This past weekend, Jack Mountain instructor and master Maine guide Paul Sveum ran an introduction to fly fishing course. Students got insight into reading water for likely hiding spots for fish, a chance to flip rocks and take a close look at the insect life that fish are feeding on, and that fishing flies are [...]

The fourth and final installment in our multi-episode reading of On The Trail; Selected Canoe And Snowshoe Trip Journals. This time I read the journal of a 2001 trip on the wilderness waterway through Everglades National Park in Florida. You can download a free copy of On The Trail from the downloads section of BushcraftSchool.com. [...]

When people aren’t around, wildlife has the run of the field school. This moose is a local resident, and helps to keep the cattails from taking over the shallow edge of the pond. Photo credit to Christopher. #fulltanglifestyle

Fly casting in the pond during the introduction to fly fishing course over Memorial Day weekend.

Nearing the end of week 7 of the semester, we’re out working on advanced canoe poling maneuvers on the Big Machias River near Ashland, Maine. These are difficult techniques to master, and no one in history has done so without getting humbled by the river at some point. #fulltanglifestyle

Casting practice during the Introduction To Fly Fishing Weekend.

Our week 6 and 7 canoe trip on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway during the spring, 2021 Wilderness Guide Training Semester.

Roasting coffee beans in a frying pan over an open fire.

Different trees are flowering at different times, especially at this time of year. We use that to locate trees such as apple trees whose fruit won’t be available for a few months. By noting where the trees are by the flowers, which is easy this time of year, we can come back when the fruit [...]

We had a bunch of interesting weather, including hail, rainbows and 30mph headwinds on our first overnight canoe trip. Students learned a lot about how to safely navigate water falls and ledges in a solo boat by station lining.

Higher education is changing. Whether due to covid or other factors, traditional education is being disrupted. While 4-year college degrees are still the norm, alternative education routes are growing dramatically in popularity. A question we get regularly is how can students pay for our program. Enter the 529 college savings plan. A 529 plan is [...]

“Fly fishing is beautifully regional.” – Paul Sveum Christoper and I welcomed our old friend and Registered Master Maine Guide Paul Sveum into the studio to discuss spring fly fishing in northern Maine. We discuss flies, fly fishing, temperatures that trout like, and a wide variety of other topics. Paul is teaching our Introduction To [...]

Out looking for trout on Aroostook County logging roads. Bring a stream thermometer, especially in the early spring. If you’re interested in learning more about fly fishing, check out our 3-day introduction to fly fishing course coming up May 27-30. The guy fishing in the clip at the end of the video is Registered Master [...]

The third installment in our multi-episode reading of On The Trail; Selected Canoe And Snowshoe Trip Journals. This time I read the journals from a solo canoe trip on Allagash Lake, a canoe trip on the Big Black River, and a ten-day winter camping trip on the Quebec border with no sleeping bag. You can [...]

Come see what it’s like to have complete control of your canoe by using a pole in white water as our students navigate an old dam, a few ledges and some challenging rips. We also take a break to check out a moose carcass, and look for sign of what’s been feeding on it.

Mother and baby bear tracks in the mud leads to a discussion of the art of animal tracking.

A wide-brimmed hat and a piece of fabric to flap in the breeze is a decent defense against flies.

Today is halfway day on the spring semester; Four and a half weeks done, four and a half weeks to go. Life is returning to the land as the warmer days are filled with birdsong and the buzz of insects. The leaves are coming out, and we’ll have fresh fiddleheads to eat any day now [...]

Last year we had a single black morel mushroom growing in an old garden space near the Guide Shack. This year there are about 100 of them. I’m not sure what it is about this soil that they like so much, but I’m happy to have them.

Before relying on a gear system to keep your stuff dry on a remote expedition, it’s important to test it to make sure it works.

Several pots, shiny and new, going over the fire for the first time.

Episode 130 of the vlog is a short collection of clips from around the field school.

The four main jobs of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft School semester instructor are teacher, guide, mentor and coach. Christopher and I discuss this, and how the relationship changes and grows during a long course, in this episode of the podcast. You’ll also hear about the new bird neighbors who have built their nest in a [...]

We were out on Squapan Lake recently to practice canoe paddling strokes and to see if we could get the trout to bite. A state fish stocking truck full of brook trout was at the boat launch when we arrived, and several float planes were taking fish to remote ponds in the North Maine Woods. [...]

Join us on a day trip poling canoes on the Blackwater River during week 4 of the spring, 2021 Wilderness Guide Training Semester. We do this trip every year when the water is high in early spring as it’s a great place to lean to pole a canoe in quick water. And it’s beautiful and [...]

Christopher shot and edited this video on our recent poling trip on the Blackwater River.

At the JMB Field School we’ve got slightly more than 3000 feet of frontage on the Aroostook River. The Aroostook is a beautiful, clean, clear water river that flows northeast from the headwater lakes to the border with Canada, crossing the border at Fort Fairfield before flowing into the St. John River and turning south [...]

At least we didn’t have any fun while cooking this chicken and sourdough biscuit dinner! Cooking a bird or a beaver this way was the impetus for the original swivel pot chain. Before it went on the fire I trussed the chicken, a fancy way to say I tied it with twine to hold it [...]

The second installment in our multi-episode reading of On The Trail; Selected Canoe And Snowshoe Trip Journals. This time I read the journals from a 1999 Allagash Wilderness Waterway canoe trip and a 2001 St. John River canoe trip, both in Maine. I’ve run a lot of trips on these rivers in the 20+ years [...]

Staying warm and dry in a shelter while the snow falls outside.