Raincoast radio // More than a fish
Episode 9: Bridging the gap between salmon scientists and anglers with Fishing with Rod
Some say that scientists may butt heads with those who love fishing, but the two groups have more in common than one may think. This week, Auston Chhor chats with Rodney Hsu, founder and host of the popular YouTube channel Fishing with Rod, whose videos have amassed over 23 million views. Auston himself learned how to fish by watching Rod’s content, and has been a longtime fan and subscriber (one of the channel’s 81,000 of them).
Rod first started the channel in 2001, teaching those who tuned in about saltwater and freshwater angling throughout BC. He’s a prominent voice for the recreational angling community, serving as a public advisor for the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC and a representative of Fisheries and Oceans Canada Upper Fraser Valley Sport Fishing Advisory Committee.
The two discuss Rod’s 25-year journey building the brand and how it evolved into an online cornucopia of information for those wanting to break into the world of fishing in BC; a space where the knowledge gap can be vast and intimidating with regulations and timing, let alone technique.
“There’s a lot of misunderstanding… I think most people who get into fishing really want to do the right thing. No one intentionally wants to harm fish, or poach, or do anything illegal, and it’s really hard to follow the regulations. That’s where I came in, to bridge that gap.”
Rodney Hsu
The conversation goes on to explore the impact of catch and release angling, hot button issues between the recreational sector and decisionmakers, as well as fishing being a pathway to caring.
“We all want the same thing — we all want sustainability in salmon returns. We just disagree on a few other things… like how to achieve that.”
Rodney Hsu
Additional resources
- Fishing with Rod
- Video with Dave Scott: Reclaiming Fraser River Estuary for Juvenile Pacific Salmon | Fishing with Rod
- Keep Fish Wet: Science-based advice to help anglers improve the outcome for each fish they release
- New study reveals pathways to transform conflict over contentious salmon and killer whale management in BC; Identifying opportunities towards conflict transformation in an Orca-Salmon-Human system
About Raincoast Radio
Raincoast Radio is hosted by Auston Chhor and produced by Sofia Osborne. This podcast is a production of Raincoast Conservation Foundation, a team of conservationists and scientists empowered by research to protect the lands, waters and wildlife of coastal British Columbia. Learn more and support our work at raincoast.org
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