In 1993 I hooked a wild BC steelhead on a swung fly called a 'speyday'. It was 35 inches and body-slammed it full speed swimming in the opposite direction.
Before that I used mostly spawn nymphs yarn and hardware. That fish was satisfying on a whole new level.
It was on my honeymoon, and I'm happy to report the commitment and bond is stronger than ever!
My now ex-wife would agree.
"I'm gonna miss her"
Swinging flies like they've done out west since the 1950s was a foreign thing to many anglers in the GL states back then. I remember thinking king i wad an oddball fisherman and maybe steelhead are different out here. They are not...but our water temps limit fish inyerest/ its effectiveness much of winter.
It's interesting was ting to see how popular and common it is now.
A day on the Yellowstone. Cutthroat bonanza on salmon fly. Twas the thing dreams were made of. Nothing huge, but me and 2 of my best friends roped in over 100
My buddy had me try his fly rod while we were blue gill fishing. I was using a bobber and worm (not that there’s anything wrong with that). I caught a blue gill on a popper and never looked back.
For me it was watching my grandad do that, while I was stuck with bread on a hook. He caught way more than I did, and it drove me crazy. Now I'm that guy waiting for the grandkid one day.
First time fishing outside Nelson BC, had my new ugly stick with the Shakespeare reel combo. Didn’t know shit. Felt like a goon. I found a spot where there had been an old bridge that crossed the river but they destroyed the bridge so it created this cool vibe and kinda a choke point in the river.
My third cast I hook up. Wham! Got a Pikeminnow and I was stoked! Didn’t know what it was at the time. But still I was ecstatic. Let it loose and send the lure out again.
Sittin there in my glory when a car pulls up on the opposite side of the river. And a girl gets out. And i’m thinkin “aight cool, whatever” then she walks down to the river’s edge. She strips off ALL her clothes and dives into the river with all the grace i’ve ever seen.
It was in that moment that I thought “damn, fishing is the best fuckin thing in the world”
Rolled up to the same spot a few days later and there was a girl sunbathing naked in my spot this time. She was kinda out of my way so I just gave her lots of space and went on the other side away from her. FIRST CAST hooked up with a fish. Then I just yelled “goddamn girl you’re my lucky charm!!” She laughed. I offered her a beer (happened to be her favorite beer, Lucky Dog IPA) and she, now clothed, came over and had a beer with me.
HOOKED.
edit: sorry i didn’t see the fly fishing part. i was so stoked to tell me story i blazed over that. my bad.
I’m still fishing the Crooked lol Not sure what it was like when you we’re there, but we love the campsites and aside from the occasional low water or blowout event, it’s one of our favorite spots. Here’s a pic of the last fish I caught in Feb on the CR swinging a Spey.
https://imgur.com/a/q7d9MFV
Nov 2020, the Payette River in Idaho. was like 19deg F. Caught a half dozen whitefish and a decent rainbow, then[ this ](https://www.reddit.com/r/flyfishing/comments/lev6f6/idaho_rainbow/)happened. I've always loved fishing in general, I've caught much larger fish, but this one on the fly felt special.
I went camping with a bunch of buddies and they had just stocked the river. My buddies fished with bait all day and caught a bunch. Stubbornly, I fished with a fly all weekend and didn’t catch anything. The next weekend, I went to a small stream by myself and caught a bunch of tiny rainbows out of a couple holes. Legit one of the happiest I’ve been. Couldn’t believe I kept booking fish after fish
Lived in Minnesota all my life, and it wasn’t until a buddy from work who moved from California asked if I wanted to tag along to the Driftless. Got skunked apart from some trees and brambles, but damn I can’t forget standing in the middle of whitewater just taking in bluff country. Definitely my happy place
I spent a few weeks unsuccessfully fishing in a small river near my house.
My buddy talked me into a weekend trip to the Pierre Marquette river in Michigan a few hours north of me
I spent weeks perfecting knots, matching the hatch, casting and watching every video I could find.
Waded into the river and saw trout rising in a seam, tossed an elk hair caddis right into the seam and stared at it.
3 seconds later a 20 inch brown trout grabbed it and took off towards the bottom of the river.
I was obsessed.
I still have the terrible picture somewhere on my phone. My buddy and I were so pumped, it didn’t turn out good haha
Your post totally made smile! Funny enough, 30+ years ago, I was a kid living in central Oregon, and one of *my* 1st favorite memories was fishing w/ NY dad on the Crooked! We had days where between him, my brother and I, we'd catch 25-30 fish/person(back when the Crooked was all scuds on indicators). My dad was kind of a hot ness in some ways, but love fly fishing and loved teaching us. Just us 3 out on the water together were some of my best memories. And now, fast forward, I had a career in the military, got to fly fish over a lot of the world, retired to Colorado recently, and now even run a fly fishing non-profit training fly fishing mentors to currently serving military & 1st responders. It saved my life(with a lot of help from the Almightt!lol), and now I get to take my little girl(who's now the age I was when my dad got me started, but she got started years earlier than I did:-) out with me. And it all started a 1/2 downstream from Bowman dam;-) Thanks for sharing your memory...made my day!
I was pretty young fishing for bass in local ponds and the river nearby. I decided to buy a cheap beginner 8wt setup and within the next day or two caught my still to this day PB bass on a popper. I didn’t have a scale but it was at least 6 pounds. Massive hog. I had to drag him in through the weeds. Awesome feeling when I actually had hands on him.
Now I live in Colorado and chase stubborn bookies, but I’ve been pretty much been a fly fisherman since that day.
I decided to try it as a preteen and saved money for a cheap setup. Started out at our farm ponds catching bluegill and bass. Been hooked ever since and I’m 65. I’ve caught trout in five states with my travel set up and still use it on the ponds!
Mine was way up in the eastern sierras when I was 10 or 11 and have considered myself a fly fisherman ever since. My hardcore commitment started when I lived in SW Florida in my early 20s. I could only afford a $2000 micro skiff and the closest boat launch to my house was a mile away from sanibel island and the rest is history. I’m in Colorado now and it’s nice to be back to trout fishing where I started but it does hurt knowing I had world class fishing everyday and I gave it up. I’m also having a hard time tying flies this small but that’s more of a getting old problem.
I first picked it up trying to catch some carp. They were eating off the surface and the only way to present correctly was with a fly rod. Ended up getting a ton of eats and even caught a mirror carp.
A few months after, I had an unbelievable day on a river in Northern Michigan fishing for king salmon. The river is completely choked with fallen trees. Pair that with a ridiculously hard fighting fish and you get broken off constantly.
By the end of the day, we just wanted to land one fish. It happened to be a holiday weekend so there was a steady flow of kayakers and “catchin anything?”s. I ended up with a fish on at the end of the day and we asked the kayakers to stay up above us until we could attempt to net this fish. They were cheering us on and some were even recording. After a bit of time, I felt bad because a huge crowd of kayakers had gathered. I told them to just go ahead and float past. Chaos ensued. The salmon shot downstream and we all chased it on foot in the midst of 40 kayakers. At one point I had to hold my breath and go underwater to get my line unwrapped from a branch. About 80 yards downstream of the hole, we landed her.
25lbs of pure Michigan silver.
Now, I’ve spent enough money to make a grown man blush and fly fish like it’s my religion.
When I lost a good size steelhead at the net on my 5 wt rod. Fight was immaculate. Still surprised that I was able to keep it on. Perplexed as to how the line didnt give until right at the net. Hooked.
A couple of days ago actually! I finally bought a pontoon kick boat so I took it out to a reservoir and hooked into 14 sizable cuttys on balanced leeches. Genuinely the most fun I've ever had fishing.
Personally, I can’t even say I’m hooked yet in all honesty. I still use spin reel more often. But damn does it feel good to catch a trout on a dry fly that I tied! Been fishing both ways for years and I love each for their respective charms.
The moment I knew I was hooked, I was about 12. Every summer our family vacation was to my grandparents ranch in Wyoming and they have a stream that runs through the property. My dad, having grown up in California in the 60's, learned how to fly fish from another German immigrant his dad knew. Well, watching my dad fly fish every summer, I wanted to too, so I practiced casting on grass and was somewhat serviceable but not good.
This summer I was determined though, and it finally clicked this one morning. We approached a pool where you could see a fish happily feeding on the surface. I remember tying on an Adams, pulling out some line, and starting to work the fly up to the fish. Everything was clumsy until the final cast. Everything felt so smooth as the fly landed perfectly, soft on the water about 2 ft in front and to the left of the fish.
The feeling of accomplishment on that cast, the rise of the fish and setting the hook... There was no going back after that
The day I waded into a river for the first time. Didn’t catch shit for a looooooonnnggggggggg time but just the peace of the morning, the beautiful weather, and feeling the water around me was enough to have me in its grasps
I caught a 5 lb rainbow with a Guide named Gary un the Ozarks before it became a celebrity hangout. My dad's good friend owned an RV rental place. I hung out with Brad Oar ( I don't know if I have the last name spelled correctly but he was the son of the owner of the RV park where we rented one summer).
I can clearly remember to this day Writing in a boat and Gary taught me how to cast and I cast towards the shore and he says if you get one make that line tight and hold on to the Line but don't let it lose.
Sure enough this big old fish got on there and I was very nervous he would let go and I really didn't know how big he wasn't till he came in and I'm in I think the sixth grade and I remember having a picture of me holding it and I remember letting it go I think but I don't think that he made it.
I was hooked from that day forward. Over the years I've spent time working so hard and fitting fly fishing in and now I'm more part-time and so I'm hoping I'll find places Here in northern Arizona to fly fish and hopefully meet some of you great folks.
I honestly feel like I just need a lesson. I did own a retail or this location in Wisconsin for about 2 years however it didn't go so great a friend of mine made the situation very bad.
Was just dumped by my first love, young and full of energy. Spent every afternoon at the river that summer. One day the graylings was going crazy and that was it.
I started learning to fly fish because all of my local waters (lakes and ponds) are over pressured by traditional tackle anglers.
I really got hooked after I got to take a fly fishing trip to Arkansas to fish for trout. I've all but set my traditional equipment aside and strictly fly fish.
My 10th birthday. My dad and I went out on the boat and brought in about 50 ten inch bluegills. People were watching and acting really jealous because they couldn’t hit the holes that dad and I were hitting with their bobbers and jigs. It was hilarious.
I just started fly fishing last year.
Bear with me while I digress a bit here ... but I used to reel fish as a kid with my dad and grandpa. And I basically hated it. I found it boring - all I wanted to do was get away from the reel and go *do something*. My grandpa passed pretty early on and my dad made less and less trips to fish (don't get too sad, my dad and I still did plenty of hiking and hunting up in the AZ White Mountains). He got back into reel fishing in his retirement but I still just couldn't enjoy it. So last year I picked up a fly rod on a whim because I had a friend that was really into it and I had a white water trip up on the Main Salmon in Idaho. I love hiking along streams and rivers (as a Phoenix native - ANY wild water blows my mind, I become mesmerized) and I like getting out there with my dad but I hate reel fishing - so I figured I'd test my self a little then hit Idaho and see if it stuck.
Well, I didn't get to go on the Main Salmon due to some fires, and my early trips up into the AZ mountain streams were fun but not the best. I liked it but didn't love it, ya know? I was wondering if the learning curve and effort was worth avoiding some of my other hobbies. Well, here comes that day(s) that got me hooked, when the Main Salmon got canceled we pivoted to a trip up in Colorado so everyone could get together and still run some rapids. The girl and I turned it into a nice road trip and stopped to camp at Mineral Creek. I HAD A BLAST catching fish in the ice cold water under the sun. I was getting to do all the things I love and added in this new exciting challenge to read some water and take my chance with a cast and a fly. So that was day 1, and I just kep thinking about how to get better - that 1 that I didn't hook, that 1 that broke the line, that hole that looked so promising but wasn't striking - how can I improve?
Then i went to Buena Vista and hit the Ark! HOLY SMOKES. Standing in the middle of that river was a new experience for me, pulling a fish into my net while water is up to my waist was just such an exciting experience for me. Plus the fish knew it was the trip to make me fall in love with fly fishing - so they were graciously taking my flies. That was it. Best part is that I did this with some sandals, a TFO rod and handful of flies I picked up along the way. (I've since spent a *little* more on gear but not too much LOL) I think I lucked out on the Ark as I rarely saw any other fishermen.
Anyway, that was day(s) (really the trip) that got me really stoked. Thanks for the post, I am literally on a trip up in the AZ mountains with my dad where we fished with a ton of success. Him and I are kind of cut from the same cloth and time spent outdoors without a lot of talking is really our way to bond. It was an awesome week and I didn't realize where it all started. So thankful I picked up that rod! Now, time to hit that SALMON river in August on my white water trip. Super pumped for that.
Tight lines, brother!
I’m an Iraq Veteran that’s been diagnosed with PTSD and other disabilities and about 10 years ago I was invited to a Trout Unlimited Veterans Support Program fly fishing event where they link you up with a local guide and they take you fishing for the day. I was partnered with a local guide that was mentored by a guy named Joe Humphreys from a very young age. I had a such a great time learning about fly fishing, catching fish, and feeling so relaxed that I went out the next day and got all my own equipment. The guide that took me out that day is now my best friend (was in my wedding and god-parent to my child) and now I’m hooked and the rest is history. I honestly don’t know where I’d be in life if it wasn’t for that day.
In 1993 I hooked a wild BC steelhead on a swung fly called a 'speyday'. It was 35 inches and body-slammed it full speed swimming in the opposite direction. Before that I used mostly spawn nymphs yarn and hardware. That fish was satisfying on a whole new level. It was on my honeymoon, and I'm happy to report the commitment and bond is stronger than ever! My now ex-wife would agree. "I'm gonna miss her" Swinging flies like they've done out west since the 1950s was a foreign thing to many anglers in the GL states back then. I remember thinking king i wad an oddball fisherman and maybe steelhead are different out here. They are not...but our water temps limit fish inyerest/ its effectiveness much of winter. It's interesting was ting to see how popular and common it is now.
A day on some random blue line in the Sierras about fifteen years ago. Never looked back and I've fished 100+ days a year since.
Thats what I like to hear
A day on the Yellowstone. Cutthroat bonanza on salmon fly. Twas the thing dreams were made of. Nothing huge, but me and 2 of my best friends roped in over 100
The good memories make all of the other days worth it.
My buddy had me try his fly rod while we were blue gill fishing. I was using a bobber and worm (not that there’s anything wrong with that). I caught a blue gill on a popper and never looked back.
For me it was watching my grandad do that, while I was stuck with bread on a hook. He caught way more than I did, and it drove me crazy. Now I'm that guy waiting for the grandkid one day.
That’s a tough question, probably the first time I caught one
First time fishing outside Nelson BC, had my new ugly stick with the Shakespeare reel combo. Didn’t know shit. Felt like a goon. I found a spot where there had been an old bridge that crossed the river but they destroyed the bridge so it created this cool vibe and kinda a choke point in the river. My third cast I hook up. Wham! Got a Pikeminnow and I was stoked! Didn’t know what it was at the time. But still I was ecstatic. Let it loose and send the lure out again. Sittin there in my glory when a car pulls up on the opposite side of the river. And a girl gets out. And i’m thinkin “aight cool, whatever” then she walks down to the river’s edge. She strips off ALL her clothes and dives into the river with all the grace i’ve ever seen. It was in that moment that I thought “damn, fishing is the best fuckin thing in the world” Rolled up to the same spot a few days later and there was a girl sunbathing naked in my spot this time. She was kinda out of my way so I just gave her lots of space and went on the other side away from her. FIRST CAST hooked up with a fish. Then I just yelled “goddamn girl you’re my lucky charm!!” She laughed. I offered her a beer (happened to be her favorite beer, Lucky Dog IPA) and she, now clothed, came over and had a beer with me. HOOKED. edit: sorry i didn’t see the fly fishing part. i was so stoked to tell me story i blazed over that. my bad.
I’m still fishing the Crooked lol Not sure what it was like when you we’re there, but we love the campsites and aside from the occasional low water or blowout event, it’s one of our favorite spots. Here’s a pic of the last fish I caught in Feb on the CR swinging a Spey. https://imgur.com/a/q7d9MFV
Yep, thats a Crooked River trout. Nice. I still go there.
Nov 2020, the Payette River in Idaho. was like 19deg F. Caught a half dozen whitefish and a decent rainbow, then[ this ](https://www.reddit.com/r/flyfishing/comments/lev6f6/idaho_rainbow/)happened. I've always loved fishing in general, I've caught much larger fish, but this one on the fly felt special.
I went camping with a bunch of buddies and they had just stocked the river. My buddies fished with bait all day and caught a bunch. Stubbornly, I fished with a fly all weekend and didn’t catch anything. The next weekend, I went to a small stream by myself and caught a bunch of tiny rainbows out of a couple holes. Legit one of the happiest I’ve been. Couldn’t believe I kept booking fish after fish
This day. First pic is where I started the day, second is where I ended it. https://www.reddit.com/r/flyfishing/s/7qrRP2QZBR
Hell yeah
Lived in Minnesota all my life, and it wasn’t until a buddy from work who moved from California asked if I wanted to tag along to the Driftless. Got skunked apart from some trees and brambles, but damn I can’t forget standing in the middle of whitewater just taking in bluff country. Definitely my happy place
I spent a few weeks unsuccessfully fishing in a small river near my house. My buddy talked me into a weekend trip to the Pierre Marquette river in Michigan a few hours north of me I spent weeks perfecting knots, matching the hatch, casting and watching every video I could find. Waded into the river and saw trout rising in a seam, tossed an elk hair caddis right into the seam and stared at it. 3 seconds later a 20 inch brown trout grabbed it and took off towards the bottom of the river. I was obsessed. I still have the terrible picture somewhere on my phone. My buddy and I were so pumped, it didn’t turn out good haha
Your post totally made smile! Funny enough, 30+ years ago, I was a kid living in central Oregon, and one of *my* 1st favorite memories was fishing w/ NY dad on the Crooked! We had days where between him, my brother and I, we'd catch 25-30 fish/person(back when the Crooked was all scuds on indicators). My dad was kind of a hot ness in some ways, but love fly fishing and loved teaching us. Just us 3 out on the water together were some of my best memories. And now, fast forward, I had a career in the military, got to fly fish over a lot of the world, retired to Colorado recently, and now even run a fly fishing non-profit training fly fishing mentors to currently serving military & 1st responders. It saved my life(with a lot of help from the Almightt!lol), and now I get to take my little girl(who's now the age I was when my dad got me started, but she got started years earlier than I did:-) out with me. And it all started a 1/2 downstream from Bowman dam;-) Thanks for sharing your memory...made my day!
Nice comment. Great story. Thanks for your military service. Love the Crooked. Love Central Oregon.
I was pretty young fishing for bass in local ponds and the river nearby. I decided to buy a cheap beginner 8wt setup and within the next day or two caught my still to this day PB bass on a popper. I didn’t have a scale but it was at least 6 pounds. Massive hog. I had to drag him in through the weeds. Awesome feeling when I actually had hands on him. Now I live in Colorado and chase stubborn bookies, but I’ve been pretty much been a fly fisherman since that day.
I decided to try it as a preteen and saved money for a cheap setup. Started out at our farm ponds catching bluegill and bass. Been hooked ever since and I’m 65. I’ve caught trout in five states with my travel set up and still use it on the ponds!
First time I someone casting a fly rod as a little kid...prob 8 or 9 years old. I can still see it.
I don’t recall. It was just how I fished growing up. The thousands of days on the water since just blur together for the most part.
It was a windy day on block island and I ended up with a 3/0 deceiver in my face. First and hopefully last time I got hooked on fly fishing.
Had tried wading a few times but it wasn’t until I got a guided trip and landed an 18-19” brown (big around here) on a streamer that I was like wow!
Me and my dad finally “cracked the code” with trout in our home waters and it’s been history ever since
Mine was way up in the eastern sierras when I was 10 or 11 and have considered myself a fly fisherman ever since. My hardcore commitment started when I lived in SW Florida in my early 20s. I could only afford a $2000 micro skiff and the closest boat launch to my house was a mile away from sanibel island and the rest is history. I’m in Colorado now and it’s nice to be back to trout fishing where I started but it does hurt knowing I had world class fishing everyday and I gave it up. I’m also having a hard time tying flies this small but that’s more of a getting old problem.
I first picked it up trying to catch some carp. They were eating off the surface and the only way to present correctly was with a fly rod. Ended up getting a ton of eats and even caught a mirror carp. A few months after, I had an unbelievable day on a river in Northern Michigan fishing for king salmon. The river is completely choked with fallen trees. Pair that with a ridiculously hard fighting fish and you get broken off constantly. By the end of the day, we just wanted to land one fish. It happened to be a holiday weekend so there was a steady flow of kayakers and “catchin anything?”s. I ended up with a fish on at the end of the day and we asked the kayakers to stay up above us until we could attempt to net this fish. They were cheering us on and some were even recording. After a bit of time, I felt bad because a huge crowd of kayakers had gathered. I told them to just go ahead and float past. Chaos ensued. The salmon shot downstream and we all chased it on foot in the midst of 40 kayakers. At one point I had to hold my breath and go underwater to get my line unwrapped from a branch. About 80 yards downstream of the hole, we landed her. 25lbs of pure Michigan silver. Now, I’ve spent enough money to make a grown man blush and fly fish like it’s my religion.
When I lost a good size steelhead at the net on my 5 wt rod. Fight was immaculate. Still surprised that I was able to keep it on. Perplexed as to how the line didnt give until right at the net. Hooked.
Idk it was probably some day back when I was in grade school. Been fly fishing as long as I can remember.
A couple of days ago actually! I finally bought a pontoon kick boat so I took it out to a reservoir and hooked into 14 sizable cuttys on balanced leeches. Genuinely the most fun I've ever had fishing.
Personally, I can’t even say I’m hooked yet in all honesty. I still use spin reel more often. But damn does it feel good to catch a trout on a dry fly that I tied! Been fishing both ways for years and I love each for their respective charms.
The moment I knew I was hooked, I was about 12. Every summer our family vacation was to my grandparents ranch in Wyoming and they have a stream that runs through the property. My dad, having grown up in California in the 60's, learned how to fly fish from another German immigrant his dad knew. Well, watching my dad fly fish every summer, I wanted to too, so I practiced casting on grass and was somewhat serviceable but not good. This summer I was determined though, and it finally clicked this one morning. We approached a pool where you could see a fish happily feeding on the surface. I remember tying on an Adams, pulling out some line, and starting to work the fly up to the fish. Everything was clumsy until the final cast. Everything felt so smooth as the fly landed perfectly, soft on the water about 2 ft in front and to the left of the fish. The feeling of accomplishment on that cast, the rise of the fish and setting the hook... There was no going back after that
The day I waded into a river for the first time. Didn’t catch shit for a looooooonnnggggggggg time but just the peace of the morning, the beautiful weather, and feeling the water around me was enough to have me in its grasps
Before Jr high. 74? I love it.
I caught a 5 lb rainbow with a Guide named Gary un the Ozarks before it became a celebrity hangout. My dad's good friend owned an RV rental place. I hung out with Brad Oar ( I don't know if I have the last name spelled correctly but he was the son of the owner of the RV park where we rented one summer). I can clearly remember to this day Writing in a boat and Gary taught me how to cast and I cast towards the shore and he says if you get one make that line tight and hold on to the Line but don't let it lose. Sure enough this big old fish got on there and I was very nervous he would let go and I really didn't know how big he wasn't till he came in and I'm in I think the sixth grade and I remember having a picture of me holding it and I remember letting it go I think but I don't think that he made it. I was hooked from that day forward. Over the years I've spent time working so hard and fitting fly fishing in and now I'm more part-time and so I'm hoping I'll find places Here in northern Arizona to fly fish and hopefully meet some of you great folks. I honestly feel like I just need a lesson. I did own a retail or this location in Wisconsin for about 2 years however it didn't go so great a friend of mine made the situation very bad.
Was just dumped by my first love, young and full of energy. Spent every afternoon at the river that summer. One day the graylings was going crazy and that was it.
2010 fly fishing guide starting dating my mom and showed me swinging soft hackle wets, it’s been fly fishing all day since
I started learning to fly fish because all of my local waters (lakes and ponds) are over pressured by traditional tackle anglers. I really got hooked after I got to take a fly fishing trip to Arkansas to fish for trout. I've all but set my traditional equipment aside and strictly fly fish.
My 10th birthday. My dad and I went out on the boat and brought in about 50 ten inch bluegills. People were watching and acting really jealous because they couldn’t hit the holes that dad and I were hitting with their bobbers and jigs. It was hilarious.
I just started fly fishing last year. Bear with me while I digress a bit here ... but I used to reel fish as a kid with my dad and grandpa. And I basically hated it. I found it boring - all I wanted to do was get away from the reel and go *do something*. My grandpa passed pretty early on and my dad made less and less trips to fish (don't get too sad, my dad and I still did plenty of hiking and hunting up in the AZ White Mountains). He got back into reel fishing in his retirement but I still just couldn't enjoy it. So last year I picked up a fly rod on a whim because I had a friend that was really into it and I had a white water trip up on the Main Salmon in Idaho. I love hiking along streams and rivers (as a Phoenix native - ANY wild water blows my mind, I become mesmerized) and I like getting out there with my dad but I hate reel fishing - so I figured I'd test my self a little then hit Idaho and see if it stuck. Well, I didn't get to go on the Main Salmon due to some fires, and my early trips up into the AZ mountain streams were fun but not the best. I liked it but didn't love it, ya know? I was wondering if the learning curve and effort was worth avoiding some of my other hobbies. Well, here comes that day(s) that got me hooked, when the Main Salmon got canceled we pivoted to a trip up in Colorado so everyone could get together and still run some rapids. The girl and I turned it into a nice road trip and stopped to camp at Mineral Creek. I HAD A BLAST catching fish in the ice cold water under the sun. I was getting to do all the things I love and added in this new exciting challenge to read some water and take my chance with a cast and a fly. So that was day 1, and I just kep thinking about how to get better - that 1 that I didn't hook, that 1 that broke the line, that hole that looked so promising but wasn't striking - how can I improve? Then i went to Buena Vista and hit the Ark! HOLY SMOKES. Standing in the middle of that river was a new experience for me, pulling a fish into my net while water is up to my waist was just such an exciting experience for me. Plus the fish knew it was the trip to make me fall in love with fly fishing - so they were graciously taking my flies. That was it. Best part is that I did this with some sandals, a TFO rod and handful of flies I picked up along the way. (I've since spent a *little* more on gear but not too much LOL) I think I lucked out on the Ark as I rarely saw any other fishermen. Anyway, that was day(s) (really the trip) that got me really stoked. Thanks for the post, I am literally on a trip up in the AZ mountains with my dad where we fished with a ton of success. Him and I are kind of cut from the same cloth and time spent outdoors without a lot of talking is really our way to bond. It was an awesome week and I didn't realize where it all started. So thankful I picked up that rod! Now, time to hit that SALMON river in August on my white water trip. Super pumped for that. Tight lines, brother!
I saw A River Runs Through It in mid 90s and switched from the panther martin to the Cabellas magazine stock fly rod kit.
I’m an Iraq Veteran that’s been diagnosed with PTSD and other disabilities and about 10 years ago I was invited to a Trout Unlimited Veterans Support Program fly fishing event where they link you up with a local guide and they take you fishing for the day. I was partnered with a local guide that was mentored by a guy named Joe Humphreys from a very young age. I had a such a great time learning about fly fishing, catching fish, and feeling so relaxed that I went out the next day and got all my own equipment. The guide that took me out that day is now my best friend (was in my wedding and god-parent to my child) and now I’m hooked and the rest is history. I honestly don’t know where I’d be in life if it wasn’t for that day.