Writer and fly fisher presents 'Return to the River'

Lifelong fly fisher, writer and outdoorsman Steve Raymond will present “Return to the River: Exploring the Literary Legacy of Roderick Haig-Brown” from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3, in the Special Collections area on the sixth floor of the Wilson Library on the Western Washington University campus.

The event is free and open to the public, and tours of Western’s Fly Fishing Collection, which includes books, periodicals, manuscripts, photographs, artworks, audio and video personal interviews and histories, and fly-fishing artifacts such as rods, reels, flies, and fly-tying materials, will follow the presentation.

An acclaimed author of works exploring the many facets of the sport, Steve Raymond was born in 1940 in Bellingham. A graduate of the University of Washington, he went on to a long career as a journalist for the Seattle Times. In addition to books, Raymond has been a major contributor to angling magazines, and served as an editor of The Flyfisher and Fly Fishing in Salt Waters. He has won many awards including the Roderick Haig-Brown Award of the Federation of Fly Fishers and the Letcher Lambuth Angling Craftsman Award of the Washington Fly Fishing Club. He is the author of numerous books on the practice and ethical philosophy of fishing, including “Rivers of the Heart,” “Steelhead Country,” and “The Year of the Angler.”

In his presentation, Raymond will explore the life and impact of pioneering British Columbia conservationist, fly fisher and author Roderick Haig-Brown. In 1997, BC Parks established Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park along 11 miles of the Adams River near Kamloops to celebrate his life of conservationism.

For more information on this event, contact Tamara Belts at (360) 650-3193.