Fish, Flies & Water

Friday Fish Fry – A Cutthroat Remembered

JB — Mon, 14 May 2012 03:49:19 +0000

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 [...]

So…Bunyan Bug or Parmachene Belle?

JB — Sun, 13 May 2012 14:07:47 +0000

Some readers wonder what I’ve been up to the last few months. I’ll tell you one thing: KEEPING A SECRET! That’s what. Unbelievably hard to do, but now that it’s Mother’s Day, a big reveal seems appropriate. Don’t know what Kel and I are getting yet, but it’s either a Bunyan Bug or a Parmachene Belle! [...]

DF&F 52 – 16_Steelhead Fly

JB — Tue, 08 May 2012 06:01:43 +0000

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, [...]

I’m Throwin’ Hand-Rolled Soul

JB — Sat, 05 May 2012 17:50:49 +0000

I’m now officially on-board with the C.F. Burkheimer (CFB) Fly Rod Company, serving in an “Advisory Staff” role. Kerry (the “K” who is actually the “C” in C.F.) and I agreed at the end of last week to the particulars, and my mug is now up on CFB’s site. For those of you who don’t [...]

DF&F 52 – 14_Steelhead

JB — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 05:02:23 +0000

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

JB — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 16:37:54 +0000

“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 [...]

DF&F 52 – 13_Permit

JB — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 05:36:28 +0000

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 [...]

Friday Fish Fry – Weedy Brownie

JB — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:45:32 +0000

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 [...]

Saturday’s DF&F 52 is for Jose

JB — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:12:09 +0000

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.

Carp Spotting (or Not) – PDX

JB — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 03:00:15 +0000

Spent some time looking for carp in Portland recently, and I do mean in Portland. As it turned out, no carp, but no matter. It was a warm spring morning, with the smell of grass, trees and water, and the sounds of birds…and F-15s from the PDX airbase. Despite the urban closeness and the thunder of [...]

“Long Flies” Table of Contents

JB — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 07:00:02 +0000

Long Flies is officially on its way from the printer. I’m supposed to have a few books myself come Wednesday or Thursday. In the meantime, GB has posted the Table of Contents over at his blog. If you have an interest in seeing what the book contains, point your web browser here. And for those [...]

DF&F 52 – 12_Flashback Hare’s Ear

JB — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 04:37:52 +0000

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 [...]

Friday Fish Fry – Grungy Steel

JB — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:07:52 +0000

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

Watershed

JB — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:03:19 +0000

Kelley sent this to me last month, and I finally got around to putting the trailer up here at FF&W. Narrated and executive produced by a familiar voice…. More about Watershed here.