Divermarv

As the old saying goes. And that day it was truer than ever.

I have been fishing in my life, but it’s been a while. Yesterday I amended that situation.

I recently enjoyed a guided fishing trip and tutorial on fly fishing from High Flying Flies out of Bristol. Here’s a quick recap.

The day started with a small river. And some wet fly fishing.

Just before midday we heard the siren alerting us that they were about to start releasing water from the dam. The gentle current of the river I had become accustomed to in the morning became a bit more aggressive. We motored up to the dam to drift back down to the weirs.

After the motor up I put my phone away to focus on the fishing. We drifted back down with me focusing on learning and practicing. Ultimately I caught eight fish in the stretch of water. All rainbow trout, and most of good size. I’d like to take a moment here to stress something I loved about Jason’s attitude on fishing. He uses barbless hooks even though they aren’t required on this river. He keeps the fly fishing techniques pretty pure (I think). And he cares very much about the fish. He explained not only how to handle the fish, but why it matters. And he was gentle in his handling. I think that is one of the better lessons I learned that day. Here are some of the rainbows…

After finishing the stretch of river between the weir dams and the dam dam, we took the boat out and then put it in just below the stair weir on the main stretch of the river. By the way, this was the South Houston River. I think I forgot to mention that.

First order of business was to have lunch. Some knucklehead (spoiler alert: me) didn’t eat breakfast. We put the boat in and dropped anchor in the cool shade of the bridge. The sammie and chips was a gourmet feast. With a full belly we pulled up anchor and proceeded to head down the river. Here we continued wet fly fishing, but soon switched to dry fly fishing. Anyone who has fly fished will know that it’s apples and jet fighters different. All that technique I had slowly picked up previously was all changed. And this old man was starting to tire as well. But still I caught one brown trout. He wasn’t huge, but boy did he put up a fight. Jason explained that all of the brown trout in the river are wild, stream born. In case you’re wondering, here’s the fella looked like.

We continued fishing and I missed the set on several more fish. The latter portion of this stretch we switched back to wet fly fishing. At this point I was pretty tired and my shoulder was starting to ache. With about a mile left I had to throw in the proverbial towel. Jason asked if I minded if he wet a fly, and I did not mind at all. He caught a handful of fish, and it was a delight to watch the ease with which he handled the tackle and the fish. A true delight.

In summary, I’d like to say that this was much more than I expected.

High Flying Flies based in Bristol Tennessee was my random choice, not having anyone to give recommendations. Jason Bromwell, the owner and guide, did not disappoint. Serendipity was in my corner that day. Jason was not just a random guide, he exhibited the three “Ps” I would say are vital in a teacher and guide. Patience, Professionalism, and Personability.

The fishing day started with basic instructions on what our goals were and the terminology I’d be expecting to hear. He described his layout of the line assembly, and with the flies we’d be starting with. He was detailed, but not overly so. And he would pause to allow questions. During the course of the day he would describe where to cast and why, and he would provide positive feedback when I would make a good cast. But, and I think this was an important lesson, when I would scold myself for making an imperfect cast he would drive home that it was fishable, and that you can’t catch fish if the fly isn’t in the water.

Jason’s patience never wore thin, and his instruction and support never wavered. He was professional in his demeanor and in his skill at handling the boat and the tackle. And most of all he was personable. Never did he drone on with lectures, but would sprinkle pleasant talk, anecdotes, and his genuine love for the river and the fish. That last one is probably what impacted me the most. He was adamant on handling the fish properly and with taking care to not mess up the river.

I can assure you that after I have some gear and have done some practicing I’ll hire Jason at High Flying Flies again to guide me and teach me the next phase of my new hobby.