Drawing Fish & Flies 52 Smoky Brookie. An abstract piece that simply recalls the watery, translucent, gem-like qualities of a brook trout flank (in this case, a brook trout flank from America’s Smoky Mountains). Notes: Wanted something that was abstract, but still had a familiar sense of structure, orientation and color relationship. Went with hues [...]

Posting from my phone so I’ll keep it short. Mother’s Day DF&F 52 Caddis. Moleskine sketchbook, pencil and watercolor with water from the Great Smoky Mountains. This is last week’s fly and I owe a brook trout—that’s coming up…

Drawing Fish & Flies 52 Steelhead Fly. Generic steelhead fly form, following whatever popped into my head as I drew. Notes: After burning much of my 30 minutes on what I felt was garbage, I had to come up with *something* that was interesting. I ended up with a drawing that is part pencil sketch, [...]

Drawing Fish & Flies 52 Steelhead. Sort of “Son of Grungy Steel” and inspired by a certain North Umpqua image by Dan Callaghan. Notes: Wanted a sense of flow and turn in the drawing, so just let the pen move however it felt right on the paper. Did it twice, with the lower image seeming to be the best to [...]

“Twelve-Weight Bowl” This is on its way to me now. Turned burl, rubbed finished, Alaskan salmon teeth inlay. Flat-out beautiful. People ask me where my art background comes from. That’s an easy answer: my mother, Nancy. Yeah, this is one of hers. She is a woodturner by artistic trade, but also does some carving and metal-spinning (typically [...]

Update: Steelhead is the next DF&F52 on tap for the weekend. Drawing Fish & Flies 52 Permit. In honor of Jose Wejebe. Notes: Wanted something simple, yet evocative for this piece. Nothing more than a flagging tail, a reflection, and the hint of a waterline. This piece deliberately has no edges or visual constraints other than [...]

This Saturday’s DF&F 52 image will be in honor of Jose Wejebe, who, as many of you likely know by now, was killed while piloting his airplane last Friday. Considering Jose’s saltwater background, Jeff and I will be doing a permit, a fish that many anglers view as the ultimate flats prize.

Drawing Fish & Flies 52 Flashback Hare’s Ear. Went fly-only again this week with another classic pattern (that has a slightly modern update with the “flash” part). Notes: Wanted something to act as a nymph match for last week’s dry Adams, so went for a simple, clean profile in liquid charcoal. This was painted even faster than [...]

Update: Flashback Hare’s Ear Nymph is on deck for this coming Saturday (April 7). Drawing Fish & Flies 52 Adams. Went for fly-only this week, at Jeff’s suggestion. The Adams is one of those classic flies that will always work somewhere, sometime. I have often threatened to tie one in tarpon-size, just to chase some [...]

Drawing Fish & Flies 52 Chinook. I owe this one as part of my post backlog. Even told Jeff that “I should have it up tonight”…over a week ago. In any case, things are flowing again, and here it is! I decided that a chinook would a good fish given my location in the Pacific Northwest [...]

Yeah, I know—no DF52 art at FF&W for the last two weekends. Tonight is DF52 night here at Casa Borger, however, so I’ll get #11 and #12 done, and be ready for #13, which I have to choose since it’s my turn. Spent last night working on a poster for Troutfest 2012, which is taking [...]

Drawing Fish & Flies 52 Bluegill. Loved catching ‘gills as a kid. Still love it. Perhaps I’m known more as a “trout and salmon guy,” but if it swims and will take a fly, I’ll cast to it. That includes panfish of all kinds, as well as carp, gar, and other “rough” fish. Little bluegills on [...]

Drawing Fish & Flies 52 Tarpon. When it comes to tarpon, people are often interested in breaking into the “bigness club.” Maybe I’m just contrarian, but once I started to fish for smaller tarpon, I got hooked on the “juniors” and “babies.” So much action, so many fish, lighter gear, and you can boat the things in [...]

Drawing Fish & Flies 52 Lake Trout. This is based a fish that GB caught during a fishing trip in Canada last year. Had it ready earlier, but got interrupted and had to come back to get it up on the blog this morning. Notes: This is one of my straightforward pencil outlines filled with watercolor. I [...]