Tattoo Tuesday – DeRose By Any Other Name
We’ll run a full slate of smallmouth tattoos at some point in the future, but this one from our friend JP DeRose deserves a post all its own. It’s highly-detailed, visually captivating, and shows off his gearhead nature. The work was done by Joe Baker of Adrenaline Toronto.
We’re hoping that at some point in the future we’ll be able to get a sit down with JP to explore some of his travel hacks and adventures, as detailed on his kick-ass show Breaking Boundaries.
I’ve seen some great catfish mounts across the country. Upon a little bit of examination, I’ve also noticed that there are lots of catfish tattoos out there. Here are some of my favorites.
It took me until July, but I finally added a new species to the list of fish I’ve caught: sockeye salmon. The hardest part was getting to Bear Trail Lodge in Bristol Bay, but once we were there we were amidst a pretty good year of what is typically the largest run of sockeyes in the world. There were places where you could almost walk across their backs, and other places where you’d be wading and would feel them bump your legs as they swam upstream.
I’ve made no secret of the fact that Giant Trevally are one of my bucket list species, preferably on some pristine and idyllic flats like those found in the Seychelles or the Maldives. Their brute strength and willingness to eat topwaters makes them a no-brainer. I just hope that I have enough tackle to survive the inevitable break-offs.
I don’t quite get it, but to our brothers and sisters from the north walleyes are like a religion. Up in Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin and all throughout Canada, they revere these fish. Not surprisingly, a simple search finds that many of them have added these fish indelibly to their bodies.
You may not want to head to a foreign country any time in the near future, but if you’re jonesing for a trip to the Amazon like we are, there are other ways to think of exceptional South American fishing. Depending on where you live, and your level of risk-tolerance, the next best thing might be a tattoo. Here are some we like.
When snakeheads first showed up here on the Potomac, they were a guilty pleasure for many of us. I don’t know that anyone was bragging about chasing or catching them in the early days. Now, they’ve become a cottage industry, selling all sorts of specialized equipment to proud fanatics who love their size, their fight and their wiles.
Our first episode of Tattoo Tuesday featured the smallmouth tattoo on JP DeRose’s forearm, but he’s not the only brown fish freak in our sights. Smallmouths are a species that generate plenty of frustration, and drive some people to madness, but they also inspire lots of undying devotion – so much that people want to ink ‘em on their bodies.
After an epic trip to Casa Vieja Lodge in February, I’ve become a little bit more than obsessed with sailfish. We caught 37 of them, including 23 in a single day. Every one of them stripped line, jumped at least 10 times, and put on an unforgettable show of acrobatics. Even when you finally get them to the boat and subdue them, they’re still gorgeous – lit up with iridescent colors. That likely makes them both tempting and hard to tattoo.
As far as I can tell, there’s no segment of the fishing world that embraces angling-specific tattoos as readliy as the hard core swimbaiters. It stands to reason, because they’re the closest analog we have to the world of skateboarding, and the overlap with punk rock, heavy metal and hiphop cultures is apparent.
Yellowfin tuna are not only reportedly brutally strong, but they’re also one of the prettiest fish around, which makes them prime for tattoos. Here are some of the coolest ones I’ve found.