To say fatherhood is sacrifice would be a lie. We receive so much from our children and the experiences they provide, namely a sense of purpose, deep satisfaction, wonder, crippling anxiety, and existential crises. But, as many men my age are probably beginning to realize, fatherhood does involve...

Generally, I meet two types of fly anglers—those who tie their own flies and those who don’t. It seems to be a zero-sum game, but I’m here to make an argument for a gray area in the middle. Enter myself, the purely functional fly tyer. I’ve never smuggled exotic bird feathers to save up for a rare...

Let’s face it, fried fish is delicious. You know it. I know it. Maybe that’s why nine times out of 10, my family’s catch goes straight into a bath of oil before it hits the dinner table. It’s a classic for a reason. But it’s also easy to put on blinders when you get into the kitchen, continuing to...

Ever since the days of split-bamboo fly rods, anglers have been tinkering with rod tapers, rod actions, flex patterns, materials, components, grips, styles, and more. Experimentation lies at the heart of angling, and anglers have created an impressive array of tools for their enjoyment. Over the...

Cottontail hunting is consistently underrated. The practice has declined in popularity over the years, and I can’t see why—it’s exciting, accessible, inexpensive, and offers some of the best table fare you can find in the woods. And while popular practice and opinion may say differently, one person...

The beauty of fly fishing lies in personal style. No, I’m not talking about felt hats and plaid shirts. I’m talking about the style with which you tie and select flies, cast, target fish, and generally approach the sport. On one side of the aisle, you’ll have fly anglers who only run nymphs in swift...

The beauty of fishing is that you can make it whatever you want it to be. It’s called style. Do you want to be a largemouth aficionado or someone who only throws bait into the surf? Or, are you casting ultralight rods for wild, 6-inch brook trout in alpine creeks or tossing 9-inch swimbaits for...

A lot of folks get nervous when you start throwing wild pig into the dinner table conversation. Log onto any hunting forum and the majority of people will say they don’t bother eating hogs for any number of reasons—smell, taste, unfounded rumors, you name it. It’s simply the majority mindset, or at...

As a life-long angler, I always thought being a capable fisherman meant also being a boat owner. So, when I got the cash for a 15-foot outboard, I bought one. Then, just a year later, I sold it. I quickly learned that the two qualities don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand—just because you love to cast...

Simple is rare these days. With any kind of fishing pursuit, it seems like the gear list continues to pile up with new rods, reels, lines, and lures. I’ll be the first to admit it—the gear is part of the allure. But all of that clutter does have a tendency to remove us from reality a bit. We spend...