To kick your weekend off, try out some of the great tunes from Josh Ritter. I had heard of him a couple years ago, but never really gave him a try until February. So good. oh, and after the music are some pics of the most recent James Prosek attempt. I've decided to give the project a name.
Painting Through Prosek.
It will be slow going, but I'll get there.
Only like 60+ more fish to go.
And now, the Quebec Red Trout.
Prosek paints this deep lake trout with greens, blues, and grays along the back.
The pattern is different than a brookie, but there are many similarities.
Remember that line from that Beatles song, "All you need is blog love"? That's what this post is all about.
I'm biased towards the Driftless Area. Let's just get that on the table from the start. I grew up there and had my first trout fishing experiences on the Whitewater and Root River in Southeast Minnesota. As such, it is not surprising that I hold a special place in my heart for all things trout from that area. Today I'm bringing you back to a page I've shared before. The Winona Fly Factory. Justin was, and still is, the only other blogger I've fished with.
After a brief hiatus from blogging, Justin is back in full force with stream reports, awesome flies, pictures, and even video.
Okay, let me back up for a second. Are you reading/watching this and simultaneously googling ("googling" is a verb now, get over it) "Driftless Area?" Justin shared a cool video that does a great job of sharing what it is all about.
Now that you're caught up, there are new things on the horizon for Winona Fly Factory. I give to you, the W. F. F. Fly Shop. I would particularly like to draw your attention to the Pink Squirrels and the Hair Balls. I've fished with each of these and done very well. If you see a Sprinkle Me Baby on there in the future, do yourself a fave .... (I can't believe I wrote "fave." I mean FAVOR. "fave" is not a word...) and get some. He has great skill at the vise and these flies catch fish and hold up wonderfully. You can even see the man at work in The Factory in this recent video.
The rumor is, there are other things in the works for The Winona Fly Factory. He wouldn't key me in on them, but I'm thinking they are pretty sweet.
So go forth, and check out the page or start planning your trip to the Driftless Area. You won't be disappointed.
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There are many other notable blogs from the Driftless Area that are worth checking out:
Loon Outdoors has revamped their site and they want you to know about it. I must say, it is very user friendly. I glanced through it and, in a matter of seconds, found at least five things I wanted (Deep Soft Weight, Reel Lube, UV Fly Tying Kit, Strike Out, the Magnetic Net Release, and the Nip N' Sip. Oh, wait, I guess that was six. Can you blame me? This stuff is pretty fancy, and I like fancy from time to time. I also like the "Buy Local" tab that lets you search for local dealers. So go forth, and check it out. If you go to their facebook page you'll probably find a button to click that will enter you in a drawing for the big April giveaway. Click it.
On another note, I finally got a chance to tackle the next trout in James Prosek's Trout: An Illustrated History. The Sunapee Trout on page 18-19 is a fish that likely only exists today in a hybrid form in some Lakes in Maine. James shares a quote from John D. Quackenbos. "As the October pairing time approaches, the Sunapee fish becomes richly illuminated with the flushes of its maturing passion. The steel-green mantle of the back and shoulders now seems to dissolve into a veil of amethyst, through which the daffodil spots of mid-summer gleam out in points of flame, while below the lateral line, all is dazzling orange..." (The Geological Ancestors of the Brook Trout (1916)). I've painted 6 so far. It is slow, but I'm going to make my way through this book. Only 62 more to go, I think? Page 20 showcases the Quebec Red Trout. I'm pretty excited for that one. We'll see when I get the time. Maybe next Sunday night...
