Chatter
WELCOME BACK, BURNLEY. PHOTO: MADISON PENDERS
EDITOR’S ANGLE
Pro-fish-ional T
MOONLIGHTING AS A KAYAK FISHING PRO
he alarm goes off at 5 a.m. but I’ve been awake for an hour. Tossing and turning as
images of the day ahead pass through my mind. What challenges will I face? What problems will I solve? Will I find victory? Defeat? Glory? I worry about something breaking or someone getting hurt. I hop out of bed, shower and shave. Then I
put on a tie and a pair of khakis. I grab my lap- top and head out the door. I’m not going fishing, I’m going to work. In addition to editing this magazine and writ-
ing for a dozen more, I also teach ninth grade English at a school for at-risk students. While I love fishing and writing and taking pictures, I love my day job even more. The truth is most professional kayak anglers
also have a real job. In this issue, you’ll meet a pro guide who is also a microbiologist, a film-
8…KAYAK ANGLER
maker who wears a badge, a television personal- ity who rides a lawn mower and a tournament champion who cuts and bends metal. Believe it or not, most of these anglers wouldn’t
give up their day job to go fishing full-time. “If fishing and kayaking became work I wouldn’t be very happy,” says Jackson Kayak pro and full- time animal hospital administrator, Jeff Herman. “Fishing is supposed to be fun, not work.” I agree. Editing Kayak Angler is a whirlwind of fish-
ing, writing, photographing, juggling cats and spinning plates. I get to travel, fish and meet in- credible characters while covering this explod- ing sport. But I look forward to my day job as much as my moonlighting. Whether I’m writing an editorial or writing a lesson plan, the creativ- ity and expression are the same. And kids can be just as slippery as a fish.
There are no million-dollar sponsorship
deals in kayak fishing. The sport’s stars often balance work and pleasure, erasing the line between the two. Even pros who fish full-time have to wear a dozen hats to keep their heads above water. Working part-time as a kayak fishing pro can
turn your hobby into a job. When sponsorship, paychecks, photos, stories and other people’s jobs are on the line, the stress will test your pas- sion for the sport. I look forward to teaching as a vacation from the pressures of full-time fishing. There’s something about kayak fishing that
makes it ripe for moonlighters. Maybe it is the grab-and-go nature of the sport. It’s easy to go kayak fishing—it’s easier for a kayak angler to push the limits of the sport while still holding down a day job. If you’re a junior team member, a budding
filmmaker or a gifted writer or photographer, kayak fishing gives you the opportunity to turn your passion into a career. And you don’t have to quit your day job.
—Ric Burnley
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80