As you may have noticed in prior installments of “Catching up with…” a lot of interviewees wanted to know what Emily Blankenship, or as people know her, “The River Damsel” (from her blog of the same name), is up to these days.
Back in the the blogging days of yore, Emily was relatively new to fly fishing and wrote a lot about her workweek escapes to the water. Reading her blog each day opened our eyes to “adventure in every riffle”…
Emily doesn’t post as frequently on her blog as she used to, probably because she’s out crushing big trout left and right. You’ll see some of the monsters she’s bringing to hand today in this interview, and I might add Emily has always had the best fishy manicures.
I had the pleasure of meeting Emily in person in 2012 and we spent a super fun day fishing (and trying to outrun the police) in Wyoming. That was the first time I ever fished in Wyoming, or bought a fishing license from a Kum & Go.
Now, let’s catch up with Emily Blankenship…
Emily, what have you been up to over the last ten or so years?
I still have my accounting job, which I will hopefully be retiring from in a few years. My husband and I have four children and four grandchildren. My life changed after I had a total knee replacement last year. Less fishing because of the pain and slower healing. (It’s been 15 months now) When I go out on the water though, I feel pretty good. It is just the drive home and the next day that I really feel the stiffness and pain. But, I haven’t given up fly fishing. It still gives me the stress relief and time to relax from every day life. It’s a part of me.
Do you miss the fishing blogging community at all? Have you kept in touch with anyone from that bygone era?
I do miss it. Just don’t see how I can get the readership back now that I have been gone since last August. I am thinking about writing another post soon though. Even if no one reads it, I will have it for my posterity. That is why I wrote in the first place… To compile a book of my adventures for my grandchildren, so they would know more about their crazy grandma. Haha. I will always remember getting a pretty large group of bloggers together in Colorado for the “Flyfishing Frenzy”. That was a great trip. I follow Bill Trussell (Fishing Through Life) still. Mark Kautz (Northern California Trout) shut down his blog, but we email. And I follow that Troutrageous guy of course!
Are you still fishy? Do you still find time to fish? If so, how often, where, and for what?
My fishing life is mostly in Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho. I try to get out once a week if my pain isn’t too bad. I’ve done a couple of trips to Montana also this year. Rainbows, cutthroats and brown trout seem to find my net.
I found most people wrote their blogs as a personal journaling exercise or a creative outlet. What’s your creative outlet today?
Since my surgery, I have done more baking. I usually make bread and rolls on the weekend and give away to neighbors. My cookie baking has slowed down since I dropped 35 lbs. But, I still do bake up a batch when the kids come over for Sunday dinner! And when I have a fishing trip with a friend too. My creativity has been lacking when it comes to writing. Just need to get the “urge” to do it again! If there was a circle of bloggers to get in with, I would probably get involved again.
I’m interviewing you today. Is there anybody from outdoor blogging’s past you think I should track down and interview next?
Howard Leavitt, but he has been MIA on Facebook… So, not sure if you could reach him.
Is there anything you’d like to add that I didn’t ask you?
Waiting for you to fish Wyoming again!!! 😁 I promise bigger fish. Haha
Finally, assuming you’d want to be found, where can some of your old blog friends find you today?
The best places to find me are at theriverdamsel.com and The River Damsel Facebook page.
Many thanks to “The River Damsel” Emily Blankenship 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.
This has been a great idea to catch up with our old friends of the blogging world. Good job, Mike! It’s been a pleasure knowing you all of these years. Come back out and fish the West anytime!!
Thanks RD. Those friendships from back in the day are real. It’s been a joy reconnecting. (P.S. – I’ll come back out, I promise.)