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 [...]

This is Friday’s Fish Fry, served a bit cold on a Sunday night. It still has all of its memory attached, though. The trout involved is cutthroat that I caught on the Yellowstone River (in the Park) back in 1977. That would make me seven years old in this shot, and I remember the fish [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

A shot taken at Vermejo Ranch in northern New Mexico. This brown was cruising a weed-choked lake shoreline, looking for damsels, snails, or whatever else might have seemed tasty. Vernejo is a place were you can find fish like this all day long, but especially in the morning hours of warm summer days.  I have [...]

Steelhead, red marabou, and overkill with digital filters. I still like it in its own way, though. Has an almost phantasmagorical sense to it.

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 [...]

Just to keep the Long Flies vibe going, here’s another except from GB’s new book (which is subtitled Streamers, Bucktails & Other “Big Fish” Flies). If all goes as expected, I should have an actual tome in my hands by next week. This excerpt is from GB’s section on the “Baitfish from ‘L’” (a.k.a. “The [...]

As many of you know, GB’s book, Long Flies is due back from the printer this week in finished form. To give the project a little boost, GB is currently making the title available at a special pre-release price of $25.00, postage paid (in the U.S., more for those readers elsewhere). The books are inscribed [...]

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 [...]

It is done, approved and away from me at last. Yes, Long Flies (LF for short) is soon to be appearing in person at a fly shop, cataloger, internet site, or even a mailbox (if you are a Series Pass holder) near you. This thing took seemingly forever to complete, and as such, I’ll be into [...]

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 [...]

Drawing Fish & Flies 52 Bonefish (Hawaiian). This is an image based on a photo sent to me by my friend and Hawaiian bonefishing guide Coach Duff. Coach has access to some of the consistently biggest bones on the planet, and he sent me a few dozen megabytes worth of fish pix last year for the [...]