Canyon Conquerers: Who Are These Edge Explorers?

(Originally published January/February 2023)

By Capt. Andy Siegel

Offshore fishing is an unusual variation of angling, more of a team sport than most types of fishing. Northeast Atlantic canyon fishing is unique in that it involves traveling very far to the fishing grounds, using multiple fishing methods, and staying out at sea for a long time. Canyon fishermen are a minority of a minority in the fishing world. Until you have done it, the draw of such long runs and extended stays may be hard to understand. Having to transit 60 to 100 miles, sometimes many more to get where the action is, has a purifying effect on the people who do it.

In other words, by the time you get done with a canyon trip, you can’t fake liking it; you either go again and again and again, or you don’t.

In that respect, our corner of the fishing world has almost no posers; only people who love it and go as often as they can.  I am energized by spending time with others who share this passion.  In the slow months of winter, when we are reloading for another round, we should celebrate who we are as