Literature and Libations
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Literature and Libations Y FEBRUARYor not unaware of this connec- March in Vermont, tion, and some may take Bfishing is a language advantage of it. In "Anglmg I've half forgotten. I drive past Art: The Winemaker's Label," the iced-over, snow-covered Fowler gives us a brief history river and trv to remember of the wine label, from marked ever wading in. That I even earthen jars to the paper labels own fly rods is a tough recol- we know today. Some labels are lection. In winter, it seems the created to capture the charac- sport has nothing to do with ter of the Gine, but angling me, even as I pull together a labels reflect the angling wine- fly-fishing journal. maker's passion for the sport When trout season closes and "much like an artificial fly, and the days grow shorter and are designed to induce an colder, bitG literature and angler or his or her friends to libations begin to play more buy the product." Fowler gives us examples of of a in my life than fly Timber-frame ceiling of the Museum's new gallery space. fishing. In this issue, authors wineries that have incorporat- link tGe sport to both. .. ed the fly-fishing image into While doing research for some of their wine names and one of his own projects, Robert Boyle chanced upon an oddly labels. He discusses some of the artists involved and how the familiar photo of Preston Jennings. He soon figured out that it wineries came to commission or design the label. Repro- looked just like one he had seen of James Joyce. Boyle decided ductions of many of these labels are included. To drink it all in, to write a facetious "separated at birth" article, but as he began begin on page 2. reading Finnegans Wake, he realized that he had stumbled onto On the home front, the Museum recently honored our tenth something bigger than farce. Boyle states, "My revolutionary Heritage Award recipient, Me1 Krieger, at a dinner in San declaration is this: based upon the number of references and Francisco on December 4 (see page 34). We mourn the passing allusions to fishes and methods of fishing-especially fly fish- on January 1 of another long-time Museum friend, former ing, salmonids, aquatic insects, and the artificial flies that imi- trustee Art Frey. We include a tribute to him on page 36. tate them, as well as angling authors, plus the waters that fish- As always, take a look at Museum News for updates as to es inhabit-that fishing constitutes the major theme, or the where we've been and where we're going. Construction of our deep undercurrent if you will, in the Wake. the Wake must new building is well under way. I encourage all of you to sup- be considered as belonging in great part, albeit a bizarre part, port the Museum and leave your mark by buying a brick for to angling literature, and as such it belongs in the library of the the walkway (see details on page 31). discerning fly fisher." And now-as the quality of light changes, as something in He makes a strong case. Whether or not you've ever read the air stirs, as I gaze at the frozen river more often, sensing Finnegans Wake-and I admit that I have thus far been rather something that both is there and isn't, as the new home for our too intimidated to try-Boyle has made a fascinating survey of collection begins to take form out of the frozen ground and we the language and brought to the table a perspective that only a can begin to actually imagine what it might be like to walk into seasoned angler could. "'Flies Do Your Float': Fishing in the American Museum of Fly Fishing-now, we bring you the Finnegans Wake" begins on page 13. wine and the Wake. One might note that anglers have historically enjoyed their libations. G. William Fowler might point out that vintners are Flv Fisher Preserving the Heritage Journal of d the American Museum of Fly Fishing of Fly Fishing SPRING 2004 VOLUME 30 NUMBER 2 TRUSTEES E. M. Bakwin Nancy Mackinnon Angling Art: The Winemaker's Label. .............. 2 Michael Bakwin Walter T. Matia G. William Fowler Foster Bam William C. McMaster, M.D. Pamela Bates James Mirenda "Flies Do Your Float": Fishing in Finnegans Wake ......U Steven Benardete John Mundt Paul Bofinger David Nichols Robert H. Boyle Duke Buchan 111 Wayne Nordberg Mickey Callanen Michael B. Osborne Museum News. .......................... 30 Peter Corbin Stephen M. Peet Blake Drexler Leigh H. Perkins Letter ..................................32 William J. Dreyer Allan K. Poole Christopher Garcia John Rano 2003 Heritage Award: Me1 Krieger Honored .........34 George R. Gibson 111 Roger Riccardi Gardner L. Grant William Salladin In Memoriam: Arthur Frey .................... 36 Chris Gruseke Ernest Schwiebert James Hardman Robert G. Scott Contributors .............................38 Lynn L. Hitschler James A. Spendiff Arthur Kaemmer, M.D. Iohn Swan ON THE COVER: Woods King 111 Richard G. Tisch Burning the Water, a colorful plate from William Scrope's Carl R. Kuehner 111 David H. Walsh classic work, Days and Nights of Salmon Fishing in the Tweed, published in James E. Lutton 111 James C. Woods 1843, obviously inspired James Joyce to write "burning water in the spearlight" (450.14) in Finnegans Wake. Further prooj as was Joyce's prac- TRUSTEES EMERITI tice, he acknowledged the crib by inserting the author's name, "scrope" Charles R. Eichel David B. Ledlie (302.21). Annotations to Finnegans Wake glosses "scrope," which appears in G. Dick Finlay Leon L. Martuch the phrase "scrope of a pen," as "stroke"; however, the gloss fails to pick up on W. Michael Fitzgerald Keith C. Russell the hint, a Joycean pun, that Scrope used a pen in writing. In the entry on William Herrick Paul Schullery "Scrope" in her Third Census of Finnegans Wake, Adaline Glasheen comes Robert N. Johnson Stephen Sloan closer to the connection to William Scrope, the salmon author, but she misses OFFICERS the mark by simply noting: "English family which produced many prominent Chairman of the Board Robert G. Scott men" (p. 57). For a context for these fishy Finnegan's Wake remarks, see Robert H. Boyle's article beginning on page 13. President David H. Walsh Vice Presidents Lynn L. Hitschler Michael B. Osborne The American Fly F~iher(ISSN 0884-3562) is published James A. Spendiff four times a year by the Museum at P.O. Box qz, Manchester, Verluont 05254 Treasurer James Mirenda Publication dates are winter, spring, summer, and fall Mrmbrrsh~pdues include the cost of the Secretary James C. Woods journal ($q)and are tax deductible as provlded for by law. Mernbershlp rate< are listed in the back of each issue. All letters, manuscripts, photographs, and materials ~ntendedfor pubhcatlon ~n the journal should be sent to STAFF the Museurn. The Museum and journal are not respons~ble for unsolic~tedmanuscnpta, drawings, photographic Interim Executive Director Yoshi Akiyama material, or memorabiha. The Museum cannot accept responsibility for statements and ~ntrrprctatiunsthat are wholly the author's Unsahcited manuscripts cannot be ~eturnedunless postage 1s provided. Contribnttons to fie Events &Membership Diana Siebold American Fly Fisher are to be considered gratuitous and the property of the Museum unless otherwise requested Art Director John Price by the contributor. Articles appearing In this journal are abstracted and indexed in H~itoiicalAbstracts and Ammca: Special Projects Sara Wilcox History and Life. Copyright D 2004, the American Museum of Fly Fishing, Man~hcstcr,Vermont o~zr4.Original matenal appearing may not be reprinted without prior permlsslon Perlodlcal postage paid at THE AMERICAN FLY FISHER Manchester, Vermont Opj4 and additional offices (USPS 057410). The A~nerzcan Fly Rsher (ISSN oR8q-j562) EMAIL [email protected] wnasmn www amff coin Editor Kathleen Achor POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Amencnn Fly Ftiher, P.O. Box 42, Manchester,Vermant ajzjq Design 6 Production John Price Copy Editor Sarah May Clarkson We welcome contributions to The Amertcan Fly Frsher. Before maklng a subm~sslon, please revlew our Contr~butor'sGu~delines on our website (www.amff.com),or write to request a copy. The Museum cannot accept responslblllty for statements and intervretat~onsthat are wholly the author's. Angling Art: The Winemaker's Label by G. William Fowler Figure 1. The claak salmon fl2 Green Highlander, painted by Peter Corbinfor von Strwer? aooo Freestone label, N 1653, IZAAKWALTON declared angling to be an art form and further commented that "no man is born an artist, so Ino man is born an anglerl'l Because there are artists with a passion for angling, we are able to stand in the middle of an Evidence of the existence of wine goes back ten thousand impressive stream of artistic endeavors focused on the sport. years.4 The earliest known authentic means of identifying Starting with the early writers and artists who gave us a large wine is a six-thousand-year-old Babylonian seal used to mark body of illustrated literature and the painters with their mag- amphorae. It shows a group of people becoming happier with nificent landscapes and wildlife paintings, the art of angling the help of a flask of fermented grape juice.5 At first, there was has flowed into almost every aspect of our lives. Robert no need for labels because wine was produced and consumed Redford captured our imagination with wonderful angling locally. It was originally stored in large earthen vessels and scenes in his film A River Runs through It.Z Photographers take then consumed at the table in smaller jugs.