GREAT BARRINGTON -- The art of fishing has a lot to do with timing and patience; with knowing when to give slack and when to pull in. It’s a perfect metaphor for the characters in Joan Ackermann’s ...

Right to left, Walter Biggs, Alan Haynes and Beau Biggs, spinning yarns in a Concho County hunting camp. Walter Biggs told how a popular fishing lure, the Zara Spook, got its unusual name. Special ...

DOWAGIAC, Mich. Almost every serious angler knows about the Heddon Zara Spook, one of the top-10 artificial lures of all time and still a standby after 80 years. But did you ever wonder how it got its ...

If there is just one topwater lure to have, it’s the Heddon Zara Super Spook. It comes in a variety of colors and is deadly for trout, redfish and bass. It has been around since 1939 and is a perfect ...

Sure, "Zara Spook and Other Lures" is about fishing as three ladies take part in an angling tourney. But, wait a minute! This is about more than fishing, isn't it? Yep. The Joan Ackerman play looks at ...

Largemouth bass are opportunistic feeders. Everything is on the menu for these aggressive fish, from crustaceans to worms to frogs to mice. I even once hand-fed a piece of fried chicken to a bass.

Freshwater anglers have lots of topwater options. In the bass game especially, those looking for surface eruptions can dip into practically any lure genre and find the perfect bait to call up a hog.

GREAT BARRINGTON -- Mixed Company kicks off its 30th anniversary season Thursday evening with Joan Ackermann’s comedy, "Zara Spook and Other Lures." The production previews Thursday and Friday before ...