This Tuesday (October 12th), Current Angler will celebrate its first birthday. I’ve dreamt of this day for many months now, though I never fully knew if it would ever come. Along with this huge milestone come many recollections of great memories forged along the way.
This blog started out as a way to share my fishing experiences with the rest of the angling community. That goal hasn’t changed, but my approach to writing the blog has certainly evolved. While I originally penned a recap of my recent fishing trips each week, I now include topics like gear reviews, fly tying, conservation/biology, and simple tips to improve one’s time on the water. I still frequently write about my adventures afield, but will usually include some other insightful nuggets.
As many of you have discovered, I try to stick to a posting schedule of once a week on Monday. This gives me the week leading up to the post to think about a topic and research or get some experience with it. Sunday mornings are spent in front of my computer screen, clacking away at the keyboard while my family gets some much-needed rest from driving me from fishing spot to fishing spot. I relish these moments of solitude as they allow me to truly explore what my mind and body are trying to express. I’m lucky enough to have a deep passion for the subject of my writing, so most of the words on the page come naturally.
Sometimes things aren’t so easy, though. This past summer I spent many of my weekends up north, and the allure of casting a line to the fish that haunt those waters overcame my desire to sit inside in front of a sensationless screen. Unfortunately the reality is that angling is my first passion, and my writing comes second. I try my best to put out quality content on time each week, but it isn’t always so compelling.
Even though I’ve spent a great deal of time and energy making Current Angler what it is today, I can’t pretend that it was all my doing. Last year when I expressed interest in making another attempt at starting a blog (this isn’t my first go-around, you know), it was my mom that came up with the blog’s name after weeks of thinking. I had been trying to think of monikers similar to those of other popular fly fishing blogs that use parts of a river as their building block – think MidCurrent and In The Riffle. I also wanted to express my position as a young angler with a new, modern take on the sport. I went through many name variations, but finally the one that stuck was the one I have been using for a year: Current Angler.
My dad has been my technical guru as I continue to learn the ins-and-outs of having a website on the Internet. He was the one to help me get a domain, figure out the complexities of WordPress, and has always been there to promote and troubleshoot my posts.
Of course I can’t forget my grandmother, or should I say my editor-in-chief (are those hyphens in the right spot?). Each and every week without fail, she rises to the occasion of correcting my many misspellings, misplaced modifiers, and unnecessary commas. Seeing as I write most of my posts in just a few short hours, it should be obvious that I’ll have many errors along the way. My grandmother does some amazing work to ensure that those errors aren’t noticed by everyone that reads this blog (if you sign up to be notified about new posts through email, you can witness those faults firsthand, though!).
I’d also like to thank the many writers that have had a tremendous influence on my writing style. The words of legendary fishing and outdoors authors such as John Gierach, Tom Roth, the folks at Blog Fly Fish, Lou Zambello, and many others have all become a regular part of my writing . These guys are my Tom Brady, my Bill Gates, and each of their writing styles form pieces of the posts I write.
Finally, and most of all, I’d like to thank all of you for sticking with my blog and giving me the necessary feedback to continue progressing in the fishing industry. Over the past year, the blog’s had thousands of views from over 35 countries. Chasing Giants is far and away the most popular post, with the Regal Medallion Series Review and My Favorite Rod and Reel: Cabela’s Fish Eagle and Shimano Sedona Combo Review taking not-so-close second and third. I’m still working on improving my SEO, but a few of my posts are already at the top of certain search results or on their way to being there.
It would be an understatement to say that I’ve had a blast working on this blog over the past year. I’ve met some incredible people along the way, and I’m sure I’ll continue to make vital and lifelong connections in the years to come. As I progress through my final years of school, my level of writing will likely evolve. I hope you’ll all stick with me as I work towards this progression, but for now, enjoy my ramblings. Who knows, maybe you’ll even find a useful piece of information in there somewhere.
Current Angler 