Capt. John Parkhurst Introduction
Capt. John Parkhurst of Parkhurst Charters is a contributor for Mouths of the Merrimack. His podcast with Mouths of the Merrimack is live now as Episode #3
Capt. John subdues a large Mako with his bare hands!
I started fishing and going hunting with my dad while still in diapers. My father would take me to Sunset Lake ice fishing, where I would skate around, rushing to beat my brother over to the flag to pull up pickerel and perch by the dozens. Dad would take me to swamps to watch the ducks land and do the scouting needed for a successful opening day. Throughout my childhood, I would ride my Huffy Sledgehammer mountain bike around Pelham, NH to fish Beaver Brook, Gumpus Pond, and other “secret spots.” My parents had a campsite at Ottercreek Campground in Danby, VT, where I learned to fly fish at about 9. I caught my first big rainbow on the fly on Ottercreek, and they got my picture in the Vermont Sportsman Newspaper that month. I was instantly hooked. I began taking fly tying classes, buying more gear, trying different locations, and became attached to the shifts between fishing and hunting seasons.
Capt. John working the buggy whip from a young age
I started fishing and going hunting with my dad while still in diapers. My father would take me to Sunset Lake ice fishing, where I would skate around, rushing to beat my brother over to the flag to pull up pickerel and perch by the dozens. Dad would take me to swamps to watch the ducks land and do the scouting needed for a successful opening day. Throughout my childhood, I would ride my Huffy Sledgehammer mountain bike around Pelham, NH to fish Beaver Brook, Gumpus Pond, and other “secret spots.” My parents had a campsite at Ottercreek Campground in Danby, VT, where I learned to fly fish at about 9. I caught my first big rainbow on the fly on Ottercreek, and they got my picture in the Vermont Sportsman Newspaper that month. I was instantly hooked. I began taking fly tying classes, buying more gear, trying different locations, and became attached to the shifts between fishing and hunting seasons.
My grandfather was a bit of a local legend on the Willoughby River in Vermont, having landed a state-record brook trout. He took me fishing as often as possible, but my favorite memory is when I fished the Willoughby with him. He was bullshitting with his fellow fisherman, and I was putting on a clinic compared to the hundreds of fishermen standing shoulder to should on the banks. “Taught em’ everything I know” was heard from the banks of the Willoughby that day, and I understood the generational tradition to hand down the knowledge one gets from a lifetime of this pursuit. Fishing hasn’t become just a “hobby” of mine. This is a lifestyle and passion I think about every day. That connection with my grandfather and how proud he was makes him live on forever through the stories I tell of the crazy things he would do on the water or in the woods. The passing of the torch is happening now with my 6-year-old daughter. She has gone hunting and fishing with me since she was in diapers. It’s an incredible feeling to see them catch a big fish or go hunting; trust me, it means more than any success I’ve had in the woods or on the water.
At age 12, I went to the Vermont youth hunters ed camp on Lake Bomoseen, where I got my hunter’s safety “orange card.” I hunted as “one of the guys” with my father’s friends, and it gave me a needed step of maturity and acceptance among those I respected the most. I was becoming a man experiencing a need to be responsible, trusted, a team player, and have a shared interest to enjoy the outdoors. Again, guys like Rich, Vern, Donald, Ricky, Freddy, Bob, and others made up hunt camp were part of my father’s efforts to teach me how to be a good hunter. At age 15, all of their hard work and patience paid off, and I shot my first deer! The celebration and pride that followed were something hard to recreate. I was now a member of the fraternal group of hunters in my mind.
These experiences helped shape my work ethic and drive throughout college and purchase my first home and then my first real boat. My 20 foot Alaskan Lund was my battleship to do everything my pursuits could imagine at the time. Lobstering, duck hunting, striper, and even on a rare occasion, offshore haddock fishing (I was young and dumb…not recommended). I enjoyed many seasons with this boat until fate dealt me a different hand. I was diagnosed with Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma in August of 2013 and battled this for over a year. I wouldn’t let my diagnosis slow me down and could work, hunt and fish throughout treatment. The cancer was a blessing in disguise. I became more driven to share my love of the water, so I bought my Steiger Craft 255 Miami in 2014 and got my captain’s license. It all happened so fast, and I wasn’t sure if I had what it took to succeed. It has seemed to work out as I’ve been doing about 70 charters a season now for many years. I made many friends on the water throughout the years that have positively influenced my life. I continue to learn and grow as a man, father, fisherman, and hunter and want to share that passion and lifestyle with whoever will let me chew their ear off about it.
To Book a Trip with Capt. John click on the picture!