Rendezvous with a King

Rendezvous with a King

The ocean was like a piece of glass as we glided past the familiar black-and-white-spiraled St. Augustine lighthouse a mile or so off to our starboard side. Heading out into the great unknown on a muggy June morning, I couldn’t help but think of my grandmother’s...

The Intruder

The Intruder

It wasn’t much as waters go — probably a couple acres at best.  I’d passed by it many times always on the way to somewhere else.  It lay a few hundred yards off the road, nestled up against the back edge of the old cemetery.  I suppose to most people it would be a...

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...

As Crepuscule Closes In

As Crepuscule Closes In

A brief and artistic depiction of the very moment a young child falls in love with fishing. A faint zephyr curled the tip of her hair. Shoulder length. The lapping of edge water murmuring. Inveigling liquid whispers heralding dusk – some primal tongue understood by...

No More Mr. Nice Guy

No More Mr. Nice Guy

He just wasn’t going to take it anymore: the snow and cold and bass that seldom grow much bigger than your bait. No. The time had come to pull out all the stops in one last-ditch, hell-bent-for-whatever quest for a trophy bass… a gut-wrenching, arm-busting, heart-pounding wallhanger of a fish.

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...

Funny Fish

Funny Fish

These fish will test your patience, your tackle and your sanity. Funny Fish, such as skipjack tuna or Spanish macks, are reliably unreliable. These late summer fish are funny as in crazy. The start of summer football two-a-days usually coincides with the arrival of...