Trout River

Watercolor Paintings

Bob has fished and painted many of the classic trout rivers in North America.  Below are a collection of some of his favorites to capture - and to hike.  These images were painted on location during travels between 1959 and 1991.

View a slideshow of Trout paintings here:
http://www.slideboom.com/presentations/59763/Trout-River-Watercolor-Paintings-by-R.J.Witzel

Merts Wiscoy – Evening Rise
Watercolor 19” x 24” unframed - $250
Note: A private farm stream in the head waters, loaded with insects and browns and some rainbows .The WNY chapter of TU fenced back from the banks which kept the cattle from breaking down the undercuts.

Williowemac in the Early Spring
Watercolor 14” x 24” - $ 250
Note: This and other Catskill streams were my favorite subjects from Hendricksons to sulfurs

Bitterroot Action
Watercolor 9” x 12” - $150
Note: This is a beautiful forested mountain stream but not my favorite western river.

Yellowstone River at Buffalo Hump
Watercolor 9” x 12” - $150
Note: This is a great walk in spot between Bozeman and BillingsMontana. It is a BIG RIVER, wading or floating. There is great hopper fishing in August

BoulderRiver at Ellison’s Ranch
Watercolor 13” x 17” matted 20” x 24” - $800
Note: Fishing and painting on Archie Ellison’s ranch was a great privilege and pleasure. This stretch of the BoulderRiver valley is 20 miles out of Big Timber, Montana

Boulder River in August
Watercolor on rice paper mounted 21” x 16” - $250
Note: The snow runoffs are over now, the ranchers are diverting water to their fields BUT it is still great fishing in the deeper runs and the big rainbows are migrating up this cool stream from the warming Yellowstone River. A truly unique Montana riverscape.

Float Trip on the Madison River
Line and wash on rice paper 11” x 16” - $75
Note: This technique of calligraphy and watercolor on rice paper suggest freedom as in the float…..  Our guide on this trip taught my client (who had never fly fished before) how to cast 30 ft. to the bank and let the fly free float. We caught trout the rest of the day.

Early Morning on the Madison
Watercolor 20” x 14” - $450
8 SP-F 4
Note: This painting came about because I forgot to take my waders to this new access point, so rather than drive back 10 miles I watched this fly-fisher catch fish and did this painting. The early morning sunlight on the Madison range was beautiful….

BoulderRiver at Ellisons
Watercolor 9” x 12” - $125
Note: This stream lived up to its name…and the big browns loved the cover of those big boulders.

The MauriceRiver in British Columbia
Watercolor 14” x 21” - $450
10 SF-3
Note: A magnificent river but I didn’t catch any steelhead here.

The Kispioc River in Autum
Watercolor 9” x 12” - $150
Note: All the ‘steelheaders’ were waiting for rain, including me, and when it came it flooded the valley and we had to leave.

Russian River Angler
Watercolor on hot press paper 7” x 10” - $175
Note: This river was unique because of its clear water, other rivers on the Kenai peninsula ran milky. The valley was full of salmon and bears.

Royal Wulf Dry
Oil pastel 5” x 8” - $50
Note: I liked the royal family, mainly because Lee Wulfs path and mine crossed several times.

Tail of the Pool on the YellowstoneRiver
Oil Pastel 8” x 10”  matted 11” x 14” - $150
Note: The pools are huge on this part of the Yellowstone

The FireholeRiver - YellowstonePark
Watercolor 11” x 14” - $250
Note: It was not the most relaxing place to angle, standing in icy cold water surrounded by steamy cauldrons of hot water and snorting buffalo - however, glad I did it.

Drawing of the West Fork of the Madison River - Montana
Felt tip pen on rice paper 15” x 20” - Original, $250 / Prints $30
Note: This stream wanders like a serpent down the valley, full of pools and undercuts, I just had to record it.

Fish the Big Rocks - Madison River
Watercolor on140 lb. cold press paper 14” x 20” - $350
Note: Because the evening light was so great, it was always a dilemma….fish or paint.

Evening Fishing on Madison at West Fork
Watercolor 14” x 20’ - $350
Note: This painting is one of my favorites. The painting came about smoothly and depicts the mood of evening quietude, plus it was my favorite dry fly stretch

OldIron Bridge Pool on the BigHoleRiver at MelroseMontana
Watercolor 14” x 20” - $250
Note: The old iron bridges were classic structures of the good old days. Fishing was great before the ranchers mismanaged irrigation.

Big Hole River Float - Out of the Canyon Into the Green Valley
Watercolor 14” x 20” - $250
Note: The contrast in landscape – rock and fertility - rapids to pools, what a float experience! - besides BIG TROUT (this was in the 1970s)

Madison Float Stop
Oil Pastel 19” x 24” - $250
Note: This was a rainy day spent in the shelter of my van doing portraits of the Madison River and ranges

Madison River - Fish ON!
Oil Pastel 18” - 20” - $300
Note: The mountain ranges are a perfect setting for this action.

Col. Ralph G. -- Retired and Took Up Fly Fishing
Graphite pencil and watercolor 11” x 14” matted 16” x 20” - $150
Note: This serious angler was a walking Orvis catalog….and a neat guy.