Mystic Surreal Waters

“ Spontaneous method of irrational
Understanding based on the interpretive
Critical association of dilirious phenomena.”

Salvadore Dali, Immortal

Fly fishing in my mind has always been an unmeasured adventure into a quicksilver mind set fueled by tactile, sensory, color, olfactory, sensual overload..... My old friend Bamboo Mentor Walton Powell said it perfectly, “ Dan my friend it ain’t about catching fooling trout at all! Its only about obsession with moving waters, dancing light, and maybe, just maybe the feel of wildness interrupted when that two pound wild Rainbow wakes you up, that’s what its all about! “

Long languid mornings followed by magic moments playing Brookies so pretty golden sun glass’s are needed.... All around waterfalls and bird songs competing to wrestle one away from one self, ahh taste, smell of clean moving water, Yosemite National Park California fly/ Sensory Mecca. Many days in Yosemite have been complete Surrealist Buffet as my fingers tie hand made Mosquitos on to tippits 2 pound test. My favorite Bamboo working its easy alive swing as the Mosquito gently hits three feet above a resting Brookie. He moves right to it and as the bright California Sun blinds breaking up the morning light, I feel the wildness in my arm, wrist, as the little wild fish makes a nice run, joy pure joy...... Cast after cast a hit or a hook up, no other fly fishers in sight. Stop after four hours and just sit and smell and listen and be very thankful to be alive....

Half way down the long winding always clear running never crowded Feather River during the period I threw flies on every inch wadeable and wrote a feature article on the sweet Feather, I found a large pool about 40 yards wide and maybe ten feet deep at the most. It was early spring and I watched three very fat Rainbows slurping Pale Morning Dun’s around size #14 and smaller.

I tied on a PMD tied with a little yellow and white mix and pow it was slammened quickly! That nice one pounder was full of life so instead of playing him out and enjoying the hook up, I quickly brought him to hand and off he went. One other hook up within minutes then back in warm car comfort and off to the next pool. The intense greenery, trees healthy and tall. The majestic Feather River rules when it comes to peaceful solo fly action. Many wonderful B&B’s to choose from, highly recommend this California ribbon of wild water home to many fine wild trout...

Just outside of Truckee California one can access the magic Truckee River in its still healthy well kept 2009 incarnation. The surrealistic aspect to this exciting trout habitat is the nearness to comfort, great food, outstanding hospitality! This river has many trout to keep you moving and happy, it is wadeable and can if fly fished correctly make your day sportsfans...

One can begin just outside of the city limits and spend all day following the river down to Nevada.

Asian Fly Surreality !

Sneaking around in dangerous snake infested back waters of the legendary Mekong River as a young 17 year old Marine avoiding Charlie and my own officers. Catching and releasing fish I never dreamed existed in real life. Every Asian fly trip from Japan to Vietnam has been an education in meeting wild fish few sportsmen can imagine. Thailand walking cat fish that can stroll from one river to another! Fish that appear serpent like with heads resembling large snakes? Fish that hunt with more quiet skill then many human fly fishers ever display! No matter where one fly fish’s in Asia, be prepared to be amazed at what lives in those ancient waters. For me all of Asia is the height of surreal.......

Cabo San Lucas

When the marlin are running just off shore near the Madracal exclusive private beach where I spent a week surf fly fishing and catching fish almost every cast was sublime and unforgettable! Less then 200 yards from this private beach Marlin were thick and hitting anything resembling shiny silver baitfish. An adventure of a life time catching so many I had to stop and have both hands bandaged. Sea of Cortez, Cabo on shore and off still the hot fish nursery it has always been. If you have not been to Cabo San Lucus, go now!

Africa

Tangiers, Morocco in the late 1960s an insane sensory assault upon a fresh faced San Francisco Irish Marine. In later years the many animal packed national parks and the expansive coastline made for surf fly action if you can dodge pirates, smugglers, characters out of Indiana Jones all wanting to make friends because your from San Francisco California a truly exotic destination indeed! African surreal is source number one if one seeks hot weather more flying bugs then you ever imagined. Sensory overload kicks in as soon as one hits the airport lounges in Johannesburg or Jo Berg. Flashy colors on woman, rich food odors, an amazing Daliesque repository of fly fishing opportunities and cultural education.....

Deep Alaska

One hundred miles from Anchorage up north the famed Wilson homestead lake Marie an American lesson in wildness old school wildness. No roads, no people, just King Salmon and more Grizzly Bears then anyone anywhere ever encountered Cowboy! I always will remember the two weeks spent in this remote fly/hunting lodge hand built by the Wilson brothers David and John. Their Mother Marie killed a nice Grizzly attempting to help her do morning chores in the early years.. What a story the Wilson family, as surreal as it gets Pilgrim. ( See Monster Kings & Sweet Bamboo Parts one and two...... )

Dali’s Dalliance

Hook: #6 Barbless

Thread: Red Silk, One wrap Silver Tinsel

Tail: Single strand white marabou

Wing #1 Two hand carved died yellow wild Prairie Chicken Feathers

Wing # 2 Several single strands brown maraba combed

Wing # 3 Several single strands white maraba nicely combed groomed!

Hackle: Salmon colored maraba wrapped 360 carefully

Head: Black thread & thin maraba duff mixed to create wolly head, eyes can easily be attached

* Dedicated to the Master Salvador Dali




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“ ADVENTURES OF FLETCHER QUILL “