Turkey hunting a flirty pursuit
I guess I have been on a roll lately talking about fishing. First it was shad, then it was wahoo, and it wasn't until yesterday that I realized I had totally neglected one of the finest spring outdoor pursuits there is.
Rigging for the Gulf Stream can be an art form
Have you ever been to a tackle shop and looked at their selection of hand-tied flies? I am by no means a fly fishing purist, but I do marvel at some of these creations. Nowadays, with fly-fishing exploding, you can find flies that resemble everything from a tiny ant to a crab, and their detail is downright amazing.
It's about time for the fish to start biting
Just last week I was commenting on how this winter's warmer-than-usual temperatures have confused both the fish and me. During years with average temperatures, predicting when the bite is going to happen is usually pretty easy. But this year, unfortunately, is going to be a real guessing game.
Two great lessons of nature: patience and caring
I would love to say that I did nothing but fish over the holidays, but the truth is I didn't get to wet a line once. Why? Because I spent the past few days in Tampa visiting my son Logan, who had flown in from Los Angeles where he now lives and works for Americorp, a nonprofit organization that is like a domestic Peace Corp.
Great outdoors provides much-needed medicine for the soul
Last week's column about old-school trout angling with a Mitchell 300 reel and screwtails sure seemed to touch the reminiscing button for a whole lot of you folks. I must have had 20 to 30 emails and an equal number of phone calls from readers saying my column prompted them to dig through their attics to look for their old Mitchell 300s so they, too, could give these classic reels a try. I can't tell you how humbled I am that my words had the power to trigger such a response.
Much to gain from empowering youth
I guess it was about a month or so ago that I received a call from a woman named Kathleen Moore. She had read one of my columns and asked me if I would volunteer my time to meet up with her and a group of high school kids from Hilton Head Island and Bluffton to talk about the importance of taking care of the environment and to show them a few things about fishing.
Beautiful waterways at heart of Lowcountry life
This Sunday was the 2011 A Taste of Waddell fundraiser, and if you weren't one of the many Lowcountry folks who gathered to show support for this extraordinary facility, you missed out on some mighty fine vittles, great music and the chance to bid on some awesome items that were up for auction.
You'll catch more than fish if you share the day with a friend
Have you ever had a song stuck in your head? It happens to me way too often and this time, of all times for this strange phenomena to occur, it hit me just about the time I sat down to write this column. So what is the song? I'm embarrassed to say it's the theme song from the old "Beverly Hillbillies" TV show: "Then one day he was shooting at some food, and up through the ground came a bubblin' crude. ... Oil, that is. Black gold."
Now is the time to play hooky and go fish
It isn't always easy coming up with fresh materials for my weekly column, but this time around I have a whole new dilemma: How am I going to fit all that happened this past week into such a short space?
Wives get a turn behind rod and reel
When I think about all my married friends who are either charter captains or just plain hard-core fisherman, I find it a tad unusual that their wives rarely, if ever, fish with them. Personally, I love to fish with women. They listen a whole lot better than men do; they squeal when they hook a fish; and they just seem to appreciate the finer points of angling. Strangely, though, these women are usually married to someone else.
Passion, action required to protect our waterways
Have you ever been passionate about a cause? I'm not talking about some selfish pleasure, but rather a cause that benefits someone or some place in a way that changes everything?
Teaching the lessons of the Lowcountry
Just about every week I get quite a few phone calls or emails from folks who have read my column. I always do my best to reply to their comments and questions.
'Friends' reminds us what truly matters
Folks often ask: "How do you come up with something new to write about every week?" My usual answer is it isn't always easy, but this week it's a no-brainer. Why? Because the one event that I always look forward to each and every year -- "Fishing With Friends" -- was held this past Saturday.
Lowcountry sights always a delight
This past week has been a strange one for me. I am not sure if it was the moon phase or the funky weather, but whatever it was, I just felt off my game in a big way. My back had a lot to do with it, and it wasn't until I started wishing that someone would come along and rip my spinal column out that I decided to get outdoors and see if nature could put my mind in a better place.
Cooler temperatures bring lively fishing
When I walked outside this past Friday morning, it was as if nature was trying to give me CPR. The change in temperature combined with a stiff north wind was like a breath of fresh air after all these months of 90 degree-plus days. I actually felt invigorated, and for the first time in months I wasn't sweating.
Love of fishing grew from early lesson in patience
One of my very first fishing memories is from when I was about 5 or 6 years old. There was a freshwater pond not far from my house where my dad got me started on fishing, and it was at this pond that my life as a fisherman was sealed.
Get ready for the harvest of the sea
I know it is only the first part of September and it's still hot and muggy, but something in the air has changed. Do you feel it? Given the fact that many of the tourists have left and kids are back in school, I am pretty sure it's not my imagination playing tricks on me. Everything in nature seems to be in transition.
Plenty of fish in the sea of human dining
Yesterday I was grabbing a bite to eat at one of our local dining establishments and while I was waiting for my food, I did a bit of people watching -- something I do with great regularity. I do it while I am sitting at stoplights and while I am in stores, but the best people watching of all has to be in large cities.
Nothing beats eating some freshly caught fish
When it comes to eating fish, the phrase "different strokes for different folks" best sums up people's preferences. It is all up to the taste buds as to what fish floats your boat. Just last week I received an email from a woman who had read my column about the mysterious disappearance of saltwater catfish and commented that the same thing had occurred off the coast of Connecticut to her favorite eating fish, the bluefish.
Water is trying to tell us that something is wrong
Every time I write about "the good ole days" in the Lowcountry, I get more calls and emails than from any other subject matter I cover. For instance, two or three weeks ago I mentioned that my dad and I never had to go any farther than the rip at the south end of Hilton Head Island to catch hundreds of Spanish mackerel. That was no exaggeration, either.
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