Photography has been my passion probably nearly as
long as fly fishing. The coming of the computer
and digital cameras has made it all so easy. For the last several
years, I have added several photo journals
to this site depicting the various places I go in pursuit of wild
trout. I think you will find the journals a
refreshing journey into the world of fly fishing and photography.
Brief descriptions and links are listed below.
Mossy Creek here in Virginia has been my home waters
for a long time. The following journals are all of my favorite
haunts on the Wenger and Patterson
properties where several of us have exclusive rights to the waters.
We stock annually and enjoy solitude in the midst of suburbia.
Stump and Kathy Wenger have become great personal friends of ours.
Mossy
Spring: is the first journal I did several years ago. It shows
the ever changing complexions of Mossy Creek in the Spring time.
Halloween
at Mossy: is another look at Mossy Creek in the Fall after
we returned home from our Montana summer home.
Oscar
Coming to Hand: is the story of Oscar, the huge brown trout
below the culvert at Stumps place. After three years of trying
I finally caught him.
Under
the Willow Tree: is a glimpse of the beautiful browns that
live in the Willow Hole on Stumps property.
The following journals were all done in Southwestern
Montana and Yellowstone Park, where we live in the summer.
Canyon
Fishing: is a good look at some of the canyon streams I frequently
fish in Yellowstone Park to avoid the ever growing crowds of fly
fishers there.
Elmer's
Flies: is a day with a set of flies given to me by my friend,
Elmer, from Nebraska. You can see the flies and the fish they
catch and the place it all came together.
Coming
Home to the Madison River: is my commentary on my favorite
section of the Madison River in Southwest Montana. You will see
that there is much more to trout fishing than catching trout.
The
Mountain Jewels of Autumn: is a collection of impressions
from the Absaroka Mountains of Southern Montana, the streams that
drain them, and the fish that call them home.
Early
Winter: is a good look at our Montana home after an early
winter storm turned it into a wonderland of crisp contrasts.
Also included here are links to some additional pages
relating to the fishing and the places I've come to love so much.
Los Alamos Ant: is an article
I wrote about Harrison Steeves foam creation, the Los Alamos Ant.
That fly became my favorite westslope cutthroat fare this past
season.
My Fishy Friends: is a pictures page of the many different fish I pursue in my travels every summer.
The Tweeter Caddis: is a article I've written detailing my progress through the years fine tuning my favorite fly, the Tweeter Caddis.
A Case for Barbless Hooks: is a article I've written considering the benefits of using only barbless hooks in your fishing.
A Big Fish Story: is a photo journal of an extraordinary experience I had with a huge bull trout recently.
The following are additions to this page for 2005:
Bumblechook Creek Westslopes: is a photo essay describing a tiny Westslope stream I recently fished that has pure Westslope Cutthroats. Included are several nice pictures of the place and the fish.
Elmer's Flies Revisited: is a photo sketch describing the new cricket fly my friend Elmer sent to me recently to use for late summer terrestrial fishing. Included are pictures of the fly, the fish it caught, and the place it all comes together.
Small Stream Wonders: is a photo essay evangelizing probably the final remaining truly pure trout waters. Included are several nice pictures of Tumble Creek and the fish that call it home.
Warm: is a biographical sketch considering the changes we experience as we pass along through the wonders of our fishing lives.
The following are additions to this page for 2006:
Dark Meadow Run: is a chronicle of a fine Spring afternoon fishing a wonderful stream through a private ranch.
The following are additions to this page for 2007:
The Blair Spaulding Journals: is an ongoing chronicle of the pursuit of fly fishing by a customer and friend. In this entry, Blair has shared his photographic skills and his love of family and fly fishing with all of us.
Early Fall at Valley River Ranch: is a memory in pictures of a friend's ranch and the wonderful fish I find there from time to time.
An Autumn Afternoon on Tamarack River: is an opportunity for you to go along with Mary Lu and me on a days fishing in one of our favorite mountain haunts.
The following are additions to this page for 2008:
Finding the Right Fly Rod for My Friend Chris is a short page sharing the ongoing dialog of friendship involved in passing along a rod to a friend and at the same time passing a little of myself along.
The Power of Foam is chronicle of a day on the water with Dave Lewis.
The following are additions to this page for 2009:
Revisiting the Mountain Waters of My Memories: Part One is a picture chronicle in several parts dedicated to the haunts of my youth in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Its progress will be ongoing this spring of 2009 and will hopefully run into my Montana summer before it is brought to a close.
