| The Magic of My First Trout | | | | Saturday. Jerry parked the car and said, "Hey, there's |
| I grew up in Iowa fishing for catfish, bass, crappie | | | | Frank Aubon. Frank isone of the best fly fishermen I |
| and bullheads using some ofthe worst smelling baits | | | | know. He can teach you how to catch fish on a |
| you could imagine. But my father loved to hunt and | | | | flyrod." (Frank was from Maine and had been fly |
| fish so | | | | fishing some 40 years when I firstmet him.) |
| I went along. On one summer vacation to Oklahoma, | | | | Jerry introduced me to Frank and explained the |
| Dad stopped at the fish hatcheryin Bennett Springs, | | | | problem I was having with a fly rod. |
| MO. | | | | Frank said, "Come here and show me what you |
| I can still remember standing on the bridge watching | | | | know about casting." So Idropped a couple of |
| a fly fisherman gracefully casta dry fly upstream to | | | | reasonable overhand casts out onto the Creek. Frank |
| the base of the little dam feeding a pool by the | | | | looked atme, "You know enough about basic casting, |
| hatchery. Onthe third cast, he hooked up with a nice | | | | what do you do with the fly when itis in the water?" |
| fat 12 to 14 inch rainbow that leapt outthe water 3 | | | | "Frank, if I knew what the H--- to do with the fly |
| or 4 times trying to throw the hook. | | | | inthe water, I would be catching fish!", I said. |
| The fisherman prevailed and slipped the rainbow into | | | | "Come on and watch what I do." said Frank. Frank |
| his classic wicker creel withthe slot in the lid. (Back in | | | | shook out a little lineand let it drift downstream. Then |
| those days we ate a fish once in a while) Turning | | | | he flipped a "Tension" cast backupstream. On the 3rd |
| tomy father, I asked what the fisherman was using | | | | drift, Frank hooked a nice bow right along the bank. |
| for bait. Dad said, "He isusing an artificial fly and not | | | | He lookedat me and said, "Now you do it!" I tried to |
| bait." "Does it stink?", I asked. | | | | imitate Frank but no fish. |
| Dad laughed and said "No." Right then I knew one | | | | Finally Frank asked me what I had been fishing. "Eggs |
| day I would become a fly fisherman. I was about 14 | | | | on the bottom." Ireplied. "Fishing eggs on the bottom |
| at the time. I never touched stinky bait after that. | | | | is the same as fishing nymphs on thebottom", said |
| I would not take up fly fishing until 1969 some 15 | | | | Frank. "You make a little J in the line just at the |
| years after first seeing it in the | | | | waterline and watch it as you bounce the nymph on |
| Ozarks of Missouri. I had moved to Colorado to learn | | | | the bottom. If the J twitches left orright or hesitates, |
| to ski and fly fish. Never didlearn to ski but I did learn | | | | raise the rod tip to set the hook. And don't rip the |
| to fly fish. | | | | rod tip up. |
| When I was starting out, there weren't a lot of | | | | Remember that hook is only a quarter inch or less |
| classes, guides or instructors toteach fly fishing. I | | | | long to the bend. A gentle tipupis all that is needed." |
| purchased a cheap rod, reel, line and some flies from | | | | Then Frank proceeded to demonstrate with two |
| a localsporting goods store. Then I read a lot of | | | | more fish. |
| books and practiced casting until I coulddo a | | | | I watched Frank and tried to imitate him with some |
| reasonable overhand cast. | | | | success. As I remember I caughtand released about |
| My first fish was a 2 lb. brookie caught on a brassie | | | | 6 trout that Saturday. For me that was the best I |
| out of the famed South Platteriver. That was my | | | | had ever donewith a fly rod. Frank and I fished |
| only fish on a fly rod for that whole season. For the | | | | together for some 5 years before loosing touchwith |
| next twoseasons, I caught exactly one fish a season | | | | each other. |
| on a fly rod. I had upgraded myequipment so the | | | | But I will never forget the gift of a lifetime fly fishing |
| casting was a lot more enjoyable. | | | | enjoyment you gave me |
| In 1972, I was back to drifting salmon eggs on the | | | | Frank. You were a good teacher and fine friend to |
| bottom with light spinning gearand was catching fish. | | | | wade the waters with. |
| But releasing them was killing a lot of them I knew. | | | | Whatever big river you are fishing in Heaven, I hope |
| Asdestiny would have it. A friend and I ended up on | | | | the fish are huge and you arehaving a ball. |
| Bear Creek at O'Fallon Park one | | | | |