The First Of Many

One of the most memorable fish of my life, and the excitement is obviously palpable among all parties involved!

Certain fish stick out above the rest over the course of a lifetime.  Sometimes we instantly know when the fish has meaning, and other times it's not apparent until later.  Sharing my passion and livelihood with my son is something I've dreamed about since before we even knew we were having a boy.  In fact, the day of the first ultrasound I was out on a guide trip netting fish and anxiously wondering what the heck was happening in a doctor's office in Franklin!  

All of the hoping and planning came to fruition on February 5th, as Brecken's mom begrudgingly agreed it was warm enough for him to go out on an adventure for a few minutes.  I'd planned all of this out in my head hundreds of times, from the rod being rigged to where the fish would be caught.  So we got to the stream, strapped little Moose onto my chest, and trudged through briers and weeds to the run I was sure would fish well on this bright, sunny day.  Stephanie and I ran through the procedures if/when a fish was hooked so there would be no wasted time.  I would do the hooking and fighting and she would focus on netting the fish, with pictures to come after the fact.  Easy enough! 

I peeled out line and began firing some casts right into the heart of the riffle.  Normally I would have methodically worked my way out to this spot, but time was of the essence so I just went for it.  Two casts in and the indicator buried under the water in what can only be described as a "no doubt" fish take.  It wasn't to be, as I was slow on the draw and the trout was nothing more than a flash in the water and probably our only chance.  Casting a few more times into the head of the riffle, my indicator did another change of direction and I set the hook a bit quicker than before.  A few seconds later this brown trout was in the net and we were planning out the photo shoot. 

It's funny to think that this experience means everything to me, and Brecken could barely stay awake for the duration of it!  Stephanie says he smiled when I released the fish, which is promising as a future conservationist, but we have no photo evidence to corroborate.  With any luck, this fish is just the start of a long and enjoyable journey into fly fishing for us as a team.  It might be the first of many, but it's one in a million to a proud dad who can't wait to keep exploring with his new fishing buddy. 

Styling with your shades on is key to a good fish picture!

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