The Cold Burn Cognition of Living

Islands in the stream...eras in the flow of a man’s lifetime. Days lapse January meager now, and this one is dying. In the twilight of its wake, snow is born. Death to one, life to another.   Waylaid at my threshold by the magic, rescued from the zephyr of melancholy...

Something for the First Time

A fella posed a question the other day that caused me pause...  He asked, “When’s the last time you did something for the first time?”  Not when’s the last time you did something again for the first time in a long time. But the last time you did something for...

Cane Pole Magic

Cane Pole Magic

A cane pole, whether used from shore or in a boat, is wielded by a simple, graceful motion in which the angler lobs the baited hook. The image is as enduring as it is appealing, something straight from a Norman Rockwell cover on an old Saturday Evening Post. A...

An Old Man’s Memories of August

An Old Man’s Memories of August

This fisherman's fairytale is far from folklore... A true story of giants, fairies, heroism and romance stay alive in an old man's memories. Once upon a time long ago and far, far away, there was a boy. “Wait,” someone will shout. “That sounds like an elementary...

A Fascination With Fly Rodding

A Fascination With Fly Rodding

From the time I was first able to tag along without completely impeding his fly fishing, Daddy let me accompany him on short after-work outings to nearby trout streams in my native Great Smokies. My father was a dedicated fly fisherman and one of those wise mentors...