To say I was born into a fishing family would be quite an understatement. Too young to even remember my first fishing trip, it seems as though I’ve been fishing since birth. Growing up in the rural Ozarks of Southwest Missouri, my parents, brothers, and I seemed to spend more time outdoors than in, enjoying camping, boating, biking, hiking, and of course, fishing – from small farm ponds to large area lakes. Fishing has always been as natural to me as eating, sleeping, and breathing, and it came as quite a shock to me later in life that not everyone fished! Whether it was digging fishing worms with Grandpa, learning to use a crank bait from Dad, or wading into muddy water to retrieve Mom’s bass that wrapped the line around a log, my fondest memories are peppered with fishing.
While attending college in central Arkansas, I taught myself to fly fish by reading stacks of books, watching videos, and embarrassing my roommates by practicing in the yard. Every weekend I could, I put what I’d learned to practical use. My friends thought I’d lost it, spending precious weekend time at the Little Red River instead of doing the things “normal” college kids do. I was pretty die-hard, using a hand-me-down rod with a dilapidated reel, a handful of flies, and no waders. I just took breaks when I lost feeling in my feet from standing in frigid trout water, learning mostly by trial-and-error, mixed in with tips given by sympathetic accomplished fly fishers. Fly fishing quickly became an obsession, and to this day is my preferred method of catching fish, especially trout.
In 2005 I met a red-headed feller who liked to hunt. We complimented each other so well we decided to make it a permanent situation, and we were married a year later – the proposal coming while fishing Colorado’s “Dream Stream”, and the wedding complete with a trout cake. I introduced him to fly fishing (and cured his fear of snakes), and he took on the project of teaching me 
to appreciate hunting, starting with deer and turkey. He was successful in that particular project, so much so that he laughingly says he “created a monster.” I bagged my first buck in the fall of 2006, and it was all downhill from there. Hunting for me has been a sort of comedy of errors, but I’m learning quickly. It’s more satisfying than I ever thought – keeping regional traditions alive and being stewards of the land, all while providing tasty, healthy meat for ourselves.
My husband and I live in Arkansas with a menagerie of dogs, cats, chickens, and a few bees. In addition to hunting and fishing, I engage in too many hobbies for a person’s own good. Kayaking, hiking, biking, gardening, canning, and crafts are among my other favorites. I especially enjoy drawing and painting, depicting wildlife of the region as subject matter. I also make custom fly rods and teach fly fishing workshops throughout the state. Yes, I do keep busy!
And of course, I enjoy writing about it all. Most of my life I’ve felt awkward and “weird”, but to see all the other women who love fishing and hunting just as much as I do, and the men who support them, gives such a sense of belonging. I’m very thankful for the opportunity to make a few contributions to this fantastic website.
