I’ve returned from a most memorable residency at the Ames Free Library.  All of the events were well attended by enthusiastic participants.  One of my favorites was the fly casting class I gave on Saturday on a pool in the Italian Gardens.  Over a dozen people took turns trying their hand at the fundamentals of fly casting, to the cheers and applause of the rest of the class.  Here is a picture of the Ames Free Library, an architectural jewel on the landscape of eastern Massachusetts.

This is where I’m working on my third book, my new home for the time being.  It is Queset House at the Ames Free Library in North Easton, MA.  When I spoke here last October, I was offered the opportunity to participate in the Ames Free Library Author-in-Residence program.  I’m giving talks and presentations, but also trying to buckle down.  What a beautiful setting!  Please learn more about the Ames Free Library here:  http://www.amesfreelibrary.org

Dusty Dave peaks out of shed…

These are photos of the first and second days of spring, 2015, in Holden, Maine.  Big thaw needed!

Here’s a wave, with my newly fixed left hand, to all my sports and friends.  I underwent carpal tunnel release surgery on Wednesday.  After years of postponing it, I’m having both hands done this winter, so they can heal in time for the guiding season.  The procedure was out-patient, with local anesthetic and mild sedation, and took less than an hour.  The relief from the problem (numbness and pain) is almost instantaneous.  Stitches come out in ten days, and then it’s building back up to full strength and use.  I’ve learned over the years that it’s a pretty common issue among guides and musicians.  If anyone’s on the brink, I can recommend a good orthopedic surgeon in the Bangor area.

I was notified today by my publisher, Skyhorse Publishing, NY, that my latest book, Wide and Deep: Tales and Recollections from a Master Maine Fishing Guide has received Honorable Mention in the non-fiction category from the New England Book Festival.  I’ll receive this award at the Omni Parker House in Boston on January 24th.

http://bangordailynews.com/2014/12/22/opinion/contributors/check-devices-at-the-door-christmas-was-never-meant-to-be-quiet/

I don’t think so.  To date, three production companies have gotten in touch, suggesting ideas for a TV series based, in various ways, on my life as a Maine guide.  Two were New York companies, one a Maine firm.  The last was the most interesting, but even so, I couldn’t see a good fit for myself, nor would I wish to impose upon clients.

I’ve asked different sports of mine what they’d think of being followed while having everything we do and say filmed and recorded. The answers were unanimous, and probably obvious.  First of all, we don’t necessarily want anyone to know where we’re going.  That in itself is a kind of unspoken, backwoods credo.  A fisherman’s haunts and honey holes are sacrosanct.

Secondly, many successful sports are not interested in popularizing their methods.  Some are of course, and lots of money is made doing it.  Guided fishing tends to be more of a private enterprise, honoring Chatam House Rules (what is said and done there stays there).  It’s what keeps bringing those sports back to the well each time.

The last reason it seems unlikely that I’ll agree to such an idea is that I watch absolutely no reality TV.  The ones I’ve seen advertised don’t look like reality to me.  To be more precise, I should probably say, “my reality.”

To that intrepid producer  looking for the silver bullet, breakthrough idea, I’d suggest this.  Find someone to foot the bill, then come and have yourself filmed for 3-5 days through every aspect of the experience–canoeing wilderness lakes, streams, and rivers, cooking everything you eat over an open fire, having intense fish fights, and heart-stopping wildlife sightings.  Watch the metamorphosis that happens to you and then see whether you’re inclined, or willing to talk about it afterward to reality TV watchers.

Let’s start there.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!  Of course that leads right into the Christmas crunch, but I have some gift ideas for any who might be stumped this year.  All that’s required is that the recipient be a reader.

There are two brand new, great reads by two different author friends of mine.  First, Your Atomic Self by Curt Stager, a paleoclimatologist from Paul Smith’s College, NY.  It offers a deeper look into what we’re all made of by a guy who can keep you interested.  Here’s a link to that groundbreaking work, complete with synopsis and reviews:  http://www.amazon.com/Your-Atomic-Self-Invisible-Everything/dp/1250018846/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417008984&sr=8-1&keywords=The+atomic+self

Second is a work by a pioneer in the healing arts, Eileen McKusick.  As a musician, I’ve been very keen on watching Eileen’s work with tuning forks to bring people back into “tune” with themselves and their environment. Her work has been hailed all over the country, and she is now in demand as a speaker and presenter for this equally ground-breaking topic.  You can see her story, reviews of her new book, and more here:  http://www.amazon.com/Tuning-Human-Biofield-Healing-Vibrational/dp/1620552469/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417009189&sr=1-1&keywords=tuning+the+human+biofield

Finally, I’d be remiss (and earn my publisher’s ire) if I didn’t suggest my latest work, Wide and Deep: Tales and Recollections from a Master Maine Fishing Guide.  Amazon is still giving it 5 stars, so I would hope your loved one would not be disappointed by this gift idea either.  Here’s all the info:  http://www.amazon.com/Wide-Deep-Recollections-Master-Fishing/dp/1628736399/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417010068&sr=1-1&keywords=wide+and+deep

Good luck, tight lines, and in touch along the way!

It was a special trip to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia this year.  The dedication/memorial for Ray Plewacki Sr. took place there on Tuesday, October 14, 2014.  Ray was 93 when he died, not long after his final trip to the Margaree last year.  We had been friends and fishing companions for 14 years.  His stories were so compelling, I based the chapter, “92 and Growing” in my newest book, Wide and Deep, on Ray’s life.

Family and fishing friends gathered at Chance Pool on the Margaree River, Ray’s favorite pool to fish.  His son, Ray Plewacki Jr. affixed a special plaque to the bench, one that commemorates Ray’s contribution to that very special fishing community.

The morning of the dedication, I had some time on the river.  Ray’s presence was everywhere, so much so that I looked over my shoulder several times to check.  As I fished and reflected on Ray, and on our time together, my fly line suddenly went taught.  I instinctively came up sharply with the 10′ 8″, 8 weight switch rod made by Ray and hooked the largest salmon of my 15 years on the Margaree.  About 20 minutes later, I was able to tail the fish and get one quick photo before releasing it.  It’s estimated weight was 25 lbs.  I was therefore able to tell the story and show the picture at Ray’s dedication.  Ray, the heroic WWII aviator, who’s full military honors funeral I attended last spring at Arlington National Cemetery, was my wing man on this catch.  I knew that from then on, I’d never be without him on the Margaree.