Meet Anietra Hamper, a new featured writer at “Women’s Outdoor News.” Anietra worked as an investigative reporter and anchor in television news for nearly 20 years before making the switch to run her own company, ThreeWordPress. She is now a writer, broadcaster and speaker in the outdoor and fishing industries. Based in Ohio, Anietra is an avid angler and is thrilled to pursue her passion around the world.
Anietra learned to fish from her grandfather, who began teaching her from a young age. The different fish species she saw and caught as a girl fascinated her. Today, she seeks unique fish and has fulfilled her goal to reel in a catch as big as herself. She says, “The thrill is the same, wondering what amazing species might be coming up from the water and being surrounded by the nature’s beauty in the process.”
Anietra is an award-winning author and writes for numerous publications, including “Women’s Outdoor News,” “Game and Fish Magazine,” “USA Today” and many more. You can visit her at her website, ThreeWordPress.com, to find out more about her travels. Those three words her website refers to are “someday starts now,” and it’s a mantra that Anietra lives by. Read on to discover her answers to our six Gal Gab questions.
Describe a typical day in your work life.
No two days are the same for me. As former television news broadcaster and an outdoor journalist, one day I might be working on an in-depth story for an article about fishing for unique species around the world and the next I might be shooting a scene for a movie or commercial. My world has shifted from the confinements of being seen in a small box in people’s living rooms to literally living outside the box and spreading my wings to take all those skills as a news anchor and investigative journalist to push the limits of my curiosity through my passion for the outdoors and fishing.
I enjoy traveling to new destinations around the world and fishing for species that most people have never heard of and challenging myself to learn new skills and to pursue species that are notoriously difficult to catch. I do this to satisfy my own curiosity, but also to share these experiences with others through my stories so we can care about protecting these species that all play a critical role in our greater environments and ecosystems.
#1 piece of advice you would give other females who want to break into the industry?
Be authentic in what you do and take the lessons that you learn to heart from those who inspire you. I am proud of the movements I have made as a female in the outdoor and fishing industries. I celebrate other women who have made inroads for females in the outdoor industry. I am thankful for the publications who have welcomed me into the fold as a trusted voice for their outlets, even when most of their audiences are male.
I am thankful to the men in the fishing industry who show me respect when I am often the only female fishing in many of the regions that I travel to around the world. All these things matter, and they happen because I am genuinely passionate about fishing and the outdoors. Success in the industry cannot happen by posturing and pretending. It only comes from having real grit and an ability to connect with audiences by breaking through difficult stereotypes.
What motivates you?
Untapped opportunity. I thrive on challenges that I think are too lofty to achieve. Whether that’s going after fish bigger than me in remote environments that challenge even the most hardened outdoors expert or chasing new projects that offer me growth in my field and expertise. I’ve been to the remote jungles in Guyana in South America several times fishing for species among jaguars and anacondas around me and each time spending about three weeks in the rainforest. It is magical and aggressive, but the opportunity to fish for species that most people will never see in their lifetime is a challenge worth conquering. I take this same approach to life.
Most unexpected thing you’ve learned, while working in this industry?
You never know it all, despite how much you think you know. Being involved with the outdoors allows me to constantly grow and it is exciting to always be elevating my skills and knowledge. Though I am considered an outdoors expert particularly with global fishing and destinations, there’s always someplace new to experience and species in new places that challenge me. Being thirsty for knowledge and always learning from those who I admire is paramount for my own growth.
Favorite product in the outdoor or shooting market right now?
My favorite products right now are functional clothing that offer sun protection. As a light-skinned, blue-eyed, freckled redhead who frequently fishes in harsh climate like Amazonian jungles or in the heat of Asian countries, solid sun protection is critical. Outdoor brands have come a long way in designing reliable high-factor UPF fishing clothing that is also fit-for-purpose and designed for women. This is a huge step forward in my book!
Let’s have some fun … what weapon would you use to battle a giant?
I marvel at what I call the super-powers of Amazonian fish species that basically live to survive and do so with quirky and cool defense mechanisms. I would summon up one of those features for myself to fend off a giant. I would conjure up the razor-sharp teeth and instincts of the black piranha, the marble-sized eyes of the wolf fish that can navigate the dark waters of deep lagoons as a stealth predator, or the fangs of the payara that are otherwise tucked away in its head when not chasing prey. I’d adapt my Amazonian fish superpowers to defend against whatever the giant slings at me.
Visit Anietra Hamper at her website, threewordpress.com.
"Anna" is a teenage girl who loves to write, read, and do just about anything artsy. She enjoys writing about nature crafts and her experiences while learning to hunt and cook wild game. Anna firmly believes that backyard chickens lay the best eggs and that spending time outside with her flock every morning will start the day off happily. She is extremely grateful to her best friend, who inspired her to really take writing seriously. You can find her lost in her latest idea or listening to her sister "Rose" read book quotes. View all posts by Anna
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