As kids, my friends and I were always "gone fishin." We weren't really skilled anglers and didn't have any trophies to speak of, but we LOVED to fish!
I grew up on the south end of Puget Sound in Olympia, Washington. Back then, the town provided many excellent opportunites for the experimental fisherkid. Whether I was out digging piling worms at low tide to use as bait from the railroad trestle, or tying a chunk of hotdog to a shoelace to yard crawdads from the Deschutes River, or digging up the big fatty nightcrawlers to use for catfish and trout, the whole of a summer day seemed to last blissfully forever.
My grandfather was something of a pioneer in Alaska. A real woodsman! Listening to his stories would fill me with wonder and awe about this wild land up north. So, even as a kid, I knew that Alaska was going to be MY home.
Alaska is more than a state in the Union. It is a state of mind. It is a place where subsisting off of the land and sea are still very real activities. Where fish and game limits are liberal enough even for the sportsman/woman to supplement their larders.
I have read most, if not all of the bios on this site and have noticed that several people have quite a few credits and letters. I don't have anything of the sort. But, what I do have is an overwhelming resource that is moments away.... and, I utilize it to the best of my ability.
It is no exageration to say that I work in order to afford hooks and bullets. Beyond these things, I am never satisfied.
Alan
