There are many talented fly fishing artists out there. I am always impressed at the diversity represented in the depictions of something as simple as a brook trout flank. Light spots on a dark background. Orange bellies and white tipped fins. Vermiculated backs leading to square tails. But they are presented using different media, different techniques, and different visions. One fish, many interpretations.

Trout in particular, but fish in general, inspire people to depict them in some way, shape, or form. There were cave paintings of fish. There are fish adorning the walls of the great art museums of the world.  There are countless Instagram accounts featuring digital and physical angling artwork. Whatever the next thing might be, fish will be in it because fish demand portrayal. Their color, their shape, and their lines move our hands and minds.

Even someone like me, with a modicum of talent, can put something halfway presentable together.

What you see at the beginning of this article is a Vedavoo fly wallet. The Massachussetts-based company usually deals in brightly colored, PVC-coated material. This special run of products was built for those who have a little creative streak in them. I grabbed one a few years ago and it slipped away into the bowels of my top dresser drawer. I forgot about it until recently when I was cleaning and one of my kids asked “what’s that thing?” I told them to follow me downstairs. We pulled up a picture of a brook trout on my phone. I lined up the necessary Sharpies. While they colored on their paper, I colored on my fly wallet.

The result isn’t going to instigate a production run from the good people at Vedavoo. But it is certainly a brook trout. And it is mine. Plus, it was fun.

I’d encourage you to doodle flies in your margins. Co-opt some of your kids’ watercolors. Mess around with the fancy software on your Mac. Sketch something out to crumple up and throw in the trash. Spend night after night refining something that ends up on your wall. Customize your fly wallet so that you have a one-of-a-kind item that only you get the priveledge of using and enjoying.

Even your art and my art can truly be art if it is done out of appreciation for our quarry. The best art is genuine. A handful of sharpies, a picture on your phone or in your mind’s eye, memories illustrated. Doing it with meaning to the best of your abilities is authentic. It might not be perfect. It won’t be perfect. But when it comes to art, authentic is better than perfect in the long run.