There are anglers, and then there are trout anglers. Me? I’ve always been drawn to bass and catfish. I’ve given trout fishing a shot, but it just doesn’t give me the same thrill as hooking into a smallmouth.
But as April rolls around, trout season is about to kick off in most states—and my longtime friend and die-hard fisherman, Maddie M., can hardly wait. She’s been at it since she could walk—about 20 years now. Her father, an avid angler himself, played a huge role in shaping her love for the sport. “Since he only had daughters and loved to fish, of course, he had to take us with him,” Maddie told me.