The John D. Voelker Foundation and the American Museum of Fly Fishing (AMFF) are pleased to announce the winner of the 2023 Robert Traver Fly-fishing Writing Award: “Middle-Seat Meditations” by Matt Powell of Twin Falls, Idaho. Mr. Powell’s story is fly-fishing guide’s reflection on karma, enlightenment, and suffering on the Henry’s Fork.
The winning entry will receive a $2,500 prize and will be published in the Winter 2024 edition of the American Fly Fisher, the journal of the American Museum of Fly Fishing.
Matt Powell’s hunting and fishing stories and his bird dogs have been featured in outdoor magazines and on television. Matt is a professor at the University of Idaho, where he has studied trout and salmon for more than 25 years. He lives in Southern Idaho with his wife and their two Weimaraners.
Mr. Powell commented, “I am deeply honored to be receiving the Traver Award and I sincerely appreciate all the time and consideration given by the judges. I am truly excited.”
Read the winning story by clicking the title below.
The 2023 competition drew a field of 65 stories and essays. Entries were judged anonymously resulting in six finalists. The Traver judges also bestowed Honorable Mention recognition on two other entries, which can be read by clicking on the title links below:
The other three finalists were:
“Crossing the Blue Ceiling” by Jon Tobey of Duvall, Washington
“Fish on the Wall” by John Humphrey of Mystic, Connecticut
“Hope Truly Is the Thing with Feathers” by Mike Toth of Pennington, New Jersey