The Best Fly Fishing is Everywhere - 05.09.2025
Ramblings & Readings, Creativity & Conservation, Happenings & Hope
My Fishy Friends,
You’ll see, in the writing and links that follow, that Mother’s Day and mothers in general have been top of mind for me this week. In fact, I’ll have the great pleasure of seeing my dear Mum on the day itself. We’ll take a walk, on the well-walked path, down to the river behind the house; a place where we have both spent countless hours, separately and together. Can’t wait.
Cheers,
Jesse
Banner photo: I had to change flies after every fish but they ate it every time after I changed the fly.
Following a fun day of fishing on the McKenzie River last week — during which we ran into a great hatch of the famed McKenzie Green Caddis — I recalled another early-May day on the Yakima River in Washington with my friend Keith, years ago.
Revisiting that day on the Yakima got my wheels spinning on all the elements at play. Perhaps the variables could be charted, in hopes of learning something? Here then, in graphical form, is a rough visual representation of my experience with the Yakima River Mother’s Day Caddis hatch.
MOTHER
“MOTHER - Sisterhood in the Wild” is a new and timely film from Chad Brown celebrating Mother Nature, sisterhood, and resilience. Filmed in the Arctic Circle National Wildlife Refuge, the film follows five BIPOC women as they explore belonging and relationships in the natural world. The film premiered last night in Portland, OR but will soon be scheduled in film festivals across the world. Follow Chad’s Instagram for information on upcoming showings.
Mother-Daughter Duo
Latria Graham is a writer and professor based in South Carolina, whose work depicts environmental and community topics in The South and beyond. She’s also a contributing editor to Garden & Gun, where she pens the column “This Land.” Here’s an essay of hers from a few years back entitled “A Mother-Daughter Duo Connects on the Fly,” which speaks to the complicated relationship with her mother, her mother’s relationship with fishing, and a fly fishing adventure they went on together. Yet another reminder that the water provides the perfect venue for exploring relationships with ourselves and those we care for.
Comments for the Environment Needed!
There are two key and pressing environmental issues that are top of mind for me right now: the integrity of the Endangered Species Act and the preservation of and access to our country’s public lands. These are timely and critical issues that affect us all and one small thing we can do to show our support is by submitting comments to our elected officials. Follow the links below to visit online comment forms and pen your thoughts.
Support the Endangered Species Act (via Center for Biological Diversity)
Support Public Lands (via Backcountry Hunters & Anglers)
Searchers
Fishermen are searchers. It is true we search for fish, at times with great diligence. But we search also, as men always have, for experiences; and there are no greater experiences than the seasons, varied and repeated year after year in our special comings and goings.
~ Roderick Haig-Brown
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© Jesse Lance Robbins, 2025
