Fish, Flies & Water » Essays & Musings

A Casting Field Sky

JB — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 18:49:15 +0000

One of the reasons I love to fish is water—the sound, the feel, the smell, the sight of it. Indeed, there are days when fishing is slow and I find myself just watching the water, rod behind my back, hoping perhaps for a rise, but simply enjoying the flow as it fills my senses. But [...]

The Hardy Lightweights

JB — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 19:00:41 +0000

Adding to the review of The Lost World of Mr. Hardy from yesterday, here’s a little old-school remembrance that I wrote for a Japanese magazine some years ago… – – – – – – – – – - My first great reel was a Hardy Princess, given to me on my thirteenth birthday in anticipation [...]

Some of the Words…

JB — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:17:31 +0000

I often read passages and sections from Norman Maclean’s A River Runs Through It. What so often jumps out at me about great narrative writing is how even the sparsest language can convey sweeping ideas and emotions. Many who have read (or seen) River Runs are familiar with the opening and closing lines. The close is [...]

A Day on the Fork

JB — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 23:59:04 +0000

With the recent concerns about the Harriman Ranch section of the Henry’s Fork (arguably one of the most famous stretches of river in the world), I thought I’d post a story that I wrote some years ago about a particularly memorable day on the Fork. – – – – – – – – – The [...]

End-All Be-All (of Casting, That Is)

JB — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:37:38 +0000

Recently got an e-mail asking: “What do you feel is the end-all, be-all in casting? Super distance or super accuracy or some other skill that defines ‘best’? What’s your opinion?” My answer is “Being able to make the needed cast—and if necessary, the needed mend—in any situation.” In other words, the end-all, be-all is being [...]

From the Archives: A Well Used Brown

JB — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:01:28 +0000

Kel took this shot of a brown that I caught a few years ago on DePuy’s Spring Creek. It’s one of those photos that seems to continue to live on, despite its somewhat ordinary nature. Actually, this particular brown has shown up in a several different catalogs, ads, slideshows, and so forth over the last [...]

A Foreword for Ernie

JB — Mon, 04 May 2009 04:41:33 +0000

(Another post along the lines of my remembrance of Mel. This one appeared as a foreword for Ernest Schwiebert’s two-volume, Nymphs project. If you don’t know much about Ernie, I’d encourage you to read some of his works—both technical and storytelling.) Before Ernie passed away in late 2005 (has it really been that long?), my father and [...]

Mel’s Gift

JB — Sun, 03 May 2009 04:26:35 +0000

Until his passing last year, Mel Krieger was essentially a life-long friend of mine. I first met him when I was barely old enough to remember it, but his influence on me spanned decades. What follows is a remembrance of Mel that I originally wrote for the Japanese magazine, Fly Fisher. I alluded to it [...]

A River Runs 15 Years (with Suckers!)

JB — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:00:20 +0000

In 2007, I wrote a brief piece looking back at the production of A River Runs Through It (watch It on-line). It was the 15th anniversary of the film’s release and I guess I was feeling a bit nostalgic. Anyway, the Trout Underground linked to it, and a bunch of traffic flowed to my (then) [...]

Distance & Wind Musings

JB — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 04:10:34 +0000

What follows is a brief exploration and discussion of a few of the skill factors that come into play when meeting the challenges of distance, as well as wind. These skill factors do have real-world relevance outside of extreme limits. You may never need to cast 100 feet, but the skills that would allow you [...]

Three Nights on the Madison

JB — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 19:52:38 +0000

What follows is a re-working of a piece that I wrote some years ago about what I often think of as my “home” river. If you have ever fished the Madison, I hope that some of the words below bring to mind memories of your own moments along its storied banks. – – – – [...]