I gotta’ tell ya’ I’m pretty proud of my article, “Backcountry Fly Fishing” in the current (May/June 2019) issue of Backpacker Magazine. I have written hundreds of published articles and 3 books. But, those were all in technology. Being able to write for Backpacker; now that is the big time.
I stepped into the REI in Seattle yesterday and after futilely searching for the magazine I asked one of the guys working there, “Where do you keep Backpacker Magazine?” He walked me to the magazine aisle. I grabbed 3 copies and he immediately said, “Why do you need 3 copies?” So, I started into my story with “For my wife, son, and daughter and if you’ll oblige me I’ll show you why.” Within minutes I was like a celebrity handshaking the manager and such. So funny.
The editing process was brutal. So different from anything else I had ever written professionally. But, it was fun at the same time because of the attention to detail by my editors. I had never ever experienced that before.
Because I landed in the skillset section of the magazine the space restrictions made it ridiculously hard. Trying to describe how to do the overhead cast in a few hundred words….
That had to be the toughest thing I have ever written. I literally could write the entire content of the magazine dedicated to learning how to fly fish. I got two pages. Dominated with pictures and graphics.
I have got a ton of positive comments from my fly-fishing buddies and friends who are also subscribers. And I have say right up front that the reason is looks so good is that they gave me a professional photographer and a professional graphic artist. The “Read the Water” graphic is so good I have never seen a better one in any fly fishing magazine. And I subscribe to a lot of them. the pictures of the hand full of flies in recommended sitting in the water…. Epic. Again, I have never seen better pictures of flies. So, really the credit goes to those two talented creatives.
The most fun part to write was the “It happened to me” section. It’s my favorite section in every issue of the magazine. Every subscriber knows it. it’s where an expert admits making mistakes and barely avoiding (or not) total calamity. Well, I told my lightning story.
That magazine is so meticulously put together. I have been a subscriber forever, but I have a new appreciation for those brilliant people at Backpacker. They must have one hell of a party after they publish, they work so hard. So thanks to Dennis (the Editor in Chief) for the opportunity and the Casey and Zoe for all the help in editing.
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