Alen Baker had a vision. He could imagine a museum featuring the art and history and lore of the great sport of fly fishing here in the Southern Appalachians. Eventually he did more than imagine. He planned and he cajoled and he sought out equally minded individuals who would help him make this vision come true. It happened. The Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians opened in Cherokee, North Carolina in June, 2015. I toured it last summer and learned so much.
And then he wrote about it, beginning with the early days of his own fly fishing experiences and his deep love for the sport. He tells the why, the how, and the who about creating a museum from scratch. His passion shows on every page.
We just finished the book. That's his hand on the cover, a selfie.
Quotes from the back cover:
Alen Baker has led the way in creating a museum
to capture a sporting legacy of
great importance. This book traces the evolution of the museum and provides a vital resource for anyone
who cherishes the high country, wild trout,
remote places, and the waters of the good earth. It is a work no lover of the lure and lore of southern
trout fishing should overlook.
-Jim Casada, author of numerous fly
fishing books including "Fly Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: An
Insider’s Guide to a Pursuit of Passion"
Alen
Baker’s quest to see a Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachian Mountains
is borne out of years of experience as a dedicated fly fisher, an advocate for
Trout Unlimited, and as such, a dedicated restoration practitioner. Few are
more qualified, knowledgeable, or literate in calling for a museum to
commemorate the practices, history, culture, and mores that make fly-fishing in
the southern Appalachians so important.
-Chris Wood,
President and CEO, Trout Unlimited
Publication date, May 27, 2016, in time for Father's Day. It makes for great reading. Give it a try.
Catch of the day, (literally!)
Gretchen
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