Bjorn Stromsness, was/is probably best known in online fishing circles from his blog, Bonefish on the Brain.
His blog was one I came across as I started casting my net wider than trout, and into the larger world of fly fishing. It’s a great mix of trip reports, personal reflections, family updates, fishing news, and conservation information… all with a lean toward the salt, and the “gray ghosts” that are bonefish. Rewinding the clock, I’m pretty sure I learned more about bonefish (and tarpon) and the need for conservation of their habitat from Bjorn’s website than anywhere else.
Bonefish on the Brain is still alive and well, although like most fly fishing blogs that peaked during the late ’00s and early ’10s, new posts are a bit less frequent than they used to be. There’s so much great stuff on there, it’s definitely worth checking out after taking in this interview.
Now, let’s catch up with Bjorn Stromsness…
Bjorn, what have you been up to over the last ten or so years?
The last decade has been BUSY, and maybe that is the kryptonite for blogs… a busy life. I’ve been in the same job now for 11 years, selling rare disease blood testing (who knew?). I’m in year 11 of a fantastic marriage and our 10 year old takes after his mother, luckily. My daughter is 17 and I don’t see her much and have to experience her mostly on fond memories.
As for my fishing, that’s fallen off a fair bit, although I’m headed to Christmas Island in 2025 for the second time (went there for the first time in 2019). I’ve fished Belize a few times and the Bahamas a few times in the last decade. I still love the salt and bonefish, but I get three weeks of vacation and have a family and it is hard to squeeze things in. We have a family trip this summer to Scandinavia and my wife tells me this will be our first major family trip in our 11 years that hasn’t had a fishing component. I’m trying to listen to that. I need to share my time.
Instead of blogging, I coach soccer. I’ve gotten very involved in our youth soccer program. I coach, I ref, I’m on the Board. That vacuums up a lot of time, but I’ve really loved it. I’m trying to be Ted Lasso.
Do you miss the fishing blogging community at all? Have you kept in touch with anyone from that bygone era?
I do miss it, really. Looking back, we were kind of influencers before that was a job or identity (and certainly before it paid anything). I met so many interesting people through the blog, through writing and doing interviews and going on trips. I still keep up with a few people. One guy I met through the blog I’ve been playing D&D with on-line for about 5 years now. My first Christmas Island trip had 3 guys I met through blogging and one of those guys is coming back to Xmas with me. So, I still have some relationships from those days. I’m not really forging new ones as I’m not doing that work, not putting in the time.
I also miss companies reaching out and sending me gear to test out when I have a trip. That was fun. I got to fish a lot of gear I wouldn’t have otherwise put on the water. That was highly enjoyable. Now, really, I have what I need. I have close to 30 rods. If I need a 12 wt., I have one. If I need an 8, I have 4. I’ll buy my own boots. I have the “stuff”, but I do miss seeing long packages show up at my doorstep.
Are you still fishy? Do you still find time to fish? If so, how often, where, and for what?
I’m still fishy. I had a trip last summer, towed my raft 900 miles and was able to find a LOT of fish and get my son on fish too. That was good validation that I haven’t forgotten how to ride the bike. I was able to catch my personal best brown and I did it myself. I kind of love that stuff. I’m not finding myself on a lot of new water, which is something I miss, for sure. Even when I’m visiting some of my home waters, I tend to have my son with me and can’t hit it exactly like I did in my youth (ya know, my 30’s).
We also moved my dad out of the mountain town I grew up in. He’s 82 and in fairly sharp decline. That means I don’t have family in a trout town or a free place to stay, and that limits those trips. I did get out with my dad last year on a guided trip and managed to get him a trout to reel in. That’s almost certainly the last day of fishing he’ll have. These are the sorts of milestones and memories I’m making these days.
I fish for trout more than anything else, but that was always true. I’ve also been known to throw for stripers in the SF Bay and to fish for anything if I find myself in Hawaii.
I found most people wrote their blogs as a personal journaling exercise or a creative outlet. What’s your creative outlet today?
Coaching soccer, for sure. I find myself putting together explainers and little videos for my kids, other coaches or parents. I’ve poured my soul into it.
These days I think the effort is still there from the “community,” but it is more Instagram or YouTube and it is just so professional. Seems harder to throw your hat in the ring when you might need a good working knowledge of video editing and drone videography. The folks out there doing it now seem like they are doing it as their main job, or as a significant part of it, at any rate. There’s a lot of good stuff out there. It’s just changed.
I’m interviewing you today. Is there anybody from outdoor blogging’s past you think I should track down and interview next?
Matt Smythe, I’d say. Dude continues to be interesting. Josh Mills also.
Is there anything you’d like to add that I didn’t ask you?
I’ve realized there is some stuff I’m just moving away from. I had a couple of really cool trips to the Keys, but now, that all just seems like it is too much, too crowded, too competitive. I find myself more content with a 6 hour day instead of a 14 hour day. I’m not haunted by waters. I remember them fondly and look forward to new memories and new places. I still have bonefish on the brain.
Another thing that maybe has changed is just how polarized everything is. There are folks I maybe would have fished with or talked to 8 years ago that I wouldn’t feel comfortable around now. Yes, it is politics. I’ve mostly been able to talk fishing with folks I maybe didn’t agree with politically, but now, for lots of people, that gap has grown into a gulf so large there’s no getting across it. That’s a regret. I don’t love that part of this timeline.
Finally, assuming you’d want to be found, where can some of your old blog friends find you today?
I’m very easy to find. I’m on Threads (@bjornorama) instead of X or Twitter. I’m on Instagram (@bjornorama). Heck, I’m on YouTube if you want a lot of soccer content.
Many thanks to Bjorn Stromsness for “Catching Up With…” us today.
Post Script: If you’re wondering why I’m interviewing these random people, or just what “Catching Up With…” is all about, visit this page for a brief backstory.
