A Break from the Heat
I've always enjoyed the reprieve of a strong summer cold front blowing through. Within 24 hours a string of sweaty, sultry days becomes more reminiscent of early fall. The sky…
A Sunset Stroll in the Fox River
After sitting and staring at a computer screen for over 7 hours trying to eke out what barely passes for a living, I'd had enough. The vibration of the LCD…
Note to Self, Always Carry a Stringer
I wish I could know in advance that I would catch a couple of decent sized catfish even though I was pursuing smallmouth bass. These cats came from a creek…
The Walleye Ate all of the Smallmouth
My first 3 years of college were spent studying architecture. At the end of the third year I decided I had enough. For the next 3 years I went to…
Go, Get Out, Go Fishing
When I'm anxious and agitated I pace. What's running around in my head is pretty much undefined and in the long term, irrelevant. Something is bugging me. If I can't…
Many Rivers to Cross
As I write this, massive violent looking storms have been tracking north to south over Lake Michigan for at least the last 18 hours. I hear they've been raking the…
Waterdog Journal on ChicagoNow
After a month of false starts and delays, the New and Improved ChicagoNow is up and running. And I'm part of it. Waterdog Journal on ChicagoNow SO, you ask, what…
Closer to the City, They’d try to Kill Them Off
There's a massive bug hatch drifting around my neighborhood this morning. The morning sun streaks right down the middle of the street in front of my house and the bugs…
Hectic Schedules, Summer Doldrums and Fishing Ennui
I think I first noticed something was up in the first week of May when Quill Gordon ended a post without placing a fly on the water. Opening Day! It…