This interview is with James Hills, Editor / Publisher – Men’s Travel and Lifestyle at ManTripping.
James Hills, Editor / Publisher – Men’s Travel and Lifestyle, ManTripping
James, for those who may not be familiar, tell us a bit about your background and how you became a leading voice in men’s travel and father-son adventures, especially those focused on the water.
I began my blogging journey more than 10 years ago, simply by writing about places I wanted to go and things I wanted to see. I was doing SEO and web consulting for some mom blogs at the time and wanted to do something for men, but different than “boys behaving badly.”
The trope of men going off on a trip and leaving their wives behind while they focus on getting drunk and doing bad things wasn’t my lifestyle, and I know a lot of other guys just enjoy a good ole fishing trip with the boys too. Sure, you can have fun, but that’s different from what we saw at the time in movies like “The Hangover.”
Your website, ManTripping.com, specializes in transformative travel experiences. What inspired you to focus on this niche, and how did your passion for cruising and fishing with your son play a role?
Taking time to get out and do stuff together as men is really important today—as it’s always been. However, especially regarding young men looking for strong role models, it is very important that we help make sure that masculinity isn’t forgotten about… even while we work to remove the negative aspects that some men are known for. i.e. fighting and treating women badly is something we should leave in the past, but the art of using a piece of string and some metal on the end of a stick to catch dinner is a skill that every man should know how to do. Even if you aren’t a big burly dude, we need great cooks and bards as well. These are stories that get lost in the modern media narrative and I like to promote it.
Many fathers and sons share a love for fishing. How do you think this shared passion can create a unique bond and what are some of your most cherished memories of fishing with your son?
Fishing, as well as hunting, is a great way to spend time together as men. There’s a primal hunger inside each of us to find food and eat it—powering ourselves and keeping our families taken care of too.
Too often in life, men lack confidence, but after a day on the water catching fish, learning about nature, sharing stories with other men, and then hopefully cooking and eating your catch while relaxing back at camp, it’s hard to deny that you don’t feel connected to some ancient masculine tradition that demands we continue to prepare our sons to do more of even after we depart.
You’ve spoken about cruises being a fantastic way for fathers and sons to connect. Can you elaborate on why cruising, particularly for a fishing enthusiast, offers such a conducive environment for bonding?
Cruises and boating in general are again a way to connect men with ancient masculine role models of sea captains and adventurers. While modern cruising is far from the epic tales of ancient mariners, there’s something magical about being on the ocean.
From a father-and-son perspective, there are so many incredible lessons to learn from studying nature, watching wave patterns, exploring new cultures, even trying new foods and learning about new technologies related to communications, propulsion, and environmental protection.
Cruises are way more than just relaxing in a lounge chair (but yeah, you can do that too!). Plus, for guys that love fishing, imagine being able to put your hook in the water at three to four different places around the Caribbean during a week-long voyage. Or heading down to Cabo for some tacos, whale watching, and fishing!
For a father and son planning their first fishing trip together, what advice would you give them to ensure a memorable and rewarding experience?
I think it really differs on what age they are doing their first fishing trip at. For instance, if it is a dad taking his five-year-old son fishing for the first time, then it’s more about just getting him comfortable with experiencing a live fish for the first time—maybe the experience of holding a knife or pliers while holding your hands over his.
For adult father-son fishing trips, the experience is different, and there’s an opportunity for you to talk about climate change or share memories about your dad who took you fishing for the first time.
Choosing the right fishing destination can make or break a trip. What factors should fathers and sons consider when selecting a fishing spot that caters to different skill levels and interests?
There’s a whole bunch of factors to consider, including money and level of experience. Those are probably the two most important because they are also highly variable. For instance, if you have a little budget but lots of experience, there are some great affordable fishing trips you can do in Alaska, staying in rustic cabins.
On the other hand, if you have lots of money and little experience, you can go fly-fishing in Montana and have an amazing time, like I did, where I tried my hand at fly-fishing from a boat for the first time, while having every aspect of the experience taken care of for me, short of actually casting the fly. It was so much fun!
Packing for a fishing trip can be tricky. What essential items do you recommend fathers and sons bring to make the most of their time on the water?
Packing for a fishing trip is pretty straightforward with the exception of specific items based on your location and bait/lures, etc., for the fish you guys are going after.
However, with the added element of it being a father-son fishing trip, it’s essential to remember camera gear and extra batteries. Take this a step further and consider things like maybe even investing in a waterproof 360-camera that you can mount on the boat to capture every moment, or even just bring a GoPro on a pole so you can get that action shot of your son reeling in that big catch.
Beyond the act of fishing itself, what other activities or experiences can fathers and sons enjoy together on a fishing trip to further enhance their bond?
Probably the most important element of a father-and-son fishing trip is the chance to relax and have some good conversations. Most women don’t get it and want to know what we talk about: ‘stuff,’ ‘nothing much,’ but those ‘nothing much’ conversations are incredibly meaningful in building bonds as men.
Plus, things like learning to start a fire, how to clean and cook the fish, how to identify a brown trout vs. steelhead, those are all skills that can be learned and shared while fishing and transferred to life as practice for pattern recognition, memory building, leadership, patience, etc.
Looking back on your own experiences, what is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned about the father-son relationship through your fishing adventures together?
Ironically, the most valuable lesson I learned, I didn’t learn at the time fishing with my dad, but rather years later while doing something similar with my friends and their kids.
The weird control issues my dad had about doing things “right” and “this is the way” seemed overbearing and frustrating at the time, but looking back at it now, I understand that’s because he wanted to show me something and I wasn’t ready to learn. There’s no way to force that lesson, and each of us needs to take those experiences one by one and do what we can individually.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I think ultimately, it’s interesting how the role of father and son has changed over the years from one where the dad was supposed to be a commander, making sure his son followed the right path, to something today that’s a bit more open and loose. Regardless of what generation you come from, though, there’s a lot you can learn by spending some time listening while spending time out on the water.
Whether it’s about boating on the Great Lakes or listening to your dad ramble about the way things used to be, or moaning about the fact that fish just aren’t biting like they were when he was a kid, going fishing is a great way to just have some “guy time.”
On the other side too, make sure that the younger of the pair has time and feels comfortable sharing thoughts and fears of how climate change is causing things that were once normal to become abnormal, or the fact that in today’s connected world you can use technology to literally see the fish underwater without spending thousands of dollars.
That tech might seem like cheating to an older generation, but if it’s what gets your son excited about going out on the water and spending some time together with you…embrace it! Focus on learning, not just teaching.
