EP 176 Brian Niska of Skeena Spey Riverside Fishing Lodge

EVER WANTED to fish in Prince Edward Island - Canada's BEAUTIFUL east coast? Well this is the show for you, buster! We sit with Mackenzie Sapier to talk about chasing brook trout in Prince Edward Island, and sight fishing for striped bass on the sand flats. We dive deep into his fishing history - from his Cape Breton roots to six years abroad in Australia where he got SUPER into shark fishing, Mackenzie shares his fishing journey and tips for exploring PEI with a fly rod. HOW TO HELP SO FLY: Please go leave us a review on APPLE PODCASTS. It really helps our show get out there, which means we get to make MORE episodes.

We head back to upstate New York to chase trout on the rivers Mitch and Aldo grew up fishing. Our friend David from Very Good Fly Fishing joins us for the trip, and on the show, to recap our time on the water and chat about revisiting familiar spots with very good company. We also take some time to catch up. It’s been a while since we’ve had a good crew hang on the show, so we settle in for some fishing stories, reminiscing, and a little of everything else.

Stillwater legend Phil Rowley joins us to talk about what decades of chasing trout on lakes have taught him, and what he’s still trying to figure out. We get into how Phil reads unfamiliar water, the clues he trusts most, why anglers sometimes overcomplicate things, and how to know when to change your fly, depth, retrieve, or location. Then, Mitch puts Phil’s knowledge to the test with a very specific mission: help him catch a rainbow trout on an unfamiliar Ontario lake. From trout behaviour and entomology to float tubes, fly selection and the mysteries that keep us coming back, this one is a deep dive into becoming a better stillwater angler.

On this episode of So Fly, we’re joined by Nathan Wilbur, President of the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF), to talk about one of the most iconic fish on the planet: the wild Atlantic salmon. Based in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Nathan has spent more than a decade with the ASF working to conserve and restore wild Atlantic salmon across eastern Canada. His work has ranged from developing conservation programs and building coalitions and Indigenous partnerships to advocating for stronger salmon management at the government level. In July 2025, Nathan stepped into the role of President of the organization. Nathan is also a Professional Engineer with a background in rivers and fluvial geomorphology. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Forest Engineering from the University of New Brunswick before completing a Master’s in Civil Engineering, where his research focused on cold-water habitat for Atlantic salmon. But for Nathan, salmon and rivers are more than a career. He’s also a lifelong angler with a deep connection to fish, flowing water and the natural world. We chat with Nathan about the current state of wild Atlantic salmon, the biggest challenges facing populations today, habitat and river restoration, conservation and management, and the work being done to give these incredible fish a better future. Plus, we learn a little about Nathan the angler. Enjoy! Explore the ASF: https://www.asf.ca/ HOW TO HELP SO FLY: Please go leave us a review on APPLE PODCASTS. It really helps our show get out there, which means we get to make MORE episodes.

We sit with Dr. Steven J. Cooke, a professor at Carleton University in Ottawa and one of Canada’s leading researchers in fish ecology, conservation, and recreational fisheries. We chat about what happens to fish when we catch them, and get into just how effective the practices of catch and release actually are. Dr. Cooke has spent his career studying some of the biggest questions facing fish and freshwater ecosystems, from fish migration and habitat restoration to stress physiology and more. Dr. Cooke has published more than 1200 research papers, is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and was inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame - just to name a few of his accomplishments and recognitions, but there are many more. To put it succinctly, he has spent decades working to turn conservation science into something that can actually make a difference on the water.