Black Lives Matter

I know all my subscribers expect to see a RiverKeeper Flies post each week. But it’s hard for me to focus on fly fishing content with all the protests and unrest about underlying issues in America today.

I see you…I hear you…I’m learning.

Image may contain: night and sky

I may not have the right words, but I feel I need to say something and not be silent.

Fishing doesn’t seem to be important today.

Similar Posts

  • Ugly Rudamus

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Ugly Rudamus. The Ugly Rudamus was developed in 1984 by John Foust of Hamilton, MT as an imitation for caddis and stoneflies. Born in Stevensville and raised in Darby in the 1960s, Foust began tying flies at the age of 13 and sold them at Bob Ward’s…

  • My May Fly Box

    I wrote a post last year about this time to share the basic flies I needed to carry in my May fly box. This week, I decided to update the information and flies.  But first, I have to say I find it hard to believe it’s the first of May! Perhaps it’s a sign of…

  • A Fall Fly Box

    What flies do you carry in your fall fly box? Fall is a wonderful time of year and in my opinion, one of the best times to catch some great fish. Here’s one of them. There are still bugs that need to hatch and only so many warm days left for them to complete their…

  • Changing Seasons

    The temperatures have dropped and the dog days of summer are over. In fact, rain showers are in the forecast for today. What does that signal? Changing seasons for the fly fisher. I always look forward to arriving at the river and see if fish are rising. It’s more the norm now than it was during…

  • Black Prince TBT

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Black Prince TBT…the Clarence Gordon version. This is another steelhead fly pattern from John Shewey’s Classic Steelhead Flies. If you haven’t had a chance to peruse this book, go to your local fly shop and see if they have it in stock. Otherwise, go to the link above and…

14 Comments

  1. Hello John. First, thank you for saying something, anything on this topic. I am what most people would call an old white guy. I almost never comment on blogs and almost never comment or “like” on Facebook. Why? Because I am afraid. I am afraid of being attacked because I said something that someone else didn’t want me to say, or because I didn’t say it properly in their mind, or because they decided that I didn’t have the “right” to speak on the matter. This is a time I will try to overcome my fear. Bullies of all skin colors want to silence our faltering efforts to engage in civil conversation. My age and health contribute to my fear of confrontation of the sort that you have received. I was brave in my youth, but lately …. Today I’m writing to thank you for trying to stand up against people being murdered in our country. Bravo.

    1. Hi Jay

      Thanks for leaving a Comment on my RiverKeeper Flies website.

      I too, had many of the feelings you expressed. But this time, I decided to take actions. I appreciate you speaking out.

      John

  2. Thank you for your support at this time in our nation. We watched the movie “The Help” last night and though it depicted this nation and it’s racial divide in the early 60’s it certainly seemed like the same message and divide is still with us today. Tight lines.

  4. Thanks John.
    Racism has no place in this world and it will take everyone collectively to address it.

  6. Thank you, John. I stayed away from marches and demonstrations because of the virus. Thanks for helping me express what is in my heart.

    John O’Connor
    Eugene

  8. The best way forward that I can see. Thanks John.
    “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” Edmund Burke (short version)
    An updated version of this would be “…for good people to do nothing.”

  9. Stuff your virtue signaling. I’ve been reading for years and love the escapism. Important things happen all the time you don’t talk about because this is a fishing blog. You helped no one with this display of pathetic white guilt. You feel so bad, do something productive. Do something when others aren’t guilting you into doing it. This isn’t something. Funny how you never talked about this before? Or any other issue that wasn’t fishing that I’ve seen. Are you going to black out for the dozens of dead black men who killed each other on memorial day weekend? You going to “blue out” for the dead cops after this week? Pathetic inaction disguised as action. I gaurantee nobody appreciates your B.S but self loathing white people. Here’s my slow hand clap at your bravery.

    1. Rashid – You’re right, this is a fly fishing blog and it’s the first time a subject has been different. Each week I find a subject to write about and I was struggling to find something without some people saying I was tone deaf to what was going on in America the last week. As I said in my post, I’m listening.

      I don’t plan to have a discussion with you or anyone else on my website, but I plan to contact you via email. I’ll listen if you listen.

      John

      UPDATE – Well Rashid, I sent an email to the one you provided. Are you really a RiverKeeper Flies follower? If so, I invite you to leave another comment with your real email address.

  11. Thanks John. We all need to repeat and practice the saying, “I you, I hear you, I’m learning”, every day of the rest of our lives.

  12. Thanks for being aware and commenting about our current state of the union. There are greater concerns than fishing .

Comments are closed.