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