Over the past twenty years or so, one thread has bound my outdoor adventures together: the pursuit of fish. Of all the gamefish in the western US, trout hold the most appeal for me. They are beautiful, wily, and sometimes unpredictable quarry. They live in cold, oxygen-rich waters, which often requires travel to remote mountain rivers and lakes. And sometimes, they get really big. The thrill of hooking a big trout is like the thrill I get when I hear a really good song: a deep shock to the senses that anchors me in the present moment. Whatever the size of fish, it’s also just a lot of fun.

9/14/12: Brook trout in Dusy Basin, CA

I have to thank my father for instilling a love of fishing in me. He stocked the pond behind our house with largemouth bass, which proved a worthy adversary in my early forays with bobber and worm. As soon as we were ready, he took my brothers and me to the South Fork of the Yuba River to chase after trout. As a young fisherman, I had two more role models in my friends Tim and Burton. They were both a bit older than me, and they somehow always caught more, bigger fish than I did. I’m almost thirty years old, and I’m still following them up rivers and trying to learn more about trout fishing.

I looked back through my photo library and picked out what I thought were the most memorable fishing moments. Though I usually take all the photos in my posts, some of these are by Joel or my dad. There’s a story behind each fishing trip, so if you’re using an RSS reader, you might want to view the photos in your browser instead to see the comments.