the american fly fisher - american museum of fly fishing · to the american museum of fly fishing....

SPRING 2011 VOLUME 37 NUMBER 2

American

Journal of the American Museum of Fly Fishing

The

Fly Fisher

WHEN THE LAST of the snow meltsaway, when the temperaturesbegin to rise, when the trout in

the streams begin to stir, most of us areready and thankful for the spring warming.At the museum, we rejoice not only at ourhemisphere’s tilt back toward the sun, butalso at the support we’ve experienced dur-ing the preceding year. In this spring issue,we give thanks for all of you: our donors,sponsors, supporters, volunteers, authors,lenders, and friends (page 26).

We offer special thanks to TrusteeGardner L. Grant, who, after thirty-six yearsof dedicated service, becomes TrusteeEmeritus Gardner L. Grant. At the 2010annual membership meeting, we named ourlibrary in his honor (see inside back cover).

Sometimes being a small museummeans being thankful for opportunities towork with other small museums. In thisissue’s Gallery (page 21), Executive DirectorCathi Comar reports on a collaborationbetween our museum and the PresidentCalvin Coolidge State Historic Site inPlymouth Notch,Vermont, which contactedus for help with cataloguing the donationof a crate full of Coolidge’s fly-fishingequipment. It has been an exciting projectfor both organizations.

As editor of this journal, I’m thankfulfor my authors and their insights into thehistory, art, and literature of the sport. Wehave a little bit of all of that in this issue.Come, take a look.

Mottisfont—the Hampshire, England,estate on the west bank of a middle portionof the River Test—has been host to manyangling greats. Frederic M. Halford himselfleased fishing rights on this chalk streamfrom 1905 until 1914. In “Frederic M. Halford

at Mottisfont on the River Test,” G. WilliamFowler tells us about the estate itself, theimportance and near-holy status of thisriver, and both Halford’s fishing and his riverimprovement projects during his tenure aslessee. This article begins on page 2.

In 2006, the Tihonet Club (Wareham,Massachusetts) donated its annual log-books—along with art, books, and maps—to the American Museum of Fly Fishing.The artist Frank W. Benson was a memberof the Tihonet Club, and his beautifullyillustrated notes grace the pages of theselogs. In “Frank W. Benson: Artist andAngler” (page 14), Gerald Karaska offers upthe sporting side to Benson’s history andhighlights some of the pages in the logsnow housed at the museum.

John Mundt, in Keepers of the Flame,has also chosen to profile an artist: thesporting artist and museum member C. D.Clarke. Mundt caught up with Clarke on asmall trout stream in rural Connecticut,but by happy coincidence, the piece’s ac-companying photo shows Clarke paintingon the banks of the River Test (we also geta peek at the watercolor he was painting atthat moment). “C. D. Clarke: ProfessionalSporting Artist” can be found on page 20.

In Notes from the Library (page 23),Gerald Karaska reviews his friend and col-league William G. Tapply’s posthumouslypublished book of fishing essays, Every DayWas Special (Skyhorse Publishing). Muse-um News (page 24) highlights our winterholiday season and upcoming events.

At last, it’s spring. And hey—thanks forreading.

KATHLEEN ACHOREDITOR

Peter BakwinKelly BoatrightRobert BruckerC. Austin Buck

A. S. CargillJace Day

Robert DiNozziDavid DiPiero

Domenic DiPieroHenry and Michelle Gasiorowski

Jon GibsonTom Gravina

Marc HembroughTim Hixon

James HoughtonFred KambeitzPeter KelloggSteve Lampe

Anthony LombardoRussel LucasSteve Myers

Grant E. NelsonRobert O’Hara III

John OliverJoseph R. Perella

Joseph and Usha RobillardBob and Mary Russell

Greg RussellEd ShugrueTim TigerPat Welsh

Ken Wilson

Catherine E. ComarExecutive Director

Yoshi AkiyamaDeputy Director

Sarah MooreManager of Membership and Operations

Kim MurphyManager of Events Promotion

Patricia RussellAccount Manager

Sara WilcoxDirector of Visual Communication

denotes additional levels of giving

F R I E N D S O F T H E M U S E U M

S T A F F

Vernal Thanksgiving

F. W. Benson, Tihonet Club logbook 1928.From the collection of the American Museum of Fly Fishing.

Our Mission:

The American Museum of Fly Fishing pro-motes an understanding of and appreciation

for the history, traditions, and practitioners ofthe sport of fly fishing. It collects, preserves,

exhibits, studies, and interprets the artifacts,art, and literature of the sport and uses these

resources to engage and benefit everyone.

S P R I N G 2 0 1 1 V O L U M E 3 7 N U M B E R 2

the American Museum of Fly FishingJournal of

Frederic M. Halford atMottisfont on the River Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

G. William Fowler

Frank W. Benson: Artist and Angler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Gerald Karaska

Keepers of the Flame:C. D. Clarke: Professional Sporting Artist . . . . . . . . . . . 20

John Mundt

Gallery: A Presidential Collection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Cathi Comar

Notes From the Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Gerald Karaska

Museum News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Museum Donors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

ON THE COVER: Frederic M. Halford and William Senior sitting on the bankof an English chalk stream, c. early twentieth century. Courtesy of theFlyfishers’ Club, London, with permission.

The American Fly Fisher (ISSN 0884-3562) is published

four times a year by the museum at P.O. Box 42, Manchester, Vermont 05254.

Publication dates are winter, spring, summer, and fall. Membership dues include the cost of the

journal ($50) and are tax deductible as provided for by law. Membership rates are listed in the back of each issue.

All letters, manuscripts, photographs, and materials intended for publication in the journal should be sent to

the museum. The museum and journal are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, drawings, photographic

material, or memorabilia. The museum cannot accept responsibility for statements and interpretations that are

wholly the author’s. Unsolicited manuscripts cannot be returned unless postage is provided. Contributions to The

American Fly Fisher are to be considered gratuitous and the property of the museum unless otherwise requested

by the contributor. Copyright © 2011, the American Museum of Fly Fishing, Manchester, Vermont 05254. Original mate-

rial appearing may not be reprinted without prior permission. Periodical postage paid at Manchester, Vermont 05254;

Manchester, Vermont 05255; and additional offices (USPS 057410). The American Fly Fisher (ISSN 0884-3562)

EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: www.amff.com

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The American Fly Fisher, P.O. Box 42, Manchester, Vermont 05254.

Michael BakwinFoster Bam

Pamela BatesPeter Corbin

Deborah Pratt DawsonE. Bruce DiDonato, MD

Christopher GarciaRonald Gard

George R. Gibson IIIJames Hardman

James Heckman, MDArthur Kaemmer, MD

Karen KaplanWoods King III

William P. Leary IIIDouglas F. MacKenzieChristopher P. Mahan

Walter T. MatiaJohn R. McMahon

William C. McMaster, MDBradford MillsDavid Nichols

E. Wayne NordbergErik R. Oken

Raymond C. PecorStephen M. PeetLeigh H. Perkins

Frederick S. PolhemusJohn Rano

Roger RiccardiEric W. Roberts

Kristoph J. RollenhagenPhilip Sawyer

Franklin D. Schurz Jr.Robert G. Scott

Gary J. Sherman, DPMRonald B. StuckeyRichard G. TischDavid H. WalshJames C. Woods

T R U S T E E S

Charles R. EichelW. Michael Fitzgerald

Gardner L. GrantWilliam HerrickDavid B. Ledlie

Leon L. MartuchPaul Schullery

Chairman of the BoardPresident

Vice Presidents

SecretaryClerk

Treasurer

David H. WalshJames Heckman, MDStephen M. PeetRichard G. TischJames C. WoodsCharles R. EichelRobert G. Scott

O F F I C E R S

T R U S T E E S E M E R I T I

Kathleen AchorEditor

Sara WilcoxDesign & Production

Sarah May ClarksonCopy Editor

THE AMERICAN FLY FISHER

We welcome contributions to the American Fly Fisher.Before making a submission, please review our Contrib-utor’s Guidelines on our website (www.amff.com), orwrite to request a copy. The museum cannot acceptresponsibility for statements and interpretations thatare wholly the author’s.

2 THE AMERICAN FLY FISHER

THE MOTTISFONT ESTATE is locatedin Hampshire, England, south ofan old Roman road that once con-

nected Winchester to Salisbury.1 Nestledon the west bank of a middle portion ofthe River Test and downstream of thefamous fishing beats of the HoughtonFishing Club, Mottisfont is one of thosequiet, beautiful places steeped in folkloreand fly-fishing history as a result of somany angling greats having fished itswaters. Frederic M. Halford leased thefishing rights on the estate’s chalk streamfrom 1905 until his death in 1914.

A study of Halford at Mottisfont isrelevant to the American angler, as it wasHalford’s first two books that gaveTheodore Gordon the dry-fly fever. InNovember 1891, Halford sent Gordontwo large sheets of all the artificial flieshe thought advisable for use in America.2

This transmittal has earned Halford thehonor of being identified as the father ofdry-fly fishing in America.3 AlthoughHalford is widely known as the “symbol-ic father of the modern dry fly,”4 hisangling life was also devoted to codifyingchalk-stream management practices,which are increasingly important to theAmerican angler because understandingearly English practices provides a histor-ical foundation for current Americanstream management.

HISTORICAL OWNERSHIP

OF MOT TISFONT

The Mottisfont estate was owned byWilliam the Conqueror in the eleventhcentury. William Briwere (Brewer) estab-lished the priory of Austin Canons there,which was congregated in 1224. It devel-oped into a religious community withthe distinction of having the forefingerof John the Baptist as one of its relics; thefinger that, according to legend, pointedto Jesus Christ when he said “the Lambof God who takes away the sins of theworld.”5

During the reign of Henry VIII, themonasteries were dissolved as part of theReformation. Thomas Cromwell and theTudor government terminated the reli-gious ownership of vast tracts of land,which was the greatest change in landownership since the Norman conquest.6

Fifteen monasteries in Hampshire losttheir property; among these were theAugustinians of Mottisfont Abbey. Theproperties were granted or sold to influ-ential members of the royal court andgovernment officials.

Sir William Sandys, the king’s lordchancellor, became the new owner ofMottisfont in 1536. It was important tothe king that reliable and loyal people

such as Sir Sandys control the Hamp-shire lands and provide leadershipshould the vulnerable coastal county beinvaded from the sea.7 A succession ofdescendants of Lord Sandys owned theestate by inheritance for four centuriesuntil 1934, when Gilbert Russell boughtthe property from the Barker-Mills fam-ily. After Russell acquired the estate, sub-stantial improvements occurred on theproperty, and gardens were establishedaround the estate. Garden designer NorahLindsay and landscape architect SirGeoffrey Jellicoe introduced more colorand structure to the existing open lawnsand informal stands of trees, makingMottisfont a showplace. Russell kept theproperty until 1957, when he donated itto the National Trust, which continues tooperate the estate today. The NationalTrust recognized the need to preserveEngland’s nineteenth-century Frenchroses, and Graham Stuart Thomas, gar-den advisor to the British National Trust,assembled them at Mottisfont, furtheradding to the importance of the estatetoday.8

THE RIVER TEST

The English chalk streams of Hamp-shire have long been some of the finesttrout rivers in the world. In 1653, Izaak

Frederic M. Halford atMottisfont on the River Test

by G. William Fowler

The Cattle Bridge and the River Test at Mottisfont(plate 7), early twentieth century. With permission from

the Hampshire Record Office. Reference number 142M98-3.

SPRING 2011 3

Walton said that the Hampshire chalkstream “exceeds all England for swift,shallow, clear, pleasant brooks and storeof trouts.”9 Nearly all of the world’s chalkstreams are in England.10 Sir EdwardGrey of Fallodon has eloquentlydescribed the Hampshire chalk stream inHalford’s time:

Other rivers may shrink and leave theirbanks dry, but the Hampshire chalkstreams run brim full, and their valleysare full of water meadows, intersectedby streams and runnels and channelsand cuts of all sorts and sizes carryingover the land the bounty of water . . .

A true chalk stream has few tribu-taries. The valleys on the higher groundnear it have no streams; the rain fallsupon the great expanse of high exposeddowns, and sinks silently into the chalk,till somewhere in a large low valley itrises in constant springs, and a full riverstarts from them towards the sea. Thereis always something mysterious to mein looking at these rivers, so little affect-ed by the weather of the moment, fedcontinually by secret springs, flowingwith a sort of swiftness, but for themost part (except close to mills andlarge hatches) silently, and with waterwhich looks too pure and clear for thatof a river of common life.11

English author Harold Russell said,“Taking the trout streams of GreatBritain from end to end, the mostdelightful sport, the most interesting

fishing, and the greatest variety of happi-ness can probably be got on theHampshire chalk streams. Of these Ithink the queen of rivers is the Test.”12

The Test is an idyllic river dear to thehearts of fly fishers throughout theworld and considered the holiest ofwaters by many. An old English sayinggoes, “God couldn’t get a day on theTest.”13 In a farm meadow near Ashe, the

Test is born from a spring flowing southover the chalk down. The Test is approx-imately 40 miles long from its begin-nings until it flows into the sea at SouthHampton.14 As it makes its way south tothe English Channel, the Test flowsthrough many communities identifiedwith the history of trout fishing, includ-ing Overton, Whitechurch, HurstbournePriors, Newton Stacey, Chilbolton, Stock-bridge, Bossington, Mottisfont, Romsey,and the Broadlands. Because of its length,the Test’s tributaries include the riversBourne, Anton, Dever, Dun, and Black-water and Wallop Brook, which areimportant chalk streams in their ownright. The Test does not always have a sin-gle channel or riverbed. In places, theriver has a braided appearance, as sidestreams begin and return to the mainriver. Over the last eight centuries, as aresult of man’s needs for water power andirrigated land, many streams or irrigationcarriers have been built along the Test.

The Test Valley near Laverstoke is thebackground for Richard Adams’s novelWatership Down. It’s a foreign place toAmericans in many respects. The lan-guage is different. It’s a place where eelpots and baskets, mill races, carriers, irri-gation tunnels or bunnies, sluices, stews,and water meadows abound—a placewhere, Halford said, “sport and profitcannot be united in one undertakingwithout destroying, or at best cripplingthe other.”15 John Waller Hills describedthe main River Test at Mottisfont as“rather heavy water, but bringing upgood hatches of olives and pale wateries,and also of the famous Oakley Stream,narrower, quicker and more lively, a

The River Test. From Charles Bingham, Chalk Stream Salmon and TroutFishing (Shrewsbury, U.K.: Swan Hill Press, 1993), 8. Used with permission.

English chalk stream. With permissionfrom the National Trust, Mottisfont.


surer beat and a more interesting one.”16

Along Oakley Stream is a fishing hut sit-ting just a few yards from a thousand-year-old tree called the Great Oak.17 Since1905, the hut has been referred to asHalford’s fishing hut, but originally it wasnamed after Billacombe the builder.18

No one has described the beauty of flyfishing for trout on the Test more elo-quently than John Waller Hills.

Was there ever such a sport as fishing,or such a river as the Test? Going home,recalling incidents of the day, all seemedsymbolic. The very mistakes and mis-fortunes had their place and theirnecessity. And from the back of themind, unobserved during the intensedrama of the sport but returning withthe cessation of activity, there arose adeep consciousness of the beauty of thebackground against which the contesthad been enacted. The ageless outline ofthe down, springing from a time farearlier than man and man’s cultivation,the grass with its wealth of flowers, thesong of birds, the glancing water—allthis entered into the inner chamber ofthe soul, giving a refreshment, a poise, abalance and a new life to intellect and toemotions which no other experiencecould offer.19

HALFORD THE MAN

Frederic Michael Halford was born on13 April 1844 in Spring Hill, Birmingham,the third child of five born to Samuel

and Phoebe Hyam. His family was partof a very prominent ready-to-wear cloth-ing manufacturing enterprise engaged inproducing large volumes of shirts andother garments and selling them quicklyat low margins. The Hyams’ success wasdependent on thousands of workers inseveral factories throughout England.20

At age seven, Frederic attended Univer-sity College School, and at age sixteen, hefinished school to join the family busi-ness. Six years later, in 1866, he became anofficer in the 36th Middlesex Volunteers,which required him to drill twenty-fourtimes a year. In 1872, he married FlorenceSt. Lokley, and their only child, Ernest,was born the same year. By 1875, Frederichad changed his surname to Halford,21

and he was almost fully retired, servingonly as a director of the family business.Martin Mosely was Halford’s nephew, aleading entomologist of the time, andauthor of Dry-Fly Fisherman’s Entomol-ogy.22 On 15 April 1907, Halford was atMottisfont when he learned that his wife,who was being treated for a nervousbreakdown, had fallen from a hotel win-dow in Crow-Button Sussex, an apparentsuicide during temporary insanity.23 Thiswas a tremendous blow to him.

The year 1908 was a turning point forHalford. His own health improved as heovercame his depression from his wife’sdeath.24 Although his diary shows that hefished very little in April, he fished fifteendays in May, and he was at Mottisfont with

friends for several days when he didn’t fishat all.25 Overall for the season, he caughtninety-two trout at Mottisfont, witheighty-six from Oakley Stream. He alsocaught twenty-six grayling.26

Halford’s fishing experiences beforebecoming addicted to chalk streams werevaried, including sea fishing and spin-ning for pike. Halford fished the Thamesand caught a 12-pound trout. In 1868, atage twenty-four, he took up fly fishingwith a beat on the Waddle.27 He came toHampshire in 1877 having joined a newsyndicate of twenty-four members whohad acquired the Houghton Club’s fish-ing rights on the Test, which consisted of9 miles of river frontage from MachineBarn down to Bossington.28 His relation-ship with the Houghton waters ended in1886 when the group lost their fishingrights and the original Houghton Clubmembers regained possession.

Halford is credited with formalizingdry-fly fishing and writing down whathad been discovered and developed.29 Hedefined the art of dry-fly fishing.Although he was not known as an inno-vator, he still became a legend. JohnWaller Hills called Halford the historianof the dry fly, saying that Halforddescribed what he did not invent, and bypractice and writing made an “unan-swerable case” for the dry-fly system.30

Halford’s books at first clarified tech-niques but later moved onto codifica-tion.31 He wrote seven books, including

The Great Oak at Oakley Stream (Mottisfont), late nine-teenth century. With permission from the Hampshire

Record Office. Reference number 12M96/11.

Halford with Dick Coxon inspectingOakley Stream banks during low water,c. 1907–1908. With permission from the

National Trust, Mottisfont.

SPRING 2011 5

his autobiography.32 His early books soldout quickly, both in England andAmerica, and were first reprinted as “TheDry Fly Series” by William Senior, editorof The Field. Senior had some adviceabout reading Halford’s works.

[Y]ou must always read very carefullybetween the lines. You never knowwhen you find a pearl. The apparentlyprosaic statement often contains a valu-able lesson, and what seems to be a sen-tence merely recording the capture of atrout of given inches and ounces will befound to have been written with theobject of sustaining an argument orenforcing a truth.33

Halford published his last two booksduring the time he leased the Mottisfontwaters. The most significant of the twowas Modern Development of the Dry Fly,published in 1910. Here he listed thirty-three fly patterns that he deemed essen-tial for every situation that could arise ona chalk stream. These patterns were a farcry from the ninety patterns that he andGeorge S. Marryat believed essential forEnglish chalk streams and listed in hisfirst book, published in 1886, FloatingFlies & How to Dress Them, or the onehundred best patterns in his book DryFly Entomology, published in 1897.34

He was a frequent contributor to TheField under the pseudonym “DetachedBadger,” writing more than 200 articles.35

His dry-fly theories became so credibleto anglers at the time that many consid-ered it heresy to fish any other way.Today’s Halford purists still practice his

teachings and methods and follow hisethical code. His popularity was suchthat major English fly-fishing equipmentmanufacturers, such as Hardy Brothersand C. Farlow & Co., Ltd., capitalized onhis name by reproducing his fly patternsand manufacturing fly rods, reels, andother equipment endorsed by him.

The foundation of Halford’s writingswas his field notes, which he then con-verted into his diary. His fishing diariesconsisted of three volumes, beginning on

2 April 1879 and ending with his last fish-ing day at Mottisfont on 24 October1913.36 Chalk-stream fishing was differ-ent, and he accepted the challenge bybecoming knowledgeable about the riverand its fish, vegetation, and insect life.His extensive studies with George S.Marryat prepared him to codify dry-flyfishing methods and enabled him tobecome an expert on the subject. Al-though these studies were called “scien-tific” at the time, Halford’s works havebeen questioned because he did not have“an open mind and willingness to listento others.”37 G. E. M. Skues was guilty ofthe same malady. T. E. Pryce-Tannatt’smore humble view, enumerated in hisfamous book on dressing salmon flies,that your work should “be regarded asregistering a phase in piscatorial historynow receding into a dimming past,”would have served Halford and Skueswell.38 Conrad Voss Bark points out thatHalford’s work was solely directed toachieving the perfect imitation of a nat-ural insect; he never concerned himselfwith how the fly looked to the trout.Therefore, his detailed observations lefthim open for criticism in later years.39

Many who contributed to the under-standing about improvements to the dryfly came later, including Dr. J. C. Mottram,J. W. Dunne, and Vince Marinaro; signifi-cantly, John Goddard and Brian Clarkemade the revelation of the “flaring” ofthe wings as the fly enters the trout’swindow of vision.40

Halford admits that in the beginning,he knew little about chalk streams, so forthe first two years he didn’t maintain any

Grosvenor Hotel, Stockbridge, home of the Houghton Club, early twentieth century.Courtesy of the Flyfishers’ Club, London, with permission.

Halford at Oakley Stream with fly rod in hand, early twentieth century.Courtesy of the Flyfishers’ Club, London, with permission.


records in his diary of his fishing activi-ties. The diaries contain twenty-eightyears of detailed chalk-stream records:dates; wind and weather conditions;beats or locations fished; flies used,including their sex; the sex of troutcaught; and a section with remarks aboutthe day’s fishing. Later he included a sep-arate accounting of catches by others.Halford maintained statistical summariesof each year’s fishing in the diaries. Theremarks section contains the names ofpeople he fished with, including G. S.Marryat, Francis Francis, William Senior,H. S. Hall, R. B. Marston, J. J. Hardy, andmany other notable angling authoritiesof the time.41 His fishing diaries are a fineexample of scientific observations fromself-study.42 The “remarks” section pro-vides additional details. For example,Halford was at Mottisfont with J. J. Hardyto test the new 1912 Hardy Bros. fly rod(which replaced the first “Halford” dry-fly rod introduced in 1905) and otherequipment. Halford and Hardy fished forthree consecutive days.43 Halford told Mr.Hardy that “it is to my mind the best flyrod I ever handled.”44

Halford’s last day of fishing was atMottisfont on 23 August 1913. His last fishwas a 1-pound, 2-ounce rainbow trout.45

He vacationed during the winter of 1914

in Tunisia; on his return trip to England,he caught pneumonia and died aboardship 5 March 1914 as it came into TilburyDocks on the Thames.46

EARLY VISITS

Halford fished Mottisfont many timesbefore acquiring the fishing rights forhimself in 1905. His first recorded visit toMottisfont was on 1 June 1882, as noted inhis fishing diary. He described the windas “blowing a gale” out of the northeast,and he recorded catching three trout forthe day, with the largest weighing 3pounds, 8 ounces on a Silver Sedge.47

On 2 June 1884, Halford returned, andwith the wind out of the southeast, hecaught three trout weighing a total of 5pounds, 1 ounce. One fish weighed 1pound, 14 ounces; another weighed 1pound, 12 ounces; and each was caughton a Grey Drake. The smallest weighed 1pound, 7 ounces, and was caught on anArtful Dodger. Halford recorded losingtwo other fish, one rising and rollingover several times. He also noted thatthere was a fair showing of the mayfly,but the fish were not taking well.48 TonyHayter reports that Halford never caughtany of the really large Test trout, but thatJune day at Mottisfont may have been

the day that Halford encountered thelargest chalk-stream trout of his career.He was fishing with Major AnthonyCarlisle and Major William Greer Turlewhen he made a stout cast with a straw-bodied Champion Mayfly. Halforddescribed the encounter as follows:

Almost close to the bank, in the head ofa tremendous race, I espied a fish takingdown with a gulp every passing Mayfly.Crouching down well below him, andin absolute ignorance of the place, I putthe fly over the spot; a quick splashingrise, and with a heavy swirl, the hookedfish ploughed diagonally across thestream; but, before he had traveled tenyards, the point of my rod came back,and I found about three strands left of a21⁄2 yd. cast. The gut had parted fairly inthe middle of a length, and had theappearance of being cut with a knife.Looking down in the water, I noted aprimeval forest of ribbon weed, theedges of which I know to my cost areoften as sharp as a razor. I never was soutterly and hopelessly smashed before,especially with gut such as is seldomused on the Test—stout enough to kill agrilse or even a 20 lb. salmon at a pinch.Talking the matter over later in the daywith the keeper, he said, “Oh! Yes, sir, Iknows he well—he’s be nigh on 6 lb. or7 lb.”; and really I do not think this wasan exaggeration.49

Right: Halford angling on the main channel of theTest, early twentieth century. Courtesy of the

Flyfishers’ Club, London, with permission.

Below: Halford and William Senior quietly observing andwaiting for the rise on an English chalk stream. Courtesy

of the Flyfishers’ Club, London, with permission.

SPRING 2011 7

Halford was invited by his longtimefriend Foster Mortimore to again fish atMottisfont on 4 June 1886. The wind wasout of the northwest, with no mayfliesappearing until 3 P.M. and then very few.The alderflies were plentiful.50 Marryatjoined Halford, and they both experi-enced the pitfalls of striking too quicklywhen trout are taking the mayfly. Atabout 6 P.M., Halford spotted a hugetrout above a railroad bridge. Marryatrefused to go first, giving Halford thehonor. Halford cast a Spent Gnat, and“the fish rose with the utmost delibera-tion.”51 Halford struck too quickly.Marryat exclaimed, “You silly old chump,you pulled away before he could take it.”52

Marryat’s turn came; he made a perfectcast within 6 inches of the same trout, andit slowly rose. Marryat struck and missedwithout touching it. Halford then asked ifhe should repeat the “silly old chump sen-tence.”53 For the day, they caught a total offour brace (eight fish), keeping three, butno weights were reported.

On 7 June 1887, Halford and Marryatwere at Mottisfont with the wind out ofthe southeast. Halford was blanked, andMarryat caught a brace of brown trout,one weighing 2 pounds, 15 ounces, theother 2 pounds, 6 ounces. Halford lost a“buster” at the aqueduct, but the diarydoes not provide any other details.54

Halford’s last fishing day of the mayflyseason in 1889 was June 7. John Day,Marryat, and Halford traveled to Mottis-font as the guests of the Mortimores. Thewind came from the northeast, and upontheir arrival, spent gnats covered themeadows. Clouds of male gnats were inthe air after a morning rainstorm, andafter taking shelter in the railroad book-ing station, the anglers separated to dif-ferent parts of the river. Halford and Day

had the center portion and decided tofish one of the irrigation carriers. Dayrefused to fish, wanting to see Halfordcatch a big one. A huge trout rose in thecarrier, and Halford crawled into positionto fish because, according to Halford,trout feeding on spent gnats are shy andprone to travel or move about. Halfordmade an underhanded cast, and the fishimmediately struck. It went upstreamand worked itself into the weeds. Halfordlost the fish when the gut line broke, andhe was very downhearted. Halford andDay then moved upstream in the carrierjust below a brick bridge where anotherbig fish was rising. Halford put on a newSpent Gnat and describes the scene:

The trout was rising in a small openspace below the bridge, and aboveanother fearful tangle of weed. Using allcare, and keeping well out of sight,another horizontal cast put the fly onthe spot, another bold rise, and I foundmyself again fast in another big fish. Ithen did what I ought to have done withthe first one, jumped up, and without amoment’s consideration skull-draggedthe trout over the weed bed and startedat a full pace down the stream.

After about thirty yards of this, thefish shook its head with a savage jerkand tried to turn upstream. I simplystopped it by brute force, and oncemore started dragging it down as fast asI could go. This was repeated severaltimes, and at last, when we were quite150 yards below the bridge, the fishmade a roll on the water and was nettedby John Day before it could recover. Itwas a splendid female fish and weighed4 lbs. 2 oz.55

Marryat also had a successful day, with atrout weighing 3 pounds, 12 ounces.56

Halford and Marryat again were invit-ed by Mortimore to fish at Mottisfont on

6 June 1892. Halford provides a detaileddescription of the day in his autobiogra-phy.57 The day was sweltering hot withlittle wind. A few mayflies and a goodshow of spent gnats were on the water.Soon a trout was spotted in some deep,sluggish water cruising in a 5-by-3-square-yard space. Marryat unsuccess-fully tried several casts with a mayfly pat-tern, and Halford was begging that heuse a Welshman’s Button. Marryat thenswitched back to another mayfly patternthat did not work. He gave up in disgust,telling Halford to try the Welshman’sButton. Halford made a short cast tojudge the length, and then placed his flyon the fish. The trout rose to hisWelshman’s Button, and soon Halfordlanded a 4-pound, 3-ounce trout withMarryat at the net.58 This trout would beHalford’s largest caught at Mottisfont. Itis easy to understand why Halford laterleased the Mottisfont river rights. Hisearly visits were with close friends, andhis catches were some of his largest onany chalk stream.

MANAGING A FISHERY

During Halford’s time, the manage-ment of an English fishery was a highlydeveloped endeavor. Property ownersand lessees were accustomed to spendingsignificant amounts of time and moneyattempting to create an enjoyable sport-ing experience. Consideration and carewere given to every aspect and detailnecessary to be successful. Halfordplanned to make Mottisfont an excep-tional place, and he devoted much of histime and effort to creating the perfectchalk-stream dry-fly fishery. The resultnot only made for an enjoyable sportingexperience, but it advanced the scienceand art of angling. In 1903, the Barker-Mills family was leasing the Mottisfontfishing rights to E. Valentine Corrie, Hal-ford’s good friend. Halford and Falconer,another rod, joined Corrie in 1905.59

Corrie and Falconer decided to with-draw, and Halford took sole possessionin the spring of 1906.60 Being in controlof a fishery and not having to deal withpartners for the first time created theopportunity for Halford’s managementideas and practices to be implementedand the results measured. Halford’s ideasfor development and management of atrout fishery were articulated in 1895 withthe publication of his third book, Makinga Fishery.

It’s not to say that Mottisfont was atotally neglected fishery when it cameinto Halford’s hands. He described thefishery at Mottisfont in 1903 as being “atthe lowest possible ebb, containing alarge number of pike.”61 When he joined

Roadway bridge over chalk stream, early twentieth century. Anglerswere concerned about pollution from the use of tar on roadways.

Courtesy of the Flyfishers’ Club, London, with permission.


Corrie in 1905, he considered the waterto still be in a “transition stage, sufferingpartly from the neglect of ages.”62 By theend of 1905, Dick Coxen, the riverkeep-er, had killed approximately 800 pike, adamaging predator for young trout, andhad done extensive work on clearing thevegetation.63 When Halford was in con-trol, he was more optimistic about theproject’s future and pledged to continuethe battle against the pike. In 1906,Corrie killed 155 pike weighing 224pounds; fifty or more pike were killedevery year thereafter through 1911.64

Corrie’s stocking and general manage-ment was done on a “extravagantly liber-al scale and the sport has been almost upto our expectations.”65 Corrie had beenmaking improvements for two years,and he was an expert on the subject ofmaking a quality trout fishery.66 Hal-ford’s 1910 book, Modern Development ofthe Dry Fly, discussed many aspects ofmanaging a fishery, including waterselection, riverkeeper qualifications,proper weed cutting, killing the trout’senemies, stocking, and breeding.67

SELECTION OF WATER

Halford’s reputation led people tocall on him for advice on all aspects offly fishing, including the selection of achalk-stream water. His books Making aFishery (1895) and The Dry-Fly Man’sHandbook (1913) contained detailedadvice on all the important matters toconsider when obtaining fishing rights.A major theme through both works andin an article written for Flyfishers’Journal was that if the fishing rights fora well-known Hampshire river like theTest became available, you should takethem immediately if the term is for afairly long time with no unreasonablerestrictions. Even if there is no time toconsult with the previous tenant orinspect the property, you had to actquickly or the opportunity would belost.68 These circumstances make itabundantly clear that local knowledgewas very important.

Even though there may not have beenmuch time to act in acquiring fishingrights, some time was needed to negoti-ate a written agreement, and Halford hadplenty of advice on what should be in theagreement. A major concern was thelessor’s attempts to reserve for himself,family, and friends the right to a rod.Even if the agent’s representations weretrue—that the lessor did not fish at alland he did not allow others to fish—thiscould all change after the tenantimproved the fishery by repairing banks,cutting weeds, stocking fish, and develop-ing the property into a quality fishery.69

Halford felt that the reputation of theriver and the particular part beingacquired was of paramount importance.Even if the property had not been wellmaintained, the water’s reputation forcatching fish on a dry fly was an impor-tant factor. He did not believe one couldchange the character of the trout in theriver by introducing some two-year-oldstockers, nor was he interested in waterin which the fish did not feed on the sur-face.70 Halford was interested in diversi-ty of character of the water on the prop-erty. He wanted a property to have a mix

of fast-running water, shallow waterwith clean gravel for spawning, deeppools, and water containing the rightweeds that trout could enjoy and thrivein. The amount of mud in the river wasalso to be considered. Black foul waterfound in back areas created by decom-posing weeds did not create desirableconditions for producing insect life tosustain fish. Pale-colored gritty andsandy mud was more preferable.71

In July 1909, Halford noted in hisdiary that he was analyzing the details ofa new lease. This was possibly the acqui-

Plan of land at Oakley, late-nineteenth or early-twentieth century. With permissionfrom the Hampshire Record Office. Reference number 51M76-A-2P-83.

SPRING 2011 9

sition of additional fishing rights or arenewal of the Mottisfont lease becausehis family continued on there even afterhis death.72

RIVERKEEPERS

An essential ingredient for a qualitychalk-stream fishery was the selectionand retention of a competent riverkeep-er. The job was and still is a hard one,requiring knowledge of trout, their food,the river, its vegetation, the art of weedcutting, and the removal of predators.Corrie brought Dick Coxon and his fam-ily to Mottisfont in September 1903 fromthe Sowley fishery near the New Forest.73

Coxon became their first riverkeeper.74

Coxon was well thought of by Halford.Halford wrote in Modern Development ofthe Dry Fly of his appreciation of Coxon’s“unremitting exertions in carrying outhis and my own ideas for improving thesport of the fishing.”75 Halford’s thoughtson the attributes of a good keeper werestraightforward. He thought that an“honest, sober, hard-working, intelligentman who starts with the intentions ofdevoting himself to the fishery will gen-erally in a few years gain enough infor-mation and experience to be quite a goodkeeper.”76 Halford recommended thepayment of liberal wages and the provi-sion of a comfortable cottage by thestream. He urged owners to treat river-keepers with courtesy and considerationto retain their services for as long as pos-sible.

During the fall and winter months,when the fishing season was closed, theriverkeeper had many jobs. Immediatelyat the close of the fishing season, hismain priority was to prepare the waterfor the natural trout spawn. The weeds

were severely cut back and the spawningbeds racked to remove any excess mud.The chalk gravel was to be left clean andbright.77 Halford felt that good keeperswould use the winter months wisely byrepairing the banks, stiles, and planks;removing mud; building weirs; and con-structing piles in the shallows. The estateprovided the materials, and a good keep-er would do the work himself and occa-sionally hire local, respectable, and soberunemployed laborers to assist, which toHalford was a better form of charity thandistributing alms.78 Halford was alsomindful that the keeper faced a depress-ing and lonely time in the closed season,so he frequently visited Mottisfont. Hebelieved a good keeper should work with

the same zeal and intelligence when themaster was gone as when he was with theowner. Halford spoke of the danger ofthe keeper frequenting the tavern’s taproom and becoming a loafer or, evenworse, a poacher.79 Once the fishing sea-son began, the riverkeeper would befound at the water’s edge with the angler.His knowledge and experience becameinvaluable in assisting the owner with thefishing.

Aquatic plants or weeds are necessaryif they are of the type to harbor insectlife as a food supply for the fish. Halfordrecognized that weeds also providedshelter. On chalk streams, weeds growrapidly and must be cut to prevent thewater from becoming unfishable. Thetiming for weed cutting must be coordi-nated with others along the river to pre-vent ruining a neighbor’s sport.

Halford noted that weed cutting “is aquestion of requiring patient and intelli-gent study.”80 The object is to maintainthe river in a state most favorable to thesport, taking into consideration all theconditions of the water—i.e., fast, slow,shallow, deep, needs for shelter, and typesof weeds in the river. Achieving a balancebetween cutting the weeds too severely,thereby destroying the food supply andadequate shelter, and letting the riverbecome overgrown and preventing anyfishing was an art unto itself. Becausetrout will take up in the weeds, cuttingshould keep the surface clear so a dry flycan be used when fishing.81

The removal of mud during theclosed season is most important. Thebest practice is to dig it out and place iton the bank, not to rake it up and let it

Netting trout at the fish farm, Lower Chilland, c. 1900. With permissionfrom the Hampshire Record Office. Reference number 41M93/28/1.

Halford’s modern fishing stew showing stew covered with saplings and sedge providingshelter for trout, c. 1910. With permission of the National Trust, Mottisfont.


float downstream toward a neighbor, apractice that was not only illegal butunsportsmanlike.82

Another topic Halford spent timereporting about was controlling thetrout’s enemies. He classified the trout’senemies by categories: men, birds, otters,fish, and insect larvae. The village poach-er was a major problem, and Halford’scontempt for such men was expressed bydescribing a poacher as an “idle, dis-solute vagabond, who will not work” andnot even dare to commit larceny. Thesetypes were low in Halford’s mind, as theywould not even risk game poachingbecause of stiff punishments and strictenforcement of the game laws. Fishpoachers were treated with leniency bythe courts, and those merchants whopurchased the fish at below-market pricesalso went unpunished.83 Halford didobserve that all poaching had been on thedecline because of the higher education-al standards of the citizens and the dis-grace of being before a magistrate, aswell as because of improved living con-ditions. Villagers were more self-respect-ing and locals were less inclined to drink,so the old-timer poachers were no longersquandering money in pubs.84

Halford placed the pike as the mostdevastating enemy of the trout anddeclared war on it. Francis Francis alsoput the pike at the head of the list beforepoachers.85 Halford said that the “para-mount duty” of every owner was “killing

down pike by every available means andon every available day of the year.”86

Halford also details other pike removalmethods, including spinning with natur-al or artificial baits, wiring, trimmering,and netting.87 Pike removal at Mottisfontwas necessary, with 800 killed in 1903alone and another 452 in the next sixyears.88

Trout ova, alevins, and fry are part ofthe food chain for swans, ducks, andmud hens. Kingfishers feed on fry andyearlings, whereas herons will kill thelargest of trout. Halford recommends“all legitimate means” to keep these birdpopulations to a minimum.89 Otterswere always a problem, but easily con-trolled with the help of a hunter with apack of otter hounds.90

FISHING STEW

The purpose of an English fishingstew was to have a permanent place togenerously feed yearling trout beforeplacing them in the river. Halford’s ideason the proper construction of a fishingstew changed substantially from his con-cepts introduced in Making a Fishery,published in 1895. Originally, Halford’sdesign for the ideal stew was an 85-foot-by-91⁄2-foot channel with a hard gravelbottom and a 20-foot-by-121⁄2-foot tiled-roof brick shed at the end. It was similarto a hatchery in appearance. Yearlingswere purchased, heavily fed, and then

turned out into the river as two-year-olds.91 Halford reasoned that large fishwere not to be included in the stewbecause they monopolized the food andfrightened the smaller ones, who becamestunted.92

After seven years of operating his ownfishery, his improved version, describedin The Dry-Fly Man’s Handbook, wasmore practical and allowed for greaterresearch potential. The new version wasto be made in a natural carrier in a near-by meadow, 55 yards long, 12 feet wide,with a depth of 2 feet, 6 inches at normalsummer levels. A constant water supplyflowing over hard, clean gravel wasessential. The stew was divided into fourcompartments, with the upstream partfor yearlings, the second part for two-year-olds, the third for wild fish, and thefourth for experimenting. Screens wereplaced in the channel to separate eachcompartment. Shade was made for thetrout by building frames of half saplingsand galvanized wire netting and coveringthem with sedge, a course grass found innearby swamps.93 Halford’s stew resem-bled a river more than the earlier rigiddesigns with a building. Halford’s stewmay have been on Oakley Stream justupstream of the fishing hut. The NationalTrust at Mottisfont has an 1896 ordinancesurvey map showing a hand-drawn“hatch” where water flows out of thestream on the east bankside and returnsfarther downstream.94 This hatch waslocated on the Oakley beat close enoughto his hut to allow for convenient scien-tific work.

No explanation is given as to why theyearlings were in the first section and thetwo-year-olds in the second section.Halford also did not specifically mentionif the first section was upstream of theothers. If the first section was in factupstream, then he would have reversedthe normal river situation, in which thelarger fish take the upstream position. Hehad specific views about the fish he raisedfor river stocking. Yearlings were usuallypurchased from a local hatchery, raisedfor a year, and then released as two-year-olds. Some fish might be kept longer, butHalford did not believe that large fishshould be saved in a stew and thenreleased. The introduction of stew-raised3- or 4-pound trout was not acceptable.

Halford addressed the feeding of troutwhile detained in a stew. In Making aFishery, Halford explained an 1893 exper-iment using different types of food foryearling trout. Although fish breedersused horse flesh, he used minced liverand lights (lung) because horse flesh wasnot readily available in the country.95

The yearling trout were fed twice daily,and Halford observed that some were

Photograph of the fishing stews adjoining the Oakley Stream.From H. Hammond Smith, “An Experiment in the Treatmentof Furunculosis,” The Field (8 March 1913, vol. 121, no. 3147).

SPRING 2011 1 1

growing faster than the rest. The strongerfish were getting more than their fairshare. Approximately 160 of the longerfish were removed from the stew andplaced in the river. The remaining fishbegan to grow rapidly. Three monthslater, 130 of the larger fish were removedand placed in the river. The results weremost satisfying to Halford, not onlybecause of the weight gain, but also be-cause of the overall condition of the fishas two-year-olds.96

Halford had some rainbow troutbrought to Mottisfont in 1906. Rainbowtrout had been introduced in England inthe late nineteenth century. They werereproducing well in lakes and ponds, butnot in the chalk streams of southernEngland. They seemed to disappear afterbeing introduced in a river. Conventionalwisdom said that because rainbows weremigratory fish, they went downstream tothe sea. In 1906, Halford was of the opin-ion that rainbows could be bred in cap-tivity and introduced into suitablestretches of the river where they wouldremain if hand fed occasionally by theriverkeeper. Halford arranged with T. E.Vicker—a neighbor who maintainedrainbows in a fast-flowing stream—toprovide thirty trout, which were intro-duced to Mottisfont’s stream on 19September 1906. After a few months ofthe keeper’s morning feeding, the rain-bows stayed. The population stayedintact until the spawn, and then they dis-appeared. By April 4, no rainbows couldbe found, and Halford concluded thatthe experiment, although unsuccessfulin keeping rainbows in his river, con-

firmed that they apparently droppeddownstream.97

Halford’s diaries indicate that duringthe fishing season, it was not uncommonfor him to catch fish in the river andrelease them into the stew. Toward theend of the season, he would take under-sized wild trout caught in the river andplace them in the stew. He would selecthealthy and good-conditioned fish ofabout 3⁄4 pound and feed them well for afew days before returning them back intothe river, considering them to still be wildfish.98 On 8 August 1908, for example, hetook sixteen fish out of the river andplaced them in the stew.99

HALFORD’S FRIENDS

An interesting aspect of Halford’stime at Mottisfont was that he fished lessthan before and apparently enjoyedmaking his waters available to his friendsfor their sport.100 G. E. M. Skues neverfished at Mottisfont, having publiclycome to a parting of the ways withHalford on several issues, including theeffectiveness of the sunk fly and the useof American 8-weight rods on chalkstreams.101 Although Skues was asked tocontribute a section on dry-fly dressingto Halford’s 1897 Dry Fly Entomology, by1904, Skues had made numerous publicstatements in the angling press thatproved to be the forerunner of the con-flict to come. Halford was convincedfrom his experience that Skues’s wet-flyfishing methods on chalk streams led tolarge catches of undersized fish.102

Ernest Pain was Halford’s friend whofished at Mottisfont on numerous occa-sions. He was fishing Oakley Streamwhen he noticed the effect of differentlights on a fly.

There was dark undergrowth on one sideof the river and I noticed that the fishrose at the fly I was using when it was ontheir left side—that is, the side on whichthe growth was; so I told my host that hisfish could see better with their left eyethan with their right. It would seem thatthe dark background made my fly lookmore like the one they wanted.103

Pain fished at the Mottisfont with Hal-ford twice in 1906.104 Pain’s first visit toOakley Stream was on Monday, June 11,and the wind was out of the northeast.He caught one male trout weighing 2pounds, 6 ounces, on a male Welshman’s

Packing trout at the fish farm at Lower Chilland, c. 1899. With permissionfrom the Hampshire Record Office. Reference number 41M93/69/1.

Well-dressed chalk-stream anglers. Courtesy of the National Trust, Mottisfont.


Button105 and one grayling weighing 1pound, 4 ounces. Halford and anotherindividual named Kendle each caughtone fish and returned them. Halfordnoted in his diary that there was no riseuntil 9 P.M. Pain’s second visit wasunproductive; he caught only undersizedfish. Small fish thereafter became knownas “Pains.”106

“FISH THE OLD STREAMS”An American view of fishing an

English chalk stream was expressed byTheodore Gordon in a 1 September 1906article titled “From the Beaverkill,” origi-nally published in the Fishing Gazette.

Personally, I would rather fish the oldstreams which have been known toanglers for generations, where the troutare hard to take and where there aremany natural flies. Here, whether wefish wet or dry, some little time devotedto the study of entomology is not wast-ed, but adds greatly to our pleasure,often to our success. . . .

Yet I imagine that all flyfishers wouldenjoy and profit by a visit to the Test andItchen. There, if one is lucky, he may seesome of the great past masters of the dryfly at work, men who think, talk andbreathe feathers, quills, hackles and per-fect dry flies, who can drive twenty-fiveyards of heavy line in the teeth of a galeof wind and place a tiny dun or spinner,floating and cocked, a few inches abovea rising trout. It must be confessed thatthis is the perfection of the art.107

Halford never physically fished Amer-ican waters, but his work and ideas haveinfluenced how Americans have pursuedthe sport. There is much to be learnedabout the art of dry-fly fishing from him.Studying Halford’s life, writing, legacy,and the chalk streams themselves givesevery angler the opportunity to moveforward toward a better understandingof angling history. Look for the pearlsand keep an open mind, because thejourney continues.

!

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author wishes to express his spe-cial thanks for their assistance to AnglingAuctions for arranging a viewing andopportunity to study all three volumes ofHalford’s fishing diaries after the April2005 auction; to Anna Day, volunteerarchivist with the National Trust atMottisfont; to Commander T. H. Boycott,OBE RN, secretary, Flyfishers’ Club ofLondon; to David J. Kelly, United StatesLibrary of Congress; and to my assistant,Melinda (Penny) Pando.

ENDNOTES

1. The name Mottisfont may have comefrom the Old English motes funta, meaning“spring near the confluence” or “spring of themoot.” Cathal Moore, Graham Stuart Thomas,and David Stone, Mottisfont Abbey, Garden,House and Estate (London: Centurion PressLtd., 2004), 3.

2. Theodore Gordon, “News of Mr.Halford’s Death in America and OtherNotes,” (from Mr. T. Gordon, Fishing Gazette,9 May 1914 reprint), in John McDonald, ed.,The Complete Fly Fisherman: The Notes andLetters of Theodore Gordon (Norwalk, Conn.:The Easton Press, 1995), 362.

3. Arnold Gingrich, The Fishing in Print:A Guided Tour through Five Centuries ofAngling Literature (New York: WinchesterPress, 1974), 204.

4. Paul Schullery, ed., Halford on the DryFly: Stream Craft of a Master Angler (Mechan-icsburg, Pa.; Stackpole Books, 2007), ix.

5. Moore et al., Mottisfont Abbey, Gar-den, House and Estate, 5.

6. John Hare, The Dissolution of theMonasteries in Hampshire, Hampshire PapersNo. 16 (Winchester, England: HampshirePrinting Services, 1999), 1.

7. Ibid., 14.8. Moore et al., Mottisfont Abbey, Garden,

House and Estate, 21.9. Izaak Walton, The Compleat Angler

(New York: Weathervane Books, 1975), 122.10. A. G. Bradley, The Rivers and Streams

of England (London: Bracken Books, 1993;reprint of 1909 edition [London: Adam &Charles Black]), 47.

11. Sir Edward Grey, Fly Fishing (London:J. M. Dent & Sons, Ltd., 1993), 25.

12. Harold Russell, Chalkstream andMoorland (London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1911),55. Eight years earlier, in 1903, Halford credit-ed George S. Marryat with naming the Test“the queen of chalkstreams” (Frederic M.Halford, An Angler’s Autobiography [London:Vinton & Co., Ltd., 1903], 252).

13. Dermot Wilson, quoted in magazineadvertisement Fly Fisherman (Spring specialedition 1978, vol. 9, no. 3), S134.

14. Noreen O’Dell, The River Test (SouthHampton: Paul Cave Publications, Ltd., 1979), 5.

15. Frederic M. Halford, Making a Fishery(London: Vinton & Co., Ltd., 1902), 28.

16. John Waller Hills, My Sporting Life(Ashburton, U.K.: The Flyfisher’s ClassicLibrary, 2000), 138. Hills had a rod atMottisfont for the 1924 season and describeshis fishing experiences in Chapter 11.

17. Maureen Westwood, Mottisfont &Dunbridge: Stories from the Test Valley(Eastleigh, U.K.: privately printed, ISBN09510537 1 x; 1988), 6.

18. Ralph Collins was the head riverkeep-er at Mottisfont for Sir Owen Aisher, and hiswife’s great-grandfather’s surname wasBillacombe. Charles Bingham, Chalk StreamSalmon & Trout Fishing (Shrewsbury, U.K.:Swan Hill Press, 1993), 50.

19. John Waller Hills, A Summer on theTest (Devon, U.K.: The Flyfisher’s ClassicLibrary, 1996), 80–81.

20. Tony Hayter, F. M. Halford and theDry-Fly Revolution (London: Robert Hale,Ltd., 2002), 15.

21. The family name change may havebeen done to avoid the obvious connectionbetween the clothing trade and sweat shops(Hayter, F. M. Halford and the Dry-Fly Revo-lution, 17–18).

A page from the photograph album of the Edwards family of Mottisfont Rectoryand Awbridge Danes, 1906–1931. Clockwise, from top left: Bathing pool at Oakley

Stream; Oakley Oak; and two members of the Halford family.With permissionfrom the Hampshire Record Office. Reference number 22A03/1.

SPRING 2011 13

22. Ibid., 215.23. Ibid., 207.24. Ibid., 208.25. Frederic M. Halford, Diary II. The

diaries will be referenced as Diary I (2 April1879 through 18 October 1899), Diary II (21April 1900 through 13 April 1907), and DiaryIII (3 April 1907 through 24 October 1913).Diary III continues after Halford’s death withentries made by his son Ernest Halford (1April 1907 through 23 September 1928).

26. Halford, Diary III, 1908 Summary.27. Hayter, F. M. Halford and the Dry-Fly

Revolution, 21.28. Ibid., 67. The original Houghton Club

was founded in 1822 and is still in existence.Halford’s syndicate lost the lease in 1886 as aresult of failed negotiations with the landowner.

29. John Halford, preface to reprint ofFrederic M. Halford’s An Angler’s Autobio-graphy (Ashburton, Devon, U.K.: The Fly-fisher’s Classic Library, 1998).

30. John Waller Hills, A History of FlyFishing for Trout (Norwalk, Conn.: The EastonPress, 1997), 129–30.

31. Tony Hayter, Introduction. In: TonyHayter, Donald Overfield, Timothy Benn,Kenneth Robson, and G. E. M. Skues, The Wayof a Man with a Nymph: The Nymph Dressingsof G. E. M. Skues (Brookfield, U.K.: CreelPress, 2005), 22.

32. Halford’s books are Floating Flies &How to Dress Them (London: Samson Low,Marston, Searle & Rivington, 1886), Dry-FlyFishing in Theory and Practice (London:Samson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington,1889), Making a Fishery (London: Horace Cox,1895), Dry Fly Entomology (London: Vinton &Co., Ltd., 1897), An Angler’s Autobiography (Lon-don:Vinton & Co., Ltd., 1903), Modern Develop-ment of the Dry Fly (London: George Routledge& Sons, 1910), and The Dry-Fly Man’s Handbook(London: George Routledge & Sons, 1913).

33. William Senior, “Fishing Days withHalford,” Flyfishers’ Journal (Spring 1914, vol.2, no. 3), 55.

34. Halford, Modern Development, 7.35. Tony Hayter, introduction to reprint

of Halford’s Modern Development of the DryFly (Hampstead, U.K.: The Flyfisher’s ClassicLibrary, 2005), ix.

36. Halford, Diary I, Diary II, and Diary III.37. Peter Lapsley, River Fishing: The Com-

plete Guide (London: Robert Hale, 2003), 27.38. T. E. Pryce-Tannatt, “An Edwardian

Contemplates,” in Kenneth Robson, ed.,Flyfishers’ Progress (London: Flyfishers’ Club,2000), 74.

39. Conrad Voss Bark, The Dry Fly: Progresssince Halford (Ludlow, U.K.: Merlin UnwinBooks, 1996), 9.

40. Brian Clarke and John Goddard, TheTrout and the Fly (London: A. C. Black, 1995),72–73, 84–85.

41. Kenneth Robson, ed., The EssentialG. E. M. Skues (New York: The Lyons Press byspecial arrangement with A&C Black, Ltd.,London,1988), 105.

42. Tony Hayter extensively analyzed allthree volumes of Halford’s diaries as well asHalford’s field notes used for preparation ofthe diaries before the Halford family sold

them—along with Halford’s library, manu-scripts, photographs, maps, and letters—at aLondon public sale conducted by AnglingAuctions of London on 2 April 2005.

43. Halford, Diary III, 7–9 May 1912.44. Frederic M. Halford, The Dry-Fly Man’s

Handbook (Lyon, Miss.: Derrydale Press, Inc.,1994), 20. Hardy Bros. also used this quote intheir publications; see Hardy’s Angler’s Guide,53rd ed. (Glasgow, U.K.: The University Press,1931), 252 and Halford, Diary III, 7–9 May 1912.

45. Hayter, F. M. Halford and the Dry-FlyRevolution, 239.

46. Ibid., 240.47. Halford, Diary I, 1 June 1882.48. Ibid., 2 June 1884.49. Quoted in Hayter, F. M. Halford and

the Dry-Fly Revolution, 105.50. Halford, Diary I, 4 June 1886.51. Halford, An Angler’s Autobiography, 126.52. Ibid., 127.53. Ibid.54. Halford, Diary I, 7 June 1887.55. Halford, An Angler’s Autobiography,

149–50.56. Ibid., 150.57. Halford, An Angler’s Autobiography,

186–88.58. Ibid., 188.59. Frederic M. Halford, “The Log of a Dry

Fly Man,”The Field (15April 1905, vol.2724),617.60. Frederic M. Halford, “The Log of a Dry

Fly Man,” The Field (9 February 1907, vol. 2824),206.

61. Halford, Modern Development of theDry Fly, 95.

62. Ibid., 96.63. Halford, The Dry-Fly Man’s Handbook,

362.64. Ibid.65. Halford, Modern Development of the

Dry Fly, 97.66. Corrie owned a hatchery at Chilland

and was well respected by the chalk-streamowners and fishery lessees for his knowledgeof trout. He was commissioned in 1908 todevelop recommendations for the improve-ment of trout fisheries south of Winchesteron the River Itchen. Corrie made a personalinspection of seven fisheries for his report. Hisscheme for improving the fishing includedspecific recommendations for restocking newand better fish; removing old fishing stock,eels, and pike; coordinating weed cutting; andpreparing and maintaining redds. E. ValentineCorrie, Report on Itchen River Fisheries South ofWinchester (Winchester, U.K.: Warren & Son,1909), Hampshire Record Office, ReferenceNumber 111M94W/X1/13.

67. Halford’s Making a Fishery was pub-lished in 1895, and Part III of ModernDevelopment of the Dry Fly was an updatedrewrite reflecting his opinion of all his majortopics relating to the creation and manage-ment of a private fishery.

68. Ken Robson, ed., Flyfishers’ Progress,5; Halford, The Dry-Fly Man’s Handbook, 303.

69. Halford, The Dry-Fly Man’s Handbook,304–05.

70. Ibid., 305–06.71. Ibid., 309.72. Halford, Diary III, 14 July 1909.

73. Hayter, F. M. Halford and the Dry-FlyRevolution, 199.

74. Westwood, Mottisfont & Dunbridge, 3.75. Quoted in Hayter, F. M. Halford and

the Dry-Fly Revolution, 199–200.76. Halford, The Dry-Fly Man’s Handbook,

323.77. Halford, The Dry-Fly Man’s Handbook,

324–25.78. Ibid.79. Ibid., 324.80. Halford, Making a Fishery, 46.81. See Chapter IV in Making a Fishery

(pp. 44–69) and Part III, Chapter III in TheDry-Fly Man’s Handbook (pp. 341–54), inwhich Halford covers all aspects of weeds andweed cutting on southern chalk streams.

82. Halford, The Dry-Fly Man’s Hand-book; see Chapter II, “General Management”(pp. 320–40) and Chapter III, “Weeds andWeed Cutting” (pp. 341–54).

83. Halford, The Dry-Fly Man’s Handbook,356.

84. Ibid., 357.85. Ibid., 359.86. Ibid., 360.87. Ibid., 362–68.88. Ibid., 362.89. Ibid., 357–58.90. Ibid., 358.91. Halford, Making a Fishery, 146.92. Ibid., 165.93. Halford, The Dry-Fly Man’s Handbook,

385–91.94. G. Phillips & Son Maps & Charts,

London, Ordinance Survey 1896 (2nd ed.),Hampshire Sheet XL VIII.3; scale 25 inches =1 mile. Hayter, in F. M. Halford and the Dry-Fly Revolution, describes the stew atMottisfont being 55 yards long, 4 yards wide,and with two screens (p. 204).

95. Halford, Making a Fishery, 158–59.Liver would sink and lights would float, soHalford recommended mixing two parts liverto one part lights, ever mindful that his mix-ture would educate the yearlings to feed onthe surface.

96. Ibid., 160–62.97. Halford, “The Log of a Dry Fly Man,”

The Field (13 April 1907, vol. 2833), 590.98. Halford, The Dry-Fly Man’s Handbook,

392.99. Halford, Diary III, 8 August 1908.100. Hayter, F. M. Halford and the Dry-Fly

Revolution, 205.101.Tony Hayter, Introduction, Modern

Development of the Dry Fly (Moretonhamp-stead, U.K.: Flyfisher’s Classic Library Edition,2005), xx.

102. Andrew Herd, “Frederic M. Halford:The Myth and the Man,” The American FlyFisher (Winter 2002, vol. 28, no. 1), 17.

103. Ernest Pain, Fifty Years on the Test(London: Phillip Allan & Co., Ltd., 1934), 40–41.

104. Halford, Diary II, 11 June 1906.105. Ibid.106. Hayter, F. M. Halford and the Dry-Fly

Revolution, 205.107. John McDonald, ed., The Complete Fly

Fisherman: The Notes and Letters of TheodoreGordon (Norwalk, Conn.: The Easton Press,1995), 141.


FRANK BENSON (1862–1951) is regard-ed as one of America’s premierartists. His reputation was estab-

lished at the turn of the twentieth centuryby his numerous awards and by highdemand for his impressionist paintings.Benson’s popularity was further securedwhen he began to produce wildfowlingart and a prodigious number of intaglioprints.

Over the years, only a small part of hisreputation could be attributed to hisangling art. From the early 1920s to hisdeath in 1951, Benson produced more thantwo hundred oils, watercolors, and etch-ings of salmon and trout fishing. Eventoday, very little acclaim is given to thisfacet of his sporting art. Yet his angling artis a clear reflection of the special characterand personality of the artist and of hisenormous skills as a sportsman.

Apparent first and foremost in his artis Benson’s love of nature, which wascomplemented by his avid participationin physical sports.1 Early in life he boxed,

played tennis, sailed, and pursued manyactivities that required physical dexterityand agility. He was a big man in everyway—hale, hearty, and strong—and heexcelled at all the sports he tried.Throughout his life his favorite pursuitswere hunting and fishing. No doubt thesewere encouraged by the proximity of themarshes and streams close to his home inSalem, on the northern coast of Massa-chusetts, where he lived his entire life.

Many who so avidly admire Benson’sartistry also strive to understand theinherent content and style of the beautyhe created. The innate sensuousness ofhis work, his awareness of the moodsand rhythms of nature, and his ability tocapture the mysteries of changing lightreflect his personal experiences both as aparticipant in and an observer of nature.

In his sporting life, as in his art,Benson’s intensity and dedication to com-pleting a task are evident. Many referencesin the literature attest to numerousepisodes when, luck aside, he downed the

most ducks, caught the most and thebiggest fish, and spent the most time onthe water. This was not, in any sense, acompetition with his companions.Benson simply possessed the ability toconcentrate intensely on those things heloved to do—in sport as well as in art.

Another hallmark in all of Benson’ssporting activities was his congeniality.He seemed to enjoy his outdoor activi-ties most when he was in the company ofothers. His most frequent companionswere members of his family. Indeed, hisfamily was the cornerstone of his life.They joined him in everyday activitiesand in all manner of outdoor adventures,and they were often with him on his fish-ing trips. His only son, George, was hismost frequent companion, and his wife,Eleanor, was with him when he fishedfor trout in Wareham, Massachusetts.Although his daughters often joined himfor archery, sailing, and lawn sports, theyonly occasionally accompanied theirfather on his fishing expeditions.

Frank W. Benson: Artist and Anglerby Gerald Karaska

Figure 1. F. W. Benson, Fish Market Water Color Association.From the collection of the American Museum of Fly Fishing.

SPRING 2011 15

During his twenty-four years as ateacher at the School of the Museum ofFine Arts, Boston, Benson enjoyedfriendly relationships with many stu-dents. He formed close bonds with fel-low artists who belonged to such formalart associations as the Guild of BostonArtists, the Society of American Artists,and The Ten, with whom he exhibitedpaintings. Many of the collectors ofBenson’s art also became close friendsand lifelong fishing partners.

Benson frequently joined with hisfriends to create informal clubs or asso-ciations. For example, at the TihonetFishing Club, Benson and his artistfriends formed the Fish Market WaterColor Association and the Fish MarketWater Color and Benevolent Association;at his duck-hunting cottage in Easthamon Cape Cod, he established a muskrathunting club, the Eastham Fur Company;on a trip to the Caribbean, the DudeClub comprised his travel companions;and, at his summer home on NorthHaven Island, he invented a game calledFat Man’s Baseball, in which the playerstied two pillows around their waists asthey played. Figure 1 is a sketch byBenson that nicely describes one club:

The annual meeting of the Fish MarketWater Color Association will be held at theold club house at Tihonet, Saturday, Apriltwelfth at one o’clock. Frank Benson, BobBellows, Dwight Blaney, and Lovell Littlewill be there after lunch. We will vote totake in no new members and will thenproceed to open the season and will paintuntil the fishing season begins on TuesdayApril 15. Posted by the Secretary.

Such camaraderie is not unusual amonganglers, but the strength of these bonds forBenson was exceptional. This may seem tocontradict the notion that angling is con-sidered a solitary sport, requiring greatconcentration. Few men were as dedicatedto the act of fishing as Benson. But the onedoes not exclude the other; while he great-ly enjoyed the companionship of otherfishermen, once on the stream or in thecanoe, he shed that gregariousness andfocused on catching fish.

PRODIGIOUS PAINTER

Frank Benson experienced a long andrewarding artistic life. He first worked inportraiture, winning many prizes, the firstin 1891. Subsequently, he won awards andrecognition almost every year. He began

exhibiting landscapes as early as 1895. Fortwenty years, through the turn of the cen-tury, Benson focused on sunlit plein-airpaintings of his children running throughmeadows, sailing, and exploring thebeaches of their summer home inWooster Cove, Maine. But approachingthe height of this work, the artist felt theneed to explore new media and motifs.

It is worthy of note that Benson didnot begin to work in watercolors until1921 when on a salmon fishing trip toCanada. Following his son George’sadvice, he took along the necessaryequipment. Thus began nearly threedecades of remarkable accomplishmentsin this genre of angling art.

Benson’s angling art differed signifi-cantly from others in that many of hispaintings did not include a fisherman.When an angler was present, the imagewas small. Benson was in fact more like-ly to paint those who worked on the riveras a guide, cook, or porter. Another com-mon motif was simply a canoe or two,clear symbols of an angling scene.

Benson’s angling art is prodigious.Research has identified 110 paintings andtwenty-six etchings that clearly refer tosalmon riverscapes (twenty additional

Figure 2. F. W. Benson, Fly Fisherman (private collection), 1936.


images could be classified as related river-scapes). There are thirteen paintings andeight etchings that depict trout stream-scapes (he did twenty-nine additionalpaintings as related streamscapes).

Cataloguing Frank Benson’s paintingsis a difficult task. In his lifetime he pro-duced more than two thousand oils andwatercolors. However, he did not keep arecord of his work, nor did he identifythe purchasers (largely because practi-cally all were sold by several art dealers).Often a title, assigned by the dealer, wasthe only reference (sometimes a differentdealer assigned another title). It also was

his habit to give his paintings to friends,many of whom were fishing or huntingpals. Some of his closest friends com-piled large numbers of his works.

RIVERSCAPES,STREAMSCAPES, AND

FOLLOWING THE LIGHT

The landscape genre in art obviouslyhas a very long history, but the termsriverscape and streamscape more clearlydescribe Benson’s angling images. Mostimportantly, although the terms refer to

the waters where salmon and trout arefound, they accentuate Benson’s artisticinsights, which focus on the play of lighton sky and water. Benson urged his daugh-ter Eleanor not to get carried away by thecharm of things but to arrange them sothat the light was beautiful. “Don’t paintanything but the effect of light. . . . Don’tpaint things . . . at all times observe min-utely the delicate variation of valuebetween one thing and another or betweenlight and shadow. Follow the light.”2

Benson’s angling art was distinctive inanother way. His scenes did not depict realanglers facing real angling situations, norangling action, nor the thrill of the sport(the contest or drama between man andfish). He rarely painted a fish as a trophy;in fact, one rarely sees a fish in the scene(and this was the art of a man whoexcelled at catching fish!). The lack of fish-ermen and quarry seem surprising indeed.

Water is always a presence in Benson’sangling art. It is obvious, of course, thatthere should be water where there is fish-ing, but it is the reflective surface ofwater that allowed Benson to paint thedelicate and distinctive variations oflight and shadow. That surface subtlety,especially quiet pools and rapids, becomesa counterpoint with the sky to providethe distinguishing values in his paint-ings. His impressionism eliminateddetails and allowed him to paint anglingplaces as a synergism of light, shadow,and color. He avoided strong lines anddownplayed accuracy of the human fig-ure so as to create a personal response towhat he felt about nature.

For Benson, catching fish was impor-tant for being outdoors, but his artexpressed other things. For example, hefrequently included guides in his paint-ings. Benson marveled at the skill of theguide poling a canoe laden with gear andfishermen, especially upstream throughheavy currents and numerous boulders.He knew that these guides spent all of theirlives in the wilderness carefully observingnature, and he felt a strong bond withthem. Benson’s guides did not often com-ment on their surroundings, but he wasaware that their senses were keenly tunedto the subtleties of nature, and his paint-ings reveal this understanding.

EARLY TROUT-STREAM

FISHING

Trout fishing was clearly one of FrankBenson’s passions. It allowed him to expe-rience nature at an intimate level, and itbecame one subject of his art. As a boyand young man, he avidly fished thestreams near his Salem home, but he alsofound the streams of Cape Cod attractive.

Figure 3. F. W. Benson, Bookplate: The Fishing Club.From the collection of the American Museum of Fly Fishing.

SPRING 2011 17

Figure 2 is an early painting by Benson,presumably of a small coastal stream.

Extensive diaries dating from 1888(when he was twenty-six years old) to 1909describe Benson’s numerous local fishingtrips.3 The diary notes reveal routines heestablished and followed throughout hisangling life: fishing with family andfriends, and regularly fishing the samestreams.

His most frequent companions were hisbrothers-in-law Harry Richardson andMaurice Richardson. Other partners wereartists such as Philip Little, Willard Metcalf,Abbott Thayer, Alexander Pope, Bela Pratt,and Aiden Southard, but also includedclose friends John C. Phillips, Arthur

Cabot, and Gus Hemenway. Benson notedin his fishing diary that on 26 April 1903, hisson George (then twelve years old) becamea regular fishing companion.

Benson’s early catches were sporadic.Often he caught only a few small fish butsometimes landed a couple of large trout.In an astonishing entry on 15 September1890 (while fishing with Thayer, Southard,and Peale, he reported: “a hundred in allthe largest [his] was one-quarter pound.Thayer got one of just one pound andSouthard a big one of nearly two pounds.Peale also got one of one pound. . . . Thetrout were of a gold bronze color, verydark—the handsomest dark trout I eversaw and brilliantly marked.”

THE OLD AND DEAR

TIHONET CLUB

Among Benson’s favorite fishingwaters for trout were those of the TihonetClub in Wareham, Massachusetts, lessthan a mile from the Cape Cod Canal.The club was established in August 1891.The watershed comprised small, cold,spring-fed streams flowing from a nearbyforest (now the Myles Standish StateForest). The flow of water was controlledby numerous reservoirs that regulated thelevels in bogs so that cranberry cultiva-tion could be effectively managed. Fishingwas done from canoes on the reservoirs

Figure 4. F. W. Benson,Tihonet Club logbook 1923.From the collection of theAmerican Museum ofFly Fishing.

Figure 5. F. W. Benson,Tihonet Club logbook 1924.

From the collection of theAmerican Museum of

Fly Fishing.


and drainage channels, as well as by wad-ing. Figure 3 is a lithograph bookplate byBenson for the Tihonet Club.

Benson’s first entry in the club’s logswas on 14 May 1899, when, as a guest of hisbrother-in-law Dr. Maurice Richardson,the two caught thirty trout weighing atotal of 71⁄2 pounds.4 Richardson nomi-nated Benson for membership in 1899,and Benson began fishing as a memberon 7 April 1901.

Until later in life, Benson alwaysfished in the company of his friends,who included family, artists, and collec-tors. The logs also reveal that Bensonfully enjoyed the club as a family setting.On numerous occasions, Benson andRichardson had supper at the clubhousewith their wives, who were sisters. An

invitation to supper at the clubhouse washighly prized because Mrs. Clarence(Bessie) Besse, the club’s cook, made adelicious clam chowder.

Catching trout was clearly a goal forBenson, and his log entries reveal hisprodigious success. For example, on 7April 1906, he and son George caughteighteen trout weighing a total of 8pounds; in three days in 1907, Bensonwith Bela Pratt and Maurice Richardsoncaught seventy-seven trout; in 1909, ineight days of fishing, Benson with his wifeand son caught 155 trout weighing 60pounds, with the largest being 3 pounds, 6ounces (this constituted an average of 19.4trout per day, whereas other men fishedseventy-five man-days and caught 667trout, an average of 8.9 per day).

This record of Benson’s catches be-comes more amazing when one considersthat the “law” of the Benson householdwas that everything caught or shot (exceptcrows and gulls) must be eaten. Someexplanation in defense of this lack ofcatch-and-release must be given: returningfish to be caught another day was not acommon ethic in the early twentieth cen-tury and, most importantly, the club mem-bers paid to have trout stocked each year.

During his last years at the TihonetClub, Benson fished less frequently. In1939, at age seventy-seven, the logbooknoted that he fished only three days(April 26 and 27, and May 19), keepingtwenty-one fish and returning twenty-one. He noted on April 27: “Damn coldbut it didn’t quite snow.”



Fly Fishing.

Figure 7. F. W. Benson,Tihonet Club logbook 1926.From the collection of theAmerican Museum ofFly Fishing.

SPRING 2011 19

Figures 4 to 8 are sketches in annuallogbooks by Benson. He and his artistfriends sketched the first page of the log-books from 1923 to 1937.

Figure 9 is a watercolor by Benson ofa site on the Tihonet Club waters. On theback of the painting there is a note: “partof a Water Color by Frank W. Benson(which he tore up). Given ‘To the TihonetClub, 1944’ by R. P. Bellows.”

DEEPLY PERSONAL ART

The rivers and streams with theirrapids and boulders—together withmountains, shorelines, and forests, andespecially the ever-changing light of thesky and shadows on the water—wereFrank Benson’s primary subjects. He wasabsorbed by the places that representedthe nature he loved.

How can Benson’s angling art best becharacterized? He praised rivers andstreams. He honored the men who livedon the water. He revered the experienceof being outdoors in the nature he loved.It was a deeply personal art that revealedthe places he was happiest, places wherehis art could be best expressed.

!

ENDNOTES

1. The information on Frank Benson’slife described here is more fully elaborated intwo books by Faith Andrews Bedford: FrankW. Benson: American Impressionist (New York:Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., 1994)and The Sporting Art of Frank W. Benson(Boston: David R. Godine, 2000).

2. Frank Benson to his daughter, EleanorBenson Lawson. After she took up painting in1929, she jotted down her father’s criticisms

and advice in a notebook, later turning thesenotes into a typewritten manuscript (FamilyCollection and Benson Papers, Peabody EssexMuseum). Quoted in Faith Andrews Bedford,The Sporting Art of Frank W. Benson, 39.

3. Frank W. Benson fishing diaries,1888–1909, Peabody Essex Museum, PhillipsLibrary, Salem, Massachusetts.

4. The following information was takenfrom the Tihonet Club annual logbooks,which recorded the daily catch of each mem-ber and guest. The logs, along with art, maps,and books, were donated to the AmericanMuseum of Fly Fishing in 2006. Specialthanks to Rip Cunningham for arranging thedonation.

Figure 9. F. W. Benson, Untitled, Tihonet Club location.From the collection of the American Museum of Fly Fishing.



Fly Fishing.


SPORTING ART: its creation is a timeless tradition of captur-ing the essence of moments and places that stir our souls.From the cave paintings of ancient antiquity to the gallery

of the American Museum of Fly Fishing today, art involving fishand game has always been an enriching part of the human ex-perience. Museum member Christopher D. (C. D.) Clarke isone professional artist who carries on such traditions.

I had the pleasure of fishing with Clarke one afternoon lastspring on a small trout stream in rural Connecticut. While wewere walking together, he paused at an old abandoned bridgeand stated that he would love to come back and paint it whilethe morning sun was rising on the other side. Naively, I askedhow he could effectively capture such an image while paintingdirectly from the streamside with the sun moving and the lightand shadows shifting. “That’s the key,” he replied with a smile.“You’ve got to work quickly when the opportunity presentsitself.” Immersion in the subject and spontaneous compositionare the terms he used. I also learned that once the essence of a

scene has been generally captured in the field, an artist cancomplete the work under controlled conditions in the studio.The exchange reminded me that a studio is only a small part ofthe world for some artists.

Clarke’s biography and travel diary are impressive. He was apainting and illustration major at Syracuse University andreceived his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1981. Subsequentlistings of exhibitions, collections, and reproductions for vari-ous magazines and book covers show the breadth of his efforts.Clarke’s passion for the outdoors is clearly evident in hisnumerous works, and his passport includes stamps from sport-ing destinations across the world.

C. D. Clarke is a true keeper of the flame, and the heritageof our sport continues to be preserved and enriched by artistslike him. For more information about C. D. Clarke’s work, visitwww.cdclarke.com.

!

C. D. Clarke: Professional Sporting Artistby John Mundt

K E E P E R S O F T H E F L A M E

Above: C. D. Clarke painting on the bankof the River Test in Hampshire, England.

Left: The completed painting, The River Test, at theLeckford Estate.

John Mundt

C. D. Clarke

SPRING 2011 21

OUR READERS NORMALLY turn to our Gallery pages to readabout an artifact or group of artifacts from the muse-um’s permanent collection. Although we enjoy research-

ing and writing about our collection, it is also important that weshare our knowledge with other nonprofits that strive to learnabout their own collections. Here we offer a glimpse into ourrecent collaborative work with the President Calvin CoolidgeState Historic Site in Plymouth Notch, Vermont.

CALVIN COOLIDGE

John Calvin Coolidge Jr., more commonly known as CalvinCoolidge, was born in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, in 1872.After completing his early schooling in Vermont and graduat-ing from Black River Academy in Ludlow, Coolidge left thestate to study at Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts,and chose to stay in that state to pursue his legal career,apprenticing at Hammond & Field in Northampton. By theclose of the nineteenth century, Coolidge was emerging as apolitical figure in Northampton and would eventually serve asforty-eighth governor of Massachusetts (1919–1921).

Coolidge was elected vice president of the United States andbegan his term under President Warren G. Harding in 1921.

While Coolidge was visiting family in Vermont during the latesummer of 1923, Harding unexpectedly died. Coolidge wassworn into office as the thirtieth president of the United Statesby his father, John Coolidge, at the family farmstead during theearly morning hours of August 3. (A second swearing-in cere-mony was later held in Washington, D.C., because it wasunclear if a Vermont notary public could officially inauguratea president.)

The president grew up bait fishing but took up the sport offly fishing during his presidency. His fishing mentor was SecretService Chief Colonel Edmund W. Starling (1876–1944), anavid fly fisherman. According to Starling’s memoir, he placed abet that he could get the president to fly fish. After someinstruction and a few outings with Starling, Coolidge washooked. During the summer months, White House operationswere set up at various locations (including Vermont, Wis-consin, New York, Massachusetts, and South Dakota), and thepresident was often photographed while fishing. Coolidge’sfishing trips seeped into mainstream culture, as evidenced bythe many political cartoons featuring the president fishing; inlater years, mention of his fishing was included in a film set inthe late 1920s, the movie adaptation of Norman Maclean’s ARiver Runs Through It.

G A L L E R Y

A Presidential Collection

Above: Calvin Coolidge seated at his desk in the OvalOffice, 15 August 1923. National Photo Company

Collection, Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-93287.

Right: During his presidency (1923–1929), Coolidge spentseveral weeks vacationing and fishing during the summer

months. Collection of the American Museum of Fly Fishing.


THE PRESIDENT CALVIN COOLIDGE

STATE HISTORIC SITE

The President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site is a multi-building complex that is preserved as the birthplace, boyhoodhome, and significant location of American history as itrelates to President Calvin Coolidge. The site also interpretslate-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century rural farm life inVermont through exhibitions and installations within some ofthe buildings.

This presidential site includes several buildings, many ofwhich are open to the public: the home in which Coolidge wasborn; Coolidge’s boyhood home and location of his 1923 swear-ing-in; the Farmer’s Museum; Union Church, where Coolidgeand his family attended services during his presidency;

Plymouth Notch Cemetery, where seven generations ofCoolidge family members are buried, including PresidentCoolidge, his wife Grace, and his sons John and Calvin; a one-room schoolhouse; and the Plymouth Cheese Factory, anoperating factory that was founded in 1890 by Coolidge’sfather and brought back into operation by PresidentCoolidge’s son John in the 1960s.

During the 1970s (and again in the 1990s), the site received adonation of a wooden packing crate full of Coolidge’s fly-fishingequipment. The staff made note of the contribution and intend-ed to catalog the collection after buildings were renovated andexhibitions were installed. In the fall of 2010, after successfullyopening a new visitor center, the site’s regional historic siteadministrator, Bill Jenney, contacted the American Museum ofFly Fishing for help with the identification of that fly-fishing col-lection. Yoshi Akiyama, deputy director, was called into service.

After several visits to the President Calvin Coolidge StateHistoric Site to unpack and identify the collection, Yoshi wasable to witness firsthand the largest known fly-fishing collec-tion belonging to President Calvin Coolidge. The collectionincludes several hundred trout flies, six bamboo rods, someleather fly boxes, and a few bait- and fly-casting reels.(Coolidge took a lot of flak from fly-fishing enthusiasts whenhe commented to the press that he would periodically useworms to catch trout.) None of the fly tiers can be identified,but it appears that some flies were store bought and some mayhave been tied specificially for the president. Two of the rodsare identified as being made by Shakespeare and South Bend.Only one reel is identified as Shakespeare. The collection ismodest and does not include equipment made by high-endmanufacturers of the time; in many regards, the collectionreflects the humility of the president referred to as “Silent Cal.”

Yoshi will continue to work with the President CalvinCoolidge State Historic Site as they catalog, preserve, and ex-hibit this collection. The site plans to install a portion of thecollection in its visitor center for summer 2011. You can visittheir website at www.historicvermont.org/coolidge.

CATHI COMAREXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Coolidge collection includes several hundredfishing flies that were found in the packing crate.

It is difficult to identify any of the fly tiers.Collection of the Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site.

Yoshi Akiyama

The President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site inPlymouth Notch, Vermont, is a state-run site that interprets alate-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century rural farming

village. Calvin Coolidge’s family home is part of the site.Courtesy of the Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site.

Alois Mayer

Yoshi Akiyama

SPRING 2011 23

N O T E S F R O M T H E L I B R A R Y

WILLIAM TAPPLY WAS a prolific author.He published some forty books andnearly a thousand articles before his

death in July 2009 at the age of sixty-nine. His mysterynovels were widely popular, and he was inducted as amember of the Mystery Writers of America. The com-pelling interest in most of these books (to many of usnatives of the Northeast) is that they are set in Bostonand rural New England. Further, Tapply was a writer-in-residence and professor of English at Clark University in

Worcester, Massachusetts. His wife, mystery writerVicki Stiefel, also an instructor at Clark, describedhim as “enjoying the kids . . . One of his strengthswas his ability to write ‘tremendous’ critiques of hisstudents’ writing” (Clark University Magazine, Fall2010, 55).

Tapply was an avid fly fisherman as well. His lastangling book, Every Day Was Special: A Fly Fisher’s

Lifelong Passion, a book of essays published after hisdeath, reveals that he most frequently fished for troutin New England and that he was especially fond of

fishing the coastal waters for striped bass and blue-fish.

Throughout his tales, he cannot resist telling hisreaders that fishing is catching fish—and that fishing is morethan catching fish:

I love spontaneous excursions, those times when the air smellsright and the urge to fish is irresistible no matter what otherplans you might’ve had for that day. Annual trips are specialbecause they come around the same time every year. You cancount on them, anticipate them, prepare for them. Fishing thesame waters at the same time each year, you collect memoriesand accumulate wisdom. (p. 29)

Tapply explains that his enthusiasm for the fly began as ayoungster, under the tutelage of his famous father, “Tap”Tapply, who wrote the “Tap’s Tips” and “Sportsman’sNotebook” columns in Field & Stream for more than thirtyyears. He fished with his dad and Tap’s fellow columnists EdZern and Corey Ford, as well as other writers, such as LeeWulff, Harold Blaisdell, Burton Spiller, and Al McClane.

My father was . . . well, he was my father. I probably took him forgranted . . . I guess I took Corey Ford and Ed Zern and Lee Wulfffor granted too. I saw them in their long johns. I lay awake inlakeside cabins listening to them snore, and I knew they some-times got skunked . . . and went in over their waders—impor-tant lessons for a boy. These men were good to me. (p. 105)

Many of Tapply’s mystery novels had fishing story lines, andin some, critical elements involved angling excursions. Forexample, his latest novels centered on Stoney Calhoun, whowas a fishing guide and part owner of an angling store.Further, the stories in his novels and his fishing stories in Every

Day Was Special reveal that he almost never fished alone; hiscompanions were either friends or characters essential to thestory. When one spends time reading Tapply’s work, it is clearthat his strength as a writer—and, indeed, as a person—washis love of camaraderie.

Every Day Was Special is a selection from his angling writ-ings that covers many of the places he fished. It is rich with hisability to portray the personalities of his friends. These are notrun-of-the-mill descriptions of fishing adventures. They areshort stories, akin to his longer mystery novels, in which thereis a plot leading the reader on a clear path to a conclusion.

Nick Lyons, in the foreword to Tapply’s final angling book,cites a poignant remembrance by his wife Vicki (p. X): “Mybeloved Bill died last night. His passing was soft, and he wassurrounded by myself and his five children. He will be missed.”

William Tapply will be remembered by thousands of mys-tery fans for his original plots and clear, sensitive prose and bylarge number of fly-fishing readers who relish that rare com-bination of murder mystery with realistic fly fishing onstreams, rivers, and oceans. I personally rank Tapply amongthe authors I enjoy most. This book, his last on fly fishing, isindeed its own memorial to him.

—GERALD KARASKA

William G. TapplyEvery Day Was Special: A Fly Fisher’s Lifelong Passion New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2010186 pages $26.95 (hardcover)


Recent Donations Enrique G. Gherardi of Rosario, Argentina, sent us a copy

of Joe Brooks’s article, “Midnight Salmon,” from a 1958 issue ofOutdoor Life magazine; a map of the Chimehuin Boca, Argen-tina; a handwritten letter from Jose E. “Babe” Anchorena; andthree flies tied by Anchorena: a Green Highlander, a BlackDoctor, and a Baron.

George Van Hook of Greenwich, New York, donated anoriginal oil painting, Late Summer on the Battenkill (2010).Derby Anderson of Southport, Connecticut, gave us two orig-inal oil paintings by Stanley Meltzoff, Drifting Blue (1974) andThree Permit and Crab (1992).

Gardner Grant of Purchase, New York, donated a limited-edition canoe paddle. Douglas Sakaguchi of Orem, Utah, sentus a booklet by Richard Salmon, “Fly Fishing in Fresh Water.”

Jeannine Dickey of Rangeley, Maine, donated two books,Salmonia by Sir Humphry Davy (John Murray, 1869) andArmchair Adventures for the Angler, edited by Charles K. Fox(A. S. Barnes & Co., 1970). Mrs. Stanley Newhouse donated acollection of forty books (for a detailed listing of this donation,please contact the museum).

In the LibraryThanks to the following for their donations of 2010 titles that

have become part of our collection: Creel Press sent us DavidBeazley’s Images of Angling: Three Centuries of British AnglingPrints. Skyhorse Publishing sent us The Best Fishing Stories EverTold, edited by Nick Lyons. And Frank Amato Publications, Inc.,

sent us Pierce Clegg and Peter McMullan’s Babine: A 50-YearCelebration of a World-Renowned Steelhead and Trout River andMike Rahtz’s The Secrets of St. Anthony’s Creek: A Flyfisher’sManual.

The museum rang in the holiday season with our annualHooked on the Holidays event on December 5. Local visi-

tors came to enjoy the seasonal refreshments and were ableto paint a trout ornament, weave a paper snowflake, or

even decorate holiday cutout cookies in trout shapes! Here,a family of visiting siblings and cousins show off theirclown flies tied with Deputy Director Yoshi Akiyama.

Upcoming EventsMay 19Dinner and AuctionChagrin Valley Hunt ClubGates Mills, Ohio

May 24–26Fishing outing to Blooming Grove Hunting

and Fishing Club Hawley, Pennsylvania

MayGallery closesDuring the month of May, the main gallery will be

closed in order to install our newest exhibit. TheGardner L. Grant Library and gift shop will remain open and can be viewed free of charge.

June 11New exhibit openingA Graceful Rise: Women in Fly Fishing Yesterday, Today,

and Tomorrow

June 11–12A Graceful Rise symposiumsThe American Museum of Fly FishingManchester, Vermont

June 18American Museum of Fly Fishing Tag SaleOn the museum lawnManchester, Vermont

July 16Ice Cream SocialThe American Museum of Fly FishingManchester, Vermont

July 30Angling and ArtArt auctionThe American Museum of Fly FishingManchester, Vermont

August 13Fly-Fishing FestivalThe American Museum of Fly FishingManchester, Vermont

Always check our website (www.amff.com) for additions,updates, and more information or contact Kim Murphy at(802) 362-3300 or [email protected]. “Casting About,” themuseum’s new e-mail newsletter, offers up-to-date news andevent information. To subscribe, look for the link on our web-site or contact the museum.

Kim Murphy

SPRING 2011 25

C O N T R I B U T O R S

G. William Fowler is an attorney from Odessa, Texas, whohas made several trips to Hampshire in pursuit of chalk-stream trout. Here he is pictured between Fred Buller andBrian Clarke in front of Frederic M. Halford’s Oakley Streamfishing hut during the Flyfishers’ Club Mayfly Weekend (May2005), which celebrated, in part, the hundredth anniversary ofHalford’s acquiring fishing rights at Mottisfont. Fowler is a fre-quent contributor to Flyfishers Journal, published by theFlyfishers’ Club of London. His latest contribution to theAmerican Fly Fisher, a book review of Brian Clarke’s TheStream, appeared in the Summer 2005 issue.

Gerald Karaska is retired as professor of geography fromClark University. For many years he and his wife, Mary Claire,were volunteers in the museum’s library. He continues to hob-ble along the banks of the trout streams of Massachusetts andConnecticut, often falling in the water, but plowing on. Jerrylives in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Lynda Fowler Erwin Markowitz

It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a community tomaintain a museum! As a nonprofit institution, we rely on

the generosity of not only members and donors who givemonetarily, but also those individuals who are generous with

their time or services. On December 9, the museum held aholiday reception in our library to honor volunteers and

businesses of our local community who help or contribute insome way. Thanks to you and to all of our volunteers andcontributors nationwide who help keep our organizationvital and strong! Pictured here are Tom Becker (left) andBrad Knipes, who both put in many hours working on the

various improvements to the museum’s casting pond.

Sara Wilcox

BACK I S SU E S !Vol. 22:Vol. 23:Vol. 24:Vol. 25:Vol. 26:Vol. 27:Vol. 28:Vol. 29:Vol. 30:Vol. 31:Vol. 32:Vol. 33:Vol. 34:Vol. 35:Vol. 36:Vol. 37:

Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4Nos. 1, 2, 3Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4Nos. 1, 2, 4Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4Nos. 1, 3Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4Nos. 1, 2, 3Nos. 1, 2Nos. 1, 2, 3Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4No. 1

Vol. 6:Vol. 7:Vol. 8:Vol. 9:

Vol. 10:Vol. 11:Vol. 12:Vol. 13:Vol. 14:Vol. 15:Vol. 16:Vol. 17:Vol. 18:Vol. 19:Vol. 20:Vol. 21:

Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4Nos. 2, 3Nos. 3, 4Nos. 1, 2, 3No. 2Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4No. 3No. 3No. 1No. 2Nos. 1, 2, 3Nos. 1, 2, 3Nos. 1, 2, 4Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4

Back issues are $10 a copy fornonmembers, $5 for members.

To order, please contact Sarah Moore at(802)362-3300 or via e-mail at [email protected].


Platinum Contributors($1,000 and more)E. M. Bakwin

Michael BakwinFoster Bam and Sallie Baldwin

Pamela BatesRobert and Debbie Brucker

R. Duke and Hannah Buchan IIIC. Austin and Meg Buck

Dr. A. S. CargillPeter and Lillian Corbin

Daniel M. Ziff FoundationJon and Deborah Pratt Dawson

Day Family FoundationJace and Jacqueline Day

Drs. E. Bruce and Denise DiDonatoRobert DiNozziDavid DiPiero

Domenic DiPieroNathan and Alice Gantcher

Christopher GarciaRonald and Jane Gard

Henry and Michelle GasiorowskiGeorge and Beth Gibson

Jon and Mona GibsonCharles Goodson

Thomas and Nancy GravinaJames and Patricia Hardman

Melvyn H. HarrisDr. James and Susan Heckman

Marc HembroughTim Hixon

James R. HoughtonDr. Arthur and Martha Kaemmer

Fred KambeitzKaren Kaplan

Peter and Cynthia KelloggWoods and Wendy King

Steve LampeWilliam and Francesca Leary

Douglas and Christie MacKenzieChristopher Mahan

Leon and Shirley MartuchAlan and Diane MasterWalter and Pam Matia

Dr. Stephen MatrangoloJohn and Angie McMahon

Dr. William and Lynn McMasterJames L. Melcher

Bradford MillsJohn and Joyce Mundt

Grant and Carol NelsonDavid and Margaret Nichols

E.Wayne Nordberg and Janet MavecRobert O’Hara III

Erik and Jennifer OkenJohn Oliver

The Orvis CompanyThe Orvis-Perkins Foundation

Raymond and Dominique PecorStephen and Roberta PeetJoseph and Amy PerellaThe Perkins FoundationLeigh and Anne Perkins

William PlattFrederick and Cassie Polhemus

Peter RamseyJohn and Cathy Rano

Roger RiccardiEric Roberts

Joseph and Usha RobillardKristoph and Elizabeth Rollenhagen

Bob and Mary RussellGreg Russell

Philip and Lisa SawyerFranklin Schurz Jr.

Robert and Karen ScottHoward Serrell

Dr. Gary and Lyn ShermanEdward Shugrue

Ronald and Joan StuckeyTim Tiger

Richard and Wendy TischDaniel Tully

David and Jade WalshPatrick Welsh

Mr. and Mrs. Kendrick Wilson IIIJames Woods and Charity Chapman

Gold Contributors($500–$999)

Baker & Hostetler, LLPStan Bazan Jr.

Thomas and Sarah BelkGeorge BennettPhilip Brett III

Joseph and Beth ClarkHoward P. Colhoun

Peter ColhounEverett and Karen Cook

Finn & Stone Inc.Hamilton E. James

Gideon and Diane KingMary and Maxwell Lester III

Frances LevineRocco J. MaggiottoA. Bliss McCramJoel T. MurphyRomi PerkinsRobert Prozzo

George and Nancy RecordsWilliam Rucks IV

Matthew and Kerry ScottMary C. SquireRoyal Victor III

Dr. Robert WeemanJoe Williams

Frances WolfsonMartin E. Zimmerman

Silver Contributors($250–$499)

Yoshi AkiyamaAntonino and Caterina Alaino

Berkshire BankPhilip Brett III

Stephen BurdickDonalda Cisternino

Joseph and Beth ClarkThomas Doolittle

Robert DotsonG. Curtis Duffield

Jon EgglestonJoseph and Helen Eisenstadt

Matthew S. ForelliGeorge and Barbara Gellert

Charles T. and Jeanne GoodsonThomas and Ellen Hakes

Fred HinkleyH. E. James

Allan and Debbie JanoffPaul JenningsGerold Klauer

Tom KukkFrances LevineLee Mather Jr.

A. Bliss and Marcia McCrumEdwin R. Mellett Sr.

Fred MiddletonJoel T. Murphy

Richard PattersonPerkins Charitable Foundation

Leigh Perkins Jr.Nathaniel Pryor Reed

r.k. MilesMauro Romita

Signature Flight SupportStephen Stone

Vermont Country StoreFrank Weinberg III

David WhitneyDickson Whitney

Joseph and Terese Williams

Bronze Contributors(up to $249)

4UR Ranch, Inc.Justin Abelow

William and Dorothy AchorKathleen and Timothy Achor-HochAdoniram Lodge 42 F and AM

John AffleckMichael and Cheryl Andregg

Charles B. Barnes Jr.Christopher T. Barrow

James BeckerEdward Beddow

Phil BerengerWilliam and Jean Berry

Greg BertovichJames M. Biggar

John BlakeStephen and Sandra BogdanStephen and Gillian BoothJames and Judith Bowman

Ron and Sally BriggsMurray Bring

Bill and Becky BurkeJames Carpenter

Isaac and Jeanine CavalieroLoise Chapin

J. T. CoeMichael CoeFitz Coker

Edward CollinsJames Collins

Catherine E. ComarJudith B. Comar

Clarke ComolloAnsel CondrayMark ConvoyDiedre Cooke

Cortland Line CompanyWilliam and Judith Cosgrove

J. Richard CunninghamStuart Dawson

Bruce DayBirgit Deeds

Julia and Darrell DeMossStanley DempseyLouis DombrovaMark Donavan

Thomas Donnelley IIThomas P. Doolittle

Patricia DupreeWilliam DustinBruce Eckstein

Robert and Connie FergusonMarshall Field

Stuart and Sandra FineJohn Fleisher

Paul and Mary Ann FordG. William Fowler

George FraleyFriedlander Family Foundation

Keith and Lois FulsherWilliam Garapick and Karen Barnes

George Gellert Chris GibsonGeoffrey Gold

Jay P. GoldsmithEric Grams

Cynthia Chace GrayRupert Gresham Jr.

Raymond and Patricia GribkoFrank and Julie Hanes

Dale HansonFrank HardingRichard Hart

Austin W. HoganDr. Peter Holmes

Leon C. HoltDr. Shepard R. Hurwitz

Edward HutlasThe Image LoftRobert Ingham

The Inn at ManchesterYuji IshikawaElex JohnsonPhillip Jordan

William and Wendy JordanTom Kelly

William and Priscilla KennedyThomas Kerr

Carl and Rosemary KilhofferSam Kinney

Gerold KlauerWilliam Knobloch

Brian and Margaret KonkelRichard Kurtz

Alexander LaughlinCharles and Caroline Lee

Fred LowenfelsJim Macneal Jr.

The museum gratefully acknowledges the outstanding support of our 2010 donors. This year we have included the namesof everyone who has contributed to our mission, including the attendees of our many fund-raising events. Please accept

our apology if any name has been misspelled, placed under the incorrect contribution heading, or inadvertently excluded.

Museum Donors

SPRING 2011 27

Michael K. McCafferyCharles McCaughtryWilliam McCollumDuncan McDonald

Ted and Ann McKenziePaddy McNeely

Daniel G. Meckley IIIHugo and Lois Melvoin

John MerrittJohn and Nancy Merritt

William Mitchell IIIRobert and Louise Molzahn

William Moore IIILester S. Morse Jr. and

Morse Family FoundationRichard and Claire Morse

Bob and Joanne MoserPaul and Claire MurphyFrank and Susan Murray

Rose NapolitanoMitchell Nelson

Stephen O’Brien Jr.David and Peggy Ody

Leigh OlivaArthur E. Pape

Mark Patterson and Thea LewisFrank Paul

David and Virginia PennockDr. Claudia Peters

Manuel and Wanda PietrantoniJeffrey M. PillStephen Pioso

Roger and Pierrette PlourdeHarry Ptasynski

Michael and Cindy ReagorL. Keith Reed

Alexander ReevesPhilip Roy Rever

Robert RichRodger Hess Productions, Inc.

Jim RomigM. Patricia Russell

Harry S. RzepkaErnst Schleipmann

John ScullyDr. Scott ScutchfieldLowell and Ian Sears

Bob SelbNick Selch

Barry ServienteDavid Sgorbati

Frederic and Jean SharfHarry Shaw

Walter and Judy ShipleyLeigh Shuman

Guy Duncan SilvaJeffrey H. SmithJoseph Sofhauser

Colby SorrellsDr. James and Jolyn Specter

Peter SternJames Stewart

Timothy SullivanRonald Swanson

Tamarack Preserve LTDCharles and Ann ThacherTyler Smyth Thompson

Dr. John and Nancy TongueJudy and Bill Tredway

Robert and Michele VatersJames C. WagnerWilliam Webster

Joe WellsFrederick and Constance West

Greg WheelerGary Wolf

J. H. WrightWilliam Zeman

Casting Pond Project SponsorsMichael Bakwin

Foster Bam and Sallie BaldwinRichard Bamberger

Marilyn BestJim Biggar

David and Kathy BrownBrent and Barbara Buckley

Daniel CarterBruce Eckstein

Mike FarrellRobert Fitch

George and Beth GibsonGardner and Ellen Grant

Jonathan GrimmStephen Gunther

William and Phyllis HerrickWilliam Jordan

Amy KelloggKirk and Megan KelloggWoods and Wendy King

George KleinGeorge McCabe

Dr. William and Lynn McMasterBradford MillsJohn Mueller

Marion and Latham Murfey IIIDavid and Meg Nichols

Den NicholsLeigh and Anne Perkins

A. William ReynoldsRoger Riccardi

Jim and Donna SanfilippoBob Searles

Hewitt and Paula ShawDr. Gary and Lyn Sherman

Todd ShigekaneRonald and Joan StuckeyRichard and Wendy TischJerome and Elizabeth Tone

Alan VidinskyThomas Whitlock

Brick SponsorsMargaret Basner

Tim DelisleSamantha Foerster

Raymond and Patricia GribkoCarmine and Judith Lisella

Lester and Lara PeckLawrence and Carol Ricca

Stephen Vengrove

Event AttendeesKathleen Achor

Chris AlafiAntoni and Cathy Alaimo

Mr. and Mrs. Emanuel AlaimoWilliam Aldrich

Gary ArabianMichael Bakwin

Susan BalchFoster Bam and Sallie Baldwin

Rick BambergerLarry Band

Alex BercheckDavid BercheckSusan Bercheck

Marylin BestDavid Beveridge

Jim BiggarC. Perry BlossomPamela Blossom

Tony BrookfieldDave and Kathy Brown

Robert BruckerR. Duke Buchan III

C. Austin BuckMr. and Mrs. Michael Bunyaner

Stephen BurdickBill Butler

Mavis CainJim Callahan

Blair and Jessica CameronBetty CarpenterJames Carpenter

Russell and Carol ChathamRoger Clark

Hillary ColeyJames Collins

Lindsey CorbinPeter Corbin

Mariann CovelloJace Day

Floyd and Janet DeanSylvia Dean

Ginny DeliagreScott and Deb Dennis

Bruce DiDonatoRuss Diemer

Steven DiGiacomoHal and Carol Dillon

Robert DiNozziDavid DiPiero

Domenic DiPieroSusan DiStefanoKristin DurkinBruce Eckstein

Tom and Sue EngelPeter EngelhardtWilliam Epstein

Mike FarrellStuart and Linda Felker

Ruth FleischmannKate Fox

Walter FrazierNathan and Alice Gantcher

Henry and Michelle GasiorowskiJoseph Gennaro Jr.

Steve GertzDavid and Ellie Gibson

George and Beth GibsonJon and Mona Gibson

Fara GoldGardner and Ellen Grant

Thomas and Nancy GravinaWillard and Beth Greenwood

Grant GregoryTim and Susan Grell

Tom and Diana HayesEdmund Hecklau

Dr. James and Susan HeckmanKerry and Grace Heffernan

Marc HembroughRon Hermann

William and Phyllis HerrickAustin HoganKevin Holben

Jan and Maurice HollowayElisabeth K. Holmes

Ann HovenLloyd and Sue Jacobsen

Gretchen JaecklePatricia JamesTania JimenezFred KambeitzKaren KaplanLoretta KellerAmy Kellogg

Kirk KelloggPeter KelloggSteve Kestner

Buckley King, LPAWoods and Wendy King

George KleinKen KosakoffSteve LampeJim LamprosJohn Larkin

Bill and Francesca LearyGeorge Lee

Frances LevineRobert and Karen Lewis

Carmine LisellaAnthony Lombardo

Sara LowPeter Lu

Russell LucasArt Lundbert

Ross MacIntyreChris Mahan

Sharon MarineSteve and Esther Marks

Kerri MartinAlan and Diane Master

Nancy MattaRon and Joyce Mazzarella

Ellen McCalebDoug McFadyen

Dr. William and Lynn McMasterKevin McNiff

Ed MellettBradford Mills

Peg MiskinGrant MudgeJohn Mueller

John Mundt Jr.Brian MurphyPaul Murphy

Pamela MurrayWilliam Meyer

Bob and Joanne MoserRose Napolitano

Buzz and Karen NelsonSigne Nielson

Catherine NorburyRobert O’Hara III

Erik OkenJohn OliverJames OlsenPeter Orser

Margot PageJohn ParkerTed Patlen

Bob PearsonJoseph Perella

Gwenn PerkinsLeigh and Anne Perkins

Molly PerkinsClaudia Peters

Seth PierrepontBarbara Portman

Bob ProzzoPeter RamseyCathy Rano

Celine RaselliGeorge Records

Jay RedaJames and Donna Reid

Peter ReinBill and Jo Reynolds

Roger RiccardiJohn and Susan Richards

Eric RobertsJoseph Robillard


Jeff and Kathy RobinsonKristoph and Elizabeth Rollenhagen

Mauro RomitaGreg Russell

Yovanka SaladinDick Sander

Jim and Donna SanfilippoPhilip and Lisa Sawyer

Franklin Schurz Jr.Jason and Shachar Scott

Matthew Scott and Taylor StebbinsRobert Scott

Bob and Nancy SearlesHoward SerrellJohn Shanahan

Harry ShawHewitt Shaw

Dr. Gary and Lyn ShermanMark ShermanSeth Sherman

Stephen and Debbie ShermanJohn Shields

Todd and Lori ShigekaneDory ShipleyPam Shipley

Walter and Judy ShipleyLynn Shramek

Lori SimonTed Simroe

Seline SkougSidarany SlettenJoseph Sofhauser

Elena SolitarioMary Squire

Michael StephanianRichard Strain

Laura StranlundStephen StoneMark Susinno

Tim TigerRichard and Wendy Tisch

Rick and Pam TommJerome and Elizabeth Tone

Jacques TorresSandy TrudelDaniel TullyClay TurnerEva Vanrijn

George Van HookMarylin Vela

Alan VidinskyDavid and Jade Walsh

Benita WaltonPat WatsonSusan WattsDana WeaverGene Weber

Jeffrey and Georgia WellesPatrick Welsh

Thomas WhitlockGary Widman

Ron and Cheryl WilcoxJames Woods

Helaine ZagaroDaniel ZiffAnn Zoller

VolunteersGeorge Butts

Clarke ComolloBill and Judy Cosgrove

Gloria JordanJim Krul

Carmine LisellaBrennan Murphy

Liam Murphy

Quinnlyn MurphySteve Murphy

Rose NapolitanoBill Newcomb

Wanda RobinsonM. Patricia Russell

Paul SinickiRay Smith

TU, Greater UpperValley Chapter

Mike VallaRon and Cheryl Wilcox

Exhibition LendersThe Orvis CompanyJoan Salvato Wulff

Journal ContributorsClarence AndersonSandra Armishaw

Timothy BennJohn Betts

Casting for RecoveryJim Collins

Charles FleischmannWillard Greenwood

Jim HardmanJ. Keith HarwoodGerald KaraskaPeter Lapsley

Bill LearyRichard Lessner

John MundtSamuel Snyder

Sean SondermanTaylor StreitDick Talleur

Gordon Wickstrom

In-Kind Donors ofGoods or ServicesThe Addeo Family

Angler’s Book SupplyVal AtkinsonSusan Balch

Foster Bam and Sallie Baldwin Bauer Fly ReelsJim Becker of

J. H. Becker RodworksDoug Biederbeck

Dan BlantonMarcy Blum and

Marcy Blum AssociatesTim BontecouJason Borger

The British School of Falconryat the Equinox Resort

Dave and Kathy BrownBrent and Barbara Buckley

Nancy BundschuBurr and Burton Academy

Mary Kay CallaghanCandeleros Southwestern Grill

Russell ChathamTom Colicchio

Jim CollinsColumbia Sportswear Company

Frank ConroyClarke Comollo of Comollo

Antiques and Fine WinesCruz Cornell

Jacqueline W. Crebbs ofthe Crebbs Group

Floyd and Janet DeanCaptain Paul Dixon

DJ’s Limousine Service

E & J Gallo Family VineyardsPeter Engelhardt

Equinox Hotel andMarsh Tavern

ESPN OutdoorsPatrick Ford

Austin FrancisWalt Frazier

Gallo Family VineyardsJoe Gennaro Jr.George Gibson

Gardner and Ellen GrantMarion Graven

Dana GrayGSP Coatings

Jim and Pat HardmanLuther HallClifford Hay

Dr. James and Susan HeckmanKerry Hefferman andSouth Gate Restaurant

William and Phyllis HerrickHi-Tec SportsJim Teeny, Inc.Allan JohnsonGloria Jordan

Joseph J. Blair Tree CareJ.P. MorganJudy Kanon

Karen KaplanMark KasubickWoods King IIILauren Kingsleyof Painted Trout

Paula KornellFanny KriegerLamiglas, Inc.

Bill and Francesca LearyCarmine Lisella of

Jordan-Mills Rod CompanyLionel LLC

Louis M. Martini WineryLyn Kohls Fashion Design

Macy’s Merchandising GroupManchester Discount Beverages

The Mara FamilyDaniel MartinWalter Matia

Ellen McCalebKevin McKay of

Maine Fishing AdventuresBob Mead

MidCurrent LLCBradford MillsJanice Mondavi

Henrick MortensenMrs. Murphy’s Donuts

Mulligans of ManchesterJohn and Joyce MundtJoan and Jerry MurphyNederlander ProducingCompany of America

Mrs. Stanley NewhouseDavid Nichols

North Point Gallery ofSan FranciscoOakley, Inc.

The Orvis CompanyLisa ParageauTrevor Parker

Thomas Pero ofWild River Press

Chris and Wendi Peterson ofHell’s Bay Boatworks

Nelson PikeJeffrey M. Pill

Pilo Arts Day Span and SalonFrederick and Cassie Polhemus

Precision Public RelationsPuntacana Resort & Club

Helen RegenstreifKristoph Rollenhagen

M. Patricia RussellSalesforce.com Foundation

Claudia SansonePhilip SawyerPaul Schullery

Franklin Schurz Jr.Robert Scott

Vicki SebastianiJohn Segale of

Precision Public RelationsRobert Selb of

the Classic Fly FishermanRichard Shelton ofSeacoast AppraisalsDr. Gary Sherman

Mark ShermanStephen and Debbie Sherman

Ray Simon of ENPIIOSimple Solutions, Inc.

Ted SimroeSpyder Sportswear

Andy SteerEric and Tracey Stroup and

Spruce Creek Fly Co.Ted Sypher

Kathryn Asahino TaitAnn and Thayer TalcottTemple Fork Outfitters

Dave TibbettsRichard and Wendy Tisch

Jacques Torres andJacques Torres Chocolate

Urban Angler Ltd.David and Jade Walsh

The Wild RefugeesWitten, Woolmington and

CampbellWomen Fly Fishers of California

James Woods

Donors to the CollectionDerby Anderson

Charles B. Barnes Jr.Russell Chatham

Scott CesariAlbord ClementsJeannine Dickey

K. Phillip DresdnerCharles R. Eichel

Estate of Jack GartsideJim Gerweck

Enrique G. GherardiGardner Grant

Howie GujaDr. James Heckman

Donn JohnsonSusanne KarkutRichard F. Kress

Michael K. McCafferyMatt Patterson

Harry PiperAllan Poole

John E. RaynoldsNathaniel Pryor Reed

Marcel RocheleanDouglas SakazakiGeorge Van HookRichard WarrenShelly Weining

Charles B. Wood

AT THE AMERICAN Museum of Fly Fishing, we believe it isimportant to annually recognize all those who supportour mission. This issue of our journal contains the

names of the many people, organizations, and businesses thathave contributed to our success in 2010. We truly appreciate allthat you have done for us, and it is our intention to give youreasons to continue to support our institution.

It is also important that we recognize our museum trustees,past and present. The current list of our trustees can be foundin the masthead of our journal; these are the women and menwho volunteer their time and resources to help make thismuseum accessible, interesting, and relevant. Since our found-ing in 1968, we have had dozens of trustees retire from ourboard, and we made a special effort in 2010 to engrave andinstall name and date plaques for each past trustee. A specialplaque was also created to commemorate the women and menwho combined forces to found the museum. All of thesenames are on display in our library, and as a trustee retires, aplaque with his or her name will be added.

And speaking of trustees, one of our longest-serving boardmembers has decided to hang up his trustee hat. After thirty-six years of service, Gardner Grant will keep an eye on thingsfrom the sidelines as trustee emeritus. During Gardner’stenure—and while dedicating time as president, then chair-man of the board—he helped to usher in the growth of ourinstitution with the publication of this journal, the move intoour first building, the expansion of the permanent-collectionholdings, the change of the museum’s name to reflect its mis-sion, the creation of the popular exhibition Anglers’ All, andthe increased diversity of the board. To show our appreciation,the library has been named in his honor. The Gardner L. GrantLibrary, under its new name, will continue to thrive as aresource for the fly-fishing community.

Thank you, Gardner, and all of our trustees, past and pre-sent, for your devotion and commitment.

CATHI COMAREXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Special Honors

Above: Gardner Grant was surprised at the 2010annual membership meeting when the new sign for

the Gardner L. Grant Library was revealed.

Left: The commemorative trustee name plaques are on display alongthe window frames in the Gardner L. Grant Library.

Sara Wilcox

Yoshi Akiyama

The American Museumof Fly Fishing

4070 Main Street • PO Box 42Manchester,Vermont 05254

Tel: (802) 362-3300 • Fax: (802) 362-3308E-MAIL: [email protected]: www.amff.com

THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF FLY FISHING, anationally accredited, nonprofit, education-al institution dedicated to preserving therich heritage of fly fishing, was founded inManchester, Vermont, in 1968. The museumserves as a repository for and conservator tothe world’s largest collection of angling andangling-related objects. The museum’s col-lections, exhibitions, and public programsprovide documentation of the evolution offly fishing as a sport, art form, craft, andindustry in the United States and abroadfrom its origins to the present. Rods, reels,flies, tackle, art, books, manuscripts, andphotographs form the basis of the muse-um’s collections.

The museum provides public programsto fulfill its educational mission, includingexhibitions, publications, gallery programs,and special events. Research services areavailable for members, visiting scholars, stu-dents, educational organizations, and writ-ers. Contact Yoshi Akiyama at [email protected] to schedule a visit.

VOLUNTEER !Throughout the year, the museum needs vol-unteers to help with programs, special pro-jects, events, and administrative tasks. You donot have to be an angler to enjoy working withus! Contact Sarah Moore at [email protected] tell us how we would benefit from yourskills and talents.

JOIN!Membership Dues (per annum)

Friend $10,000$5,000$1,000

Sponsor $500Business $250Benefactor $100Associate $50

The museum is an active, member-ori-ented nonprofit institution. Membershipdues include four issues of the American FlyFisher; unlimited visits for your entire fami-ly to museum exhibitions, gallery programs,and special events; access to our 7,000-vol-ume angling reference library; and a dis-count on all items sold by the museum onits website and inside the museum store, theBrookside Angler. To join, please contactSarah Moore at [email protected].

SUPPORT !The American Museum of Fly Fishing relieson the generosity of public-spirited individu-als for substantial support. Please contact us ifyou wish to contribute funding to a specificprogram, donate an item for fund-raising pur-poses, or place an advertisement in this jour-nal. We encourage you to give the museumconsideration when planning for gifts, be-quests, and memorials.

the american fly fisher - american museum of fly fishing · to the american museum of fly fishing....

Documents