644 | The Drake Magazine with Tom Bie - Grand Canyon, Non Native Trout, Synthetic Marijuana
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
Dave Stewart
4.7 • 530 Ratings
🗓️ 12 August 2024
⏱️ 83 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/644
Presented By: Yellowstone Teton Territory, Skwala, Visit Helena, MT, FishHound Expeditions
We've got Tom Bie, the editor of The Drake Magazine, back on the show. Tom's written about everything from the issues facing brown trout in the Grand Canyon to a wild story involving a dad and daughter busted by the FBI for selling synthetic weed. They even sued Tom for a quarter of a million dollars.
Strap on the seatbelt, grab your beverage, and get comfortable. Let's get into this one with Tom Bie!
Episode Chapters with Tom Bie on the Drake Magazine
02:26 - We get an update on Tom and The Drake Magazine since our last episode with him in October 2020. We also dive into the challenges facing journalism today.
07:52 - Tom praises Monte Burke for his storytelling skills and how he lets people share their stories. He also talks about Monte's latest work on Nick Lyons.
14:24 - Tom also highlights Jon Krakauer, known for his gripping books like Into the Wild. Krakauer's reporting on a Yosemite climber who committed serious crimes is a prime example of his courage and commitment to justice.
19:16 - We chat about the fish removal in the Grand Canyon. The issue revolves around removing brown trout to protect the native humpback chub. Tom highlights how this problem mirrors other areas, like Yellowstone.
He explains that while protecting native species is important, it's tough when their removal affects popular sport fish that have been around for decades. There's also a bounty program where guides earn money for killing brown trout, which has led to the killing of over 6,000 fish.
35:49 - We discuss how changes in river flow and dam operations have impacted brown trout in the Grand Canyon. Starting around 2014, increased flow rates and historic high flows allowed more brown trout to migrate.
47:56 - We talk about ways to help with the fishing issues in the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. Tom suggests people contact the National Park Service to express that killing sport fish might not be the best solution.
Inside the Drake Magazine
54:33 - Tom shares that he always includes at least one in-depth reported piece per issue of the Drake Magazine. While essays are popular with readers, he often gets way more essays than actual reporting stories.
Tom also explains that good reporting involves more than just writing; it needs interviews and research. He advises aspiring writers to use quotes from real conversations to improve their stories.
1:02:00 - Tom shares a crazy story about a father and daughter from Texas who got into big trouble for selling synthetic weed.
Tom even got sued for talking about it on a podcast! The family also bought the Deneki lodges in Alaska, which was part of the money laundering charges.
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/644
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Today's guest is the editor of one of the best and biggest fly fishing magazines on the planet. |
| 0:07.7 | A big reason for this is the topics he pursues and the great passion he has for all of these topics. |
| 0:13.4 | One of them, brown trout, who are being killed in areas around the country, probably none bigger or larger than the Grand Canyon. |
| 0:22.0 | Tom has written about this concern here and the plan and how he thinks we need to make some changes. Today you're |
| 0:27.6 | going to hear about some of the biggest articles he's written in his career and how this magazine |
| 0:32.6 | might shift and change your thinking in fly fishing this year. This is the wet fly swing podcast where I |
| 0:38.4 | show you the best places to travel to for fly fishing, how to find the best resources and tools to |
| 0:42.3 | prepare for that big trip, and what you can do to give back to the fish species we all love. |
| 0:47.1 | Hey, I'm Dave, host the wet fly swing podcast. I've been fly fishing since I was a little kid. I grew up |
| 0:52.1 | around a fly shop and have created one of the |
| 0:54.5 | largest fly fishing podcast in this country. I've also interviewed more of the greatest fly anglers |
| 0:59.9 | and writers and editors than just about anyone out there. Tom By, editor of the Drake magazine, |
| 1:06.5 | is back on the show for an update to hear what he's been up to the last four years since we had |
| 1:10.2 | him on the show last. We're going to understand what it feels like to be a reporter and how things have changed a lot and he's going to talk about that, what it means to be a good reporter. We're going to dig into a bunch of these topics around what Tom has going. One of the stories that you're going to hear about is a dad and daughter duo who got taken down |
| 1:29.6 | by the FBI, the DEA, and ultimately the FDA for selling synthetic weed, a deadly substance. |
| 1:36.0 | And we hear about this story and how this duo actually sued Tom for a quarter of a million |
| 1:42.2 | dollars. We're going to hear about this story and how they eventually went to prison. |
| 1:46.1 | And the crazy thing is that we find out how this is tied to fly fishing in Denneke |
| 1:50.4 | lodges. |
| 1:51.2 | It's a pretty crazy story. |
| 1:52.2 | So here we go. |
| 1:52.9 | Strap on the seatbelt, grab your beverage, get comfortable. |
... |
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