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One of my regular Montana elk hunting areas was heavily logged last winter. With almost no snow to slow things down, the logging continued throughout the winter—and when I returned, the elk sign I used to find there was almost completely gone. With Montana’s archery elk season opening September 5, I needed a new plan. That sent me to a completely different mountain for a two-day bivouac scouting trip. I covered roughly six miles, froze my butt off overnight, fought my way through seemingly endless blown-down timber, and spent much of the trip wondering whether I had chosen the wrong mountain. Then, just when the entire trip was beginning to feel like a bust, the country changed. I finally found promising elk habitat—and what may become my new hunting area for this archery season. This is the real side of preseason scouting: changed habitat, difficult country, bad nights, second thoughts, and occasionally finding exactly what you came looking for. Montana archery elk season begins September 5. Now it’s time to see whether this new mountain holds elk when the season opens. Like, comment, and subscribe for more real, unfiltered hunting, fishing, Montana backcountry life, and outdoor adventures from 26-46 Outdoors. #ElkHunting #ElkScouting #MontanaHunting #ArcheryElk #BackcountryHunting #PublicLandHunting #2646Outdoors 26-46 Outdoors Come outside and play. Instagram: @26_46outdoors Facebook: @26-46outdoors TikTok: @2646outdoors https://26-46outdoors.com Contact: 2646outdoors@gmail.com
Logging Ruined My Elk Spot—So I Found a New Mountain
Late summer in Southwest Montana means spruce moths—and hungry trout looking up. The night before this trip, I sat down at the vise and tied a dozen spruce moth patterns, hoping we’d hit the timing right. The next day, Spencer and I headed to a small Southwest Montana river to see if the trout would approve. They did. We stayed in one location and had a great session, catching a bunch of trout on the spruce moths I had tied just hours earlier. It’s hard to beat the satisfaction of tying a fly yourself, taking it to the river the next morning, and watching trout come up and eat it. After the fishing, I take you back to the vise and show you exactly how I tie the spruce moth pattern we used on the river, so you can tie a few yourself and have them ready when the late-summer spruce moth activity gets going. This is one of those simple days that reminds me why I love fly fishing—good company, a small Montana river, willing trout, and a fly that flat-out worked. Thanks for coming along, and if you enjoy fly fishing, fly tying, trout fishing, and adventures around Montana and the West, subscribe and join me for the next one. Tight lines! #FlyFishing #SpruceMoth #FlyTying #TroutFishing #MontanaFlyFishing #DryFlyFishing #SouthwestMontana #2646Outdoors 26-46outdoors is about outdoor living and adventures combined with renaissance thinking, hunting, fishing, log cabin-living in the mountains of Montana half the year switching to saltwater fishing in SW Florida in the spring. My name’s Wayne Freeman. When I’m not traveling the world with a fly rod, I’m living my best outdoor sporting life on the saltwater of SW Florida at 26 degrees latitude and in Montana at 46 degrees latitude. I post my outdoor life adventures and everyday happenings on my YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/@26-46Outdoors. I invite you to join me for the ride and “come outside and play”. Check out my clothing, gear and hand-made products: https://www.26-46outdoors.com Check out my clothing, gear and hand-made products: https://www.26-46outdoors.com
Spruce Moth Fly Fishing | The Trout Couldn’t Resist!
I've probably been involved with 50 wells being drilled over the course of my career, but somehow I'd never actually watched a submersible well pump being pulled or installed. That changed during one of my final days at the Moose Creek cabin in Montana. This ½-horsepower pump was installed when the well was drilled in 1982. After some recent water-pressure problems, the well guy pulled it from about 45 feet down so we could see what was going on. The pump itself was still working after 44 years. The intake was heavily corroded and partially restricted, so he cleaned it up and put the original pump right back down the well. The original 1982 well log showed a static water level of 47 feet. When we checked it today, the water was at about 45 feet—and remained there after pumping. After a career that included a lot of land projects and a lot of wells, it was pretty neat that one of my last days owning this Montana cabin gave me a chance to finally watch the process myself. And there's something satisfying about seeing a piece of equipment from 1982 cleaned up and sent back down to keep doing its job. #Montana #WellPump #WaterWell #CabinLife #CountryLife #MontanaCabin #LittleBeltMountains #YouTubeShorts
Underground since 1982 and it still works!
In this video, my friends Tom and Joe joined me at the cabin to help build a 6' × 16' limestone flagstone patio. Every stone was hand-selected, shaped, and fitted to create a natural-looking patio that will last for years. We used a DeWalt rock hammer to split and shape the limestone and a DeWalt angle grinder with a diamond blade to fine-tune the fit where needed. It's hard work, but there's something satisfying about building with natural stone. This patio is one of the final improvements I'm making before passing the cabin on to its new owners. I hope you'll enjoy watching the process as much as we enjoyed building it. If you enjoy DIY landscaping, flagstone patios, cabin projects, and spending time outdoors, I'd appreciate it if you'd like, subscribe, and join me for future adventures. Come Outside and Play! Chapters 00:00 Digging 01:19 Base Course 01:53 Leveling the Base 02:52 laying the stone 3:53 Shaping the Flagstone with DeWalt Grinder Final Placement and Adjustments 06:30 Final Placement and Adjustments 08:23 Final patio Gear Used • DeWalt Rock Hammer • DeWalt Angle Grinder • Diamond Masonry Blade • Limestone Flagstone • Landscape Fabric • Crushed Gravel Base Hashtags #FlagstonePatio #DIYPatio #Landscaping #StonePatio #Hardscaping #CabinProjects #DeWalt #DIYLandscaping #Montana #2646Outdoors
Building a flagstone patio at the cabin
Some trout streams are too special to name. This day wasn’t about chasing big fish or revealing a secret spot. It was about spending time with two lifelong friends who have dedicated much of their lives to conserving the lands and waters we all enjoy. My cousin, Dan Crockett and I learned how to fish more than 50 years ago together. Through Dan, I met David Brooks, now Executive Director of Montana Trout Unlimited, and we’ve shared many conversations about trout, rivers, and conservation ever since. Armed with 4-weight fly rods, we spent the day exploring a beautiful Montana stream, taking turns fishing, talking about stream access, water rights, mining, habitat conservation, and the challenges of protecting wild fisheries for future generations. Dan’s faithful black Lab, Badger, was never far from the action. We landed plenty of beautiful wild trout, but kept a single brook trout for dinner. Cooked over the fire and stuffed with fresh wild mint growing along the streambank, it may have been the finest fish I’ve ever eaten. I hope this video reminds us that some of the best days on the water aren’t measured by the number of fish we catch, but by the people we share them with and the places we work to protect. Thanks for watching and supporting 26-46 Outdoors. #flyfishing #montana #troutfishing #montanatrout #troutunlimited #conservation #publiclands #outdooradventures #26_46Outdoors
Why I'll never name this Montana Trout Stream
What started as a trip back to Florida to deal with a flooded condo turned into one of the strangest days I’ve had offshore. After a contractor accidentally broke a fire suppression line and caused major water damage, I needed a break. So my friend Dave and I loaded up the Boston Whaler and headed 50 miles offshore into the Gulf of Mexico. The fishing was slow, but the real adventure began when my $700 anchor became hopelessly stuck on a wreck in 100 feet of water. We were moments away from cutting the line and sacrificing the anchor when the only boat we had seen all day appeared out of nowhere. What happened next felt almost unreal. We eventually salvaged the day with a few fish, including some amberjack and big grunts, and finished the trip by pulling three Mylar balloons from the Gulf before they could become a hazard to sea turtles and other marine life. Sometimes offshore fishing isn’t about filling the fish box. It’s about the unexpected people you meet, the problems you solve, and turning lemons into lemonade. Thanks for watching and supporting 26-46 Outdoors. #offshorefishing #gulfofmexico #bostonwhaler #amberjack #fishingadventure #anchor #wreckfishing #saltwaterfishing #seaturtles #conservation
I Was About to Lose a $700 Anchor… Then This Happened
This season was rough on equipment. Over the course of a single spring I managed to break six fishing rods, a $500 push pole, and even a fiberglass shovel. Some failures were my fault, some were accidents, and a few happened while chasing fish in places where things can go wrong in a hurry. Along the way I learned a lot about modern rod warranties, replacement programs, and which companies still stand behind their products. From Sage and Scott to Orvis and others, I share what broke, how it broke, and what happened when it came time to get the gear repaired or replaced. If you've ever snapped a rod, closed a garage door on expensive equipment, or wondered what today's rod warranties are really worth, this one's for you. Thanks for watching. Wayne 26-46 Outdoors #flyfishing #fishinggear #sagerods #scottflyrods #orvis #saltwaterflyfishing #outdooradventures #stcroixrods 26-46outdoors is about outdoor living and adventures combined with renaissance thinking, hunting, fishing, log cabin-living in the mountains of Montana half the year switching to saltwater fishing in SW Florida in the spring. My name’s Wayne Freeman. When I’m not traveling the world with a fly rod, I’m living my best outdoor sporting life on the saltwater of SW Florida at 26 degrees latitude and my Montana mountain log cabin/ranch at 46 degrees latitude. I post my outdoor life adventures and everyday happenings on my YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/@26-46Outdoors. I invite you to join me for the ride and “come outside and play”. Check out my clothing, gear and hand-made products: https://www.26-46outdoors.com Social Media: Instagram:@26_46outdoors Facebook: @26-46outdoors TikTok: @2646outdoors Contact me@: 2646outdoors@gmail.com
Everything I Touched Broke This Year
Every spring I head to Southwest Florida with one goal: catch a tarpon on a fly rod. This year I spent five days chasing silver kings across the Everglades, Pine Island, Boca Grande area waters, and the beaches of Southwest Florida. I found muddy water, clear water, plenty of bait, some quality snook, and more tarpon than I could count. The only thing I couldn't find was a tarpon willing to eat. Along the way my friend Tim and I stumbled onto one of the strangest wildlife encounters I've ever had on the water, watched dolphins beg for fresh snook, and finally unlocked a beach tarpon migration pattern that had me casting at fish all morning. No hero shots. No grip-and-grin tarpon photos. Just the reality of chasing one of the most challenging gamefish in the world on a fly rod. If you've ever spent days pursuing a fish that refused to cooperate, this one is for you. Thanks for watching. Wayne #FlyFishing #TarponFishing #SnookFishing #FloridaFishing 26-46outdoors is about outdoor living and adventures combined with renaissance thinking, hunting, fishing, log cabin-living in the mountains of Montana half the year switching to saltwater fishing in SW Florida in the spring. My name’s Wayne Freeman. When I’m not traveling the world with a fly rod, I’m living my best outdoor sporting life on the saltwater of SW Florida at 26 degrees latitude and my Montana mountain log cabin/ranch at 46 degrees latitude. I post my outdoor life adventures and everyday happenings on my YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/@26-46Outdoors. I invite you to join me for the ride and “come outside and play”. Check out my clothing, gear and hand-made products: https://www.26-46outdoors.com Social Media: Instagram:@26_46outdoors Facebook: @26-46outdoors TikTok: @2646outdoors Contact me@: 2646outdoors@gmail.com
I chased Tarpon for 5 days…and this happened
After five days of chasing tarpon on a fly rod across Southwest Florida, I finally found a daisy chain of fish moving down the beach. I got multiple shots at them. Not one eat. That’s tarpon fishing. Full video on 26-46 Outdoors. #flyfishing #TarponFishing #SnookFishing #FloridaFishing 26-46outdoors is about outdoor living and adventures combined with renaissance thinking, hunting, fishing, log cabin-living in the mountains of Montana half the year switching to saltwater fishing in SW Florida in the spring. My name’s Wayne Freeman. When I’m not traveling the world with a fly rod, I’m living my best outdoor sporting life on the saltwater of SW Florida at 26 degrees latitude and my Montana mountain log cabin/ranch at 46 degrees latitude. I post my outdoor life adventures and everyday happenings on my YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/@26-46Outdoors. I invite you to join me for the ride and “come outside and play”. Check out my clothing, gear and hand-made products: https://www.26-46outdoors.com Social Media: Instagram:@26_46outdoors Facebook: @26-46outdoors TikTok: @2646outdoors Contact me@: 2646outdoors@gmail.com
I Finally Found the Tarpon… They Wouldn't Eat
I headed deep into the Everglades for a solo camping trip on a remote island hoping to catch fish and spend a quiet night on the water… That’s not exactly how it turned out. As the tide dropped, sharks started pushing bait and stingrays right up onto the beach around camp. Before long, they were cruising the shoreline all night while I was trying to sleep just a few yards away. To make things worse, I had to keep moving my skiff in the dark to avoid getting stranded by the tide the next morning. No huge fish catches in this one — just a real night alone in the Everglades with feeding sharks, changing tides, and the kind of adventure that keeps you awake listening to every splash outside the tent. If you enjoy solo camping, fishing, boating, and real outdoor adventure, you’re in the right place. #Everglades #SoloCamping #Sharks #Fishing #Camping #FloridaFishing #OutdoorAdventure #BoatCamping #SaltwaterFishing #26_46Outdoors 26-46outdoors is about outdoor living and adventures combined with renaissance thinking, hunting, fishing, log cabin-living in the mountains of Montana half the year switching to saltwater fishing in SW Florida in the spring. My name’s Wayne Freeman. When I’m not traveling the world with a fly rod, I’m living my best outdoor sporting life on the saltwater of SW Florida at 26 degrees latitude and my Montana mountain log cabin/ranch at 46 degrees latitude. I post my outdoor life adventures and everyday happenings on my YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/@26-46Outdoors. I invite you to join me for the ride and “come outside and play”. Check out my clothing, gear and hand-made products: https://www.26-46outdoors.com Social Media: Instagram:@26_46outdoors Facebook: @26-46outdoors TikTok: @2646outdoors Contact me@: 2646outdoors@gmail.com 0:00 Heading Into the Everglades 0:15 Spin Fishing 0:45 Dolphins Chasing Bait 1:15 Fly Fishing 2:09 Setting up Camp 4:15 Exploring my Island 6:05 Tide Out - Time Exposure 6:40 Sharks Start Cruising the Beach 8:15 Wading out to Move Boat 9:15 Final Thoughts
Camped Alone on an Everglades Island… Then the Sharks Showed Up
From 26° latitude in Florida to 46° latitude in Montana… it’s time for another seasonal migration. In this episode of 26-46 Outdoors, I pack up the truck for a 3,000-mile drive north — with my newest passenger riding shotgun: a whitetail deer mount named “Pete.” Somewhere along the highway, I decided to experiment with AI and brainstorm ideas for an upcoming tarpon fishing video. What started as a simple conversation quickly turned into one of the funniest and strangest road-trip experiences I’ve had in a while. Between caffeine, endless miles, random thoughts, and talking to AI in the middle of nowhere… things got pretty comical. Thanks for riding along from 26 to 46. Come outside and play. #2646Outdoors #RoadTrip #AI #OutdoorLife #Montana #Florida #TarponFishing #TravelVlog 26-46outdoors is about outdoor living and adventures combined with renaissance thinking, hunting, fishing, log cabin-living in the mountains of Montana half the year switching to saltwater fishing in SW Florida in the spring. My name’s Wayne Freeman. When I’m not traveling the world with a fly rod, I’m living my best outdoor sporting life on the saltwater of SW Florida at 26 degrees latitude and my Montana mountain log cabin/ranch at 46 degrees latitude. I post my outdoor life adventures and everyday happenings on my YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/@26-46Outdoors. I invite you to join me for the ride and “come outside and play”. Check out my clothing, gear and hand-made products: https://www.26-46outdoors.com Social Media: Instagram:@26_46outdoors Facebook: @26-46outdoors TikTok: @2646outdoors Contact me@: 2646outdoors@gmail.com
I Talked to AI on a 3,000 Mile-roadtrip… Things Got Weird
My close friends were down in Florida with me for a week’s adventure. We made sure to get offshore for a trip in the Gulf chasing snapper and red grouper. We ran into a school of kingfish but could not land a single one. The amberjacks were plentiful but it was when we stumbled on a school of Cobia when the fun began. In this video we focus on catching, cleaning and cooking a 42” Cobia; a first for my Boston Whaler. 26-46outdoors is about outdoor living and adventures combined with renaissance thinking, hunting, fishing, log cabin-living in the mountains of Montana half the year switching to saltwater fishing in SW Florida in the spring. My name’s Wayne Freeman. When I’m not traveling the world with a fly rod, I’m living my best outdoor sporting life on the saltwater of SW Florida at 26 degrees latitude and my Montana mountain log cabin/ranch at 46 degrees latitude. I post my outdoor life adventures and everyday happenings on my YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/@26-46Outdoors I invite you to join me for the ride and “come outside and play”. Check out my clothing, gear and hand-made products: https://www.26-46outdoors.com Social Media: Instagram:@26_46outdoors Facebook: @26-46outdoors TikTok: @2646outdoors Contact me@: 2646outdoors@gmail.com Stuff I Use My Boats:  Drift Boat – Clackacraft 16’ Low Profile. https://www.clacka.com 46 degrees latitude  Offshore saltwater boat – “Big Sky Break”, Boston Whaler 330 Outrage 33’ center console w/ twin Mercury 300 hp outboards, Simrad electronics/radar – 26 degrees latitude. https://www.bostonwhaler.com  Flats boat – Beavertail Skiffs, 18’ Vengeance poling skiff with 115 hp Yamaha Sho, Power Pole trolling motor, Garmin electronics – 26 degrees latitude. https://www.beavertailskiffs.com  Wooden Canoe – 1937 Oldtown 17’ Canoe. https://www.oldtownwatercraft.com  White Water Canoe – 13’ Mohawk. https://www.mohawkcanoes.com My Primary Film Equipment  Canon EOS R7: https://www.usa.canon.com  GoPro Hero 4, 12, 13. https://www.gopro.com  Voiceover microphone – Blue Yeti Studio. https://www.logitech.com  iPhone 15 Pro. https://www.apple.com  Drone – DJI Mini 4k. https://www.dji.com My Primary Software  Film editing - DaVinci Resolve 20. https://www.blackmagicdesign.com  Graphics – Canva. https://www.canva.com My Merch Stuff I Make & Sell  Fly Rods - Weezy Fly Rods. https://www.26-46outdoors.com  Knives & Cutting Tools – Weezy Knives. https://www.26-46outdoors.com  Custom Flies. https://www.26-46outdoors.com My Clothing Line  Fishing hoodies, shirts & bandannas. https://www.26-outdoors.com My Favorite Outdoor Stuff  KIUI – luggage & clothing. https://www.kiui.com  Large Packs – K4 Pack. https://www.exomtgear.com  Day Pack – Passenger 27 L. https://www.roark.com  Elk Camp Tent – Tent and bivy bag. https://www.montanacanvas.com
Giant Cobia off Florida's Gulf: Catch Clean Cook
My buddy hooks a small stingray on a St. Croix Triumph salmon and steelhead rod and the thing snaps like twig. This is the second St. Croix rod I have broken in a week just fishing. The stingray was released no worse for the wear but I have purchased my last St. Croix fishing rod. 26-46outdoors is about outdoor living and adventures combined with renaissance thinking, hunting, fishing, log cabin-living in the mountains of Montana half the year switching to saltwater fishing in SW Florida in the spring. My name’s Wayne Freeman. When I’m not traveling the world with a fly rod, I’m living my best outdoor sporting life on the saltwater of SW Florida at 26 degrees latitude and my Montana mountain log cabin/ranch at 46 degrees latitude. I post my outdoor life adventures and everyday happenings on my YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/@26-46Outdoors. I invite you to join me for the ride and “come outside and play”. Check out my clothing, gear and hand-made products: https://www.26-46outdoors.com Social Media: Instagram:@26_46outdoors Facebook: @26-46outdoors TikTok: @2646outdoors Contact me@: 2646outdoors@gmail.com
Stingray snaps my rod
I’m still in the exploring stage in SW Florida. I decided that I need to spend some time looking for adventure in Everglades National Park so I reserved an island to myself and drove my skiff about 20 miles through a portion of the Everglades while fishing for snook, redfish and other saltwater flats fish and found my island. This video shows me camping through a two-hour thunderstorm on an island where there was no one else for maybe ten miles. The rain was a welcome addition as I did this while SW Florida was suffering though a long drought. In fact, a fire was burning more than 26,000 acres at Big Cypress National Preserve while I was there. Through my ability to draw bad weather by camping, I was singularly responsible for putting out this massive wildfire. I’m only half joking. Enjoy some fishing action, low tides, and incredible sunset and a little heathy cooking in this video. 26-46outdoors is about outdoor living and adventures combined with renaissance thinking, hunting, fishing, log cabin-living in the mountains of Montana half the year switching to saltwater fishing in SW Florida in the spring. My name’s Wayne Freeman. When I’m not traveling the world with a fly rod, I’m living my best outdoor sporting life on the saltwater of SW Florida at 26 degrees latitude and my Montana mountain log cabin/ranch at 46 degrees latitude. I post my outdoor life adventures and everyday happenings on my YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/@26-46Outdoors. I invite you to join me for the ride and “come outside and play”. Check out my clothing, gear and hand-made products: https://www.26-46outdoors.com Social Media: Instagram:@26_46outdoors Facebook: @26-46outdoors TikTok: @2646outdoors Contact me@: 2646outdoors@gmail.com
Solo Camping and Fishing in the Everglades
I spent a week fishing with my childhood friends Tom and Joe in SW Florida or 26 degrees North Latitude. We fished offshore and inshore for six days straight. Joe’s biggest inshore fish was a 30” Redfish on a white paddle-tail jig. He had just snapped our second rod of the week on a stingray and had picked up a sabiki rig rod as his backup. He changed lures and immediately got hit by this 13-15lb Redfish. Thinking he had 10 lb test monofilament on he babysit the fish to the boat. Good thing he did as the line was actually 6 lb test. 26-46outdoors is about outdoor living and adventures combined with renaissance thinking, hunting, fishing, log cabin-living in the mountains of Montana half the year switching to saltwater fishing in SW Florida in the spring. My name’s Wayne Freeman. When I’m not traveling the world with a fly rod, I’m living my best outdoor sporting life on the saltwater of SW Florida at 26 degrees latitude and my Montana mountain log cabin/ranch at 46 degrees latitude. I post my outdoor life adventures and everyday happenings on my YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/@26-46Outdoors. I invite you to join me for the ride and “come outside and play”. Check out my clothing, gear and hand-made products: https://www.26-46outdoors.com Social Media: Instagram:@26_46outdoors Facebook: @26-46outdoors TikTok: @2646outdoors Contact me@: 2646outdoors@gmail.com
30" Redfish
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