I was asked the other day if I have a favorite place to fish or be outdoors. Well, my favorite place to fish, that's easy. It's anywhere I'm fishing. Seriously, I don't really have a favorite place.

When I started fishing about 30 some years ago, my friends and I would go to northern Wisconsin. Fishing for walleye, northern pike, crappie, muskie, and small mouth bass at Star Lake got me hooked on fishing. I have found memories of Hintz's North Star Lodge. The old main lodge sits on an elevated point on the eastern shore of Star Lake, with some cottages down near the water. The cottages range in size from one to four bedrooms and can accommodate up to 10. Star Lake itself is one of Wisconsin's most beautiful lakes. The 1,200 acres of crystal-clear water provide Class-A game fishing. 

Star Lake was also the lake I first tried my hands at muskie fishing. My friends and I had hired the famed muskie guide Tony Rizzo, but he passed away while we were on our way up to fish for the week. We were told he was muskie fishing at the time, which seems a fitting end to one of the north’s great fishermen.

Another fond memory of fishing on Star Lake was buying bait from Edith and Hazel, the "Bait Ladies" who sold bait out of an old train box car that sat on the former track bed from the logging line that ran around Star Lake. These ladies were in their 80s the first time I visited and were a real hoot to visit with.

Another favorite fishing spot (or spots) is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota and on the Canadian side, Quetico Park. My friends and I did a dozen or so trips to this area. We fished for walleye, northern pike, and small mouth bass. It's also where I not only fished but learned to hike and wilderness camp. Portaging your gear and canoe from lake to lake was a real workout but the reward of bringing up walleye or pike for the evening’s meal was well worth it. It's where I saw how bright the night’s stars could be and learned why the mosquito is considered Minnesota's state bird! It was a great place to go thinking.

Of course, now my favorite place to be is on the rivers and in the woods of Western North Carolina. I have spent most of my free time here hiking, biking, and camping with an occasional fly fishing trip. There is just so much to do here in the outdoors that I haven't fished as much as I would like. I joined Trout Unlimited just before COVID hit and had fished several times with some of the members while trying to learn about the local waters. They have not met since March of 2020 and my fishing has sobered because of it. They finally met a few weeks ago and we talked of fishing soon (but Omicron put an end to in-person meetings again).

I will report back to you all once winter lets up here in the Smoky Mountains and let you know how my fly fishing’s going and where my favorite spots are.

Until then, tight lines.

Troy