THE WAY IT SHOULD BE by ROSS B. YOUNG

When I first received my copy of artist Ross B. Young's book, The Way It Should Be, I expected to see a book full of beautiful pictures of his hunting and fishing artwork.  Believe me, Ross's book does not disappoint! 

"The Way It Should Be" by Ross B. Young.  This painting depicts Ross's last quail hunt with his father who instilled in Ross the love of the outdoors. In the book, Ross tells the story of his father's smooth swing and the dropping of a nice quail at the shot.  What a great tribute!  Ross passes on his father's legacy in every one of his paintings. 

What I did not expect was the interesting story underlying Ross's artwork.  Here is a man who has lived life on his own terms as the master of his own destiny.  And I greatly respect and admire this about Ross.  Ross received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1977 from Tulsa University and a Master of Art in 1980.  After graduating from college, Ross and his wife moved to Kennebuck, Maine where he commenced painting for a living.  In his first year of his career, he netted a whopping $439.39.   Many would have given up the dream at that point, but not Ross.  He perserved through the tough times until he found success.  Ross now lives and paints in Springfield Missouri, "The Show Me State," which I think fits Ross's determined character. 

One of the impressive things that I did not know about Ross before reading the book is that he now paints the portraits of the champion dogs for the National Shoot to Retrieve Association, the Purina Brittany Open All Age Award, the National Bird Dog Championship, the Purina Top Dog Award, the Continental Championship, the National Open Shooting Dog Championship, the American Field Quail and Pheasant Futuritys, and the U.S. Invitational Shooting Dog Championship.  Humbly shifting the spotlight from himself, Ross wrote that these are "all opportunities to paint the greatest canine athletes in the world."  If that is the case, then think about what this says about Ross and his artwork.  Very impressive (even for someone, like myself, who does not field trial or follow field trials)!

"The Pros" by Ross B. Young.  Although Ross paints all sporting breeds, I sense that he has a special place in his heart for Brittanys.  Ross actually painted the cover of the anthology on the Brittany called, A Feisty Little Pointing Dog. 

   While Ross's champion dog portraits are excellent, the main reason I was drawn to the book was his sporting art.  Ross's paintings cover primarily bird hunting and fly fishing.  Regarding his approach to his art, Ross wrote: "Throughout my career I have tried to paint the spirit of the subject rather than every hair and blade of grass.  I feel it is my job as an artist to show you my interpretaion, my emotional response to a subject through paint.  For me that is the magical aspect of art and what gives it the bond of human interaction between the artist and the viewer."  In reviewing the numerous paintings within this book, I can attest that Ross truly captures the ambience, the feeling, the spirit--or to use his word--the magic, of our experiences outdoors. This is why his artwork resonates with me and many others. 

Following are a few of my favorite images from The Way It Should Be:

"Old Gate Ruffs" by Ross B. Young.  In his book, Ross explains that while he was in Maine, he hunted many beautiful coverts like the one depicted in this painting.  Ross was described by one person as the "new Osthaus."  With paintings like this, I don't think that is a misnomer. 

"Sharp Shooters" by Ross B. Young.  This painting depicts one of mine and Ross's favorite birds to hunt, the sharptail. 

"Doubled Up" by Ross B. Young.  In this painting, Ross captures well one of my home rivers, the Henry's Fork. 

       To sum it up, Ross's book is a treasure for the sportsman.  No doubt, for years to come, I will be pulling this book down from the shelf during the dead of winter to help me remember days past and to dream of future days afield and on stream.  As the title of the book suggests, Ross captures the great outdoors, The Way It Should Be.

Special thanks to Ross B. Young for granting me permission to use all of the artwork in this post.  You can purchase Ross's book and his artwork at http://www.rossyoung.com/.

CHECK OUT ANDY'S "THE GENIUS OF FISHING" ON THE BACKCOUNTRY JOURNAL

I just wanted to give the followers of Upland Equations a quick update on my latest writing endeavor.  On Monday of this week, The Backcountry Journal, an online journal for the outdoors enthusiast, published my essay, "The Genius of Fishing."  It's a fun read about some things geniuses and fishermen have in common.

An act of genius.

Here is a little teaser from the article:

In this world, there are two types of people—among myriads— who have always been on the fringe of society: Geniuses and Fishermen.  These two may, at first blush, appear totally unrelated, but they share more in common than you might think.

Of geniuses, Jonathan Swift said, “When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in confederacy against him.”  Likewise, the renowned fly-fishing writer John Gierach wrote:  “I think I fish, in part, because it’s an anti-social, bohemian business that, when gone about properly, puts you forever outside the mainstream culture without actually landing you in an institution.”  For whatever reason, society just does not understand or accept geniuses or fishermen.  They definitely share this in common . . . .

If any of you fishermen want to find out if you qualify as a genius, then you'll have to read the article.  Here is the LINK.  Check it out and let me know what you think!

Thanks for dropping by.  Keep fishin' with faith!

Andy

YOU MAY BE A DIEHARD SHARPTAIL HUNTER IF . . .

By Andrew M. Wayment

You may be diehard sharptail hunter if . . .

1. Come October, you forget about all other game birds and only desire to hike the rolling CRP fields behind hard running pointing dogs in search of the pointy-tailed grouse.



Matt Lucia hikes the hills of The Royal MacNab, my favorite covert in the whole world. 


2. Your old dog’s first retrieve was on a sharptail and you sincerely hope that her last one will be of this bird of her heart.

Andrew Wayment and Sunny Girl pose for Sunnys first retrieve.

3. You know that Ben O. William’s book, Western Wings, is like the Bible for recognizing sharptail habitat and learning about sharptail hunting.

4. You love it when you find CRP with a little alfalfa intermixed because you know from experience that sharptails love this leafy green plant in the pea family.

5. You have a rascal of a dog that usually can do no right, but somehow straightens up and hunts well whenever pursuing sharptails.


Bustin' Dusty could sure be a rascal, but for whatever reason, he really focused when it came to sharptail hunting.  We had some of our best days together on these birds. 


6. You realize that the very best bird to take a young child to experience the thrill of the hunt is the sharptail as the birds are plenteous and the walking is enjoyable.

Tommy Boy and Brandy celebrate the season's first sharptail.

7. You know that the best places to find sharptails on a windy day is on the leeward side of a big, grassy hill.

8. You can tell sharptails from other games birds when they flush because of the appearance of white spots all over their dark wings and the unmistakable call that they make when they rise, lut lut lut lut.

9. One of your favorite quotes is from, Don Thomas’ Fool Hen Blues: "Cock pheasants sound angry when they take to the air and Huns sound fast, but flushing sharptails sound like God just rolled the dice."

10. You don’t care as much for a partridge in a pear tree as you do a sharptail in a chokecherry, service berry, or elder berry tree as you know that sharptails love their wild berries.

11. You have spied one or more scout sharptail in a tree and tried to sneak up on him and his friends hoping for a point and a shot, but failed miserably. Notwithstanding, you loved every second of it.

12. You flushed numerous sharptails from open ground into thick timber and then hunted them like ruffed grouse.

13. You have secret, special sharptail coverts with names like, The Royal MacNab, Shanghai Noon, The Crescent Moon, and Switch-It-Up.


The rolling prairies with the mountains in the background are the places sharptail call home.


14. You know that as the season progresses the birds flock together in bigger coveys that are harder to approach as the birds flush wild, but you still go hunting just for a chance at a sharptail.

15. You are not a fan of the giant windmills that now dot the sharptail’s habitat because they have locked up the coverts, destroyed habitat, and impacted the birds. To you, these behemoths are like giant, white crosses on the landscape that signify great loss.

16. You have been in your favorite sharptail covert at first light and the sunrise over the mountains to the east was so beautiful it brought tears to your eyes. You think to yourself: This is about as close to heaven as it gets.

17. You recognize the beginning of the sharptail season is more like summer than fall, but over the next few weeks you literally witness the inevitable transition to winter. The cold wind, cloud cover, and snow flakes during the last hunt match your spirits on the last day of the hunt.




Hope the weather holds.



18. Although their hunting season is over, in December while hunting other birds, you have come across a sharptail’s snow den that it made to survive the blizzard the night before and you think: Man, these birds are tough!

19. You know that most flatland pheasant hunters do not realize just how great sharptail hunting is and that is just fine with you and the birds.

20. You know that Don Thomas got it right when he called this unique game bird, Soul Chickens as they and their environs are no doubt, good for the soul.

The old farm fields are gone, but the sharptail remains. Man, I love these birds!

HISTORIAN'S CORNER: WILFORD WOODRUFF, FIRST FLY FISHER IN THE AMERICAN WEST

Have you ever wondered who was the very first person to flick a fly west of the Mississippi?  Believe it or not, it was a Mormon Pioneer, by the name of Wilford Woodruff.  Before coming west, Wilford Woodruff actually served two proselyting missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in England, where he first learned of the art of fly fishing during his second mission. 

 

Wilford Woodruff was the first fly fisher in the American West. 



Throughout most of his life, Woodruff faithfully kept a daily journal.  While in England, Woodruff wrote in his journal of his first encounter with fly fishing on the River Ribble on May 8, 1845:

I went fishing with Father Richard Smithies in the river ribble. He is 70 years of age & is considerd the greatest fisherman in the country. He fishes with the fly which is the greatest art in fishing ever introduced. His fish pole or rod was about 14 feet long sum thing like cane vary slender & delecate. His long fine line made of hair & cat gut was wound around a small brass wheel with a little crank to it fastend to the but end of the pole. The line then runs through half a dozen brass rings or ilet holes fastend at a sutible distance along on the rod to the small end of it. One the end of the fine fish line is fastend 5 or 6 arti-fishal flies about 2 feet apart. These are upon a small cat gut almost as small as a single hair. 25 or 30 feet of the line is unwond from the reel at the but of the rod running through the rings to the point. The line is then flung upon the water the same as though it was tied at the end of the rod & the flies with a hook concealed in each swims down the stream. The trout instantly take it considering it the natural fly. They are hooked as soon as they strike it if they are large trout & run. They of their own accord unwind as much line as they want from the reel at the but of the pole or rod.

The fisherman does not pull the fish out of water on the bank by the pole but worries the fish in the water with the line untill he will not struggle. Then he draws him up to the shore by the line if he stands on the bank or to him if he stands in the water. He then takes a small hand net with a light pole 4 or 6 feet puts it under the fish & takes him vary deliberately out of the water. 

Father Smithies caught 7 trout & two Cheven in this way while we were with him. It was the first time I had seen the fly used in my life in the way of fishing. I was delighted with it the rod line was so light & flung with such skill & dexterity that the trout are beguiled & whare ever they are are generally taken. The fisherman has flies different for almost ever month calculated to imitate the flies that float upon the water at the time they fish. These flies are made of the feathers of birds some of various Colors. The trout will often take them before the natural fly. I was much gratifyed with this days fishing.

In fact, after this experience, Woodruff was so smitten with fly fishing that he picked up his own bamboo fly rod and reel in Liverpool, England after his mission to take home to Nauvoo, Illinois. 

However, Woodruff did not have the opportunity to try the rod until the Mormon pioneer vanguard party reached Fort Bridger in Western Wyoming.  The Black Fork of the Green River runs in close proximity to the fort and its cutthroat trout beckoned to Woodruff and other members of the camp.     He wrote the following of his first experience with the long rod on July 8, 1847:

As soon as I got my breakfast I riged up my trout rod that I had brought with me from Liverpool, fixed my reel, line, & Artificial fly & went to one of the brooks close by Camp to try my luck catching trout. The man at the fort said there were but vary few trout in the streams, And a good many of the brethren were already at the creeks with their Rods & lines trying their skill baiting with fresh meat & grass hoppers, but no one seemed to ketch any. I went & flung my fly onto the [-] And it being the first time that I ever tried the Artificial fly in America, or ever saw it tried, I watched it as it floated upon the water with as much intens interest As Franklin did his kite when he tried to draw lightning from the skies. And as Franklin recieved great Joy when he saw electricity or lightning descend on his kite string in like manner was I highly gratifyed when I saw the nimble trout dart my fly hook himself & run away with the line but I soon worried him out & drew him to shore & I fished two or three hours including morning & evening & I cought twelve in all And About one half of them would weigh abought 3/4 of a pound each while All the rest of the camp did not ketch during the day 3 lbs of trout in all which was proof positive to me that the Artificial fly is far the best thing now known to fish trout with. 

"First Fly" by Dix Baines. This beautiful painting is used with the permission of artist Dix Baines who was commissioned to paint the story of Wilford Woodruff using the first fly in the American West.  In creating this painting, Dix actually went to the historical site and had his son dress in the clothing of the time period and use a fly rod.  Having been there myself, Dix captures the Black Fork of the Green River perfectly!  Check out this painting and many others at Mr. Baine's website http://dixbaines.com/artwork/giclees/.

This is a photo of the bottom half of Woodruff's fly rod, which is on display at the LDS Church's History Museum in Salt Lake City.  Unfortunately, the top section of the rod has been lost. 

For those who love to fly fish, Wilford Woodruff's experience and sentiments no doubt strike a chord.  He learned almost one hundred and sixty-five years ago just how great fly fishing is, especially when the fish rise to a dry fly.  And he got to try it in the West before so-called progress came and spoiled it all.  Now, if that doesn't get you excited, then you need to take up a new pastime besides fishing!

After this experience, Woodruff's church and family responsiblities kept him busy so that he did not get to fish as much as he probably would have liked to.  In fact, Wilford Woodruff later became the fourth Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which, I guess, is not surprising considering the fact that Jesus chose humble fishermen as his Apostles during His ministry. Indeed, fishing is good for the soul!

Special thanks is given to Dix Baines for permission to use his beautiful painting, "First Fly."  This painting and many other gorgeous paintings are available for sale at Dix's website: http://dixbaines.com/artwork/giclees/.  For those who love the great outdoors, Dix really captures everything that we hold dear in nature.  In particular, I love his paintings on fish and fishing.  Be sure and check out Dix's website.  

Keep fishing with faith!

Andy

CHECK OUT ANDY WAYMENT'S ARTICLE, "TEN FLIES FOR IDAHO GUYS . . . AND GALS."

I wanted to share with the followers of Upland Equations my latest writing endeavor.  I was approached last month by an online magazine called, Southern Idaho Living, to write articles on hunting and fishing.  Excited to branch out, I contributed an article for the May issue on good flies for Idaho waters entitled, "Ten Flies for Idaho Guys . . . And Gals," which was just published this morning.  And it turned out great!

Matt Lucia fishes a remote canyon creek in Eastern Idaho.  This is one of many of the beautiful photos featured in the article.

Here is a little teaser to pique your interest: 

Idaho is a fly fisherman’s paradise. This great state has it all from small freestone, pocket-water streams to raging rivers, warm-water reservoirs to alpine lakes, and meandering meadow streams to ultra-technical spring creeks. You can pretty much pick your passion and go with it. That’s what I love about this state.

For someone who is just starting out, this smorgasbord of fly-fishing goodness may seem a bit overwhelming. A good selection of flies for your fly box is an excellent place to start. While my boxes contain hundreds of other patterns, below are ten tried-and-true patterns for Idaho that I never leave home without . . . .

If you want to learn more about my go-to flies, you will have to go read the article!  Here is the LINK.  Please check it out and let me know what you think.  



This Brownie fell for a Pheasant Tail Nymph. 



Thanks for stopping by and keep fishin with faith!

--Andy 

THE WEBSITE FOR HEAVEN ON EARTH HAS BEEN UPDATED

If you are a follower of Upland Equations, you may already heard about my new book, Heaven on Earth: Stories of Fly Fishing, Fun & Faith, which was officially released on April 1, 2012.  In the archives you will find several posts with links to the numerous reviews the book has already received.

To date, I have been very blessed to receive so many positive reviews of my book by other authors online, in print, and on amazon.com where the book is now available.  This is very gratifying for me as I was not quite sure how a book about fly fishing that mentions God or things of the spirit would be received in today's politically correct climate. For those of you who have not heard about the book, here is a brief summary:

The Lord has a special place in his heart for fishermen. For lawyers, not so much. When a guy who deals daily with the collision of these conflicting worlds has the temerity to author a book, you wonder whether anything coherent can result. This singular miracle, however, is now in print. In Heaven on Earth: Stories of Fly Fishing, Fun & Faith, Andrew Marshall Wayment, a diehard fisherman and attorney, negotiated his personal contradiction with such style and grace as to transport you to a place of joy and peace. This book is a collection of stories from the author’s life with the pastime of fly fishing as the primary subject matter. However, in a nation where it is quickly becoming taboo to even mention God or things of a spiritual nature, the author bucks this trend and uses fish and fishing as a vehicle to share deeper spiritual principles. Hopefully, in reading this book of fishing stories you, too, will find a little Heaven on Earth.

Heaven on Earth: Stories of Fly Fishing, Fun & Faith by Andrew M. Wayment

To help promote the book, I created a website to share more about it and also set up a Pay Pal function where you can actually purchase signed copies.  Earlier this week, I updated the website with thirteen of the reviews that have come in so far.  For those who are interested in learning more about the book and reading these reviews, here is a link to the website: http://www.heavenonearthbook.com/.  Check it out and let me know what you think!

Thanks for stopping by!  Keep Fishin' with Faith!

Andy
        

CHASING WILD TROUT: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO FLY FISHING SMALL STREAMS BY BEN SMITH

"Any fool can make something complicated. It takes a genius to make it simple.”

― Woody Guthrie

In my book, Heaven on Earth: Stories of Fly Fishing, Fun & Faith, in the chapter, "Let Patience Have Her Perfect Work," I wrote about my struggles to learn how to fly fish. It took three years of trial and error before I finally began to understand the workings of this great sport. Let’s face it: Learning to fly fish can be difficult. Beginners need all the help they can get.



I was recently asked by Ben Smith of Arizona Wanderings to review his new e-book, Chasing Wild Trout: A Beginner’s Guide to Fly Fishing Small Streams. To borrow a name first coined by Chris Hunt of Eat More Brook Trout, Ben is a "Creek Freak" who loves to fish small streams and rivers for trout and now Ben has written a book to help beginners share in his passion. 

Chasing Wild Trout, an e-Book by Ben Smith



I'm typically not much of a fan of How-To books. With that said, I read Ben’s book twice and can honestly say that it is a great book. Chasing Wild Trout is well written and, in my experience, the information is solid and simple. When I say "simple," I don’t mean that in a negative way. Albert Einstein said: "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction." In this vein, Ben takes something that can be very complex, learning to fly fish, and simplifies it so that newcomers can easily understand. Nice job Einstein!



“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”


― Albert Einstein

Admittedly, being a lover of the written word on the page, I have not read many e-Books.  So, before I actually reviewed the book, I expected to see a boring PDF- type format, but was pleasantly surprised at what I saw. The lay-out of the 38 page book is visually appealing and the book contains numerous, beautiful professional photographs and illustrations, which were on point and helpful. I was able to review the book on both my iPad and iPhone just fine.



I must admit that I was also impressed with the selection of Ben’s flies featured in Chasing Wild Trout, which he suggested to the reader. I have used with great success most of the flies he suggests.  Some flies mentioned I have not yet tried, but will for certain.  In particular, the Simi Seal Bugger and the Mini-Hoppers that Ben ties look like killer flies that will get the job done. Ben humbly neglected to mention in the book that all of his great flies are available at his WEBSITE.

 

Simi Seal Buggers tied by Ben Smith and available through his website



My only constructive criticism is that, while he mentioned the Simi Seal Bugger and streamer fishing, Ben did not explain the set up and mechanics of streamer fishing in a small creek. In my experience, streamer fishing is different than dry fly or nymph fishing and requires a different set up and technique. But this is only a minor oversight. Besides, most anglers don't use streamers on small streams anyway. For me, small streams are all about surface feeders. If I want to catch fish on streamers, I will fish big water like the Madison, the South Fork, or the Snake River.

Overall, the book is excellent and I have no problem recommending it. Heck, I wish I would have had this book when I first started fly fishing! Seventeen years later, I am still learning about fly fishing and loving it. Probably the best compliment that I can give the book is that it made me want to go fishing.

Ben’s book is available at http://www.arizonawanderings.com/.  Check it out!

Thanks for stopping by! 





Ben Smith: Creek Freak.  This beautiful photo is featured in the book and is indicative of the great photography in Chasing Wild Trout.