In this episode, Dana sits down with Ted — a 74-year-old fly fisherman whose life has been shaped by grit, devotion, loss, and the quiet restoration found in wild places. Raised in Trail, BC and later building a life in Vancouver as a doorman and arborist, Ted found the love of his life in his late 30s and dove headfirst into bird hunting and dog training. His days were full — trailing dogs, chasing roosters, and eventually spending countless hours fly fishing the lakes around Kamloops. One of the best pieces of advice he ever received? “If you can’t cast further, move your boat.” A lesson that would prove bigger than fishing. After retiring, Ted and his wife moved to Alberta to be closer to their daughter. Shortly after the move, his wife was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. For four years, life narrowed to hospital rooms, chemo drives, and caregiving. The river disappeared. The seasons blurred. After her passing, Ted faced the silence many men don’t talk about. But through community and the steady pull of the Bow River, he found his way back. Back to current. Back to rhythm. Back to life. This conversation starts with bird dogs and trout, but it becomes something deeper — about resilience, companionship, grief, and the power of not waiting. Ted’s message is simple and hard-earned: Don’t wait. Life isn’t guaranteed. If you can go live it — go. A grounded, honest episode about how the river doesn’t fix everything — but it can carry you through.
Ted's story begins in Trail — steel town grit, river valley air, small-town backbone.
Raised in the Kootenays, Ted carried that work ethic west to Vancouver, graduating from UBC, and deciding school wasn't for him, he worked as a doorman and later as an arborist. Hard jobs. Outside jobs. Jobs that keep a man moving.
He found the love of his life in his late 30s. That’s important. Some men rush it. Ted didn’t. When he found her, he went all in.
And then came the dogs.
Not casual pet ownership. Obsession. Bird dogs. Trialing dogs. Training days that turned into full seasons. Upland fields, early frost, heart pounding at the flush. Life was busy. Full. Loud in the best way.
Somewhere in there, fly fishing grabbed him. And when it did, it didn’t let go.
Ted started spending every spare minute around the lakes near Kamloops — stillwater country. Long casts. Chironomids. Watching the wind ripple across glassy mornings.
The best advice he ever received?
“If you can’t cast further, move your boat.”
Simple. Tactical. But also philosophical.
When the distance won’t close — adjust your position.
After retirement, Ted and his wife moved to Alberta to be closer to their daughter. A hopeful move. A family move.
Shortly after arriving, his wife was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer.
Life stopped.
For four years, Ted drove her to chemo. Sat in hospital rooms. Lived in waiting areas. The river disappeared. The dogs went quiet. The boat stayed parked.
Everything paused.
After she passed, the house felt different. The days stretched longer.
And then something shifted.
Ted found a group of men. Found community again. And he found the river.
Standing in current on the Bow River, something came back online. Not instantly. Not dramatically. But steadily.
The Bow gave him rhythm again. Walking local streams gave him breath again.
Fly fishing didn’t erase grief. It gave it somewhere to go.
At 74, Ted doesn’t sugarcoat it.
Life is not guaranteed.
His advice is direct:
“Don’t wait. If you can retire — retire. Go live your life.”
Not reckless. Not impulsive.
Intentional.
Move the boat.
If something isn’t working — change position. Change perspective. Change seasons. But don’t sit still waiting for perfect conditions.
Because perfect conditions don’t exist.
This episode isn’t about tragedy.
It’s about a man who loved deeply. Worked hard. Lost greatly. And walked back into the river anyway.
And that’s the kind of story that matters.