Grant Willard with his 33 inch brown trout estimated at 16 pounds. Photos courtesy of Matt Hill The Outdoor Column this month contains submissions from a few old Columbia faces and a couple of new Columbia faces. Some are certainly not as pretty as the animal they are holding. A fine turkey was recently harvested by Dr. Austin Meares, Clarke McNair, and Thomas Kennedy. Collectively, and although Thomas is currently a resident of Charleston, these gentlemen boast approximately 88 years of Columbia residency.

Roots aside, the picture and turkey were taken during the morning of April 24 at a Winnsboro hunting farm belonging to Clarke McNair’s family. Clarke did the calling, Austin did the shooting. Dr. Meares is apparently a better turkey hunter than fisherman, as he and I struck out on stripers in the Congaree river the evening before this picture was taken.

The last weekend in April, “new” Columbians (meaning they did not grow up here) Matt Hill (See page one.) and Dr. Grant Willard took time off to fish for trout in the South Holston tailrace in eastern Tennessee. What they caught was as impressive as it was improbable. Drift fishing with guide Justin Shroyer of Trophy Water Guide Serv- ice, Matt and Grant began floating number 22 midges over a deep hole near the bank of the river.

Clarke McNair, Austin Meares, Thomas Kennedy after a turkey shoot at Winnsboro Hunting Farm Photo courtesy of Dr. Austin Meares Grant was the first to hook up, and Justin knew right away that Grant had a better– than–average fish. Justin pulled up the anchor, and the chase ensued. Thirty–five minutes and one–quarter of a mile upstream later, Grant landed a 33 inch brown trout estimated at 16 pounds. According to Matt, Grant “giggled” the entire time he fought the fish. Matt himself was not laughing, as he knocked the guide’s four weight G Loomis flyrod out of the boat as Justin pulled anchor to fight the fish. The only thing worse than paying the bill for a new G Loomis flyrod is paying the bill for someone else’s new G Loomis flyrod.

Jason Edens with his five to six pound largemouth bass Photo courtesy of Jason Edens After celebratory pictures and beers, Matt, Grant, and Justin returned to the hole where Grant hooked his fish. Matt threw his number 22 midge into the same spot 10 times, and 10 times trout tried everything they could to eat Matt’s bait. Matt missed hooking all 10 fish. Still elated Grant gave Matt “gentle words of encouragement.”

On Matt’s lucky number 11th cast, the fish was on. Again, Justin had to pull the anchor. Over a quarter–mile upstream and this time 45 minutes later, Matt landed another true trophy, a 30 inch brown trout estimated at 14 pounds.

Grant and Matt will certainly remember their trip for years to come. Just as nice, Matt and Justin were able to retrieve Justin’s four weight G Loomis from the water.

Finally, we have Columbia native Jason Edens and a nice five to six pound largemouth bass he caught in a farm pond in Burlington, North Carolina. While the fish was nice, more impressive was Jason’s fishing attire. He certainly wins the “best dressed” fisherman award for this month.

Send your fishing and hunting stories to Stephen Porter StephenDPorter@ hotmail.com or PO Box 50091 Columbia, SC 29250. Send photos to Mike Maddock mmaddock@ sc.rr.com.