Don’t miss out on your opportunity to own a limited edition print signed and numbered by artist Paul Waters. Printed with archival inks on Fuji crystal archival matte paper, the artwork celebrates CalTrout’s 50th Anniversary with a nod to our past, present, and future. This is your chance to own a beautiful piece of CalTrout history, knowing you are a part of our future. Only 50 of these prints were made making it a rare collectible.
Paul Waters is a renowned artist and angler and close friend to CalTrout. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Paul has been living in San Francisco for over 20 years. He was drawn to Northern California for its natural beauty and cultural diversity.
Let’s hear from Paul as he recounts his past and how he was able to merge two passions together: fishing and art. Thank you, Mr. Waters, for using your talents to support CalTrout.
I designed a print that features Indian Rhubarb representing the first five decades, with the sixth and smallest leaf looking toward the future in anticipation of continued conservation work… work that will protect and restore these special places depicted through the 50th Anniversary print.
By Paul Waters
The thrilling anticipation of a bite, the sudden surprise sighting or splash. I try my best to include these perspectives and feelings into my art. The mental snapshots of natural light and striking compositions are held forevermore…
What started it all for me was catching a fake fish at an amusement park with my mom. More satisfying than the prize was seeing that wooden fish beneath the water, bending with the hues of the colorful circus lights. This mysterious unknown world under the surface grabbed my attention and soon after I went fishing for real. That fish turned in to a shiny round fish over the weeds of true water, real water, and I was stunned by the way it moved.
This newfound connection to nature built the basis for new drawings, a simple looping fish with one pencil stroke from fish to tail. A fish from a cartoon came to life on chalkboards and notebooks throughout my childhood. My mom saw interest and soon I attended weekend art classes at Carnegie Museum from 3rd through 9th grade.
Weekend sessions turned to a communication graphics class in 10th grade where I drew and designed a trout and bass pin. My teacher was encouraging and said I could make a career out of this: merging my passion and work. I was shocked, and super happy to learn. I never looked back at another way of making a living.
The conservation community has always been one I admire, first being involved as a hunter and fisher and then donating to various environmental groups including CalTrout. As I grew in my personal art, work merged in and I started working on some graphics for Leland Fly Shop. Then, in 2013 thanks to my man Mikey Weir, I started some fish art and stickers for California Trout with then director Jeff Thompson. My work at CalTrout has grown over the years and I have been lucky to work with Tracey Diaz and the whole CalTrout Communications team. Being a part of the 50th Anniversary was a celebration all in its own.
Giving back to this conservation community has been incredibly rewarding. This is a community on the frontlines protecting the magical gems. When the CalTrout Communications team and I sat down to discuss how we would put a lasting design together for the 50th Anniversary, we had a checklist of items to represent the past, present, and future of CalTrout. With our brainstorming session complete, I designed a print that features Indian Rhubarb representing the first five decades, with the sixth and smallest leaf looking toward the future in anticipation of continued conservation work… work that will protect and restore these special places depicted through the 50th Anniversary print.
Huge thanks to Curtis Knight and the whole team for enlisting me to commemorate this year. Cheers to 50 more years CalTrout!
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Peter Moyle is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and Associate Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, at UC Davis. He is author or co-author of more than 240 publications, including the definitive Inland Fishes of California (2002). He is co-author of the 2017 book, Floodplains: Processes and Management for Ecosystem Services. His research interests include conservation of aquatic species, habitats, and ecosystems, including salmon; ecology of fishes of the San Francisco Estuary; ecology of California stream fishes; impact of introduced aquatic organisms; and use of floodplains by fish.
Robert Lusardi is the California Trout/UC Davis Wild and Coldwater Fish Researcher focused on establishing the basis for long-term science specific to California Trout’s wild and coldwater fish initiatives. His work bridges the widening gap between academic science and applied conservation policy, ensuring that rapidly developing science informs conservation projects throughout California. Dr. Lusardi resides at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and works closely with Dr. Peter Moyle on numerous projects to help inform California Trout conservation policy. His recent research interests include Coho salmon on the Shasta River, the ecology of volcanic spring-fed rivers, inland trout conservation and management, and policy implications of trap and haul programs for anadromous fishes in California.
Patrick Samuel is the Conservation Program Coordinator for California Trout, a position he has held for almost two years, where he coordinates special research projects for California Trout, including the State of the Salmonids report. Prior to joining CalTrout, he worked with the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, a non-profit that supports the eight federal regional fishery management councils around the country. Patrick got his start in fisheries as an undergraduate intern with NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division in Sacramento, and in his first field job as a crew member of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Wild and Heritage Trout Program.