Spring 26 Update

We are off to a great start this year! A few awesome trips in the books to kick off 2026.

February opened with a string of cold, snowy trout days. Fishing was slow, but the company made the trips worthwhile. We managed to land a few solid late‑winter fish. Low flows made things difficult, and the students had to grind through some tough conditions.

I love an epic day where fish come constantly, but I also value these slow, cold months. They make better anglers and teach broader life lessons: persistence, no shortcuts, submitting to the process, failing and failing again—but not giving up. A one‑ or two‑fish day on an eight‑hour trip stands in stark contrast to the instant gratification of endless doom‑scrolling. Being out in the natural created order forces you to confront the truth. It’s a reminder of a deeper discipline captured well by Morgan Snyder’s line: “There are no shortcuts in the masculine journey. No shortcuts in the kingdom of God.”

Our next set of Pre-Spawn Smallie trips came with some welcomed surprises! First slam with students on the river, Musky, Smallie and Walleye all in one day. We started the morning with Liam getting a musky follow on the very first cast! Heart stopping 40” fish charging the bait and turning off boatside. Then hooked up with a nice Walleye. As we started to abandoned the hopes of hooking a musky we began our float downstream chasing smallmouth. But then we saw a musky laid up on a sand flat in 2 feet of water. Sight casted a tube dropped in in front of the fish, and smash! The adrenaline of a musky hook up is like nothing I’ve experienced in freshwater.

We concluded spring break with a two boater with John in Junior. Perfect weather and big numbers of fish! No huge fish, but pretty constant action made for a great day.

This summer is shaping up to be one of our most action packed summers to date. Multiple trips per week scheduled and hoping to book our first small river camp with students. Stay tuned in for updates and as always thanks for the prayers and support!

As a reminder two fun upcoming fundraisers in May. Clay shoot 5/11 and the 2nd Annual Mended Carp tournament.

https://go.rallyup.com/2825f5 - Carp Tourney

https://go.rallyup.com/e1ef30/Campaign/Details - Clay Shoot