out there and I would try to figure out how to do everything on
a fly.” With being known as a fly-fishing aficionado, he wrote the
foreword to fishing expert and personal friend, George Daniel’s
book Strip-Set: Fly Fishing Techniques Tactics, & Patterns for
Streamers. Don Jr. appreciates the technicality of fishing, in every
method, and craves the chase of a big fish and that gratifying
feeling of the catch.
Last summer while fishing off of Martha’s Vineyard, Don Jr.
landed a feat that he had been chasing since his childhood: a
record worthy 50-pound Striped Bass. He was using an 8-pound
braid with a topwater plug. After getting beat up by the gale force
winds, Don Jr. watched as an explosion erupted on the water’s
surface, and he knew exactly what it was. He abandoned his
phone on shore, jumped in the water and swam to unwind the
line from the rocks. He shouted to his friend, “I am not letting this
fish go.” And he didn’t. He landed him in open water, his hand
buried in his mouth to release the plug, hoping to not get hooked
to the plug with this mammoth Striper pulling on the other end.
With his multiple-decade dream accomplished, Don Jr. made
the ultimate sacrifice: he released the fish so it could breed and
make more commendable opponents for the future; and in doing
so, he relinquished a world record title and bragging rights, but at
least he’s got a good story to tell.
While the season may dictate whether Don Jr. is on the water or
in the woods, he is always making sure his hunting game will be
on point. “I can’t recall a weekend where I haven’t hunted or shot
pretty extensively for as long as I can remember,” Don Jr. said.
He prepares himself physically by keeping to an intense CrossFit
regimen. And when it comes to hunting, he plays the long game.
He believes that the pre-hunt is half the fun of the actual hunt. All
of the work and preparation that goes into the pursuit makes the
score that much more satisfying.
Don Jr. is no stranger to any facet of hunting. He hunts using
archery, rifles, shotguns, hand guns, revolvers – whatever the
season allows, he’s packing. But he’s partial to bowhunting. “If
I only did one thing ever, it would probably be bowhunting,” he
said. Bowhunting has an extended season, which is one of the
reasons Don Jr. prefers it, but the leading reason is the challenge
of it. Bowhunting transcends hunting beyond just shooting – it’s
a proximity game. Like everything in his life, Don Jr. doesn’t take
the easy route. He trusts the hard efforts put into something to
make something great. “It’s 100 percent a lifestyle and I live it
fully.” Even though the weekends are limited compared to the
long grueling hours of the week, Don Jr. always looks forward to
the great rustic escapes with his family.
Don Jr. has been described as an outdoor sport ambassador,
an accomplished conservationist, a national scale voice for
hunters, and even a Fifth Avenue Redneck – all endearments
for his advocation and affinity for hunting, fishing and the
great outdoors.
74 The TRUMP RALLY Publication