FISHING FOR HISTORY

DOCUMENTARY / LIFESTYLE SERIES / HISTORY

Mike Lenton and Justin Gerbrandt are commercial fisherman who thrive on water and ice.  They built their Manitoba company, Husavik Fishing Inc., by succeeding in one of the most competitive fresh fish markets in the world. Now, along with lifelong friend Toban Gottfried, the boys have a new plan - catching history!

After discovering magnet fishing on YouTube, the boys are convinced they can do it better than most. With Toban waiting at home to evaluate whatever artifacts they find, Mike and Justin take off across North America in search of places to dunk their magnets. The people they meet and the stories they hear are treasures unto themselves.

Is this the get rich quick scheme they’ve always dreamed of? Will their understanding of waterways and currents carry their trusty magnets to unique local history or does their lack of magnet fishing experience make this whole thing a bust?

Either way, Toban has an endless supply of historians and experts on hand to separate what’s real and what’s not. For Justin and Mike, pride and history are both on the line...

FULL EPISODE SCREENERS:

EPISODE SYNOPSIS:

  • 101 - The Hunt for T-33

    Novice magnet fishermen Justin Gerbrandt and Mike Lenton scour massive lake Winnipeg for remnants of a Cold War era fighter jet crash. Toban makes a shocking discover when analyzing what they find and proposes a fitting tribute to pilots who sacrificed their all.

  • 102 - Land Grabs & Power Plays

    In the early 1940s, the US government created the Tennessee Valley Authority so they could create hydroelectric power for a secret military project. As a result, people were displaced, entire towns flooded out, and a simmering resentment amongst those affected was born.

  • 103 - Canada’s Howard Hughes

    Millionaire Donald Bain loved his private hunting lodge on the shores of Lake Manitoba, so much so he’d greet strangers with a shotgun and turned away Hollywood royalty. Mike and Justin visit that site and explore the connection between it and historic Fort La Reine.

  • 104 - The Battle of Stones River

    Justin and Mike visit Murfreesboro, Tennessee, site of one of the fiercest battles between the Union and Confederate armies. Toban visits Mike’s General store with the Tennessee artifacts and gets a surprise lesson in British Royalty.

  • 105 - Space Rocks & UFOs

    Faith and good sense are tested when Justin and Mike search two lakes near the Ontario border, hoping to find proof of a famous UFO encounter and remnants from an ancient meteor. Toban visits the geology department at the University of Manitoba to determine if what they’ve found is the real deal or not.

  • 106 - Fast Times & Moonshine

    Wilkes County, North Carolina is the birthplace of two American institutions – NASCAR and the finest moonshine known to man. For Justin and Mike, this might be the equivalent of magnet fishing heaven.

  • 107 - Ships, Trains & Waterways

    Justin and Mike scour the junction of the mighty Red and Assiniboine Rivers at the historical meeting place known as The Forks. Their search leads them down ancient trade routes where they learn about shipbuilding and repair in the port of Selkirk.

  • 108 - Prisoners In Our Own Country

    The shocking tale of Japanese Canadian internment camps in the Kootenay region of British Columbia lures Mike and Justin westward. The smallest of items they find leads Toban to a surprising confirmation.

  • 109 - Galloping Gertie

    One of the worst engineering failures to ever be captured on film is all Justin and Mike need to plan a visit to Tacoma, Washington. Things get weirder in Olympia when they learn of shanty towns, beer and a rumoured ancient civilization called ‘The Artesians’.

  • 110 - Hollywood Blew Up Our Bridge

    Silent movie trivia really isn’t in Justin and Mike’s wheelhouse but even they can’t resist Buster Keaton’s charming legacy in Cottage Grove, Oregon. They get an unexpected dose of ‘gold fever’ which forces Toban to seek out both precious metals and equine expertise.

  • 111 - If You Sink It, They Will Come

    When historically low water levels in Texas begin to reveal intentionally sunken ships from World War One, Justin and Mike take a trip to the Lone Star State. What they find is a mystery that predates the war and sends Toban to a local museum for help.

  • 112 - Mining Ghosts

    Gold and silver mining in the Kootenay Mountains created overnight cities and a legion of millionaires. Justin and Mike visit Sandon, BC to learn the history of the boom/bust cycles and experience some luck of their own.

  • 113 - Bigfoot, Big Spurs

    Dreams of steam ships near Jefferson, Texas, lead Justin and Mike to discover a town swimming in history. From the American Civil War to murder mysteries and – shockingly – a paranormal presence that makes Jefferson the hot ticket for Bigfoot sightings in America.