The Sporting Life

Even after a lifetime of paddling, it still thrills me to make the first stroke with a paddle and feel the canoe leap forward and meet the pull of the current. There’s no better way to learn the secrets of a river.

The birth of new fishing lures occurred not only in factory tool rooms but also in basement workshops. Every year, new creations show up at consumer fishing shows throughout the state. 

Though my family loves spending time outdoors, by late February, they’ve grown tired of sledding and snowmen and yearn for swimming and sunshine. Meanwhile, I dream of fishing — and not through a hole in a frozen lake.

Growing up, we heated our home with wood. The yawning, cast iron stove always seemed hungry, and keeping it fed was a full-time job....

Winston sprawls on the tile floor, panting. With eyes half closed and tongue lolling out, his expression teeters between boredom and sadness. Every few...

In his Hastings workshop, Ron Barch, a retired school teacher, carefully shaves a 40- to 50-inch strip of Tonkin bamboo using a hand plane and steel planing form.

Canine aquatics — specifically, dog long-jumping (aka dock jumping or dock diving) — is a relatively new arena for dogs to show their athletic ability in an exciting format that is pure fun to watch.

After months of icy weather, new life abounds, and we welcome it with open arms. Morels and ramps are emerging, as well, pushing through the shell of stale snow like hatchlings.

It’s early March and a stout nor’easter is howling across Suttons Bay. Although duck season has been closed for months, artist Chris Smith has waterfowl on the brain.

Winter affords no anonymity. Snow hides no secrets. Out on the ski trails, alone in the quiet of first light, my eyes read the snow like a gossip column. Tracks zigzagging along my route reveal where deer crossed and bunnies burrowed; once I even saw wing prints where an owl swooped down to snatch a mouse.