As a kid I spent a lot of time fishing with my dad. We were surrounded by water in the Tidewater region of Virginia. On summer weekends, we’d get in his truck and swing by his friend’s house who had a backyard “worm farm.” I had a special technique for getting the worm onto the hook without touching it.

Dad was skilled at fishing in all kinds of water: fresh, brackish, and salt water. The purpose of fishing was to get a closer look at the sea life that came up on the line; we rarely kept anything we caught. I was especially intrigued by marine life we’d see from fishing piers in the Atlantic, like stingrays, puffer fish, and flounder.