:31:28,400 Speaker 2: like talked me out of it, and uh partnered me 1736 01:31:28,479 --> 01:31:31,519 Speaker 2: up with somebody because I didn't realize that once you 1737 01:31:31,600 --> 01:31:34,000 Speaker 2: go there and then you sign up, and then they 1738 01:31:34,400 --> 01:31:36,639 Speaker 2: put a volunteer with you to be like your buddy 1739 01:31:36,680 --> 01:31:38,160 Speaker 2: for the day type of. 1740 01:31:38,120 --> 01:31:40,120 Speaker 1: Deal, and another veteran. 1741 01:31:40,120 --> 01:31:42,600 Speaker 2: Uh sometimes sometimes just a civilian that just wants to 1742 01:31:42,600 --> 01:31:42,960 Speaker 2: help out. 1743 01:31:43,240 --> 01:31:45,720 Speaker 4: I used to do that, and I was I just 1744 01:31:46,280 --> 01:31:49,320 Speaker 4: teach people how to cast and take him out on 1745 01:31:49,360 --> 01:31:51,000 Speaker 4: the river and the drift boat and stuff. 1746 01:31:51,120 --> 01:31:54,240 Speaker 2: And I had no idea where organization, no warriors and 1747 01:31:54,360 --> 01:31:58,040 Speaker 2: quiet water. And so they partnered me up with somebody 1748 01:31:58,080 --> 01:32:00,559 Speaker 2: and then took me out to the area where there 1749 01:32:00,640 --> 01:32:03,519 Speaker 2: was a bunch of crappies and with a fly rod, 1750 01:32:03,560 --> 01:32:06,040 Speaker 2: and they're showing me some basic gas and whatnot, start 1751 01:32:06,120 --> 01:32:09,080 Speaker 2: catching some fish and then kind of like slowly forgot 1752 01:32:09,120 --> 01:32:11,559 Speaker 2: about everything else, all the anxiety that I was dealing with, 1753 01:32:11,640 --> 01:32:15,760 Speaker 2: and all that melted away again. And when they you 1754 01:32:15,760 --> 01:32:18,160 Speaker 2: hear that cliche quite a bit, where you know, healing 1755 01:32:18,160 --> 01:32:22,639 Speaker 2: through fishing, healing on the water, It's very true because 1756 01:32:23,080 --> 01:32:26,080 Speaker 2: the reason why fly fishing works so well compared to 1757 01:32:26,520 --> 01:32:32,439 Speaker 2: conventional fishing or archery versus conventional honting is the amount 1758 01:32:32,479 --> 01:32:35,439 Speaker 2: of concentration attention to details that's required in order to 1759 01:32:35,479 --> 01:32:38,400 Speaker 2: achieve your end state If you don't pay attention to 1760 01:32:38,439 --> 01:32:40,080 Speaker 2: what you're doing, you're gonna hung up with the fly rod. 1761 01:32:40,200 --> 01:32:41,960 Speaker 2: You don't pay attention with what you're doing with the bow, 1762 01:32:42,360 --> 01:32:43,439 Speaker 2: you're not can hit your target. 1763 01:32:43,640 --> 01:32:45,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, and so an if you got a if you 1764 01:32:45,680 --> 01:32:48,320 Speaker 1: got a soccer ride out with a bell on the end, 1765 01:32:49,760 --> 01:32:52,040 Speaker 1: you can still be pounding some drinks and thinking about 1766 01:32:52,200 --> 01:32:52,799 Speaker 1: the war. 1767 01:32:52,800 --> 01:32:54,240 Speaker 3: Let, the circle, the job. 1768 01:32:54,560 --> 01:32:57,600 Speaker 2: But you're constantly so busy with a fly rod that 1769 01:32:57,640 --> 01:33:01,000 Speaker 2: you kind of like start tuning everything else out. And 1770 01:33:01,000 --> 01:33:03,880 Speaker 2: that's why that it really helps with with the mental 1771 01:33:03,880 --> 01:33:06,559 Speaker 2: healing aspect of it, because you tune out all that noise. 1772 01:33:07,080 --> 01:33:10,520 Speaker 2: And uh, that's what tying is. Was Also, so. 1773 01:33:10,960 --> 01:33:14,120 Speaker 1: When you were when you guys are fishing crappies, what 1774 01:33:14,160 --> 01:33:15,759 Speaker 1: were you do you remember what you were throwing? 1775 01:33:16,200 --> 01:33:18,640 Speaker 2: I think it was a little pheasant tail o. It 1776 01:33:18,720 --> 01:33:19,800 Speaker 2: was whatever he tied on then. 1777 01:33:19,880 --> 01:33:22,160 Speaker 1: But did you take any particular interest in it at 1778 01:33:22,160 --> 01:33:23,720 Speaker 1: that time? The fly? 1779 01:33:24,760 --> 01:33:24,960 Speaker 8: Uh? 1780 01:33:25,120 --> 01:33:28,200 Speaker 2: Sort of because of the engineering background, I was more 1781 01:33:28,280 --> 01:33:32,280 Speaker 2: intrigued on the howism to everything, So I uh, even 1782 01:33:32,320 --> 01:33:34,080 Speaker 2: to this day, like the first time I looked at 1783 01:33:34,080 --> 01:33:35,880 Speaker 2: the fly I was deconstructed on my brain, like how 1784 01:33:36,000 --> 01:33:37,160 Speaker 2: is this thing put together. 1785 01:33:37,000 --> 01:33:38,759 Speaker 1: Got it. I mean you just looked at the world 1786 01:33:38,800 --> 01:33:39,120 Speaker 1: that way. 1787 01:33:39,200 --> 01:33:40,759 Speaker 2: I look at the world, look at a camera system, 1788 01:33:40,760 --> 01:33:42,599 Speaker 2: and I think it's the same way, Like how how's 1789 01:33:42,640 --> 01:33:45,280 Speaker 2: this lens put together, how's the glass, how's the magnification, 1790 01:33:45,400 --> 01:33:47,720 Speaker 2: et cetera. Everything I look at I deconstruct. 1791 01:33:47,840 --> 01:33:50,040 Speaker 1: You've been eyeball and that old Triumph trap right there. 1792 01:33:50,880 --> 01:33:52,760 Speaker 2: I mean, if you think about it, it's probably why 1793 01:33:52,800 --> 01:33:55,679 Speaker 2: the Japanese and the Chinese are so far advancing technology 1794 01:33:55,680 --> 01:33:59,960 Speaker 2: because they steal all American ideas deconstruct everything to their engineer. 1795 01:34:00,640 --> 01:34:03,960 Speaker 2: But yeah, so I look at stuff and I started deconstructing. 1796 01:34:04,000 --> 01:34:05,600 Speaker 2: It was the same way with flies. It was the 1797 01:34:05,640 --> 01:34:07,040 Speaker 2: same way with the cast. It was the same way 1798 01:34:07,040 --> 01:34:09,320 Speaker 2: with how the fly rods built the physics behind it. 1799 01:34:09,800 --> 01:34:12,960 Speaker 2: So coming from the engineering background, I looked at it 1800 01:34:12,960 --> 01:34:15,679 Speaker 2: a little bit differently, where I like in the casting 1801 01:34:16,240 --> 01:34:20,280 Speaker 2: and using the lion the rod on basically catching that 1802 01:34:20,280 --> 01:34:25,200 Speaker 2: fish versus the the real is like the engineering behind 1803 01:34:25,240 --> 01:34:29,719 Speaker 2: it on applied pressure and whatnot, and using basically motion 1804 01:34:30,000 --> 01:34:31,880 Speaker 2: order the cast. And I mean, at the end of 1805 01:34:31,880 --> 01:34:33,840 Speaker 2: the day, some of the best casters in the world 1806 01:34:33,840 --> 01:34:35,400 Speaker 2: with the flywre can cast further than anybody with a 1807 01:34:35,439 --> 01:34:37,400 Speaker 2: bake cast or a spinning rod, because they know what 1808 01:34:37,439 --> 01:34:40,120 Speaker 2: they understand physics. So when I was looking at those flies, 1809 01:34:40,120 --> 01:34:42,639 Speaker 2: I was already starting to think that now I really 1810 01:34:42,680 --> 01:34:45,040 Speaker 2: didn't know exactly, you know, how you would do it. 1811 01:34:45,080 --> 01:34:47,680 Speaker 2: All I knew was the type of materials, but I 1812 01:34:47,680 --> 01:34:50,519 Speaker 2: didn't know all of the materials, And so that even 1813 01:34:50,560 --> 01:34:54,479 Speaker 2: piqued my interest more because then on another trip home, 1814 01:34:54,600 --> 01:34:57,639 Speaker 2: I was like, I was like, you know those flies. 1815 01:34:57,680 --> 01:34:59,600 Speaker 2: I kept on thinking about it. It was stuck in 1816 01:34:59,640 --> 01:35:01,439 Speaker 2: my brain, and I googled the. 1817 01:35:01,479 --> 01:35:03,639 Speaker 1: Fly as a thing. Yeah, and I. 1818 01:35:03,640 --> 01:35:06,880 Speaker 2: Googled fly shops in Indiana, and then there was this 1819 01:35:07,040 --> 01:35:09,240 Speaker 2: shop there called fly Masters of Indianapolis, and it was 1820 01:35:09,720 --> 01:35:12,000 Speaker 2: literally the exit that I take home. I passed by 1821 01:35:12,040 --> 01:35:14,519 Speaker 2: it almost every day and had never paid attention to it, 1822 01:35:15,040 --> 01:35:18,080 Speaker 2: small little corner shop that you just you wouldn't, dude. 1823 01:35:18,120 --> 01:35:20,560 Speaker 1: It's like it's like it's like it's like a screenplay. 1824 01:35:20,840 --> 01:35:23,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's almost like this entire screenplay was going through. 1825 01:35:24,120 --> 01:35:26,280 Speaker 2: But it was like there, right there, that exit. And 1826 01:35:26,320 --> 01:35:28,599 Speaker 2: then I pulled that that parking lot and came in 1827 01:35:29,320 --> 01:35:33,519 Speaker 2: and uh, super friendly guys in there. Derek, he's the 1828 01:35:33,880 --> 01:35:35,920 Speaker 2: store manager there still works this day. 1829 01:35:37,120 --> 01:35:38,160 Speaker 1: Big shout out Derek. 1830 01:35:38,400 --> 01:35:40,360 Speaker 2: Big shout out to Derek. He's a great guy. 1831 01:35:40,479 --> 01:35:42,559 Speaker 1: He was the name of the shop again, fly. 1832 01:35:42,479 --> 01:35:46,439 Speaker 2: Masters of Indianapolis. So I went in there. Uh Now, 1833 01:35:46,640 --> 01:35:49,479 Speaker 2: the stigma behind Mo's fly shops is like, if you 1834 01:35:49,479 --> 01:35:51,559 Speaker 2: don't look like you're you can spend money, they kind 1835 01:35:51,560 --> 01:35:53,040 Speaker 2: of like ignore you because the stuff in a fly 1836 01:35:53,080 --> 01:35:55,439 Speaker 2: shop is expensive as heck, there's no going around there. 1837 01:35:55,840 --> 01:35:58,439 Speaker 1: You think that's true. It is not the not the price, 1838 01:35:58,479 --> 01:36:01,200 Speaker 1: but you think that that you think that, you know 1839 01:36:01,400 --> 01:36:03,280 Speaker 1: it is too like the one time of year I 1840 01:36:03,360 --> 01:36:05,680 Speaker 1: going to buy a few leaders and stuff. You know, 1841 01:36:05,760 --> 01:36:06,280 Speaker 1: I don't know. 1842 01:36:06,520 --> 01:36:09,960 Speaker 5: As someone who managed the fly shop for a few years, 1843 01:36:11,080 --> 01:36:13,519 Speaker 5: you know, you know who's coming in to buy a 1844 01:36:13,560 --> 01:36:16,200 Speaker 5: spool of tippet, and who's coming in to buy a rod? 1845 01:36:16,360 --> 01:36:16,680 Speaker 1: Got it? 1846 01:36:18,080 --> 01:36:20,639 Speaker 5: And you're gonna spend more time on the guys buinder. 1847 01:36:20,760 --> 01:36:22,559 Speaker 4: It depends on where you're at too. 1848 01:36:22,760 --> 01:36:25,679 Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, I mean you've got locals that are coming 1849 01:36:25,720 --> 01:36:27,519 Speaker 5: in that you're seeing every couple of days and they 1850 01:36:27,560 --> 01:36:28,360 Speaker 5: become your buddies. 1851 01:36:28,800 --> 01:36:31,160 Speaker 2: Sure you can also go to remember the last majority 1852 01:36:31,160 --> 01:36:33,960 Speaker 2: of the fly shop owners are still the old school, 1853 01:36:33,960 --> 01:36:38,559 Speaker 2: older guy mentality. Where it was like a a a 1854 01:36:38,640 --> 01:36:42,760 Speaker 2: gentleman's type sport. And there's a big difference in nine 1855 01:36:42,840 --> 01:36:45,360 Speaker 2: hundred one thousand dollars rod versus somebody that's gonna go 1856 01:36:45,360 --> 01:36:47,439 Speaker 2: to Walmart and buy, you know, a fifty dollars kid 1857 01:36:48,200 --> 01:36:50,519 Speaker 2: and the ones that looked like they would shop at Walmart. 1858 01:36:50,520 --> 01:36:52,600 Speaker 2: A lot of those guys kind of like tend to 1859 01:36:52,800 --> 01:36:54,479 Speaker 2: ignore quite a because the don't think they're gonna spend 1860 01:36:54,520 --> 01:36:54,760 Speaker 2: the money. 1861 01:36:54,800 --> 01:36:55,600 Speaker 1: Yeah. 1862 01:36:55,720 --> 01:36:58,400 Speaker 2: Unfortunately that that's the case with some fly shops, not all. 1863 01:36:58,800 --> 01:37:01,960 Speaker 2: And unfortunately for me, that wasn't the case with fly Masters. 1864 01:37:01,960 --> 01:37:03,920 Speaker 2: When I went in there, they they were cool. They 1865 01:37:03,920 --> 01:37:05,679 Speaker 2: were really cool and answer a lot of questions. 1866 01:37:05,720 --> 01:37:09,240 Speaker 1: Okay, so if you're a dirt bag in Indianapolis and 1867 01:37:09,280 --> 01:37:11,120 Speaker 1: you want to be treated with respect at your local 1868 01:37:11,160 --> 01:37:12,000 Speaker 1: fly shop. 1869 01:37:12,640 --> 01:37:15,679 Speaker 5: Well, not all fly shops sell tying stuff either, Yeah, 1870 01:37:16,040 --> 01:37:20,200 Speaker 5: because it's a million different skews that cost three dollars. 1871 01:37:20,640 --> 01:37:25,200 Speaker 3: You know what I mean. Change. I can't pinpoint the time, 1872 01:37:25,280 --> 01:37:27,800 Speaker 3: but it used to be like every fly shop, in 1873 01:37:27,920 --> 01:37:31,120 Speaker 3: order to be a fly shop, had materials and then 1874 01:37:31,120 --> 01:37:32,000 Speaker 3: all of a sudden. 1875 01:37:31,720 --> 01:37:35,080 Speaker 2: Like wall in my mind's eye, right, yeah, it's actually 1876 01:37:35,080 --> 01:37:37,840 Speaker 2: a dying art over in the East Coast, if you 1877 01:37:37,880 --> 01:37:40,679 Speaker 2: go to any of these fly fishing clubs, the average 1878 01:37:40,680 --> 01:37:43,519 Speaker 2: agent there is probably closer to sixty five seventy. Now, 1879 01:37:43,560 --> 01:37:45,400 Speaker 2: it's different out here in the West because it's still 1880 01:37:45,439 --> 01:37:49,200 Speaker 2: popular with the young folks, because it's it's activities. At 1881 01:37:49,200 --> 01:37:52,160 Speaker 2: most of the colleges you go to Colorado, it's it's 1882 01:37:52,400 --> 01:37:53,920 Speaker 2: the vast majority you'll see on the people in the 1883 01:37:54,000 --> 01:37:57,320 Speaker 2: river are you know, nineteen to thirty year olds. You 1884 01:37:57,360 --> 01:37:59,360 Speaker 2: go out east, most people you see on the water 1885 01:37:59,400 --> 01:38:03,320 Speaker 2: with a fly rod or late fifties seventies. Huge disparity 1886 01:38:03,320 --> 01:38:04,599 Speaker 2: between the East Coast and the West Coast. 1887 01:38:04,600 --> 01:38:08,000 Speaker 4: Whence it comes down, it's trent. It's trendy here. Yeah, 1888 01:38:08,200 --> 01:38:08,639 Speaker 4: it's like. 1889 01:38:08,600 --> 01:38:12,680 Speaker 1: A well, it's been that way for decades. It's not 1890 01:38:12,720 --> 01:38:13,880 Speaker 1: even it's not even trendy. 1891 01:38:13,880 --> 01:38:15,439 Speaker 4: Since the time I moved out here. 1892 01:38:15,680 --> 01:38:17,799 Speaker 1: Yeah, but I would even say it's like, at a point, 1893 01:38:17,840 --> 01:38:20,800 Speaker 1: it's just the reality. But it's not even trendy. It's 1894 01:38:20,880 --> 01:38:24,519 Speaker 1: just like it's it's a it's a discipline or a 1895 01:38:24,560 --> 01:38:27,640 Speaker 1: pursuit that remains alive and well in a part of 1896 01:38:27,640 --> 01:38:28,000 Speaker 1: the world. 1897 01:38:28,200 --> 01:38:30,719 Speaker 2: Yes, but unfortunately a lot of those older customer bays 1898 01:38:30,880 --> 01:38:35,000 Speaker 2: are starting to pass away, and then along with them 1899 01:38:34,400 --> 01:38:39,040 Speaker 2: the drive to tie flies, and there aren't enough replacements 1900 01:38:39,080 --> 01:38:42,320 Speaker 2: coming in to basically take up the helm of all 1901 01:38:42,360 --> 01:38:44,840 Speaker 2: these guys. There's more guys that tie flies and fly 1902 01:38:44,920 --> 01:38:46,400 Speaker 2: fars that are passing away than are guys that are 1903 01:38:46,439 --> 01:38:48,200 Speaker 2: taking up the sport parts of the US. 1904 01:38:48,280 --> 01:38:49,920 Speaker 1: I want to just pause for one mix. I want 1905 01:38:49,960 --> 01:38:53,439 Speaker 1: to make sure I'm clear on something. Going into a 1906 01:38:53,439 --> 01:38:55,640 Speaker 1: fly shop and having the big wall of all the 1907 01:38:55,680 --> 01:39:01,280 Speaker 1: hackles and you know, dubbing, that's becoming not a thing. 1908 01:39:01,360 --> 01:39:02,360 Speaker 1: I didn't. I didn't know this. 1909 01:39:02,640 --> 01:39:05,800 Speaker 3: A lot of Yeah, lots of shops have gotten rid 1910 01:39:05,800 --> 01:39:09,040 Speaker 3: of that because, like what Brody said is it takes 1911 01:39:09,120 --> 01:39:14,280 Speaker 3: up a lot of retail space and your return on 1912 01:39:14,360 --> 01:39:19,280 Speaker 3: that retail space is way lower than like your soft 1913 01:39:19,320 --> 01:39:21,839 Speaker 3: goods or your hard goods, and so like your clothing, 1914 01:39:21,880 --> 01:39:24,920 Speaker 3: your waiters, stuff like that, you have better margins as 1915 01:39:24,960 --> 01:39:25,479 Speaker 3: a retailer. 1916 01:39:25,520 --> 01:39:28,000 Speaker 5: On Yeah, you get someone like Sun coming in messing 1917 01:39:28,080 --> 01:39:30,160 Speaker 5: up all the materials and then you spend an hour 1918 01:39:30,280 --> 01:39:32,599 Speaker 5: putting everything. 1919 01:39:32,920 --> 01:39:34,960 Speaker 1: They ring it all up. He's got like thirteen bucks 1920 01:39:34,960 --> 01:39:35,519 Speaker 1: for stuff. 1921 01:39:36,160 --> 01:39:38,439 Speaker 3: Brody's got to get the ladder out getting up there. 1922 01:39:38,600 --> 01:39:42,040 Speaker 2: But there's a big However, that because depending on the 1923 01:39:42,120 --> 01:39:45,559 Speaker 2: market in the region of the US, some shops will 1924 01:39:45,800 --> 01:39:50,120 Speaker 2: survive solely on tying materials because the return on the 1925 01:39:50,160 --> 01:39:53,799 Speaker 2: tying materials is actually far superior than it is on hardware. 1926 01:39:54,400 --> 01:39:57,160 Speaker 2: Because you can go on there with five hundred dollars 1927 01:39:57,200 --> 01:39:59,320 Speaker 2: and you might walk out with a small little brown 1928 01:39:59,400 --> 01:40:02,960 Speaker 2: back with him cials. It adds up, yeah, five dollars, 1929 01:40:03,040 --> 01:40:03,599 Speaker 2: seven dollars. 1930 01:40:03,760 --> 01:40:06,599 Speaker 4: You know, you think about that that hackle that whites 1931 01:40:07,120 --> 01:40:11,000 Speaker 4: whiting hackle, like that stuff is not cheap. 1932 01:40:11,240 --> 01:40:14,400 Speaker 2: No, Like, just to buy a basic entry gate grade 1933 01:40:14,479 --> 01:40:17,280 Speaker 2: cape is forty five bucks just for one color of 1934 01:40:17,280 --> 01:40:20,559 Speaker 2: a specific ackle. And that's where a lot of people, 1935 01:40:21,240 --> 01:40:23,760 Speaker 2: when they jump into that rabbit hole is. They look 1936 01:40:23,760 --> 01:40:25,559 Speaker 2: at books, they'll see all the materials, and they think 1937 01:40:25,560 --> 01:40:29,479 Speaker 2: they have to follow exactly that material list. And those 1938 01:40:29,479 --> 01:40:31,760 Speaker 2: guys there will run into every fly shop and they 1939 01:40:32,280 --> 01:40:34,320 Speaker 2: want to tie this fly or that fly, and they 1940 01:40:34,560 --> 01:40:37,000 Speaker 2: will have a list and they'll buy this hackle because 1941 01:40:37,040 --> 01:40:39,439 Speaker 2: this one fly calls for it. They'll buy this, and 1942 01:40:39,520 --> 01:40:42,280 Speaker 2: next thing you know, you have boxes of shit that 1943 01:40:42,360 --> 01:40:45,880 Speaker 2: you will only have used once ever for one particular pattern. 1944 01:40:46,439 --> 01:40:48,720 Speaker 2: And then after you get into it for a couple 1945 01:40:48,760 --> 01:40:51,320 Speaker 2: of years you realize you get substitute a lot of 1946 01:40:51,320 --> 01:40:53,200 Speaker 2: stuff that you don't have. But a lot of beginner 1947 01:40:53,240 --> 01:40:56,720 Speaker 2: tires don't know that. And those guys there will will 1948 01:40:56,800 --> 01:40:59,240 Speaker 2: keep a fly shop in business because they will spend 1949 01:40:59,400 --> 01:41:03,439 Speaker 2: thousands of dollars just buying materials for stuff that they 1950 01:41:03,520 --> 01:41:04,960 Speaker 2: might not even ever catch a fish. 1951 01:41:05,040 --> 01:41:07,360 Speaker 1: It's very addictive. Do you know the editor and fly 1952 01:41:07,560 --> 01:41:11,080 Speaker 1: tire uh and writer Jay Nichols? You know him at all? 1953 01:41:11,160 --> 01:41:12,960 Speaker 2: I know the name. I've never met him though. 1954 01:41:12,920 --> 01:41:16,000 Speaker 1: We lived together, Okay, Yeah, and I remember going out 1955 01:41:16,040 --> 01:41:21,000 Speaker 1: and U shooting pine squirrels and their tails are awesome. Yeah, 1956 01:41:21,080 --> 01:41:23,360 Speaker 1: him taking that hair and putting in his coffee grinder, 1957 01:41:23,479 --> 01:41:28,200 Speaker 1: you know, bacon make it like because he used to 1958 01:41:28,240 --> 01:41:29,240 Speaker 1: tie for the shops. 1959 01:41:29,680 --> 01:41:32,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, right here, this is the claws on this crayfish 1960 01:41:32,439 --> 01:41:33,000 Speaker 2: or pine squirrel. 1961 01:41:33,080 --> 01:41:35,439 Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, he used to have like he just sit 1962 01:41:35,520 --> 01:41:38,960 Speaker 1: there just like I guess what you're calling guide flies. Yeah, 1963 01:41:39,040 --> 01:41:40,479 Speaker 1: you know, not all the time, but he had a 1964 01:41:40,520 --> 01:41:43,840 Speaker 1: lot of times would spend time just tying and tying 1965 01:41:43,880 --> 01:41:45,800 Speaker 1: and tying and tying to go sell him at you know, 1966 01:41:45,920 --> 01:41:47,680 Speaker 1: Grizzly Hackle or whatever the hell it was. 1967 01:41:48,080 --> 01:41:50,799 Speaker 2: Yeah, but like fly shops are awesome, and for anybody 1968 01:41:50,800 --> 01:41:53,719 Speaker 2: that that hasn't gotten into fly fish and that's looking 1969 01:41:53,760 --> 01:41:56,000 Speaker 2: into it, develop a relationship with your local fla shop 1970 01:41:56,439 --> 01:41:59,640 Speaker 2: because they're the ones that if you if you don't one, 1971 01:41:59,680 --> 01:42:01,920 Speaker 2: they're probably going to go out business because all the 1972 01:42:01,920 --> 01:42:05,400 Speaker 2: big box store competitors is going to price them out. 1973 01:42:05,520 --> 01:42:07,640 Speaker 2: But if you go in there you develop that relationship, 1974 01:42:07,640 --> 01:42:10,400 Speaker 2: You're going to learn where to fish, where, what's biting, 1975 01:42:10,960 --> 01:42:12,960 Speaker 2: you know what type of flies are actually working, the 1976 01:42:12,960 --> 01:42:14,920 Speaker 2: time of year. You're gonna learn all these things and 1977 01:42:14,960 --> 01:42:16,840 Speaker 2: you never find out in a book because it's a 1978 01:42:16,880 --> 01:42:18,840 Speaker 2: local expert that's helping them out. And at the same time, 1979 01:42:18,840 --> 01:42:22,080 Speaker 2: you're also supporting your local economy and that will help 1980 01:42:22,120 --> 01:42:25,720 Speaker 2: you throughout the entire journey, whether it's time flies or 1981 01:42:25,800 --> 01:42:28,920 Speaker 2: picking the right gear, going to the right places to fish. 1982 01:42:28,920 --> 01:42:31,000 Speaker 2: It's spent certain times a year. There are just certain 1983 01:42:31,040 --> 01:42:35,160 Speaker 2: things that local guides know, local fly shops know that 1984 01:42:35,400 --> 01:42:37,639 Speaker 2: you can't ever find from Google or from. 1985 01:42:37,479 --> 01:42:38,000 Speaker 3: A lot of them. 1986 01:42:38,040 --> 01:42:41,160 Speaker 5: Do like tying seminars and classes and stuff. Did you 1987 01:42:41,200 --> 01:42:43,479 Speaker 5: did you do any of that at at that shop? 1988 01:42:43,520 --> 01:42:47,839 Speaker 2: And Indianapolis I did it with healing waters and eventually 1989 01:42:47,960 --> 01:42:50,080 Speaker 2: going full circle. I came back to fly Mass and 1990 01:42:50,080 --> 01:42:51,879 Speaker 2: I did some demos for them for customers. 1991 01:42:52,120 --> 01:42:55,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, so how do you become once you got into it? 1992 01:42:56,920 --> 01:42:58,600 Speaker 2: Uh? 1993 01:42:59,160 --> 01:43:02,240 Speaker 1: I guess ninety whatever, I don't know. Ninety nine percent 1994 01:43:02,280 --> 01:43:06,120 Speaker 1: of the people that start tying flies sit down and 1995 01:43:06,160 --> 01:43:10,559 Speaker 1: tie what they use, Okay, and they're just it's just functional, right, 1996 01:43:10,640 --> 01:43:12,720 Speaker 1: You're just tying them because you want to tie the 1997 01:43:12,720 --> 01:43:16,400 Speaker 1: flies that use Uh, how did it? What is the 1998 01:43:16,560 --> 01:43:20,840 Speaker 1: jump where it becomes artistry? Well, I would because you're 1999 01:43:21,080 --> 01:43:23,519 Speaker 1: you're not known now as just a dude that can 2000 01:43:23,560 --> 01:43:25,720 Speaker 1: whip out a shipload of pheasant tails before he goes 2001 01:43:25,720 --> 01:43:26,240 Speaker 1: out fishing. 2002 01:43:27,120 --> 01:43:29,240 Speaker 2: I wouldn't say ninety nine percent. I would probably say 2003 01:43:29,720 --> 01:43:33,040 Speaker 2: close to the fifty percent. Nowadays, with the influx of 2004 01:43:33,080 --> 01:43:36,400 Speaker 2: the younger generation getting into tying. 2005 01:43:36,120 --> 01:43:38,519 Speaker 1: I mean that people are into the artistry. Yeah. So 2006 01:43:38,680 --> 01:43:42,479 Speaker 1: more like your bread and butter fishermen are buying flies. Yes, 2007 01:43:42,520 --> 01:43:45,759 Speaker 1: and tying has become like like is it is tying 2008 01:43:45,880 --> 01:43:47,040 Speaker 1: retro now? 2009 01:43:47,680 --> 01:43:51,040 Speaker 2: Tying Uh? For many, like especially with guides, is a 2010 01:43:51,080 --> 01:43:53,560 Speaker 2: means to an end where they're supplying their own flyboxes 2011 01:43:53,640 --> 01:43:54,640 Speaker 2: versus having the buy. 2012 01:43:54,400 --> 01:43:57,400 Speaker 1: Out of financial considerations and so that's still a. 2013 01:43:57,439 --> 01:44:00,840 Speaker 2: Thing that's still think for others it's they the flies 2014 01:44:00,840 --> 01:44:03,080 Speaker 2: that they tie with their patterns. They know it's going 2015 01:44:03,160 --> 01:44:04,960 Speaker 2: to work better than anything they can buy, got it. 2016 01:44:05,080 --> 01:44:07,120 Speaker 2: So again it's still a means to an end, nop. 2017 01:44:07,360 --> 01:44:10,240 Speaker 2: And then for that other fifty percent, it's either for 2018 01:44:10,360 --> 01:44:13,280 Speaker 2: the mental health or just for the artistry. Just I mean, 2019 01:44:13,400 --> 01:44:14,680 Speaker 2: at the end of the day, if you look at it, 2020 01:44:14,680 --> 01:44:16,639 Speaker 2: it's adult arts and crafts. That's all. 2021 01:44:16,640 --> 01:44:17,639 Speaker 3: It is, arts and crafts. 2022 01:44:18,160 --> 01:44:18,320 Speaker 8: Sir. 2023 01:44:18,560 --> 01:44:21,960 Speaker 1: What was the first fly you tied that had some 2024 01:44:22,000 --> 01:44:24,960 Speaker 1: sort of merit beyond just being a thing that someone 2025 01:44:24,960 --> 01:44:28,640 Speaker 1: would go and snag in the bush behind them and 2026 01:44:29,080 --> 01:44:32,160 Speaker 1: write it off. That's another loss fly right. 2027 01:44:33,920 --> 01:44:38,320 Speaker 2: Probably Again, this here will be the obsessive compulsor nature 2028 01:44:38,360 --> 01:44:41,719 Speaker 2: of me. When I started learning, it was through books. 2029 01:44:42,479 --> 01:44:46,400 Speaker 2: Healing waters helped refine all that, but I was I 2030 01:44:46,439 --> 01:44:49,479 Speaker 2: had some books I was looking through there fly Masters 2031 01:44:49,479 --> 01:44:53,599 Speaker 2: of Indianapolis again, they gave me my first fice had 2032 01:44:53,640 --> 01:44:56,600 Speaker 2: no costs because they have, like I was telling you, 2033 01:44:57,280 --> 01:44:59,559 Speaker 2: on the East coast there and even the Midwest, you 2034 01:44:59,600 --> 01:45:01,839 Speaker 2: have a lot of people dying off. So these widows 2035 01:45:01,880 --> 01:45:05,160 Speaker 2: don't know what to do with their husbands. Or their grandparents' stuff, 2036 01:45:05,280 --> 01:45:07,519 Speaker 2: so they end up just giving it to charities or 2037 01:45:07,560 --> 01:45:11,519 Speaker 2: fly shops or whatever. And the fly shop there runs 2038 01:45:11,560 --> 01:45:13,960 Speaker 2: a lot of classes and whatnot on Saturday, so they 2039 01:45:13,960 --> 01:45:17,000 Speaker 2: had widows up bringing stuff all the time. So they 2040 01:45:17,040 --> 01:45:19,639 Speaker 2: had advice that they gave me along with the tools, 2041 01:45:19,640 --> 01:45:22,160 Speaker 2: some materials and whatnot. And you know, as I'm paging 2042 01:45:22,200 --> 01:45:22,479 Speaker 2: through this. 2043 01:45:22,520 --> 01:45:26,880 Speaker 1: Book, they gave it to you. That's bad business. Bad business. 2044 01:45:28,200 --> 01:45:30,080 Speaker 3: Hits free good? 2045 01:45:30,600 --> 01:45:30,960 Speaker 2: Is that right? 2046 01:45:31,439 --> 01:45:34,000 Speaker 1: What they had to repeat customer. And so. 2047 01:45:35,520 --> 01:45:38,800 Speaker 2: I was reading this book and reading about the history 2048 01:45:38,840 --> 01:45:41,000 Speaker 2: about the flies and how we got to start over 2049 01:45:41,080 --> 01:45:44,879 Speaker 2: there in the UK, and then how the early pioneers 2050 01:45:44,920 --> 01:45:47,880 Speaker 2: through to Gordon in the early nineteen hundreds took some 2051 01:45:47,920 --> 01:45:50,720 Speaker 2: of those British patterns and fashioned them to flies that 2052 01:45:50,760 --> 01:45:53,160 Speaker 2: would work in the fast moving waters up there in 2053 01:45:53,200 --> 01:45:55,400 Speaker 2: the Cassicall Mountain up in New York and turn them 2054 01:45:55,400 --> 01:45:58,720 Speaker 2: into you know, our modern drive flies today. So that 2055 01:45:58,800 --> 01:46:01,479 Speaker 2: really perked my interest because I'm such a history nerd 2056 01:46:01,520 --> 01:46:04,519 Speaker 2: that all I wanted to know the why isn't everything? 2057 01:46:05,200 --> 01:46:07,040 Speaker 2: And I read about it and then I looked at 2058 01:46:07,080 --> 01:46:08,599 Speaker 2: this one fly and I was like, man, this fly 2059 01:46:08,720 --> 01:46:11,559 Speaker 2: is just gorgeous. It's a pattern called the ginger quill 2060 01:46:11,720 --> 01:46:13,080 Speaker 2: developed in the early nineteen unders. 2061 01:46:13,160 --> 01:46:13,880 Speaker 1: The ginger quill. 2062 01:46:13,960 --> 01:46:17,680 Speaker 2: Ginger quill made out with mallard flank wings and uh 2063 01:46:17,880 --> 01:46:21,920 Speaker 2: strip peacock quill body hackle hold on yards. So I'm 2064 01:46:21,920 --> 01:46:23,599 Speaker 2: looking at this flies like I got to tie this thing. 2065 01:46:23,680 --> 01:46:26,240 Speaker 2: So look through the materials, didn't have it, went back 2066 01:46:26,240 --> 01:46:28,920 Speaker 2: to fly masters. But when I needed came back home 2067 01:46:29,000 --> 01:46:30,880 Speaker 2: start tying this fly. It looked like something that fell 2068 01:46:30,880 --> 01:46:31,760 Speaker 2: out of a bull's nose. 2069 01:46:33,360 --> 01:46:34,559 Speaker 1: But with the. 2070 01:46:34,520 --> 01:46:40,400 Speaker 2: Military background and the engineering background is like fur feathers 2071 01:46:40,560 --> 01:46:42,920 Speaker 2: threat ache at the best meat. I'm going to tie 2072 01:46:42,920 --> 01:46:45,800 Speaker 2: this damn fly. When it was all said, I tied 2073 01:46:45,840 --> 01:46:47,439 Speaker 2: about one hundred and twenty of these flies until I 2074 01:46:47,439 --> 01:46:50,920 Speaker 2: got it looked like wow, until it looked like that 2075 01:46:51,000 --> 01:46:53,120 Speaker 2: fly in the book, having no idea. That's not how 2076 01:46:53,160 --> 01:46:56,360 Speaker 2: you should start tying flies, because there's very simple patterns. 2077 01:46:56,400 --> 01:46:58,240 Speaker 2: You start off with the wooly buggers and all this 2078 01:46:58,600 --> 01:47:00,760 Speaker 2: I'm tying one of the most difficult lies there because 2079 01:47:00,800 --> 01:47:03,840 Speaker 2: in order to get those mallard flank feathers to sit right, 2080 01:47:04,439 --> 01:47:07,320 Speaker 2: they split real easily, and if you don't put the 2081 01:47:07,400 --> 01:47:10,360 Speaker 2: right amount of threat pressure on there, the feather. The 2082 01:47:11,120 --> 01:47:13,599 Speaker 2: strands between each of those feathers will just start frank. 2083 01:47:14,320 --> 01:47:17,080 Speaker 2: So it took over one hundred of these flies and 2084 01:47:17,200 --> 01:47:19,880 Speaker 2: a lot of so good, a lot of trips to 2085 01:47:19,960 --> 01:47:22,559 Speaker 2: fly masters. I literally bought them out of mautter of 2086 01:47:22,560 --> 01:47:25,360 Speaker 2: flank feathers until I got the fly look right. 2087 01:47:25,439 --> 01:47:27,439 Speaker 5: Yeah, if you just started with a San Juan worm, 2088 01:47:27,520 --> 01:47:28,439 Speaker 5: things could have gone. 2089 01:47:30,280 --> 01:47:33,040 Speaker 2: The funny part though, I was so proud of myself. 2090 01:47:33,080 --> 01:47:37,600 Speaker 2: I like, I tied this this ginger quilt, ginger quilt, 2091 01:47:38,439 --> 01:47:40,960 Speaker 2: just like the one in the book. And then I 2092 01:47:41,000 --> 01:47:45,040 Speaker 2: discovered Google and I typed ginger quill and the modern 2093 01:47:45,120 --> 01:47:48,760 Speaker 2: version look nothing like the ones that are in the book. 2094 01:47:50,240 --> 01:47:53,320 Speaker 2: Over time, it looks so much furtier the modern verses 2095 01:47:53,360 --> 01:47:55,480 Speaker 2: because we have better materials nowaday. 2096 01:47:55,479 --> 01:47:57,280 Speaker 1: And the modern version looked better. 2097 01:47:57,560 --> 01:48:00,320 Speaker 2: Because of the better quality hackle. When the materials there's 2098 01:48:00,360 --> 01:48:01,680 Speaker 2: you get genetic hackles where they. 2099 01:48:01,680 --> 01:48:03,800 Speaker 1: And you're you're working off some old ass book from 2100 01:48:03,800 --> 01:48:04,840 Speaker 1: the seventies or something. 2101 01:48:05,360 --> 01:48:07,559 Speaker 2: I'm taking working off a picture that was taking probably 2102 01:48:07,560 --> 01:48:10,360 Speaker 2: like nineteen oh five. Got it and my fly looked 2103 01:48:10,360 --> 01:48:12,599 Speaker 2: nothing like the modern versions. So I started all over again, 2104 01:48:12,840 --> 01:48:14,240 Speaker 2: and so I got it looking like the ones that 2105 01:48:14,240 --> 01:48:16,720 Speaker 2: I would solong on uh on Google. 2106 01:48:16,320 --> 01:48:18,479 Speaker 1: And meanwhile, are you at least fishing this thing too? 2107 01:48:19,040 --> 01:48:22,920 Speaker 3: No, I was gonna say, what what else did Google 2108 01:48:22,960 --> 01:48:23,840 Speaker 3: tell you about that fly? 2109 01:48:24,040 --> 01:48:26,240 Speaker 1: Dude? If you just saved those hundred and we could 2110 01:48:26,280 --> 01:48:29,519 Speaker 1: make a big display case the progression top to bottom, 2111 01:48:30,000 --> 01:48:31,840 Speaker 1: the one hundred flies lined out, it would be a 2112 01:48:31,880 --> 01:48:33,759 Speaker 1: nice little thing for the auction House of Oddities. 2113 01:48:34,000 --> 01:48:36,559 Speaker 2: So that fly right there was was the first. It 2114 01:48:36,600 --> 01:48:38,880 Speaker 2: was a fly that really right there. 2115 01:48:38,960 --> 01:48:42,920 Speaker 1: Oh, let me see this fly was, huh, the. 2116 01:48:42,800 --> 01:48:44,760 Speaker 2: One that really got me going down the rabbit hole. 2117 01:48:44,880 --> 01:48:47,840 Speaker 1: I was picturing when you when Chester just showed me 2118 01:48:47,880 --> 01:48:49,680 Speaker 1: the picture I was pictured something look like those old 2119 01:48:49,720 --> 01:48:55,479 Speaker 1: crazy Scottish like Atlantic salmon flies, right yeah, like like 2120 01:48:55,479 --> 01:48:58,439 Speaker 1: like Chester's crazy, not crazy, Chester's tattooed is uh. 2121 01:48:59,520 --> 01:49:03,080 Speaker 2: So when it got to me, I was tying for 2122 01:49:03,080 --> 01:49:05,519 Speaker 2: about eleven months now at that point, and a lot 2123 01:49:05,560 --> 01:49:07,439 Speaker 2: of it was just meet dabbling, figuring things out on 2124 01:49:07,439 --> 01:49:10,120 Speaker 2: my own and having no idea whether I was doing 2125 01:49:10,160 --> 01:49:10,640 Speaker 2: anything right. 2126 01:49:10,880 --> 01:49:13,200 Speaker 5: But no tying those flies on under the end of 2127 01:49:14,040 --> 01:49:15,599 Speaker 5: the lead where you were. 2128 01:49:15,560 --> 01:49:17,920 Speaker 2: I was fishing a lot of midges, pheasant tails, hair zier. 2129 01:49:18,280 --> 01:49:19,840 Speaker 1: So you're fishing meanwhile. 2130 01:49:19,680 --> 01:49:21,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, I literally tied every fly that was in that book, 2131 01:49:21,800 --> 01:49:25,040 Speaker 2: The Founding Flies, written by this gentleman my name, by 2132 01:49:25,040 --> 01:49:26,640 Speaker 2: the name of Mike Valaf from New York, so he's 2133 01:49:26,640 --> 01:49:28,120 Speaker 2: still around. Actually met him. 2134 01:49:28,360 --> 01:49:30,320 Speaker 1: Years later at he tried every fly in his book. 2135 01:49:30,320 --> 01:49:32,320 Speaker 2: I tied every fly in his book, and that included 2136 01:49:32,320 --> 01:49:36,080 Speaker 2: deer hair patterns, the streamers. These were all it's called 2137 01:49:36,080 --> 01:49:39,120 Speaker 2: like basically forty three masters guys from the nineteen hundred 2138 01:49:39,120 --> 01:49:43,240 Speaker 2: to the sixties that were showing their famous patterns there. 2139 01:49:43,520 --> 01:49:45,720 Speaker 2: And I tied like each of the ones that I 2140 01:49:45,720 --> 01:49:48,000 Speaker 2: saw in there. So I was figuring out how to 2141 01:49:48,040 --> 01:49:50,600 Speaker 2: do stuff. I was probably doing it very wrong, but 2142 01:49:51,240 --> 01:49:53,200 Speaker 2: I was spinning deer hair at that point because I 2143 01:49:53,240 --> 01:49:56,800 Speaker 2: wanted to mimic these irresistible atoms and whatnot. And it 2144 01:49:56,840 --> 01:50:00,400 Speaker 2: was through a lot of trial and air uh daky 2145 01:50:00,479 --> 01:50:04,080 Speaker 2: deer hair wrapping hackle. A lot of it was self taught, 2146 01:50:04,160 --> 01:50:07,120 Speaker 2: a lot of it was asking questions over at the 2147 01:50:07,160 --> 01:50:10,800 Speaker 2: local fly shops and uh, some of the guys over 2148 01:50:11,400 --> 01:50:13,640 Speaker 2: Project heilling Waters knew some of the answers, some did, 2149 01:50:14,479 --> 01:50:18,160 Speaker 2: and then so at eleven months they they Project Heiling 2150 01:50:18,200 --> 01:50:20,720 Speaker 2: Waters told me there's a national fly Time competition that 2151 01:50:21,040 --> 01:50:24,559 Speaker 2: they wanted me to enter, and I was like, what 2152 01:50:24,600 --> 01:50:26,599 Speaker 2: the heck, what is it. They're like, well, just a bit, 2153 01:50:26,680 --> 01:50:28,519 Speaker 2: you know, five of the same patterns, and if you 2154 01:50:28,520 --> 01:50:31,599 Speaker 2: you win in it, you know it's good for the program, 2155 01:50:31,680 --> 01:50:33,960 Speaker 2: et cetera, et cetera. And I'm like, all right, sure, 2156 01:50:34,520 --> 01:50:37,759 Speaker 2: so I I tied five fans. 2157 01:50:37,760 --> 01:50:41,360 Speaker 3: We're not aware that these competitions exist at this point. 2158 01:50:41,920 --> 01:50:44,800 Speaker 2: I had no idea how big this was because to me, 2159 01:50:44,920 --> 01:50:47,080 Speaker 2: I thought it was just like like a local chapter. 2160 01:50:47,320 --> 01:50:49,320 Speaker 1: This is so much like a movie. This is like 2161 01:50:49,400 --> 01:50:51,400 Speaker 1: the part and Karate Kid when he finds out about 2162 01:50:51,400 --> 01:50:52,400 Speaker 1: the karate contest. 2163 01:50:53,200 --> 01:50:57,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, so I tied five of these fan wing fan 2164 01:50:57,160 --> 01:51:03,400 Speaker 2: wing quote Gordon's and five of the stimulators, which is 2165 01:51:03,479 --> 01:51:05,360 Speaker 2: very popular was created out of here out west. 2166 01:51:05,560 --> 01:51:07,920 Speaker 1: And were you? You weren't You didn't happen to be 2167 01:51:08,040 --> 01:51:11,480 Speaker 1: like in a romantic rivalry with another. 2168 01:51:11,280 --> 01:51:13,479 Speaker 2: Tire where nobody even knew who I was. 2169 01:51:13,920 --> 01:51:15,559 Speaker 1: He was not like, you're not trying to win a 2170 01:51:15,560 --> 01:51:18,320 Speaker 1: woman's favorite. I'm just thinking about the movie here. You're 2171 01:51:18,360 --> 01:51:21,200 Speaker 1: not trying to win a woman's favorite through fly Time. Well, 2172 01:51:21,320 --> 01:51:23,679 Speaker 1: you gets like a real asshole who's good at times. 2173 01:51:23,720 --> 01:51:26,000 Speaker 3: Well, there's somebody at the fly shop and you guys 2174 01:51:26,080 --> 01:51:28,320 Speaker 3: reached for the same hackle at the same time, and 2175 01:51:28,360 --> 01:51:33,840 Speaker 3: he may have said something discriminatory and then you reunite 2176 01:51:35,840 --> 01:51:36,520 Speaker 3: the competition. 2177 01:51:40,840 --> 01:51:44,679 Speaker 2: So my buddy, his name is Joe Jackson. He's from Indiana. Also, 2178 01:51:44,720 --> 01:51:48,480 Speaker 2: he was also that that got out from from disabilities. 2179 01:51:48,520 --> 01:51:55,960 Speaker 3: There's another Joe Jackson from Indiana, the Jackson the family. 2180 01:51:57,800 --> 01:52:02,160 Speaker 2: Oh, never minding the competition too. 2181 01:52:02,360 --> 01:52:04,719 Speaker 1: At one time, Phil says something I had no idea 2182 01:52:04,720 --> 01:52:06,400 Speaker 1: that he totally derails the conversation. 2183 01:52:06,920 --> 01:52:10,240 Speaker 2: Nobody gets it, continued, He submitted flies also, and I 2184 01:52:10,240 --> 01:52:12,599 Speaker 2: didn't I didn't know that he had submitted flies if 2185 01:52:12,800 --> 01:52:16,639 Speaker 2: several people from that same program, and so they invited 2186 01:52:16,640 --> 01:52:18,280 Speaker 2: all the files. I was notified. You know, I was 2187 01:52:18,280 --> 01:52:20,880 Speaker 2: one of the top five finalists for this competition. And 2188 01:52:20,880 --> 01:52:25,160 Speaker 2: then there was this International fly Time Supposium in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 2189 01:52:25,400 --> 01:52:26,960 Speaker 2: and they paid my way to get out there, put 2190 01:52:26,960 --> 01:52:28,800 Speaker 2: me up in the hotel, and then come check out 2191 01:52:28,800 --> 01:52:30,640 Speaker 2: the show. Who was tied at the boots so you 2192 01:52:30,760 --> 01:52:33,519 Speaker 2: have to tie him there? No, you submitted them. And 2193 01:52:33,560 --> 01:52:35,559 Speaker 2: then there was a panel of all these like renowned 2194 01:52:36,439 --> 01:52:39,760 Speaker 2: expert tires from across the US that analyzed the work, 2195 01:52:39,800 --> 01:52:42,759 Speaker 2: that analyzed the work, So it seems ripe for fraud 2196 01:52:43,479 --> 01:52:43,920 Speaker 2: could be. 2197 01:52:44,200 --> 01:52:46,519 Speaker 5: When they do when they do analyze them, are they 2198 01:52:46,600 --> 01:52:48,800 Speaker 5: deconstructing them? Are they just looking at. 2199 01:52:48,720 --> 01:52:50,880 Speaker 2: They're looking at them. They see if they all look 2200 01:52:50,960 --> 01:52:52,880 Speaker 2: the same, the proportions are correct. 2201 01:52:52,960 --> 01:52:54,800 Speaker 1: I'm surprised you don't need to tie it in front 2202 01:52:54,800 --> 01:52:55,120 Speaker 1: of them. 2203 01:52:55,520 --> 01:52:57,800 Speaker 2: Well, you eventually do that if you. I mean, they 2204 01:52:57,840 --> 01:53:00,479 Speaker 2: have a like a little boot there where you get 2205 01:53:00,479 --> 01:53:02,240 Speaker 2: an hour block and you said, had. 2206 01:53:02,080 --> 01:53:04,599 Speaker 5: You worked your way up to like a real nice 2207 01:53:04,640 --> 01:53:08,200 Speaker 5: souped up rotary ronsetti vice yet or you're just working 2208 01:53:08,240 --> 01:53:09,720 Speaker 5: on that same one that they gave to you. 2209 01:53:09,920 --> 01:53:12,960 Speaker 2: That was advice they gave me was ritt yea, they 2210 01:53:12,960 --> 01:53:13,240 Speaker 2: gave you. 2211 01:53:13,280 --> 01:53:16,080 Speaker 1: A good one. Tell me this vice again, I never 2212 01:53:16,080 --> 01:53:16,280 Speaker 1: heard of. 2213 01:53:18,280 --> 01:53:18,920 Speaker 3: I gave you. 2214 01:53:19,920 --> 01:53:24,560 Speaker 1: My daughter's is a rinsettie, the old one. Hey tell you. 2215 01:53:24,560 --> 01:53:26,080 Speaker 1: The only thing we tie on her his lead ahead. 2216 01:53:26,280 --> 01:53:29,360 Speaker 5: Well, either way, that's like that. 2217 01:53:30,200 --> 01:53:32,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's some other good companies that make them. Thank you. 2218 01:53:33,360 --> 01:53:35,360 Speaker 1: What's it all the rubber bands and whatnot on there? 2219 01:53:35,400 --> 01:53:37,559 Speaker 5: Well, because there's a little piece on there that keeps 2220 01:53:37,720 --> 01:53:42,720 Speaker 5: keeps the flex on the jaws and that rubber, you 2221 01:53:42,760 --> 01:53:45,599 Speaker 5: know what I'm talking about, goes around the jaws that broke. 2222 01:53:45,680 --> 01:53:47,280 Speaker 2: So I just put a rubber. 2223 01:53:47,640 --> 01:53:48,479 Speaker 1: It's a round zetti. 2224 01:53:49,240 --> 01:53:50,320 Speaker 2: It's a rubber zetti. 2225 01:53:50,439 --> 01:53:50,880 Speaker 1: I don't know. 2226 01:53:53,560 --> 01:53:55,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, they're based out of Florida. 2227 01:53:55,760 --> 01:53:59,519 Speaker 1: And that's the cats asked for. Cast me out for vices. 2228 01:54:00,360 --> 01:54:03,519 Speaker 2: No, I have, I think only eleven vices at home. 2229 01:54:03,640 --> 01:54:04,400 Speaker 1: What's your favorite? 2230 01:54:05,200 --> 01:54:07,599 Speaker 2: I really don't have one particular one. I use them 2231 01:54:07,600 --> 01:54:09,960 Speaker 2: all because they all serve a different purpose. There's a 2232 01:54:09,960 --> 01:54:12,519 Speaker 2: couple that I bought them because they're they were cool 2233 01:54:12,760 --> 01:54:15,400 Speaker 2: to look at, but functionally wise, they weren't as good 2234 01:54:15,400 --> 01:54:17,080 Speaker 2: as some of the other ones. But like Norvice is 2235 01:54:17,080 --> 01:54:19,320 Speaker 2: one of the ones I used quite a bit. Rensetti 2236 01:54:19,920 --> 01:54:22,479 Speaker 2: Regal was another good one. There's a lot of different companies. 2237 01:54:22,600 --> 01:54:24,760 Speaker 1: It makes the most kick ass pair of little scissors. 2238 01:54:25,320 --> 01:54:29,080 Speaker 2: UH company would call it the renowned because they're they're 2239 01:54:29,120 --> 01:54:33,040 Speaker 2: based off of German scissors. Yeah, and they're sharpes scissors 2240 01:54:33,040 --> 01:54:35,960 Speaker 2: by far. I mean, the engineering behind them is phenomenal. 2241 01:54:36,040 --> 01:54:37,960 Speaker 1: Now, what could have what could have fell a uh 2242 01:54:38,360 --> 01:54:41,920 Speaker 1: put into a pair of scissors? Good pair of scissors. 2243 01:54:43,360 --> 01:54:44,360 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, you're. 2244 01:54:44,240 --> 01:54:47,280 Speaker 2: Gonna say something crazy no, you can put more money 2245 01:54:47,280 --> 01:54:47,800 Speaker 2: into advice. 2246 01:54:48,000 --> 01:54:50,880 Speaker 1: I'm a scissors like a scissors enthusiast. Yeah, you want to. 2247 01:54:50,840 --> 01:54:54,400 Speaker 2: Get a pair of really good scissors. And so, uh, 2248 01:54:54,600 --> 01:54:57,400 Speaker 2: going back onto that time competition when I was there, 2249 01:54:57,440 --> 01:55:00,560 Speaker 2: they started announcing all these winners off, fifth place, fourth place, 2250 01:55:00,560 --> 01:55:02,600 Speaker 2: et cetera. And then finally it was me and Joe 2251 01:55:02,680 --> 01:55:05,200 Speaker 2: left and then they announced Joe. I was just, you know, 2252 01:55:05,240 --> 01:55:07,520 Speaker 2: the first runner up. I'm like sitting there like this. 2253 01:55:07,600 --> 01:55:09,440 Speaker 2: They really even down on me. I was like everybody 2254 01:55:09,440 --> 01:55:11,520 Speaker 2: else is gone and I'm still sitting there at the table. 2255 01:55:12,480 --> 01:55:15,880 Speaker 2: You yeah, that's one of like the guys around me. 2256 01:55:15,920 --> 01:55:18,680 Speaker 2: They're like congratulations sign and I'm like, oh ship, I 2257 01:55:18,720 --> 01:55:23,320 Speaker 2: want So they called off my name and then gave me. 2258 01:55:23,560 --> 01:55:26,000 Speaker 2: They gave me the Regal Advice as one of the prize, 2259 01:55:26,000 --> 01:55:27,920 Speaker 2: along with certificates and all this stuff like. 2260 01:55:28,240 --> 01:55:32,280 Speaker 1: First yeah, first runner up is confusing. I remember entering 2261 01:55:32,320 --> 01:55:34,520 Speaker 1: an essay contest and getting the letter when I was 2262 01:55:34,520 --> 01:55:36,520 Speaker 1: in high school, getting the letter that I was first 2263 01:55:36,600 --> 01:55:39,920 Speaker 1: runner up. I thought it meant at one, and then 2264 01:55:39,920 --> 01:55:41,240 Speaker 1: someone had to be like, no, that's not what that means. 2265 01:55:41,280 --> 01:55:44,680 Speaker 1: You're like despike the word first. It's like your second. 2266 01:55:45,000 --> 01:55:47,240 Speaker 5: It's a more flattering way of saying second. 2267 01:55:57,000 --> 01:55:59,560 Speaker 2: So first and second place ended up being two guys 2268 01:55:59,560 --> 01:56:01,320 Speaker 2: from the same program. It was me and Joe, but. 2269 01:56:01,360 --> 01:56:03,000 Speaker 1: Out of people from around the whole country. 2270 01:56:03,080 --> 01:56:05,880 Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, it was pretty cool. 2271 01:56:06,000 --> 01:56:08,920 Speaker 1: Did you guys have the same mentor Uh? 2272 01:56:08,960 --> 01:56:11,360 Speaker 2: He was there quite a few years longer than I was. 2273 01:56:11,400 --> 01:56:13,360 Speaker 2: I was just I was still relative that they knew there, 2274 01:56:13,760 --> 01:56:17,240 Speaker 2: So I really don't know how he Uh he was taught. 2275 01:56:17,520 --> 01:56:19,200 Speaker 2: I know, he was self taught a lot of stuff. 2276 01:56:19,200 --> 01:56:21,280 Speaker 2: He does a lot of deer hair stuff also, but 2277 01:56:21,360 --> 01:56:23,080 Speaker 2: he was very involved with the program at that point, 2278 01:56:23,080 --> 01:56:24,440 Speaker 2: and I was like the new guy coming in. 2279 01:56:24,840 --> 01:56:26,920 Speaker 1: And so what was the average these guys that are 2280 01:56:26,960 --> 01:56:29,360 Speaker 1: tying in this in this competition? Were you guys? Were 2281 01:56:29,360 --> 01:56:30,520 Speaker 1: you guys relatively young? 2282 01:56:31,560 --> 01:56:36,360 Speaker 2: I was always relatively old compared those other to other tires, Yeah, 2283 01:56:36,440 --> 01:56:39,120 Speaker 2: that are in the program. Most of these guys are 2284 01:56:39,160 --> 01:56:42,760 Speaker 2: either veterans that that did you know, three years, got 2285 01:56:42,760 --> 01:56:47,120 Speaker 2: out some disability, or got injured in their seventh year. 2286 01:56:47,280 --> 01:56:50,760 Speaker 2: So you had the vast majority of them are probably 2287 01:56:51,120 --> 01:56:55,760 Speaker 2: I mean, it's gonna vary between programs mid thirties to 2288 01:56:55,840 --> 01:56:56,800 Speaker 2: mid forties, yep. 2289 01:56:57,960 --> 01:57:02,040 Speaker 1: And but I guess that it's great, and that's an 2290 01:57:02,080 --> 01:57:04,760 Speaker 1: interesting thing that I could appreciate that because you stayed 2291 01:57:04,800 --> 01:57:06,880 Speaker 1: in for so long. But what I meant was the 2292 01:57:06,880 --> 01:57:15,000 Speaker 1: fly tying, the competitive fly tying community in general. Tens old. Yeah, okay, yeah, 2293 01:57:15,040 --> 01:57:17,960 Speaker 1: So I don't know if the eyesight thing eventually bombs 2294 01:57:18,000 --> 01:57:18,480 Speaker 1: ye out or. 2295 01:57:18,680 --> 01:57:21,240 Speaker 2: It does, but they make cheaters and everything you can 2296 01:57:21,280 --> 01:57:23,160 Speaker 2: wear for them, Like I have really good eyesight. I 2297 01:57:23,160 --> 01:57:27,400 Speaker 2: mean we see it about twenty fifteen or so, so 2298 01:57:27,680 --> 01:57:30,720 Speaker 2: I have that advantage with my eyesight. But the other 2299 01:57:30,760 --> 01:57:34,200 Speaker 2: part to it was like back then it was one 2300 01:57:34,280 --> 01:57:38,480 Speaker 2: huge competition where first place was against everybody, whether you've 2301 01:57:38,520 --> 01:57:40,200 Speaker 2: been tying for six months or you've been tying for 2302 01:57:40,240 --> 01:57:42,960 Speaker 2: six years, there was no difference. Nowadays they break it 2303 01:57:42,960 --> 01:57:46,640 Speaker 2: down my beginner, intermediate, advance. So it was pretty cool 2304 01:57:47,360 --> 01:57:52,000 Speaker 2: to have basically won that competition, and that opened up 2305 01:57:52,120 --> 01:57:55,720 Speaker 2: the can of worms from there because they started announcing 2306 01:57:56,480 --> 01:58:00,280 Speaker 2: I started my first social media page because I was 2307 01:58:00,320 --> 01:58:03,640 Speaker 2: still using like mass emails to attach pictures of flies 2308 01:58:03,680 --> 01:58:05,200 Speaker 2: that I'll send it on my buddies. It's like, hey, 2309 01:58:05,240 --> 01:58:07,120 Speaker 2: look at this one, Look at this one. They're like, dude, 2310 01:58:07,200 --> 01:58:08,960 Speaker 2: I only just open up a social media account, so 2311 01:58:09,000 --> 01:58:10,520 Speaker 2: everybody just look at it without having to open up 2312 01:58:10,520 --> 01:58:12,400 Speaker 2: emails and whatnot. And that's how I end up starting 2313 01:58:12,960 --> 01:58:15,600 Speaker 2: the insecretive account, was just so that people. 2314 01:58:15,400 --> 01:58:17,360 Speaker 1: Will look at these and what is the Instagram account? 2315 01:58:17,520 --> 01:58:23,160 Speaker 2: It's a Sun Underscore tel and so they they started 2316 01:58:23,160 --> 01:58:25,160 Speaker 2: looking at these flies and next you know, like I 2317 01:58:25,200 --> 01:58:28,240 Speaker 2: get these notifications. So and so is following. You were like, 2318 01:58:28,240 --> 01:58:30,360 Speaker 2: what the hell is this person doing. I didn't know 2319 01:58:30,400 --> 01:58:32,920 Speaker 2: what it was. And I started getting these messages and 2320 01:58:32,920 --> 01:58:35,280 Speaker 2: I had no idea what a DM was. And then 2321 01:58:35,320 --> 01:58:38,160 Speaker 2: it was my cousin that told me, hey, somebody just 2322 01:58:38,440 --> 01:58:41,000 Speaker 2: likes what you're posting up on there. And eventually I 2323 01:58:41,000 --> 01:58:43,320 Speaker 2: had a question if somebody could ask me like a. 2324 01:58:43,280 --> 01:58:45,160 Speaker 3: Demonstrator, like don't worry, you don't have to go kick 2325 01:58:45,200 --> 01:58:47,640 Speaker 3: their ass, like they just like what you're doing. 2326 01:58:47,720 --> 01:58:49,200 Speaker 2: I thought it was just my friends that were following 2327 01:58:49,240 --> 01:58:51,360 Speaker 2: this account. I realized that strangers that I could just 2328 01:58:51,400 --> 01:58:54,400 Speaker 2: follow your account. So somebody had asked me to post 2329 01:58:54,440 --> 01:58:58,920 Speaker 2: a like detail how I tie in a specific technique. 2330 01:58:58,920 --> 01:59:01,440 Speaker 2: It's like hackle wrap or something like that. So I 2331 01:59:01,440 --> 01:59:03,160 Speaker 2: tried to explain, but it was taking me long, so 2332 01:59:03,200 --> 01:59:05,480 Speaker 2: I just recorded the video and I posted up there 2333 01:59:05,960 --> 01:59:07,440 Speaker 2: and the next you know, like this video I had 2334 01:59:07,440 --> 01:59:10,000 Speaker 2: like over a thousand likes. And I was on social 2335 01:59:10,080 --> 01:59:11,760 Speaker 2: media at that point for like three months or something like, 2336 01:59:11,800 --> 01:59:13,400 Speaker 2: and so I was like, wow, a thousand people like this, 2337 01:59:13,960 --> 01:59:16,160 Speaker 2: And so I started posting more of these videos and 2338 01:59:16,200 --> 01:59:20,000 Speaker 2: these these flies, and the I guess the algorithm love 2339 01:59:20,040 --> 01:59:22,800 Speaker 2: these little videos or whatever, and the account just like 2340 01:59:22,800 --> 01:59:25,520 Speaker 2: like really blew up. And then it spanned of like 2341 01:59:25,560 --> 01:59:28,280 Speaker 2: a six years that you know, went up to somewhere 2342 01:59:28,280 --> 01:59:30,720 Speaker 2: in eighty thousand some range now. And then in the 2343 01:59:30,720 --> 01:59:32,840 Speaker 2: fly fishing or in the grand scheme thing, it's not 2344 01:59:32,880 --> 01:59:35,840 Speaker 2: a whole lot, but for the fly fishing industry itself, 2345 01:59:35,880 --> 01:59:38,160 Speaker 2: it's equivalent probably having like a million followers in like 2346 01:59:38,200 --> 01:59:41,360 Speaker 2: a mass industry because fly fishing is so small and 2347 01:59:41,400 --> 01:59:45,680 Speaker 2: so but this is like the fly tying world tying 2348 01:59:45,680 --> 01:59:49,240 Speaker 2: in fishing because the one difference with my account is 2349 01:59:49,880 --> 01:59:52,360 Speaker 2: I try to mix in the fish that I catch 2350 01:59:53,000 --> 01:59:56,160 Speaker 2: along with the flies that I tie, and then it's 2351 01:59:56,200 --> 01:59:59,640 Speaker 2: flies that that are proven patterns that work. It's just 2352 01:59:59,680 --> 02:00:03,800 Speaker 2: I show the techniques. It's basically sixty second video is 2353 02:00:03,800 --> 02:00:05,720 Speaker 2: what they boil down to on how to do the 2354 02:00:05,720 --> 02:00:08,360 Speaker 2: major portions of these. I'll speed up the mundane stuff 2355 02:00:08,360 --> 02:00:11,200 Speaker 2: with the raps, and they'll slow it down on the 2356 02:00:11,240 --> 02:00:14,400 Speaker 2: more intricate parts. And then somebody that has a general 2357 02:00:14,440 --> 02:00:17,240 Speaker 2: idea how to tie they could basically capture how to 2358 02:00:17,280 --> 02:00:19,440 Speaker 2: tie this fly in a span of like sixty seconds 2359 02:00:19,480 --> 02:00:23,160 Speaker 2: versus having to sit through, you know, fifteen twenty thirty 2360 02:00:23,160 --> 02:00:26,280 Speaker 2: minute YouTube videos on a tutorial. So somebody just wants 2361 02:00:26,680 --> 02:00:29,320 Speaker 2: the basic idea of how to do something, they were 2362 02:00:29,320 --> 02:00:33,160 Speaker 2: looking at these videos, and over the course of that time, 2363 02:00:33,160 --> 02:00:35,560 Speaker 2: I got to meet quite a few cool people in 2364 02:00:35,600 --> 02:00:38,280 Speaker 2: the industry a lot, Like I meant that author, he 2365 02:00:38,360 --> 02:00:40,720 Speaker 2: knew who I was, and it was his book that 2366 02:00:40,760 --> 02:00:41,560 Speaker 2: got right. 2367 02:00:41,600 --> 02:00:42,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, Oh that's cool. 2368 02:00:42,520 --> 02:00:44,520 Speaker 2: Same deal with Like that's a good part of the 2369 02:00:44,520 --> 02:00:52,120 Speaker 2: movie too, right, manufacturers of most of these vices, Like 2370 02:00:52,440 --> 02:00:54,760 Speaker 2: when I went to Sims with Warriors and Quiet Waters Foundation, 2371 02:00:55,200 --> 02:00:56,760 Speaker 2: I mean, I'd be remiss if I didn't bring them up, 2372 02:00:56,760 --> 02:00:58,320 Speaker 2: And we talked about that a little more a minute. 2373 02:00:58,560 --> 02:01:01,760 Speaker 2: But when I first came here for my first outing 2374 02:01:01,840 --> 02:01:04,560 Speaker 2: with Warriors and Quiet Waters, they took us to the 2375 02:01:04,600 --> 02:01:08,360 Speaker 2: SIMS factory to outfit us with with SIMS gear and 2376 02:01:08,360 --> 02:01:10,520 Speaker 2: along give us you know, fly rods and whatnot taking 2377 02:01:10,520 --> 02:01:12,320 Speaker 2: the vets. At that point, I was already fishing for 2378 02:01:12,320 --> 02:01:13,640 Speaker 2: a little bit, but a lot of vets come here 2379 02:01:13,760 --> 02:01:15,800 Speaker 2: and they ain't never done it before. So when I 2380 02:01:15,840 --> 02:01:17,920 Speaker 2: went there, a lot of the guys that are working 2381 02:01:17,920 --> 02:01:20,160 Speaker 2: as SIMS knew who I was from from the social 2382 02:01:20,200 --> 02:01:23,360 Speaker 2: media aspect there and that was yeah, yeah. So one 2383 02:01:23,400 --> 02:01:25,080 Speaker 2: of the guys, he doesn't work there anymore, his name 2384 02:01:25,120 --> 02:01:27,440 Speaker 2: is Brent, but he came out he was like, man, 2385 02:01:27,560 --> 02:01:29,320 Speaker 2: do you have any flies with you? I was like, yeah, 2386 02:01:29,320 --> 02:01:31,360 Speaker 2: I got my fly box out here in my pack 2387 02:01:31,400 --> 02:01:32,880 Speaker 2: and he said, can I check the my house? And 2388 02:01:32,960 --> 02:01:34,920 Speaker 2: I was like yeah, sure. Brought him in there and 2389 02:01:34,920 --> 02:01:36,480 Speaker 2: he's looking through all these flies like you can have 2390 02:01:36,560 --> 02:01:38,280 Speaker 2: him when he's and he still has them on his 2391 02:01:38,320 --> 02:01:40,560 Speaker 2: man or he lives here in Bozeman, and but he 2392 02:01:40,600 --> 02:01:42,680 Speaker 2: never fished and we kept them. So I didn't realize that, 2393 02:01:42,800 --> 02:01:45,400 Speaker 2: you know, time, flies gonna have that much impact for 2394 02:01:45,440 --> 02:01:47,760 Speaker 2: some people, and there are people that really love the 2395 02:01:47,880 --> 02:01:51,400 Speaker 2: artistry and the uh the work that's behind in concept 2396 02:01:51,400 --> 02:01:53,600 Speaker 2: of fly. The longest time there for me was just 2397 02:01:53,680 --> 02:01:56,200 Speaker 2: basically a way to relax in a way to catch fish. 2398 02:01:56,440 --> 02:01:58,200 Speaker 2: I don't have a single fly, that's fright. 2399 02:01:58,680 --> 02:01:59,000 Speaker 7: Do you. 2400 02:02:00,480 --> 02:02:04,040 Speaker 5: Will you fish with a fly tied by someone else? 2401 02:02:04,160 --> 02:02:05,240 Speaker 1: Or is that no? 2402 02:02:05,480 --> 02:02:07,720 Speaker 2: I have no problems doing that, Okay, I won't fish 2403 02:02:07,800 --> 02:02:11,800 Speaker 2: with flies that are tied overseas and the sweatshops right 2404 02:02:12,080 --> 02:02:13,760 Speaker 2: because they're they're garbage. 2405 02:02:13,840 --> 02:02:15,800 Speaker 1: I'm sorry. I didn't know that that was the thing 2406 02:02:15,920 --> 02:02:18,440 Speaker 1: till till a couple of years ago that that had 2407 02:02:18,480 --> 02:02:23,960 Speaker 1: become a that there's a couple of countries that where 2408 02:02:24,000 --> 02:02:26,560 Speaker 1: is it somewhere? 2409 02:02:27,520 --> 02:02:30,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, Kenya. Now there are some companies that are very 2410 02:02:30,920 --> 02:02:33,200 Speaker 2: good and they take very good care of those workers, 2411 02:02:33,200 --> 02:02:33,560 Speaker 2: and some. 2412 02:02:33,560 --> 02:02:38,480 Speaker 4: Are what percentage of flies in these fly shops do 2413 02:02:38,520 --> 02:02:41,640 Speaker 4: you think are tied overseas? 2414 02:02:42,280 --> 02:02:44,600 Speaker 2: Ninety I bet I would say probably close to the 2415 02:02:44,680 --> 02:02:48,240 Speaker 2: ninety five percent, much lower in some of the local 2416 02:02:48,280 --> 02:02:51,520 Speaker 2: shops here, for example, like a huge fly fishing community 2417 02:02:51,520 --> 02:02:54,880 Speaker 2: like Montanam Bozeman. A lot of the fly shops here 2418 02:02:54,960 --> 02:02:58,760 Speaker 2: probably maybe fifty percent, maybe a little bit more. So 2419 02:02:59,120 --> 02:03:02,840 Speaker 2: the really good one will support local tires. And then 2420 02:03:02,880 --> 02:03:04,600 Speaker 2: there are some people that tie commercially and that's all 2421 02:03:04,640 --> 02:03:06,520 Speaker 2: they do, eight hours of a day is just tie 2422 02:03:06,560 --> 02:03:08,960 Speaker 2: flies for shops. I mean, I'd rather stick up food 2423 02:03:09,040 --> 02:03:10,400 Speaker 2: in my eye than do that for eight hours. But 2424 02:03:11,200 --> 02:03:12,959 Speaker 2: there's there's people that do that for a living. 2425 02:03:12,760 --> 02:03:15,280 Speaker 1: And it'll be like a carpal tunnel component to that shattoo. 2426 02:03:15,360 --> 02:03:19,960 Speaker 2: And then just the for me, I would get bored 2427 02:03:20,120 --> 02:03:21,560 Speaker 2: doing the same reea when you get. 2428 02:03:21,480 --> 02:03:25,960 Speaker 5: Into order for yeah, that's when inconyms and you just 2429 02:03:26,000 --> 02:03:26,720 Speaker 5: gotta do the same. 2430 02:03:27,000 --> 02:03:28,440 Speaker 2: A lot of people that ask me the tie flies, 2431 02:03:28,440 --> 02:03:29,880 Speaker 2: how much did I sell them for? And I don't 2432 02:03:29,880 --> 02:03:30,560 Speaker 2: sell flies for. 2433 02:03:30,520 --> 02:03:32,680 Speaker 1: That, So you don't make any jingle off fly time. 2434 02:03:33,600 --> 02:03:36,880 Speaker 2: Uh No, I don't sell anything, make any money off 2435 02:03:36,880 --> 02:03:39,120 Speaker 2: of it. I just do it basically. I enjoy it, 2436 02:03:39,480 --> 02:03:41,280 Speaker 2: you know, So yeah, you don't. 2437 02:03:41,440 --> 02:03:43,600 Speaker 1: You don't make like you don't just sell where I 2438 02:03:43,600 --> 02:03:46,000 Speaker 1: could just buy this. As a person that collective flies. 2439 02:03:45,800 --> 02:03:50,680 Speaker 2: Now, there are times where I will put together like 2440 02:03:50,800 --> 02:03:53,600 Speaker 2: a shadow box or something like that, or tie like 2441 02:03:53,640 --> 02:03:56,280 Speaker 2: two or three dozen flies for silent auxs and charities. 2442 02:03:56,760 --> 02:03:59,160 Speaker 2: And then because I don't sell flies, then those those 2443 02:03:59,160 --> 02:04:02,160 Speaker 2: shadow boxes, those flies that are meant for fishing and whatnot, 2444 02:04:02,520 --> 02:04:05,520 Speaker 2: they go for an astronomical amount that helps those organizations out. 2445 02:04:05,920 --> 02:04:08,040 Speaker 2: So maybe one the two times a year I'll offer 2446 02:04:08,080 --> 02:04:11,200 Speaker 2: flies for sale to help out a cause like I 2447 02:04:11,280 --> 02:04:13,920 Speaker 2: did one here for Warriors and Quiet Waters Foundations several 2448 02:04:14,000 --> 02:04:16,600 Speaker 2: years ago, and then they they paired it up with 2449 02:04:16,800 --> 02:04:19,160 Speaker 2: you know, nine nine rounds of golf with Jordan Speith, 2450 02:04:19,800 --> 02:04:22,720 Speaker 2: and so they pair they do that with alumni where 2451 02:04:22,880 --> 02:04:26,320 Speaker 2: will some guides will take other people on the trip. 2452 02:04:26,760 --> 02:04:31,280 Speaker 2: I donated flies and then I do some for Healing Waters, 2453 02:04:31,320 --> 02:04:33,440 Speaker 2: like I still stay active with them, and then donate 2454 02:04:33,480 --> 02:04:37,280 Speaker 2: flies for the fly Fishing film tour in in Indianapolis, 2455 02:04:37,640 --> 02:04:41,080 Speaker 2: and they have a silent auction there and generally one 2456 02:04:41,120 --> 02:04:42,760 Speaker 2: of those shadow boxing go for as much as like 2457 02:04:42,800 --> 02:04:44,800 Speaker 2: five hundred and six hund dollars because people want some 2458 02:04:44,840 --> 02:04:46,520 Speaker 2: of these flies and I don't have them for sale. 2459 02:04:47,000 --> 02:04:48,880 Speaker 1: So you just live off your army money. 2460 02:04:49,400 --> 02:04:52,720 Speaker 2: Uh not totally. I mean I would be lying if 2461 02:04:52,760 --> 02:04:56,360 Speaker 2: I said that, because like on Facebook and on TikTok 2462 02:04:56,920 --> 02:04:58,520 Speaker 2: for videos, I get paid for. 2463 02:04:58,440 --> 02:04:58,920 Speaker 1: Some of the views. 2464 02:04:59,760 --> 02:05:02,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, so there's some secondary income that comes off of that. 2465 02:05:03,440 --> 02:05:05,280 Speaker 2: I mean it's not you can make a living off 2466 02:05:05,280 --> 02:05:07,360 Speaker 2: of it per se, because I don't have like the 2467 02:05:07,400 --> 02:05:10,240 Speaker 2: millions of followers on YouTube or whatever. But it's enough 2468 02:05:10,280 --> 02:05:13,160 Speaker 2: to pay for a fishing trip here or there. 2469 02:05:13,520 --> 02:05:16,080 Speaker 1: So now that you're retiring from. Now that you're retiring 2470 02:05:16,080 --> 02:05:17,280 Speaker 1: from the army, what's your plan? 2471 02:05:18,200 --> 02:05:21,000 Speaker 2: Well, a lot of it's gonna be boiled down to 2472 02:05:21,200 --> 02:05:24,440 Speaker 2: what my wife wants to do, because for twenty two years, 2473 02:05:24,480 --> 02:05:27,640 Speaker 2: she well she's her and the kids have followed me 2474 02:05:27,680 --> 02:05:30,280 Speaker 2: around the country and then pretty much had really no 2475 02:05:30,360 --> 02:05:32,320 Speaker 2: say in the matter other than where we're gonna live 2476 02:05:32,360 --> 02:05:35,640 Speaker 2: once we got there. So they're gonna play a big 2477 02:05:35,680 --> 02:05:38,600 Speaker 2: part of it. I know they're more tempted to go 2478 02:05:38,640 --> 02:05:40,160 Speaker 2: back up to the Northeast to be close to the 2479 02:05:40,160 --> 02:05:42,240 Speaker 2: family because my mom's starting to get up there in years, 2480 02:05:42,320 --> 02:05:46,160 Speaker 2: my sister, my brother lives there. But there are some opportunities. 2481 02:05:46,840 --> 02:05:48,560 Speaker 2: I do want to get into the outdoor industry. I 2482 02:05:48,600 --> 02:05:51,040 Speaker 2: cannot go back into the engineering world anymore. There's no 2483 02:05:51,080 --> 02:05:53,560 Speaker 2: way I could sit in a freaking cubicle for eight 2484 02:05:53,600 --> 02:05:56,080 Speaker 2: hours a day after spending the last twenty years in 2485 02:05:56,080 --> 02:06:00,000 Speaker 2: the military. So there are some offers that I've had 2486 02:06:00,080 --> 02:06:05,880 Speaker 2: it for. Most of it's for guides, some of the 2487 02:06:05,880 --> 02:06:09,720 Speaker 2: working fly shops, for services, stuff like that. I mean, 2488 02:06:09,720 --> 02:06:13,560 Speaker 2: there's one offer here in Montana working with Healing Waters Lodge. 2489 02:06:14,880 --> 02:06:17,680 Speaker 2: Basically Mike Gary offered me to be one of the 2490 02:06:17,720 --> 02:06:20,080 Speaker 2: guides on his expeditions through the Smith River. He gets 2491 02:06:20,120 --> 02:06:21,920 Speaker 2: the large portion of the permits that go through there, 2492 02:06:22,400 --> 02:06:25,040 Speaker 2: and so he's always looking for vets to hire, and 2493 02:06:26,040 --> 02:06:28,680 Speaker 2: another ones to help a buddy that runs a guide 2494 02:06:28,760 --> 02:06:31,240 Speaker 2: business in Wyoming up there in the northwest, and the 2495 02:06:31,240 --> 02:06:36,200 Speaker 2: Titans doing some of those cutthroat type chips. So right now, 2496 02:06:36,240 --> 02:06:38,920 Speaker 2: it's it's still very fresh because the decision was, you know, 2497 02:06:39,000 --> 02:06:44,120 Speaker 2: finally made that we're going to retire next year, and 2498 02:06:44,240 --> 02:06:47,280 Speaker 2: so at this point right now, I'm just trying to 2499 02:06:47,360 --> 02:06:50,280 Speaker 2: figure out all the different objects of war. I finally 2500 02:06:50,280 --> 02:06:51,560 Speaker 2: decide which one I want to do. 2501 02:06:51,840 --> 02:06:53,240 Speaker 3: Retirement making nervous. 2502 02:06:53,600 --> 02:06:59,640 Speaker 2: It does because after doing it's almost like prison. The military. 2503 02:07:00,080 --> 02:07:03,400 Speaker 2: You had a structured lifestyle for twenty years and now 2504 02:07:03,480 --> 02:07:06,000 Speaker 2: suddenly all that's gonna go away and you're going into 2505 02:07:06,160 --> 02:07:10,240 Speaker 2: that civilian force and you're on your own. So yeah, 2506 02:07:10,280 --> 02:07:13,080 Speaker 2: anybody that says otherwise that was in the service, they're lying. 2507 02:07:13,280 --> 02:07:15,720 Speaker 3: All my buddies say it's hard, it's hard, and I 2508 02:07:15,760 --> 02:07:20,760 Speaker 3: mean for years right after. So yeah, it's a challenge. 2509 02:07:21,000 --> 02:07:25,760 Speaker 2: The other challenge is basically because I've always been in 2510 02:07:25,840 --> 02:07:28,240 Speaker 2: charge of large groups of people for so long now 2511 02:07:28,920 --> 02:07:32,400 Speaker 2: that everybody had to listen to, you know, orders that 2512 02:07:32,400 --> 02:07:35,320 Speaker 2: I gave, and going to civilian workforce ain't gonna be 2513 02:07:35,360 --> 02:07:37,000 Speaker 2: like that. I might have to work for an idiot 2514 02:07:37,160 --> 02:07:41,640 Speaker 2: that is no better than somebody that should be sitting 2515 02:07:41,880 --> 02:07:43,280 Speaker 2: by a dumpster somewhere. 2516 02:07:43,000 --> 02:07:45,480 Speaker 1: But yeah, you should be looking my boots, buddy. 2517 02:07:45,640 --> 02:07:48,360 Speaker 2: And I end up being a subordinate to them, and 2518 02:07:48,440 --> 02:07:50,240 Speaker 2: I have to bite my tongue. So those are things 2519 02:07:50,240 --> 02:07:54,080 Speaker 2: that you know, I am concerned about because somebody didn't 2520 02:07:54,120 --> 02:07:56,240 Speaker 2: like something, or I didn't like some the way somebody's 2521 02:07:56,280 --> 02:07:58,280 Speaker 2: doing something, I'd give them a nearful and then they 2522 02:07:58,320 --> 02:08:02,840 Speaker 2: would fix their their shit. And that's how the military works. 2523 02:08:02,880 --> 02:08:05,560 Speaker 2: That's where the discipline comes in. And I realized I'm 2524 02:08:05,560 --> 02:08:07,280 Speaker 2: not an idiot, and I realized you can't do that 2525 02:08:07,320 --> 02:08:09,160 Speaker 2: in the civilian workforce. But that does scare the shit 2526 02:08:09,160 --> 02:08:11,480 Speaker 2: out of you too, having the work for people potentially 2527 02:08:11,480 --> 02:08:14,839 Speaker 2: that have no business being at charge of others. 2528 02:08:14,960 --> 02:08:18,000 Speaker 1: I got a friend I tell this story all the time. 2529 02:08:18,040 --> 02:08:20,120 Speaker 1: I don't know if I've ever mentioned it on the 2530 02:08:20,200 --> 02:08:23,760 Speaker 1: show here, but I have a friend who retired from 2531 02:08:23,760 --> 02:08:28,520 Speaker 1: the army, and then one of his teammates retired from 2532 02:08:28,520 --> 02:08:31,800 Speaker 1: the army, and right away as teammate killed himself. Yeah, 2533 02:08:31,920 --> 02:08:34,440 Speaker 1: I texted him, I said, I said, we were texting 2534 02:08:34,480 --> 02:08:36,840 Speaker 1: about this, and I'll always remember the text. The kind 2535 02:08:36,840 --> 02:08:39,280 Speaker 1: of one of the most compelling sentences I've ever received 2536 02:08:39,280 --> 02:08:41,640 Speaker 1: in a text message is I said, I don't understand, like, 2537 02:08:41,680 --> 02:08:44,880 Speaker 1: what is that? Why does that happen like that? And 2538 02:08:44,960 --> 02:08:49,880 Speaker 1: his reply was it was the wild West during those 2539 02:08:49,920 --> 02:08:55,160 Speaker 1: war years and then it's over in an instant, And 2540 02:08:55,200 --> 02:08:58,720 Speaker 1: that was all that's in his mind, sufficed as an explanation. 2541 02:08:59,400 --> 02:09:00,400 Speaker 1: It's a really. 2542 02:09:00,280 --> 02:09:04,480 Speaker 2: Difficult subject to talk about because it's such a huge 2543 02:09:04,480 --> 02:09:07,360 Speaker 2: problem with veterans. I mean, there's all sorts of different stats. 2544 02:09:07,440 --> 02:09:09,280 Speaker 2: I'm not going to bore anybody with these different stats, 2545 02:09:09,280 --> 02:09:13,720 Speaker 2: but on average, you know, you have veterans that are 2546 02:09:13,760 --> 02:09:16,480 Speaker 2: over fifty percent likelier than their civilian counterparts that ever 2547 02:09:16,520 --> 02:09:20,040 Speaker 2: served to commit suicide. And the early parts of the war, 2548 02:09:20,240 --> 02:09:24,400 Speaker 2: He's very correct. They threw you into the waywell west 2549 02:09:24,720 --> 02:09:27,680 Speaker 2: you come back, and there was no support system. For example, 2550 02:09:28,360 --> 02:09:32,000 Speaker 2: my first deployment, we were the theater QRF in Iraq. 2551 02:09:32,560 --> 02:09:37,880 Speaker 2: They had no basically area of operations assigned for US specifically, 2552 02:09:38,280 --> 02:09:40,600 Speaker 2: so every time there was a major engagement going on, 2553 02:09:40,680 --> 02:09:43,959 Speaker 2: somewhere or things were about to flare up. They would 2554 02:09:44,240 --> 02:09:49,880 Speaker 2: move my entire battalion to that engagement, not realizing that 2555 02:09:50,920 --> 02:09:54,000 Speaker 2: all these different engagements, firefights that we were getting too, 2556 02:09:54,360 --> 02:09:57,320 Speaker 2: would have a toll. And so those were things that 2557 02:09:57,360 --> 02:10:00,000 Speaker 2: people never thought about back then. Like my battalion there 2558 02:10:00,000 --> 02:10:03,680 Speaker 2: probably got into more campaigns than any other unit they're 2559 02:10:03,720 --> 02:10:05,920 Speaker 2: in the history of the Iraq War because we were 2560 02:10:05,960 --> 02:10:08,560 Speaker 2: just like the theater cure out for everything, bouncing around. 2561 02:10:08,560 --> 02:10:11,280 Speaker 2: We didn't stay anywhere for longer than thirty five days. 2562 02:10:11,360 --> 02:10:13,640 Speaker 2: And so you have a bunch of young men and 2563 02:10:13,680 --> 02:10:17,200 Speaker 2: women that you know, some of them seventeen years old, 2564 02:10:17,200 --> 02:10:20,600 Speaker 2: eighteen years old, and they're seeing firefights and deaths for 2565 02:10:20,640 --> 02:10:22,920 Speaker 2: the first time. Id's going off the whole nine yards, 2566 02:10:22,920 --> 02:10:27,240 Speaker 2: local civilians getting blown up, all sorts of shit, and 2567 02:10:26,800 --> 02:10:31,280 Speaker 2: uh so we did that for fourteen months. If things 2568 02:10:31,320 --> 02:10:34,160 Speaker 2: weren't bad enough. They had initially told the unit we 2569 02:10:34,160 --> 02:10:36,320 Speaker 2: were going to be home by Christmas because it was 2570 02:10:36,360 --> 02:10:37,400 Speaker 2: going to be twelve months at that. 2571 02:10:37,360 --> 02:10:39,240 Speaker 3: Mark, which is kind of a big deal for people. 2572 02:10:39,360 --> 02:10:41,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was something to look forward to. So we were 2573 02:10:41,480 --> 02:10:43,360 Speaker 2: all looking forward to it. We're gonna be home by Christmas. 2574 02:10:43,600 --> 02:10:46,120 Speaker 2: Tell any of our loved ones, et cetera. And then 2575 02:10:46,280 --> 02:10:48,800 Speaker 2: the first elections happened in Iraq in two thousand and five, 2576 02:10:48,920 --> 02:10:52,640 Speaker 2: and they extended us for an additional couple three months, 2577 02:10:53,000 --> 02:10:54,600 Speaker 2: and they moved us to another area up there in 2578 02:10:54,600 --> 02:10:57,640 Speaker 2: Missoil to help oversee the security for these first elections. 2579 02:10:58,160 --> 02:11:00,400 Speaker 2: So Christmas went out the window, and we end up 2580 02:11:00,480 --> 02:11:03,000 Speaker 2: being there for fourteen months before the fifteen month deployments 2581 02:11:03,000 --> 02:11:05,120 Speaker 2: were even the thing. They were extending unit. There was 2582 02:11:05,160 --> 02:11:07,880 Speaker 2: like unit up in Alaska that were on their way 2583 02:11:07,880 --> 02:11:12,000 Speaker 2: home and got rerouted back. Yeah, so they had family 2584 02:11:12,040 --> 02:11:13,320 Speaker 2: members that were waiting at. 2585 02:11:13,200 --> 02:11:14,880 Speaker 1: Their talking about some phone calls. 2586 02:11:14,880 --> 02:11:17,680 Speaker 2: Man, oh yeah, I mean, holy shit. There were zero 2587 02:11:17,760 --> 02:11:20,800 Speaker 2: shits given about the repercussions of some of these actions 2588 02:11:21,120 --> 02:11:24,320 Speaker 2: because the war had to be fought as soldiers. You know, 2589 02:11:24,360 --> 02:11:27,320 Speaker 2: it sucks, but we did what we were told, So 2590 02:11:27,800 --> 02:11:31,440 Speaker 2: we went through all that. We get back and you 2591 02:11:31,520 --> 02:11:35,840 Speaker 2: basically start taking thirty days of leave right away. Now 2592 02:11:36,800 --> 02:11:42,480 Speaker 2: the military is like a mountain pot of all different cultures, upbringings, backgrounds, 2593 02:11:42,480 --> 02:11:45,600 Speaker 2: and whatnot. You have some kids that never had a 2594 02:11:45,600 --> 02:11:48,400 Speaker 2: friend in their life and now suddenly they're surrounded by 2595 02:11:48,400 --> 02:11:50,760 Speaker 2: people that are watching their six all the time, and 2596 02:11:50,800 --> 02:11:53,280 Speaker 2: they have a supports system there. They're going through all 2597 02:11:53,320 --> 02:11:57,360 Speaker 2: this crap, getting into these engagement and these firefights, seeing 2598 02:11:57,440 --> 02:12:00,240 Speaker 2: him all sorts of stuff, but they had buddy there 2599 02:12:00,240 --> 02:12:02,240 Speaker 2: that we're dealing with the same stuff, and that's why 2600 02:12:02,280 --> 02:12:04,280 Speaker 2: it makes the military is very unique. The only other 2601 02:12:05,240 --> 02:12:07,440 Speaker 2: agencies that are very similar to that as like some of 2602 02:12:07,480 --> 02:12:13,880 Speaker 2: the the HRTs SWAT because they go through a lot 2603 02:12:13,880 --> 02:12:19,120 Speaker 2: of crap too, and so any organization that goes through 2604 02:12:19,320 --> 02:12:21,919 Speaker 2: a lot of heartache and a lot of suck fests 2605 02:12:21,960 --> 02:12:25,000 Speaker 2: in essence, the people get closer because you're enduring that 2606 02:12:25,160 --> 02:12:29,080 Speaker 2: same pain and all the horrible things that go with it. 2607 02:12:29,440 --> 02:12:31,720 Speaker 2: And so that's why the infantry is very unique. Like 2608 02:12:31,800 --> 02:12:36,880 Speaker 2: the special forces community and all the branches, whether it's 2609 02:12:36,880 --> 02:12:40,160 Speaker 2: the Seals, the Air Force, whatever, it's a very close 2610 02:12:40,240 --> 02:12:42,480 Speaker 2: knit group because all the things that you're dealing with, 2611 02:12:42,480 --> 02:12:45,080 Speaker 2: somebody else is dealing with too. So you have these 2612 02:12:45,120 --> 02:12:48,400 Speaker 2: young kids that had fellow buddies that were dealing with 2613 02:12:48,440 --> 02:12:50,560 Speaker 2: all that, so they never felt like they were alone. 2614 02:12:50,960 --> 02:12:54,520 Speaker 2: We get back from these deployments and then everybody's scattered 2615 02:12:54,520 --> 02:12:56,680 Speaker 2: to the four winds, and now suddenly you have these 2616 02:12:56,760 --> 02:12:58,400 Speaker 2: kids that never had a friend of their life until 2617 02:12:58,400 --> 02:13:01,680 Speaker 2: they joined the military or buy them cells for thirty 2618 02:13:01,720 --> 02:13:04,640 Speaker 2: freaking days after just going through all that crap overseas, 2619 02:13:05,240 --> 02:13:09,400 Speaker 2: and then those those demons start coming and they started 2620 02:13:09,400 --> 02:13:13,000 Speaker 2: getting those nightmares, they started hitting the bottle, they start 2621 02:13:13,200 --> 02:13:18,320 Speaker 2: taking drugs, and there was there's a major problem with 2622 02:13:18,760 --> 02:13:23,160 Speaker 2: basically suicide because the initial part of it was the 2623 02:13:23,160 --> 02:13:29,200 Speaker 2: PTSD from combat soldiers. Nowadays, the vast majority of soldiers 2624 02:13:29,240 --> 02:13:31,520 Speaker 2: that are committing suicide and activity have never been deployed. 2625 02:13:32,920 --> 02:13:35,520 Speaker 2: Veterans that have gotten out, some deployed, some don't. The 2626 02:13:35,560 --> 02:13:39,440 Speaker 2: vast majority have PTSD or from deployments. But there was 2627 02:13:39,520 --> 02:13:43,120 Speaker 2: never really a good support system in place for that 2628 02:13:43,280 --> 02:13:46,680 Speaker 2: entire global war terror on how to deal with soldiers 2629 02:13:47,080 --> 02:13:49,080 Speaker 2: come back from wars. We didn't learn a damn thing 2630 02:13:49,120 --> 02:13:52,000 Speaker 2: from the Vietnam War because those Vietnam vets came back 2631 02:13:52,040 --> 02:13:54,040 Speaker 2: with the same shit. They were dealing with the same 2632 02:13:54,080 --> 02:13:56,800 Speaker 2: issues soldiers from World War One, world War two. So 2633 02:13:56,800 --> 02:14:00,120 Speaker 2: you're talking about the entire history of America's wars. We 2634 02:14:00,160 --> 02:14:03,160 Speaker 2: didn't learn a thing. Basically, soldiers were just once you 2635 02:14:03,200 --> 02:14:04,800 Speaker 2: were done with you and they spit you out, you're 2636 02:14:04,800 --> 02:14:08,520 Speaker 2: off in your own and society didn't really know how 2637 02:14:08,560 --> 02:14:10,840 Speaker 2: to deal with soldiers and having all these these these 2638 02:14:10,880 --> 02:14:16,160 Speaker 2: different issues and demons. And for the soldiers, when you 2639 02:14:16,640 --> 02:14:18,880 Speaker 2: when we have a tendency to do something we don't 2640 02:14:18,880 --> 02:14:21,200 Speaker 2: have as it, we just go full bore. There's no 2641 02:14:21,240 --> 02:14:24,440 Speaker 2: different with suicide. There's a difference between crying out for 2642 02:14:24,480 --> 02:14:28,160 Speaker 2: help and if you actually want to commit suicide, soldiers 2643 02:14:28,200 --> 02:14:31,240 Speaker 2: will do it. And a lot of times, uh, there 2644 02:14:31,240 --> 02:14:33,280 Speaker 2: are sums that have warning signs that you could tell 2645 02:14:33,280 --> 02:14:36,440 Speaker 2: there's something wrong and then uh, just be be a 2646 02:14:36,440 --> 02:14:39,160 Speaker 2: buddy and ask direct, are you going to hurt yourself? 2647 02:14:39,800 --> 02:14:42,640 Speaker 2: Is something? Is everything? Okay, just be direct. But there 2648 02:14:42,640 --> 02:14:45,360 Speaker 2: are other ones that will hide all those demons and 2649 02:14:45,440 --> 02:14:48,800 Speaker 2: have no idea that you have, no idea that they're 2650 02:14:48,800 --> 02:14:50,720 Speaker 2: contemplating suicide in the side that brings because they would 2651 02:14:50,760 --> 02:14:55,240 Speaker 2: put on that facade and I ran across that multiple times. 2652 02:14:55,240 --> 02:14:57,920 Speaker 2: My last unit over in Colorado, we had five suicides 2653 02:14:58,120 --> 02:15:01,320 Speaker 2: in our battalion alone in one year, and none of 2654 02:15:01,320 --> 02:15:02,080 Speaker 2: those kids deployed. 2655 02:15:02,120 --> 02:15:03,320 Speaker 1: What's the battalion size? 2656 02:15:03,680 --> 02:15:05,600 Speaker 2: Italian size was roughly about nine. 2657 02:15:05,560 --> 02:15:09,440 Speaker 1: Hundred and five suicides in one year. 2658 02:15:09,440 --> 02:15:11,120 Speaker 2: We had I think it was close to eleven and 2659 02:15:11,160 --> 02:15:14,040 Speaker 2: three years, and these were most of these kids were 2660 02:15:14,080 --> 02:15:19,600 Speaker 2: nineteen and twenty five, never deployed, So it's it's there's 2661 02:15:19,680 --> 02:15:23,840 Speaker 2: trauma that that soldiers that deployed have, and there's also 2662 02:15:23,880 --> 02:15:28,840 Speaker 2: trauma that soldiers never deployed have because the lifestyle sometimes 2663 02:15:29,000 --> 02:15:33,760 Speaker 2: is enough for soldiers to push them one way or another, 2664 02:15:33,800 --> 02:15:35,320 Speaker 2: and a lot of vast majority and I think this 2665 02:15:35,400 --> 02:15:39,120 Speaker 2: also applies probably to all civilians too, where you start 2666 02:15:39,160 --> 02:15:44,600 Speaker 2: mixing alcohol, drugs, financial merital issues, those are usually the 2667 02:15:44,640 --> 02:15:47,480 Speaker 2: big ones right there that will push people towards suicide. 2668 02:15:47,960 --> 02:15:50,200 Speaker 2: And you combine those things together and you're talking about 2669 02:15:50,240 --> 02:15:56,280 Speaker 2: it recipe for disaster. And unfortunately, the stigma with seeking 2670 02:15:56,320 --> 02:15:59,240 Speaker 2: help is still strong and prevalent to this day the 2671 02:15:59,280 --> 02:16:02,120 Speaker 2: longest time for my vast majority of my military career. 2672 02:16:02,120 --> 02:16:03,760 Speaker 2: If you told somebody you had to go see a 2673 02:16:03,800 --> 02:16:07,280 Speaker 2: behavior health specialist for some mental health stuff, you were 2674 02:16:07,360 --> 02:16:11,200 Speaker 2: labeled and then you were basically like an outcast. And 2675 02:16:11,240 --> 02:16:13,840 Speaker 2: then the military eventually realized that I was wrong, and then 2676 02:16:13,920 --> 02:16:18,400 Speaker 2: they start encouraging people to go seek help to deal 2677 02:16:18,440 --> 02:16:21,320 Speaker 2: with all these issues without having any repercussions. But for 2678 02:16:21,320 --> 02:16:24,560 Speaker 2: a while, there were repercussions if you sought medical assistance 2679 02:16:24,560 --> 02:16:29,760 Speaker 2: for mental health. But even though people say no, nobody's 2680 02:16:29,760 --> 02:16:32,280 Speaker 2: gonna judge you for that, there's still that strong stigma 2681 02:16:32,800 --> 02:16:37,000 Speaker 2: and people are afraid of being labeled or having that sigma. 2682 02:16:37,080 --> 02:16:39,600 Speaker 2: And I think it's military and civilian side, but I'm 2683 02:16:39,600 --> 02:16:42,400 Speaker 2: telling you it's like, no matter how bad it is, 2684 02:16:42,879 --> 02:16:45,680 Speaker 2: it's never that bad where your life is not that important, 2685 02:16:45,879 --> 02:16:48,240 Speaker 2: and there's a lot of different agencies out there that 2686 02:16:48,240 --> 02:16:51,480 Speaker 2: can help you. The most important ones, like I said, 2687 02:16:51,520 --> 02:16:53,440 Speaker 2: are the ones that are available twenty four hours a day, 2688 02:16:53,480 --> 02:16:55,480 Speaker 2: regardless of where you're at, and you could talk to 2689 02:16:55,520 --> 02:16:57,560 Speaker 2: them and nobody will know. Ninety eighty eight is a 2690 02:16:57,600 --> 02:16:58,320 Speaker 2: really good one. 2691 02:16:58,720 --> 02:17:00,160 Speaker 1: So say that one again. 2692 02:17:01,400 --> 02:17:04,000 Speaker 2: You could text, call, or chat and it's completely anonymous, 2693 02:17:04,000 --> 02:17:04,920 Speaker 2: and they're a nine. 2694 02:17:04,879 --> 02:17:09,279 Speaker 1: Eight eight short core and well it's like nine but different. 2695 02:17:09,360 --> 02:17:10,520 Speaker 2: Just text ninet eighty eight yep. 2696 02:17:11,280 --> 02:17:13,680 Speaker 7: And then let me explain a little bit about that one. 2697 02:17:13,760 --> 02:17:18,959 Speaker 8: And I'll put a list of organizations and resources in 2698 02:17:19,000 --> 02:17:21,200 Speaker 8: the show notes, but if we can verbalize some of 2699 02:17:21,200 --> 02:17:22,400 Speaker 8: that on air, it'd be helpful. 2700 02:17:22,480 --> 02:17:26,640 Speaker 2: They're available to military and civilians, it's to everybody. And 2701 02:17:26,920 --> 02:17:29,720 Speaker 2: if you ever are feeling down and you think that 2702 02:17:29,840 --> 02:17:34,000 Speaker 2: you may possibly hurt yourself. You could text, call, or 2703 02:17:34,480 --> 02:17:37,680 Speaker 2: chat with somebody and then they will get you professional 2704 02:17:37,720 --> 02:17:39,880 Speaker 2: health and no cost to you, and it's available twenty 2705 02:17:39,879 --> 02:17:42,880 Speaker 2: four hours a day. The other one stops soldier suicide. 2706 02:17:42,959 --> 02:17:46,440 Speaker 2: They have the the one eight number that's also twenty 2707 02:17:46,440 --> 02:17:49,480 Speaker 2: four hours a day where you can get professional health 2708 02:17:49,640 --> 02:17:53,480 Speaker 2: or active duty military regardless of branch. And then those 2709 02:17:53,520 --> 02:17:58,040 Speaker 2: that are transitioning within are three hundred and sixty five 2710 02:17:58,080 --> 02:18:00,560 Speaker 2: basically one year from the time your separation and under 2711 02:18:01,120 --> 02:18:03,920 Speaker 2: You could also utilize Military one source dot com. I 2712 02:18:03,959 --> 02:18:06,200 Speaker 2: know a lot of my fellow brothers and sisters don't 2713 02:18:06,240 --> 02:18:09,520 Speaker 2: like that stigma of seeking behavioral health. So if you 2714 02:18:09,520 --> 02:18:14,119 Speaker 2: go to Military one Source, you will get five counseling 2715 02:18:14,160 --> 02:18:17,000 Speaker 2: sessions with a professional that's completely anonymous that never gets 2716 02:18:17,080 --> 02:18:19,160 Speaker 2: reported to your chain of command, So that way you 2717 02:18:19,160 --> 02:18:22,080 Speaker 2: can get that help. But there the VA also has 2718 02:18:22,120 --> 02:18:25,320 Speaker 2: a hotline that you can call. There's multiple agencies. Like 2719 02:18:25,560 --> 02:18:28,600 Speaker 2: Corn said, she'll publish a list. But your life is 2720 02:18:28,600 --> 02:18:30,880 Speaker 2: important because the minute you're gone, you leave avoid in 2721 02:18:30,920 --> 02:18:34,320 Speaker 2: somebody's life. I mean, it's a difficult subject to talk about, 2722 02:18:34,400 --> 02:18:37,600 Speaker 2: but it's a reality. And then the problem is there's 2723 02:18:37,600 --> 02:18:39,119 Speaker 2: a lot of leaders that don't know how to deal 2724 02:18:39,160 --> 02:18:41,800 Speaker 2: with it, so they either brush it off turn a 2725 02:18:41,800 --> 02:18:44,039 Speaker 2: blind eye to it. And then leaders also fail to 2726 02:18:44,120 --> 02:18:47,720 Speaker 2: change with the times. So like this current generation, like 2727 02:18:47,879 --> 02:18:50,040 Speaker 2: I label. I know people hate label, but I call 2728 02:18:50,080 --> 02:18:52,920 Speaker 2: them the meat generation. Because everything's instantaneous. With the push 2729 02:18:52,920 --> 02:18:56,280 Speaker 2: of a button, you want something tomorrow, Amazon one day delivery, 2730 02:18:57,320 --> 02:19:00,000 Speaker 2: within two days, you're gonna have something else. Everything is 2731 02:18:59,879 --> 02:19:02,800 Speaker 2: instantaneous at the touch of the phone. So social media 2732 02:19:02,800 --> 02:19:05,879 Speaker 2: and smartphones are have been great to the network and 2733 02:19:06,040 --> 02:19:07,640 Speaker 2: reach out to others, but also it's been a curse 2734 02:19:07,680 --> 02:19:10,400 Speaker 2: because you could hide behind being an anonymous person, behind 2735 02:19:10,440 --> 02:19:14,959 Speaker 2: that and show a different facade, and then the same 2736 02:19:15,000 --> 02:19:17,840 Speaker 2: deal with when you start suffering it through through all 2737 02:19:17,840 --> 02:19:21,640 Speaker 2: these mental pains or life issues that you're dealing with. 2738 02:19:22,440 --> 02:19:25,480 Speaker 2: Just like ordering something instantaneously, you could just not deal 2739 02:19:25,520 --> 02:19:29,080 Speaker 2: with it instantaneously. And it needs to stop. And the 2740 02:19:29,120 --> 02:19:31,080 Speaker 2: only way it can stop is to educate people that 2741 02:19:31,160 --> 02:19:34,560 Speaker 2: it's okay to have issues and to seek out that help. 2742 02:19:34,760 --> 02:19:37,880 Speaker 2: Because everybody, regardless you know what ma Maye joke about, 2743 02:19:37,879 --> 02:19:39,920 Speaker 2: has an important role to play because there's people that 2744 02:19:39,959 --> 02:19:42,680 Speaker 2: care about and that's military and civilians. 2745 02:19:42,680 --> 02:19:47,400 Speaker 1: I like, well, man, I appreciate the you being so 2746 02:19:47,920 --> 02:19:49,439 Speaker 1: open about it. 2747 02:19:49,440 --> 02:19:52,080 Speaker 2: It's tough and there's some things you know, I'll be 2748 02:19:52,120 --> 02:19:53,840 Speaker 2: a blunt I don't like talking about it because it 2749 02:19:53,879 --> 02:19:58,119 Speaker 2: brings back bad memories, it brings back people that I've 2750 02:19:58,160 --> 02:20:01,520 Speaker 2: cared about. But I feel it's important because there's so 2751 02:20:01,560 --> 02:20:04,520 Speaker 2: many people that are taking away their lives way too soon, 2752 02:20:04,920 --> 02:20:09,000 Speaker 2: not realizing there's more to come. I've gone through my 2753 02:20:09,040 --> 02:20:13,520 Speaker 2: fair share heart ache two and try to utilize different 2754 02:20:13,560 --> 02:20:16,119 Speaker 2: means to drown out that pain. And I still get 2755 02:20:16,200 --> 02:20:19,440 Speaker 2: nightmares nowadays. But at the same time, you have to 2756 02:20:19,480 --> 02:20:28,480 Speaker 2: find basically an outlet, like a a useful outlet. I 2757 02:20:28,520 --> 02:20:31,039 Speaker 2: don't know what the right word is, but something constructive. 2758 02:20:31,240 --> 02:20:34,440 Speaker 2: And for me it was fly fishing. For me, it's 2759 02:20:34,440 --> 02:20:38,400 Speaker 2: being outdoors, whether it's taking photographs because I love photography also, 2760 02:20:39,440 --> 02:20:41,840 Speaker 2: or hiking or whatever the case may be. And then 2761 02:20:41,879 --> 02:20:45,520 Speaker 2: my kids are another big part of that. For you, 2762 02:20:45,520 --> 02:20:47,880 Speaker 2: it might be something else, but you have to find 2763 02:20:47,920 --> 02:20:51,600 Speaker 2: something that is constructive means if you're so focused, because 2764 02:20:51,600 --> 02:20:54,160 Speaker 2: for so long I was focused on just military military 2765 02:20:54,160 --> 02:20:57,120 Speaker 2: and military combat, combat combat, and then I was destroying 2766 02:20:57,120 --> 02:20:59,879 Speaker 2: my own self. If you go down that route, that 2767 02:21:00,120 --> 02:21:04,280 Speaker 2: that route, then you're going to be in a dark place. 2768 02:21:04,440 --> 02:21:06,480 Speaker 2: So regardless of whether you're in your service for the 2769 02:21:06,520 --> 02:21:09,760 Speaker 2: first year or you're in your fifteenth twenty year service, 2770 02:21:09,879 --> 02:21:12,640 Speaker 2: find a constructive outlet because you have to do something 2771 02:21:12,680 --> 02:21:15,760 Speaker 2: that will take your mind off of all the crap 2772 02:21:15,800 --> 02:21:17,320 Speaker 2: that you deal with on a day to day basis. 2773 02:21:17,480 --> 02:21:19,320 Speaker 2: And if you're not in the service, same deal, it's 2774 02:21:19,360 --> 02:21:21,280 Speaker 2: no different. It's anybody out there. You can have some 2775 02:21:21,320 --> 02:21:24,760 Speaker 2: type of constructive hobby. That's why hunting and fishing is 2776 02:21:24,760 --> 02:21:25,360 Speaker 2: so great for that. 2777 02:21:25,879 --> 02:21:30,320 Speaker 8: And there are organizations like Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Armed 2778 02:21:30,360 --> 02:21:35,760 Speaker 8: Forces Initiative, others that are in the outdoor industry that 2779 02:21:36,360 --> 02:21:37,720 Speaker 8: are vets support. 2780 02:21:37,840 --> 02:21:38,520 Speaker 7: I know that you. 2781 02:21:40,120 --> 02:21:43,480 Speaker 8: Work with Warriors and Quiet Waters a lot too, so 2782 02:21:43,520 --> 02:21:45,240 Speaker 8: feel free to share about that. 2783 02:21:45,520 --> 02:21:49,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, so I came here. Gosh, it was like I 2784 02:21:49,440 --> 02:21:53,440 Speaker 2: think two thousand and seventeen or twenty eighteen, and the 2785 02:21:53,480 --> 02:21:55,440 Speaker 2: program was a little bit different than they brought. I 2786 02:21:55,480 --> 02:21:58,160 Speaker 2: think it was six of US veterans. There were three 2787 02:21:58,280 --> 02:22:01,120 Speaker 2: Navy Seals guy, two other guys that were out of 2788 02:22:01,120 --> 02:22:05,039 Speaker 2: the service altogether because of injuries they had sustained. And 2789 02:22:05,080 --> 02:22:09,680 Speaker 2: then you had volunteers. Some were prior militaries. Some had 2790 02:22:09,879 --> 02:22:12,840 Speaker 2: kids that were in the military. My my buddy that 2791 02:22:12,920 --> 02:22:15,040 Speaker 2: was that was partnering with me was a gold Star 2792 02:22:15,320 --> 02:22:18,560 Speaker 2: family member where he had a son that died in combat, 2793 02:22:19,200 --> 02:22:21,160 Speaker 2: but the honorest son he wanted to give back still, 2794 02:22:21,200 --> 02:22:23,360 Speaker 2: so he was a volunteer there over the Quiet Water's ranch, 2795 02:22:23,720 --> 02:22:25,840 Speaker 2: and they brought us in together and then they they 2796 02:22:25,879 --> 02:22:30,279 Speaker 2: basically immersed us into fishing, teaching us how to fish. 2797 02:22:30,920 --> 02:22:33,280 Speaker 2: And then it's just like most most veterans, like the 2798 02:22:33,280 --> 02:22:35,760 Speaker 2: first day, nobody's really talking because you don't know who's who. 2799 02:22:36,720 --> 02:22:38,600 Speaker 2: Day two they started chatting a little bit, and by 2800 02:22:38,680 --> 02:22:41,680 Speaker 2: day three they're talking to their buddies, the volunteers, and 2801 02:22:41,760 --> 02:22:44,959 Speaker 2: then by day four, everybody's hugging and laughing. By day five, 2802 02:22:45,000 --> 02:22:48,160 Speaker 2: people are sharing their experiences, and it's it gets to 2803 02:22:48,200 --> 02:22:51,480 Speaker 2: be pretty emotional because you think that you're going through 2804 02:22:51,480 --> 02:22:53,600 Speaker 2: some shiit and you hear some of these stories of 2805 02:22:53,800 --> 02:22:56,080 Speaker 2: what people are dealing with. Like the one guy there 2806 02:22:56,240 --> 02:22:59,240 Speaker 2: that was at that ranch during my first encounter with 2807 02:22:59,560 --> 02:23:04,279 Speaker 2: quiet he had entirely his entire insides like blowing out backwards, 2808 02:23:04,480 --> 02:23:07,119 Speaker 2: and he was he was in pain all the time, 2809 02:23:07,320 --> 02:23:10,000 Speaker 2: the scars that he had there because like missing parts 2810 02:23:10,000 --> 02:23:13,840 Speaker 2: of his intestines and whatnot. Sow He's he was a 2811 02:23:13,879 --> 02:23:17,440 Speaker 2: vet that lost both legs from California. He came back here. 2812 02:23:17,520 --> 02:23:19,680 Speaker 2: Now he's one of the program leads that over there 2813 02:23:19,680 --> 02:23:22,360 Speaker 2: and Quiet Waters ran they do a lot for veterans 2814 02:23:22,440 --> 02:23:25,600 Speaker 2: and they immersed them here in Montana and show him 2815 02:23:25,640 --> 02:23:29,200 Speaker 2: that there there's ways to heal through the outdoors. But 2816 02:23:29,720 --> 02:23:32,720 Speaker 2: the great thing about those organizations like Quiet Waters is 2817 02:23:32,760 --> 02:23:34,879 Speaker 2: like when you're done with the program, you're not done. 2818 02:23:35,040 --> 02:23:37,360 Speaker 2: They don't just like check you off. Like I still 2819 02:23:37,360 --> 02:23:39,360 Speaker 2: stay in contact with Jesse, who I met, you know 2820 02:23:39,360 --> 02:23:41,199 Speaker 2: in two thousand and eight. I'm going fishing within tomorrow. 2821 02:23:41,720 --> 02:23:45,080 Speaker 2: And you're part of that outreach or that reach. Their 2822 02:23:45,160 --> 02:23:49,000 Speaker 2: outreach to you is all year long, and you're just 2823 02:23:49,040 --> 02:23:52,000 Speaker 2: because you went through there, you're not forgotten. You're always 2824 02:23:52,040 --> 02:23:55,120 Speaker 2: gonna be an alumni. And I've came back again a couple 2825 02:23:55,120 --> 02:23:56,640 Speaker 2: of years later. It was last year I flowed the 2826 02:23:56,640 --> 02:23:59,520 Speaker 2: Smith River them and then coincide in this podcast here 2827 02:23:59,560 --> 02:24:02,879 Speaker 2: to go to Warrior Taste Vest this Friday to reconnect 2828 02:24:02,959 --> 02:24:05,680 Speaker 2: with a lot of the members. There are the volunteers 2829 02:24:05,680 --> 02:24:09,360 Speaker 2: and they're sixteen alumni that are coming back so they're 2830 02:24:09,360 --> 02:24:11,480 Speaker 2: one of the great organizations out there. There's a lot 2831 02:24:11,480 --> 02:24:13,160 Speaker 2: of them. We don't have time to show to mention 2832 02:24:13,360 --> 02:24:15,560 Speaker 2: all these different veterans organizations, but there's a lot of 2833 02:24:15,640 --> 02:24:21,039 Speaker 2: organizations out there that will help. And regardless of your 2834 02:24:21,120 --> 02:24:24,280 Speaker 2: level expectees, you can have no idea what you're doing 2835 02:24:24,480 --> 02:24:27,760 Speaker 2: and they'll teach you everything you need to know. The 2836 02:24:27,760 --> 02:24:29,880 Speaker 2: same deal with if you don't have any interest in fishing, 2837 02:24:30,280 --> 02:24:32,680 Speaker 2: there's hunt for a Purpose. They'll teach you how to hunt. 2838 02:24:32,640 --> 02:24:34,840 Speaker 2: They'll teach you how to fire a rifle, they'll teach 2839 02:24:34,840 --> 02:24:36,400 Speaker 2: you how to use a boat. 2840 02:24:36,560 --> 02:24:39,040 Speaker 1: Warriors for Quiet Waters. I went and gave a talk 2841 02:24:39,080 --> 02:24:41,240 Speaker 1: there because they're doing some stuff unhunting right now. 2842 02:24:41,400 --> 02:24:45,199 Speaker 2: Yeah, they have like basically, I think it's a six 2843 02:24:45,280 --> 02:24:48,640 Speaker 2: month hunting program yep, where you teach o the fundamentals 2844 02:24:48,640 --> 02:24:51,880 Speaker 2: of hunting from you know, selecting equipment to all the 2845 02:24:51,920 --> 02:24:54,640 Speaker 2: way the end result of stalking and firing that boat. 2846 02:24:54,680 --> 02:24:56,920 Speaker 4: A lot of those guys probably know their way around 2847 02:24:56,959 --> 02:24:58,600 Speaker 4: to rifle pretty well already though. 2848 02:24:58,879 --> 02:25:02,920 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah. Let me hit you with one last question. 2849 02:25:03,240 --> 02:25:04,959 Speaker 1: Twenty two you've been married twenty two years? 2850 02:25:05,080 --> 02:25:07,360 Speaker 2: No, No, I've been married eighteen years. 2851 02:25:07,400 --> 02:25:07,960 Speaker 1: Eighteen years. 2852 02:25:08,000 --> 02:25:10,000 Speaker 2: Yep, I met her after being in service for about 2853 02:25:10,000 --> 02:25:10,400 Speaker 2: four years. 2854 02:25:10,480 --> 02:25:12,160 Speaker 1: Hit us with some marriage Hit me with your best 2855 02:25:12,160 --> 02:25:12,840 Speaker 1: marriage advice. 2856 02:25:13,720 --> 02:25:16,440 Speaker 2: You're never the boss, that's the god. 2857 02:25:16,480 --> 02:25:16,720 Speaker 1: Honest. 2858 02:25:17,040 --> 02:25:19,000 Speaker 2: This goes out to men and women, men and women, 2859 02:25:19,280 --> 02:25:21,240 Speaker 2: but mainly to the men, because most of the men 2860 02:25:21,240 --> 02:25:23,400 Speaker 2: thinks they wear in the family the pants in the family. 2861 02:25:24,440 --> 02:25:28,400 Speaker 2: How I kept my marriage together compared to most other 2862 02:25:28,560 --> 02:25:31,520 Speaker 2: soldiers is every time I deployed, I came back like 2863 02:25:31,560 --> 02:25:34,680 Speaker 2: a different person. And then while I'm gone, despite my 2864 02:25:34,920 --> 02:25:38,320 Speaker 2: what you may think, life goes on. There's still bills 2865 02:25:38,360 --> 02:25:40,160 Speaker 2: that have to be paid, there's still kids that need 2866 02:25:40,160 --> 02:25:42,040 Speaker 2: to be fit, there's still diapers that gotta be changed. 2867 02:25:42,360 --> 02:25:44,480 Speaker 2: And your significant other is the one that's doing all 2868 02:25:44,520 --> 02:25:46,480 Speaker 2: that while you're going out there fighting for your country. 2869 02:25:47,000 --> 02:25:49,000 Speaker 2: So when you come back and you try to basically 2870 02:25:49,080 --> 02:25:52,200 Speaker 2: take over all those same responsibilities again, you're about to 2871 02:25:52,240 --> 02:25:54,520 Speaker 2: get into the boxing match because they also changed. They 2872 02:25:54,520 --> 02:25:56,959 Speaker 2: got used to you being one, They got used to 2873 02:25:57,040 --> 02:26:00,320 Speaker 2: handling all that shit that you used to do. So 2874 02:26:00,360 --> 02:26:01,959 Speaker 2: you have to ease yourself back into it. 2875 02:26:02,080 --> 02:26:04,840 Speaker 1: If they come in pissing on your post. 2876 02:26:05,640 --> 02:26:07,880 Speaker 2: And that's how like that was the success to my 2877 02:26:07,920 --> 02:26:11,760 Speaker 2: marriage is coming back and then allowing her to still 2878 02:26:11,920 --> 02:26:13,800 Speaker 2: do whatever she wanted to do while I was gone, 2879 02:26:13,800 --> 02:26:15,959 Speaker 2: and then she wanted me to take over something she 2880 02:26:15,959 --> 02:26:19,160 Speaker 2: would vocalize it. I never pretended like I was in charge. 2881 02:26:19,200 --> 02:26:22,200 Speaker 2: I knew after my first deployment there, I was no 2882 02:26:22,240 --> 02:26:25,199 Speaker 2: longer in charge because she was strong enough to handle 2883 02:26:25,200 --> 02:26:27,080 Speaker 2: an entire household with kids while I was going. 2884 02:26:29,680 --> 02:26:32,320 Speaker 1: Because I travel a lot for work and have the 2885 02:26:32,360 --> 02:26:36,200 Speaker 1: whole time I've you know, known my wife. She a 2886 02:26:36,240 --> 02:26:40,400 Speaker 1: while came up with a thing where she said, if 2887 02:26:40,400 --> 02:26:42,360 Speaker 1: it's not going to be a big deal when you leave, 2888 02:26:43,080 --> 02:26:44,400 Speaker 1: it's not going to be a big deal when you 2889 02:26:44,400 --> 02:26:47,760 Speaker 1: come home. And there's a lot. There's a lot to that. 2890 02:26:50,040 --> 02:26:53,039 Speaker 2: I also had one thing before we end it. So 2891 02:26:53,120 --> 02:26:57,800 Speaker 2: with fly fishing, regardless of your level expertise when it 2892 02:26:57,840 --> 02:27:00,480 Speaker 2: comes to it, there's a these shows that it around 2893 02:27:00,520 --> 02:27:02,280 Speaker 2: all over the US. If you ever want to dip 2894 02:27:02,320 --> 02:27:04,000 Speaker 2: your fingers into it, just check what I was like 2895 02:27:04,240 --> 02:27:08,000 Speaker 2: to see some tying or see people demonstrate casting. The 2896 02:27:08,480 --> 02:27:11,400 Speaker 2: fly Fishing Show has shows all across the US, from 2897 02:27:11,440 --> 02:27:14,320 Speaker 2: California all the way in Massachusetts down the Georgia and 2898 02:27:14,320 --> 02:27:17,360 Speaker 2: then during my first exposure with this show, I met 2899 02:27:17,400 --> 02:27:19,800 Speaker 2: a lot of really really great people all across the industry. 2900 02:27:19,800 --> 02:27:22,800 Speaker 2: I met several people from Montana to California, all ver 2901 02:27:23,080 --> 02:27:25,440 Speaker 2: like you get tires that come over from Europe to 2902 02:27:25,520 --> 02:27:28,280 Speaker 2: come there, and these different authors. And then one of 2903 02:27:28,280 --> 02:27:31,560 Speaker 2: the great organizations that I met, well there is Uncharted 2904 02:27:31,600 --> 02:27:34,920 Speaker 2: Outdoors Women. They're based out of Colorado, and they're also 2905 02:27:35,000 --> 02:27:38,560 Speaker 2: trying to break the stigma of having women in the 2906 02:27:38,600 --> 02:27:42,360 Speaker 2: outdoor industry, where they take it upon themselves to take 2907 02:27:42,840 --> 02:27:46,000 Speaker 2: women fly fishing, taking them on hunts, whether it's duck, geese, 2908 02:27:47,120 --> 02:27:51,400 Speaker 2: animal calls. So my grand friend Aaron spearheads all that 2909 02:27:51,600 --> 02:27:56,760 Speaker 2: and she basically takes takes the role of the lead 2910 02:27:56,879 --> 02:28:01,480 Speaker 2: for Colorado, Montana, Oregon Ome. She just does all this 2911 02:28:01,480 --> 02:28:03,800 Speaker 2: stuff here to get more women out there. So there's 2912 02:28:03,840 --> 02:28:07,279 Speaker 2: a huge stigma that this is a male dominated industry 2913 02:28:07,440 --> 02:28:09,320 Speaker 2: is so far from the truth. Yeah, you have some 2914 02:28:09,400 --> 02:28:12,440 Speaker 2: idiots out there that may say that, but we welcome 2915 02:28:12,560 --> 02:28:16,200 Speaker 2: all genders, regardless of whether you're male or female. Pick 2916 02:28:16,240 --> 02:28:17,720 Speaker 2: up a bowl, pick up a rifle, pick up a 2917 02:28:17,720 --> 02:28:19,800 Speaker 2: fly rod, You're welcome in this industry. And I just 2918 02:28:19,840 --> 02:28:21,480 Speaker 2: had to give that shout out to Aaron, and. 2919 02:28:21,800 --> 02:28:25,320 Speaker 1: Then thanks man, Good luck fishing tomorrow. 2920 02:28:25,840 --> 02:28:27,720 Speaker 2: Hopefully it should be a good time of year with 2921 02:28:27,760 --> 02:28:30,000 Speaker 2: a hopper season here in September. This is like literally 2922 02:28:30,040 --> 02:28:31,760 Speaker 2: probably the best month of fish here in Montana. 2923 02:28:32,240 --> 02:28:33,440 Speaker 3: Got some cooler tamps. 2924 02:28:33,520 --> 02:28:37,760 Speaker 2: Yeah. And then, so here's a litt unknown fact, useless 2925 02:28:37,760 --> 02:28:41,640 Speaker 2: fact that I'm really good at. Is these hoppers, grasshoppers, 2926 02:28:41,720 --> 02:28:45,120 Speaker 2: crickets or whatever, they have a parasite called the horsehair 2927 02:28:45,200 --> 02:28:49,840 Speaker 2: worm that they ingest when they eat grass. They grow 2928 02:28:50,520 --> 02:28:54,960 Speaker 2: us right, and they grow into this parasite inside the 2929 02:28:56,000 --> 02:28:58,840 Speaker 2: grasshopper or the crickets or whatever, And when it's time 2930 02:28:58,920 --> 02:29:03,040 Speaker 2: for those pairs to breed, they take over those hoppers' 2931 02:29:03,080 --> 02:29:05,520 Speaker 2: brains and they make them jump into the water commit 2932 02:29:05,560 --> 02:29:09,840 Speaker 2: kamakazi suicide so that they can basically expel themselves out 2933 02:29:09,840 --> 02:29:12,640 Speaker 2: of the hopper and then get find a mate, lay 2934 02:29:12,680 --> 02:29:14,480 Speaker 2: eggs in the grass, and the cycle starts all over again, 2935 02:29:14,480 --> 02:29:17,040 Speaker 2: because when the water level drops, grasshoppers eat the grass 2936 02:29:17,160 --> 02:29:19,440 Speaker 2: they get effect again. So that's why grasshoppers jump in 2937 02:29:19,440 --> 02:29:21,840 Speaker 2: the water at this time of the year and dry 2938 02:29:21,879 --> 02:29:22,600 Speaker 2: dropper rigs work. 2939 02:29:22,760 --> 02:29:25,320 Speaker 1: I thought it was all accident. I thought he meant 2940 02:29:25,320 --> 02:29:27,119 Speaker 1: to land somewhere else, But landing in the water. 2941 02:29:27,600 --> 02:29:29,400 Speaker 2: They all land in the water for that reason, because 2942 02:29:29,440 --> 02:29:31,400 Speaker 2: those horse hair worms need the water in order to 2943 02:29:31,480 --> 02:29:35,480 Speaker 2: find a meat. So that's why September at early, my. 2944 02:29:35,440 --> 02:29:40,440 Speaker 1: Kids must be infected with that parasite land in the water, 2945 02:29:41,560 --> 02:29:44,840 Speaker 1: no matter what they're doing. All right, man, thanks for 2946 02:29:44,879 --> 02:29:46,680 Speaker 1: coming on. Man, it's been a great conversation. I really 2947 02:29:46,680 --> 02:29:48,720 Speaker 1: appreciate it, and I appreciate all the you know, I 2948 02:29:48,760 --> 02:29:50,680 Speaker 1: don't want to call it advice, but the guidance for 2949 02:29:50,720 --> 02:29:54,040 Speaker 1: people who might be who might be in a you know, 2950 02:29:54,080 --> 02:29:57,160 Speaker 1: in a bad state of affairs, but fear that stigma 2951 02:29:57,240 --> 02:29:59,959 Speaker 1: or fear reaching out. So I think it's it's great 2952 02:30:00,080 --> 02:30:01,800 Speaker 1: for you to speak to it from that, from that 2953 02:30:01,920 --> 02:30:03,440 Speaker 1: position of having been there. So thank you. 2954 02:30:03,680 --> 02:30:06,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, Like if I'd reached one vet that's listening to 2955 02:30:06,879 --> 02:30:09,920 Speaker 2: the this podcast or watching the YouTube, then yeah, I 2956 02:30:09,920 --> 02:30:11,720 Speaker 2: don't care how much it hurts to talk, then it 2957 02:30:11,800 --> 02:30:12,280 Speaker 2: was worth it. 2958 02:30:12,400 --> 02:30:13,119 Speaker 1: All right, Thank. 2959 02:30:12,959 --> 02:30:14,480 Speaker 2: You, Thank you. 2960 02:30:14,720 --> 02:30:23,160 Speaker 1: A ride on on. 2961 02:30:26,520 --> 02:30:32,200 Speaker 8: Seal Grey shine like silver in the sun. 2962 02:30:36,080 --> 02:30:43,560 Speaker 11: Ride ride on alone, sweetheart. 2963 02:30:44,480 --> 02:30:51,120 Speaker 9: We're done beat this damn horse today. Taking her new drive. 2964 02:30:54,680 --> 02:31:00,320 Speaker 9: We're done beat this damn horse today, So take a 2965 02:31:00,440 --> 02:31:03,440 Speaker 9: new one and ride on 2966 02:31:11,360 --> 02:31:11,720 Speaker 5: MHM