The Best Fly Fishing is Everywhere - 08.09.2024
Ramblings & Readings, Creativity & Conservation, Happenings & Hope
My Fishy Friends,
One morning this week I had breakfast with my goddaughter and we discussed space ships, yodeling, bicycles, cowboys and cowgirls, toots, fruits, Olympics, and more. Even though 33 years separate us, the conversation flowed easily, and really wasn’t that dissimilar to the one I had with her father the night prior, after she’d gone to bed. We’re kind of fishing around with different conversation topics, seeing which, if any, gets a bite from either of us to explore and go deeper. Even if they don’t, it’s still a great trip.
Cheers,
Jesse
“Trinket Hoarding & Fishing Licenses”
I want analog accountability in fishing licensing: make me buy it in person, sign my name, and carry it with me. Then, at the end of the fishing season, I’ll store it in a trinket box.
Steve and Me, in Person
I’m fortunate to have known Steve Duda for a little while now, us first meeting and collaborating when he was the editor at The Flyfish Journal. More recently, we toured together on the Writers on the Fly West Coast Tour, and it was a real treat to have hours of windshield time together to rap about writing and fishing and music and whatever else. Steve’s first book, River Songs, just came out on August 1st and I’m excited to announce that I’ll be joining Steve for a book launch party, reading, and conversation at the Beaverton, OR Powell’s Books on Thursday, August 22nd. I’ll be MC’ing and moderating the Q&A so please do come by, it’ll surely be a good time. More info and free registration are at this link.
Get Gone While at Home
While in England several years ago, I was introduced to a fishing show like no other - Mortimer & Whitehouse Gone Fishing. Suffice to say, I wholeheartedly recommend watching it. The premise is simple: two old friends - both successful comedians in England - go fishing in various places and for various species around England, and along they way, they crack jokes, enjoy good and bad food and drink, poke fun of each other, and talk about life. It’s a very relaxing show to watch, just entertaining enough to keep you awake, and will easily inspire you to call up an old friend and invite them to go fishing. You can watch a number of episodes on Mortimer’s YouTube channel or through BBC. In terms of the format, what you get in the first five minutes is what you’ll get for the rest of it, but they visit and fish some really cool, different, and historic places over the course of the show’s seasons that are worth checking out.
Single/Single > Treble/Treble
In the northeast saltwater angling scene, one organization has stood out to me in the last few years and they have been building momentum to help protect striped bass populations. In addition to their legislative work and research, the American Saltwater Guides Association has been consistently publishing and promoting science-based and easy-to-follow actions that any angler can take to help reduce their impact on striped bass. One such campaign just launched, the Local Singles Program, which helps to reduce mortality rates during catch-and-release fishing. Part of the program is a hook trade-in opportunity with The Saltwater Edge, a fishing shop in Rhode Island, which is owned by Peter Jenkins. I can personally confirm that Peter’s a standup guy and he was also recently named Fly Fisherman’s 2024 Conservationist of the Year.
Reading & Wisdom Potluck
A couple winters ago, I took an online writing workshop through the Freeflow Institute, and in doing so was introduced to birder, naturalist, poet, and author J. Drew Lanham. Lanham introduced me to a conservation ethos that he refers to as the ‘head to heart connection’ - I’ll write more on this later. I’ve been following Lanham since that workshop (in another ‘small world moment’, Lanham was also a 2023 honorary degree recipient and gave the Commencement address at my alma mater) and he and some other writers, poets, and authors are about to launch a new writing workshop called Writing the Wild. They’re kicking off the application period with a free, virtual “reading & wisdom potluck” which features a handful of familiar names. It looks to be very interesting and, I’m guessing, inspiring so I signed up. You can too here.
(More) Thoughts on Writing
Writing has so much to give, so much to teach, so many surprises. The thing you had to force yourself to do - the actual act of writing - turns out to be the best part. It’s like discovering that while you thought you needed the tea ceremony for the caffeine, what you really needed was the tea ceremony. The act of writing turns out to be its own reward.
~ from Anne Lamott in Bird by Bird
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