Bill Bernhardt

My father was an avid outdoorsman and he instilled a love of the outdoors in me very early in my life. In fact, due to his love of hunting, fishing, and camping, he practically raised me in the outdoors for which I am eternally grateful! Thus, with his help, he taught me to shoot my first handgun at age 2 and then started taking me camping at age 3 and taught me to fish age 4. Then, at age 8, he taught me how to fly fish and started taking me hunting at age 10. In addition, I also became fascinated with both archery and wilderness survival at around age 10 and with firearms after my father gave my first bolt action rifle at age 16.

In fact, I often think of myself as somewhat like the old mountain men who used roam the western wilderness for a few short decades since I have been an avid outdoorsman my entire life and I am still far more comfortable in the wilderness than I am around people. Thus, to this day, I am an avid shooter, bow hunter, fly fisherman, camper, and wilderness survivalist and I spend every available moment in the outdoors.

In addition, after moving back to my home town in western North Carolina in my early twenties, I again took up the ancient art of fly fishing on some of the most beautiful trout streams in the world. Then, after spending countless hours exploring and fly fishing local trout streams, I discovered that I had a talent for guiding and teaching people how to fly fish. So, I decided to become a professional fly fishing guide and instructor which I pursued for over twenty years.

Furthermore, after reading my father’s outdoor magazines as an adolescent, I also decided that I wanted to someday be a professional outdoor writer just like the fellows who wrote the articles that I read. Thus, after having many of my students tell me that I should write a book about fly fishing, I finally decided to do so and discovered that I did indeed have a talent for writing. Thus, after writing my first book on the ancient art of fly fishing, I went on to write and publish 8 more books.

Also in pursuit of my childhood dream, I have also been a professional outdoor writer for over ten years now and I have written over 1,800 articles on many different outdoor topics for several different magazines and many different websites.

Thus, I have spent my entire life living in and learning about the outdoors and a large part of my life writing about what I have learned so that I can pass along my knowledge to others who find it useful. So, I hope that you enjoy my books since I have worked hard to write them in my endeavor to teach others what I have learned about the outdoors.

Bill Bernhardt

Professional Outdoor Writer and Author