I have had so many great guide trips this season. Just when I think another trip can't be topped, it is! Today was no exception as I guided a family who had never been fly fishing before yet had done their home work, especially Olivia. I taught them the simple game of short line high sticking with a hopper and a dropper. The learning curve with this technique is so sharp, and with eager fish the reward is instant. It fuels the fire to stick and move and dance up the staircases of trout, with a hope for a rise. Olivia caught and released 6 rainbows with one at 14" all on her own today! She is a very smart girl with an appreciation for nature and the great outdoors. That's special to me.
Her parents have given her the greatest gift you can give a child, a true understanding of all things flora and
fauna. I know first hand, my parents gave me the same gift and it will be with me forever. At the end of the day there were smiles all around, everybody hooked into a few, learned so much, and caught trout fever with a fly rod. As we were about to part Olivia gave me a tight hug and said "Thank you so much Jon!". A tear came to my eye, and it was so beautiful. "Your welcome fish queen" I said. On the drive home I rode the high that a fly fishing guide experiences on a great trip, and the smile I left with is still on my face with no chance of going away.
2 comments:
Thank you Jon for the kind words.
As you know, my wife was celebrating her birthday and she has not stopped talking about our fly fishing trip. If she has told me once she has told me a dozen times that being on the river with her family and you was the best birthday ever! You are an awesome guide and a great spirit. Olivia's Dad.
Great job Jon! You are a testament to the famous Chinese proverb, “If you give a man a fish you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime." This experience would indeed stay with them for a long time. : )
Melanie Daryl
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