Trout Do Not Lie

The Robert Traver Fly-Fishing Writing Award has been the most widely recognized international award for fly fishing stories in the English language for thirty years. The annual Traver Award is jointly administered by the John D. Voelker Foundation of Marquette, Michigan and the American Museum of Fly Fishing in Manchester, Vermont. As an anthology of twenty honored stories from 2008 to 2025, this volume includes many of the best voices in fly fishing over the past twenty years. Foreword is by Seth Norman and Afterword by Nick Lyons.

David Van Wie is the author of Storied Waters (Stackpole Books) and The Confluence (Peter E. Randall Publisher, 2016). He teaches environmental journalism at Dartmouth College and speaks frequently at fly fishing shows, Trout Unlimited dinners, and other events. He has also been a guest on several major fly-fishing podcasts. Dr. Joel (Jody) Martinwon the Traver Award in 2021 with his story “Simon’s Daughter.” Jody is associate vice president for research at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. He is the author of The Spirituality of Fly Fishing (2016). Kate Achor is editor of The American Fly Fisher, the journal of the American Museum of Fly Fishing in Manchester, Vermont.

Foreword by Seth Norman Introduction by David Van Wie Testament of a Fisherman – Robert Traver Brief History of the Robert Traver Award by Jody Martin 2008 Winner–Michael Doherty, “The Shining Path” 2009 Winner–Pete Fromm, “The Land Beyond Maps” 2010 Winner–Kent Cowgill, “Two Men in a Museum” 2011 Winner–Michael Doherty, “Seven Great Flies for the Boston Metropolitan Area” 2012 Winner–Dave Karczynski, “Awake in the Moonlight: Notes at Hex Time” 2013 Winner– Richard Chiappone, “Requiem for a River Bend” 2015 Winner–E. Donnall Thomas, Jr., “Rubies and Amethyst” 2016 Winner–Kent Cowgill, “La Bouchon Souris” 2017, 2018 – Contest suspended 2019 Winner–Jimmy Watts, “A Wet World That Burns” 2020 Winner–Alexander Benoît, “Blue Lines” 2021 Honorable Mention– Paige Wallace, “Pretending to Listen” 2021 Winner–Jody Martin, “Simon’s Daughter” 2022 Honorable Mention– Sarah Zoric, “Vanity Plates” 2022 Winner–Frank Sargeant, “A Dog Named Fish” 2023 Winner–Matt Powell, “Middle-seat Meditations” 2024 Finalist–Michelle Werrett, “Following Filleul” 2024 Finalist–Katie MacDonald, “Between the Snow and the Second Line” 2024 Winner–George Rogers, “Last Salad on the Gairezi” Afterword – Nick Lyons