Opening Day of New York Trout Season, 2012

  Returning from salmon fishing in the Yemen to upstate New York, the 2012 Opening Day for trout season was low-key, yet productive.

   In New York’s Capital Region, weather was back to seasonal temperatures, two weeks after record-breaking spring temperatures. Water levels were perfect, with no run-off. It was cool and overcast, which helped when sneaking up on the stream. The only drawback was that water temperatures were cold.

  On a trip to several streams in Rensselaer County, the county between the Hudson River and Massachusetts, Pete Howard and I saw many cars parked by streams. Yet there were many places to fish with no other anglers.

  At our first stop, a small stream off a county highway, we each caught and released brook trout that were eight or nine inches long and had many nibbles.

  At our second stop, the water looked incredibly fishy - - but no fish were biting. I learned the next day that people on the same stream had experienced slow fishing, punctuated by catching a 23 inch long brown trout, a good fish for any stream, let alone this smaller stream.

  Many anglers do not like to fish in the early season, disliking the erratic weather or the cold water. However, one of the most valuable parts of fishing Opening Day was the chance to sweep out the winter cobwebs.

  Pete and I got our tackle in order, learned what was running low and now have everything in the correct vest pocket or tackle box compartment. We had extended casting practice in flowing water, rather than in the backyard. And we caught some fish!

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen: The Movie

In this scene from Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Fred Jones,

played by Ewan McGregor, presents to

Harriet Chetowode-Talbot a salmon fly named after her. 

          

           The movie Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is as witty, whimsical and thoughtful as the novel by Paul Torday.

            Director Lasse Hallstrom’s and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy’s vision of the story in Torday’s first novel sometimes goes in different directions than the book does.  However, Hallstrom’s light but sure directorial touch and Beaufoy’s screenplay capture the essential truth of the novel and, in some cases, make the story and characters more real than they are in the book!

            Emily Blunt plays Harriet Chetwode-Talbot, who represents a mysterious sheik who wishes to bring salmon fishing to the Yemen.  Blunt captures Harriet’s romantic side and the gamut of her feelings as she falls in love with a British Army captain and then waits after he is called up for dangerous duty - - and she is smart and determined in undertaking the sheik’s project.

            And Chetwode-Talbot needs smart and determined when she approaches the British government for assistance.  Senior civil servants think the idea of salmon in the Yemen is batty and fob her off on Doctor Alfred “Fred” Jones, a fisheries functionary specializing in the life of the caddis fly, played by Ewan McGregor.

            After several rude, condescending conversations with Chetwode-Talbot, Jones is suddenly is attracted to the idea and falls for it, hook, line and sinker.  McGregor convincingly shows Jones’ progression from skeptic to believer in the sheik’s plan; this progression is key to the movie exploring issues of faith and belief. 

In short order, Chetwode-Talbot and Jones are flying north to Scotland, to meet the sheik, played by Amr Waked.  Each person comes to Scotland as an individual, with their own hopes and fears.  But over several days, they become a team, each learns to pool their strengths and help the others overcome weakness.

            Hovering over the project, like puppet master wannabes, are Patricia Maxwell, , the Prime Minister’s Press Secretary, played by Kristin Scott Thomas, and Bernard Sugden, Jones’ boss, played by Conleth Hill.

            In the book, the Press Secretary is a man and casting Thomas did not initially seem like a good idea.  However, Thomas quickly won me over, playing the role with verve and satirical wit.

            While Hill’s role is minor, he makes every second count.  He has a pasty demeanor; his performance evokes the best of Ricky Gervais in The Office and the pointy-haired boss in the Dilbert comics - - and adds his own comic flourishes.

            The actors move quickly beyond individual great performances and come together in a seamless, appealing repertory.

            Salmon Fishing in the Yemen was filmed in London, Scotland and Morocco stood in for Yemen.  The clear photography makes it easy to feel the damp coolness of Scotland or the blast-furnace heat of the Middle East. 

            Catching salmon is unpredictable; they are nicknamed “the fish of a thousand casts.”  Yet the production crew gets salmon to miraculously appear on cue in the nick of time.

Simon Beaufoy chooses the book’s most pertinent scenes and adds his details that build on the book.  In the book, a girl brings water to Chetwode-Talbot and Jones in the heat of the day.  The scene illustrates hospitality - - and provides a clue leading to the success of the project.  Beaufoy sticks to the structure of Torday’s scene and makes the points concisely and vividly. 

Then, he, McGregor, Blunt and the other actors come up with wonderful acting details.  I particularly liked a scene where McGregor is looking for the right picture to illustrate a caddis fly monograph.  He shuffles absent-mindedly through pictures of caddis flies from a high-powered microscope, hoping to find something that will appeal to “modern readers.”

            With its wit, great acting, striking settings, wit and the exploration of believing, this is a great, must see movie for celebrating spring and optimism.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen: The Book

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, by Paul Torday, Harcourt, 336 pages, $14.


This book review is the first of two posts about Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. The second will discuss the movie that the book inspired.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a wonderful book about the beauty of salmon fishing and the beauty of finding hope in an often hopeless world.

This is the first novel by Torday, an Oxford graduate and British businessman, described on the book jacket as “a keen salmon fisherman.”

In this book, Harriet Chetwode-Talbot, a partner in the real estate firm Fitzharris and Price, asks Doctor Alfred “Fred” Jones, a fisheries biologist at a government agency in London, to help with an astonishing project. Harriet has a client who wishes to fund introducing salmon and salmon fishing to Yemen.

Jones is a bland, George Smiley-esque civil servant, with a self-described “dislike of the irrational, the unpredictable and the unknown.” His wife is an ambitious financier but his main passions in life are fishing and researching topics such as “The effects of increased water salinity on the caddis fly larva.”

Fred thinks the plan is stupid and avoids Harriet. However, the Prime Minister learns about the proposal and takes up the cause. In a bureaucratic drama, David Sugden, Fred’s boss, summons Fred and tells him he can leave the office with either a lay-off notice or a signed letter eagerly offering to meet Harriet.

The ultimatum peeves Fred. Yet, as his wife is about to jet off to bank meetngs in Switzerland, something stirs in Fred. Suddenly, he is enthusiastic about the project. Then Harriet introduces reveals her client, Sheikh Muhammad ibn Zaidi bani Tihama.

The Sheikh wishes to bring salmon fishing to Yemen to reconcile warring factions. But Fred soon realizes the project has bigger aims. The Sheikh sees the project as a form of faith. “Without faith,” he says, “there is no hope and no love. Faith comes before hope, and before love.”

In the West, many are ignorant of Middle Eastern people and societies. Torday opens a window on life and religion in that region. He shows how people of good will in the West and Middle East can work together and respect each other.

This book rests on a wacky idea. Yet with vivid description and a gift for character development, Torday makes wackiness routinely believable. Each person in Salmon Fishing is imperfect but Torday gives most of the characters delightful imperfections, not psychoses. There are beautiful descriptions of Scotland and Yemen, quirky humor, with a kilt, romance, intrigue, political shenanigans and the project itself.

In this highly recommended read, Torday takes readers through many surprises as the story moves swiftly to book’s end. The pace and suspense are much like the experience of a big salmon burning line off the reel on its first run after being hooked.

Finding Salmon Fishing in Yemen is an experience that may be as challenging as salmon fishing itself.  Perhaps with the upcoming movie launch, copies will be more accessble soon.

One of my favorite Capital Region bookstores, the Open Door, is planning to order a few copies for the shelf.  My favorite California bookstore, Vroman's in Pasadena, says it can order the book.  If you bought the book at Vroman's on a Sunday, you then could go over to the Pasadena Casting Club and try some casting!

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen: On the Page and Onscreen!

Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt in the movie version
of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

The novel's bookcover

In the next few days. look for two posts about the novel and movie, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.

The novel is out in both hardcover and paperback for several years; the movie arrives in theaters on Friday March 9, 2012.

Mid-Winter in New York City

From left to right (we hope)





From the opening of Book of Mormon
(Photo from Book of Mormon website)

Hurley's Pub

Le Mirage

If you visit New York this winter, there’s lots to do at reasonable prices on a Sunday.
People who live in the suburbs can visit the City by train, without the nuisance of parking the car. Metro-North Railroad, for example, has free or reasonable parking at its stations.
Once you get to the City, there are theater matinees. We wanted to see The Book of Mormon and my wife, Dorothy, got us tickets by planning ahead. If you are flexible in theater choices, it is possible to get discount tickets in Times Square the day of performance.
Go see Book of Mormon! I heard and read features about it when it first opened. When Dorothy and my daughter Lily wanted to see the play, I thought, “Why bother? All the good parts were already on National Public Radio?”
In fact, thinking you know this play from snippets in news and arts coverage is as foolish as those blindfolded wise men who thought they knew what an elephant was from feeling one part of the animal.
Book of Mormon opens immediately in musical and comedic high gear. Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone load this play with kooky jokes and insights about people and religion. Because Parker and Stone created the irreverent program South Park, the $64,000 question is how they will proceed: a skewering, a surprise ending or a combination?
After the show, we walked through Times Square, a riot of light and color at night. It’s slightly less crowded after the City recently closed some streets and made them a pedestrian mall.
We dined at Hurley’s, an Irish pub, where the atmosphere was congenial, although I think the bartender poured the Guinness in a single shot, rather than waiting a few minutes after filling the glass halfway. Nevertheless, the fish and chips and hamburger were tasty and service was attentive.
In looking for New York City hotels, I learned that prices on Sunday night can be reasonable compared to the rest of the week or weekend. Our hotel, the Best Western Plus President at Times Square, allowed us to check in early. Although they will store luggage, it was reassuring to have the luggage stowed away right off.
This boutique hotel was recently renovated and Presidential art is all over the place. Pop Art-style portraits of John and Jackie Kennedy graced our room.
The neat and clean room was small compared to those in a suburban motel such as a Courtyard or Holiday Inn. But, we were there to see the City and not the hotel so this was not a concern. The room was stuffy, which we remedied by turning on the window air conditioner.
When we got started the next day, we explored for breakfast. We found Le Mirage (212-354-1234) on 43rd Street between Fifth Avenue and Avenue of the Americas. Le Mirage has many delectable, reasonably priced breakfast and lunch choices. We had an egg white omelet wrap with spinach and mushrooms and an egg sandwich on a pillowy, fresh hard roll, with two cups of coffee, for under $9.00.
Then we returned home, mentally refreshed by the play and the liveliness of the City.

Striper Alert!

Can you believe this early in the morning was too late in the morning to catch fish?

If you are on the East Coast this weekend or early next week, take a minute to head to the beach for some fishing. The weather is unseasonably warm and there are still fish around. You may very well connect with striped bass or gorilla blues, big bluefish, that is. . . .

Some of the best fishing is before the sun comes up. At 9:30 A.M. this past Saturday morning, a neighbor told me the fishing at Montauk, the very east end of Long Island was on fire - - at 5:30 A.M. I was smart enough to be up early and on the beach at 6:30 A.M. but that was not early enough. So, please learn from my mistake and get an early start.

If you have the money or connections, it would be worth it to hire a guide and a boat. When I was surf casting later in the morning, the birds were working over fish. My casting range was about 40 feet or so and the birds were working over 200 feet out. Having the mobility of a boat can increase the chance of success.

Catching fish is always better than not catching fish. However, if the nice weather holds, it will be great to be outdoors no matter what happens!

On the Town in Late Fall

Photograph on the left shows snow on the porch furniture in Syracuse

Photograph on the right shows Lark Street bus stop on a rockin' Friday night

This past Friday, I woke up in Syracuse with snow on the ground. There was more snow coming down, but the day soon cleared up to being sunny and chilly.

Snow in Syracuse is not what journalists call a “man bites dog” story, a story that is so unusual as to attract attention. However, I am mentioning the snow because I got the above picture of it at the hotel. The snow dusted furniture shows how winter is closing in on us. Oh, to be in LA and looking at the San Gabriels!

Once home, we decided to take the bus to dinner, instead of sitting home on Friday night or driving and dealing with drivers in the pre-weekend frenzy.

We left from the big bus stop at Crossgates, our local mall and headed to Justin’s on Lark Street - - in downtown Albany.

The Capital District Transit Authority (CDTA) rotates their drivers. I was pleasantly surprised to see our driver was Dexter Hasberry, who drove my regular bus route last year. Dexter is at once a very skilled driver, keeping a laser-like focus on the road, but also making passengers feel at home. He was particularly helpful and solicitous of young man who came aboard in a wheelchair.

Lark Street, one of the hippest neighborhoods in Albany, has clubs, restaurants and shopping. Justin’s has anchored the southern end of the street for over 30 years. It has recently reopened under new management.

In its new incarnation, the management kept the best of the place and made changes. Jazz is still a big draw and the bar feels like it did in years past. There was a great oldies soundtrack, which is not as sophisticated as jazz but is a lot of fun to hear.

The staff is excellent. On first coming in, I was confused about whether to sit at a table or at the bar. The hostess was very patient while I solved this puzzle.

We ended up at the bar, had drinks and dinner there and met Scotty, one of the regular week-end bartenders. He was attentive and conversational without being overbearing.

In addition to pouring standards, Scotty makes a drink called an “Oatmeal Cookie,” with flaming lemon slices. I will probably not order this drink, but it was fun seeing the drama of the preparation and presentation; the customers who ordered it were happy.

The bus stop for home is on the corner of Lark and Washington, next to the Washington Armory. The place had a concert going and the corner was full of people, in a great mood welcoming the weekend.

Busing it downtown may not work on really cold or inclement Albany nights. However, if the weather is temperate, it’s great to have CDTA do the driving!

Happy Halloween!

Dear East Coast/West Coast/North Coast Reader:

Happy Halloween. Thanks for giving me a treat every time I post a tricky blog - - tricky mostly because the formatting of Blog Spot is a challenge.

Happy November,

John

Winter in Upstate New York - - Halloween update

Winter weather came to upstate New York this past week.

On a trip this past Thursday, we found snow in the upper elevations of the Adirondacks. The first two pictures show snow near Blue Mountain Lake.

The third picture was taken on a high point on Route 30, looking south, just where the highway comes into Franklin County. The mountains are the High Peaks, the mountain with the white on it is Whiteface.

I like this picture because it plays with a mental map that many downstate residents, myself included, have. Our mental map tells us the Adirondack High Peaks are the northernmost point in the state. In fact, from this vista, Franklin County extends north for about another 70 miles!

The last four pictures are local before and afters. The first is our backyard in its fall finery, with a lovely selection of mums that my wife, Dorothy, picked out.

A record-breaking, apocalyptic snow storm hit upstate on Saturday. The snow was first forecast to start around 1 P.M. At 1, the air was thick, pregnant with moisture that could have been rain or snow, but no flakes were coming down. The snow actually started around 4 P.M.

For a sense of the storm, there are two pictures. The first was taken at dusk Saturday, the second the following morning.

My friend Beth Waterman, who lives in the central Catskills, says that she had nearly nine inches in this storm. She shared a photograph of a snowy Catskill sunrise, above. My friend Jonathan Cooper lives four or five miles away and he got four to five inches of slushy snow. He said he is putting away the mower and getting out the snow blower. I was mowing yesterday, to knock down the Goldenrod, wild rose brambles and black raspberries in preparation for cross-country skiing.

We went skiing today and had the earliest cross-country ski trip on record. A few pictures of the ski trip, taken by Rose Cooper, are at the end of this post. At least I think they are at the end of this post as putting pictures in this blog are always an Achille's Heel for me.

While we were enjoying the warming day, over a million people in the Hudson valley and New England were without power.

Seth Edelman, who appears in this blog from time to time, wrote in to say that he and his family lost power for four hours in the storm. They live on the east side of the Hudson River, about 45 minutes from the home of this blog. It's amazing how a relatively short distance involves big weather changes. Maureen Franz, who lives in a beautiful wooded neighborhood on the north shore of Staten Island, wrote in to say, "The trees around here all split like firewood!! It was amazing! Branches down all over the place. I can't believe it. . . the leaves all held the icy snow and the branches got too heavy."

We send our hopes and prayers that they are reconnected safely - - and soon.

If you have any snow stories, please comment on the blog or write to me and I will revise this story. Whether or not you have stories to share, have a great week!

Lake Placid in the Fall

Two views from autumnal Lake Placid:

left picture is a maple down an alley off Main Street

right picture is Whiteface Mountain from the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort





If you need a short get away in a scenic, low stress spot near the East Coast, put a fall visit to the village Lake Placid at the top of your list.

2011 is an excellent year for fall foliage, so the trip to Lake Placid should be delightful whether you are coming from the north, south, east or west. Sometimes, the leaves are set off by early season snow, so keep an eye on the weather before you go.

Tropical Storms Irene and Lee inflicted much damage to the Adirondacks. Route 73, the main access to Lake Placid, was badly damaged. Large portions were washed away by flood waters. State and local governments have restored many highways. For example, according to Carol Breen, a spokesperson for the New York State Department of Transportation, the agency’s emergency contractor and maintenance staff worked tirelessly and reopened Route 73 to traffic in just two weeks - - an effort that was one of Governor Cuomo's top priorities after the storms. Breen advises that other State highways in the region are largely reopened with some other work spots remaining: alternating one-way traffic on Route 9 through Elizabethtown in Essex County, work to repair shoulders or guiderail and work to restore streams and protect highways in the future.

Lake Placid and the surrounding communities have so many things to do that it’s possible to plan an enjoyable visit that is an overnight - - or longer. There are many hotels and motels in the village of Lake Placid which, for God knows what reason, is actually on Mirror Lake. If you find a place to stay in the village, you can park your car and shop and dine on foot. Of course, you can get back in the car and go to visit the venues from the 1980 Olympics, Whiteface Mountain, the Ausable River or one of many hiking trails.

In this post, activities mentioned were discovered on several recent trips that our family has taken to the region. If want more ideas, contact the Lake Placid Convention and Visitors Bureau at 518-523-2445 or visit their website, http://www.lakeplacid.com/.

The Lake Placid Convention Center is a dominant landmark in the Village. It was the site of the US Hockey Team’s upset victory sweep in the 1980 Olympics and overlooks the speed skating rink used in the 1932 and 1980 Olympics. Even if the Convention Center has no events scheduled, it’s worth walking up to its entrance. From this spot is an exquisite view back to the south and east of the High Peaks.

For lodging, one of my favorite places is the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort, tucked between Main Street and Mirror Lake. Many of the rooms at the Golden Arrow overlook the Lake and the hotel is very close to shops and restaurants. The Golden Arrow has also taken great strides to make itself environmentally sustainable and has received awards for this effort. However, the excellent service by the staff and the well-appointed rooms show that being good to the environment does not require privation.

Because this month is an interlude between summer and winter activities, it is possible to find great sales in some stores. As you walk along Main Street, merchants are not shy about advertising deals.

If you need fishing tackle or hiking gear, Jones Outfitters has an excellent selection. When we visited the store last year, the staff was also great at helping us make an informed choice. Jones will also share local fishing conditions.

A few minutes from Lake Placid is the Ausable River. On a fall trip to the region some years ago, I hooked a trout on my first cast in an upper stretch of the stream. A reasonable distance away is the Bouqet River, which has a fall run of landlocked salmon below Wadhams in eastern Essex County and good trout fishing throughout.

Terry Robards, the former wine columnist for The New York Times has an appealing wine and liquor store on Main Street. His website states, “A naturally cool cellar beneath the store holds the largest wine inventory in the North Country.”

At mid-point on Main Street is a row of outlets: Van Heusen, Izod and Bass. If you are running low on work clothes or need to get a jump on holiday shopping, this is a great place to stop.

For meals, the Golden Arrow offers a good assortment of breakfast items. Their restaurant also serves other meals but we did not have a chance to try them.

We enjoyed the Cottage, the Mirror Lake Inn’s pub/bistro that is right on Mirror Lake. The Cottage’s name belies its generous-sized interior. With the size of the room, the fireplace and the popularity on the weekend, the Cottage is bustling and lively without making bar patrons or diners feeling crammed in.

The next day we found Soulshine, a nice bagel place on Main Street and for lunch enjoyed a bagel and a cup of soup to ward off the cooler weather that had moved in overnight.

We left Lake Placid on a sunny day with the leaves at their peak, refreshed after a tiring week. We can’t wait to come back - - regardless of the season.