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| Chattahoochee River near Jones Bridge |
Above my fly tying table is a memory a great time and accomplishment in my life. It is a picture of my first fishing trip ever. It was with my grandfather Walters on a lake in Ohio. The picture is of a smaller me holding a tiny yellow perch. Smiling from ear to ear. I remember the day vividly as it had been raining everyday prior to our fishing trip and I had asked my grandfather to take me fishing growing more and more restless with every passing inclement weather day of our week long family trip to Ohio.
We packed up the car with fishing rods and reels, a tackle box, and lunch. We used my grandfather's fishing poles which once belonged to my great grandfather. Those poles now rest on the wall in my office as well. Grandpa baited the hooks with fresh night crawlers harvested from his backyard. They were plentiful with all of the rain that had been falling.
We walked a good way from the car and set everything down in a promising looking spot. My first attempt at casting a conventional rod and reel was a complete disaster and I bailed the entire line into a bald eagle sized nest that had my grandfather busy for the remainder of the afternoon frustratingly pulling knot after knot out of the reel. Needless to say, he did the casting from there on out. We waited a while until finally we had a fish take my bait. The fish weighed no more than a few ounces, but to the younger me and my larger than life imagination it felt like a striped bass ripping line. We snapped a few photos of the fish and continued on fishing celebrating over lunch on the side of the lake.
That day with my grandfather meant a lot to me as an angler and is a constant reminder of how great of a pastime we all share. It taught me patience in fishing and in life. It also taught me to never lose the excitement and adrenaline rush of catching a fish. Seeing the metaphors that fishing and life share is priceless. That day is a point in my life that began the love of fishing for me and that pushed me to progress into the world of fly fishing. Fishing has come a long way since my grandfather's and great grandfather's time with the advancement in equipment, methods of fishing, and tackle used to outsmart willing fish. One thing that will always remain a constant is the tradition and importance of a day on the water with great company.
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| Chattahoochee River near Bowman's Island |
Where were you and who were you with when you caught your first fish?
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family from Walters Fly Rods.
