For his upcoming new edition of Spey Flies and Dee Flies: Their History and Construction, Oregonian John Shewey traveled to northern Scotland in search of flies tied by the legendary ghillie Geordie Shaw. He found them, after years of searching, hanging on the wall of the Craigellachie Hotel.
John Shewey's Spey Flies and Dee Flies: Their History & Construction
"Since selling his fishing rod company in 1997 to Shimano American Corporation, Gary Loomis has spent the last eleven years at G.Loomis, Inc. in a promotional capacity and assisting when needed on new rod designs. Now, Loomis has decided it is time to move on and focus on other interests, including several conservation projects in which he's involved. He founded Fish First, a group dedicated to restoring salmon runs in his home state of Washington in 1995, and was the driving force in bringing the first chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association to the West Coast."
Read the extended entry for the full press release.
Continue reading "Gary Loomis Announces Retirement from G. Loomis" »
Looking again at a copy of "Tarpon," the 1974 film by Guy de la Valdene and Christian Odasso of UYA Films, got me wondering more about the slice of time that produced so much interest in tarpon fishing and conservation in the Florida Keys. A little research turned up this piece by Jim Harrison in Sports Illustrated's December 1973 issue on the prominent Keys guides of the era: "When he is not enervated by bad weather, Woody Sexton gives the appearance of tremendous strength and vitality. He constitutes some sort of classic in conservative guiding; while most guides have turned to larger skiffs -- Fiber Craft or Hewes -- for the comfort of their customers, Sexton keeps his light Nova Scotia. The skiff was bought from a Hamiltonian Republican who named it Amagiri years ago after the Japanese destroyer that sank PT-109. The name is still on the skiff and has been known to vex some of the Navy personnel on the Keys."
Interestingly, the makers of "Tarpon" chose not to focus on the guides but on the fish and the slightly hallucinatory experience of fly fishing on the flats. Harrison's piece proves, I think, that the writers who were fishing there at the time understood the game very well, no doubt because of the guides, who were genuinely impassioned about the sport and not in the game to become celebrities. The film's estimation of the threat to the future of tarpon bound the writers, guides, fishermen to accept that it was all too good to last. Yet here we are, 35 years later, with most of that first generation of expert guides gone, and the tarpon are still coming.
This week on MidCurrent, guide and filmmaker R.A. Beattie shares his terrific short film on the relationship between Alaskan guide Mark Rutherford and his daughter Kate, who is also a guide. Not only does the film showcase the young filmmaker's talent, it's a teaser for a larger story, which Beattie introduces here:
"In July of 2006 Mark Rutherford, of Wild River Guides, and I were dropped at the headwaters of an un-run tributary of the Upper Nushigak River in Bristol Bay Alaska. We were strangers. We had only spent the last 20 hours together before this point, but had created enough trust during a winter of phone conversations to attempt a dangerous endeavor: a first descent of a virtually unknown river. Our trip was a monumental success, but did not come easy. We struggled through a twelve-hour portage from our landing pond to the headwaters, fought hypothermia during viscous storms, sustained almost entirely on salmon (which were sometimes difficult to find), and managed to capture some astounding footage."
"If I have one message on this Earth . . . it is that fly fishing is fabulous... no really." Fly fisher, actor and author Henry Winkler (the Fonz), comments on the real life stories behind his series of books that are meant to help build children's self-esteem.
When the Wall Street Journal ran a story on Carl Hiassen's new book The Downhill Lie: A Hacker's Return to a Ruinous Sport, I couldn't help but once again notice the similarities that might compel a fly fisher to play golf, and vice-versa.
WSJ: Have you played golf since finishing your book?
Hiaasen: I actually played yesterday. I hadn't played in a month. I disgraced myself completely. A lot of the strategy in golf involves getting your excuses lined up. This time there were no alibis, it wasn't windy, there were no snakes on the course. I shot an abominable 97." We don't have many snakes on saltwater flats, but we do have rays. And more than one beaver has spoiled a perfect drift of the fly.
By the way, you won't see Hiaasen fishing "like a putz." He's recognized as one of the top bonefishers around. You can see his fly box on MidCurrent.
Colorado's Post Independent posted this piece on a couple of the filmmakers featured in the new 5 Point Film Festival, which runs May 8-10 in Carbondale. One of them is R.A. Beattie, who at age 25 is focusing his considerable cinematographic skills on fly fishing. In the interview, Beattie explains his attraction to film: "Why make movies? 'I love the storytelling process. When we create a film we don't have story boards. We don't have a shot list set up. It's cool to go to a place where you don't have expectations, and you don't know what you're going to shoot or what story you're going to tell.'"
You can watch a sample of Beattie's work along with the story behind why it was made on MidCurrent.
Tom Pierce started guiding in Key West back when wire was the preferred material for tarpon shock tippets. His experimentation with knots for dissimilar lines led to many improvements in leaders, not the least of which was the Slim Beauty knot. And he's one of the most mentioned captains in the IGFA world record book. Through it all Tom has remained one of those guides that never boasts, never says an unkind word about a client, and would rather be fishing than doing anything else. The Miami Herald's Susan Cocking describes an example of the complex leaders that Tom has perfected over the years for catching large, fast, or toothy fish on fly rods. "The fly line was connected to a 12-inch butt section of 30-pound mono, which was fastened to a six-inch section of thin shock gum, which stretches like parachute cord. There followed another small butt section with a loop to connect to the two-pound, tournament-grade tippet which was fastened to a flexible wire-trace bite tippet. It seemed to me you could launch a fly shop with just what was on my rod."
We learned late yesterday that David Foster, who was at the helm of Morris Communications' national outdoors magazines, including Fly Tyer, American Angler and Gray's Sporting Journal, finally succumbed to the cancer he had been fighting in recent years. As Don Rhodes notes in an Augusta Chronicle obituary, Foster never lost his desire to enjoy one more day in the outdoors: "He wrote in one of his blog postings, 'Even the last day of your life can have meaning. A warrior friend died recently and I went to see him the day before the last day of his life. He smiled weakly and said, "Dying ain't so bad. You get to hold the hands of all the people who love you." Frankly, I would rather be shooting birds, but you gotta give him credit for keeping life going to the very end.'" Steve Walburn, general manager of the Morris Sporting Group of magazines, noted that Foster "fought his disease with incredible determination and courage. David was a friend and mentor to our entire group, and the Morris national magazine division is in large measure part of his legacy."
With U.S. political energies reaching a frenzy, is it any wonder that pundits are scrutinizing the reflection in Dick Cheney's fishing glasses? "In a Google search for the words 'Dick Cheney' and 'sunglasses,' 79,300 hits came back at midafternoon on Thursday. On DemocraticUnderground.com, the discussion starts with this question: 'Notice anything ... interesting ... reflected in his sunglasses? Something that has little to do with conventional 'fly-fishing'?'" Kevin G. Hall and George Bridges in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Meanwhile Moldy Chum seems to have found an even more astounding photograph -- of a reflected Dick Cheney.
"If you are a rock and roll fan, the name Cory Wells no doubt is familiar. He’s a co-founder, guitarist and a lead singer in Three Dog Night. Brought together in 1968, no other group achieved more top 10 hits, sold more records and concert tickets than Three Dog Night from 1969-74." As Wayne Shaw reports on SanLuisObispo.com, Wells's record for white bass on 8-pound tippet may have been broken, but his passion persists.
Oceanographer and Harvard professor James McCarthy co-chaired the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change from 1997-2001. Last year the Panel shared the Nobel Prize for Peace with Al Gore. His hobbies? Fly fishing, telemark skiing, woodworking, and polar history. "And I do all my own auto repairs, and my cars are over 15 years old." Billy Baker in the Boston Globe.
The only thing we can be sure of is that he won't be getting lessons from Dick Cheney.
Meanwhile sports bar cook Dan Taylor is now proudly displaying Obama's signature on the rainbow trout sign he brought to Saturday's Missoula, Montana rally. "'I'm going to frame this sucker. You will never see this on eBay,' he said."
Writing for the news Web site of Penn State, where Harvey began preaching the merits of fly fishing in 1934, Margaret Miceli and Danielle Vickery pay tribute to a well-loved teacher. "His successor, Joe Humphreys, also a retired Penn State faculty member, characterized Harvey as 'a good man.' 'He really enjoyed helping people,' Humphreys said. 'He taught approximately 35,000 people how to fly fish. In Pennsylvania alone, he taught 72 classes in 68 cities.'"
Yesterday's letter from the friends of Marlene, Duane, and McKenzie Hada says it all:
"Duane Hada and his family have been consistent in supporting the great watersheds and fisheries of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Duane is well-known to a great number of fly fishermen, as a guide, fly fishing instructor and artist. The Hadas’ have contributed much to conservation via donated artwork and personal time to numerous worthy causes. Now they need your help."
Duane's wife Marlene is fighting a serious battle with breast cancer, and the medical expenses are mounting daily. Their friends are organizing a raffle to benefit the Hada family. The drawing is on May 17, and ticket prices are only $20, or 6 for $100. The prizes are pretty amazing, and show how important the Hadas are to their friends. They include a day with Dave and Emily Whitlock on the White or Norfolk Rivers (with accomodations and gear), a $6000 L42 River Boat, Simms waders and jackets, several guided trips and, of course, original art by Duane.
To purchase a chance at these prizes and do something good for the Hadas, just visit the Marlene Hada Raffle Web page. You can buy tickets with a credit card or by check. Read more about the benefit here.
"The split-cane rods run between 6 feet and 7 feet long and feature special detailing like a rattan grip and Ramanauskas's hand drawn India-ink fly art logo. As expected, a rare rod of fine craftsmanship will cost big bucks: $2,650 in this case. Ramanauskas also makes an elite Eden Cane line of node-less bamboo rods." Tracy Harmon profiles bamboo rod craftsman Bernard Ramanauskas in the Pueblo (Colorado) Chieftain.
You can listen to an audio podcast of an interview with Ramanauskas on MidCurrent.
Joe Doggett reappears in the Houston Chronicle (thankfully) writing about two people who were instrumental in bringing fly fishing to waters around Rockport, Texas. I've fished with Dave Hayward, who is now Orvis's southwest regional manager, in both Texas and the Keys, and he is easily qualified to be a professional guide in his own right. Chuck Scates was a name in the business at a time when fly fishers were just discovering the fabulous sight fishing in Aransas Bay. "Hayward redeemed the choke with an excellent cast on a 27-inch redfish weaving through water so shallow the gleaming back was exposed. The fish snatched the fly and turned against the positive strip strike. Five minutes later, Hayward held the red against the hull, then opened his hands for a clean release. Scates grinned from the poling platform. 'It's a lot easier when you wait until they get the fly in their mouth, eh?'"
We got word yesterday that George Harvey, a fly fishing icon and central figure in Pennsylvania trout fishing, passed away on Monday. Besides authoring a handful of books -- including Techniques of Trout Fishing and Fly Tying and George Harvey: Memories, Patterns and Tactics -- and many, many magazine articles, Harvey is credited with starting the first college course in fly fishing, at Penn State, with which he is said to have introduced tens of thousands of younger anglers to the sport. Of course Harvey was also the originator of the George Harvey Dry Fly Knot, which you can see demonstrated here.
Jarkko Suominen of Finland took first place in the national competition, which was also open to the teams competing in the World Fly Fishing Championships that start today. Second place went to Sando Soldarini of Italy while Suominen's teammate Janne Pirkkalainen was third. Judges also gave special commendation to ten-year old Jacob Bond from Lake Rotoma, who has been tying flies for just a year.
Read the extended entry for the full press release.
Continue reading "Finnish Tier Wins First New Zealand Fly Tying Championship" »
"'When I started out I had one rod and two lines. Now I have six to eight rods and 20 different lines.' Most anglers put a fly on and fish it all day. The competition anglers are changing flies every five minutes." In New Zealand's Manawatu Standard, Ewan Sargent interviews Paul Dewar, who describes his 3D approach to visualizing trout water.
This week Thomas McGuane joins the editorial board of MidCurrent. He brings literary acumen, of course, as well as a unique sensitivity to fly fishing literature and art as a whole. Nick Lyons recently said: "Among all the great fly fishing writers writing today, I would include Tom McGuane at the very top." In an age of increasing political correctness in both art and sport, McGuane chose to loosen the reins. His suggestion, "If the trout are lost, smash the state," gave trout bums a mantra of their own and sent a wake up call to anglers who had ignored the connection between bad government and the loss of fish habitat.
McGuane is perhaps best known among fly fishers for his novel Ninety Two in the Shade, which was nominated for a National Book Award for Fiction in 1974, and for The Longest Silence, a collection of angling essays. His novel The Bushwhacked Piano received the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Award for a Work of Fiction in 1971. Some of his other books include The Sporting Club and The Cadence of Grass, and, most recently, Gallatin Canyon.
Tom joins Bruce Richards, Chico Fernandez and John Merwin in helping to guide MidCurrent forward, and we are very happy to have him.
"'You can miss where you're casting. You just pick it up and cast it again,' he said. 'You never know if a kid is going to do what you've told him to do and, actually, I've had flies that have reacted a lot better to my instructions over the years than a lot of the players I've had, so maybe I'm better at fly-fishing than coaching.'" Perhaps because screaming at flies doesn't guarantee a good drift.
Bobby Knight will be a featured studio analyst during college basketball's March Madness broadcasts, as noted by Nancy Marrapese-Burrell on Boston.com.
Fly fishing artist and guide Duane Hada's wife was stricken with advanced breast cancer this year, and it has devastated their family. John Berry gives the details on a recently announced fundraiser to aid the family.
Good cause, good people. Do what you can.
"There's something particularly feminine about fishing. It has something to do with water -- that elemental association of the female with water. I think of Venus rising from the foam in Botticelli's famous painting. Women own the water, and make us out of it. There is, in Radcliffe's great history of ancient angling, a lovely Classical and sumptuously naked Venus sitting next to a stream, her rod nicely bent to a fish." Gordon Wickstrom draws parallels between water nymphs and life cycles in Boulder, Colorado Daily Camera.
"You know me as a journalist but in another life I'd have been ...
I've always wanted a daily television show so anything else would have been my second choice. Maybe I'd be a wilderness fly fisherman."
In the U.K. Independent.
Whether it be Bill Clinton, John McCain, or Kenneth Lay, Washington politicians in trouble have long counted on attorney Robert Bennett to throw them a lifeline. While the not-quite-innocent may idolize Bennett, his own role models share a personal passion: fly fishing. "Mr. Bennett admires former Michigan Supreme Court Justice John Voelker, who famously penned a 1950s blockbuster mystery titled 'Anatomy of a Murder.' I have always considered Voelker the patron saint of fly-fishing lawyers, and Mr. Bennett seems to agree. Voelker, who wrote as Robert Traver, took the book's proceeds, quit the bench, bought a cabin on a pond in the Michigan woods, and spent the rest of his days catching fish and writing books such as 'Trout Madness' and 'Trout Magic.'" David Keen in The Wall Street Journal.
Apparently when ultimate fighting star and former NCAA wrestling champion Josh Koscheck wants to chill out, he heads to the nearest stream. "A Pennsylvania native, Koscheck grew up in steelhead fishing country. He kept it up while wrestling at Edinboro University, adding fly-fishing to his repertoire. 'One year I was hurt in wrestling and I probably fished 40 some days in a row while I was in college. I just fell in love with it,' he said. 'It's something I've always loved to do and always get time after my fights to go out and get away for three, four days and do some fly-fishing. Not only do I fish, I tie my own flies too. I'm really, really into fly-fishing.'" In the Canadian Press.
When most of us hear the name Roderick Haig-Brown, we think of his A River Never Sleeps (1944), or perhaps The Seasons of a Fisherman (1939). We don't automatically connect him with keeping British Columbian salmon safe from dams and being broadly active in environmental education. But in fact he rivals any conservationist for the impact he had on preserving B.C.'s natural resources. To mark the accomplishments of Haig-Brown and his wife Ann Elmore, the Museum at Campbell River launched a year's worth of celebration with a speech by the couple's daughter. Paul Rudan covered the event and offers a short biography. "After moving from England, the Haig-Browns settled in a home located on the south bank of the Campbell River. Roderick Haig-Brown became an active fly fisherman who traipsed along rivers throughout Vancouver Island. He wrote 25 books on fishing and the natural surroundings, and is recognized today as a pioneering conservationist who helped shape the values for community leaders in Campbell River and abroad. He also served as a local magistrate and, later in life, as Chancellor of the University of Victoria." In the Campbell River Mirror.
There is also an attractive (albeit rather empty) new Web site for Haig-Brown enthusiasts at www.haigbrowninstitute.org. Hopefully the creators will begin to seed the site with some samples of the author/conservationist's fine writing.
"Mr. Daniels, the son of a German university professor and a Chinese mother, entered banking in 1975, joining Citibank after a taking a degree in history at Cornell University and a masters in management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology." Well, he grew up in western Montana; of course he is a fly fisherman. Dominic Walsh in London's Times.
There is a class of fly fisher who spends the better part of a lifetime working to perfect their knowledge of an aspect of the sport. These people rarely pursue notoriety, but they share their knowledge willingly and improve the fishing of anyone lucky enough to come in contact with them. Bill Nash, who passed away on Wednesday, was one of those special class of anglers. His self-published "Flycasting Systems" became a bible for many folks who appreciated the intricacies of knots, and in my opinion his testing and constant search for ways to improve fly fishing knots was in a class by itself. Bill spent most of later years fishing California waters and was a regular contributor to Dan Blanton's bulletin board. If you care to read samples of Bill's fine advice you can find it there, along with what is surely to be an outpouring of sentiment about what Bill did for his fishing friends.
Gresham hosted and produced The American Sportsman on ABC and Shooting Sports America on ESPN, was shooting editor of Sports Afield magazine for 26 years. "Gresham's affable personality and love for the outdoors combined with his trademarks, a driftwood hat and white muttonchops, made him a recognizable figure around the world."
Bob Edwards interviewed author, fly fisher and cutting horse devotee Thomas McGuane on XMRadio on his January 31 show. Even if you don't have XMRadio, you can listen to a portion (and purchase the rest) of the podcast on ITunes (just go to "Podcasts" and search for McGuane), or you can buy it from Audible.com for $2.95. In the interview McGuane talks about the eastern literary establishment, writers who live in "flyover country," and how getting bitten by a rattlesnake feels like getting whacked with a stick.
You can also read samples of McGuane's writing on MidCurrent: "The Longest Silence" and "Foundationless Opinions" are examples of what Nick Lyons has said is some of the best fishing literature ever written.
Commercial tier and fly fishing hackle supplier Henry Hoffman began raising chickens in 1974, just in time to enjoy the boom in interest in the 1980s. But it wasn't all a bed of rose petals, as some former wives might attest. "The grueling effort, which required extensive research into the world of poultry and large expenditures on feed, drove off his first two wives and left him unable to pay child support by 1973." Nice profile by Cassandra Profita in the Astoria, Oregon Daily Astorian.
"Though his friend Carrie Stevens won wide acclaim for her streamer flies, it was Welch who virtually invented the streamer for catching trout and salmon in the Rangeley watershed. Herbie Welch came to the Rangeley area in 1903, according to Graydon and Leslie Hilyard's wonderful book Carrie Stevens, and established himself as the region's premier guide, fly-tyer and taxidermist, the latter skill enhanced by his training as an artist in Paris (France)." Blogger Nick Mills gives a short history lesson inspired by a visit to the Fly Caster's Club of Boston.
"Laura Prepon enjoys the casual, laid-back appeal of small-town living. She finds pleasure in horseback riding or fly-fishing. Prepon, 27, was born in the small city of Watchung, N.J., home to a little more than 6,000 people." Jeffrey Dransfeldt in the Ventura County Star.
"Jack Handey, a former Saturday Night Live staff writer, moved to Santa Fe full-time with his wife Marta in 2003. In addition to the character of Jack Handey—famous for his “Deep Thoughts” bits—Handey is also the mastermind behind the characters of Toonces, the cat who could drive a car—but not very well, and Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer." Handy's second passion after writing? Fly fishing. Cullen Curtis in the Sante Fe Reporter.
As tier and fly shop owner Pat Ehlers reminds us, it takes only one fish -- and not a very big one -- to spark a lifetime obsession. "Pat Ehlers of Franklin, Wis., has seen 40 birthdays pass and he has tied more than 10,000 flies since that fateful day. But he can still dial up the scene like it's on DVD. 'Wading in Anderson Spur Creek in Marinette County, had on cut-offs and a T-shirt, getting mauled by mosquitoes,' said Ehlers. 'Tied on a green caddis fly I had tied and caught a 6-inch brook trout. Nice.'" Paul Smith in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Seven years before ESPN's somewhat stilted production of Guide House (featuring Paul Dixon, Brendan McCarthy, Amanda Switzer, Matthew Miller, and Bryan Goulart), Dixon was profiled in New York magazine by writer Guy Martin. Besides noting Dixon's annoyance at Peter Kaminsky for wanting to eat his fish, Martin captured some nice subtleties about the sport and the person. "Martha Stewart's $400,000 Hinckley 'picnic boat,' the Skylands II, lolls -- as its owner would loll if its owner were a half-million-dollar pleasure boat -- primly buttoned under a white canvas skirt. Not fifteen feet away, a sun-blasted captain named Paul Dixon engages in the martial preflight check of his craft, a twenty-foot Hewes skiff so shorn of detail that it looks like it's been stripped for refitting: no cabin, no above-deck cleats, no seats with backs, no rail."
Never heard of Jarden? Well, besides owning the First Alert, Oster and Sunbeam brands, they own a huge share of the outdoors products business. Think Berkley, Fenwick, Penn, Pflueger, SpiderWire, Trilene, and ExOfficio, to name just a few of their fishing brands. This week Jarden named Terry Carlson president and CEO of their fishing businesses. Carlson had been CEO of the Americas division of Raymarine.
Read the extended entry for the full press release.
Continue reading "Terry Carlson to Head Jarden's Fishing Business" »
Robert Ramsey will step down from the leadership role at the American Fly Fishing Trade Association on March 30, 2008, according to a press release we received this morning.
Read the extended entry for the full press release.
A couple of recent articles in the Atlanta Journal Constitution note that the new head coach of the Falcons is given to contemplative pursuits when he is not dreaming up new ways to motivate players. "The man hasn't surfed in close to 15 years, he figures. His hobbies now — fly fishing and kayaking — speak to a contemplative approach. His candidacy came out of nowhere, because he is not one of those coaches who shoot off flares in the media. 'He's always been: 'I work hard, and someone will be out, is watching, and they'll notice.'" From an article by Steve Hummer.
Vancouver Whitecaps goalie Jay Nolly was lured to join to play in Vancouver by what? Fly fishing.
"Q: 'I read a bio, too, somewhere that you said if you weren't a pro soccer player you wanted to be a coach, a teacher or a pro bass fisher?'
A: 'Yeah, now, if I wasn't a soccer player I'd probably want to be a fly-fishing guide.'"
Steve Ewan in The Province.
While many professional photographers say the digital age has done nothing but diminish the value of their work, Barry and Cathy Beck say photographing fish is a growth business. Go figure. "Unlike most of their peers, the Pennsylvania-based partners made photography a key component of their 30-year old business from the beginning. Beck’s seminar: 'The Digital Road to Better Fly Fishing and Outdoor Photography' now draws large crowds at shows throughout the country." In the Worcester, Massachusetts Telegram & Gazette.
It took Colorado Governor Bill Ritter only seven paragraphs to introduce an analogy from fly fishing into his official hopes for the upcoming year. Ritter described his plans to work with the legislature as much like his attitude when working a fly fishing stream: "Every time you cast a line, drop a fly onto the water or move to a new spot, there's a new opportunity for a promising return. It is my hope that each of us approaches this session with a sense of hope, of promise, of the immense possibilities." Text in the Rocky Mountain News.
Some of our readers might know that U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson is a devoted fly fisher. But even I was surprised to hear him -- while engaged in a fish-photo contest with fellow "obsessed" fly fisher and CNBC commentator Steve Leisman Tuesday morning -- bring up the importance of releasing tarpon in the water. Let me tell you folks, when the Treasury Secretary says that he doesn't take photos of his fly-caught tarpon because he doesn't want them lifted out of the water, it is time to pay attention.
Paulson said "I've caught many, many tarpon over one hundred pounds on fly." "But you don't have any pictures," Leisman said. "But I don't take them into the boat; I don't want to hurt them," said Paulson. "I didn't want to hurt that tuna either, Mr. Secretary, I just wanted to eat it," Leisman responded. "Truth be known, I'm envious" Paulson replied. "I would love to catch a bluefin tuna on a fly rod. I've never done it, and I've tried."
According to our sources Secretary Paulson is spending even more time fly fishing for bonefish than he was when he was head of Goldman Sachs. We admit to being a little surprised by his comment that he had caught "a number of bonefish bigger than 15 pounds," but hey, he does deal with inflationary pressures all day long.
Oh, the stories I could tell. In the Miami Herald, Susan Cocking writes about long-time fly fishing guide Jan Isley, his role in the development of the first effective permit flies, and his return to Key West. "Today, after an almost 20-year absence, Isley, who is 59, is back in Key West, guiding light-tackle and fly-fishing clients in his Dolphin Super Skiff out of Hurricane Hole Marina. 'If I were going to fish somewhere else, it would take me too long to learn the area,' Isley said. 'It's a little late when you're 59 to come up with a new career.'''
Do yourself a favor and book Jan for some fishing. You'll touch a little history and fish with one of the most interesting and talented guides to ever come out of the Florida Keys. (305) 295-3596 or (985) 264-8332.
It belongs in a Monty Python skit, perhaps, but the New York Inquisition has apparently named departing Field & Stream editor Sid Evans to their list of the "to-be-persecuted." At least that's how this piece in The New York Times presents it. "Since 2002, he had served as editor of Field & Stream, following a stint as the editor of Men’s Journal and senior positions at GQ and Sports Afield. He had worked with highly regarded and hard-living writers like George Plimpton, Thomas McGuane, Jim Harrison and Richard Ford." Article by Eric Konigsberg.
We'll see how Mr. Evans likes the switch from elk chops to roast oysters.
(Thanks to reader Chris Miller for this link.)
Gary Loomis for president? If those concerned about salmon recovery could have their way, the founder of G. Loomis would at least be on the ticket. As this fine profile in Oregon's Register-Guard points out, Loomis is one of the few private conservationist-sportsmen to fully dedicate himself to salmon protection on a large scale, whether that involves hand-carrying salmon carcasses to feed hungry smolt or pressing the flesh to invite involvement in fisheries protection groups.
George Daniel, who is by all accounts one of the top competitive fly fishers in the U.S., told graduates of Lock Haven University (Pennsylvania) that life isn't about succeeding at everything. "He also told a story about a former coach’s fly-fishing experience with baseball legend Ted Williams. During that adventure, Daniel said, Williams told the coach that even though the opposition got him out six out of every 10 times he came up to plate, he was still considered one of the best baseball players of all time." Lindsay Davis on Lockhaven.com.
"When I was 14, I was caught fishing illegally in a drinking-water reservoir by a game warden named Joe Haines. Instead of giving me a ticket, he took me under his wing." James Prosek describes the underpinnings of a life-long friendship with Joe Haines in The New York Times.
"There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin."
-- Linus in "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown"
Of the many things I thank fishing for giving me, not the least is the time I have spent on the water with people, strangers and buddies alike. There is no better place than on the water to get to know someone or uncover something fresh and unpredicted about a friend, even if that means comparing notes after a day spent separated by half a mile of stream. Fishing is the ultimate equalizer. I feel more connected at the roots while fishing with my kids, and since I have spent time with movie stars and veterinarians and Secretaries of the Navy and trust-fund hippies and CEOs and trash truck drivers trying to catch difficult fish, I've gotten to witness how the good and the bad melts into a common and undeniable humanity. It is, as they say, all good.
So whether you are celebrating Thanksgiving or the harvest moon or just taking time to call family or entertain neighbors today, we hope you're reminded of what good company is: not always what we expect, but often what we need. Everyone brings something to the table, sometimes even bait fishermen.
The lessons of many years as a long distance runner fuel the fly tying passions of Leslie Wrixon, who was the official fly tyer of Team USA for the 2006 Fly Fishing World Championships in Portugal. "She had grown up watching her grandfather fly-fish in the Catskills. At age 35, she bought a fly tying kit at Cabela's. 'It totally came to me,' she said. 'It feels like I've been doing it my whole life.'" In the Hartford, Connecticut Courant.
Chicago Tribune writer Trevor Jensen delivers a long and laudatory review of the life of angling pioneer Jim Chapralis, who died last Saturday. "'He'd say, "When I am on a stream at midnight, guided by the light of the moon, that to me is my religion, my spirituality," his wife said.'"
Australia's Peter Morse talks about the four species of bonefish found around his native land, the jaw-dropping power of New Guinea Bass, the amazing species of fish found on the Australian mainland, and wade fishing in the land of crocodiles. On New Guinea bass: "There are two species: one is the black bass and the other is the spot-tail bass, and I recall when I was guiding up there a fellow landed a spot-tail bass about 35 pounds. And we used to lip-gaff these things and lift them into the boat for photographs, and as it came in this 35-pound bass spewed up a whole possum." New on MidCurrent.
Jim Chapralis, who helped pioneer destination angling and was a key figure in tournament casting as well as the author of several books, died Saturday night after a long battle with cancer.
Chapralis's passion for distance casting came early in life, as evidenced by his knowledge of the sport and his involvement at a very early age: "Marvin Hedge first demonstrated the double-haul in 1934 at a tournament. The shooting heads evolved from tournament casters. Jimmy Green and Phil Miravalle introduced the monofilament running line. Green also invented the tip-over-butt ferrule system used on almost all fly rods today. Tournament caster Myron Gregory introduced the current fly-line calibration system. Other casters helped to develop rod and fly line tapers, introduced different rod blank materials, and in general contributed heavily to today’s fly-casting tackle and technique. Tournament casting flourished decade by decade, so that by 1950 many cities had elaborate casting clubs. In Chicago, for example, there were eight casting clubs. I know this is true because as a youngster, I would take a streetcar to the different park casting clubs every Sunday to compete." (In an article on FlyAnglersOnline.) And Chapralis competed throughout his life, winning five Gold Medals at national casting tournaments and even winning first place in the one-hand distance fly casting senior division with a cast of 172 feet at the 2006 Nationals.
As the founder of PanAngling, the first travel agency devoted to finding fishing destinations for world-traveling anglers, Chapralis took the experience of fishing in exotic locations and turned it into a real business. In the process he rubbed elbows with many of fishing's icons, including Charles Ritz, Lee Wulff, and A. J. McClane, and by all accounts he made friends wherever he traveled.
You can read a sample of Chapralis's no-holds-barred account of Stu Apte on MidCurrent.
A memorial service for Mr. Chapralis will be held this Friday (11/16) at the Smith-Corcoran Funeral Home, 6150 N. Cicero Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.
Sometimes "doing the right thing" means giving up a lucrative career path for the things that make you happy, then sharing the bonuses with others. Teacher and Bozeman fly fishing guide Brian McGeehan does just that. He recently turned a $1000 prize into an opportunity for kids to watch wildlife through a high-powered spotting scope. And, for fun, he teaches fly tying to curious youngsters.
Long-time Keys angler Mo Smith was the first person in history to win four different Redbone titles in one year when he took home the grand champion and superfly titles from the Mercury Cheeca Redbone Tournament held Nov. 2-4 in Islamorada. The Redbone was started by Gary and Susan Ellis 20 years ago to raise money and awareness for the battle against cystic fibrosis, after the disease was discovered in their young daughter.
The head of Netherlands-based Aegon NV plans to retire next year and indulge his passion -- fly fishing. "Shepard is a trustee at the College of Notre Dame, Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Walters Art Gallery. He's also a board member on the Greater Baltimore Committee as well as the United Way of Central Maryland." Trisha Bishop in the Baltimore Sun.
Eighty-five-year-old Frank Moore tows a young reporter across the waters of the North Umpqua by his finger, giving a lesson in perseverance. Frank and Jeanne Moore were the original owners and operators of Steamboat Inn, from the early 1950s into the 1970s, and Frank was among the first to recognize dangers of filling western rivers with hatchery-raised steelhead and a pioneer in habitat conservation. "Moore has spent almost six decades fly-fishing the famed North Umpqua, forging an intimate relationship with the wild summer steelhead he coaxes to the surface each fall with his favorite fly, the muddler minnow. All the while, he's served as the conscience of North Umpqua's fly-casters and the face of Northwest steelhead fishing to aficionados across the globe." Mark Freeman in Oregon's Mail Tribune.
Fly fisher David Andelman, who is the executive editor of Forbes.com and the author of the new book A Shattered Peace: Versailles 1919 and the Price We Pay Today, chose his home because of its proximity to Catskill fishing. "His current book focuses on The Treaty of Versailles, a peace agreement between the Allied (France, Russia and Britain) and Associated (United States) powers of the West and Germany. Among its conditions, it redrew borders in Eastern Europe and the Middle East — and, unfortunately, with little regard to cultural, religious or ethnic differences." Howard Frank in the Pocono Record Writer.
Sid Evans handed in his resignation at Field & Stream Wednesday and took a job as editor in chief of Garden & Gun, the year-old magazine he describes as the Vanity Fair of the South. "Garden & Gun sounds like another hobbyist title, but it's not written for either hunters or gardeners -- not exclusively, anyway. The name was taken from a bar in Charleston, says Evans, who is originally from Tennessee. 'It's got a little bit of everything,' he says. 'It's about the food, it's about the music, it's about southern culture.'" Jeff Bercovici on Conde Nast's Portfolio.com.
More from MediaWeek.
Champion Canadian speedskater Jeremy Wotherspoon set a new national record for the 500 meters in his first race in a year and a half. What's he like to do in his spare time? Fly fish. "With 57 victories, Wotherspoon has won more men's World Cup races than anyone else in the world."
That's what Gary Loomis said to a likely customer while standing in a steelhead stream holding his first homemade fly rod. "'I'll give you $100,' the man said. Loomis stood firm, but the man was persistent and kept raising his offer. Finally, the man said, 'I'll give you $200 cash.'" Also, read through to the end of this article to find out what started Joan Wulff on her amazing fly fishing career: fear of being criticized for her rowing technique. Steve Waters on Sun-Sentinel.com.
"The goal was to catch cobia on fly. Whether he's after bonefish or sailfish, Stanczyk is an excellent and enthusiastic fly-fisherman. He had no idea who Wulff was and I tried hard not to laugh when he started giving the slender, soft-spoken Wulff instruction in how to cast. Instead of telling off Stanczyk, she smiled sweetly and listened to what he said." A Sun Sentinel columnist tells a funny story about fishing with master flycaster Joan Wulff, who will be inducted Saturday night into the IGFA Hall of Fame, along with Gary Loomis of G. Loomis rods fame, fishing writer Homer Circle, and others.
It's fairly well known that Eric Clapton is an avid fly fisherman (it has to do with being a perfectionist, he said in a recent interview). In his new book, he writes that fishing was the context for his final awareness that alcohol was ruining his life. "I was drunk, and I had just about managed to get my gear set up when I lost my balance and fell onto one of the new rods, breaking it clean off at the handle. I saw the fishermen look away in embarrassment. That was it for me. The last vestige of my self-respect had been ripped away. Being a good fisherman was the one place where I still had some self-esteem." In London's Times Online.
Clapton: The Autobiography
Beyond the various correspondences proving that he chased women as eagerly as he chased big fish, many items sold at a recent Massachusetts auction fetched far more than their expected value. "A lot with 25 documents and books, including two copies of Zane Grey’s 1922 Christmas book, The Bonefish Brigade, brought $7280. A single spool of Zane Grey-owned Ashaway Line labeled fishing line, with original box, sold for $1200 to an Internet bidder." David Hewitt in Maine's Antique Digest.
"Dennis and Polish angler Vladi Trzebunia were returning to Jackson after the final day of the NFFC and in the very early morning hours of Oct. 8, only 40 miles from home, their car went off the road with Trzebunia at the wheel. Reports say their SUV was demolished after rolling twice." Dave Buchanan in the Grand Junction Sentinel.