Fishing for God--and vice versa

William R. (Bill) Rooney calls himself a “card-carrying codger” and admits to a lifelong weakness for and love of the natural world and the creatures to be found there—especially those that lurk in watery depths. Blessed by being able to combine his avocation (fishing and the outdoors in general) with his vocation as an editor/writer, he spent his forty-five-year career toiling for a variety of publications: fifteen years on the editorial staff of Outdoor Life magazine, the last five as managing editor; eighteen years as editor of American Forests, flagship of the old-line conservation group of the same name; a stint as managing editor of the NRA’s American Hunter magazine; and six years overseeing the publications of The Wildlife Society. For some thirty-five years Rooney has operated his own freelance editing/writing business, with sales to all of the “Big Three” outdoor magazines, the Washington Post and New York Times, airlines pubs, and many other outlets.