Newbie
Welcome to Newbie podcast and this is Newbie and I’ve got a special guest today with us and his name is Dan Scissors Zouks. Dan, Dan, I know Dan and I’m as Dan says, that’s that’s how I know him. So yeah, it’s it’s pronounced as water ski. It’s a little it’s a mouthful for those of us who aren’t from the Eastern European lineage.
Newbie
And so Dan and I have become friends through the Salmon River. We’ve he’s one of the few guys that I’ve actually met in real life IRL, and we have just had a great connection. I mean, there’s people that you just meet and then you just just really connect really well with. And Dan is actually I mean, in one sense, he basically runs the very famous Instagram account, but also it’s not just an Instagram account.
Dan Zazworsky
It’s it’s basically a a a media company now called Fly Lords. And I know that most of you have heard of Fly Lords of Seen Fly lords have read their the stuff that they put out. So I’ve got I have him here today. And just to be able to just give us his perspective as somebody that is not just in the, in the fishing world but also is a person that actually builds content and puts together content and and is in the production of content and not an influence, but I actually let him describe what he does and how it delineates the two different things.
Newbie
And also talk about a couple of different points about how you can get into it. I think that a lot of people would be interested in being able to contribute to something like a Fly Lords or to be able to to work in some type of fishing and media. So. Welcome Dan. Welcome. Thanks. Thanks. Um, yeah, I think you know, quick little delineated there is, uh, Fly lords.
Dan Zazworsky
We’re actually a team of about a dozen now. Wow. I’m one of. I’m one of the managing editors on the Fly Lords Mag, which is the blog magazine side of of what we do and, you know, we’ve got a really strong team that handles all the social stuff. Um, it, it’s gone a lot from, you know, just the two of us basically couple of other freelancers into like a full fledged media house now.
Dan Zazworsky
So I just want to give credit where it’s due to the good boys over there out in Colorado who are putting in the hard work. That’s awesome. And basically, so how did Fly Lord Start and where did you intersect with Jared in this, uh, endeavor? Yeah. So I met so Fly Lords. Um, I don’t, I don’t remember my history very well.
Dan Zazworsky
Um, it started back in Jared’s dorm room when he was in college. Um, he and some buddies were getting into Fly fishing, and, um, Instagram had just sort of started to take off. And I think Jared was probably one of the first sort of like curating like Instagram town of fishing content stuff that he saw going on in the industry, like just people doing cool stuff and Fly fishing.
Dan Zazworsky
Um, and that’s sort of just where it started out. Um, Jared’s great behind, behind his still camera and our team that one of his good buddies is a like a world class cinematographer out of Brooklyn. Um, and sort of that built the like video arm that I’m sure more people are familiar with. Um, and I actually got in touch with Jared, uh, sitting at a bar in Cape Cod at the cheeky, uh, school striped bass tournament.
Dan Zazworsky
And I was working at TCO Fly shops in Pennsylvania, and I just kind of went up to Jared was like, Hey, dude, um, you know, I’ve worked with Trout Unlimited doing an internship and social, you know, I do it on my own. I just love to be a part of this thing. Um, and he was like, great. And then we kind of didn’t talk for, like, a few weeks.
Dan Zazworsky
Then, um, a follow up email. Um, and I think that was, that was May of 2017, and I’ve been working with him. Um, took a little break in 2018 and then I’ve been working with him since January 2019 straight to now. And you guys have grown this team. I mean, it was just the two of you right off beginning, but now you got a dozen, you got an office out in Colorado and you’re working on the East Coast right now, right?
Dan Zazworsky
Yeah, I’m actually out of State College, Pennsylvania. And you’re originally a PR boy, right? You’re a PR guy. Yeah, that’s that’s where I that’s where I was raised and steeped in Fly fishing. Yeah. Yeah. So and then as far as the connection with the Salmon River, how did how did that happen? Well, that is entirely to blame on one of your previous guests, Mr. Brian Hanson, he and I and a few other guys, Grant Cowan, um, we started a Fly fishing club at the University of Pittsburgh, and, you know, Brian’s a big steelhead guy, and we were talking and started fishing Erie, the Erie ribs, because those were only like an hour and a half
Dan Zazworsky
from campus. So that was like a nice easy wake up at 4:00 in the morning, go fish all day, drive home. And then we started talking to a fella who is now a guide up on the Salmon River, um, Josh, Alaska. And he was running the, uh, the Fly fishing club at SUNY Oswego. And he was like, Guys, you got to come up here.
Dan Zazworsky
He’s like, you know, the Salmon River fish in the Oswego River fish, you know, they just put they put the area fish, you know, we’re going to catch a bunch of big, you know, big fish naturally throw the concept of catching a bunch right out the window for first timers. Yeah. And, you know, we went up there and, um, and had a great time hitting some steelhead and browns and Oswego, um, and then trudged through the snow over on like an Omar and all up and down the Salmon River.
Dan Zazworsky
Um, and as soon as we had a couple encounters with some of those big fish, we were like, Man, this is just worth the five hour time. Mm hmm. As opposed to just, you know, a quick little drive up to Erie. And then as we kind of spread out and I moved further east from Pittsburgh, you know, the Salmon River was pretty much the same just yeah, from Erie, like and it just that’s where all my friends were.
Dan Zazworsky
That’s where I knew people. Um, you know, the big salmon run and all that and just kind of found this sort of weird little small community up there. And I don’t know, I just. I love it. I’m definitely just way more familiar with that river than than a bunch of the other trips. One of the things that is has been surprising for me as I’ve gotten to know you and also in the scope of where you work at.
Newbie
I mean, you actually have had a really positive experience on the Salmon River. I mean, you’re you really you really love fishing up here. I mean, that’s that’s the thing that I get from you. Yeah, definitely. And I think a lot of that stems from who I am. Mm hmm. Um, for me, like, fishing is as much about catching fish as the people I get to fish with.
Dan Zazworsky
And you know that just like I said, the, the, the little salmon community that I’ve found myself a part of. I mean, heck, Josh Collette introduced me to my wife. It’s awesome. Um, so I just. I try to be as positive as I can. Um, you know, everybody knows there’s really great days and there’s really slow days, and, uh, you know, I don’t really think catch the catch rate matters as much to me.
Dan Zazworsky
And you know who I’m. Yeah, who I’ve suffered with. When you’re in the trenches, the fish list. Yeah. It’s, it’s depends on who you’re in the trenches with, isn’t it? It all makes a difference. 100%. 100%. It’s, you know, it’s not a not a bad day if you’re out there enjoying it with other people. And eventually you kind of just the the fish becomes secondary to like the the good times and meeting up with everybody.
Dan Zazworsky
And, uh, you know, the past just messing with each other, screwing around. I just think it, it just adds to it and it makes it so that even on a day where you only get like one bump, you. Yeah. You know that you’re, you’re super glad you made the trip. I will. Let me just say this. Having to get to know you guys in real life, I see that camaraderie.
Dan Zazworsky
And I got to say, it’s it’s there’s just great chemistry, a great connection between you. Brian Grant. I mean, it just it’s it’s real. It’s I could see what you I could see what you’re talking about. And I’m like, man, that is that is something that is enviable because again, I fish a lot by myself because of, you know, just what I do.
Newbie
And but I’m definitely I envy you guys. And I see again that having, you know, a community makes such a big difference. In your experience. Yeah. And I’m like, wow, I owe a lot to those guys. And just, you know, we kind of keep each other accountable and inspire and competitive. Um, and I think it’s like everything that, you know, I’ll never fish as well as Brian Hanson does, but I’ll, you know, I’m sure as hell try and take the days.
Dan Zazworsky
Or maybe I catch one more fish and I’ll hold that over. Yeah. Um, you know, it’s, uh, fishing is really where I found my community of people and just, and my that common connection. And I think. I think that’s it. And then as far as the recipe for that sort of social chemistry, it’s just hours and hours and hours of not catching fish or being in a car.
Dan Zazworsky
Yes. And you kind of or in campsites and Airbnbs, while you’re waiting for the sun to come up. Yeah. Um, you know, or sitting on the side of sportsman at 2:00 in the morning trying to decide if you just want to sleep on the bank or triangle, go park in the top of crab, You know? Yes, definitely. Definitely.
Newbie
So having having discussed your the, the chemistry in that community, if we could just shift a little bit and I know that I think a lot of people would be curious in regards to fishing, but I think that a lot of other people would be interested in a career, in fishing, a career in somewhat what you do. I mean, I think that, you know, in some sense people dream about what you’re actually doing, which is you’re involved in fishing and you get to fish with all with cool people and go to cool places.
Dan Zazworsky
You know, if you can walk us through a little bit how that happened and maybe talk about like, did you in your mind think, okay, this is what I want to do, and then also give us four things for those that are listening that maybe interested in getting into something like this and also talk about the difference, you know, from your perspective, what an influence or does and then what do you do, which which is really important actually, which is that difference is very important.
Dan Zazworsky
So yeah, I mean, so I, I started out, you know, I’ve grown up, my dad’s a Fly fishing, I’ve grown up around fishing, um, you know, since I could walk or throw, throw a spin rod or nabco, but it was sort of an off and on thing for me. I mean, I loved every second I was in the water, but, you know, before you have a car, you know, your fishing time is totally down.
Dan Zazworsky
You know, mom and dad or a family member or a friend who can drive you around. And so it kind of was always a part of my life. And fish have always been an obsession. Um, but it really sort of started. And in college when I found that, you know, the Grant Cowan, the Panther Fly fishing guide and, you know, I was like, okay, we were still sort of on the cusp of social media, on the cusp of, you know, young enough to get it going and to be savvy.
Dan Zazworsky
But, you know, sort of old enough to have the opportunity to do it professionally. Um, and so I threw the club. I got to know some folks at Trout Unlimited, um, kind of said, Hey, I’m interested in this social media thing. Um, I’d like to help you out on this communications arm of things and just learn. Um, and I ended up being an intern for Trout Unlimited Five Rivers program, sort of partially running their blog, editing, sourcing content for it, and then posting stuff on their social media feeds.
Dan Zazworsky
I did that for a year, uh, my senior year in college, kind of, uh, you know, lined up a corporate job out of out of school, you know, sort of thought like, okay, this is what I’m supposed to do. And they were like, All right, we’re not going to start until the fall. So I had a whole summer to myself.
Dan Zazworsky
I was bored. I was lonely, and I did what any angler would do. And I went to the local Fly shop and said, Hey, do you have, you know, a room for another bomb? Yeah. Um, and started working there all the, all the while keeping going on, you know, messing around with photography and just fishing as much as I could be before you.
Dan Zazworsky
What, what, what were you studying? What were your major in college? So. So I majored in business information and supply chain management. So, you know, just a little smattering of, of everything. Um, I definitely liked the process of it. Um, but kind of quickly realized that corporate life was not going to be for me. Yeah. Mm hmm. I was once told by a boss.
Dan Zazworsky
Yep. He, uh, laid me off, and he told me. Dan, you’re an outsider. Yes, I remember that. I remember that you’re there. And I thought, yeah, it’s like, you know, you’re just you’re not a you’re, you’re, you’re an outside cat. And I was like, I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing, but all that good stuff.
Newbie
It was not like H.R. meeting or he just told you. He’s like, You’re an outside guy. You’re an outsider. Yeah. You got to go. Yeah, you got that? You got to go. Yeah. The morality and God, it was so funny, but it was a big old wake up call. But it was. He did you a favor in some ways, didn’t he?
Dan Zazworsky
Like, Oh, without a doubt. I mean, you know, in that, in that moment, um, you know, I was like, heartbroken. I was like, crap, you know, this was a full time job and and and Fly fishing day in content. I thought I was, you know, I thought I had it made. And, you know, I think that’s sort of the thing, you know, I was.
Dan Zazworsky
I was. Yeah. Um, I’m not old by any means now, but I was like 22. And I think the lesson I learned from that was, number one, if you’re going to work full time in the Fly fishing space and you’re not a fishing guide, you’re going to spend a lot more days in an office or on the phone or on the road or in Fly shops or in corporate offices of fishing companies than you will on the watch.
Newbie
Oh, oh, I like that. Was that. Oh, man, that is like that’s an important I mean, that’s some knowledge you’re dropping right there. Like, I think a lot of people think that once they get into fishing that they’re going to actually be on the river. But it wasn’t like that for you at this one place right? No, no.
Dan Zazworsky
And I think that has, um, you know, that kind of formed the way I work, which is working from home. I do work with landlords, um, and I have some other social media consulting and managing jobs on that. Yeah. Um, on contracting, um, you know, I have my own little business. Um, but what that allows me to do is can dictate my schedule.
Dan Zazworsky
Yeah. Um, which, which allows me to take time off to go to the Salmon River and fishing on a Tuesday or Wednesday when nobody else is up there or, you know, go on a trip to somewhere like whether it’s, you know, to the Delaware River for. Yeah. Or to somewhere like the Bahamas or Argentina. But the reality of it is if I want a week off.
Dan Zazworsky
Yeah, I have to get two weeks. Um, so it’s very much a like it’s a tradeoff. Like you have to be ready to buckle down and get stuff done so you can have that time free to go do those things. Um, so, and it’s like, it’s a realization. So, so like that first point right there I think is very important for a lot of people that want to get into this type of industry and to know that, you know, it’s not all river time.
Dan Zazworsky
It’s not I mean, you’re going to be visiting Fly shops, you’re going to be in corporate offices, you’re going to be in in manufacturers offices and places like that. And then I think on the second point of this is that, you know, and I think like this is like this is like really important you’ve got to get because if you want that freedom and you want to be able to dictate your schedule, you’ve still have to do the work.
Newbie
So getting two weeks ahead to take that week off, I think that that’s something that’s that’s a really important point right there.
Thanks for joining us this week. Join us next week as we continue with Dan and discuss how to get paid to fish, create content and fish to Salmon River.
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