Ramblings & Readings, Creativity & Conservation, Happenings & Hope

My Fishy Friends,

Last year, I dropped my drift boat in for the first official spring trout fishing on March 15. We’ll see what happens to the river between now and then, but I notice that that date falls on a Saturday this year, so I’ll just say now that I’m planning on it. Regardless, between the longer days and the pending clock-change, things are really looking up for evening activities. Like fishing.

Cheers,
Jesse

Banner photo: Maybe a little too nice for good fishing?

Tom on Submissions Rejection

Tom Bie, Founder and Editor of The Drake Magazine, made a great post on Instagram recently, sharing his first rejection letter as a freelance writer and then sharing how the experience has come full circle for him. “If you are an aspiring freelancer, don’t let one rejection letter—or no response at all—make you believe that you don’t have talent,” he writes. “Editors are often wrong, myself included.” Thanks, Tom. Read the entire post here.

Meander & Flow by Coe

This week I attended a captivating presentation by photographer, cartographer, artist, and river-lover Dan Coe, who walked the audience through his work using LiDAR — plane-mounted lasers that collect elevational data points. The result is a visual representation of a river or river system and its movements over time. When applied with artistic expressions, the images become other-worldly, even though they’re as nature-based as it comes. For more examples of his work, and prints for your home, check out Dan’s website Meander and Flow. And for links to other articles about Dan and his work, check out this page.

40 Years of Watching the Water

Some of you may know that I spend the banker’s hours of my days working at the river conservation nonprofit WaterWatch of Oregon. Our unique mission leans into the simple concept that RIVERS NEED WATER. This year we’re celebrating our 40th anniversary of protecting and restoring instream flows in Oregon rivers and we would love to have you join our community! To help commemorate the milestone, we’re offering a special membership gift: limited edition, YETI water bottles custom laser-engraved with our Oregon Rivers design. The graphic was created by our fabulous in-house graphic designer Monet Hampson and features the names of our favorite Oregon rivers. Click here to see the details and a close-up of the design, and to get yours!

Skerritt’s Reflections

In process now is a project of longtime actor and director Tom Skerritt — who played Reverand Maclean in ‘The Movie’ also known as A River Runs Through It — called “Reflections of the River”. It’s a film series shot around the country with the goal “to bring together developers, scientists, Tribal leaders, community advocates, and conservationists—giving them the opportunity to address challenges that often go unnoticed or unspoken… to foster collaboration, spark dialogue, and create an environment where innovative solutions can emerge.” Each episode in the series will highlight a specific region, the river community there, and opportunities to make an impact. Read more about the project on its website and also in this recent Forbes article.

Orion Environmental Writers’ Workshop

‘Tis the season for writing workshops, and another one came on my radar in the past week that I wish I could attend! This one is from Orion Magazine, and it’s their Environmental Writers’ Workshop, which will be held in Rhinebeck, New York in mid-June, and is “for anyone seeking to reflect their environments through their work.” Scholarships are available, though applications for this are due on March 1. The faculty list of the workshop is worth a look, even if only to add some titles to your to-read list.

On Ships, Harbors, The Sea, Fishing, etc.

A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.

~ John A. Shedd

The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.

~ Vincent Van Gogh

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The Best Fly Fishing is Everywhere - 02.28.2025