Outdoor Ruhls

Episode 44: So Long Sørøya

Mike Ruhl, Jacob (Camp Halibut Guide), Nate Weise, Neil McCullum, GT

Join Mike on the final days of his Northern Norway adventure at Camp Halibut! This episode kicks off with an in-depth interview with Jacob, one of the guides who helped make the week unforgettable. Later, Mike sits down with Nate, Neil, and GT to share stories, reflections, and hard-earned lessons from a week chasing Arctic halibut and cod.

Why Listen:

Discover insider tips for Arctic fishing from a seasoned guide.

Hear the story behind Poppy’s 161 cm halibut—trip record!

Learn about gear, tactics, and teamwork that make a remote fishing trip a success.

Get practical advice for planning your own Northern Norway adventure.

Episode Highlights:

Jacob’s top tips for landing halibut and cod.

Stories from the guides and anglers about the week’s challenges and triumphs.

Reflections from Nate, Neil, and GT on technique, preparation, and camaraderie.

Mike’s closing thoughts on the trip and gratitude for the incredible guides and organizers.

Next Up:

The final Norway episode wraps up the adventure with lessons learned, ideas for future trips, and reflections on this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Connect with the Outdoor Ruhls Podcast:

Website: www.outdoorruhls.com

Instagram: @OutdoorRuhls

Email: [email protected]

Episode 43: Fiske, Endelig (Fishing, Finally)!

Mike Ruhl, Zach Klein, Poppy, Robert

In this episode, we kick off the Norway fishing adventures at Camp Halibut on Sørøya Island, deep in the Arctic Circle. Mike is joined by first-time guest Zach Klein, along with Poppy and Robert, as they recount their experiences fishing for a variety of species in this unique and remote location.

Topics Discussed:

Norway Fishing Adventures: The group talks about their time fishing at Camp Halibut and the diversity of fish they caught, including halibut, cod, redfish, wolf fish, placie, and ling.

Fishing Techniques: From using paddle tail baits to cranking up redfish from 1,000 feet of water, the group shares stories of the fishing methods they used and what they caught.

Camp Halibut & Sørøya Island: A look at the small, remote village and the fishing camp where they stayed, including insights into the local culture and what it’s like fishing so far north.

Robert’s First Big Fishing Experience: Mike reflects on how Robert, at only six years old, handled the long days and challenging fishing conditions.

Fishing with Zach Klein: Zach shares how he and Mike became friends in New Mexico, how they started hunting together, and now they’re experiencing a new fishing adventure in Norway.

Key Highlights:

A variety of fish were caught including halibut, cod, coalfish, and redfish.

Fishing days averaged 10-12 hours, with some stretching to 14 hours.

The group reflects on the gear used, including custom-built rods made by the guides at Camp Halibut.

A behind-the-scenes look at life on the island, including boat rides, wildlife sightings, and fishing techniques in both shallow and deep waters.

Next Week’s Preview:

Next week, we continue our Norway fishing adventure with a special guest interview with Jacob, one of the guides at Camp Halibut. Stay tuned as we discuss more fishing stories with Neil McCullum and Nate Wiese.

🎙️ Episode 42 – Chasing the Midnight Sun
Guests: Poppy, GT, and Robert
Host: Mike Ruhl
Length: ~90 minutes
Recorded in: Reykjavik, Iceland & Tromsø, Norway

In this jam-packed kickoff to the "Norway Adventure" trilogy, Mike, his son Robert, Poppy, and GT set off on a multi-generational journey across Iceland and Norway in pursuit of puffins, pastries, and (eventually) halibut.

🛫 TRIP ORIGINS:

GT and Mike's group fly from Santa Fe to Denver, then direct to Reykjavik

Poppy flies from Pennsylvania to Reykjavik via BWI

The crew reunites, loads into a diesel Toyota Land Cruiser, and starts their Icelandic road trip

🏔️ ICELAND HIGHLIGHTS:

Whale Museum in Reykjavik

The Hallgrímskirkja church and top-tier seafood dinners

Waterfalls you can walk behind

Puffin spotting on the Westman Islands

Black Sand Beach and tern attacks (ask Poppy)

Secret Lagoon hot springs (shhh!)

Geysir and tectonic plate hikes

Several bakeries – one was life-changing

🍲 ROBERT’S RANKINGS:
Robert (age 6) offers a full list of favorites and not-so-favorites, including:

🥇 Secret Lagoon

🥈 Second bakery

🥉 Whale museum and mussels dinner

🥄 Least favorite: not being allowed to ride a scooter 😆

🔥 SPECIAL ICELANDIC MOMENT:
On the drive to the airport, the crew unexpectedly witnesses a volcano eruption near the Blue Lagoon — a surreal farewell from Iceland.

✈️ ONWARD TO NORWAY:

Flight from Reykjavik to Oslo

Chaos at baggage claim delays their escape from the Oslo airport

They discover the Oslo Pass, which unlocks a packed itinerary of museums, ferries, and public transport

🏛️ OSLO MUSEUM BLITZ:

Fram Museum

Kon-Tiki Museum

Nobel Peace Center

Munch Museum (yes, The Scream)

Norway’s Maritime & Natural History Museums

🌊 ROBERT SWIMS AGAIN:

Swims in the Oslo harbor near the opera house

Later, tricks GT into letting him swim in a fountain

🥵 DOWNSIDE:

Oslo was hot, with no A/C in their 7th floor Airbnb

Also, tiny coffee cups

📈 GT’s FISH-SHIPPING COST METER:

A running joke/theme emerges: how much will it ultimately cost GT to bring fish back to New Mexico?

Current tally: $230 and counting...

🌄 TROMSØ ARRIVAL:

The group flies to Tromsø, 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle

Reindeer roam the beaches while Norwegians swim in the icy water

Mountains rise from sea level, and the setting stuns the entire group

🎣 FISHING ANTICIPATION:

The whole crew, especially Robert, is ready to fish

But they haven’t even started yet…

💬 Quotes of the Episode:

“It’s a sheep in wolf’s clothing!” – Mike
“No, it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” – GT
“I think he chafed his nipples on the bottom of the fountain.” – Mike
“The biggest problem in Iceland? Tiny coffee cups.” – GT

📍Where We’ve Been (So Far):

Reykjavik

Secret Lagoon

Westman Islands

Oslo

Tromsø

📦 Next Up in Episode 43:
The crew finally arrives in Hasvik, Norway for Camp Halibut and the fishing adventure begins! Expect big catches, late-night fileting, and the most expensive fish per pound you’ve ever heard of.

📲 Follow along on Instagram and Facebook: @OutdoorRuhls
📬 Got comments or a verdict on the sheep/wolf debate? Email us: [email protected]

Episode 41: Joeski, Part 2 – What Doesn’t Kill You

Guest: Joe Skorupski

Host: Mike Ruhl

Description:

In Part 2 of this conversation, the story continues from the Alaskan wilderness... but quickly turns in an unexpected and deeply personal direction. Not long after returning from one of the greatest hunts of his life, Joe began a battle that nearly cost him everything. What follows is a raw and emotional account of surviving liver failure, undergoing a transplant, and finding strength through family, friends, and sheer will.

Joe opens up about the grueling physical and mental toll of waiting for a donor, the shock of a rare diagnosis, and the long road to recovery. This is a story about resilience, perspective, and gratitude.

Topics Covered:

Final days and drama of the Alaska float hunt

Life-threatening health collapse and rare liver disease

Misdiagnoses, dry runs, and weeks of uncertainty

The gift of a transplant—and what comes after

Finding meaning in survival, service, and second chances

What matters most: family, community, and the drive to live fully

Teaser:

If you’ve ever questioned what you’re capable of enduring, Joe’s story offers a stunning reminder. And next week, we’ll shift gears with the first of our Norway fishing episodes—travel tales, family memories, and big fish from the far north.

Mike gets together with decades-long friend Joe Skorupski to reminisce about their shared passions and experiences. Like Mike, Joe is a Pennsylvania transplant to the West, a fish biologist, and an avid outdoorsman. In Part 1, Joe starts his story of an incredible Alaskan hunt with friends in the deep wilderness. Part 2 will conclude the hunt and take an unbelievable turn.

Episode 37: A Pair of Bassholes

Guest: Bob Bridges
Hosts: Mark & Matt Ruhl
Theme: Bass fishing stories, unforgettable trips, and a lifetime of laughs

In this episode, longtime friend and die-hard bass angler Bob Bridges joins Matt and Mark Ruhl to share decades of stories from the water. From childhood fishing memories in Texas to legendary boat trips across Pennsylvania, New York, and Canada, the guys trade tales about tackle obsessions, muskie mayhem, bear encounters, and one epic bass tournament win.

They break down their favorite gear, favorite lakes (including Cowanesque, Gaston, and Raystown), and what keeps them coming back year after year for topwater blowups, late-night crappie bites, and the occasional kidney stone.

🐟 Episode Highlights:

Bob’s Fishing Origin Story: Bluegill in Missouri, bass in Texas, and the purple worm that started it all

Conodoguinet Creek & PA Roots: Smallmouth and rock bass in backyard waters

College Connection: Meeting the Ruhl crew at Mansfield University in 2000

The “Green Weenie” Boat: DIY bass rig and a symbol of simpler times

Annual Trips to Cowanesque Lake: 20+ years of tradition, big bass, and rotating camp spots

Lake Gaston: Exploding spotted bass population and a 2.6 lb crappie on a jerkbait

Topwater Magic: Canada tournament win and the best smallmouth popper bite of their lives

Tackle Addictions: TRDs, poppers, Shimano reels, and overflowing basement pegboards

Animal Antics: Bear vs. honey buns, raccoon snack theft, and deer camp dogs with ticks

Fishing Philosophy: Don’t leave fish to find fish. Unless you’re Bob.

🎯 Gear & Go-To Tactics:

Bob: G. Loomis rods, Shimano reels, TRD (Ned Rig & Drop Shot)

Matt: St. Croix rods, Shimano reels, Topwater poppers

Favorite species: Largemouth, smallmouth, crappie, spotted bass, and stripers

Notable catches: 6.9 lb bass, 20+ lb striper on topwater, 2.6 lb crappie

Least favorite move: Watching Bob leave biting fish to try something “interesting”

🛶 Favorite Fishing Spots:

Cowanesque Lake, PA

Lake Gaston, VA/NC

Raystown Lake, PA

Tioga & Hammond Lakes, PA

Canadian Shield Lakes

Future Goals: St. Lawrence River, Thousand Islands, and maybe even chasing 10-pounders down south

🦫 Bonus Stories:

The kidney stone that didn’t stop Bob from fishing

The “bear break-in” that left nothing but a trail of Entenmann’s wrappers

That time Bob caught his own lost lure… inside a fish’s throat

Legendary bass tournament win powered by topwater chaos and bug hatches

📸 Follow & Explore:

Instagram: @OutdoorRuhls

Website: www.outdoorruhls.com – listen, read, and grab wild game recipes

🎧 Listen Now:

Stream A Pair of Bassholes and every episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

🎣 Episode 37 – “The Bass Bug: From Snitz Creek to the Bassmaster Open”

Mark, Matt, & Mike

Special guest: Matt Goudie (@mgoudie1756)

Overview:
In this special bass-centric episode, Mark introduces his oldest fishing friend, Matt Goudie, for a deep dive into lifelong fishing memories, bass boat obsessions, and tournament prep. From catching sunfish with cigarette butts to prepping for the Bassmaster Open on the Upper Chesapeake, this episode covers it all: stories, laughs, strategy, and obsession.

Highlights Include:

🎣 Fishing Origins: Childhood days chasing trout in Snitz Creek and outlaw fishing at Gretna Lake

🐮 Bull Encounters & Rat’s Nests: Stories of sprinting from cows and chucking tangled rods

🚤 Bass Obsession: How Matt caught the bass bug and built a year-round habit around it

🧠 Bass vs. Variety: The debate between mastering one fish or being a jack-of-all-trades

📅 100+ Days a Year: How Matt balances work and over 100 fishing trips annually

🎯 Favorite Techniques: Jerkbaits, frogs, Ned rigs—and why tubes made a comeback

🏆 Tournament Life: Local opens vs. the Bassmaster Open, how it works, and why he’s fishing it

🧭 Home Water Advantage: Insight into the Upper Bay, tidal nuance, and grass as the X-factor

🌊 Dream Destinations: From Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River to peacock bass in Florida

🎣 Funny Memory Lane: The “Set the Hook” trip with Phil Steinke and the legendary baitless sunfish episode

Follow Along:

Follow Matt Goudie on Instagram: @mgoudie1756

Watch the Bassmaster Open leaderboard and weigh-in at bassmaster.com

More Outdoor Ruhls episodes and recipes: www.outdoorruhls.com

Instagram: @outdoorruhls

Rachel, Caitlin, Mark, and Mike cover everything fishy about the food we love! Ever had pickled pike? What about a walleye Po’ Boy? We talk about both and so much more!

Caitlin and Mike celebrate 13 years of (mostly) blissful marriage and celebrate their anniversary by calling the couples that inspire them. Oh yeah, and Matt, they talk to Matt too.

Episode 34: Why Did the Beaver Cross the Road?
Guest: Ben Goldfarb, award-winning environmental journalist and author
Hosts: Mike and Caitlin Ruhl
Duration: ~1 hour 10 minutes

🦫 Episode Summary:
This week’s episode of Outdoor Ruhls brings together old friends for a heartfelt and fascinating conversation about fish, fieldwork, writing, and the creatures that shape our landscapes. Mike and Caitlin are joined by Ben Goldfarb, renowned environmental journalist and author of Eager and Crossings, for a wide-ranging conversation that starts with shared memories of working in Yellowstone National Park and travels through fisheries science, book writing, and beaver admiration.

Ben talks about freezing nights electrofishing on the Madison River, lake trout battles on Yellowstone Lake, and the epic ecological significance of the humble beaver. The crew also explores the deeper reasons why fish captivate us, and Ben shares insights into his upcoming book on fish movement. There’s even a little Mets-Phillies banter to close things out.

📚 Topics Covered:

How Mike, Caitlin, and Ben met working fisheries in Yellowstone (2009)

Electrofishing for brown trout at night on the Madison River

The ecological war against lake trout in Yellowstone Lake

Why Eager became a breakout conservation book — and what Dan Flores had to do with it

Crossings: the surprising and devastating ways roads affect wildlife

Writing with humor and heart about dark ecological subjects

Fish as tactile gateways to the wild

Mussels, minnows, mystery, and ichthyophilia

Ben’s upcoming book on fish movement

And yes… Mets vs. Phillies

📘 Featured Works by Ben Goldfarb:

Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter

Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet
🏆 Winner: Banff Mountain Book Award for Environmental Literature
🏆 E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation Award (shortlisted)

🧠 Quotables:

“You can hold a fish in your hand and feel the wild.” – Mike
“We’re all just trying to figure out why we love fish.” – Ben
“Roadkill is the carnage of modernity.” – Ben
“Writing with joy about hard things is the way in.” – Caitlin

🔖 Tags / SEO Keywords:
Yellowstone National Park, Ben Goldfarb, beavers, road ecology, electrofishing, brown trout, lake trout, native fish, conservation writing, fish movement, freshwater mussels, Eager book, Crossings book, Aldo Leopold, Dan Flores, outdoor podcast, fisheries, Mike Ruhl, Caitlin Ruhl

📸 Follow & Connect:

Website: www.outdoorruhls.com

Instagram: @outdoorruhls

Facebook: Outdoor Ruhls

Email: [email protected]

🎧 Listen + Share:
Love the episode? Leave a review, share it with your favorite fisheries nerd, or tell us why you think beavers matter.