Fly-fisherwomen of the Wood River Valley
Library Foyer Exhibit: January-April 2022
Part of the 2022 Winter Read
“A river, though, has so many things to say that it is hard to know what is says to each of us.” ~Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It
To an angler, each bend in the river reveals new riffles and pools, glimmering with hope. The pebbles and rocks underfoot are more than a complex geology. They are pockets of opportunity. An emergence of insects near the bank becomes a call to rise as hardly perceptible rings hint of feeding trout.
When we step into the river to fly-fish, we become one with this natural flow, reading water like an ever changing book. With senses attuned, we cast the fly line back and forth above the water before settling it in just the spot we aimed for. A perfect cast is an act of grace.
Is it any wonder that women have joined the legions of those who are called to water in this wonderous ritual that is fly-fishing? Through word, object, and image, this exhibit celebrates four Wood River Valley Women who have earned the badge of Reel Legends on our local waters.
- Amamda Bauman is an elementary school teacher at The Community School and spends her summers working as a fly-fishing guide.
- Morgan Buckert has worked for almost two decades in recreation and conservation in the Wood River Valley.
- Juliette Guiterrez lives steps from the river in Ketchum and might be found styling hair in the morning and casting a fly on the Big Wood that evening.
- Susanne Connor once flew gliders over the Valley and now guides fly-fishing year around and co-operates a local outfitter.
In March of 2022, the Library hosted a screening of The Rocky Mountain Fly Highway (2014), followed by a Panel Discussion with the Reel Legends—four fly-fisherwomen of the Wood River Valley, whose fishing lives were featured in the Library’s foyer exhibit as part of the 2022 Winter Read.
The Wide Eye Productions Film, narrated by Emmy Award-winning actor Tom Skerritt, follows a 500-mile stretch of Highway 20 from Wyoming and Montana, across Idaho and into Oregon, as it connects the West’s most renowned blue-ribbon trout streams. More/link to watch on Vimeo here:
“Rocky Mountain Fly Highway” Film Screening & Reel Legends Panel Discussion
