Cold Snap

Cold Snap

The spring creeks are dead this winter. Not fishing slow or tough; literally dead. Killed by one of the hundreds of wildfires that ravaged Utah in 2018. This particular fire burned from mid-September up to the opening of the deer hunt. The Forest Service could’ve put...
The Last Best Day

The Last Best Day

He stood cold in the gathering dawn, peering deep into the chilled, flowing water. A sudden shiver ran through him, partly from the fresh winter wind and partly from the thrill he felt every time he came back to this secluded little stream. He had looked forward to...
Virginia is for Lovers of Fly Fishing and Wine

Virginia is for Lovers of Fly Fishing and Wine

A flurry of snow didn’t stop new and seasoned fly anglers from venturing to the annual Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival at the Meadow Event Park in Doswell, Virginia. With 19 years of operation under its belt, the festival has grown into “one of the largest...
Tawakoni Blues

Tawakoni Blues

Four monstrous blue catfish with a combined weight of over 233 pounds, for an average of nearly 60-pounds – all in a morning’s fishing trip. “If you can find a day to put aside your Ruger/Trijicon/Hornady combo and come of out the deer woods, you need to meet me at...
Northern Tier Part 2

Northern Tier Part 2

At -18° the human body fails. Organs shut down. The brain ceases to function. Blood solidifies. At least that’s what I thought. The staff at Northern Tier High Adventure Camp in Ely, Minnesota seemed to know otherwise and quickly put me and Boy Scout Troop 137 to work...
Eva Shockey’s Outdoor Digital Series is a Major Hit

Eva Shockey’s Outdoor Digital Series is a Major Hit

Eva Shockey should be a familiar name for hunters and non-hunters alike. Originally from Vancouver Island, Canada, Shockey has charted her own hunting course here in the U.S., largely with the help of social media. She’s not simply the daughter of renowned hunter Jim...
Things That Make You Say “Hmmm”

Things That Make You Say “Hmmm”

When I fish alone, I sometimes slip into a meditative state. It’s as if I concentrate so intently upon the water before me that the mechanics of casting, mending, and reacting use a portioned section of my brain. The rest drifts on its own with no sense of time, no...