Where It Begins

My entry into the outdoors came through fishing.

Growing up in Oregon, family trips were often planned around the coast, camping and fishing the small lakes around Astoria. The unpredictable weather made for more than a few soggy campouts, slowly pushing our repeatedly patched White Stag canvas tent toward its eventual demise.

Later, we ventured to the sunnier side of the state and began exploring Eastern Oregon. There were the high-desert lakes, where seemingly endless rainbow trout came out of Crane Prairie Reservoir; time spent refining my fly fishing on the quiet water of Hosmer Lake; and eventually, the Deschutes River.

As the years passed, the road trips stretched farther. We travelled into the Wallowas, keeping an eye out for rattlesnakes while fishing the rocky banks of the Imnaha River, before eventually crossing state lines.

The final summer destination became Yellowstone National Park.

And it was there, on the waters of the Lamar, that my passion for fly fishing was set.

Tales from the Outdoors starts with those memories, but the intention is bigger than documenting my own.

This is a place for stories about the time we spend outside—the places, people, objects and experiences that stay with us long after we've packed up and gone home.

Hopefully, somewhere within them, you'll recognise a memory of your own. Or perhaps find a reason to go outside and create the next one.

Go fish,

David