Make Your Own Damn Lures

When I moved to Ontario, our neighbor’s teenage son helped us unload boxes. Spying copious boxes labeled “fishing,” the boy looked at me with excitement. He said he had been fishing almost every day that summer, and I told him to pick out something as a gift for helping us. He was a little confused when he opened the first box and found wads of flamboyantly colored feathers and semi-preserved animal skins. “What is this stuff?” he asked I...

A Marsh of Your Own: How to Catch Redfish by Kayak

Corpus Christi Bay is tequila clear and cellophane slick this morning. When my kayak slipped over the oyster bed a moment ago, a thousand calcium and carbon blades scratched the hull and scraped off any boats on my tail. Now I stand up in the sit-in kayak, invert my paddle, and pull a camo sock-hat over the yellow blade. I push myself slowly through the skinny water, still-hunting. A grumpy aghh, aghh snatches my eyes to a trio of white ibis...

The Joys of Catching Your Own Bait

Being a complete angler is less about catching fish and more about involving yourself in the entire fishing experience. From exploring a new fishing spot to choosing the right equipment and presentation, the more engaged you are in the process, the better angler you’ll become. For many fly and spin fishermen, the pinnacle of this ideology is in creating something yourself to catch fish, be it making your own lures or tying your own flies. While...