The Drake

Swindlers

LIVING NEAR the Blue Ridge Mountains has its benefits, with solid trout fishing in the mountain streams and decent smallmouth in the rivers. But I needed some saltwater, so I headed to the coast for redfish.

Technically, that’s not true. I drove to money on me. I booked a guide for a frugal-sounding half-day trip, forgetting that redfish are frauds.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Drake

The Drake4 min read
Fish the Tails
“FISH THE TAILS. Fish. The. Tails.” Finally, on the third cast of the third run in what felt like the third hour of fishing, my sulphur landed gently in the tail of a deep plunge pool, floated for three seconds, and a brook trout grabbed it just befo
The Drake3 min read
Props
Jon Lee is a guide in Michigan and Florida, but his writing transcends location. It is lean and graceful like the fish he often chases—and helps others catch. This book is only thirty pages long, yet, like the essays inside, somehow feels the perfect
The Drake5 min read
Complete Adrenaline
IT’S MID-JUNE at Pirate Camp in Michigan’s River Country, happy hour, a while before prime time. We grab a quick dinner around the fire circle—tossing paper plates into the pit for fuel later—and disperse to fish the Au Sable. I drift solo and find t

Related Books & Audiobooks