It is with much personal pleasure I share the latest news in the life of Karen Graham Arthur dear friend, expert fly fisher, 27 time Vogue Magazine Cover Girl, all around wonderful human being! Recently married to Tom Arthur one of Wyoming’s most fortunate rancher/sportsmen...

Karen relates having just wrestled a 125 Pound leaping Tarpon into passive submission while fly fishing off the coast of Key West Florida, “ Sorry Dan, no photos of this noble fish as I never took her out of the water and gently let her go.” Several years ago I wrote a feature article called “ Butterfly & The Trout “. That piece has been republished many times, not because of any talent on my part. Karen’s effect on her fan’s be they budding models or seasoned fly fishers is quite moving even to aging outdoor writers. Karen’s ESN fly fishing show was just as popular with the ladies as the boys, “Although I’m not doing the television show, my home fly-fishing waters are truly paradise! I now live half the year in Wyoming and wade the North Platte River, a freestone totally free flowing river descending north of Colorado into Wyoming. In the tail water huge browns and rainbows exist, I’m content with the 18 and 20 inchers I pick up on nymphs.”

During our three day fly fishing event held in Fall River California a few years ago, Karen took me to school and fooled several wild rainbows with her serious dry fly skills. The event was held to raise awareness and a few peso’s for the distinguished woman’s fly fishing group “ Casting for Recovery “. Karen and her new husband Tom were the bright lights among many distinguished guests that included legendary fly tier A.K. Best, master tier Jay Fair and the one of the finest men I have ever known Cliff Sullivan. I asked Karen where she goes to fool fish and commune with mother nature near home, “ For a change of pace I sometimes hike into the Snowy Range Mountains and play with little Brookies in alpine lakes. This area is near national forest and is a scenic joy! This summer Tom and I will be going to Alaska for dry fly action, though I hate to leave Wyoming in the summer and miss late summer dry fly season.”

In my forty odd years impersonating one sort of scribe or another many larger then life characters have come across my bow, usually most failed to live up to the hype, the spin... Karen and Tom passed every test with flying colors. Yes Dorothy, the land of Oz does have real citizens with real hearts that effect the rest of us mortals like a cool breeze on a desert island...

Realm Of The Snow Queen

Before the hordes of human’s, dogs, brats, descend like locusts upon my favorite trout sanctuaries, I like to make a silent pilgrimage to these cathedrals while only the snow gods rule the kingdom... With Memorial Day looming just up ahead and summer’s first hot breath waiting in ice cold shadows, my favorite three piece Bamboo traveler “ Quill Three Piece Traveler”and I began the late spring tour of both the American and Carson River’s that one can access via a South Lake Tahoe base camp. By now those who have followed my fly writing impersonation have noticed my complete lack of any herd instinct! It is no secret I live a life much like that of wild eagles, that is rarely if ever do I find any joy in encountering other humans on or near my fly fishing adventures...

This late spring trip from San Francisco winding up the High Sierra Mountain range where the magical American River runs often quite close to the road is as pretty as any river anywhere! When this river is running much slower and the dreaded rafters are still asleep, one can enjoy ethereal aquatic atmosphere and 10-22 inch rainbows. I had no fortune in finding or fooling local underwater residents. As one can see in this months photos, both rivers thanks to this years heavy rains are swollen and fast! I did manage to move wollybuggers and deep diving live hackle nymphs down thru several slower moving channels to no avail. The magic of working the American this early is the reward found in seeing baby birds, newly hatched Garter snakes and deep azure blue waters ice cold and full of fury...

After spending day one exploring many American River forks and bends, it was on to the east fork of the Carson River running from Markleville California all the way down to the desert area near Carson City Nevada. It is the 14 mile middle section way up high that usually interests fly fishers.

This now high rapid flowing river is surrounded by jagged mountain scenes and during the 23 degree early morning hours I was honored to hear the soulful echo of coyotes and watch the ever present crow’s glide just overhead. Hiway 89 near the world famous Sorrenson’s Resort is a good starting place and before summer arrives when conditions are in ones favor, no more breath taking fly fishing can be experienced only 25 miles from South lake Tahoe California.

In the ice cold early morning hours, my Bamboo rods eyes were icing up and I was thinking about that warm dining room serving hot breakfast over at Sorrenson’s. This old bug thrower didn’t come to lake Tahoe to sit and tell tall fish tales over hot chocolate! As frigid morning turned to 40 degree heaven I was mesmerized by the ice cold quiet and thinking just one good hit on my carefully tied green live hackle matuka would be just splendid?

As if the trout gods were mocking me an immature Osprey swooped down not fifty feet from where I was standing and grabbed a nice ten inch rainbow and flew just over my grey head making ancient squealing noises and I’m certain it had a smile under it’s beak...

“ The woods are dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
and miles to go before I sleep,
miles To go before I sleep.”

Robert Frost 1874-1963

Click Here for this month's story line of

“ ADVENTURES OF FLETCHER QUILL “