Author: Gord Nuttall

A day fishing from a boat is a must to complete any family vacation here. Hawaii is one of the world’s top fishing destinations and the Big Island’s topography makes Kona the sportfishing capital of the Pacific. Five huge mountain masses protect the Kona coast from the winds, resulting in sea conditions that are usually as calm as a lake. The steep slope of the island continues into the pristine blue waters and bottoms out around 6000 feet within a short distance from the shoreline. Just three miles straight out of the harbor, multiple species like Marlin, Mahi-mahi, Ahi (Yellowfin…

It seems that in hunting, women are sharpshooters, and my daughter is no exception. She grew up learn- ing to shoot accurately. I’d like to think it was my good mentoring that was responsible, but for some reason, I believe it was more than that. I introduced her early in her life to shooting a bow when she was 4 years old. That progressed to small- rim fire rifles, then finally into high-powered rifles for big game hunting. She enjoyed all different types of shooting and was phenomenal at it right from the start. (Perhaps it’s because women are produced…

There’s a rise at the corner! There’s another one, and another! The hunt was on! Progressing slowly with utmost stealth, I finally made it within range of my prey. I focused, took a deep breath, and made my cast. Almost immediately, an explosive splash replaced the fly that I was so intently observing. A gentle lift on my fishing rod and the fish was hooked—as was I. Spot-and-stalk (a hunting technique) fishing is so addicting! After veteran fly fishing guide Bruce Tilbrook introduced me to the technique a few years ago, I was bound and determined to get out every…

As the sun went down, I jumped on my stand-up paddleboard (SUP), grabbed my fly-fishing rod, and went out to where we had earlier fished for bass with spinning gear from the pontoon boat. The spot was about five to eight feet deep and had lots of cover and feed for bass. I had never fished from my SUP before, but I cast out my popper fly, let it sit for a bit, then stripped the line back, making a “schloop” sound along the top of the water. Nearly instantly, a bass came up and attacked the fly pattern, imitating…

Here’s a Recipe to Help You Succeed and Impress Your Guests If you feel anxious about cooking fish, specifically trout, I guarantee that this recipe will help alleviate any concerns about your cooking success and help you impress your dinner guests. I understand the anxiety some people feel. Fish is expensive, regardless of whether you’re an avid fisherman who can catch his own or not. Either way, you don’t want to ruin it. People tend to worry about several factors when cooking it: selecting fish, cleaning fish, seasoning it too much or little, under-or overcooking, and deciding which method to…

Any die-hard hunter with a newborn cannot wait until they grow old enough to accompany them in the field. I am a firm believer that it is never too early to introduce children to hunting, given that it is well planned, with proper expectations and in small doses. Seasoned hunters can easily handle a multi-day excursion in the bush chasing big game, but for newcomers, that duration might be too much. I started taking my kids hunting when they were two and three years old, albeit not for long and only with ideal weather but I had them out there…

The pursuit of Salvelinus fontinalis or brook trout, in Canada, has traditionally been a spring fishing opportunity, put to the wayside when mid-summer rolls around. Anglers move their focus onto other fish species, leaving the lowly brook trout virtually untouched for the remained of the year. As the end of the trout season in late September approaches, educated and informed anglers can capitalize on this absence of activity on trout waters. Truth be told, some of the best brook trout fishing of the year is had late summer, and early fall, just before the gates close on the trout…

When most people think of fly-fishing, they picture a lone angler flinging his arm back and forth in a perfectly synced rhythmic motion, working the candy-cane-shaped line above the water until it reaches the perfect distance to drop and float the fly downstream towards a feeding fish. The visual aspect of watching and waiting for a fish to strike your fly is what makes fly-fishing so appealing and exciting. Fly-Fishing Gear for Beginners The gear required to begin fly-fishing is: rod, reel, fly line, leader and a half-dozen flies. Fishing from shore is tough on many lakes because of the…

Perhaps it’s your New Year’s resolution to try something new as a family. Perhaps you’ve thought about getting more active this year or at least doing so during the winter months. Perhaps you’ve seen something in your news feed that has you thinking about increasing your healthy lifestyle this winter. Whatever the reason, snowshoeing is a fun and inexpensive recreational winter family-friendly activity that’s quite easy to learn in the appropriate conditions. According to recent retail sales data, snowshoe sales have grown more than 250% year – over – year in North America. Specifically, for outdoor retailer Cabelas, sales of…

Imagine the rise and splashing of wild trout echoing through the clean backcountry air. Visualize nobody else, just you and untouched fishing waters waiting for a cast. In the background, sketch a skyline of high mountainous jagged peaks of mammoth rock shooting out from the earth five hundred meters above you. Take note of a rocky mountain sheep casually feeding along a grassy slope on the far side of the desolate lake. Backcountry fishing trips like the one previously described are available throughout Alberta but are commonly associated with grueling treks from the trailhead, but this simply isn’t always the…