Tfue was the most-watched Fortnite streamer on the planet. Eleven million Twitch followers. Eleven million YouTube subscribers. Over 1.7 billion views. And in 2023, he walked away from it all. Not because he failed. Because he was done.

Now he's running 120 miles offshore in the Gulf chasing swordfish, flats fishing in Indian Rocks Beach, and building one of the fastest-growing fishing channels on YouTube under the name C-Few.

I really loved this conversation. Some of the moments that stood out to me:

- The way Tfue talks about gaming and fishing as two sides of the same obsession — when he's in, he's ALL in. Whether that's streaming 15 hours a day or going 4-for-5 on swordfish before noon.

- His take on what it actually takes to be the best in the world at something — genetics, age, reflexes, mindset — and how a lot of it applies far beyond gaming.

- The moment he realized a flats boat was too dangerous for anyone he invited on it, and how that pushed him into bigger water and bigger fish.

- How he learned sword fishing almost entirely on his own — YouTube, trial and error, and just going 120 miles out into the Gulf until he figured it out.

- His honest answer when I asked if competitive gaming and competitive fishing are comparable. He doesn't sugarcoat it. The answer surprised me.

00:00 Introduction

01:00 From #1 Fortnite Streamer to Fisherman

03:35 What It Takes to Be the Best in the World at Gaming

07:00 How Tfue Fell in Love with Fishing

09:45 The Boat Progression — Simmons Flats Boat to 43-Footer

14:00 Sword Fishing the Gulf — Running 120 Miles Offshore

17:00 Sponsors, Growing C-Few, and Building a Fishing Channel

21:00 The Bahamas, Exumas, and Dream Fish

27:30 Retiring at 28 — What That Actually Looks Like

32:00 Gaming vs. Fishing: Competitive Mindset Breakdown

38:00 Fortnite by the Numbers — The Scale Is Hard to Believe

44:00 Enhanced Games, Adderall in Esports, and Performance

51:00 Skill Ceiling, Genetics, and What Makes a Great Competitor

55:00 AI, Chess, and Cheating at the Highest Levels

1:01:00 Dream Catches, Bluefin Tuna, and What's Next

1:07:00 Golf, Card Counting, Casinos, and Random Life Stuff

1:14:00 Where to Find Tfue — Tfue and C-Few

🔗 Follow Tfue:

YouTube (Fishing) → @CFew

YouTube (Gaming) → @Tfue

📘 Free Resources:

🎁 Saltwater Knot Guide → https://bit.ly/3UnAeIP

🎙️ Tom Rowland Podcast → https://bit.ly/3O4lgn0

📺 Subscribe for More Unfiltered Conversations

→ https://www.youtube.com/saltwaterexperience?sub_confirmation=1

📱 Follow the Show:

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/saltwater_experience/

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@saltwaterexperience

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/tvswe

#Tfue #CFew #FortniteStreamer #SwordfFishing #OffshoreFishing #FishingYouTube #GamingToFishing #TomRowlandPodcast #SaltwaterExperience #DaytimeSwordfishing #InshoreF ishing #TarponFishing #GulfOfMexico #FishingChannel #Fortnite #StreamerLife #RetiredAt28 #FishingPodcast #BluefinTuna #FloridaFishing

Jameson Reeder is a shark attack survivor who was bitten while snorkeling in waist-deep water at a sandbar in the Florida Keys. After five years of living in the Florida Keys with his wife, a perfect day on the water turned into a life-threatening emergency when a shark grabbed his leg. In this powerful episode, Jameson reveals the immediate moments of the attack, the extensive emergency medical treatment and multiple surgeries that followed, and the long road to physical and mental recovery. What's most remarkable is his perspective: despite the trauma, he maintains deep respect for sharks and has become an advocate for ocean safety awareness and marine conservation.

Breathwork coach Taylor Somerville of Symmetry joins Tom Rowland to discuss modern strategies for stress management, nervous system regulation, and mental resilience. Whether you are dealing with corporate burnout or looking for a performance edge, Taylor delivers actionable insights on using apnea dive tables to handle pressure, optimizing your cold plunge routine, and utilizing simple spinal movement protocols to fix chronic back pain. Tune in for a Masterclass on mastering your body’s automatic stress response.

If you liked this episode, share it with a friend, rate the show, and stay tuned for more unfiltered conversations.

Episode 1012 of the Tom Rowland Podcast is a catch-up conversation with kayak fishing tournament angler Dustin Nichols that turned into something I did not see coming — a 192 BPM heart rate at 51, the energy drinks that put him in the back of an ambulance, the BMX comeback that has taken 50 pounds off him at 54, and his honest take on where kayak fishing is headed.

Five years ago Dustin came on the podcast for the first time. I had him back this week to find out what had happened since. What he told me ended up being one of the more honest comeback stories I have heard on this show in a while, and I wanted to share why.

Jamie Howard is the filmmaker behind Chasing Silver, Running the Coast, Location X, Black Salmon, and Bass The Movie — and yesterday he sat down with me to talk about his new podcast Cameras Off, the Tarpon Diaries series he's launching inside it, and where the show is going next as it expands beyond fishing

Jamie and I have been crossing paths for more than twenty years. He pulled me into Location X back when I was figuring out the film world, and he's still the kind of person who looks at the water like he's seeing it for the first time. That's part of why his films land.

The reason I want you to listen to this one is simple. The article gives you the topics. The audio gives you Jamie — his timing, his hedge, the way he laughed when I told him I thought there was a foot in the frame of his most famous shot. None of that translates to text. Hear it from him.

Follow Cameras Off on Spotify — Season 1 is out, the Tarpon Diaries series drops on Thursdays, and the channel is widening out to include adventure photographers, Red Bull wingsuit flyers, and outdoor stories beyond fishing. Animation is rolling out on Jamie's Instagram as well. Everything is also at howardfilms.com.

Listen to Episode 1011 Now

Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube · iHeartRadio

Star brite

Premium marine cleaning and maintenance, including the Sea Safe biodegradable line built for anglers who care about water quality.

Danco

Pliers, scissors, and tools built for the demands of saltwater fishing.

1st Phorm

Performance nutrition I use to stay ready for long days on the water.

MTN OPS

Hydration, energy, and recovery — code TOMFREESHIP gets free shipping.

GORUCK

Rucks and training gear built to take a beating — code VEST20 saves twenty dollars on the weight vest.

Seventy-two knot tutorials. Years of on-the-water testing. Free download.

Get the Knot Guide

Andy Mill · Andy Smith · Paul Dixon · Greg Meyerson · Mark Crocka · Arnaud Matei · Amy Vitale · Kyle Long · Monte Burke

Filmmaker and founder of Howard Films. His fishing documentary catalog includes Rising Tide, Chasing Silver, Location X (and its sequel), Bass The Movie, Running the Coast, and Black Salmon. Former advertising creative director with work for British Airways, Adidas, and others across his New York and Los Angeles years. He now hosts the Cameras Off podcast on Spotify and Apple — an outdoor stories channel that includes the Tarpon Diaries series and is widening beyond fishing into adventure photography, wingsuit flying, and other unexpected outdoor lives.

Follow Cameras Off: on Spotify

Website: howardfilms.com

Find the Tom Rowland Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and iHeartRadio.

Why You Should ListenWhy Running the Coast Took Four YearsThe Aerial Tarpon Shot — What the HD Remaster RevealedWhat Jamie Saw Happen to the Striped Bass FisheryHow Jamie Picks the People He Puts On CameraCameras Off — Jamie's New Podcast and the Tarpon Diaries Series Inside ItThe Yellowstone CoincidenceFrequently Asked QuestionsWho is Jamie Howard?What is the Chasing Silver film?What is Running the Coast?What is the Cameras Off podcast?What is the Tarpon Diaries series?Why is the striped bass fishery declining?Where can I watch this episode?How long is this episode?Key TakeawaysFinal Thoughts From MeSponsorsFree Resource: The Tom Rowland Podcast Knot GuidePeople Mentioned in This EpisodeAbout Jamie Howard

Calder Allen caught a 13-and-a-half-pound bass on fly at night in Lake Austin, dropped out of college to pursue music, and routes his tours around fishing destinations across the country. In this conversation, he shares stories from playing Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits, why he almost became a fly fishing guide under JT Van Zandt, and the philosophical question that haunts him: what is wild anymore?

Bouncer Smith is one of the true legends of South Florida fishing — a charter captain, author, conservationist, and storyteller with over six decades on the water. He's written five books, guided thousands of anglers, and pioneered techniques that changed the way we rig lures and release fish. And now, in retirement, he's catching some of the best fish of his life.

In this conversation, we get into Bouncer's recent adventures — from bass fishing in the headwaters to landing two 100-pound tarpon in one afternoon on 80-pound braid in Biscayne Bay. We talk about the five biggest changes in fishing over the last 60 years, from depth finders to forward-facing sonar, from monofilament to braid, from J hooks to circle hooks. We get into his genius circle-hook-in-front-of-the-lure rigging method, solunar tables and how to use them, and Project CSafe — the massive conservation and fishing event happening April 17–26 in Grant, Florida, presented by Star Brite.

Some of the moments I found most meaningful in this conversation were:

00:00 Introduction & Project CSafe Overview

🔗 Learn More About Project CSafe – projectcsafe.com

🔗 Connect With Bouncer Smith:

📘 Free Resources:

📺 Subscribe for More Unfiltered Conversations

📱 Follow the Show:

#BouncerSmith #ProjectCSafe #StarBrite #TarponFishing #SaltwaterFishing #FishingLegend #CircleHooks #CatchAndRelease #SolunarTables #IndianRiverLagoon #FishingHistory #TomRowlandPodcast #SaltwaterExperience #ConservationFishing #FloridaFishing #SnookFishing #BiscayneBay #FishingTips #BraidVsMono #ForwardFacingSonar

Nick Cheskey is the host of Saltwater Underground, now in its

sixth season on ESPN2, Discovery Channel, Sportsman's Channel,

and Waypoint TV. He's one of the most versatile anglers in the

country — a guy who grew up fishing, surfing, and ice skating

on frozen Jersey swamps, and who pioneered surf shark fishing

on the Northeast coast before anyone else was even trying.

In this conversation, Nick and I catch up after three years and

cover a lot of ground — from saltwater rivers freezing over in

central Jersey to thresher sharks hunting with their tails to

prehistoric megalodon teeth in freshwater streams. This one goes

everywhere, and I loved every minute of it.

Some of the moments I found most meaningful in this conversation:

- Nick describing the first night he ever tried surf shark fishing

in 1998 — paddling bunker bait out on a surfboard in the dark,

alone, and having a thresher tail come whipping out of the water

right next to him

- How thresher sharks actually hunt — corralling bait with that

massive tail and using it like a weapon, which is unlike anything

else in the ocean

- The species showing up in Jersey waters that have no business

being there — tarpon off Cape Cod, cobia inshore, pompano in

the surf, and Spanish mackerel everywhere

- Nick's obsession with fossil hunting in New Jersey freshwater

streams and finding a Hell Pig tooth that nobody had ever

pulled out of Jersey before — 15 to 30 million years old

- A real conversation about the future of fishing media, social

media's effect on spot burning and content quality, and why

both of us think the pendulum is starting to swing back toward

expertise

00:00 Introduction

01:30 Three Years Since the Last Episode — What Nick's Been Up To

04:00 Ice Fishing Saltwater Rivers in Central Jersey

08:30 Growing Up Ice Fishing and Hockey in Frozen Jersey Swamps

13:00 Saltwater Underground Season 6 — ESPN2, Discovery, Waypoint TV

17:00 Filming Five Episodes in the Florida Keys

21:30 Sheepshead, Redfish, and Species Recolonizing the Northeast

27:00 Tarpon in New Jersey — Cape Cod Catches and the State Record

31:00 Surf Shark Fishing: How Nick Pioneered It in 1998

38:00 Thresher Sharks — How They Hunt and Why That Tail Is Deadly

44:00 The Great White Situation Up and Down the Coast

50:00 Fossil Hunting in Jersey Freshwater Streams

58:00 Finding a Hell Pig Tooth — 15 to 30 Million Years Old

1:04:00 Blood Worms, Sand Worms, and $35 a Dozen

1:09:00 The Saltwater Sportsman Seminar Series with George Poveromo

1:13:00 Social Media, In-Person Events, and the Future of Fishing Media

🔗 Watch Saltwater Underground:

YouTube → Saltwater Underground with Nick Cheskey

🔗 Connect With Nick Cheskey:

Instagram → @NickCheskey

YouTube → Saltwater Underground with Nick Cheskey

📘 Free Resources:

🎁 Saltwater Knot Guide → https://bit.ly/3UnAeIP

🎙️ Tom Rowland Podcast → https://bit.ly/3O4lgn0

📺 Subscribe for More Unfiltered Conversations

→ https://www.youtube.com/saltwaterexperience?sub_confirmation=1

📱 Follow the Show:

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/saltwater_experience/

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@saltwaterexperience

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/tvswe

#NickCheskey #SaltwaterUnderground #SurfSharking #TomRowlandPodcast

#SaltwaterExperience #ThresherShark #JerseyFishing #FossilHunting

#SaltwaterFishing #NortheastFishing

Texas outdoorsman Kyle Gemas shares raw lessons from his Alaska mountain hunts—from crawling through claustrophobic alders in the Wrangells to covering 85 miles over 10 days in the Brooks Range for Dall sheep. Kyle breaks down his Leukotape foot care system, how 15+ tarpon tournaments prepared him for backcountry suffering, and why he's pursuing the North American Grand Slam of wild sheep.

Monty Burke writes about the best of the best — college football coaches, saltwater fly fishing legends, and the obsessed individuals who reach the top of whatever they pursue. In this episode of the Tom Rowland Podcast, Monty breaks down what Pete Carroll got right at USC that he couldn't pull off in the NFL, why Steve Huff at 80 years old is still one of the most fascinating people in fly fishing, and what the relationship between a great guide and an elite angler has in common with a great coach and his players. They also get into AI and why Monty thinks the removal of friction — of doing hard things — is one of the worst things that could happen to a generation trying to find purpose. Honest, wide-ranging, and the kind of conversation you'll still be thinking about the next time you're on the water.