If you haven’t had a chance to check out the 2021 CURRENT, below is an excerpt from Kyle Wilkinson’s feature essay titled “Backyard Bassin’” (pg 28)

“The Fish - Let’s start here because there are so many words and feelings that come to mind. Powerful. Aggressive. Acrobatic. And while those are all accurate, one descriptor might top them all: predator. Simply put, bass are predators at their core. In most places, the apex predator. For those of you more accustomed to watching a bobber suspending a team of size 20’s, this may not mean much. But think about those occasional streamer eats you’ve had from a big brown trout that nearly jerk the rod out of your hand. Now imagine that on steroids. And all the time. And from a way more pissed off fish. That’s bass fishing. Bass lurk in the shadows. They hide under lily pads. Next to fallen logs or piles of rocks. They wait in ambush and they wait to kill. If that doesn’t get you fired up, it might be time to trade in your fly rod for an oversized driver.” – Kyle Wilkinson

About the author: Originally from Southeast Kansas, Kyle received his first fly rod at age 10 and immediately began harassing any available fish that would eat a fly. Now, 25 years later, his love for the sport and passion for sharing the great outdoors with others continues to grow by the day. Kyle has fished extensively throughout the Midwest and Rocky Mountains, as well as nearly a dozen saltwater locations. After a number of years living out West guiding, Kyle's Midwestern roots have called him home. He currently resides in rural Indiana where you'll find him enjoying the lack of people and abundance of bass.

About the photographer: Russ Schnitzer is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker. His work can be seen in a variety of contexts: supporting conservation and advertising campaigns, specialty publications, commercial applications, editorial, and more. His main motivation is using photography to tell compelling human stories in unique and impactful ways. He is a graduate of the University of Idaho and is based in Denver, Colorado.

For the entire article you can check out the digital version of the 2021 CURRENT HERE, stop in the shop to pick up a copy or order an issue free-of-charge from our online store.

- Will Rice/Editor