My dad taught me to fly fish in the front yard when I was about 12, casting with no hook at a hula hoop with an old Berkely flyrod, then he took me to the local reservior and taught me how to mend, how to roll cast, how to high stick in the stream flowing into the lake. Caught my first brook trout that Christmas Eve day on that old fly rod. At 12 though I was far more interested in catching fish then in the moment, and I did not realize how great it was till just a few weeks ago. I went and visited my dad that Saturday, he is now is a living facility suffering with a number of health issues including dementia, and is hard pressed to remember things from the past. I showed him a cell phone picture of a smallmouth bass that I had recently caught on the James river near my house. He looked at it and had that moment of clarity, and said,

"Do you remember that Christmas Eve trout? That was a great fish, and on a flyrod! You were 12 right?"

Fighting back the tears, I put my arm around him, and said, "Your exactly right dad, first trout on a flyrod."

One of the best moments in my life, and apparently in his too.

We had the local game warden speak at our fly club meeting Monday night and he bent over backwards to thank us for our support at local events. Our casting and tying clinics remain a big hit in a five county area whether it be a Boy Scout function, county fair, Pheasants Forever or the senior citizen fishing derby. I do participate when I can but most of the credit goes to the older retired members of the club.

This spring at a local event I was surprise how many kids and parents remembered me from the year before. That alone makes it worth while but I also notice with a little instruction and enthusiasm the kids were eager to learn and stick with it.

A few years back we kept record of the number people we instruct over the course of a year. It was just over 600 with a vast majority being kids. Again, it is not I but the club I belong to. It's a pretty good group of guys and gals.

This cannot be done without the support of the DOW and others. The DOW donated fly rods and vises for use at these events. Through raffles and donations we are also well stocked with tying materials. Of course the true sacrifice is the hundreds of volunteer hours donated by the club members to attend different event.

I am proud to say I have been a member of the Land of Legend Fly Fishers for over 20 years. We just got our Facebook page up and running. Not much there yet but check us out anyways.

My grandson Louie came to us almost ten years ago. Louie has no Dad and I am attempting to fill that void in his life. I have been an avid fisherman my whole life (almost to the point of being what some might call a fanatic). Taking Louie under my wing, having seen that spark in his eye early on when it comes to fishing, has turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I say that with all honesty. Watching him grow as an angler and conservationist and realizing what that means to him is just beyond description. I would like to invite you Mr. Deeter, and anyone else that reads this, to click on the link below and go to the Field & Stream Trophy Room and see just some of Louie's angling accomplishments for yourself. Check out the smiles. They speak volumes.
http://www.fieldandstream.com/user/11984/photos

I've enjoyed some of those shots of Louie before. The kid is out of control. I can honestly see him being the biggest force in the world of bass fishing 20 years from now. It seems like a day of fishing for him bests all my years of bass fishing. I guess he has the advantage of living in southern big bass country, but seriously, he's bested my biggest seemingly every time he gets a bite. Awesome stuff. You know he's going to multiply your efforts bigtime when he gets older. That's the best part.

My story didn't exactly help the future of fishing, and it sure as hell didn't introduce anyone, but it felt so good.

The neighbor at my Catskills lake cabin, that's been passed through generations on my mother's side since WWII, was one of the founders of that tiny, remote lake community and the lake itself. He was an attorney turned judge, but most of all an angler. He was loved and respected the way most people only wish they were in all arenas, legal, social, and fishing. He was a fishing buddy to Ted Williams, and he had fished with just about everybody and just about everywhere on this planet that matters to the world of angling. He was a fly fisherman, but didn't label himself as one, and didn't eschew standard gear. That seems to be how it was in the golden age.

I may very well have been the guide (what a joke that is) for his last fishing outing. We didn't expect that to be the case exactly, but we did know that he hadn't been in a quite some time. His health and strength were fading, and he had no one around to take him. He could walk, but not far at all. He could cast, but not far at all.

We rowed him down to the end of the lake and carried him and the small rowboat across the road to an adjacent pond. At one point, he passed out in the bow. We thought he had died right there. It wasn't unlikely, at this point. We rustled him a little and he woke up. He cast out some ancient minnow plug, and caught the biggest perch I've ever seen. There were plenty of other fish that night, but I wasn't even aware of jumbos in these waters, and here he is, catching a monster.

buck, you get one too, if you want... I think you have a book already, but we'd better do all the huggy-smiley stuff now, because I'm starting to believe in Michigan football, and I'm thinking November might just get tense (for the first time in years). Ah... those poor Notre Dame fans... NOT. Don't worry, they'll be in a better bowl game than both of us...

Thanks Mr. Deeter, I guess you know who's getting the book!

Thank you for your offer Kirk but I already have your book. I hate to say it but I missed the end of the Michigan game last week. Thank goodness for Sportscenter.

I went to the OSU game vs Toledo. What a mess. I sat through the whole game wondering what kind of team would let Toledo beat them? (Let the banter begin)

And Yes I'm cool with any book about fishing. So sign me up. I try and take anyone who wants to go.

Thanks Kirk, what info do you need or who do I need to email?

I am an ambassador and enjoy teaching fishing skills. I believe that teaching is the most important key for great fishing results. Do unto others... Karma... help someone else with a task and you will see yourself having an easier time with it. This program keeps me on track when I get competitive.

My rules for teaching fishing to someone no matter how old.
1) Leave them hooked,,, with gear. I buy them a setup to leave with. Or a handme down. Usually a very sturdy rod, spinning reel with strongish braid. Or a baitcasting setup for very young kids. Because of this I scour garage sales and watch for cheap combos online. Almost as good as teaching is providing one with his first rod.
2) Wait and take them to a place, on a day, that I know will be productive. For obvious reasons.
3) make them ask 3 times before teaching them. A martial arts thing. unless it is a spur of the moment thing, like a kid begging to learn. if they don't ask, 4 and 5 are promises that they make to do after the fishing day.
4) make them tie an improved cinch knot 5 times.
5) They must promise to read "old Man and the Sea
6) They must take someone else fishing within the first year, or they don't get to come back with me

Teaching is the best part of fishing and I imagine guiding.

I read 200--300 pages a day so would love your book. If you send it I will make it part of the required reading list!

I took a buddy fishing for his first time since he was a young child and it couldn't have gone better. We went down to our local river to go trout fishing but since we had a late night the night before we did not get out on the river until mid day. The first half hour to hour we didn't get any hits. I had setup my friend with a small rooster tail so he wouldn't keep getting snagged on the bottom while I looked for some live bait. I started turning over some rocks and came across a hellgramite. I called over my friend and you would have thought he saw a ghost. He couldn't have been more scared of the hellgrammite. I convinced him to use my pliers to put it on and he caught a 13 rainbow on the first cast. We now have a great picture of him with his first fishing since he was a young child and he is no longer as fearful of hellgrammites.