I haven't done any interviews in quite some time so I thought it was time for another one. Being I have done mostly interviews with people form the hunting industry I figured it would be nice to talk with someone from the fishing side of things. So Here is Mike Agneta of Troutrageous!



Mike why did you get into blogging about the outdoors?


My blog really didn't start as anything more than a fishing log, plain and simple. I wasn't trying to educate, I wasn't trying to entertain, I just wanted to keep track of my outings (and maybe post a pic or two of my daughter Lilly for displaced family members to keep tabs on her). If you were to look back at my early posts, they had far less "filler" then my posts do today. http://www.troutrageous.com/2007_06_01_archive.html


What is your favorite part about blogging?

My favorite part about blogging is hitting the "Publish" button. Seriously. Blogging is a creative outlet for me, it allows me to speak/write openly and hopefully get in a laugh or two in the process. Hitting that "Publish" button is when I get to see the fruits of my labor up on the screen for the first time. I'd also be lying if I didn't mention the "community" that's evolved amongst us outdoor bloggers. It's really taken off since the OBN launched, but even prior, active blogging allows one to travel to different parts of the country and interact with some really great people on a daily basis.


Where do you draw your blogging inspiration from?

Honestly, I don't know. We live in an era of such information overload...I think I get inspired or ideas simply through osmosis. It could be something I read on another blog, something I see on TV, an email, a tweet, an event that happens during the day, you name it. My blog is fishing really in theme only, pretty much anything is fair game for a post.



Maybe Mike draws his inspiration from his fishing "Nook", but I guess we will never know for srue.


What are a few outdoor blogs in your opinion are must follows?

That's really a tough one to narrow down...have you seen the size of my blogroll lately? There are so many good blogs out there today, and I really do read (& try to comment on) each and every blog in my blogroll. That said, if my "stuck on a desert island" blogroll could only contain say 3 blogs, they'd probably be Moldy Chum, Fly Fishing the Southern Blue Ridge, & This River is Wild, simply because of the content (I like trout) and the frequency of posts. That Abnormal Outdoors blog ain't too shabby either.


Do you have any good blogging tips you can provide us with?

The best tip I have is that your blog will only be as vibrant as you make it. You can write great content, but most likely people aren't going to read it on a regular basis unless you go out and reciprocate. Find blogs you like and go comment on them. If they have the Google Followers widget, follow them. The more effort you put into networking, the more regular readers you'll eventually obtain. That said, a blog doesn't have to have a huge audience to be satisfying for the author to write. Everyone has their own personal reasons for blogging, and it's not all about traffic.


Who introduced you to the outdoors and fishing?

Unfortunately, nobody; I'm a city boy. I'd go fishing every now and then as a kid with friends, but nothing serious. No real role models. No camping, no hiking, no hunting, none of that stuff. We played a lot of basketball instead. I had a mean 3-point shot once upon a time. I learned pretty much everything about fishing in books, online, and through trial & error.



Must be a City Boy, casting in the grass. Mike you won't catch any fish there!


When did you start fishing?

As an adult, about 5 or 6 years ago. I moved very close to a large farm park with a stocked trout creek. It kinda piqued my interest in fishing again, and it's been downhill ever since. I've since moved, but obviously haven't forgotten about fishing. I write a lot about fly fishing on my blog...but I've only been doing that for about 2 years. In relative terms I'm still a fishing noob!


Can you tell us about your absolute best fishing trip?

Two years ago when my daughter Lilly caught her first fish. It was awesome. Helping her reel in that fish was more exciting than any fishing experience I've had on my own. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwrj7JGKtDw Words can't explain the pride. You have kids, so I know you know what I mean.

Mike already has Lilly Hooked on fishing. Good thing its Fish Creek Spinners

If you could pick just one aspect of fishing what would it be?

I'll be honest with you, I don't go fishing to catch fish. I go to escape the daily grind. To me, there's nothing more relaxing than standing in cool, knee deep water with nobody around, emptying your mind, soaking up nature, and trying to place that fly in the tight spot right under that overhanging branch. If I catch fish in the process, that's just a bonus.


Other than fishing, and blogging what do you do to keep yourself busy?

My soon-to-be 5 year old daughter keeps me really busy. Work takes up the lion's share of my weekdays, so the weekends are designated family time. I love doing pretty much everything with Lilly, especially spending some Daddy/Daughter time when it's just the two of us. Oh, and I watch a lot of sports on TV. I'm a rabid Eagles & Phillies fan. This upcoming baseball season should be a lot of fun.



Mike and His daughter Lilly


Finally if there is anything else you would like to add about fishing, blogging, or anything at all please feel free to enlighten us.

No, not really. If you've read my blog you know I'm not a very "deep" person. The next enlightening thing I say will probably be the first. That noted, I wanted to thank Ben G. Outdoors for this interview opportunity. You run a great site here Ben; I've been a big fan for a while and consider you friend and nothing but a class-act. Looking forward to all that 2011 will bring over here.
 
If you haven't been to Mikes Blog go check it out Troutrageous!


Mike I wanted to thank you for taking the time to do this interview. You run a great blog and I am honored you were willing to do the interview. Thanks.
 
Ben G.