Welcome to Week CCXX of ‘Fishing Parkland Shorelines’. Like most of us I am a novice fisherman, loving to fish, but far from an expert. In the following weeks I’ll attempt to give those anglers who love to fish but just don’t have access to a boat, a look at some of the options in the Yorkton area where you can fish from shore, and hopefully catch some fish.
When it comes to good old-fashioned escapism a good mystery book is hard to beat.
If the mystery book has an undercurrent of fishing, it is just that much better.
That is why Keith McCafferty’s books are much coveted by this writer.
‘Buffalo Jump Blues’ is the fifth novel in the Sean Stranahan mystery series by McCafferty.
“In the wake of Fourth of July fireworks in Montana’s Madison Valley, Hyalite County Sheriff Martha Ettinger and Deputy Sheriff Harold Little Feather investigate a horrific scene at the Palisades cliffs, where a herd of bison have fallen to their deaths,” details the book’s back cover. “Victims of blind panic caused by the pyrotechnics, or a ritualistic hunting practice dating back thousands of years? The person who would know is beyond asking, an Indian man found dead among the bison, his leg pierced by an arrow.
“Farther up the valley, fly fisherman, painter, and sometime private detective Sean Stranahan has been hired by the beautiful Ida Evening Star, a Chippewa Cree woman who moonlights as a mermaid at the Trout Tails Bar & Grill, to find her old flame, John Running Boy. The cases seem unrelated—until Sean’s search leads him right to the brink of the buffalo jump. With unforgettable characters and written with his signature grace and wry humor, Buffalo Jump Blues weaves a gripping tale of murder, wildlife politics, and lost love.”
I have devoured each of McCafferty’s earlier books going back to the 2012 release of ‘The Royal Wulff Murders’ which I still rate as his best book, although ‘The Gray Ghost Murders ‘ was close.
But the key thing is the series has been a winner. McCafferty has a knack for detail without tedium. The mysteries are solid, if not startling in nature, and he does weave fishing Montana into the stories nicely.
It’s not surprising the books are so well-written. McCafferty comes to mystery writing with a great writing pedigree.
From Goodreads.com, “McCafferty is the Survival and Outdoor Skills Editor of Field & Stream. He has written articles for publications as diverse as Fly Fisherman Magazine, Mother Earth News, Grays Sporting Journal and the Chicago Tribune, and on subjects ranging from mosquitoes to wolves to mercenaries and exorcism. Based in Montana and working on assignment around the globe he recently spent a month in India trekking the Himalayas, fishing for golden mahseer and studying tigers Keith has won numerous awards, including the Robert Traver Award for angling literature. He has twice been a finalist for a National Magazine Award.”
What that boils down to is a mystery series with fishing overtones that really is worth checking out.
On another note, the Macklin Wildlife Federation has garnered some major recognition.
The Government of Canada is recognizing the Macklin Wildlife Federation for its many contributions to the enhancement of fisheries habitat since its inception in the early 1980s.
On behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Dale Nicholson, Regional Director, Ecosystems Management, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, presented the Macklin Wildlife Federation with the Department’s National Recreational Fisheries Award, detailed a Market wired article.
“Today, we celebrate the legacy and the tireless work of the members of the Macklin Wildlife Federation. The Government of Canada is so proud to honour your efforts and celebrate this accomplishment. We wish you continued success in the future, noted a prepared release from the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.
“The Macklin Wildlife Federation is honoured and pleased to accept the National Recreational Fisheries Award from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Our fisheries projects have involved many volunteer hours and to them go the credit and thanks. Our projects for the North and South Trout ponds; the stocking of Macklin Lake with perch; the continuous maintenance of our Trout Ponds; the trout hatchery in Macklin School; are our contribution to the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation objective: To ensure the wildlife legacy we leave our children surpasses that which we received, said Jim Todd, Secretary, Macklin Wildlife Federation, also a prepared quote.
Highlights of the Federation’s history include the construction of two trout ponds and the creation of a recreational fishery in Macklin Lake. Their contributions and efforts have provided new and diverse angling opportunities in West-Central Saskatchewan-an impressive accomplishment as Macklin is a semi-arid region with few natural lakes that are too shallow to support recreational fisheries, detailed the article.
The National Recreational Fisheries Award was created in 1989 to recognize outstanding contributions by individuals and organizations in areas such as recreational community leadership; restoring and enhancing fisheries and fish habitat; and promoting conservation and sustainable recreational fishing.
To date, more than 100 awards have been presented to stewards of Canada’s recreational fisheries.
For more information about the National Recreational Fisheries Awards and about submitting nominations for future Awards, visit this http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/peches-fisheries/rec/rfa-ppr/awards-prix-eng.htm
