“Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a good fire?”

C.S. Lewis—Letters of C.S. Lewis

Dr. Bryan Gill Dr. Bryan Gill

Cpt. Robin Simms: Fly Fishing Guide & Boat Captain

In this week’s episode, we sit down with Captain Robin Simms, who just received her certification to operate 150 foot vessels. Robin is a longtime friend of the show and vital member of the Alabama flyfishing community. We previously had Robin on the show in a mini episode at the international fly fishing film festival at Cahaba brewery last year. We go into more depth with Robin in this episode and discuss Alabama women on the fly, her guide services, and a host of other topics centered around a life lived on the water… Including a harrowing story from her time in Alaska involving a very little boat on very big waves. We absolutely love what Robin brings to this episode, as well as what she brings to the outdoor community with her innovative approach to getting new people on the water. We hope you enjoy!

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Jacob Holsonback: Surfer & Surf Shop Manager

In this episode, we dive into the world of surfing with Jacob Holsonback, a true enthusiast and self-proclaimed surf junky; he is one of the managers at Innerlight Surf Shop on the Gulf Coast. Unlike our previous outdoor topics, this conversation paddles into the uncharted waters of the thrilling sport of surfing. Jacob shares his personal journey, from how he first discovered surfing to managing a surf shop and teaching beginner surf camps during the summer. We explore the challenges and growth opportunities he's experienced through surfing, along with some of his most memorable adventures. Jacob also provides valuable advice for novice surfers and sheds light on the dangers that the sport of surfing may encounter. If you're curious about surfing or looking to enhance your surfing skills, this episode is a must-listen!

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Dr. Bryan Gill Dr. Bryan Gill

Charles Martin & Sons: Alaska Stories

In this episode, we sit down with former guest and New York Times best selling author, Charles Martin. However, this time we were joined by two of his three sons, Rives and Charlie. Charles, Rives and Charlie all spent some time in Alaska this past year, and we were not short on stories for them to tell. We talked about bear encounters, fishing for salmon, and what it means to be a man. Charles gets the opportunity to talk about each of his sons unique giftedness, and how he specifically prays for each of them. This was such a fun conversation to be a part of on many levels. We hope that you will enjoy hearing more from our friend, Charles Martin and his sons. Be sure to get Charles’ latest books: a novel entitled The Last Exchange, and a 40 Day Journey to the cross, entitled It is Finished wherever books are sold.

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Season 8 Introduction

Brad and Bryan sit down together in an all new episode and recall some of their favorite moments from season seven and preview season eight. They also talk about some of their personal adventures that they took during the break in-between seasons that took them everywhere from the upper Delta in Mobile to the great Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee, and all the way to Nicaragua. We are excited to start season eight and we hope that you will enjoy, the many different guests that we have on the show this season as well as a couple brand new essays. Don’t forget to download Brad‘s new song, “Waiting on a Rise,” wherever you get your music, and pick up a copy of Bryan’s newest book, “Jesus Is,” that can be found at www.ironhillpress.com or on Amazon.

Check out our YouTube film “Fly Fishing for Something Bigger Than Fish | A Full Film “Reflections.”

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Dr. Bryan Gill Dr. Bryan Gill

Jimbo Meador: Meditating and Marinating on Fishing Stories, Close Calls, & Jimmy Buffett

This is our 100th episode! And we could not think of anyone better than Jimbo Meador, Alabama fly fishing legend and outdoorsman to be our guest for this special occasion. Jimbo was on our show once before, but if you know Jimbo, there’s always more stories to tell. We were so honored to be able to sit down once again in his home office and listen to the guide stories of flyfishing, close calls on the water, and his longtime friend, the late Jimmy Buffett. We know you will enjoy these stories that are downright laugh out loud funny. Jimbo is an absolute treasure to the state of Alabama and the overall sport of fly fishing, and we are thankful that we call him friend. Thank you for joining us on this journey of 100 episodes of the Storied Outdoors. If you enjoy this podcast, please share it with a friend who you think would enjoy it as well. Here’s to 100, and may there be 100 more!

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Dr. Bryan Gill Dr. Bryan Gill

Brian Toone: Extreme Amateur Cyclists

Dr. Brian Toone, assistant professor of computer science at Samford University. You may be wondering what a professor in computer science is doing on an outdoor podcast? Well, Brian is not only a brilliant professor, he is also an avid cyclist. And when I say avid, he’s at a different level than 99% of cyclists in America. Recently, Brian competed in the 2023 Paris-Brest-Paris cycling event, a 761-mile ride through France where he finished the endurance race in under 59 hours.

In this episode we cover almost as much ground as Brian has on his bike. We hear about his adventures in France for Paris-Brest-Pairs and how much he learned from one year to the next on the same race. Brain shares about some of his darkest moments during Race Across America, and his reflections on lessons learned in cycling. We also cover Brian’s amazing work in software development and how his program is impacting the sport of cycling.

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