A Bonefish for Christmas

Seems a tall order… to get a bonefish for Christmas… but that’s what I got.

Ceramic Beauty

This bonefish was created by Fred Gordon, artist and guide up in Dunsmuir, CA.  Fred is as talented on the river as he is in the studio.

About a decade ago I was just really getting into fly fishing.  My dad had a day scheduled with Fred for closing day on the McCloud for what promised to be a great father-son trip.  Unfortunately, my dad then fell off a ladder and broke all sorts of bones that would be needed for a day on the water.  Fred and I went out by ourselves.  It was a magical day.  Fred taught me how to tight-line nymph, a technique that is deadly in the free-stone, pocket-water rivers of Northern CA.  I had 20-25 fish that day, including a couple browns around 20″.  It was a day that changed my life.  Before that day, fly fishing was a lot of fun.  After that day, fly fishing was an obsession.

We have three of Fred’s trout on our wall and  now, a bonefish.

Merry Christmas all.