Editor’s Log: ‘Tis The Season - The Fisherman

Editor’s Log: ‘Tis The Season

From Christmas to Festivus, Chanukah to Kwanza, this is the season of giving as reflected in the annual Holiday Gift Buyer’s Guide which graces the pages of this month’s glossy section. While there are some awesome gifts on these pages that any fisherperson in your life would be happy to receive, I figured I’d spotlight a few non-fishing-tackle items here for those of you looking for something special for that hard-to-buy-for angler in your life.

Angler Artwork

Whether you want to dress up the man cave, or display something in the family room or den, fishing-related artwork comes in many forms. Traditional art such as the watercolor paintings produced by David Riina davidriina.com are an easy sell to even non-fishers. I have one of David’s watercolors depicting a school of bass and albies feasting on rainbait that is the centerpiece of my living room and it has left a positive impression on everyone who has ever set foot in my house.

While fiberglass and skin mounts are a time-honored way to show off a great catch, for a more family-friendly idea a Gyotaku print from Joe Higgins of Fished Impressions fishedimpressions.com is tough to beat. Joe also sells charts, apparel, placemats, serving trays and more. I bought a set of his place mats depicting the traditional New England gamefish as a house-warming gift for my dad when he moved to Florida and he still uses them to this day.

Another non-traditional art form that makes a great gift is a laser engraving of a photo of your favorite angler. Chris Wahl of Wahl Creative (@wahl_creative on Instagram or via email at chris@wahlcreative.com) can take a standard digital image and laser engrave it on acrylic or locally-sourced wood for that true one-of-a-kind feel. He can also do some fantastic custom leather work. Chris documented a very meaningful brown trout catch on a beautiful piece of cedar for me this summer and I now have it prominently displayed in my dining room (without any objection from the family!)

Gift Cards

When in doubt, a gift card to your local tackle shop is always a good idea. If your special angler is a regular at a certain shop, then odds are pretty good that the employees know what items your loved one has been eyeballing all season or what might be a good fit for their style of fishing. Some shops even have a gift registry program to make buying the right gear that much easier. While it may not be the most exciting thing to open, a gift card always fits and you know it will be put to good use.

Good Reads

We as anglers love reading about fishing whether in book or magazine form. From long out-of-print gems, to the newest thing to hit the bookstore (those are still a thing, right?), a book makes a great present. Some of my favorites include “Hatch Guide For New England Streams” by Thomas Ames Jr., “Seven Miles After Sundown” by East End Eddie Doherty, “What A Trout Sees” by Geoff Mueller, “Surfcasting Around The Block” by Dennis Zambrotta, “Reading The Water” by Robert Post, the entire Frank Daignault library, “Striperman” by Sherwood Lincoln, “A Season on the Edge” by John Skinner, “Striper” by John N. Cole, “Cod” by Mark Kurlansky, ”Giant Bluefin” by Douglas Whynott and the entire Charley Soares library. Some of these books listed are out of print (but can be found at used bookstores), some can be found on Amazon, and some tackle shops even have a book section.

If you can’t quite figure out the right book for your angler, a subscription to The Fisherman Magazine could very well be the perfect gift! If always fits, it’s the gift that keeps on giving well beyond the holidays, and for this holiday season we are running a special limited-time discount so head on over to www.TheFisherman.com today and check out the details!

Related

Editor’s Log: Pork Roll vs. Taylor Ham

Editor’s Log: Is This Really A Victory?

Editor’s Log: End Of An Era In Montauk