# Remembering Robert Traver



## PERCHGILL

Was curious as to whether anyone has any stories or little tidbits of information about the late Robert Traver. I have all of his books & he has always been someone who I've respected. I wish I could have met him before he left us. I met a young man from the Marquette area on the Au Sable a few years back. He said his father used to tie flies for Mr. Traver. That's as close as I've gotten to this great man. Tight lines!


----------



## Quig7557

http://uptrout.com/


----------



## inland44

I remember seeing him driving around in a old white Jeepster Commando. Would some times try and follow him to his fishing spots but he knew how to shake a "tail'.

The only time I actually met him was when I was going to NMU and was working as a student in the summer. One of the old maintenance guys knew him and saw him coming into the LRC. we stood in the door way and talked fishing for 10 mins or so. That was the summer of 89. He passed away just a couple of years later. He was wearing a big white floppy hat and a belt that was probably 3 sizes too big.


----------



## itchn2fish

I have some tidbits that I will share when I have a bit more time; very cool thread, thank you for staring it, PERCHGILL







Mr. Voelker lived on Deer Lake Road near Isphpeming, & I would pass his house each time I visited relatives in this area....more later.......


----------



## itchn2fish

Voelker's Pond


----------



## Gamechanger

I'm sure all of us have a few regrets in life, and one of mine involves Mr. Voelker.

I'd only been stationed at K.I. Sawyer for a couple of months and it was only my second foray into trout fishing in the UP...my first trout fishing experience there being a story unto itself.

I was doing some high-stick nymphing on a little creek near Gwinn, and came upon a really nice run that appeared to hold a number of fish, including one really nice one that commanded the prime spot in the run. I set up for that fish, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not entice a bite. About out of options as far as nymph selection goes and because my right shoulder was starting to complain about holding my rod up repeatedly, I was about to give up when that brookie finally took and I was able to bring it to net. I released that hard-won fish and turned to leave the pool when I noticed a fellow sitting on the bank behind me.

His first words to me were "you're a heck of a predator" and he said he enjoyed watching my perseverance. I told him that futility can be amusing, and we both had a laugh. We talked for about 20 minutes, compared what we had in our fly boxes - his was far, far more varied than mine, we wished each other luck and that was that.

Flash forward about five years, and as a first anniversary gift, my wife gave me several outdoor activity-related books, one of them being "Trout Magic". I hadn't heard of Robert Traver, but when I checked his bio on the rear cover, low and behold, there was a photo of the fellow I chatted with briefly on that little brook trout stream. I regret not asking more about the man rather than just talking fishing.


----------



## Quig7557

Cool story


----------



## Boardman Brookies

I found this a few months ago.






Enjoy!


----------



## grp

Haven't been here in yrs + don't like this format
Have his books & espec. "Danny & The Boys"
Met "Danny and the Boys" at their log cabin on 
------ ----
The entry road driveway is pictured in the book
"Trout Madness"
Found & fished all the spots in "Danny and Boys " some by canoe.
Great brook trout and small-mouth fishing
even did the "catching brookies on a bare-hook"
Originally I scotch taped a map of the entire UP fr county maps . It was 12feet long. I picked my UP adventures from there and is how I came across those guys.
Usually I'd drive around their area & carry a canoe in
That area had the best pat hunting i ever saw
We dear hunted one year across the lake ; and with so much stuff I went up to the cabin to get permission to use their access to the lake . That's when they invited us in 
As we talked I mentioned Robert Traver and one of em said We're Danny and the Boys


----------



## Quig7557

Grp nice post. They were north towards big bay is that correct? I've not read the book in a few years


----------



## grp

Quig7557 said:


> Grp nice post. They were north towards big bay is that correct? I've not read the book in a few years


----------



## grp

Yes,
in "Danny & Boys" he gives no directions or geography But the scenes illustrated authentically in diff chapters can only be the DEAD river system 
.. glaringly obvious when I fished the area and read the book 
I'll post 4 or 5 pics in a day or so that are related
Caution
Haven't been in MI for 20+ yrs but sort of keep up on this area. Things have changed.
Imagine hard fighting high jumping small-mouth
on any lure & 16" brookies at base of waterfalls then peering down and seeing 30 hugging the bottom.
What was the most idyllic fishing spot I ever found is now gone. There was an attempt to preserve the cabin (by Marquette city or county) but think it 
didn't happen


----------



## itchn2fish

My favorite story is "The Intruder"....love the ending especially....
John D. Voelker (June 19, 1903 - March 19, 1991), better known by his pen name Robert Traver, was a renowned fly fisherman, and a member of the Fly Fishing Hall of Fame. His early professional career was as an attorney, judge, and later a writer. He is best known as the author of the novel, Anatomy of a Murder published in 1958. The best-selling novel was turned into an Academy Award nominated film - directed by Otto Preminger and starring James Stewart - that was released July 1, 1959. After the success of his novel, Anatomy of a Murder, Voelker retired from the court in 1959 in order to write full-time and to fish at his beloved Frenchman's Pond. There, he devoted himself to writing, and perhaps above all else, fly fishing, with a special passion for wild brook trout. Although he traveled far in his pursuit of trout, he recognized the Upper Peninsula as a particularly special place to fish. His writings, though steeped in fly fishing, also embraced the larger beauty of nature, and human nature.
John Voelker lived his life as most of us wish we could - on his own terms. He was a renowned novelist and outdoor writer, an eminent member of the bench and bar, and a skilled fly fisherman. Author of 11 books and numerous stories, a Michigan Supreme Court Justice who wrote over 100 finely crafted opinions, and self "proclaimed U.P. Cribbage Champ," John Voelker made many contributions that live on today. 
Richard F. Vander Veen III is many things to Michigan, in this context he is the co-founder of the John D. Voelker Foundation and was a great advocate in getting this project off the ground. Rich knew Voelker and corresponded, cribbaged and fished with him on his Frenchman's Pond. He inherited some of the legacy of his father (who was a Democratic Congressman from Grand Rapids, MI 1974-6) including being a great lover of books, and one concerned with the environment. Rich is president of Mackinaw Power (wind), is involved in the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative and recieved the 2012 NREL Larry Flowers Leadership Award for the Gratiot Wind Project. He co-founded the EARTH University Foundation in addition to his continued participation at the Ryerson Library Foundation in Grand Rapids.
http://www.deepwoodpress.com/intruder.html


----------



## Rowdy Bandit

itchn2fish said:


> My favorite story is "The Intruder"....love the ending especially....


*Awesome story.*

If anyone can't get their hands on a print copy of _Trout Madness_, check your local library, or try:

https://books.google.com/books?id=L...onepage&q="the intruder" robert traver&f=true


----------



## grp

follow up to my earlier posts 
Said I would post photos from "Trout Madness" only to find it had none .. Looked around the attic and found Traver's (Voelker's) "Anatomy of a Fisherman" and the photos
1. the driveway keep out sign at the cabin (AKA hungry hollow in "Danny & The Boys"
2. the lake that cabin was located on
and referred to in "Danny & the Boys"
Also in the movie "Anatomy of A Murder" 
(based on his book & related to his law practice in UP )
The trout that Jimmy Stewart(playing him) dumps in the sink were caught by Voelker in between dams on the Dead
(but not the dam in the photo I uploaded )
That fishery is also gone now due to pike infiltration
Voelker was on set during the filming and gave Jimmy flyfishing lessons


----------



## grp

oops here are the photos


----------



## grp

And here is a photo of me many years ago
am on a bridge of a tributary of the dead river system
the trout are brookies 
The large bkgrd photo is the Dead below that dam in the post above 
My name on the Twitter site is pseudonym and the sitev has nothing realted to fishing


----------



## Waif

I don't recall where visitor/helper signed empty bottles on a shelf in the cabin were mentioned.
Relics I suppose today , if they still exist where visable.


----------



## grp

Waif said:


> I don't recall where visitor/helper signed empty bottles on a shelf in the cabin were mentioned.
> Relics I suppose today , if they still exist where visable.


hello 
are u referring to cabin in "Danny & Boys":
or the actual cabin on the lake in my image


----------



## Waif

Don't know. Been a long time .Seems it was Voelker's cabin on the pond.


----------



## grp

Waif said:


> Don't know. Been a long time .Seems it was Voelker's cabin on the pond.


If u refer to the actual cabin It was owned by the power co.
Voelker , Danny , and the Boys being pol connected had unlimited access to it. 
But it wasn't maintained and was in extreme disrepair , back around 2001
How's the brown fishing on Fish Creek
it used to have a good caddis hatch


----------



## Waif

No idea of Fish creeks goin's ons.
Have not waded my habituals in about a decade either.

About a decade ago with a thin wallet having about enough for a couple flies, an antique store had a couple books , trout madness was one speed read.
Almost fell in!
Shortly after an inquiry at a book store(Bay Leaf store since relocated) resulted in a trip to the back and an enclosed display of a pencil(?) scetch of the author (was it a self portrait?, memory fails,but would need provenence anyway),a signiture and a book copy with a price far exceeding my means then. A letter or drafts or something was with it it seems.


----------



## grp

Waif said:


> No idea of Fish creeks goin's ons.
> Have not waded my habituals in about a decade either.
> 
> About a decade ago with a thin wallet having about enough for a couple flies, an antique store had a couple books , trout madness was one speed read.
> Almost fell in!
> Shortly after an inquiry at a book store(Bay Leaf store since relocated) resulted in a trip to the back and an enclosed display of a pencil(?) scetch of the author (was it a self portrait?, memory fails,but would need provenence anyway),a signiture and a book copy with a price far exceeding my means then. A letter or drafts or something was with it it seems.


I was lucky enough to get 4 of his books before flyfish/he was all the rage. Growin up in Detroit .. trout fishing and the UP salvaged what little sanity sensitivity and feel for art & beauty , I had
Don't fish anymore unless I cab to teach or guide others 
Nice talking 
Take Care


----------



## Waif

Travel safe.
Brookies are the prettiest.


----------



## Zeboy

When my father passed he left my brother and I his signed copies of Trout Magic and Trout Madness. I reread them both last winter - great stuff.


----------



## TK81

Zeboy said:


> When my father passed he left my brother and I his signed copies of Trout Magic and Trout Madness. I reread them both last winter - great stuff.



NIce thread guys. Back in my single days, chasing brookies from Barry county to the UP was always one of my favorite pastimes. I still chase them once or twice a year now, but it is usually in NW Ontario. Loved Voelker's stories and also remember a lot of great Zeman photos / stories over the years.

I loved your dad's work. Sorry to hear that he has passed.


----------



## yooperkenny

Yes, great stuff all. "...because I suspect that so many of the other concerns of men are *equally unimportant* and not nearly so much fun..." has always inspired me and I suspect others especially if you earn your living in any sort of corporate environment. I count it among the long list of considerations that persuaded me to make the UP my home decades ago.

And it goes on....there are a considerable number of young men today exploring those same trout streams up here motivated by his writing, my son among them. Born well after Traver's death, his fever has taken him to The Tetons and beyond; in fact this weekend he's camping in Wyoming seeking the final leg of his Cutt-Slam (http://www.cuttslam.com).

The Marquette County Courthouse (Baraga Ave at 3rd Street) has a small display honoring Judge Voelker and his endeavors that's worth seeing if you're in the area.

Tight Lines!


----------



## yooperkenny

Boardman Brookies said:


> I found this a few months ago.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Enjoy!


Thanks for this true treasure! It'll be shared with many folks I know will appreciate it eh?


----------



## PunyTrout

I stumbled upon an article while doing some research in the off season for the forthcoming trout season. I figure it's almost February now and I would bump this thread to share it. Check out this bio if you're interested.

http://www.amff.org/fishing-notes-john-voelker-michigans-mightiest-piscator/











_Voelker with Louie Bonetti_


----------



## itchn2fish

Thanks very much for sharing that link, P T. So very interesting.


----------



## mcfish

I cannot thank you enough for this most fantastic of thread bumps. 

I needed it.


----------



## neazor91

I enjoyed this read very much. Thanks.


----------



## Waif

Good read. Thnx. P.T..


----------



## PunyTrout

I ended up ordering a copy of Danny and the Boys . I've wanted to read it before but have never found a copy at a local bookstore. I read several chapters on Google last night and finally pulled the trigger and ordered it from Amazon.


----------



## Gordon Casey

mcfish said:


> I cannot thank you enough for this most fantastic of thread bumps.
> 
> I needed it.


That man lived his life just the way he desired. I bet it was full of enjoyment daily. His writings/journal allowed us to dream his dream. Nothing better than allowing yourself to recall your fishing fantasies by reading about his. It's a snowy day today but I closed my eyes and I could see my favorite fishing spots on the St. Marys.


----------



## PERCHGILL

I’m real pleased that I started this “thread” a few years back. Thanks to all for filling in some details of Robert Traver’s life, details that I/we would otherwise never have known. This old thread came to mind again while thinking about, (& hoping it will happen), a planned brook trout fishing trip to the U.P. in early June. On that note, I just wanted to “refresh” this thread to see if any of you have any more morsels of information regarding the late, great Mr. Traver. (The thought of him, his lifestyle & writings, being lost & forgotten as time goes by, is not a pleasant thought, to say the least). Once again, thanks for your replies.


----------



## grp

PERCHGILL said:


> I’m real pleased that I started this “thread” a few years back. Thanks to all for filling in some details of Robert Traver’s life, details that I/we would otherwise never have known. This old thread came to mind again while thinking about, (& hoping it will happen), a planned brook trout fishing trip to the U.P. in early June. On that note, I just wanted to “refresh” this thread to see if any of you have any more morsels of information regarding the late, great Mr. Traver. (The thought of him, his lifestyle & writings, being lost & forgotten as time goes by, is not a pleasant thought, to say the least). Once again, thanks for your replies.











Hello Perchgill
That dam in the pic got washed out and pike got into the remaining water and over populated the new lake behind the new dam (paid for by the Marq,UP Power Co)
The lake , used-to , have just smallmouth and 2 to 3 lb.
brookies. The DNR has refused to poison out the pike
and restore what was once the best cold water fishery
that I had ever found . The cabin/headquarters for Voelker and his real-life friends - Danny and the Boys- was on an eastern shore of that lake
Just east of lake tho are the 'mulligan plains' - flanked on the east by quite spectacular 300 ft escarpments and what used-to?? be , a good brookie/brown stream 
Also .. other nearby feeder streams just above and below the dam were featured in his books and some were
really very good years ago .. of course that was when the whole cold water fishery system was intact before the big washout .
Coming out of Det area you might also want to try all the small coastal brookie streams west of the Mack Bridge all thru may and early to mid june.
There u'll stumble on 20 to 30" rainbows spawning 
Good luck
grp


----------



## itchn2fish

Ttrrrrrrrrrroooooouuuuuuut


----------



## 22 Chuck

Anatomy of a Murder published in 1958.

Copied from #13--itchy fisherman..........

Wasnt there a movie by that name filmed in part in a restaurant about 50-60 mi E of Houghton, on the N side of the highway?? Seems lie we ate there once and that title was discussed.


----------



## Quig7557

That would be MT Shasta, just east of Michigami


----------

