I am a fly-fisherman and author/illustrator of a series of children’s fly-fishing books.
I like to fish, write, and draw. And a few other things that would be of little to no interest to you.
I started drawing first, then writing. It wasn’t until age 11 or 12 when I started fly-fishing. A friend of my dad’s was consumed by it, and thought that my brother and I should be indoctrinated. My first rod was a 7-1/2 foot Eddie Bauer (yes, Eddie Bauer used to actually make outdoor gear) combo spin-fly rod. Attached to it was a Cortland Crown click and pawl reel with no drag. I don’t remember there being such a thing as backing back then- if I had it I never needed it. I didn’t fish a lot, but I fished enough to know that I enjoyed fly casting way more than dangling a worm under a bobber.
Then I entered a period of of my life where I was busy doing everything but fishing: Cars, girls, college (Washington State University– Go COUGS!), job, marriage, family. As the years passed, I would occasionally remind myself that I needed to get back into fly-fishing some day. When I finally picked up a fly rod again, it was all over.
A few years ago I lost that old Eddie Bauer rod on a family vacation to Lake Roosevelt—left it behind at a campsite and didn’t realize it until we’d returned home. It was a good rod—caught me some fish and landed me some memories. My mom had used a Dremel tool to engrave my name on the aluminum tube, so if you found it please return it for a reward.
You can contact me at unaccomplishedangler (at) gmail (dot) com
Is that the unlucky hat?
That would be the one.
Thanks for adding me to your blog roll there Kirk…I appreciate it
I just added you to Millsfly
Looking forward to meeting you some day!
Kirk, nice work on this site! I have your link up, skatethefly.com
Hey Dylan- thanks for the good word and link- I’ve reciprocated!
I was wondering if you would be interesting in receiving a bottle of our Marine Friendly Sunscreen to try out and review on your web site. SmartShield’s Sunscreen has received the North American Fishing Club – Field Test Seal of Approval.
Fishermen are hooked on SmartShield sunscreen. Anglers continue to tell us that “they wouldn’t fish with anything else”. It’s great because it won’t deteriorate fly lines or mono-filaments, won’t harm marine life and can be used in protected water habitats.
Since our products are non-greasy, you simply apply and continue fishing, swimming, snorkeling, or diving without transferring oily to residue to water or equipment.
OUR SUNSCREEN. LIGHT ON SKIN. TOUGH ON SUN.
If you are interested please send me your mailing address and we will send you product at the end of the month. Thanks so much!
Stacey Yates
Check us out at http://www.SmartShield.com
Hey I dig the content, Wondering if youd be interested in a link swap… Let me know.
Cheers
MD
http://www.lifeontheflyltd.com
Sure thing, Mike- I added your site to my blog roll. Thanks for stopping by.
Kirk
Kirk, Great site…surprised I hadn’t found it earlier. Might buy some stickers, but don’t want to advertise that the Skykomish has skunked me again.
Willing to do another link swap? I’ll add you to my list of favorites right now.
Thanks
-gone fly fishing, http://www.earthangler.com
Well, thanks for stumbling upon the UA, Darwin- I’m sure you’ll be disappointed eventually. Glad to know of your site, which I am just as surprised that I didn’t previously know about.
Consider yourself added.
Hey Kirk,
I have enjoyed your insight and style for quite some time now. Thanks for the awesome content! I have added UA to our links at the Rusty Hook. Your words must be shared! And your modesty is all to0 accomplished
-Duffy
Thanks for the kind, if not somewhat inaccurate words, Duffy 😉 Much appreciated, and link reciprocated as well!
Keep up the good work chasing steel down in the Gorge!
Hello, Laura Geary here. My husband, Mike and I, own and operate an upscale, Orvis endorsed, fly-fishing lodge and guide service in southwest Montana called Healing Waters Lodge. Mike also owns and operates Lewis & Clark Expeditions Fly Fishing Outfitters and is the largest outfitter on Montana’s Smith River offering vacationers five day-four night fly fishing float trips down 60 river miles.
We definitely are a Montana fly-fishing vacation destination and believe it would be mutually beneficial and a valuable resource to site visitors to link to each other’s websites. Below is our information and would appreciate to have your information to add to our website.
Our Information:
URL: http://www.hwlodge.com/
URL Title: Healing Waters Lodge
Description: Orvis endorsed, upscale fly-fishing lodge and guide service in southwest Montana, largest outfitter on the coveted Smith River offering 5 day/4 night fly fishing floats. Access Beaverhead, Big Hole, Jefferson, Madison, and Ruby River, also: access to miles of private water.
EMAIL: hwlodgemt@gmail.com
Telephone: 406-684-5960
Thank you for your consideration and time.
Hello there — I stumbled on your site while searching for intel on Yellowstone Nat’l Park. I will be based out of West Yellowstone from June 12-16. Are you guys fishing the opener again this year? Water levels should be high. I’ve never fished the Firehole, Gibbon, nor Madison in the Park. I only have experience in the Northeast portion (Lamar, Slough, Gardner, etc).
Cheers,
Bill
Bill, I’m sending you an email. Watch for it.
Hello, I’m a Seattle-area fly fisherman and aspiring writer. Scratch that. I’m a writer who aspires to get his work “out there”. I came across this site and love it, and of course I’m wondering how/if in this world that seems to run on networking we can do exactly that. I recently published a children’s picture book (titled Together) and have a few more in the works. They are each outdoors-focused and inspired. But it’s my writing about fishing that I am now prioritizing.
Cheers to you, and it is my hope that we can find a way to work together!
Email sent.
Hope you are doing well. We could use some more unaccomplishment about now.
Or were you discovered as the newest male model and likely a Kardashian because of the shorts shocks sandals combo earlier in the year?
Thanks for the note. Despite your hunch of stardom, I’ve just have had zero ambition to post lately. Haven’t fished a whole lot either. Perhaps I need an attitude adjustment? Likely this winter, when the shack-nasties set it, I’ll catch up and post some Drivel®. Cheers!
Why did everything suddenly stop? I ran across the site by accident and hope the Pandemic isn’t the reason why this site is now a ghost site. If that’s the case, you let it win. Don’t you think it’s time to start it up again? You had plenty of fans. I’m sure they’re still there, waiting for someone to say something.. anything!
Hardly a ghost site! I must have posted as many as 4 entries on the blog in the last year. That’s pretty impressive if you ask me! 😉