The days are getting longer, and the temperatures are bouncing higher each week. Even though I am anxious for spring, I thought I should be fair to my least favorite season because despite being cold and dreary, this winter has not been unproductive.During the cold months, many reservoirs are drained significantly, both to accommodate the … Continue reading Winter Wanderings →

If you ever have a chance to vacation in Ontario, I highly recommend that you visit Algonquin Provincial Park. Most of the park is wilderness - thousands of lakes and low hills shaded by deciduous forest. Tara and I camped by a lake there in the early fall. The park was empty yet, as the … Continue reading "moose" is Algonquin for moose →

Well, it's winter time. I know the trout are active, but I'm not yet desperate enough to stand outside and swing nymphs through the water, hoping a little hatchery fish hooks itself. Instead, I thought I'd recall some nice warm fishing memories instead.My friend Kirk took this picture in Hawaii some years back. We were … Continue reading Warm Memories →

After our stay in the rainforest, we headed to the beaches of Isla Taboga, a small island about 12 miles from Panama City. Among the 900 or so inhabitants we found Thijs and Jeannette who retired from California to Taboga several years ago. Along with their vacation rental, Thijs runs a fishing charter business.For a … Continue reading Panama Part 2: Isla Taboga/Pacific Ocean →

We're back from Panama! It was an excellent trip. The weather was warm, the people were friendly and the fishing was good.We stayed the first several days in Gamboa, a small town in Soberania National Park and right next to Lake Gatun. The lake includes the northern end of the Panama Canal and is well … Continue reading Panama Part 1: Lake Gatun/Panama Canal →

Where's the walking stick? Yesterday I went fishing for bluegills to use as bait for catfish, and I was reminded of something.I can't remember when I started fishing for bass or trout, but it took me three days of fishing to land my first catfish. I don't feel that catching cats is much harder than … Continue reading Thoughts on Victory →

There are so many variables in fishing. My first try catfishing was in shallow water with hot dogs as bait. My second try was in deep water, this time using fresh chunks of sunfish as bait. Although I caught bass both days, I am certain that neither effort elicited a catfish nibble. So, on my … Continue reading Fat Cats →

A cold fall day on the water today. The wind has been up so I left the fly rod at home and brought along the Whuppin' Stick, hoping to find some carp or catfish feeding in deeper waters. I must admit that I am a novice at baitfishing. I know that sounds odd - put … Continue reading The Lieutenant Colonel →

We took a mini vacation to Florida this week for some much needed beach time. We took one day to visit the Everglades, and on a hike we saw evidence of recent high waters - every slight depression in the trail held quickly evaporating puddles which teemed with tiny fishes and crustaceans: In the late … Continue reading Florida →

Tara's always been a good sport about my fishing habit, and she often joins me on the water to relax. Occasionally, I try to put a fly rod in her hands. It turns out that she's no slouch with a bass bug: