Thank you to today's sponsors!

- The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species
- SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures
- J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment
- Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories

- Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts!

How do you really know if the ice is safe before you step onto it?

In this episode of Outdoor Journal Radio, the crew is joined by Dr. Paul Cooley, founder of NextGen Environmental Research and the mind behind Angler’s Leaderboard, to break down a groundbreaking new tool called Ice Time. Using satellite radar technology, Ice Time provides near-real-time ice condition data for lakes across Canada and beyond.

The conversation dives into how satellite radar can see through snow and darkness, how ice actually forms and shifts on large lakes, why pressure ridges are one of the biggest hidden dangers on ice, and how anglers, snowmobilers, and outdoor enthusiasts can use this data to make safer decisions before ever leaving home.

Topics covered include:

• How satellite radar maps ice thickness and ice types
• Why early-season and late-season ice is most dangerous
• How pressure ridges form, move, and collapse
• Real-world ice safety failures and what causes them
• How Ice Time can help anglers, guides, and winter travellers plan smarter trips

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who spends time on frozen lakes, whether you ice fish, snowmobile, skate, or travel winter ice roads.

Listen now and learn how modern technology is changing winter safety forever.

Thank you to today's sponsors!

- The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species
- SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures
- J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment
- Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories

- Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts!

- Silverwax: Proudly Canadian since 1999

It is the Outdoor Journal Radio holiday special and the final episode before the Christmas break. Angelo Viola, Pete Bowman, Dean Taylor, and Nik Viola sit down for a wide-ranging conversation that previews the upcoming 40th season of The Fish’n Canada Show and reflects on the stories, debates, and moments that shaped the year.

This episode includes a full breakdown of Season 40, with behind-the-scenes insight into upcoming destinations, fishing tactics, and what viewers can expect when the new season premieres in January. The crew also dives into listener feedback, conservation issues, invasive species concerns, and the ongoing debate around tournament fishing formats in Canada.

Along the way, the conversation covers Saskatchewan’s expanding wild turkey plans, water quality and fish consumption concerns, pro-am tournament structures, technology in fishing, and how the sport continues to evolve. It is a candid, unscripted holiday episode filled with fishing culture, industry insight, and classic Outdoor Journal Radio humour.

Whether you are a longtime fan of The Fish’n Canada Show or a new listener looking to understand where the show has been and where it is heading, this episode offers a rare look behind the curtain during a milestone year.

Thank you to today's sponsors!

- The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species
- SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures
- J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment
- Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories

- Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts!

- Silverwax: Proudly Canadian since 1999

On today’s episode of Outdoor Journal Radio, Ang and Pete sit down with Mark Melnyk, host of The New Fly Fisher, for one of the most in-depth conversations ever recorded about the show’s past, present, and future.

Mark opens up about the passing of Colin McKeown, how he stepped into the host role, and the massive behind-the-scenes workload that came with running a long-standing fly fishing institution. He also shares travel stories from Canada’s far north to Patagonia, explains how fly fishing documentaries are made, and reveals why guides are the real stars of the sport.

We also get into:
• The origins of The New Fly Fisher and Colin’s legacy
• How Mark developed the show's modern documentary style
• Shooting fly fishing in remote, untouched waters
• The insane logistics behind international fishing trips
• Why 4K YouTube episodes changed everything
• Mark’s early days with TSN, OLN, WFN, and “Reel Fishy Jobs”
• What fans can expect in Season 25

Whether you’re a fly angler, a fan of outdoor TV, or just love behind-the-scenes filmmaking stories, this is a must-listen episode.