John Voelker (Robert Traver)

[uptroutfishr]

Hi gang --

I'd love to hear stories from anyone that met or encountered John Voelker.

Just as interesting would be to hear praise from fans.

I live in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and have great admiration for the 'Judge'. I'm curious to learn how many of you are familiar with his writings and life. If you haven't read his books, I encourage you to do so. His books "Trout Madness" and "Trout Magic" are wonderful. And if you can find a copy of "Anatomy of a Fisherman", I am sure you will be moved by the photos and text.

I have explored his beloved Escanaba River, and have caught wild trout from places that are surely haunted by his spirit. It is a wild, magical place.

I look forward to your responses.

Cheers!

[Royal Wulff]

uptrout, RW here

I've had all his books from the beginning. Love his writing.

RW

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"We fish for pleasure; I for mine, you for yours." -James Leisenring on fishing the wet fly-

[monty]

Hi Uptrout,
I also love his writing, very interesting person indeed.

JC, "Travers Corners" is a collection of fishing essays and stories dedicated to Robert, who wrote "Trout Madness" and many others, and whose "Testament of a Fisherman" is somewhere here on FAOL:

"I fish because I love to; because I love the environment where trout are found, which are invariably beautiful, and hate the environs where crowds of people are found, which are invariably ugly; because of all the television commercials, cocktail parties, and assorted social posturing I thus escape; because in a world where most men seem to spend their lives doing things they hate, my fishing is at once an endless source of delight and an act of small rebellion; because trout do not lie or cheat and cannot be bought or bribed or impressed by power, but respond only to quietude or humility and endless patience; because I suspect that men are going along this way for the last time, and I for one don't want to waste the trip; because mercifully there are no telephones on trout waters; because only in the woods can I find solitude without loneliness; because bourbon out of an old tin cup always tastes better out there; because maybe one day I will catch a mermaid; and, finally, not because I regard fishing as being so terribly important but because I suspect that so many of the concerns of men are equally unimportant - and not nearly so much fun. ~ Robert Traver, aka John Voelker

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[gerry l]

uptroutfishr
Thank you for reminding me to pull out my Traver books and reread these wonderful works. Soon it will be time to fish on more days ( we get some nice days here in southern IL all winter) so there will not be enough time till next year ( if it is granted).
gerry l

[uptroutfishr]

The books 'Travers Corners' and 'Return to Travers Corners', I believe, are a collection of short stories that center around a rural town in Montana. I didn't know there was a connection to John Voelker.

For those that are unfamiliar with John Voelker . . . he wrote several books under the name Robert Traver. He lived most of his life in Ishpeming, MI, a small town in Michigan's Uppper Peninsula. Although his passion was fishing, he had a successful career in law that included a stint on Michigan's Supreme Court. Three of his books were specifically about fishing (the full title for one is, "Trout Madness, being a dissertation on the symptoms and pathology of this uncurrable disease by one of its victims"), but he also wrote several that were not. One of these, "Anatomy of a Murder", was a national best seller that was produced as a movie with the same name (starring Jimmy Stewart). The movie was filmed near Voelker's home town of Ishpeming, which, at the time, was a very big deal for this neck of the woods.

A few years ago, Nick Lyons put together a collection of John's stories in a book entitled "Traver on Fishing". Each year, Fly Fisherman magazine gives a short-story award in his name.

Charles Kuralt once called John Voelker, "the nearest thing to a great man I have ever known". Impressive, when you think of the people Charles Kuralt knew in his life.

In so many ways, Voelker was the real deal. From the intro to "Trout Madness",

"This book is the story of a lawyer gone wrong; of a man possessed of a fourteen-caret legal education who has gaily neglected it to follow the siren call of trout. It has been wisely observed that many lawyers are frustrated actors, but I know of one, at least, who is simply an unfrustrated fisherman. For lawyers, like all men, may be divided into two parts: those who fish and those who do not. All men who fish may in turn be divided into two parts: those who fish for trout and those who don't. Trout fisherman are a race apart; they are a dedicated crew -- indolent, improvident, and quietly mad."

I encourage you to pick up one of his books. Nick Lyons put it this way, "John's themes are especially poignant and challenging today, when fly fishing has become so high-tech, such big business: keep your private pond unimproved, respect the myriad mysteries of the natural world, avoid cities, avoid deceit and pretension, don't put too much trust in technology, lie only to protect your favorite spots."

I hope this post will motivate at least one person to discover John's works.

Cheers!

[uptroutfishr]

gerry,

I now live in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, but I grew up in southern Illinois. My mother, and all of her brothers and sisters, were raised near Carbondale. To be specific, her place of birth was Boskydell. My mother moved 'north' to the St. Louis area before I was born, but I spent much time in your neck of the woods.

uptroutfishr, actually, you're right. I was thinking of another book, can't remember the name though, that was a tribute. I think it was a photo book...?

Sorry about the mixup.

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[url=http://www.native-waters.com:aa91d]http://www.native-waters.com[/url:aa91d]

[Jackster]

Years ago an old friend invited me for a weekend at his cabin just upstream from the CCC Bridge on the Manistee. It was wonderful weekend. The Hennie's were out in full bloom and the fish were happy. Old Bill gave up the fly rod years before due to bad knee's and to pursue his love of bird photography. He drove a friend and me upstream to drift down and said he was just going to fiddle around and work on the cabin. When we got back to the cabin several hours later, no Bill! We looked around outside and saw him, yellow slicker on against the rain and pipe in mouth, laying out a fine, fine line in his favorite 'muck hole'. It was simply a site that is burned into my memory. Here this humble old **** made out that he didn't know much about the long rod yet managed to hypnotize us with the art of his casting. Later, as Bill stretched his new-fangled plastic line between trees to dry out, he said he should have got some real work done instead of wasting time on the water. The old grump! Before leaving for home I placed a copy of Trout Magic on the picnic/dining table as a gift. He told me to take it with me as he didn't bother much with reading anymore, the old grump! I insisted he keep it and went home smiling. A few days later he called me and said, 'Jack, I think I read a book years ago just so I could finish high school, I hate reading but you ruined that!, I couldn't put that book down'. 'Worse than that, I was content with my pipe and camera and now I am ruined, that book and that weekend has me constantly trying to find ways to get out of town and back to the cabin'.
That was the start of a wonderful and all too short relationship.
Thanks Mr. Voelker for your wonderful tales and thank you Bill for some of the most wonderful times of my life.
You were both cut from the same cloth and I hope you found each other in your new world.
You are missed.

[Royal Wulff]

Roger, RW here

I think the photo book you were thinking of was "Anatomy of A Fisherman", a compilation of the photos that Life Magazine took of Robert Traver in the early 60's for a photo feature story after the success of "Trout Madness". Traver (John Voelker) put it out in book form after the original Life article was published. I believe it was published by McGraw Hill Publishing Company in 1964. Trout Madness has been republished a couple of times, even in soft cover I think, but the photo book is a hard find, even in today's collector's market. I found two about 20 years ago and gave one to my brother. Haven't seen another one since.

Later, RW

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"We fish for pleasure; I for mine, you for yours." -James Leisenring on fishing the wet fly-