My Northerner boots definitely rank as unsung heroes among my fishing/outdoor gear. These typically unseen items rarely get any glory when snapping pics of the catch. After all, the standard pose presents the fish in proximity of the angler’s chest, right in front of my face in a lot of my old pictures or embarrassingly extended as far as the arm can reach towards the camera in some of the mainstream media (I quit doing that one a long time ago). And with the advent of the fishing selfie, well, there’s no way your boots are going to get in on the action.

Fortunately, a fair amount of my fishing has taken me off the beaten path on foot and made for some interesting photo shoots on the weedy bank of a pothole or from a foothold on the steep incline of a spoilbank with a camera propped up on some utility boxes. As such, it’s kind of fun looking back to find that my boots got to be included in the fishing album. Never thought about that aspect before as they are simply great boots, doing their job as they take a beating while keeping my feet warm and dry.

  

 

Every once in a while, those good old boots make it into the pic

Well, this pair has finally gave out in a couple spots making them a little leaky as I prowl around the bank or wade through early morning wet terrain. But with the combination of frugality, sentimentality and perhaps even a little superstition, new boots aren’t on the list. Instead, a couple patches and some gunk will suit me just fine.

Besides, things usually get a little deeper during fish stories than they do during the actual fishing, if you know what I mean. Talk to you later. Troy