If there’s one thing we’ve learned after four trips to Wilderness Unlimited’s Bidwell Ranch and Lake Margaret over the last two years, it’s this: camping is a never-ending science experiment. Every trip teaches us something that makes the next one just a little more dialed in. We’ve become experts in the truly important questions…
For the past year, Gina had been planning what was supposed to be the perfect getaway: a week of luxury, sightseeing, and hiking in British Columbia. The itinerary was flawless—half the week at the iconic Fairmont Empress in Victoria and the other half at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver. First-class flights. Beautiful hotels. Great…
Ever since I built the Synabego, I’ve been obsessed with finding the perfect boat system—something I could carry in or on the van that would let me fish bigger water without towing a trailer. I love trailers about as much as I love untangling a bird’s nest in a fly line. Over the years, I…
Father’s Day changes as you get older. Our kids now have kids of their own to celebrate with, and honestly, that’s exactly how it should be. Watching my son become such a terrific father is the best Father’s Day gift I could ask for. Seeing him build the same kind of family memories that Gina…
nbsp; Sunday June 14, 2026. Only three days ago I discovered something I hadn’t experienced in what feels like forever: the new mussel regulations finally allowed me to fish both San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay without serving the mandatory eight-day sentence in quarantine. I think it’s been close to three years since I’ve had…
It had been a couple of months since I’d fished the lake — possibly my longest dry spell on local water that I can remember. The problem with a layoff like that is you have to relearn the place. San Luis fishes completely differently depending on the height of the reservoir, the water temperature, and…
May 28, 29 2026 I’ve wanted to book a day with the legendary, “Wizard of the Delta”, Mike Costello for years. The problem is, so has everyone else. Mike is booked solid years out by repeat clients who guard their dates like trust funds — the man has the availability of a Supreme Court seat.…
May 23-26, 2025- I got home from chasing tarpon in Mexico around eleven at night, and instead of unpacking, I packed. The van, the rods, the trolling motor, the cooler. Some trips you ease into. This one I jumped from saltwater straight into the Sierra without much of a landing in between, and I’d…
To honor my Father in Law who landed on Easy Red in the first wave and survived, I repost my 2022 Memorial day post. Thank you dad for your service to our family and our country. A Special Memorial Day 2022 Memorial Day is supposed to be sacred. In our family, it is. I have…
May 15-22. 2026 May was an exceptionally busy month of fishing for me. I don’t think I’ve ever had a stretch where I went from one fishing destination to the next, and then straight to another, without even a single day off in between. In fact, this trip to Campeche was only the first leg…
Some trips you go to catch fish. Some trips you go to be with your people. The best ones manage to do both and somehow this late-May run to Henderson Springs did exactly that, even if it took a couple of days to warm up – this being the eighth annual Dirk and Jim memorial…
Sunday April 19, 2026 -Today, the lake decided to throw a tantrum. Two days prior, I’d had a near-perfect day on the water with five mile per hour winds and a cooperative fish population. Today, the same lake turned moody — wind ramped up to eight to ten miles per hour, and suddenly everything I…
Friday April 17, 2026 · San Luis Reservoir A scouting trip, a leaky boat, and possibly the greatest fishing partner ever… who never once left his couch. It had been months since I’d been out—November, to be exact—which is just long enough for a fisherman to forget two important things: where the fish are… and whether…
There’s a peculiar kind of intimacy that comes with returning to the same place — the same water, the same fairway, the same bend in the river you’ve fished a hundred times. Standing in that familiar current, you’re not just casting into water; you’re casting against every version of yourself who stood there before. It’s…
March 17 through April 3. – There are trips you take… and then there are trips that take something out of you—in the best possible way. The kind where you come home a little sunburned, a few pounds heavier, slightly sleep-deprived, and completely convinced you’ve been doing life wrong the rest of the year. The…
March 8 – 12 2026. What would the perfect four-day fly-fishing getaway look like? It might look a lot like these last four days at Henderson Springs. Four straight days of perfect spring weather in March is a rare thing. Last March I spent most of the week fishing through snow, hail, and rain. And…
Next week I’m joining a group of dear friends for one of our most cherished rituals of the year—time at Henderson Springs to rest, recharge, and reconnect. We all lead busy lives and rarely see each other, but once a year we gather there with rods in hand and the quiet understanding that the real…
Last year Gina and I embarked on what felt like a bold new chapter for us — a full-scale family invasion of Cancun with both families and the grandkids at the Fairmont Mayakoba. Honestly, we packed emotional body armor expecting tactical grandchild wrangling in a foreign country far from home. When Mark and Mia were…
Every year right about the time I start reorganizing my fly boxes like it’s going to make me a better fisherman, the Pleasanton Fly Fishing Show shows up and reminds me of one simple truth: I don’t need more gear… I just need better excuses. Walk in and it’s the same story—coffee in one hand,…
One more round on the Simulator before the real thing…
My neighbor — who is far more traveled, seasoned, and legitimately qualified to be on nice golf courses than I am — played Spyglass Hill with his buddies last week. Naturally, we decided to fire up the simulator and play the front 9 so he could “analyze” what went wrong. For him it was a serious…
Now before you picture dramatic drone footage over the Canadian Rockies, a hushed gallery, and me tipping my cap on the 18th green at the Fairmont Banff Springs… let’s get one thing straight: I was in my backyard.Wearing sneakers.On a golf simulator.With a beverage within arm’s reach. But still. An eagle is an eagle.…
There’s a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from being a fan of teams that don’t just lose at the end of the year—but unravel. I know this because I willingly, enthusiastically, and repeatedly give my heart to the Oregon Ducks and the San Francisco 49ers, two organizations that have perfected the art of the…
December 28, 2025. 49ers vs Bears Tailgates, Parlays, and a Half-Point Miracle I’ve watched a lifetime of football. From frozen bleachers at Soldier’s Field, to packed bars in Europe and on cruise ships at 3AM , living rooms full of noise, decades of Sundays. I thought I’d seen every version of a great game. Then last…
Twas the night before Fishmas, when all through the lodge, Not a creature was stirring, not even a sculpin or dodge. The waders were hung by the woodstove with care, In hopes that big rainbows soon would be there. The anglers were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of 10-pounders danced…
