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Journal of the American Museum of Fly Fishing

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Journal of the American Museum of Fly Fishing The American Fly Fisher Journal of the American Museum of Fly Fishing FALL 2014 VOLUME 40 NUMBER 4 TRUSTEES Flurry William E. Andersen Bradford Mills Michael Bakwin David Nichols Foster Bam Robert A. Oden Jr. On August 26, members of the Jane Cooke Erik R. Oken museum staff took the ALS Ice Bucket Peter Corbin Stephen M. Peet Challenge. From left to right are Deborah Pratt Dawson Leigh H. Perkins Deputy Director Yoshi Akiyama, E. Bruce DiDonato, MD Frederick S. Polhemus Ralph the museum dog, Development Patrick Ford Roger Riccardi Associate Sarah Foster, Coordinator of Ronald Gard Kristoph J. Rollenhagen Events Christina Cole, Executive Director Cathi Comar, and Director of George R. Gibson III Philip Sawyer Visual Communications Sara Wilcox. James Heckman, MD Franklin D. Schurz Jr. Arthur Kaemmer, MD Robert G. Scott LURRY. IT’S A WORD most associated you, doesn’t it? In April 1842, the Duchess Karen Kaplan Nicholas F. Selch with cold and winter. But it’s a word of Roxburghe sent a fly that she had tied Woods King III Gary J. Sherman, DPM Fthat came to mind a lot over the sum- herself to an invited guest who had sent William P. Leary III Ronald B. Stuckey mer as museum staff prepared for and his regrets for Saturday activities. This Anthony J. Magardino Tyler S. Thompson participated in one event after another. prototypical Victorian salmon fly is now a Christopher P. Mahan Richard G. Tisch Executive Director Cathi Comar was an part of the collection of Colonial Walter T. Matia David H. Walsh instructor and counselor at the Vermont Williamsburg. In “The Duchess and the John R. McMahon Andrew Ward TU Trout Camp. Fresh Air Fund kids vis- Tweed” (page 6), Andrew Herd and Ken William McMaster, MD James C. Woods iting southern Vermont spent an after- Cameron explain the fly’s importance in Nancy W. Zakon noon at the museum learning some basics the continuing evolution of the “classic” Peter Millett, MD of fly fishing. We hosted an opening gaudy featherwing salmon flies. reception for our Angling & Art benefit On a more personal note, Willard TRUSTEES EMERITI art sale, as well as a painting demonstra- Greenwood has been fishing with Mickey Charles R. Eichel David B. Ledlie tion by the pond with a few of the artists. Finns for years—tying his first with the James Hardman Leon L. Martuch We gave away free ice cream on National help of Family Circle’s Guide to Trout Flies Ice Cream Day, expanded our recently cre- and How to Tie Them—but it was only William Herrick Paul Schullery ated Ambassador Program, and welcomed recently that he became interested in the OFFICERS many visitors to our annual Fly-Fishing fly’s history and began researching it him- Festival. You can read more about all of self. In this issue’s Notes and Comment Richard G. Tisch James C. Woods these activities in the pages ahead. piece, “A Personal and Natural History of President Secretary Then, to top off the season, five staff the Mickey Finn” (page 18), Greenwood Karen Kaplan Charles R. Eichel members poured buckets of ice water over tells us what he learned about the red and Vice President Clerk their heads during the ubiquitous and yellow streamer. astoundingly successful ALS Ice Bucket As we hurtle toward the holidays, why Gary J. Sherman, DPM George R. Gibson III Challenge of summer 2014 (see photo not include a story that begins 133 Christ - Vice President Treasurer above; look for the video on our Facebook mases ago? In “A Fly Rod for Christmas page or YouTube). The challenge promoted and Three Lifetimes of Use,” Jay Hupp JUNIOR COMMITTEE awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis tells the tale of an H. L. Leonard rod pur- and encouraged donations for research. chased from Wm. Mills and Son in 1881: Parker Corbin Robert Longsworth Of course, ALS is hardly the only cause its features, a bit about the Mills/Leonard Bailey Hallingby John Neukom to consider, and in this issue, we’d like to relationship, and its generational journey Woods King IV Albert Nichols present one with links to our sport. through the Calhoun family. Hupp pur- Alexander Kinsey David E. Nichols Jr. Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. is chased the rod and original receipt in Casey Knoll Ben Pastor an organization dedicated to the physical 2005. This tale of provenance begins on Jason M. Scott and emotional rehabilitation of disabled page 2. active military service personnel and dis- We’re happy to offer another install- STAFF abled veterans through fly fishing and ment of John Mundt’s Keepers of the associated activities, including education Flame series (page 23). This time Mundt Catherine E. Comar and outings. PHW’s annual 2-Fly Tourn - profiles the historian/author/rod builder Executive Director ament at Rose River Farm in Madison Hoagy B. Carmichael, who, he notes, “sin- Yoshi Akiyama County, Virginia, offers only twelve spots in gle-handedly revived the waning art of Deputy Director the Pro/Vet category, in which injured bamboo rod building.” And Gordon M. Christina Cole active-duty service members or disabled Wickstrom reviews Mike Valla’s The Coordinator of Events veterans are paired with professional Founding Flies: 43 American Masters, Their guides. In “Medicine for the Soul,” Ed Patterns and Influences (page 17), a book Sarah Foster Felker reports on the life-changing experi- also noted in Greenwood’s Mickey Finn Development Associate ences of one 2014 2-Fly Pro/Vet pair, former article. Samantha Pitcher Army National Guard Staff Sergeant Brian Enjoy this flurry of flies, rods, fishers, Program Assistant Christensen and Montana Trout aholics and historians. Ours is a rich sport, com- Patricia Russell Outfitters guide/owner Joel Thompson. ing at us from all angles. Account Manager You’ll find this inspiring story on page 12. The Duchess. The Mickey Finn. The KATHLEEN ACHOR Sara Wilcox mere mention of these fly names intrigues EDITOR Director of Visual Communication PRESIDENT’SCOUNCIL Roger Altman Bradford and Pamela Mills William E. Andersen David and Margaret Nichols Louis Bacon The Orvis Company E. M. Bakwin Leigh and Anne Perkins Foster Bam and Sallie Baldwin Eric and M. C. Roberts Austin and Meg Buck Robert and Karen Scott Jon and Deborah Pratt Dawson Nicholas and Jean Selch Eric Dobkin Three Forks Ranch Tim Hixon Richard G. Tisch Journal of the American Museum of Fly Fishing Peter Kellogg Paul Volcker Dan Lufkin David and Jade Walsh FALL 2014 VOLUME 40 NUMBER 4 Alan and Nancy Zakon A Fly Rod for Christmas and Three Lifetimes of Use ....2 Jay Hupp MUSEUM COUNCIL The Duchess and the Tweed ...................6 W. Michael Bakwin Woods and Wendy King III Andrew Herd and Ken Cameron Bessemer Trust Co. Bill and Francesca Leary David J. Beveridge Anthony and Patricia Magardino Medicine for the Soul .......................12 Timothy and Andrea Collins William and Lynn McMaster Ed Felker Jane Cooke Erik and Jennifer Oken Book Review: Mike Valla’s The Founding Flies ........17 Tom Davidson Henry M. Paulson Jr. Gordon M. Wickstrom H. Corbin Day Stephen and Roberta Peet E. Bruce and Denise DiDonato William and Candace Platt Notes and Comment: Ezra Field Steven Price A Personal and Natural History of the Mickey Finn ....18 David Ford Bobby and Mary Russell Willard P. Greenwood II George and Beth Gibson Franklin Schurz Jr. Gardner Grant Jr. Ronald and Joan Stuckey The Museum’s Ambassador Program .............22 Intercontinental Exchange Tyler and Francis Thompson Keepers of the Flame: Paul Tudor Jones Andrew and Elizabeth Ward Arthur and Martha Kaemmer Mark and Dorinda Winkelman Hoagy B. Carmichael: Historian/Author/Rod Builder Karen Kaplan Steve Zoric and Sarah Bryant John Mundt............................23 Fly-Fishing Festival ........................24 Museum News ...........................26 DIRECTOR’SCOUNCIL Contributors ............................28 Peter Bowden George Matelich Shannon Brightman Walter and Pam Matia ON THE COVER: At the Rose River Farm in Madison County, Virginia, a Tom Colicchio Robert McGraw participant in the 8th Annual 2-Fly Tournament and his guide get in Mark Comora Robert and Teresa Oden Jr. some practice on one of the farm’s ponds. Photo by Ed Felker. Anthony Davino Rebecca Patterson Peter Esler Joseph R. Perella We welcome contributions to the American Fly Fisher. Before making a submission, please review our Timothy Geithner Jack Pittard Contrib utor’s Guidelines on our website (www.amff.com), or write to request a copy. The museum Timothy Grell Lewis Sachs cannot accept responsibility for statements and interpretations that are wholly the author’s. James and Susan Heckman Matthew and Kerry Scott Hollenbeck Club The American Fly Fisher (ISSN 0884-3562) is published four times a year by the museum at P.O. Box 42, Manchester, Vermont Jason and Deborah Selch 05254. Publication dates are winter, spring, summer, and fall. Membership dues include the cost of the journal ($50) and are Harold Johnson South Holston River Lodge tax deductible as provided for by law. Membership rates are listed in the back of each issue. All letters, manuscripts, pho- tographs, and materials intended for publication in the journal should be sent to the museum. The museum and journal The Lodge at Jackson Fork Ranch James Wolfensohn are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, drawings, photographic material, or memorabilia. The museum cannot Christopher Mahan Daniel Ziff 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 prop- Leon and Shirley Martuch Martin E. Zimmerman erty of the museum unless otherwise requested by the contributor. Copyright © 2014, The American Museum of Fly Fishing, Manchester, Vermont 05254.
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