June 2011

My son has two friends who are brothers named Mark and Matt. Mark is the elder and he is 14. Their dad Mike has taken them fishing with him since they were old enough to walk.

Saltwater fishing offers a huge array of angling opportunity… wide open spaces, abundant (often large) sport fish species, and technical challenges among them.

Artist David Horton is always prepared when we go fishing. His multiple tackle boxes are neatly sorted and organized. All fishing equipment is well maintained, clean, and ready. And he always has his vanilla.

As a fishing writer, I’ve been fortunate to cast along with many great anglers.  While everyone has their own tips and tricks, the one common trait I notice among the best fishermen and fisherwomen—from the bass lakes, to the trout rivers, to the saltwater flats—is that none of them ever fish like they’re in a hurry.

A lot of time, effort and preparation go into catching trophy fish.  We scout our terrain, put time in on the water, study weather patterns, and ultimately arrive at a plan.

According to Keith Sutton who was Executive Director of the Future Fisherman Foundation, (which creates and assists a variety of programs for hands-on fishing experiences for children) and author of several books on fishing for catfish.

The word “gunkholing” means cruising in shallow waters with a wide variety of shallow-draft boats.  Day sailors, dinghies, jon boats, and canoes are some of the popular hulls that can get into the skinniest of waters.

The beauty of fishing is that there are no exact right or wrong answers, only theories and ideas.

When my son’s little league baseball game was finally over the other night, he asked if he could stay and watch a bit of the next game.  When I explained our loitering to the Stillwater Parks and Recreation supervisor, he smiled and said, “No better place for a kid to be.”

Motherhood occupies a special place in the world and it is somewhere between winning a gold medal and sainthood.  Juggling a career with parenthood is difficult enough.

Do you want to expand your horizons into fly fishing?  If you aren’t fly fishing already, you should give it a try!  It doesn’t matter where you live or fish… fly fishing is about more than trout.  In fact, almost anything that can be caught on spinning or casting gear can be caught on a fly.  

A circular from Bass Pro Shops just arrived in the mail advertising, among many other items, a fish counter.

These days, fishing rods are made to be light in weight. Blanks are made from high-modulus graphite that offer a great flex profile and that enables us to cast long, fish all day without tiring, and land lots of fish.

It doesn’t matter if you’re fishing from a canoe, or a 38-foot Bertram, any captain will tell you that having a neat, organized environment is the key to happiness… and fishing success.