Obviously fishing is a big part of why we are all here. Grillin’ and drinkin’ are more popular diversions, it seems. But I’m curious as to what other fellow skiffers do when they’re not on the water?
I am a rabid Atlanta Braves fan. It’s been a miserable season so far with a slate of injuries to the pitching staff and underperformance by the position players. Like the Cubbies, there’s always next year.
The other hobby I really enjoy is shooting clays. I have a top-notch range not far from my house. So far I’ve been shooting 5 Stand with my 20 gauge Beretta. I also load my own shells. I want to try Sporting Clays but haven’t connected with a buddy during the week to try that course.
So besides tying flies and debating livescope technology, what do y’all do for fun fully clothed?
I have a full wood shop in my barn (Although, I am newer to it… and I am not YET a detailed oriented woodcrafter… so I am not doing fine finish type projects).
I used to be a competitive shooter… now I do it recreationally. I have a range in my back yard (200 yard rifle, and I set up handgun/ carbine courses to run against some buddies who I compete with).
I recently got into painting. That is just because I cannot sit idle. I have to be in motion or I self destruct.
I am a big Sporting Clays shooter, I shoot in VA quite a bit, and in Port of the Islands in the winter in FL. I shoot a fair amount of skeet when it’s super hot w a 28 or 20. Shooting shotguns has been a lifelong sport for me. I grew up in a small country in SA due to my dad’s work down there. I had an Ithaca 20 that I plain wore out from 8th grade to 12th. It was a Department of Defense school in SA. That continued throughout my life, I shot in the USAF sporting clays team in the USA and competed in the European skeet championships during my assignments to Europe. Yes I have a few scatterguns in the safe here in VA, and only one gun in FL, a Beretta Silver Pigeon III, don’t want to risk anymore than that on a barrier island.
My go to weapon in VA for Sportingclays is a AL390 Teknys 12, Skeet is 28 Beretta Silver Pigeon O/U
I got into USPSA/ActionSteel and Steel challenge several months ago. Lucky for me OK Corral in Okeechobee has matches every Saturday and Sunday. I use to do a lot of sporting clays but USPSA has taken over for me. Building a boat and shooting around a 1000 rounds a month takes up my time!
Hobbies come and go. Outside fishing I’ve done mountain biking, wakeboarding, diving, photography and keeping reef tanks. Currently just doing martial arts with my son (krav maga and bjj) and hitting the gym. You guys are learning more about my eating and drinking habits as well…
Semi-retired competitive long distance caster here. I’ve held the overall US distance record a few times and still hold the 100-gram class record. My best casts:
I raced open wheel formula cars for 20yrs. #5 was my 1969 Merlyn mk11a Formula Ford. Recently hung up the shoes, sold the car, and bought a sailboat. I also used to mountain bike but aging lower back discs have pretty much put a stop to that.
I feel like I’m letting my wife down. Years ago I got into competitive Croquet. First national competition I played in, I took home 1st place in Golf Croquet Singles and Doubles. Kids and the passing of my best friend/coach kinda put a damper on things. I really enjoyed it. We would have a weekly wine & wickets, occasionally have a wedding or business banquet or two a month. I got to hang out with the top players in the world, play with them and learn their styles and techniques. Other than that mostly all the other stuff has come and gone through out the years. Rock climbing, surfing, photography, wood working, golf, sailing, hunting/shooting. But the one thing that’s always stuck….. Fishing.
I’ve been an avid golfer since long before I ever owned a boat. Wingshooting and turkey hunting have always been a hobby as well. I tried mountainbiking in college.. that was short lived.
Thousand yard benchrest competition, both light and heavy Gun over 20 years. I miss it but fishing/boat operation has always been my default addiction😎
I was a rabid sporting clays shooter for 20 years ! I told my second wife before we married, I shoot 5 days a week and sometimes on weekends. she didn’t believe me I guess.
she eventually said that shotgun goes or I go.
I still got that gun , now I fish 5 days a week and sometimes on the weekends.
When I am not fly fishing I am chasing loud mouthed gobblers in the woods and like ducks and deer in that order. If I can’t hunt or fish I like to tie flies and sometimes play golf. Although I am terrible at the golf thing, it’s where I catch up with high school and college buddies. I really love to shoot clays as well but don’t get to often with how far I have to drive to do it. I dabble in photography which pairs well with fishing and hunting and I love a good glass of bourbon. Oh and I almost forgot, gardening and growing. I have a degree in horticulture and always loved growing fruits and vegetables since I was a little guy.
I spend my fall/winter traveling the country hunting upland birds with my dogs which also makes me an amateur dog trainer the rest of the year. I’m only a couple years into the upland hunting game, but if I had to choose between fishing or bird hunting, I’d choose bird hunting with my dogs every day of the week
Aside from fishing & other boating-related activities (snorkeling, diving, booze-cruising, etc.) I am into board sports (snowboarding, skateboarding, longboarding), golf, drawing & painting, photography, camping, off-roading, exterior detail work (paint correction) & just about anything related to cars/trucks.
I love fishing but it’s tough to beat a chilly November morning in the deer woods! I take a couple weeks every year to get after whitetails mostly around the Midwest.
Shooting sports, both clays & firearms, hunting, consume a lot of my time while in IN when wife & I are not in FL. In FL, along with my fishing,
I still mix in shooting @ FWC range in Punta Gorda + plan (hoping) to try Port of the Islands (Loogie mentioned) for SC’s. … Also have some property (acreage) in S. IN that keeps me busy maintaining original log cabin homesteaded by my great grandparents in 1800’s. … Grandkid’s now also which are coming of the age I can take them fishing, riding in Polaris Ranger, & attend their growing list of activities! IMG_1791|666x500, 50%
Years ago I got into competitive Croquet. First national competition I played in, I took home 1st place in Golf Croquet Singles and Doubles. Kids and the passing of my best friend/coach kinda put a damper on things. I really enjoyed it. We would have a weekly wine & wickets, occasionally have a wedding or business banquet or two a month. I got to hang out with the top players in the world, play with them and learn their styles and techniques. Other than that mostly all the other stuff has come and gone through out the years. Rock climbing, surfing, photography, wood working, golf, sailing, hunting/shooting. But the one thing that’s always stuck….. Fishing. 
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