Interview With Andy Cameron

Andy Cameron is the editor of The Milkcrate, an online magazine dedicate to personalities, styles, and cultures surrounding kayak fishing.  He has interviewed some of the greatest anglers, craftsmen, artists, and professionals, that the kayak fishing world has seen.  After reading this article, you should take the time to head on over to The Milkcrate and browse through a bunch of their interviews.




Pat Kellner:  Thanks for taking the time to sit down and complete this interview, Andy.  I know you're a busy man.  Lets jump right in here, When did you start fishing?  How and why did you start?  Was there one person that introduced you to the sport and really go you hooked?

Andy Cameron:  I was fortunate enough to have a childhood filled with many fishing memories.  My father, a skilled angler and true outdoorsman, often took me along on his adventures.  Most summer weekends had us hiking a rubber raft and camping gear into various high Cascade lakes.  We'd rise early, troll a simple fly, and, with any luck, have trout for breakfast.  Those formative trips definitely solidified my love for angling.

PK:  I know you fish from kayaks, SUPs, and prone boards.  When did you start fishing from man powered crafts and why?

AC:  The aforementioned trips were where I first experienced man-powered fishing, but those days gave way to other interests.  I would occasionally dabble with bank fishing or power boat-based angling, but the fun just wasn't there.  After college, I moved to Catalina Island and took a job teaching at an outdoor school.  Basic kayaking trips were part of the curriculum, and I quickly fell in love with paddling.  It took me nearly a decade, though, to realize that I was atop a viable fishing platform.  I actually joined a local kayak fishing forum long before developing interest in the pursuit.  I was into kayak and paddleboard touring, and these guys seemed to have a lot of good info regarding put-ins, tides, routes, etc.  The interests of my forum-mates grew on me, and I soon decided to take a pole out on my prone paddleboard.  I was instantly back to the quiet and unobtrusive raft of my childhood.

PK:  Why man powered fishing over "power boats"?  Why the boards over a canoe or a kayak?

AC:  I guess it comes down to me having a hard time accepting that travel by way of motor vehicle constitutes an outdoor experience.  When I set out on an angling adventure, I want to step away from the modern world and its associated chaos - engine fumes and noise included.  As far as vessels are concerned, I really can't claim to have allegiance to one type over another.  Different tools for different jobs, I suppose.  It is, however, hard to beat the organic experience derived from piloting a prone paddleboard - the lack of paddles allows one to truly feel gradients in temperature and salinity.  With regard to the surrounding environment, prone paddling puts you into a state of hyper-awareness.  Having your face a few inches above the water surface allows for some really memorable encounters; I've been splashed by jumping salmon, and have locked eyes with some pretty sizable pinnipeds.  Some water is too swift, cold, or filthy to warrant its use, though.  The SUP is a fun victim of the wind, and the kayak offers unparalleled comfort.  So, it's all a matter of matching vessel to conditions.

PK:  You interview for The Milkcrate, a great online kayak fishing magazine.  How did this start?  How did the idea come about?  What gave you the drive to push the thought into a reality?

AC:  Allen Sansano, my partner at The Milkcrate, and I met through the local angling forum (NWKA).  We became pals, and often talked of the need to curate the culture of this developing sport.  There seemed to exist a void within kayak angling, and we wanted to fill it with interesting and positive takes on art, craft, and adventure.  A lot of people were doing amazing things via blogs, forum posts, and campfire storytelling.  We simply wanted to make these tales more accessible.  I've always had a passion for writing, and Allen is a wizard with all things technical.  he also has a big Rolodex.  We kicked the idea around for a year or so, and eventually decided to just go for it.

PK:  I love many of the characters you have interviewed and the personalities that come through.  Do you have any favorites?

AC:  Oh, that's asking a lot.  I've been inspired by all of our interviewees.  All have been outstanding representatives of the sport, and I would gladly share a day on the water with any one of them.  But as far as characters go, Jerry McBride always cracks me up.  That guy knows how to live life.  I hope to eventually have 1/10th of his sheer radness.

PK:  is there a direction that you would like to see The Milkcrate magazine go?  Anything different coming up in the future?  Any previews that you can give Fish Tattoo's readers?

AC:  I think about this from time to time.  We started this without much of a plan, and there does exist a certain air of willful spontaneity within the ethos of The Milkcrate.  I'd like to add some more of an art theme.  A lot of great films are starting to emerge, and it would be great to be able to host some video content.  Something different than typical dude-in-kayak-catching-big-fish, though.  Nothing wrong with that;  I love watching Chad Hoover haul in the hogs.  But 8 or 16mm footage with innovative angles and thoughtful soundtracks?  My interest is piqued.  The surfing world has undergone an artful renaissance, and I can see that happening to our sport, too.  Maybe it's time to hit the thrift stores in search of cameras.

Sneak peek, you say?  Well, I have been talking to this Jim character out of California.  he goes on TV and catches enormous creatures.  That should make for a fun read...

PK:  I am from Texas.  Your are not.  I have never been to Oregon.  have you ever been to Texas?  Where all have you had the pleasures of casting a line?

AC:  I have never messed with Texas.  I'd like to, though.  I've long wanted to take a road trip through that part of the country.  Texas seems to have culture unto itself; I'd like to experience that.  Most of my angling takes place within the boundaries of Oregon, but I have enjoyed the opportunity to fish in the great state of Montana.  My dad lives up there, and we make it a point to enjoy the Montana waters at least once a year.

PK:  Do you have a favorite body of water to fish, and what is it about that place that makes it special?

AC:  I thought about this for a long time, and managed to end the debate with a tie.  First, I will pledge allegiance to a not-to-be-named lake that sits high up in the Mission Mountains of Montana.  It is surrounded by steep, glacially carved peaks, and plays host to numerous and feisty cutthroat trout.  We hike in with the time tested recipe of my youth - rubber raft, ultralight rods, simple lures - and have a blast.

Second, I must mention the muddy and debris-strewn stream that is near my house.  There's nothing special about this stream; it smells funny and is full of what many refer to as "trash fish."  I love this place, though.  It offers after-work-therapy, and is seldom thought about, let alone used, by humans.  It's big enough for a SUP or small kayak, and is actually home to a surprising amount of wildlife.  I see the same horned owl on all of my outings.

PK:  What one fish would you consider your personal trophy?  Was it the pursuit or the catch that lead to that fish being a trophy in your eyes?

AC:  I'm not really of the trophy mindset.  I don't pursue the usual Northwest megafauna, and generally favor small ultralight presentations.  That said, the first bass from my SUP was a pretty special fish.  Small, scrappy, and generally unimpressive, this bass represented a proof of concept.  I could take the board to a large reservoir, travel past the reaches of all the other vessels, fish the remote creek arms, and have success.  I found a way to make the place my own, and, more importantly, developed an effective means with which to avoid the fist-pumping, Katy Perry-blasting, sun tan oiled denizens of the wakeboard boats.  I had previously and routinely failed to catch a bass on the particular lake, which is the habitat closest to my house.  The symbolism in that first fish was huge.

PK:  Being a river kayak bass angler, I have developed a desire to catch pretty bass, cool bass, local native bass.  My local fish is the Guadalupe Bass.  Are there any fish that are local and specific to the Portland area?

AC:  Oh, for sure.  Though, I don't normally go after them.  I have some learning to do before I venture beyond my ultralight comfort zone.  A lot of folks target the various salmon runs (Chinook & Coho), and the sturgeon are simply monstrous.  Next summer will have me attempting sturgeon by way of SUP, and for that I am stoked.

PK:  What is your favorite species to target, and why?

AC:  Cutthroat trout, for sure.  A truly gorgeous fish, the cutthroat offers both fanciful fight and tasty flesh.  They hit with voracity and give it their all.  A magnificent yet delicious animal.

PK:  What is your favorite presentation or technique for catching a cutthroat?

AC:  Honestly, these fish seem to be best met with old-timey simplicity.  Find something shiny in your grandad's tackle box and leave the space age, anatomically correct baitfish-shaped lures at home.  Cast into the usual trout pockets and retrieve with gusto.

PK:  So, you're a fan of keeping a few fish from time to time for your own belly filling pleasure.  Any favorite types of fish for eating?  What makes a good "eatin'" fish?

AC:  I've yet to encounter a fish for which I did not have a gustatory fondness.  Pan fried trout are hard to beat.  I wish I was a better fisher of catfish, though.  Fish tacos made with cornmeal and wheat flour-battered catfish are my favorite things in the edible world.  You're right, though, in that I mainly fish for sustenance.  That usually means rainbow trout, an animal well qualified as "good eatin'."

To continue reading, here is Part Two of this Interview: Interview with Andy Cameron (Part 2)

Other Interviews you might enjoy:
Interview with Tray Collins
Interview with Drew Gregory
Interview with Jim Dolan