First Post-Summer 2016

Hi there! I'm Jeremy. I play trombone and I'm an avid outdoorsman. I'm crazy about Bach, Mahler, Stravinsky, Xenakis, ducks, and trout on a fly. I truly believe that nature has perfected what we try to achieve in art, and I seek its lessons as often as possible.

Little jewel of a brookie on a hippie stomper.

I'm at home in the driftless, spending most of my adult life in the middle or on the border of it. This year I've covered many parts of the Wisconsin driftless chasing brook trout and brown trout with feathers tied too hooks. In the past I had only fly fished for panfish, but for reasons too long to list, decided it was time to make the deep dive. Pardon the pun: I'm hooked. Not that it hasn't been without frustration. I've lost a lot of flies, been skunked a lot of days, gotten insane wind knots, and walked through long lengths of brushy woods only to arrive at silty, stagnant, mosquito packed pools without so much as a chub in sight. That said, I always feel better for the adventure each time I go out. I love the zeal with which small trout fly out of the water after a dry fly, and the fight and challenge of landing a bigger brown...Okay, I haven't landed many big browns this year, but every fish I've had on has been a blast.

Soft hackles have been my jam for browns lately. 

Not that I'm a purist and only fish for trout and only use a fly rod. If I know that a stream is going to be inhospitable for fly fishing, I'll still bring a spinning rod with a gold panther martin. I won't catch a trout on a worm. I've had some great bass days on my fly rod this summer. I have yet to catch a northern pike on a dare-devil up in the Northwoods still this year. One of those things that just needs to be done. I like hardware, and save the worms for sitting on a boat with a bobber after bluegills.

My main gig is being a musician and music educator. I play classical, jazz, rock, latin, whatever music ends up on my stand on a given day. I am passionate about instilling young people with a life long love of music. I play in a rock band called The Lower 5th. We are currently raising funds to record an album. Our sound is best described as "Midwestern Soul," mixing elements of Americana, Reggae, Rock, Blues and R&B. Playing with this band has pushed me to explore some different aspects of my musicianship from my classical heavy background. It's good to grow.

That's all for now. Was last out fishing Tuesday, getting antsy to go back, but the rain is keeping me in. Guess I'll tie some san juan worms.