Outdoors with AJ

Erica Haller is who we should all aspire to be in the outdoors; adventurous, curious, humble, educated and enjoyable.  Erica is exactly who I have wanted to meet since the day I started this podcast, several years ago.

We spent time talking about her background in the outdoors, her passion for public lands and teaching people about the incredible landscapes that we, as Americans, get to explore.  We also got to dive into the insane practice of invasive python hunting in the everglades, how to ethically dispatch of snakes and what Erica is able to do with those animals, honoring the resource.

We talked about fly fishing for tarpon, redfish and snook, among other species and her upcoming transition to trout in the American West.  

I loved hearing about the creative side of such an adventurous person and I'm honored to have gotten to know this woman, whom I now get to call my friend.  I'm so looking forward to hearing more about Erica's next chapter as a fly fishing guide in Montana, a profession that I know she is going to crush.

IG: EricaHolla

Dan, or DC Outdoors on Youtube joins the show to talk about our mutual love for the outdoors and making films about our experiences outdoors.

Dan's channel, one of my favorite on youtube, IG and Twitter, is all about helping people understand more about hunting, fishing and camping.

I've gotten to know Dan over the last two years on social media and we finally got a chance to talk face to face, over the internet of course.  We talked about cooking, gear, how to get away, with the family and without and a whole host of other topics.

Stick around for this outdoor adventure!

Dan's channels:

Youtube: DC Outdoors

Instagram: DC_Outdoors

Twitter: @DC1385

Chris Conant, owner of Morning Dew Fishing Company in Southwest Florida joins host AJ Eads on episode 21 of Outdoors Podcast.  Chris and I had an absolute blast talking about his career as a professional fly fishing guide. 

Chris is currently guiding for saltwater fish like tarpon, snook and redfish but just as recently as 2020, he was leading the fly shop at South Fork Lodge on the south fork of the snake river in SouthEast Idaho.  

We talked about why chris loves to guide, his career as a corporate attorney that he left to pursue a different lifestyle with his wife Becca.

The couple traveled the US in a tiny camper and from the moment I met Chris, I knew I wanted to get both of them on the show.  I'm hoping Becca will join me on a follow up episode as she's quite the character herself!

Enjoy!

Ali Boundy is a wedding photographer that specializes in destination weddings.  She’s based out of Lake Tahoe, and travels regularly for her projects.  We found her work through a former podcast guest and mutual friend. 

Our wedding went just about perfectly, and according to our simple plan.  Ali was a big part of our success.  We got to spend nearly three days together and I feel like I got to know her even better then we did on this podcast.

I invited Ali onto the show because I was interested in how she got into photography in the first place, who helped her along her journey, what type of equipment she shoots on and if she had any advice for other photographers that may be struggling to find their niche.

By fostering a culture of inclusivity, Ali has found a great community of clients that help her grow and expand her already awesome customers.

This was a really fun conversation with someone I know I’ll be friends with for quite some time.

Craig Stephens has been the single most impactful character in my fly fishing career.  We all know the greats, the Kelly Gallops, The Flip Pallots, The Lefty Krehs…but in St. Louis, I associate two names with fly fishing, Tom Hargrove, the namesake of the store, and it’s manager Craig Stephens.

Craig is just about the nicest guy I know and one of the most welcoming humans I’ve ever had the chance to get to call my friend.  Craig has been at T Hargrove Fly Shop on Manchester Road for the better part of 15 years and running the store as it’s General Manager for a decade.

He teaches the fly casting lessons and serves as the main connector of experienced anglers with newer fishermen.  Craig also has a big part in running the fly tying class, offered at the shop, where I learned most of what I know about fly fishing from other anglers each Tuesday night.

Craig and I talked about his move from banking into the fly fishing industry, his favorite places to fish, how he hires guides and more.

You’ll love this episode if you like fishing, customer service, and being a good human.

Instagram's PuristOnTheFly and I sit down for a conversation on Fly Fishing, Outdoor Ehtics, Conservation and the effect of the micro influencer world on our outdoor spaces.

I learned a ton from our talk about Tailing Gloves, and their acceptable applications, why not to Fish Redds or spawning fish in general and what it means to be a "Steward of the land" as we talk about so much on this channel.

In the first episode of a new series, Campsite Conversations, my buddy and return guest, Casey Heeter and I talk all things outdoors live from our campsite in the Red River Gorge area of the Daniel Boone National Forest.

Casey is a backpacking expert, having spent hundreds of nights in the woods, some of them being under -30 degrees for fucks sake.

Casey, my fiance Sara and I along with Casey’s dog Odin and Our dog Yose recently went on a backpacking trip in the Red River Gorge and Casey and I decided we should do a podcast from our back country campsite and I’m glad we did.

We talked about Tents, Hammocks, Camping Ethics and Conservations.  We talk about some of our favorite outdoors retailers like T. Hargrove Fly Fishing Shop and Quest in Louisville where Casey is from.

We talk at some length about how much we love Cottage Vendors and small producers. And we finish up with a short conversation about the future of the Red River Gorge, and what a new resort that’s being proposed might bring, both good and bad to the area.

In the next installment of Oar Stories, my series of interviews with professional fly fishing guides...Augy Knickmeyer joins the show.

Augy is the owner and principal guide for Missouri Fly Life Guide Co on rivers just outside the St. Louis area in Missouri.

Jack Donze and returning guies Ed Kimmill join the show to ask questions and provide a hell of a lot of entertainment.

We talk to Augy about how he got into fishing, what made him want to be a guide, his boat, gear, client expectations and more.  

James Garrettson, owner of About Trout Fly Fishing guide service in Chama New Mexico joins the podcast to talk about his life and experience as a guide.

James makes recommendations on how to find a great fly fishing guide no matter where you are going, how to be a great fly fishing client, what makes New Mexico special and emphasizes the importance of fishing where you are.

For more information on James and his guiding service, check out www.abouttrout.com

Paul from Aptitude Outdoors is an AT alumni, a kayaker, a hunter and a fellow lover of all things outdoors.

We had an incredible talk about how we got our starts on the trail, some in depth convo on hammocks and the ethics of hunting, and how more people could get involved.

I think Paul and I are going to do a lot more episodes in the future together and I’m super pumped to meet him in person this fall when backpacking season kicks back up.

Enjoy.