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Al Pugh

Al "River Jack" Pugh, Newport News, VA

Al Pugh grew up on the Greenbrier, and learned the outdoors crafts from his father - Al calls him Pappy to this day. Al remembers, "Pappy never took a poor shot, kept a fish the family didn't need, and always wanted the other person to have the best show." Al married his high school sweetheart - two sons and a Navy submarine career later they are still looking forward together. Both sons love the outdoors, hunting and fishing whenever the opportunity occurs.

These days Newport News, Virginia is home, but Al works for a defense contractor in engineering management in the Washington, DC area, providing him a wider scope of rivers to fish. He hunts and fishes whenever he can, and loves to introduce others to these pursuits.

Al did his first writing for RiverSmallies.com and Gary Yamamoto's Inside Line Magazine, and still cherishes those associations. Additionally, he is associated with Case plastics and Cabin Fever Tackle. Most recently he joined the Pro Soft Glue Pro Staff with Mike Rice's Innovative Products, Inc. It has been some time since Al fished any sort of tournament tour, but his fishing experience dates to 1959. Al feels that going "pro" in this way gives him both the freedom and the responsibility to choose his associations carefully - he believes he has done just that.

He primarily fishes rivers for smallmouth bass, and his most likely lures are of the plastic variety (Senkos, tubes, Hula Grubs, Mad Toms, etc), followed closely by hair jigs, small silicone jigs, and selected hard and wire baits. He's searched for replacements for Phil Shafer's hair/fur jigs since Phil semi-retired from the business. Al throws Butch Neal's silicone jigs, buzzbaits, and spinner baits, but he primarily chooses Yamamoto plastics, backed up by Charlie Case's creations, among others.

With his hectic work-a-day schedule, you may find Al on any of the mid-Atlantic rivers, from the Susquehanna south to the New, or inland as far as West Virginia's Greenbrier and New. By his own description a "jack of all trades" on the river, and since Al's grandfather (seven generations back) ran a ferry on the Greenbrier and was called "River Jack," Al has taken the email address river_jack_gen7@yahoo.com. Al responds to all serious inquiries, but asks that you allow him a "bit of time" to reply.