Dog’s Last Friend

By troutvalley | August 16, 2022 | Comments Off on Dog’s Last Friend

It has long been noted that a dog is man’s best friend. Likewise, it has long been observed by teachers, parents, priests and philosophers that the nature of life is pain. Many suffereth long, but the mercy of Christ abounds. Fortunately, for men and women who spend their time afield, a moment of relief is…

Learning to Dress for the Occasion

By troutvalley | August 4, 2022 | Comments Off on Learning to Dress for the Occasion

A large part of a rural boy’s young life—I mean life before any degree of freedom, before driver’s licenses and school dances, Boy Scout trips, or even afternoons spent in the lull of summer’s heat floating alone on farm ponds with a hook in the water and a hope-filled heart— is spent watching their father. That is, we try to imitate them, looking on as they act out their passions,…

Watershed High-Water Marks

By troutvalley | July 15, 2022 | Comments Off on Watershed High-Water Marks

Memory believes before knowing remembers. Believes longer than recollects, longer than knowing even wonders. –William Faulkner Among myriad methods for landing largemouth bass, the non-pareils of fly fishing persist. The cast. The strike. The fight. There are few endeavors in this life offering greater satisfaction than netting a warm-water carnivore of, say, five pounds on a…

Autumn is for Everyone

By troutvalley | September 26, 2020 | Comments Off on Autumn is for Everyone

The autumnal equinox is now two days behind us; and, almost on cue, the heavy air lifted and we could all breathe again here in Northwest Mississippi. Upon waking the morning of the 22nd, I knew something was amiss. Pumpkin Spice filled the air, my daughter awoke with her first head cold of the year,…