“The notion of fly-fishing for sharks seems as if it were the product of an overactive (and likely distraught) imagination — perhaps a scribbling from Hunter S. Thompson’s notebook after a cocktail of espresso and mescaline.”

“To lure collectors, states issued a lot more stamps than they had hunters or anglers. A stamp glut compounded the print glut. The revenue stamps often cost more to print than they raised in revenue. As a result, Mr. Dumaine now counts 15 states that have eliminated duck stamps, on top of the 16 that have dropped their trout stamps.”

“Tuna then are both a real thing and a metaphor. Literally they are one of the last big public supplies of wild fish left in the world. Metaphorically they are the terminus of an idea: that the ocean is an endless resource where new fish can always be found. In the years to come we can treat tuna as a mile marker to zoom past on our way toward annihilating the wild ocean or as a stop sign that compels us to turn back and radically reconsider.”

photo credit: Stewart Butterfield

“On average I would say [I fish] about 90-100 days a year, down a bit from when I used to fish 100-150 days a year. Gas, time, money is in shorter supply these days, but no complaints.”

Ford was most recently illustrator of the popular book FISH: 77 Great Fish of North America.

The New York Times sat down with them both to talk about climbing origins, choosing challenging (but safe) routes, and the mental and physical demands of full-time work in the backcountry:

“‘You have to have a physical aptitude and the right kind of mind frame,’ Drinkwater said. ‘It’s fun, but it’s also hard and scary. I like big mountains. I like long routes. They don’t necessarily have to be the hardest things.’”

photo credit: mariachily

He did have a partner early on–Soanya Ahmad–but she had to leave 10 months into the voyage to deliver their child.

Recently, Stowe sailed into New York, putting an end to his epic journey, and allowing himself to see people and his new son for the first time in years. “He viewed his trip in the tradition of religious hermits who go off by themselves: ‘You not only enlighten yourself, but you nourish the spirit of your culture,’” reports John Tierney of The New York Times.

photo credit: ktylerconk

Wave of Skulls: Irish surfers Fergal Smith and Tom Lowe challenge Tahiti’s Teahupo’o, known locally as the “Wall of Skulls.”

Produced by Allan Wilson

Surfing the city: Juan Rayos longboarding Madrid, Spain.

Produced by sk8cinema

Now, Corliss has set his sites on an even more radical departure: “becoming the first man to jump from a plane and land (alive) without a parachute.”

“‘Everybody has a gift, something they’re good at — and my gift is fear. I can do things with fear. When most people are crippled by fear, on the ground, puking, that’s when I’m at my best,’” reports Bill Gifford of Men’s Journal

photo credit: robertpaulyoung