#51: Will Benson: Fish, Philosophy, and the Future of the Keys
Captain Will Benson is a Florida Keys fly-fishing guide, filmmaker, conservationist, and founder of World Angling. Raised on Sugarloaf Key, he started cleaning boats at the local marina before building a life guiding anglers for tarpon, permit, and bonefish. He also works with the Lower Keys Guides Association and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust to protect the waters that made that life possible.
We get into the mentors who shaped him, the philosophy degree he still puts to work, and how fishing films pulled him into conservation.
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Show links
Watch Longfire on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@longfireco)
Listen on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/longfire/id1851467002)
Listen on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2IGYfTSYNvsD96UjUqqCJt)
Follow Longfire on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/longfireco/)
Guest links
Fish with Will: World Angling (https://visitfloridakeys.com/business-directory/world-angling)
Follow Will on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/captwillbenson/)
Watch World Angling’s films (https://vimeo.com/worldangling)
Watch Silver Lining (https://vimeo.com/161378843)
Lower Keys Guides Association (https://lkga.org/)
Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (https://www.bonefishtarpontrust.org/)
Captains for Clean Water (https://captainsforcleanwater.org/)
Chapters
00:00 Before the Fishing Starts
07:50 A Kid on the Docks in the Florida Keys
11:21 How His Family Found the Keys
15:04 What Philosophy Taught Him About Fishing
19:25 Choosing the Water Over Law School
21:25 A Camcorder, a Surprise Trophy, and World Angling
26:09 When the Guides Got Organized
30:57 Conservation Wins and the Cruise-Ship Fight
35:35 The Next Fights for a Healthy Fishery
42:27 Why Fishermen Belong in Conservation
46:08 Why Will Is Hopeful About What Comes Next
16 Oct 2026
#50: Cristina Zenato - A Life Spent Understanding Sharks
Cristina Zenato is a professional diver, shark behaviorist, cave explorer, and founder of People of the Water, a nonprofit focused on exploration, education, and conservation. Raised in the Congo, she has spent more than three decades in the Bahamas. Her work brings together shark encounters, diving education, and the exploration and protection of underwater caves.
In our conversation, we talk about the childhood that shaped her relationship with wildlife, her mentor Ben Rose, and what you notice when you stop swimming past everything.
Subscribe to Longfire for more stories worth gathering around.
Show links
Watch Longfire on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@longfireco)
Listen on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/longfire/id1851467002)
Listen on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2IGYfTSYNvsD96UjUqqCJt)
Follow Longfire on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/longfireco/)
Guest links
Visit Cristina Zenato’s website (https://cristinazenato.com/)
Follow Cristina on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/cristinazenato/)
Watch Cristina on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5OxtcCvv9wNe-VbasQqj-A)
Explore dive trips with Cristina (https://www.interconnectedexpeditions.com/)
Diving courses with Cristina (https://cristinazenato.com/courses/)
People of the Water (https://pownonprofit.org/)
Shop People of the Water (https://pownonprofit.org/shop/)
Chapters
00:00 Five Languages, Insects, and Favorite Books
05:33 Growing Up Alongside Nature in the Congo
09:27 The Half-Price Trip That Changed Her Life
11:35 Ben Rose and the Value of Paying Attention
17:12 The Life Hidden in the Sand
20:17 Diving That Supports Local Communities
25:52 Different Sharks, Different Personalities
29:31 Tiger Sharks and Why Context Matters
32:01 Bull Sharks and the Environment
36:21 An Unexpected Tiger Shark at Cocos
38:15 Predators, Perception, and the Stories We See
45:58 People of the Water and Protecting What She Loves
9 Oct 2026
#49: John Langmore - Cowboy, Lawyer, and a Life Behind the Camera
John Langmore is an Austin-based photographer, author, and documentary filmmaker who has also worked as a cowboy and corporate lawyer. His books include Open Range and Fault Lines, and he co-directed Cowboys: A Documentary Portrait with Bud Force.
We talk about going to work on Benny Binion’s Montana ranch at twelve, entering law, and finding his way back to the cowboy world through photography and film. John also shares the story behind his documentary in progress about Angola prison’s working cowboys.
Subscribe to Longfire for more stories worth gathering around.
Show links
Watch Longfire on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@longfireco)
Listen on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/longfire/id1851467002)
Listen on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2IGYfTSYNvsD96UjUqqCJt)
Follow Longfire on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/longfireco/)
Guest links
John Langmore’s photography (https://johnlangmorephotos.com/)
Open Range: America’s Big-Outfit Cowboy (https://www.twinpalms.com/products/john-langmore-open-range)
Fault Lines: Portraits of East Austin (https://tupress.org/9781595348975/fault-lines/)
Watch Cowboys: A Documentary Portrait (https://www.thecowboymovie.com/watch)
John Langmore on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/johnlangmore/)
John Langmore on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/john.langmore.1/)
Chapters
00:00 Westerns and a Motorcycle Ride to Alaska
03:35 Photography Books and Earning Trust in East Austin
07:26 Dinner Guests and Taking on Liam Neeson
09:47 Becoming a Cowboy at Twelve
14:26 Benny Binion, Tough Horses, and a Lasting Friendship
21:18 A Great-Grandfather in Roosevelt’s Rough Riders
24:25 From Cowboy Wages to Corporate Life
30:36 Finding Photography and Stories Close to Home
35:29 A Documentary About Angola’s Working Cowboys
38:10 Finding the Range Crew and Getting Access
47:41 A Visit Without Cameras and How the Film Took Shape
53:39 Film Plans, Books, and Where to Follow John
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