From a very young age Thomas Humphrey of Salina has fond memories of his family’s fishing adventures. At the age of three or four he remembers fishing trips to local rivers where his papa and his uncles fished. “It was part of the family culture, at the end of the day they would come home with the catch, sit and talk while the catch was being cleaned.” “Sometimes we ate that night while others we would save it”, said Humphrey. While Humphrey may have gotten his start fishing the riverbanks he has grown into an accomplished angler himself and now frequents Kansas lakes, streams, and rivers. While his love for fishing grew so did his outlook on the sport.

Four years ago, during the pandemic Thomas caught a creative urge. An urge to capture those personal best and even the failures every angler faces. Thomas and his good friend Malcom were having a great year of fishing and often talked about starting their own YouTube channels. “During Covid all we could do was watch tv or fish and when we watched tv we were watching people fish”, said Humphrey. The duo thought “well we could do something”, and it was Malcom that was first to start a channel, PureKatfish. It wasn’t until the purchase of a camera on Thomas’s birthday that Black Magic Angling, Thomas’ channel was started in September of 2021.  Thomas began to bring his camera and his newfound passion of capturing his trips. Now bringing the camera equipment is just a part of how he fishes.

While fishing may come easy to Thomas, he learned early on in his channel that there was more to learn about running a successful YouTube Channel. As his followers grew so did his knowledge of filming content at the water’s edge. How to speak into a camera, tips on getting more battery power to film longer, and how to frame a proper scene are all struggles Humphery has overcome. “I’m still learning, and I’m always open to gaining more knowledge”. “But it’s also to show folks you can do this too. I’m just a guy from the middle of the country who goes out and throws a line in the water”, said Humphrey.

As we move into the new year like many of us, Humphery has a long list of goals. Fishing trips to neighboring states, hopes of landing those new personal bests, and collaborations with other YouTubers in the area to name a few. He also hopes to grow his channel and begin to connect more with his viewers. Humphery says he would love to visit with followers of the channel and see what can be learned through conversation, a tried-and-true way of exchanging knowledge for Humphery. One that surely brings up memories of times spent with family.

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Kansas 2025 Fishing Atlas Cover Photo by Tanner Colvin:  Thomas Humphrey fishing at Outlet Park below the dam at Kanopolis State Park.

Story by Tanner Colvin. For 2025 his goal is to capture more human interest stories that focus on people’s hobbies. What they do, how they started, and why they’re passionate about it. Think Humans of New York, but with a hobby twist. He is calling the series Frame of Interest.