BOISE, Idaho _ By his estimate, Stephen Veals spent more time fishing in 2018 than many anglers spend in a lifetime.
The Boise man cast a fly every single day last year. Yep, 365 days straight.
"This was going to be the only way I'd survive 2018," Veals, 31, wrote in a blog post chronicling the effort. "I had to just keep my mind occupied on the positive thoughts of fishing. I needed this." The effort started off as lighthearted competition to best a fishing buddy's goal of 75 days on the water in 2018. Slowly, it became something that buoyed Veals through a tumultuous year.
"(I thought) 'Man, 2018's not looking good,' " Veals said in an interview. "My father-in-law's health was declining, (my wife, Laura, and I) were flying out every other week to visit." Plus, he said, he lost his job as a videographer for a mobile accessories company, had to put down his 12-year-old yellow lab and learned the vehicle he'd driven since high school was broken beyond repair.
"Plus, for a public lands fan and advocate, it's been a tough administration," Veals said, referring to the Trump White House. "That was all weighing on me as I evaluated what makes me happy." Fishing was it.
