"It’s from that comfortable perch where you’ll set your glass down and reach for his Nikon. You’ll snap another photo for this year’s album before adorning your german heritage enriched matriarchal tone and warn him, “You’ll cut that up into steaks, not fillets. I like the Kings as steaks better than fillets.” From behind his mustache a subtle smile will crack open and you’ll see it more in his eyes than from his lips. He’ll heave the mammoth fish onto the table of the cleaning station and carry out your instructions to task. It’s late June and the sun will be up all night. You’ll have to keep an eye on the clock when you return home to the cabin, or he’ll be out far too late tending to his yard and garden. Though, it will be nice to have the latter part of the afternoon to yourself, so that you can cook in the kitchen without disruption. You’ll package the salmon steaks into freezer bags and process them in the vacuum sealer. Then you’ll start a spaghetti sauce and saute some clams for dinner. As their shells begin to open, you’ll discard the ones that refuse to surrender. About that time, you’ll call him in to wash up and set the table. He’ll set out the simple but aesthetically pleasing white and green porcelain plates featuring silhouettes of bull moose. Then he’ll retrieve two Nachmann crystal glasses from the neoclassical vitrine stationed near the south window of the dining room; where the sun can most effectively showcase the beauty of the multi-colored array of imported diningware you’ve collected. He’ll set aside his caveman-like modus for an hour, so that the two of you can drink a bottle of aged Silver Oak from hand crafted Bavarian crystal, and engage in a deep conversation about anything and everything… or nothing. He’d do that for you. He’ll always do that for you."
Home in the Real
"Between my homes in the natural world, an intermediary exists. A purgatory for which I routinely pass through by unnatural means, surrounded by unnatural creatures, in an unnatural environment. I navigate through the crowd of aimless bipedal animals as their eyes remain fixed on the fluorescent glow in their palms, and they bounce off each other, moving with only a semblance of intention. I join them as we stack upon one another in a metal container and it burns the hydrocarbons left behind by ancient life, which serve to thrust the vessel into the atmosphere."
Just Keep Grinding
"It happens in those moments, deep in the jungle, secluded from all things you know of modernity and, in sync with the wilderness you were created to hold dominion over. That is the powerful realization that comes of experiencing Eden. That is the life changing perspective that falls upon the exclusive few who will enter this venue with an intrepid spirit to pursue these carnivorous, river dwelling dreadnoughts of the ancient world. A connection to the deep jungle not only instills a warm memory in sport, but also, it cultivates an acute awareness of the long arduous process of which our ancestors climbed from a middle position in the food chain prior to building the modernity that surrounds us all in our typical daily lives. Eden is not a vacation destination, it is in itself a journey to a moment of authentic and unbridled actualization. It's a venue to feel real in a world so unfamiliar with reality."
Trout Spey/Swing – Wyoming
"That being said, much like all the other branches of this sport, Spey has its own specialness to it and, as you familiarize yourself with it, it tends to instill a confidence in an angler as an amiable benefit of it featuring long and satisfyingly smooth casts across large bodies of water. In alignment with that, the power of the type of fish who will eat a seductively swung fly is something notable and, you just can’t truly appreciate it until you feel them try to strip the rod from your hands."
Para, Brazil 2026
All who know me, know that I believe life is about collecting memories, not materials. As a collector of experiences, this trip is the magnum opus of a lifetime of adventure. It truly has the potential to change the way we perceive wild places on this planet. I’m so absolutely excited for it and I hope you’ll join me.
Jan-Marchuary
"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."
Heaven
“One-by-one, as my loved ones arrive, I'll gift them this thing I've made and they'll smile at the sentiment. "You haven't changed a bit" they'll proclaim through tearful elation and an appreciation for the newly realized absence of pain. “Imagine that,” they’ll speak as their naked feet wade through ancient crystalline glacial waters and upon split granite, “no suffering.”
Composition
“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 →
If You’re Into That Sort of Thing
“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 →
Winter On The Swing
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.