Who Are Sam and Allie Foureyes?

If you follow my social media posts on Facebook, “X,” or Instagram, you may have noticed a number of posts with the banner, “Sam and Allie Foureyes…” Perhaps you saw the original post, “Sam and Allie Foureyes are the official spokespersons of the Backcountry Conservation Angler,” and you wondered, “who the heck are Sam and Allie Foureyes?” Well, let me tell you.

Many, if not most, of you don’t know that I am a rather prolific self-published author. I have written sixteen epic Christian fantasy novels, two steampunk adventures, two Christmas novellas, and, in a change of genre, four, soon to be five “Sam and Allie Foureyes Mysteries” starting in January of this year. To date, they have been the best-selling of my literary efforts. Sam is dubbed, “the fly-fishing P. I.” And his RAM pickup even bears the license plate, “FISHIN PI.” His real last name is Forsythe, "Foureyes" is an LLC.

Sam considers himself to be a hard-boiled gumshoe, in the Mike Hammer/Sam Spade tradition. He's an Army veteran, Military Police. In the first book, “Sam Foureyes, Private Eye,” he’s sitting in his Bronx office one day, casting casual bets on the ponies and considering going down to the deli on the corner for a pastrami on rye sandwich, when a beautiful woman, Theadelinda Cartwright, comes into his office and hires him to help find her missing father.

Thea Cartwright

Thea, as she is known, is good-looking babe. (I’m not being sexist here; I’m describing her of the way Sam does.) She is an attorney, a former assistant district attorney, an adjunct court justice, and filthy rich. She is a Hamptons trust fund baby in addition to her legal career, and lives in a sumptuous mansion on the south shore of Long Island with her cook and housekeeper, Carlotta. Her father, Madison Cartwright III, has vanished leaving a string of clues that will take Sam and Thea across the country. He is also a collector of classic vehicles including a Bentley Bentayga Mulliner fly fishing edition. Thea, having no desire to cross the country in a pickup truck (she drives a Maserati) allows Sam to pick from the vehicles in daddy’s garage, and he picks the Bentley with four custom fly rods and a tying bench in the back.

In the Independence, Missouri, a place not renowned for trout fishing, Sam encounters Alistronia Archer, and her two “assistants” Brandon and Leo. Alistronia is a college professor, and the two guys are students who are helping her in exchange for passing grades to keep them on the football team. To make a long story short, Alistronia, or Allie as she prefers to be called, is actually Iphigenia Cartwright, Thea’s identical twin sister and Madison’s estranged daughter who received a cryptic letter from her father about Thea’s quest and now wants to be part of it.

Allie Foureyes

Despite getting off to a rocky start, (Sam threw Leo and Brandon into the lake after Leo pulled a gun on him.) (The gun was empty.) Sam and Alistronia/Iphigenia take an instant liking to each other, much to Thea’s dismay since she has been flirting with Sam ever since Long Island. Both women are fly anglers, however, with Thea it’s just a hobby, while Allie is almost as passionate about the sport as Sam is. She is also an Army veteran, still in the reserves. Like her twin, Allie also has a trust fund even though her father had disowned her after she exposed one of his shady schemes in court. Their mother, Arabella, who we meet later in the book, had stipulated the funds be set aside for her daughters when she divorced Madison.

By the end of the book, the case is resolved, the sisters and their mother are reunited, and Sam and Allie are married and head out on a flyfishing honeymoon.

Why then did I make them my spokesmen? Twofold: First, as I said, the mysteries are my best-selling books thus far, but that doesn’t mean they are bestsellers by any stretch of the imagination, so using Sam and Allie to highlight things like the importance of carrying the “10 Essentials” with you every time you go into the backcountry, or the importance of water temperature when fishing, or the importance of carrying a first aid kit, also publicizes the Sam and Allie Foureyes Mysteries. Second, through the magic of Grok, Sam and Allie (and Thea) have faces. Whether it’s advocating for stream access, encouraging anglers to get first aid training, or congratulating the World Champion Flyfishing Team USA, Sam and Allie do it better. I’m still the “man behind the curtain,” but I let my book characters talk for me.

Besides, they are better anglers than I am, or at least more successful.

The books can be purchased on Amazon or at gewellynchronicles.com

And Madison let Sam keep the Bentley as payment.

National Public Lands Month

 

Fly Fishing, First Aid, and Sam Foureyes

If you've been following this blog, or my YouTube posts (hopefully both!) you know that I am a HUGE advocate of the "10 Essentials" (Warm clothing, Hydration, Navigation, Illumination, Food, Knife, Shelter, Environment Protection, Fire, and FIRST AID) anytime you head into even a short excursion into the backcountry. Every trip, every time, every day. What you may not lnow is that I am also the author/publisher of 25 books, including four where the main character is Sam Foureyes, the Fly-Fishing Private Eye. (with a 5th on the way for October. Link in the graphic.) You've probably never heard of me or Sam, but my fictional character (and his angler wife, Allie) have become my educational spokespersons for things like the 10 Essentials, warm water fishing, and most recently, first aid preparedness.

Link in photo

Recently, several of my fishing friends, including my granddaughter and an e-friend (Is that even a term?) who is a pro bass angler, have gotten hurt while fishing. The e-friend fell while launching her kayak and suffered a nasty laceration and bruise a half inch from her left eye. Fortunately, there was a game warden at the boat launch who supplied a first aid kit and care until EMS arrived. Then, last week, she jammed a treble hook bass lure into her hand. A few weeks ago, my grandkid (she's in her 20s, also a bass angler) did something very similar with a double hook, and I've had several friends in BHA who've caught ears, fingers, and face with trout flies. Accidents happen. I've been a first aid instructor since 1971, an EMT, river park ranger, and licensed guide. I don't know that I've seen it all, but I've seen a lot. This recent spate of injuries had me thinking, how many of us carry a first aid kit while fishing? I do, a small one for day trips that fits in my fishing pack, and a larger one for multi-day trips and groups. I would strongly encourage you to consider carrying one too. (And take a first aid/CPR class on how to use it!) There are a number of good brands out there. I use Adventure Medical Kits. They don't cost a lot, and the expense is easily outweighed by the benefits when you need one. 

I used to feel that I could do better than most commercial kits, and I still carry a kit I built years ago in my winter snowshoeing/backcountry skiing pack. But everything changes over time, and the kits you can buy at REI, Cabela's, and other outdoor retailers are much better than they were 10-20 years ago. First, the technology has grown with the need. Clotting bandages, CAT tourniquets, burn gel bandages (all products of military origin) chemical heat pads didn't even exist. Now, they're in any good first aid kits. Sawyer, Med-Pac, Adventure Medical Kits/NOLS, produce quality kits with supplies you will actually use. After 40+ years of building my own, I landed on Adventure Medical Kits for three reasons; AMK was founded by the late Dr. Paul Auerbach, past president of the Wilderness Medical Society, and considered by many to be "the Dean of Wilderness Medicine." 2. Specific kits for specific activities, Sportsman, Canoe/Kayak (Waterproof!), Mountaineering, etc. 3. NOLS endorsement. NOLS kits are rebranded AMK kits. I took my first Wilderness First Responder course from NOLS years ago, after taking my Wilderness EMT in 1979. I learned a TON more in the WFR class than that early WEMT session. I trust NOLS for medical knowledge.

I'm not saying that homemade kits aren't good, but why go through the effort when you can buy the same thing at Cabela's?

Stay safe,

Hans 

Steve Osterholzer's “A Wilderness Filled Soul”

 

I confess it took me a few chapters to get into this book. It’s not that “A Wilderness Filled Soul” isn’t a wonderful book; it is. It’s just that I am not a hunter, and the book is primarily stories of Steve’s elk hunting experiences with his family. But then, two chapters grabbed me. First, the chapter where he uses his mountain bike to get to and from his hunting area, much as I do with fishing, and second, the absolutely wonderful chapter where Steve transcribes his daughter’s memories of her first hunt. I was pleased to find that I’m not the only guy out there whose daughter (or granddaughters, in my case) finds them somewhat annoying. Back to my point, it took me a while to get into the book because I am primarily an angler and not a hunter. It’s not that I have anything at all against hunting; it’s just not an activity I take part in. But as I experienced with “Wilderness Waters,” Steve’s writing is exceptional, and draws you in to where you feel you are right there beside him, whether it’s slogging up and down a snow-covered slope, looking through the scope of the rifle, sighting down the shaft of an arrow, or celebrating your son or daughter’s first successful hunt, you get the feeling of being right there with the author, seeing what he sees and experiencing what he feels.

I think the best description of how captivating Steve’s writing is, came from my wife, who picked up the book from where I had left it the evening before and started reading. She told me that she was three chapters into it before she realized that I wasn’t done with the book yet. After I finished, she took it and continued from the point where she had left off. My wife, like me, is a fly angler, not a hunter, but she comes from a family of hunters. I didn’t even have to recommend the book to her; she recommended it to herself. Now, I’m recommending the book to you. “Ae Wilderness Filled Soul” is beautifully written, captivating, and immersing. Steve Osterholzer paints with words a scene as magnificent as anything Chris Denham captures on video on “Western Hunter,” and that’s saying a lot because that show’s videography is amazing. So is Osterholzer’s writing. Hunters, particularly those who hunt Wapiti, the elk, and those who hunt with their sons, daughters, and wives, will love this book, and even if you’re not a hunter, you will enjoy the experience of hunting alongside Steve Osterholzer he takes you along on the journey of “A Wilderness Filled Soul”

Available at: https://steveosterholzer.com/

There's a reason I say, "Be Prepared, Be Safe, and We’ll See You on the Trail"

 

I always end my Old Ranger’s Backcountry podcasts with, “Be Prepared, Be Safe, and We’ll See You on the Trail.” There is a reason for that, and a reason that I am constantly harping on carrying the “10
Essentials” with you anytime you go into the backcountry, even if it doesn’t seem that remote. I gained my first Red Cross first aid instructor certification in 1972 and have been instructing first-aid ever since. The following semester I got my first EMT certification, and in 1979, My First Wilderness Medical certificate. I’ve been a search and rescue volunteer, worked ambulance for many years, coordinated emergency medical services at numerous special events, and of course was a park ranger for many years. Needless to say, I’ve seen many, too many incidents that could be if not prevented, dealt with more effectively by being prepared.

Over this past weekend a follower/friend of mine on X (Twitter) had a relatively minor incident that could have indeed been much worse. She ended up with a nasty laceration just above her left eye. Less than an inch to the right and it would’ve been much more serious. Fortunately, there were a number of people on hand who could assist her, and she’ll be in good shape and just a few weeks. (It isn’t stopping her from fishing, though.)

Admittedly, I am always a bit of an overkill type when it comes to first-aid kits. Usually in the summertime I have three in the car; one that stays under the driver’s seat unless needed, one in my mountain bike rack pack, and one in whichever daypack I’m using, fishing, trail patrol, snowshoeing, whatever. Each is one is equally designed for the activity I’m involved in, whether it’s mountain biking, cross-country skiing/snowshoeing, fishing, or being responsible for others on trail patrol. They are heavy on trauma supplies, pain relief, allergic reactions, and other discomforts that I have encountered in my years of doing this. It used to be that I had to buy an empty pack and build my own response kit. The one in my snowshoeing/ski pack, dubbed the “football,” is the last of those. In the past decade or so a number of commercial first-aid kit manufacturers have addressed real-world needs, and various party sizes. For instance, the “football” is designed to take care of one or more persons for an extended time frame in a cold environment and also includes splinting material since those activities frequently result in sprains and fractures. The small Adventure Medical Sportsmen’s kit in my fishing pack is more for small injuries, such as in impaled fishhook, cut finger, etc. The old National Mountain Bike Patrol provided kit in my rack pack is designed for cycling related injuries, and the one under the seat of my car for more generalized first-aid needs. Oh, and after an incident several weeks ago, we now have a first-aid kit in the house that also includes Blood Stopper bandages.

Of course, none of this means anything if you don’t know how to use it. There are resources online, both in terms of courses and YouTube videos, but nothing beats the personalized touch of having a certified first-aid instructor, preferably one with experience in the same activities as you will be participating in, showing you how it’s done. If you’re going to spend any time in the backcountry or biking, boating, camping, away from rapid medical care (EMS) take the time to learn first-aid and keep the information current.

My friend will be back in her fishing kayak, none the worse for wear. But what happened to her should serve as a reminder that we need to be prepared and we need to be safe. We’ll see you out there.

 

Stream Fish in Winter? In a MinneSNOWta winter??

(Apologies for no recent posts. I have a "part-time" retirement job that seems to keep morphing into full-time, despite my best efforts to the contrary. When I have the time to hit the water, the weather and other commitments scheme against me, and when everything else should be good, I don't have the time. I'm trying to make that change this year.)

Three of my favorite podcasts, "Dead Drift Outdoors" on YouTube, and "The Backcountry Fly Fishing Podcast" and "Casting Across" have all recently posted on the topic of winter stream fishing. I haven't done that in quite a few years, but I am going to try one of these weekends soon. I am doing my research, and will include equipment lists, safety considerations, and general suggestions about where to go in the snow in a future post and Old Ranger's Backcountry Podcast on YouTube.

Ross at "Backcountry FFP" is based in Colorado, and his casts (pardon the pun) reflect that. He hits the water at altitudes over a mile regularly, and therefore his approach is different than that of Matthew at "Casting Across," who is a pastor in Vermont, the "Green Mountain State." Both of them are different than mine here in the Lake Superior watershed. Jon at Dead Drift Outdoors lives in the Southern Tier of Upstate New York, where I grew up and, with the addition of the western Adirondack Mountains, where I learned to fish. Those streams, some of which I'm fairly sure I recognize from back in the day, are very similar to the ones I fish today in Northwest Wisconsin and Minnesota's Arrowhead region.

Earlier this week, Jon posted a video of fishing a stream in the Southern Tier, his first this year, and I really enjoyed it. I am (hopefully) re-posting it here, and I would encourage you to check it out, like it, and subscribe to his YouTube channel. His podcasts are top-notch, filmed beautifully, and highly informative as well as entertaining. I am also posting links to "The Backcountry Fly Fishing Podcast" and "Casting Across." You should check those out as well. You'll be glad you did.

Dead Drift Outdoors:

The Backcountry Fly Fishing Podcast

Casting Across

Wilderness Waters: A Book That Touched My Heart

 

The final line of Norman Maclean’s epic short story, A River Runs Through It, is, “I am haunted by waters.” I turned 71 last week, and more and more I find that is the case with me as well. If you look at my bookshelf there are books that confirm this, with names like Calling After Water, Healing Waters, The Voice of Rivers, Ernest Hemingway’s Big Two Hearted River, John N. Maclean’s Home Waters, (which I love) and my most recent, Wilderness Waters by Steve Osterholzer, which I also quickly grew to love.

Wilderness Waters is a deeply introspective look at the author’s long-standing love for and exploration of northern Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. I was drawn to the book by its description in a book review I read in one of the flyfishing magazines I receive every quarter, and also by the comments on the cover by John Eldredge, a Christian pastor, best-selling author, and leader whom I respect. The book is subtitled, “adventures paddling & fishing the wilderness.” That also drew me in, right there. It took me a while, due to work and other obligations, to get around to reading the book, but over Labor Day weekend, faced with my third surgery on my left foot in four years the following Wednesday, my wife and I went camping on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. My happy place. I almost couldn’t put the book down. It didn't just draw me in, it grabbed hold of me, and didn’t let go until the last page. Now, I am haunted by Wilderness Waters.

There are many, many quotable lines in Steve’s book. Probably the first one I made note of is in the chapter explaining the what and the why of the Boundary Waters. He says, “You’ll find quiet here. But not just quiet surrounding you – you’ll find quiet within you. You’ll discover needs you may not even know you had. A need for adventure. Exploration. To minimize.. To think. Listen. To discover what’s truly essential in your life.” That’s deep, and some of the chapters are deep like that. Some of them are quite funny, like his adventures with his wife he calls the “perfect paddling partner,” or his wilderness latrine rating system. Others describe the gamut of emotions he experiences in the wilderness, particularly during solo expeditions. He talks about fear, courage, and the awakening of his senses to the natural world that he’s paddling through.

I could go on and on about this book. But suffice it to say, it touched my heart. It touched my spirit. There are parts I could identify strongly with, and others that caused me to sit back and think how I would approach the situation he describes. But the best thing I can tell you about Wilderness Waters is, buy it, read it. Meditate on it. I think you’ll love it. I do. I am haunted by waters, Wilderness Waters.