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Serendipity; I love it when it happens

Local Columns

Serendipity. It’s such a fun word to say but you don’t hear it used often. Serendipity not only sounds good; it is good. Merriam-Webster’s official definition of the word is “the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for; also: an instance of this.” Serendipity can occur in many ways. For some, it may be finding a $100 bill on the sidewalk. For me, it usually involves meeting people in a surprising setting. An instance of serendipity occurred on a recent weekend. Julie and I had driven to Orange City in Northwest Iowa to spend the ...

Be impatient for fishing success

Local Columns

I’ve heard anglers described in many ways. Some will say that to be a successful angler you need to have certain attributes. You need to be imaginative. Or determined. Some will say that you need to “think like a fish”. That wouldn’t be so good. Fish don’t think, they respond. And ...

Catch more fish by trolling this summer

Local Columns

Across the Midwest, most fish have set up their summer homes. They’ve completed the spawning ritual and now those fish are hungry. If you put a bait near a fish, it will probably bite that bait. The key is to show your bait to as many fish as possible and trolling is a good way to do that. ...

Frequently asked fishing questions

Local Columns

Since the 1980’s, I’ve done lots of fishing seminars at sport shows and for outdoor clubs and fishing tackle retailers. It’s been way over a year since I did my last fishing seminar. Gatherings like those got shut down in early 2020 and haven’t really started up again yet. ...

Warmer weather fishing

Local Columns

Warmer weather is here. It took a while this year, but as it always does, or at least always has done so far, the inconsistent weather of spring has been or will soon be replaced by the warmer weather of early and mid-summer. It’s going to be warm and even hot in the following weeks and ...

Rural hospitals are vital care providers and economic engines

Local Columns

The nearly 1 in 5 Americans who live in rural areas rely on local hospitals and health systems as a critical – and often the only – source of care in their communities. But rural hospitals are more than just care sites. They serve a vital role for regional economies; jobs generated by ...