Changing Flies by Rod Crossman. Oil (24 x 30 inches).
From the collection of the American Museum of Fly Fishing.
The John D. Voelker Foundation and the American Museum of Fly Fishing are pleased to present the 2019 Robert Traver Fly-Fishing Writing Award to Jimmy Watts of Bellingham, Washington. Read his winning entry, which first appeared in the Summer 2018 issue of the Drake, by clicking the story title.
The 2019 competition drew a field of 156 entries. Entries were judged anonymously to narrow the pool to ten finalists. In addition to the winner, judges bestowed honorable mention on two humorous short stories (just click the title to read).
The other seven finalists were:
“Osprey, the Fisherman” by Colten Braybrooks of Seattle, Washington
“The Last Brook Trout” by Bob Linsenmen of Rose City, Michigan
“The Wading Game” by Kristin Millgate of Idaho Falls, Idaho
“At the Heart of Hollows” by Ben Moyer of Farmington, Pennsylvania
“Some Fish Make Rivers” by Frank Sargeant of Union Grove, Alabama
“The Manistee River Waltz” by Tim Schulz of Houghton, Michigan
“Learning to Mend” by S. Paige Wallace of Portland, Oregon