Thursday, November 21, 2013

Casting for Recovery Round 2


This was my second year working with the wonderful ladies of Casting For Recovery. We met at our usual time at the river and I was introduced to Gin with whom I would be fishing with for the morning. Gin is from Hamilton which is a small town near Missoula in the Bitterroot Valley. Gin had spent the last year of her life battling breast cancer. Needless to say she kicked its ass. Gin is a tough cookie and she loves fishing. Her husband signed her up for the event and thought it would be a great way to introduce her to fly fishing.
We were greeted with rain on the river but that didn’t seem to deter any of the courageous women out there from learning to fly fish for the first time. Over the course of a few hours Gin and I had become good friends and the cold rain and bad fishing became an afterthought. After we dried out we all had lunch at the Glacier Outdoor Center in West Glacier. It was then that I got to present the ladies with their Mountain Khaki reusable bags and gift cards. They all lit up when I explained that they could buy women’s clothing that was made for abuse.(these are tough women that need tough gear.) The day ended with a bittersweet farewell and the sweetest note that Gin shoved in my shirt pocket.
Volunteering my time for an organization such as Casting for Recovery is something that is so special to me. Most people think that I must know someone who is close to me that has dealt with breast cancer and I honestly don’t. That is not why I was drawn to it. In my eyes these women have endured more that I can ever imagine and for them to still be so strong and happy just makes me want to help them experience the happiness that fly fishing has given me. If you have not had the chance to check out this wonderful organization please check to see if they have an event in your area you could attend or help with. You won’t regret it.

Not ready.

As Winter steps up to bat its easy to look back on those days before the snow stuck.

































Monday, July 1, 2013

The Best of Days


What constitutes a “great” day of fishing?  In all honestly for me any time spent on the water fishing is great.  Most of my friends that I fish and guide with agree that I am the most “chill” person to fish with.  Whether the fishing is “lights out” or virtually non-existent I am always smiling.  About a week ago I experienced “lights out” on one of my local rivers and it was a day to be remembered.

I met my good buddy at his place in the morning for tasty omelets before hitting the river.  After little debate we decided on where to float for the day and were on the water before 11, not an early start.

Surprisingly there were not many other boats on the same stretch, only one other actually.  The fishing started off well with several fish in the net within eyesight on the put-in.

Then the fishing got “stupid”.  I am not one to brag about fishing but damn it was amazing.  The sun was out and the fish were eating.  In all honesty it is what you want in a “perfect” day of fishing.  We laughed, threw back some brews and soaked up the sun.

After lunch the other boat passed us and we both understood that we were the only ones on that stretch and we had it all to ourselves.  We laughed about it and waved a friendly good luck wave as they floated by.

By the end of the day many fish were caught and lost, laughs were had and hugs were shared.  In the end its all about your friends and how you live your life that makes you appreciate the days, no matter how good or bad the fishing is.  Because we all know that since I had such a good day my next few ones will do more than humble me.