Scot Simmons, Twin Cities TU member and volunteer with Foster the Outdoors, recently had the opportunity to see the film Blackwaters Brotherhood in the Wild and volunteer with cast members from the film to share the joy of fly fishing with students and families in North Minneapolis. Thanks for sharing your reflections Scot! (pc James Edward Mills)

From the moment I received notice of the events featuring cast members of the film “Blackwaters Brotherhood In The Wild“, I knew immediately that this was an opportunity for action! In partnership with Anthony Taylor (Melanin in Motion) and Tracy Larson (Wilderness Inquiry) we began planning for an introduction to fly fishing for the 3rd grade students at City View Elementary school in North Minneapolis. TCTU volunteer, Joe Christopher and I met at the school and set up our stations that featured knot tying, live bug observation and fly tying!

First we watched the trailer for the film Blackwaters Brotherhood In The Wild.

Following the viewing we broke into small groups and started cycling through each station. All of the members of the film cast joined us with the students tying knots and sharing stories. The kids were very intrigued and had so many questions. The bug station was a hit, as usual and the students could not help themselves from the silly moments that filled the room with laughter. The fly tying was another favorite of the students. FUN! was the word for the day and from the evidence of all the feathers on and around the tables, fun was being had at the fly tying station.

We wrapped things up inside and headed out for recess! We could not have picked better weather for the day. It was warm and sunny, a perfect time for casting fly rods in the school yard. Is it fair to say that girls do tend to pick up casting a fly rod faster than boys do? Just asking for a friend..😊 Anyways, everyone was hitting their targets and enjoying the practice of casting a fly rod for the first time. 

Later that evening, we gathered at the Capri Theater on Broadway for a social hour, and the screening of the film with a Q&A to follow.  After setting up my booth, socializing and having something to eat, we all headed in for the show to watch the film. The film was fantastic! Great moments of story telling and dialog between the cast members by a camp fire. Beautiful scenery, grayling and feisty Pike! And the music was great. I really enjoyed the film and hope our readers get a chance to see it. 

There are several things that stood out for me in the film, but what I want to put a spotlight on is the topic of masculinity and what that looks like in the Black community.  This was a discussion that I felt was good to have and I’m glad it was in the film. The cast did well breaking it down. My ancestors had to be strong and showing emotions was a sign of weakness. Kids were told to “stop crying, or I’ll give you something to cry about”. Being tough was set in motion and passed down for many generations. This is still common and isn’t exclusive to Black families.  The way things evolved in black communities only escalated the need to emulate the image of what we felt was the “strong Black male” and push through.  Black folks have been focused on survival forever while having a guarded way in how we navigate in society. This really resonated with me. Looking at my life, on my Dad’s side of the family, there was clear evidence of this being passed down, along with the trauma.

The next morning, we planned for a day of fly casting instruction and fishing off the pier at Theodore Wirth lake in North MPLS.  We had a nice group of men from the night before that showed up and some along with their kids for a soft introduction to fly fishing. We spent half the time casting on land and the rest of the day we fished mostly from the fishing pier but some ventured off to fish various spots along the shoreline.  Fish were caught which was such a bonus!  It really made a few kids and even some adults just light up with smiles.

Scot Simmons is a fishing guide, member of Twin Cities Trout Unlimited, and volunteer with MNTU’s Foster the Outdoors program. A short feature on his story was developed last year and can be watched here. Follow and connect with Scot on Insta @tribe.simmons