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Hi Everybody! It's been a while since I've made a new post, but there will be more to come! It’s been a busy year and with a new addition (it’s a boy!) to the family in May (Just in time for pike season) I haven't hit the water as much as normally would. I did find the time to finally start working on a tattoo I have had planned for years. Each fish represents a time and place in my life. 1. The catfish - This represents my time spent fishing in Virginia in a private pond back when I was 5-6 years old. My parents had just split up and we relocated from the BVI to Virginia to stay with family friends while we planned where were were going to go next. I spent hours fishing this little pond with my buddy, often with a bamboo rod. We caught plenty of panfish, but we always had a blast when a big ole cat would come along and take our bait. These are my earliest memories of fishing, and the time where my addiction truly began. 2. The smallmouth - fast forward a few years to Ontario, location Jack Lake. Another family friend had picked up a cottage on the North east side of the lake in the early 90s. This is where I really learned about the joys of bass fishing. These days the lake can be tough to fish, and I primarily target musky when I do visit the lake - but those days chasing bass on Jack Lake taught me the importance of using the right lure at the right time at the right place. 3. The pike - I was torn between getting a musky or a pike tattoo. These days at least 80% of my fishing is dedicated to musky, but I decided pike fishing is where it all started. I can remember the very first time I saw a pike, it was watching Bob Izumi's fishing (probably 20 years ago!) and he had caught an absolute monster pike, well over 40 inches. I went to bed dreaming of that monster and in 2003 I realized that I didn't have to go way up north for big pike, we had them right here in Toronto. I joined OFC back in 2004 to show off some of the awesome pike Jon and I had caught at the Islands. 4. The brook trout – When I moved out east to Halifax 7 years ago I was heartbroken to be leaving behind my pike and musky. I quickly learned that while the brook trout of Nova Scotia don’t get too big, they are unmatched in their beauty. With light gear I explored small rivers and roadside ditches teaming with brookies. I haven’t targeted brook trout since I moved back to Ontario a couple of years ago, but the memories of these fish are as vivid as their colours. I am 8.5 hours in so far, and there are a good 8 hours left to go. The work was done by Scott Duncan (fisherman/fly tier/artist/hunter) at Sugarshack Tattoo in Kincardine, Ontario. (http://www.sugarshacktattoo.com) The pictures! These are are early photos, and there is additional detailing that will be added during the final sitting. The initial planning sketch. The outline The catfish The smallmouth The Pike