Like most anglers, I’m a map nerd. I can go down the rabbit hole staring at a map looking at lakes and rivers I’ve not been to for hours. But my buddy Bob Butler takes it to a new level. He finds boat put-ins and take-outs overlooked by most. Bob and I rowed down a … Read more
All great fishing days in June start early. Today was no different. Friend Josh Hulbert picked me up at 4:30 AM and we headed to the river to meet up with a new friend, Tanner. Young Tanner is 24 and was raised in the Hayward, Wisconsin area. The sun rose at 5:15 and it was … Read more
Granny and I made a major scouting trip yesterday looking at lakes, rivers and places to camp for the future. Our fun day ended with dinner in Bayfield and we slept in the back of the Exploder on the banks of Lake Superior. This morning we awoke to drizzle but also amazing calmness on … Read more
I had a lot of work to catch up on over the weekend and by around 8 PM last night I was 99% done. This morning I woke up incredibly early – 4:22 AM early to be exact – and I got up and enjoyed the birds while inventing things to do. I worked on … Read more
I was a little groggy when the robins were singing at 4 AM. I rolled over a few extra times before finally making the coffee at exactly 4:45. Heck, I fished till 10 last night then didn’t get to sleep till midnight. But today’s forecast was for another brutally hot one so it was important … Read more
When Granny and I made our move to Wisconsin official, it was amazing how many local fly fishers reached out and welcomed us. We got advice on places to fish, some folks offered to take us fishing, and Stu Neville, owner of the Hayward Fly Fishing Company, Stu offered to promote my art, sell my … Read more
Its hot here in northern Wisconsin. I’m mean like really hot. Temps have been in the mid to high 80°s since I got home from Arkansas Monday. While Granny and I wanted to take out our new Striker raft and float a river on today’s summer solstice, a full “longest day of the year” roasting … Read more
It was a busy Saturday on the famous White River of Arkansas. You couldn’t ask for a more beautiful day. The cold river flowing from below the Bull Shoals Dam created a thin layer of fog. The temperature began comfortably cool. As you would expect, everyone from anglers to sightseers to kayakers wanted their piece … Read more
As you may know, I’ve had the good fortune of fishing on the USA Masters Fly Fishing Team. Last year, Bret Bishop, Pete Erickson, Loren Williams, Mike Sexton and I took home the Gold Medals in Italy. None of this could have happened without our generous friend and sponsor, Jerry Arnold. Jerry has been covering … Read more
Granny and I broke out our new Outcast Striker Raft again today for an early morning float. We left last night and did our shuttle leaving Granny’s car at the boat ramp. We took my car and the raft to the boat launch and slept in the Exploder. We woke up at 5 AM and … Read more
Dreadful weather moved in last night. I could feel the temperature drop while sleeping in my van. Then the drizzle started followed by gale wind. By the time college pals Howie, Mike, Mark and I were ready to head for Lake Superior for our second day we got word there was a small craft warning … Read more
I’m lucky I’m still friends with many of my college buddies. We all met in 1983 studying in Wisconsin at Northland College and managed to stay in touch all these years. About eight of us are like brothers. Today Howie, Mike Neuman and Mark Reiser met up for the first time in a while and … Read more