The Best Fly Fishing is Everywhere - 07.26.2024
Ramblings & Readings, Creativity & Conservation, Happenings & Hope
My Fishy Friends,
I took a young fellar on his first float this week and was reminded of the joy in seeing a river from a brand new perspective. We saw eagles and vultures and osprey. We found snails and baitfish and sticks and a holey rock. We took on the waves and took the side channels. We rounded a bend and saw some nude sunbathers. We ate sour gummy worms and chips and sandwiches. We made a few casts, so I guess we did indeed go fishing, but we could’ve forgotten the rods and it would’ve been just as much fun.
Cheers,
Jesse
“When Checking Your Phone While Fishing is Acceptable”
For Trout Unlimited’s TROUT Weekly, this piece takes place on the upper Sacramento River in northern California and deals with bugs, trout, a supportive friend, and a real pretty lady.
Films New & Old
I must admit, I’ve been waiting on this one for a while. Released online this week was All That is Sacred, a 30-minute celebration, recounting, and restoration of the 1973 film Tarpon. The stars of these movies are an incomparable cast of angling, music, and writing fixtures - Thomas McGuane, Jim Harrison, Guy de la Valdene, Richard Brautigan, Jimmy Buffet, Russell Chatham, plus many other recognizable cameos - and from the vortex of their collisions in Key West came so much inspiring work. I have a copy of the original film on DVD but it doesn’t appear to be for sale online anymore; other than waiting for the full restoration to be completed, I’m not quite sure how to watch it right now. In the meantime, check out All That is Sacred. There’s also a great story and photo essay in a semi-recent FlyFish Journal about these characters and this time period - you can get that one digitally.
Books for River Rats
When it comes to literature and expertise on rivers in the Pacific Northwest, one name usually comes up - Tim Palmer. Mr. Palmer is an extensive author, with over 30 books on rivers, the environment, and conservation. From his website: “An inveterate river-lover, Tim has canoed or rafted on more than 400 rivers in the United States and western Canada. He lived for 22 years as a nomad in his van, traveling throughout the country to do research, writing, and photography for his book projects.” Now those are the kind of bylines I like! One book of his that I particularly enjoy is America’s Great River Journeys - a collection of 50 river trips across the country, bound to inspire new trips and help recollect adventures of the past. For even more, check out his collaboration with Western Rivers Conservancy: a live video series from 2021 discussing and showcasing the great rivers of the west, state by state.
On Losing Your Boat
There are certain fly fishing guides that I would happily pay a fee just to hear tell stories, crack jokes, and poke fun of me all day. Southern Oregon guide and Spey casting instructor Jon Hazlett of Spey Lesson is one of those. I have learned a lot from Jon over the years and I love his patient and lighthearted approach to casting instruction. He’s also a blast to fish with, as evidenced in this Instagram video and this one. But Jon’s true forte may be his storytelling, so for a great guide story from him, check out this YouTube - it’s well worth the four minutes.
Anglers on Climate Change
Two fly fishing guides and industry leaders - Hilary Hutcheson and Kyle Schaefer - submitted testimonies to the Senate this past winter, recounting numerous personal experiences from their time on the water on the impacts of climate change. This article, by Daniel Ritz, details Hutcheson’s and Schaefer’s efforts and there are also YouTube links to their testimonies. The latter are especially powerful and fact-filled and I encourage you to give them a listen (linked in the article).
Two Questions
A quick touch on the inner game of rowing: It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or an expert. We all need to read water quickly and accurately.
In a rapid—things happen fast, the water never stops, and there are many things to see and feel at the same time.
The bottom line is to use all the information you can gather to keep answering two questions over and over. They are deceptively simple.
Where am I now? And, where am I going?
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this newsletter, please send it to a friend.
Was this email sent to you by a friend? Click here to subscribe.
