The Complete Angler Podcast: Episode 30-Petro Hrynda and Nolan Plew

Welcome to The Complete Angler, your source of information on the outdoor industry in Central Canada.
With over 35 years in the field, host Don Lamont covers topics and issues with industry leaders and influencers to bring you up to speed on what’s happening in the outdoor world.
And now, here is your host, Don Lamont.
It was the adventure of a lifetime by two young anglers that wouldn’t be stopped.
Peter Hrynda and Nolan Plew had been planning for four years to head to Snail Lake in Manitoba for Arctic char.
Despite a myriad of issues, these two hardcore fishermen made it into the trip of a lifetime.
On this episode, we talk to both anglers about their passion for fishing and the great outdoors.
Hey guys, welcome to The Complete Angler podcast. Great to have you on.
I’ve been trying to get you on my show for a while. You’re busy.
Yes, we are. Thank you for having us.
Thanks again.
Well, you guys are kind of well known in the younger social media circles for your hardcore angling expertise.
You get out there on the landscape and you work hard at trying to catch fish, which is something that I really appreciate.
Because, I mean, I didn’t get into fishing until I was almost 30 years of age and it’s great to see you young guys out there.
Petro, I’ll start with you first.
I know that you started fishing at a really early age and how did you get into it?
I think for fishing, it was just something that I naturally got attracted to.
Like from my earliest memories, I was just, I wanted to grab a rod in my hand, go out there fishing.
And my family didn’t really come from a fishing background, but my father would take me out.
I’d always beg him to take me out to the Red River.
And we’d always spend from right from sun up till sundown, I’d be in there with my rod in the water.
And then eventually when I grew up a little bit to around 12 years old, I watched a lot of fly fishing shows on TV.
And I got an interest in fly fishing, so I managed to pick up a Shakespeare fly rod at a Walmart.
And I didn’t even have a weight rating on it.
It was a big, thick rod, but it got me just enough to try to get my hands into fly fishing.
And the nearest pond nearby was Birds Hill Park.
And at the time, that was a pretty thriving fishery.
You’d get some pretty nice rainbows in there around 18 inches and get some browns in there.
And my first fish was about an 18-inch rainbow on Birds Hill Park on a muddler minnow.
And eventually, I really got into the fly fishing thing and stopped just normal angling completely.
I’d just do all fly fishing.
And then I started doing that on the Red River.
And that took a while to get used to.
It’s completely different there.
The water’s really dirty.
And my first fish out there was actually a gold eye on a strike indicator.
That took me weeks to just get one bite.
But that one fish changed everything for me there.
Wow.
Did you get any tutelage from Stu Thompson?
No, I actually met Stu about a year or two later.
He kind of helped me with my fly rod technique once I lockport there.
And to this day, I still use the technique you showed me.
Yeah.
Every Tuesday, those guys are out there on the Red River floodway or Red River shores, the Manitoba Fly Fishers Association.
They’re out there clogging the water and catching whatever they can.
So, I mean, a lot of people don’t realize that you can catch almost any fish on a fly rod.
And, you know, sometimes, like yourself, it does take patience, but well worth it in the end, especially when you hook a catfish.
Have you ever caught a really big catfish on a fly rod?
I think my biggest one was about 40 inches.
Wow.
Yeah.
A 10-weight?
It was on an 8-weight rod.
8-weight?
Okay.
Yeah.
How about you, Nolan?
How did you get into this crazy game?
Yeah.
So, man, that was a long time ago, probably around the same age Petro got into it, 12 years old.
And they had a fly fishing thing at Cabela’s where you could drop in and they’ll teach you how to tie flies and start casting and everything.
And so my dad, for Christmas, got me my first ever fly rod.
I believe that was when I was 13.
And I didn’t know that you could go fly fishing for anything but trout.
So, we have a place out in Nunamick Lake and there’s a Dorothy Trope pond just down the road from there.
So, that’s kind of where I started fly fishing and got the love for fly fishing was catching like 12-inch rainbows on the fly rod.
And just to catch them on your own lure that you made just made it that much more special.
Yeah, no kidding.
It is.
I think a lot of people don’t realize the satisfaction you get from that combination of tying your own fly and then casting it on a fly rod and making it happen.
I do quite a bit of fly fishing and I have in the past and I got to learn from some of the best in the business.
My favorite fly fishing though is throwing big streamers for northern pike and I don’t think there’s anything I’d rather do in the world than that.
And I’ve been blessed with being able to catch some big pike on that.
So, it’s an amazing experience.
Have you guys done that?
Yes.
But actually, Joel Wiebe, he’s a huge fly fisher here in Manitoba.
He took me out to the parkland region for brown trout and rainbow trout at Patterson.
And we were throwing big pike streamers, big articulated streamers for brown trout.
And just seeing the wake behind that big fly and how those trout eat such a big fly just made fly fishing that much more special to me.
Yeah, Joel’s a regular contributor to our magazine and he did include a story that you were along on, I think, Nolan.
Yep.
Yes.
Yeah, he did.
So, hopefully, you guys are going to get your act together and start contributing to the magazine.
We’d love that.
And not only that, but help us out on social media when you guys get out in the field, which is something I want to address right now.
Both of you, I know, Nolan, you’re guiding up at Cedar Lake Lodge.
Petro, I want to talk to you first before we get to Nolan, but have you been able to get out with the water conditions the way they are?
It’s been a really weird year.
We had the ice off on the lake really late.
You can’t really fish much of the white shell.
The Red River has crazy water levels.
I think we opened up our season, trying to fish Lake Winnipeg, and we searched all around the lake and the east side is completely dirty water.
And then we found some clear water on the west side.
And we found the walleye there, but there’s still so much ice in the lake during opener that we could barely get out.
The ice sheet was just moving around.
Well, have you been out back there since it’s cleared up?
We haven’t been out there since.
We had a tournament on Lake Dubonny last weekend.
The water is still pretty cold there compared to last year.
What tournament was that?
That was the Lake Dubonny Bass Tournament by Mantua Bass Anglers.
And how was it?
It was okay.
It was tough.
Yeah.
Okay.
I’ve always wanted to fish Lake Dubonny for bass, and I never have.
I always end up chasing walleye and pike there because they’ve got some massive pike in Lactobonny and the Winnipeg River in that section.
Massive pike.
We fish there a lot for bass in the fall, and you can get some really big bass in there in the fall when they’re up on the reefs.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
It’s a great bass fishery.
The Winnipeg River is, I cut my teeth on it.
The first bass I ever caught was from a dock in the Bird River.
And I think this is probably where I fell in love with bass fishing.
So that’s great to hear.
Nolan, tell us about your guiding experience on Cedar Lake Lodge.
Yeah, for sure.
So this is my first year ever guiding.
I’ve always wanted to do it ever since a young age, again, in high school.
And my teachers and everything said I wouldn’t be able to do it.
So I kind of went out because they said you can’t make money off fishing.
They doubted me.
Oh, I like that story.
I’ll tell you one.
Anyway, keep going.
So I’m like, screw it.
I’m going to do it for a year.
And so both Petro and I went to Cedar Lake Lodge last year for one week.
And absolutely fell in love with the muskie fishing, walleye fishing as world-class fishing.
And we ended up going a week after because the owners of that lodge are super incredible.
And the fishing is insanely good.
So I asked to guide there this year.
They don’t really have a guide there.
So I’m their only guide and I’m loving it so far.
So what are the conditions right now?
Very, very different from other years.
Like this spring got pushed back.
I’m sure that’s everywhere in the province and in Ontario.
We still had ice on just before season opener there, two days before.
And all our docks were underwater, about three feet underwater.
So the water’s probably five feet higher than usual there.
It’s crazy.
Five feet.
So you just came back for a week here at home.
So you’re going back out.
So when you left, what was the pattern for the walleye and the bass?
They were pretty scattered.
They were just done spawning.
So they were in transition from their shallow water areas and then starting to transition to their deep water areas.
So I found a slip bobber with a minnow, a couple feet under.
The surface and bays worked really good.
And then casting twitch baits and crank baits up shallow worked really good for walleye and bass there.
Okay.
Okay.
Cool.
One of the ways that I found out about you two guys was you posted a picture on Instagram of your trip to this backcountry lake up in the Porcupine Hills.
And it just blew my mind.
Tell us a little bit, you two guys, tell us a little bit about that story.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard a backcountry story that maybe that was quite that incredible.
Yeah, so Petro, do you want to explain some of it?
You caught the fish, so I think you guys could double team this one.
Okay.
So that’s a trip we’ve been planning for many years.
There’s only a few lakes left in Manitoba that have Arctic char, and the last time they were stocked, if I’m correct, was about 12, 13 years ago for the bigger char, and then snail gets stocked regularly still.
I talked to the regional biologist Ian Kitsch, and they’re going to do it every second year now.
So I think they dumped some in here about five years ago, but that wasn’t the fish you caught.
But which lake is it?
We were up in Snail.
Snail Lake, okay.
One of the few lakes in Manitoba, as you mentioned, the Navarctic char.
So you planned this trip for a long time, and what pulled the trigger for you guys?
I think the winter was just so brutal and so much snow around here that we decided to maybe try something completely different.
Well, there’s a combination of that, and we’re just crazy sometimes, and we talk too much, and we plan stuff where it’s like mission impossible.
We planned it for two years now, and we’re like, you know what?
We got to do it just so we could say we did it.
And, yeah, I mean, there’s some pictures that don’t do it justice how stuck we got the quad with that amount of snow.
Even a snowmobile would have issues in there, but I think it’s just…
We knew the snow conditions were going to be really rough out there, but we just decided to give it a shot and see what happens.
So take us from, you know, you guys were in a quad, right?
Yes.
And you had a winch on the front, and talk a little bit about the whole adventure, how you got started, how you got in there, how you got stuck, how you got out,
and then eventually how you caught that beautiful fish.
So getting in there, you go down a gravel road, and it was pretty rough on a trailer.
So we decided just to throw the quad in the back of the truck so it would just be a lot easier on the trailer so we don’t have to deal with maintenance stuff.
Yeah.
And getting down the trail wasn’t the hard part because it was packed down from snowmobilers, and so as long as we stayed on that hard pack snow, we knew we can make it.
But then we got to the lake, and the lake had slush.
So when we broke through that slush, we just couldn’t get out because it would get stuck underneath the quad and lift the tires off the ice.
And so, yeah, that winch we actually installed, I believe, two weeks prior because we knew we’d need it, and I don’t think we would have made it out if we didn’t have that winch.
The quad started freezing up in the water and ice up there, so we had to get some quick thinking.
And so what we decided to do was drill a few holes in the ice ahead of the quad, and we fished the line through one of the holes.
And then we used our rods and baits to try to hook into the other end of the line under the water and then pull it up through the other hole.
And then we circled it up and clipped it to the line once we got it up out of the other hole, and we kept winching ourselves forward using the ice.
And we had to do this about eight times, which took a lot of time.
I think we spent three hours trying to get us ourselves out of that slush.
It drained a full battery on the Strike Master auger for those eight holes because that slush just drains the battery.
Yeah.
So your first day was kind of a disaster.
Yeah, we only fished for, what, five minutes, ten minutes the first day.
And we left, so that lake’s super far, so we left half our equipment at the lake.
And honestly, it was so rough getting in and out, I almost said, you know what, let’s just leave the stuff.
I could buy some more stuff, but I know that wouldn’t be the right idea.
So we went in the next day, and the next day went a lot smoother.
And tell us about the fish.
You finally caught one.
Go for it, Petro.
It’s your fish, man.
Well, we spent four hours fishing on the last day there.
And for about the first two hours, we weren’t getting much.
And we found this bit of a reef that comes up.
And I’m like, that’s where I think, if I was a char, that’s where I would sit.
So we’re like, let’s give it all to that final spot.
So we moved back there, and we fished there for about two hours, and there was just nothing.
And then eventually, right near the end, I started marking a couple fish, and they were acting a lot like trout on the flasher.
It’d kind of just zip in right under the bait, kind of follow it up quickly, and then disappear.
And it’d come right back underneath about five seconds later.
And Nolan had his panoptics aimed right towards me, and you could see the fish just circling around.
So, like, we thought these were trout.
So the spot was looking good, but we had to get off the lake in time because we didn’t know how bad the trail was going to be to get back.
So we were restricted to leave right at about 3.30.
And it was getting to about 3.25.
We hadn’t had any fish landed.
Nolan said to me, okay, I think it’s time to go.
I said, nope, I have five more minutes left.
I’m going to use all five.
So as we’re just talking with each other, talking about how we tried this trip out and how we’re glad we did it, suddenly my rod just doubled over and just the drag started peeling out.
Nolan quickly ran to me.
He helped me get my deucer out, and we were just in shock.
Like, everything happened so quick.
And it gave me about three, four good peeling runs.
And as we both kind of looked down the hole as it got nearby, we could see the giant Arctic char come up, and we just lost it.
Well, your bait actually popped out.
Yeah.
The hair jig popped out, and I had to go elbow deep in the hole and scoop it out.
And then at that point, I think both of us were so exhausted.
We don’t even know what we’re doing.
We’re just, like, jumping on the ice, celebrating.
And it was just, like, the weight off the shoulders.
Just, it was incredible.
I’ve never got so excited over fish in my life than that one.
And it wasn’t even my fish.
I was just happy to be a part of the experience.
And that’s all that matters to me.
It made all that we went through there the first day, and then the second day, completely worth it.
Yeah, it was an incredible fish.
How long was that Arctic char?
24 and three quarters, I believe.
Yeah, just under 25.
Yeah, you guys can, if our listeners want to, that story is on the Complete Angler, I mean, the Hooked website, I’d have to, I’ll provide a link for it on this podcast so that people can go to it and see the story that you guys wrote.
And it was an incredible story.
I would have to say that, judging from what I’m hearing, that’s kind of highlight, is it not?
Yes.
Yeah.
Highlight of my fishing career.
Yeah.
Wow.
Well, it’s a great story.
So, what are your future plans, both of you guys?
I think looking in the near future, we’re actually going up to Clearwater for Lake Trout.
Okay.
That’s this weekend.
That’s this weekend, yep.
Oh, wow.
Good for you.
Yeah.
It’s a trip we try to do every summer and spring.
Okay.
And I think later in the summer, we’re going to go up north.
Nolan, do you want to touch on that?
Yeah, for sure.
So, my friend, he’s a CEO for Churchill Wild.
And we got this opportunity to guide out of North Knife Lodge up north.
So, we’re doing that, both Patrick and I, for about a week, because there’s a group coming up for a week.
And then, yeah.
So, that will be a cool experience.
And then we have a few bass tournaments to do yet still with the NBA.
I believe Sioux Narrows is one of them.
And then Winnipeg River in Ontario is the last one of the trail.
And, yeah, I’m going to continue guiding at the lodge until September.
Okay.
Okay.
Now, this tournament fishing for you guys is a new thing, is it not?
Yes.
It’s very new to us.
This last tournament that we did would have been our third one together.
So, the reason being that you’re doing these?
I think it’s a fun experience to try to compete against some local anglers.
I’m a competitive guy.
Even in high school, growing up, playing high school sports and stuff, I always loved competing.
I know tournament fishing isn’t for everybody, but I sure enjoy it.
So, give it a try if you haven’t done it yet.
It’s worth a shot.
Just join a cheap one.
But, yeah, no.
It’s something different than just going out and fishing.
You get to go against a lot of your friends and buddies in tournaments.
And it’s a good experience.
Okay.
Well, advice.
I mean, when I was trying to make it full-time in this career,
tournaments were certainly a big part of that.
And if I hadn’t had the success I did in tournaments,
I probably wouldn’t have been able to get my television fishing show and the rest of it.
So, I mean, there’s a variety of reasons people do tournaments,
and it’s not for everybody.
Like yourself, Nolan, I was a competitor in sports, and I played university basketball at a high level.
And so, I’ve always had competition in my blood.
But at my age, I’m very happy not to be fishing tournaments anymore.
Because it is a grind, no matter what you say.
Yeah.
I don’t know how some of these guys that I know that still do it, like Keith Gavias and these guys that are, you know,
15 years younger than me, and they still do it at 60.
At me, I retired a few years back.
So, good luck with your career.
Yeah, it’s hard on the body.
That’s for sure, even at this age.
Yeah.
Yeah, for sure.
Well, I’m going to wish you guys all the best in the future.
And you guys, obviously, you’re planning to stay together as a team and fish together, and it seems to be working.
Yeah.
Seems to be working.
Yeah.
There’s a lot more lakes in Manitoba we haven’t fished yet, and even some of Northwest Ontario we want to get to.
Okay.
And I see you branched out from fly fishing.
That’s actually how we met, is fly fishing on the Red River.
We landed Petro’s carp, and that’s kind of where it all started.
And then, I think a week later, we fished like the Bonnie Ponds for trout.
Okay.
And then that’s kind of where our friendship started, and started going on major fishing trips, and had success.
So, when we put our two minds together, it seems to work sometimes.
That’s good.
So, how long has it been now?
That sounds romantic.
Almost.
Almost.
About four years, almost now.
Four years.
Four years.
Well, that’s great.
You know, it’s great that you have somebody that’s been able to fish with.
Oh, my friends are, you know, a lot of them are dropped out going fishing, so I’ve got to recruit some younger guys.
Well, and I did promise you guys that we’re going to take you out on my boat this year.
We’re going to get out for a day.
That would be great.
That would be great.
That would be sweet.
I look forward to it.
You guys are awesome.
Tell us where we can find you on social media.
So, I’m on Instagram.
It’s MidCanada Outdoors.
And then Facebook, it’s just Nolan Plu.
And for Petro, what do you got?
I’m on Instagram as well.
Tag is ppetroh.
And then Facebook as well, under my first and last name, Petro Rinda.
Well, that’s good.
We’ll include that in the write-up on the Hooked website so people will be able to find you.
But, Nolan, I had to send you a request for being able to follow your private account.
Yep.
Yep.
And just before I let you leave, Nolan, you like to hunt a lot, too.
Oh, I love it.
I love hunting.
So, you’re going to do a bit of guiding for that?
I plan on being a waterfowl guide.
Hopefully, this fall, I can make it happen.
I have a bunch of decoys on order now.
So, hopefully, I can take some people out and make some smiles on their faces.
And with Whitetail, I kind of save it for myself and my girlfriend.
There you go.
Whitetail.
Well, if you’re ever looking for a place to guide, Birdtail Waterfall, Paul Conchad, runs a fantastic operation.
Yes.
I’ve been to his place twice, and it’s world-class number one.
I’ve seen him on YouTube, and it looks like a blast out there.
Yeah, it’s unbelievable.
So, anyway, good luck, guys.
And remember, you promised me that you were going to provide some content for the magazine,
and I’m going to hold you to that.
Well, hey, we got one this weekend coming up, hopefully, with the lake trout.
So, hopefully, we can catch some lake trout and get it right up then.
Okay, you got two weeks.
Two weeks.
Okay.
Thanks, guys.
Yeah, no worries.
Thank you for having us.
Thanks for having us.
All right.
Take care.
All right.
Have a great night.
Bye.
Thanks for tuning in.
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