It’s been cool for
this time of year, but I don’t mind, Was gona go over to Ferry County and fish
Long Lake. That got changed up, When I
had one of the neighbor kids come by and asked me about fishin, So I asked him if he would like to go with me
and try doing some FLY-Fishin. He never done any, he said. I’ll have to ask his
parents. That was his first good move. “ask the parents”.
While he went home
to ask, I went in the house and pulled out a couple of 3 weights, Sages a
Flight 3704 checked the reel, line, and put on a new 7ft. 6X leader. My other Sage
FLi 3804 had on intermittent line for fishin Crappie, so I changed
spools to a dry line with a new 7-1/5ft 6X leader. Found a couple of creek fly
boxes and my vest.
In my vest, I that I
hardly ever use I found 6&7X tippit, chap stick, Dry-R-Fly power, MFC fly
floatant, some small indicators, the NZ
best indicators, hemostats, nippers and a full box of hoppers all different
sizes, on one side and different beetles and bugs on the other. Even my water temp gage and a dirty brown
trout buff, I thought that I lost both long ago. The mag clip was still on the
back to hang the net.
Jason came back over
about an hour later. He needed to know some answers for his parents to
decide. Where we were going? What time
are we leaving? How long were we going to be gone, and if I had a cell phone #
that he could give to his mom and dad to call if they had anymore questions.
I gave him two of my old business cards, and told him that.
“We were go up Salmon Creek, above the Green Lake Road to fish a couple of
holes, then up a little farther to a piece of tribal property to fish then
maybe up to the Happy Hill area. And if we leave around 8 we should be back
between noon and one o'clock. Then I wrote on the
back of the cards call me if you need more info.
As soon as I gave him
the cards he was out the door and down the street. I looked at Ginny, “That boy
is excited!!” Less than ten minutes later the phone rang and Jason’s dad was on
the phone.
The call went
something like this:
You’re the fishing guide that lives down the street?
Yes that me, but I’m
not guiding any more just fishin for myself and taking a few old Buddy’s, from time to time. teaching kids how to tye
flies, just having fun again.
Jason can be pretty tuff at times, he gets bored pretty
fast, when he was younger he didn’t want to fish very long unless we were
catching fish, no patience always wanting to play with his game now. But it’s been a while since he and I went
out together, maybe a couple of years.
I’m sure he’ll be OK, if he does get to bored I can always
bring him back home, I have no problem with that. I think once he catches a
fish or two it will be hard for us to stop. But I’ll have him home before 1.
"What does he need to bring?"
Maybe something to drink and snacks to munch between fishing
holes, some shoes that he can get wet in, and maybe light jacket. I have
everything else.
Sound good to me and here is my cell number in case you need
to get a hold of us. I’ll have him down at your house at 8.
I said. “Thanks, I’m sure we’ll have a good time and he’ll
catch some fish. Good night.
Saturday morning 8 sharp Jason was at the door ready to go.
Everything was in the truck already and we were off. I asked him what he did
for fun and all he said was. “Play games, watch TV and go to school. You know
there ante a lot of other kids that live rite around here.” Then he started
telling me about this new game he had to get to play. “It’s soo cool. Have you
played it before?”
“Jason, I’ve never played videos games, I don’t hardly ever
watch TV, that there are so many other things to do.
By then we were pulling into our first stop. I gave him a
pair of sunglasses and asked if he would like some bug spray to put on. Pulled
out my vest, put the rods together, but didn’t string the rods or put on a fly.
While he keeps
talking about this game he had to play. The way it sounded to me he had been
playingit for a long time.
Salmon Creek about 8:30 A little overcast and 58
The short walk down
to the creek I saw a couple of Damsel, some hopper, and on the water PMDs. and a little beetle. I
pointed them out to him.
There isn’t a lot of room for a back cast so I put on a
small beetle, tyed it on it has a red top so I could see it and pulled out some
line. Handed the rod to Jason and show him how to just dangle the bug along the
edge of the water. Before I turned around I saw the lips come from under the
bank and grab the fly. Jason saw it to and jerked the rod up hard and fast
sending the little fish skywards up and over our heads, snapping off the fly.
Excited Yes. I retied on another and told him to just lift
the rod slow if it happens again. This time I didn’t try to tye one on my line. And soon another fish sucked the fly
down and this time Jason just lifted the rod and the fish up and out of the
water.
“Keep it in the water while I need to wet my hands in order for me
take the fly out of his mouth.” I told
him. The small 6in fish was flippin and a floppin around and so was Jason.
“It’s not very big” he said.
“There’s bigger ones sometime the little guys get to it
first.” I said.
After him catching 5 or 6 fish, we moved down the bank about
30 ft with a clearing behind us, pulling out just about enough line to get the
fly across to the opposite bank and showed him a little casting in no time he
was doing find. Then teaching him to mend was a bit different story, but he got
the hang of it too.
I just got my rod rigged up and Jason was into his first big
fish 12 inch. He played it great all the way to the end stripping in the line
with coaching I had the net in hand slid down the bank on my ass stuck out the
net and the little bow was gone as it came out of the water. Jason was a bit disappointed
at first but still had the fly. He sorta
did a roll cast got the bug back in the
current, mended and fly down before I could get back up the bank. This fish was
only about 10” and he played just rite and I stuck out the net and he dropped
it right in. That’s when I went looking
for my phone to get the picture. No phone, Shit where is it? Not in any one of
the pockets of vest. Not in pants pockets. I got the hook out fish back into
the cool clear water and ran up to my truck. Checked my sling and all over the
truck, Nada, Zilch, Bummer.
I went back down and Jason was sitting where I left him. He
broke off the fly in the grass behind him.
I asked him. “Could I fish for a short time while you
watched me.”
“Yea, I guess so. I had my 3704 Sage, stripped out maybe 20
ft of line and laid the fly about 2 feet from the opposite bank gave it a
little mend and fly down just a little guy and was off as fast as it was on. Next
cast same thing. But on the third cast mend nice float down the seam big swirl and
fly down. Then it started heading down creek. I put the brakes on slowly the rod bent deep and out of the water
a nice 12 Bow. I took my time and got into
the water , Jason handed me the net. And I scooped it up, the released it.
When I got back out of the water and up the bank.
Jason asked. Why didn’t you keep it?
“So it will grow up and maybe next time we come here you can
catch it.
Jason: “Cool”
I tried on another fly for him and we moved again. This was pretty
slick water with a deep trough down the center. I had Jason put the fly at the
top center and just shake out some line and let it drift down slowly and midway
down the big gulp, swirl and fly gone. But
not lost as he pick up the slack another fish took the fly and started running
back at us then turned and into a submerged tree branch. I had Jason run down
to be below the branch and he got the Bow turned and out back into the current.
This kid is natural instances fly fisher. Soon we had it in the net.
“Great job, I’m proud of you, I couldn’t of done it better myself.“
I told him.
Before we knew it our time was running out and we had to
head back towards the house and get him home by deadline, we made it with just
minutes to spare. His Dad came out and I told him what a good time we had and
Jason started telling him about all the fish he caught, and how many.
So where are they?
We Putmbac so they can grow bigger for next
time!!!!!!!
I really did have a great time on the water and I’m sure in
the future Jason will be going with me again. Soon I hope.
I found my phone sitting on my desk.
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