Five Question Friday: Bill Sherck

Five Question Friday with Bill Sherck. Sherck is the "Man About the Woods" for NBC-affiliated Minnesota Bound and the "Man Afield" for Pheasants Forever Television on Versus.

PF: How did you get your job titles?

BS: Shortly after I started with the company (Ron Schara Enterprises), Ron and I were sitting on the hay bale, getting ready to introduce a show. Ron asked how he should introduce me. We threw a bunch of possible job titles back and forth and, finally, Ron said, "How about The Man About the Woods?" It stuck. For Pheasants Forever Television, we tweeked the title a bit.

PF: So, have you ever been lost in the woods?

BS: Anyone who spends any amount of time in the woods and says they've never been lost, is lying. Even if you find yourself unsure of your whereabouts for five minutes, you're lost. Yes, I've had a few instances where I wasn't quite sure where I was. That's the bad news. The good news, I had quite a bit of outdoor training when I was younger. Topics like orienteering (a lost art these days) and outdoor survival. The first bit of advice, and certainly the most important, is to have a calm head and a ton of patience. Find yourself lost, stop in your tracks. Sit your tail down and think through the situation. More times than not, you'll get back on track. Whenever I'm headed out for a few days, I always try and leave an itinerary with someone. That way, if I don't return home on time, someone will always know where I'm supposed to be.

PF: Over the years, any really great or really horrible interviews stick out in your mind?

BS: In my former life, I was a television news guy. I worked as a local and national news reporter for more a decade and people rarely wanted to see us show up with a camera. That job included tough interviews on a daily basis. These days, as an outdoor journalist, folks are pretty happy when we show up. We tell stories about the natural world and those people who appreciate and protect it. The work leads to a lot of new friends.

PF: With as many scripts as you put together, do you ever get writer's block? If so, how do you cure it?

BS: All writers do run into a few mental glitches now and then. It comes in stages and actually starts on the road. We travel quite a bit and after so many days gathering stories, both the photojournalists and I get a little tired. I find myself chompin' at the bit to get back home and put together a few stories. Back in the office, the writing process starts with all the tape we shoot in the field. For a roughly four minute story, we'll shoot anywhere from two to four hours of tape. I watch every second of that video and log all the pictures and sounds. Then, I take all those notes and try and write a story. It's tough to narrow down all the content into a four minute story. I also try and use quite a bit of creative writing in my work. That, sometimes, leads to writer's block. I'll write and then erase. Write and erase. Write and erase. If I get too frustrated, I'll just move on to another story and come back to the original a day or two later. A break normally does the brain wonders.

PF: You're an avid fly fisherman. Good fishermen never give away their best kept secrets, but what are some of your favorite spots?

BS: I seem to have a reputation lately as a fly fisherman. First, let me explain that one....I've been a walleye, pike and bass guy my entire life. Dad and Grandpa taught me to fish when I was just a tike. I've been sitting in my fishing boat ever since. As a kid, I did learn to cast a fly rod but never paid much attention to fly fishing until four or five years ago. I discovered a fly rod is a great tool to use to fish for pike, bass and panfish. When I wade a stream in search of trout, it's an entirely different approach to fishing. You read water, pay close attention to bug hatches and stalk fish. Fly fishing's just been a recent area of interest for me. I'm still a walleye junkie. Okay, now for the meaty secrets... If you want to catch fish, your very first stop should be Minnesota's DNR website. There, you can find maps and fishing info for just about every lake in the state. It's an incredible resource. On that same website, you'll also find detailed maps for every trout stream in the state. They show public easements, nearby roads, species managed, essentially all the information you need to find fish. Next piece of advice? Stop by the local bait shop. You'll be surprised how much info you'll get if you just ask questions. Still can't find fish? Leave your camera at home. I find every time I forget my camera, the big fish bite!

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