Intuitive thoughts and tall tales from the field. Fishing, Hunting, and the Great Outdoors.
"Usually, when I pull down the drive on my way home, I can see Roger and his does digging through the snow to feed on the meadow grass below. They lift their heads and watch me as I carry my tired body towards the porch. Consequently, Roger always walks out to the path to meet me. He watches me as I walk by, surveying my behavior. In my mind, he's just another head-of-household, keeping situationally aware and looking out for his tribe."
"Our family grew. When a Dane named Beef first arrived, Duke was a bit uncertain but before long, he came to love his new brother. Shortly after, my little Moose came to be. Duke never left his side. My son and my dog grew together like two trunks of two trees that sprouted from the earth in close proximity, until they grew into each other and then formed a weatherproof tower made of their combination."
"From the middle seat view of my glass boat, I’ve learned much about people but more so, I’ve learned much from people and, that’s really what these words I’m writing now are about. I love this gig for many reasons but, more so than any other, is the fact that I am directly plugged into a network of fellow anglers who bring to the table their experiences from a lifetime of engaging in this sport. I’m the true benefactor and I simply don’t harbor the adequately creative mind to conjure words profound enough to authentically emulate my gratitude. Just know that I appreciate you all."
"It didn’t seem right. It felt almost sacrilegious; breaking the peaceful and perfect, pellucid, glass surface of the lake in the early morning, dim glow. In my mind, I pictured the huge and varying array of colorful Nachtmann crystal tumblers and carafes my mother cherished and kept in a glass display in the dining room when I was growing up. For another moment I imagined the almost unfathomable horrors that would have fallen upon us, if my siblings or I had ever smashed one and disturbed its picturesque surface character, in the same manner I was currently inflicting on the lake’s pristine topwater. Tentatively, I assumed the thought was giving me chills but I soon realized it was the icy, barely thawed, bone and muscle chilling contents of the water body that I was being physically made aware of, as I waded in to catch the boat, in the superficial effulgence of a headlight I nabbed from my work truck before heading out that morning."
"I reached for my 85mm and began photographing Tristan as he leaned backwards against the fish’s resistance and demanded its submission. Eventually the lunk capitulated and I remember thinking “what a bucket” when I witnessed the net webbing stretch like the legs of an Armstrong figurine. Hud must have thought something similar because he returned the netted mass of aquatic critter to the water and, when he did, I noticed the net’s handle straighten in relief. We anchored the skiff and I hopped out to get a better shot. This was a memory I didn’t want to let slip by."
“We’re blue collar guides, my dude. We’re not operating out of a five million dollar lodge with loft railings so clean a surgeon would feel comfortable operating on top of them. We’re not backed by some hoity-toity, over priced fly store where rich dudes find excuses to burn their Silicon Valley cash. We have no... Continue Reading →
“They hang in the demersal zone and generally, will stir up substrate and gravel to break loose hiding invertebrates and varying larva. Something I’ve noticed in my efforts however, is their love for amphipods which, is exactly the vice you might exploit in an effort to target these large scaled critters. You know… if you’re... Continue Reading →
“I will think of these extinct moments in time and wonder if I would trade every dollar I saved for just one more morning like this.” Rainbow and Cutthroat Trout spawning seasons often occur within the same span of time and as a result of their interspecies mingling a hybrid is fabricated, for which we've... Continue Reading →
"The beast was dead before the echoes of the shot yielded their reverberations off the canyon walls. 650 yards and smile...It was both the sexiest and most terrifying thing I had ever witnessed." Antelope live in wide open spaces. Their ability to see very long distances and run very quickly make the wide open premium... Continue Reading →
In winter, true anglers embrace solitude and hardship, seeking rewards that the masses ignore. As they face frigid hikes and empty waters, they uncover the beauty in perseverance and selective pursuits. Fishing is not just a sport; it's a lesson in valuing effort, loyalty, and the intoxicating allure of the unpredictable chase.
Authentically Wild Out West 