Carson Prichard

Carson Prichard (born 1986) is an angler and author whose first book, The Salmon Capital of Michigan, presents an oral history of the rise and sudden fall of the Lake Huron Chinook salmon fishery. Prichard grew up in Jenison, Michigan, fishing as often as he could as a child and teenager. He went to Grand Valley State University where he earned a bachelor’s in biology, but perhaps more importantly, he developed a passion for Great Lakes salmon and steelhead fishing, as well as a friend base deep in the angling community. To pursue a career that would align his work with his values, Prichard earned masters (Michigan State University) and PhD (Central Michigan University) degrees researching Great Lakes fisheries through a scientific lens. His work has been published in academic journals such as Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. He has since expanded his research interests to include the human aspects of fisheries--those of memory, emotion, beliefs, and values--which now form the focus of his writing. Beyond research and writing, Prichard spent three seasons in organic farming in mid-Michigan, has served food and shaken cocktails as a waiter and bartender at restaurants across the states of Michigan, Washington, and Florida, and has held various other food service jobs to support his interests in travelling, backpacking, distance running, and of course, fishing. He is just as passionate about raising egg-laying chickens as he is fishing for 100-pound tarpon from his kayak (which lives permanently on the roof of his Toyota RAV4). Prichard now lives in Gainesville, Florida with his calico cat, Gemma.