'Brownie on the Drift' - Original Driftwood Piece

20"x9" Driftwood
I caught and released some brown trout on the Rio Grande the other day, but not before performing an unintentional solo dance routine that would’ve made Will Ferrell proud. One second I was wading through a fast-moving current like a seasoned angler, the next I was flailing, spinning, and river-moonwalking over a slick rock that sent me into full “interpretive wilderness ballet” mode. If anyone had been watching, they’d have assumed they were watching the old school scene where Will Ferrell dances with ribbons in the athletics competition.

Once I regained my dignity and balance, I looked down at the culprit rock and noticed a few olive-colored scuds clinging underneath. The light bulb came on. I tied on a simple olive nymph, let it drift low and slow through a deep seam, and sure enough, a chunky brown trout hit it like it had been waiting for it all day. A few more casts a little further up the river provided a few more fish in the exact same way.

On my way back to the Jeep walking the smooth safe bank of a buddies place (making sure I didn’t bust into any more surprise dance moves), I found a piece of old driftwood half-buried in the rocks. Weathered, rough-grained, water-stained, absolutely perfect. I brought it back, cleaned it up a bit and painted one of the trout I caught just as I remembered it: drifting the edge, quiet, and wild.

This piece brings together my whole experience, the stumble, the strike, and the catch of a memory I will cherish forever from the Rio Grande.