The Wild South

The Austin-based guide discusses fishing the rivers and lakes in and around the capital city, as well as throughout his home state of Texas. He also details the humble beginnings of what’s now known as the LoCo Trash Bash, an annual event focused on cleaning up the lower Colorado River; the unexpected origins of his eponymous Dedeaux popper; and his former life as frontman of the funk band Bad Mutha Goose and the Brothers Grimm. The Wild South is presented in partnership with Duck Camp.

Editor’s note:

This episode was recorded a few weeks before the passing of Lenée Dedeaux, Alvin’s wife. We send our condolences to the Dedeaux family and all those who knew Lenée. If you wish to help Alvin and his family financially during this time, please see this GoFundMe page.

Sites mentioned in episode:

“Be Somebody” by Bad Mutha Goose and the Brothers Grimm

Alvin’s Instagram: @alvin_dedeaux_fly_fishing

Alvin’s Youtube: @AlvinDedeauxFlyFishing

Alvin’s Website: Alvin Dedeaux Fly Fishing

Conservation organizations:

All Water Guides

LoCo Trash Bash

American Fly Fishing Trade Association

Other:

Hudspeth River Ranch

Blue Line Flies

Action Hero: Alvin Dedeaux

Wild South credits:

Producer and editor: Christine Fennessy
Music: Woody Platt and Bennett Sullivan
Artwork: Lars Leetaru
Transcripts editor: Katherine Jarvis

This time, it’s all about Dave and Eddie and their efforts as dads to raise kids in the outdoors. They talk about successes, challenges, and where they’ve sometimes fallen short. As Eddie says, it’s “not all that easy to raise outdoor kids in the modern world.” They also discuss how as youngsters they learned the ins and outs of fishing and hunting—including, for Dave, one painful attempt to land a trophy bass. Even if you don’t have kids of your own, you might pick up a few things that could help influence a young person in your life. The Wild South is presented in partnership with Duck Camp.

Also see:

Garden & Gun articles by Dave

Garden & Gun articles by Eddie

Books by Dave

Books by Eddie

Wild South credits:

Producer and editor: Christine Fennessy
Music: Woody Platt and Bennett Sullivan
Artwork: Lars Leetaru
Transcripts editor: Katherine Jarvis

Dave and Eddie talk with Tom Rosenbauer, the renowned fly fisherman who has spent forty-eight years with Orvis, written more than thirty books, and hosts a popular podcast. Rosenbauer discusses getting his start at Orvis, why he’s obsessed with carp, his role in bringing the bead head fly to the United States, and the work being done to save the Everglades. The Wild South is presented in partnership with Duck Camp.

Sites mentioned in Episode 4:

Rosenbauer’s Instagram: @rosenbauert

Orvis Homepage

Orvis Bio of Rosenbauer

The Orvis Fly Fishing Guide Podcast

Trout Unlimited

Wild South credits:

Producer and editor: Christine Fennessy
Music: Woody Platt and Bennett Sullivan
Artwork: Lars Leetaru
Transcripts editor: Katherine Jarvis

Dave and Eddie talk with wild turkey biologist Mike Chamberlain about threats to the birds’ populations and the ways regulators, conservationists, and sportsmen and sportswomen are working to keep their numbers healthy. They also discuss ethical quandaries they and others face as turkey hunters. The episode is an edited version of a conversation held before a live audience at the G&G offices as part of the 2023 Southeastern Wildlife Exposition. The Wild South is presented in partnership with Duck Camp.

Sites mentioned in Episode 3:

Chamberlain’s Instagram: @wildturkeydoc

Chamberlain’s website: Wild Turkey Lab

Wild Turkey Lab on YouTube: @wildturkeylab

Wild Turkey Lab on Instagram: @wildturkeylab

Chamberlain’s Foundation:  The Austin Hunter Chamberlain Memorial Foundation

Youtube videos featuring Chamberlain:

Inside the Mind of the Wild Turkey Doc

National Wild Turkey Federation: Cocktails and Conservation

Mentioned organizations/sites:

National Wild Turkey Federation

Southeastern Wildlife Exposition

Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources

Pittman-Robertson Act

Natural Resource Conservation Service

Woodhaven Custom Calls

Tom Kelly, Inc.

Primos Hunting

Wild South credits:

Producer and editor: Christine Fennessy
Music: Woody Platt and Bennett Sullivan
Artwork: Lars Leetaru
Transcripts editor: Katherine Jarvis

Dave and Eddie talk with guide and environmental advocate Hilary Hutcheson, who grew up on the rivers of her home state of Montana, continues to guide there, and is a leading voice in raising awareness of how climate change is affecting North America’s fishing heritage. The mother of three grown children has fished all over the world (with a soft spot for the South), has testified before a Senate committee about the state of fisheries across the country, and is an ambassador for several of the biggest names in the sporting world. But there’s one dream she’s not been able to make come true: noodling a catfish. Presented in partnership with Duck Camp.

Sites mentioned in Episode 2:

Hilary Hutcheson’s Instagram: @outsidehilary

Conservation organizations: 

Backcountry Hunters and Anglers

Casting for Recovery

Protect Our Winters

Guiding for the Future

Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana

Captains for Clean Water

Fish for Change

Climate Solution Caucus

Forest/wildernesses:

Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve

Crown of the Continent

Wild and Scenic Rivers

Wild and Scenic Rivers

Glacier National Park

Flathead National Forest

Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex

Great Bear Wilderness

Wild South credits:

Producer and editor: Christine Fennessy
Music: Woody Platt and Bennett Sullivan
Artwork: Lars Leetaru
Transcripts editor: Katherine Jarvis

In the inaugural episode, Dave and Eddie talk with world-renowned outdoorsman Flip Pallot about his time as a young boy growing up in a small, wild town called Miami, his breakthrough TV show, how he casts with a fly rod differently than most anglers, and why watching as many sunrises and sunsets in a single lifetime is a pursuit worth beginning at any age. Presented in partnership with Duck Camp.

Sites mentioned in Episode 1:

Flip Pallot’s Instagram

Flip Pallot’s Youtube Channel

Flip Pallot

Hell’s Bay Boats

Also see: The Wild Zen Flip Pallot

Follow Dave and Eddie on Instagram

Wild South credits:

Producer and editor: Christine Fennessy
Music: Woody Platt and Bennett Sullivan
Artwork: Lars Leetaru
Transcripts editor: Katherine Jarvis

The Wild South comes to you from Garden & Gun magazine, featuring conversations with legends of the sporting world–from fishing and hunting guides to artists and wild game chefs–and dives deep into conservation issues as well as entertaining stories–of success and failure–from the field. Hosted by editor in chief David DiBenedetto and contributing editor T. Edward Nickens, The Wild South leaves no kudzu leaf unturned to bring you fresh perspectives and insights about the land we love. 

Darla Moore knows what it’s like to be underestimated, and so does her hometown. The successful businesswoman and philanthropist always had to prove herself—to make Wall Street bigwigs look past her good looks and Southern accent. But she persevered, making her name (and a couple of billion dollars) in finance and investing, a success that landed her on the cover of Fortune magazine, the first woman to do so, and eventually on the greens at Augusta National, where she became one of the first women to be invited to join the club that hosts the annual Masters golf tournament. While she was away, first in Washington, D.C., and then, in New York City, her hometown of Lake City, South Carolina, a once-vibrant farming community, had come on hard times. But Moore never forgot where she came from, and returned to live part-time in the place her family had called home for generations with a business plan to revitalize her beloved community. Today, due to many of Moore's initiatives, Lake City boasts ArtFields, a top-notch art competition and festival; a thriving downtown; and year-round tourism, thanks in part to the Moore Farms Botanical Garden, a sixty-five-acre research garden on Moore’s grandparents’ land. In this episode, we hear about the transformation from Darla Moore at her Lake City home, Mayor Lovith Anderson in Lake City’s Bean Market, and Holly Shady, a director of ArtFields.

Robert Earl Keen has been writing songs since the late 1970s, when he was an English major at Texas A&M University and has been performing them live for almost as long. We recently caught up with Keen to talk about his life, his songs, his upcoming tour with college buddy and fellow Texan Lyle Lovett, and training his new dog, Cormac.

Frontman for the Steep Canyon Rangers, Woody Platt, takes us back to the band's beginning, discusses the magic of Steve Martin, and why he still calls Brevard, North Carolina, home.In eighteen years, the Steep Canyon Rangers have gone from playing underground bars in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to selling out Carnegie Hall. Guitarist, singer, and frontman Woody Platt, who founded the bluegrass band along with college friend and Rangers banjo player Graham Sharp, sits down with us to discuss the band's evolution and an unexpected partnership with comedian (and banjonist) Steve Martin.In this episode, Platt, an avid fly fisherman, also takes us back to his home in Brevard, North Carolina, and explains how the town's natural setting and musical traditions have impacted his life.