In wrapping up the introductory series, today it is my turn to ask the question that a parent gets to answer countless times every single day.

“Why?”

After the long and winding road of who, what, when, where and how, here we are at the big question.

Perhaps you are also pondering this question.

And, hopefully it’s “Why do I fish, hunt, trap, hike, camp, etc…?” rather than “Why am I still reading this stuff?”

I guess the basic answer for me is that nurture made an appreciation of the outdoors second nature.  For that I am grateful to my mentors, primarily my dad and one of my uncles.  Their guidance, attention and instruction built a solid foundation for a guy who somehow finds 50 on the horizon with his own collection of charges in his sphere of outdoors influence.

Such a change of perspective also helps to answer another variation of the “Why” question as in “Why do I write?”

Well, I guess reminiscing is a big part of my passion for this hobby as I hesitate to think of how many times I’ve sat around with family and friends recalling classic tales of success and stupidity.  It’s good stuff when they still bring a smile, a laugh or a shake of the head.  Many times the tales begin with someone mentioning, “I saw this story the other day and I got to thinking about that time when we…”

And the rest is history, literally and figuratively.  Here’s hoping that I can be blamed for starting a few such conversations.  Such is much (I like weird sounding phrases like that) of the appeal for me in what the English language has collectively labeled “fish stories.”

On a personal level I’d also like to think that someday these stories might mean something to my kids.  Perhaps they’ll one day take a look at what was going on during these days that will fade from memory as other more recent events take their place.  Maybe they’ll find amusement in an “ancient” family adventure or discover a bit of why they turned out however they will turn out as some of this stuff is about more than roasting marshmallows, hooking bass or trapping coons.

Along the way I’ve also come to realize that it’s not always the biggest fish that makes for the best fish story.  Instead, I truly enjoy passing on some of the details that would otherwise be lost over time.  For me, in the grand scheme of things, it’s more about quality time than the quality or quantity of the catch no matter flying solo or playing fishing guide for a bunch of kids.  Some of the silliness or lighthearted aspects of the trips go a long way towards providing a further escape from life’s daily challenges.  As an adult with a wife, a family and the accompanying grown up responsibilities there’s always plenty of seriousness and an outdoor getaway sure helps to put it on the back burner for a while.

So, there’s my shot at an answer to the final, and perhaps, ultimate question.  It’s also the toughest one to nail down as I’m sure fellow outdoor enthusiasts can attest.  I like to write, but some stuff just can’t be sufficiently conveyed no matter how much goes down on the page.

Maybe I would have been better off simply referencing the quote, “I fish, therefore I am” as offered up by either Descartes or Dance, or was it Plato or Parker, then again maybe it was Voltaire or VanDam.  Better yet, perhaps I could have saved myself six hundred and twenty six words by getting even more philosophical and simply typing, “Why not?”

But what fun is that?

Talk to you later.  Troy

Fifteen years ago I launched a project to share fish stories.

Since then, times have changed and the scope of the outdoor tales has expanded as conveyed by the collection of pics that grace the homepage, the About page and today’s post (all of which have been featured in a past blog entry somewhere).

You see, when I began writing I was just a guy with few responsibilities going fishing.  These days as a husband and father of four it’s a whole different world but one that has featured plenty of fodder for outdoor stories on and off the water.

While fishing will still be the primary focus of my blogging, other activities such as camping, hiking and trapping will have their days.  Hey, once upon a time Bigfoot even took over one of my former blogs for a week.

As the saying goes, “Variety is the spice of life.”  I should certainly be able to provide that in an outdoor sense ranging from “serious” wannabe bass fisherman to campfire storyteller to nature photographer to assistant family tour guide to outdoor site interpreter and perhaps even videographer one of these days.

These are the normal sorts of things that one will find detailed on the blog.

These types of things are also outdoor related…so that could happen.

And then there was “Herb”, loosely outdoor related though I don’t recall how?  Anyway, expect the occasional unexpected along the way.

Over the years, the “what” aspect of my writing has evolved to reflect an increased appreciation of the little details that make up the big story.  I’ve been accused of rambling, guilty as charged, but there’s a whole lot more to a fishing trip than a half dozen bass caught in a couple hours conveyed by a sentence or two on a fishing forum.  Maybe I’m just not looking in the right places but I just don’t find many fishing reports that provide the combination of stats, details and tangents that I like so I just write ‘em myself.  Granted some may push the contemporary internet attention span but how in the world do you abridge a fish story, just can’t do it.

Sharing the outdoors with a bunch of youngsters also makes for some excellent adventures and blog opportunities.  Watching them experience nature from my grown up perspective takes me back to walking in their shoes (or bare feet) more than a few years ago.  Of course, there’s also plenty of interesting stunts that I would never have imagined witnessing in the days before these smaller versions of me and Julie came along.

These days, a handful of their little bluegill are just as exciting as my somewhat rare five-pound bass.  It’s a treat to supervise some rowing training in the same eight foot johnboat that me, my dad, my brother and some buddies started rowing around local fishing holes back in the early 80’s.  And watching some youngsters actually set aside their devices in favor of taking in the starry, night sky, a roaring campfire or a handful of waxworms gives me hope that nature can still win out over YouTube, Snapchat and the likes.

Admittedly a blog seems to run against that grain, but I can deal.  It’s my getaway to relive getaways when I can’t actually get away.  And I’m old enough that all of this computer age stuff didn’t shape my formative years.  Nature still wins, technology simply enhances.  Besides, I’ve seen this all before having ditched my Walkman, 8-track tapes and VHS movies that once ruled the day.  But until this whole internet, device and social media fad goes the way of the Atari I’ll continue to contribute what I’ve got to promote the great outdoors.  Talk to you later.  Troy