Wildlife art is something most anglers and hunters appreciate. While the Venn diagram plotting the wader or camo crowd with the art gallery types might only share a slight sliver, there is still a sliver. And although Bass Pro bucks or Guy Harvey sailfish might not be critically acclaimed, they are perfectly at home in the hunting lodge or beach house.

But there are plenty of wildlife artists that truly deal in fine art. Moreover, there are plenty of paintings or prints that have significant personal value.

I have quite a few pieces that I appreciate. Some are quite special. The three pictured above have been part of my offices for over two decades.

Let me tell you their stories.

The Brown Trout

As a teenage fly fisher I was unashamed in my attempts to insert angling into any and every  opportunity I could. So, on a family trip to the Missouri Ozarks I wedged in some time to fish the TVA tailwaters. I had already spent summers on the more famous Arkansas rivers to the south. Big brown trout were the choice quarry. A diversion from outdoor pursuits on that trip was a stop at Silver Dollar City. Upon walking into the park, I saw an artist painting wildlife. Smartly, I was encouraged to not purchase the piece right away lest I have to lug it across the whole theme park. At the end of the day, the brown trout was waiting for me.

The Rainbow Trout

The directors of the Pennsylvania Rivers Conservation & Fly Fishing Youth Camp have always endeavored to present a diverse range of speakers to their students. Along with the biologists and casting instructors,  rod builders and attorneys make up the instructor role. In 2000, the year I attended, wildlife artist Frank Smoot was invited to speak and sketch. At 94 years old, his stories were fascinating. I used the only crumpled 20 dollar bill in my possession to buy this simple print of a rainbow. It seemed fitting, as earlier in the day I had landed a 20+’ inch specimen of the species.

The Brook Trout

This print was part of a limited edition sale of the artwork used on the Virginia brook trout conservation license plate. The plate  bearing the same, albeit lower resolution, fish has been on two of my vehicles. In fact, my very first car had these plates.