Grandpa’s Tying Bench
Necessity is the mother of invention, and lost flies are the impetus for learning to tie new ones.
The Unpredictability of Hunting…and Life
No two hunting stories are the same. This may explain why those of us who hunt are rich with a bank full of distinct memories. No two hunting stories are ever alike. For good reason. Ruffed grouse roosted in the aspens never take the same flight path. A whitetail buck...
The Silent Woods
Treat the earth well; it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. The woods are mostly silent now. As the old man’s boots disturbed the dry autumn...
Little Angler, Big Trout
He hasn’t yet turned five years old, but already he loves going fishing with the big guys and his new fly rod. Note: This article originally appeared in the September/October 2014 issue of Sporting Classics. His name is Gabriel Matthew Altizer, and he has not...
Worshiping at the Freshwater Temple
I was worshiping at my favorite freshwater temple when my 8-year-old fishing disciple hooked an epiphany and landed one of the secrets to the Kingdom of Heaven. Well, sort of. Author’s Note: Just before sunrise on Monday, April 13, 2020, a historic, record-breaking...
Dove Hunting and the Making of a Sportsman
Arguably the finest of all the myriad bonuses associated with a dove shoot is taking along a youngster not yet old enough to carry a gun. A late friend of mine, Roy Turner, liked to refer to the opening day of dove season as “Christmas in September.” That description...
Gun Smuggling and the Preservation of Domestic Bliss
A collective group of gun-smuggling savants advise a young, newly wed husband on plausible strategies for sneaking guns past his wife. I was at my local sportsman’s club recently, a friendly neighborhood place where threadbear flannel or last year’s camo pattern are...
Lessons Only the Outdoors Can Teach
There are lessons out there that aren’t taught in any public school classroom, lessons that only a good parent can provide. And then there are lessons that only time spent outdoors can teach us. The Ides of August have come and gone, the fellowship of the orange cloth...
A Soul-Searching Hunter Must Be Prepared For Surprises
In reflecting on the hunts of my past, I surprised even myself with hopes for the hunts still to come. It wasn’t long ago that my personal odometer turned 60. Other than a passing mention at an unrelated family gathering, no one seemed to care. That suited me just...