The Best Fly Fishing is Everywhere - 04.11.2025
Ramblings & Readings, Creativity & Conservation, Happenings & Hope
My Fishy Friends,
Which day during the workweek is most appropriate to start scheming and manifesting weekend angling plans, if they don’t already exist? Is Monday too early? Thursday certainly seems too late. Or perhaps it’s safe to assume that all our fishing friends are thinking the same thing already? In any case, our friends can’t accept our invitations if we don’t ask them!
Cheers,
Jesse
Banner photo: Is it winter or spring or what? One fish was caught that day and we left the following. Supposedly the fishing was unbelievable after we hit the road.
Big Fish Gyotaku
Based in southern Maine, Nate Garrett is an artist specializing in gyotaku — Japanese fish printing — and he brings his unique perspective and approach to the centuries-old practice, applying them to native northeast Atlantic flora and fauna. I’ve seen examples of gyotaku in a few places over the years but only with fish that I’d never encountered myself; Garrett’s striped bass, bluefin tuna, halibut, and others provide a glimpse of these familiar species that’s completely novel to me. The small photo below doesn’t do his work justice and I highly recommend browsing his website and Instagram to get close-up views. Here’s an article from Down East Magazine that goes deeper into Garrett and his practice.
Urban Fly Fishing & Conservation with Amie
I’ve been following English fly angler Amie Battams via her Instagram for a while and appreciate her very fun, VERY funny, and very fresh approach to fly fishing, education, and inclusivity. Admittedly, I’m not much of a YouTube or vlog follower, but this video of Amie’s, “Trout and Tribulations: Urban Fly Fishing, Pollution, and Conservation” caught my eye. I think it’s a lovely ode to, complete with interesting historical information, and call-to-action for her local, urban river; a celebration of sorts that could be replicated for any river, inspiring us all to show some love to our home waters, even if they’re not famous nor pristine.
The Most Permit
Before I went permit fishing for the first time, my introductions were Thomas McGuane’s essay “The Longest Silence" and a coworker’s words of warning about their elusiveness. In the latter instance, I was made aware of an angler named Del Brown who, at the time, held the record for most permit caught, at over 500. “Just imagine how many permit he’s seen!” my coworker said. Brown is also credited with inventing the famous Merkin Crab fly pattern. This winter, Brown’s record was topped by angler Mike Ward in special fashion — using the Merkin Crab on a custom bamboo rod. Here’s an old essay from Dan Blanton about Del Brown and his permit fishing that’s a great history lesson and education all in one.
What do Fly Fishing and Writing Have in Common?
It’s probably not what people think – they’re both frustrating, there’s a lot of failure involved, they can be grueling, people think you’re crazy for doing it, nobody believes anything you say, they compel you to mumble to yourself, they make you doubt your life choices, they’re unglamorous, they lead to obsessive behavior, they both encourage bad habits. It’s a lonesome road… be careful.
~ Steve Duda in WaterWatch of Oregon’s latest issue of Instream
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© Jesse Lance Robbins, 2025
