Mike Ostrander is the James River’s jack of all trades. He’s a catfishing guide — for blue cats on the tidal James and flatheads in the falls; he’s a history guide; he’s an eagle guide; and he’s a youth fishing instructor. I’ve written about him a number of times in columns for the Times-Dispatch. And because Ostrander’s on the water so much — at all hours of the day — he consistently comes up with some amazing pics of the river.

The above is one of those. It was taken at sunrise yesterday on the tidal James. Of course, I’m partial to the one below, taken in the same area right around four years ago. That’s me with a 66-pound blue cat. My biggest catch ever!

If you have a moment, check out the pics on Mike’s site: www.discoverthejames.com. It’ll make you realize what we have here and Richmond and want to go experience it more often.