Bwana
04-19-2021, 11:47 AM
A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine asked if I would be interested in heading out on Saturday to see if we could catch some crappies with our fly rods and of course I was all sort of eager to give it a go.
The backstory:
I have always been amazed and intrigued with fly-fishing. The way those in-the-know can whip the line to and fro with a teeny, tiny little fly on the end that weighs next to nothing and yet make a considerably long and accurate cast was a thing of beauty to me or at least a skill I wanted to try my hand at.
Flashback 20 year ago I came upon some extra spending cash from somewhere so decided to buy myself something I didn't need, but rather always wanted...hence I came to be the owner of a 6-wt Scientific Angler fly fishing combo.
Took the wife and two boys, ages 2 and 4, fishing at a small local reservoir that is stocked with trout with the plan of testing out the new combo. After fishing for a while the boys decided it was time for something else so I figured now was my chance to try my hand at fly fishing. I carefully put the outfit together as the boys were being boys and when I was all done I knew it was just a matter of time before their roughhousing was going to be the end of the spaghetti stick that was my flyrod. I calmly disassembled the combo, put it away in the shed where, except for an hour long attempt to catch a trout on the Flathead River just outside of Glacier Park while on a family vacation, and it has been gathering dust since that time.
My next try at fly fishing came three years ago while on my first bear hunt. We stayed on what was essentially an island 13 miles from the boat ramp and would fish whenever the feeling hit us catching mostly northerns during the day and walleye after dark. One of the gents had bought a flyrod and kindly offered to let me use it. It took a bit but eventually I was able to make a decent cast and experienced my first success with the flyrod.
12499
Back to the present:
Called my friend from the start of the story and asked if I needed to bring waders (wadders for some of you). He informed me they would not be needed as we would be fishing out of a boat. What could go wrong? Two of us in a 12 foot boat that seemed to only be slightly less tippy than a canoe, but low and behold we pulled off a morning of fishing without hooking one another and even caught a few fish. I can now add one crappie and a couple of sunfish to my SLOWLY growing list of fish I've taken on a flyrod. Twas a fun morning and a great break from all the chaos that is work right now.
Here is the proof:
12500
12501
Now if I ever make it out to where Big Sky is residing these days, I might just have a chance at adding a species of two of trout to the list.
Someday.
The backstory:
I have always been amazed and intrigued with fly-fishing. The way those in-the-know can whip the line to and fro with a teeny, tiny little fly on the end that weighs next to nothing and yet make a considerably long and accurate cast was a thing of beauty to me or at least a skill I wanted to try my hand at.
Flashback 20 year ago I came upon some extra spending cash from somewhere so decided to buy myself something I didn't need, but rather always wanted...hence I came to be the owner of a 6-wt Scientific Angler fly fishing combo.
Took the wife and two boys, ages 2 and 4, fishing at a small local reservoir that is stocked with trout with the plan of testing out the new combo. After fishing for a while the boys decided it was time for something else so I figured now was my chance to try my hand at fly fishing. I carefully put the outfit together as the boys were being boys and when I was all done I knew it was just a matter of time before their roughhousing was going to be the end of the spaghetti stick that was my flyrod. I calmly disassembled the combo, put it away in the shed where, except for an hour long attempt to catch a trout on the Flathead River just outside of Glacier Park while on a family vacation, and it has been gathering dust since that time.
My next try at fly fishing came three years ago while on my first bear hunt. We stayed on what was essentially an island 13 miles from the boat ramp and would fish whenever the feeling hit us catching mostly northerns during the day and walleye after dark. One of the gents had bought a flyrod and kindly offered to let me use it. It took a bit but eventually I was able to make a decent cast and experienced my first success with the flyrod.
12499
Back to the present:
Called my friend from the start of the story and asked if I needed to bring waders (wadders for some of you). He informed me they would not be needed as we would be fishing out of a boat. What could go wrong? Two of us in a 12 foot boat that seemed to only be slightly less tippy than a canoe, but low and behold we pulled off a morning of fishing without hooking one another and even caught a few fish. I can now add one crappie and a couple of sunfish to my SLOWLY growing list of fish I've taken on a flyrod. Twas a fun morning and a great break from all the chaos that is work right now.
Here is the proof:
12500
12501
Now if I ever make it out to where Big Sky is residing these days, I might just have a chance at adding a species of two of trout to the list.
Someday.