When guides have a day off what do they do?  We go fishing!  Sometimes to check out new water or new flies...but mostly just because we love fishing! 

I had the pleasure of fishing with Hunter Banks Co's head guide, Forrest Marshall this week.  If he knows a lot about something, it's definitely trout.  He seems to know what exactly they are thinking, eating and where they are better than anyone I've ever fished with. 

Needless to say, it was a day of lots of smiles and a few high fives...and I learned a few more things about big ass trout. 

PS:  To book a trip with fly fishing guide extraordinaire, Forrest Marshall you can find him at Hunter Banks Co., Asheville, NC

This past week I had the pleasure of fishing with the very talented and wonderful Linda Michael from NC Wildlife (she is also a dedicated volunteer for Casting for Recovery) along with a great group of anglers on the Little River outside of Brevard, NC.  It was a picture perfect autumn day in the Blue Ridge mountains.  The peak of the fall colors mixed with cascading waterfalls was the scenic backdrop for our adventure.  During our hike to the river I couldn't help but notice that along the trail were trees that seemed to be growing out of rocks.  Surviving though it seems that these rocks are disrupting the root system thus making it that more difficult to reach the nutrients the trees need to survive. I couldn't help but to associate this phenomenon with the battle that cancer patients must face everyday during their fight with this disease.  One word came to mind: Perseverance.

Linda is heavily involved with Casting for Recovery, a non-profit breast cancer support group using fly fishing to heal sufferers both mentally and physically. Casting for Recovery was founded on the principles that the natural world is a healing force and that cancer survivors deserve one weekend — free of charge and free of the stresses from medical treatment, home, or workplace — to experience something new and challenging while enjoying beautiful surroundings within an intimate, safe, and nurturing structure. 

Casting for Recovery-Carolinas hosts two free fly fishing retreats for breast cancer patients each year.  Over a hundred applications are submitted every year to the Southeast region of Casting for Recovery retreats however there is only enough funding to support 14 applicants.  It is the goal of our local chapter to add more retreats for these applicants.

This great organization is near and dear to my heart for many reasons but the one that is profoundly obvious is my own mother was a breast cancer survivor for 10+ years before succumbing to gastric cancer in March of 2010.  In her honor, I am dedicated to spreading the word in hopes that I can inspire you to help us, Casting for Recovery-Carolinas, raise money so that we may host many more retreats in the future.

To donate please visit: http://castingforrecovery.org/donate Retreat name: Casting for Recovery-Carolinas

Recently, I fished a Delayed Harvest river that people have been telling me about for some time.  Its a bit of a drive for me but I was assured that it would be well worth it.  I had no idea what I was in for and to be honest, I was just happy to visit a new fishing hole in North Carolina. 

The trip was well worth the drive.  Gorgeous gin clear water with a healthy and hungry fish population consisting of some wild trout as well as stockers.  I was fishing a deeper run and saw this fish in the middle of the water column feeding.  Even from where I was wading, I could see that there was something different about this particular trout.  After a few drifts, he ate my fly and OH MY LORD, what a strange looking Brook Trout! He had a lot of fight in him too.  I think this guy has seen better days.  None the less, an unforgettable fish!

I am still buzzing from my last trip out West.  I was a little depressed when I flew back to the Southeast, feeling like I always do upon my return from a trip like that...[hands in pocket, looks down, kicks dirt] "but I belong out West".  Nothing compares to the waters of Montana, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming...places that are so familiar to me. Those waters will always feel like my home waters.

Sunday is my day to fish.  My husband and I try to get in a float at least a few times a month.  Like any Sunday, I packed up my gear and prepared to go the the river that we always seem to go to on any given Sunday.  I was not terribly thrilled, I'll be honest [sniffles, pouting].  Was I being ungrateful?  And then it happened..I was reminded of why I do love the Southeast and all it has to offer.  The fall colors, the hatches, the fish, the people...there is a special place in my heart for it all!  I promise to never bite the hand that feeds me again.   

Sometimes I feel a tinge of envy when I hear of those who grew up with fly fishing, being that I found my passion for it later in life. I think, maybe if I grew up with this I would be so much closer to my goals in fly fishing.  Then again, does it really matter when you fall in love with something or how long it takes to get "there"?? 

I was at the post office today and the postal clerk asked if I was a fly fisher.  Why, how did she know, I wondered.  Well, maybe because she noticed the necklace that I always wear says "Flygirl".  It got us talking about fishing and she mentioned that she wants to go to Alaska, but only after she learns how to fly fish.  A gal after my own heart.  She made me think about how many others are out there that "have always wanted to try it" but for some reason have hesitated.  Why?

I taught a 87 year old women how to fly fish once.  She said she'd always wanted to do it and it would give her something in common with her own daughter.   She couldn't wait to take a trip out West and show her family her new found skill.  She was lovely, inspiring and unforgettable. 

Here's a video for you...equally lovely, inspiring and unforgettable:
 
"A documentary style project about a mother, father and daughter growing up in the back country of British Columbia. 34 years later the mother/daughter team are still working harder than ever operating a world class Steelhead Lodge in Norhtern B.C. Here is part 1 from Catch Magazine's November issue. Camera work and editing by Todd Moen."

In my first year of marriage my husband was excited to plan our first big vacation.  He laid out plans to spend a week at Disney World in Florida.  When he presented this idea to me, I, with great disappointment in my tone said, "clearly you have married the wrong girl if you think this would be fun for me".  To his delight, we have planned our vacations around fly fishing ever since.  Happy wife, happy life!

This vacation was a bit different.  Yes, the sole [better yet] SOUL purpose of this trip was to fly fish as much as possible however, my goal was to not fish so much myself but to devote as much time as possible teaching my little sister how to fly fish.  For the first few days of the trip anyway.  She had been hinting that she was eager to learn and without hesitation I signed up for the gig.  I sent her some of my old gear; rod outfit, waders, boots and my trusty ol' vest.  WIth that done, I headed west to meet her in her home state of Montana.  What better place to learn the art of fly fishing?  Hello Bozeman... we wasted no time and drove straight to the fly shop from the airport, Montana Troutfitters, to get some local river intel and stock up on a few nice'ssities.  The shop guys were great fun and very helpful.  My lil-sis, being new to fly fishing, I saw in her eyes that she was a little intimidated by all of the "stuff".  All the more reason I wanted to help her.  She was in good hands with these guys!  

Roadtrip was on!  Spent a day in the Custer National Forest fishing a 'to remain nameless' high altitude lake, one that is very special to me.  Lil' sis and I spent the afternoon casting and casting and casting on the wide open water.  We talked about how to choose the right flies, how to tie knots, how to spot fish, the importance of catch and release, so on and so on.  Every cast wasn't perfect.  She lost a few flies.  She missed a ton of fish.  She became very frustrated.  I had to remind her repetedly that this is just the beginning of a long, beautiful journey.  Teaching is a great passion of mine and she was the perfect student.  She took to fly fishing like fish to water.  Really.  I wish it was that easy for me when I got started.

Day three, headed to the Gallatin River.  We followed this river as we drove south towards West Yellowstone and couldn't resist wetting a line along the way.  It was divine beauty!  The fishing was a little slow that day but maybe if we quit looking at the scenery and actually had our flies in the water maybe we would have had better luck.  I was lovestruck with this area!  
Checked into Kelly Galloup's Slide Inn, along the banks of the Madison River.  After spending a couple days teaching my lil' sis the fundamentals of fly fishing I thought it was time for this mamma bird to let her chick fly on her own.  How so?  Surprise... a float trip on the Madison with a real professional...Steve Mock, "Skinny" as they call him, the Slide Inn's head guide.  A true professional, Steve was as humble as they come.  A great teacher, a great listener and a whole lot of fun.  It wasn't long before lil' sis hooked into her first big brown that she had been dreaming about.  Then, another and another.  The smile on her face was pure pleasure.  I was so excited to see her catch trout on the fly!  For the first time ever, I really didn't care about catching anything.  Seeing her catch fish was twice the joy.  This was my lil' sis...10 years my younger!  It brings tears to my eyes thinking about it.   She proudly states that the "legendary" Kelly Galloup himself coined her new nickname, "DaniGirl".  She is hooked!  

We spent the next day fishing different sections of the Madison on our own.  I watch my lil' sis go from flailing a stick with a string to eloquently casting a flyrod.  It didn't take long for her to find her rhythm, her style and a place to grow from.   It became time to part ways as DaniGirl  had a life to get back to. It was a sad parting, to say the least but we had an unforgettable time together.  I know she has fly fishing on the brain.  

Time to meet up with my husband and friends for part duex of the trip. Our crew made Hebgen Lake the base camp for the next few days, traveling each day to fish different rivers in the park.  Madison, Gallatin, Firehole, Lamar & Slough Creek, all in Yellowstone.  Our final leg of the trip was spent in Park City, Utah fishing the lower and middle section of the Provo and Weber River.  A road trip with all of the essential ingredients to make for a unforgettable time: nonsense one-liners, hysterical laughter, high fives, smack-talking and a few words of advice shared on the riverside.  Great friendships celebrated and embraced.  Cheers!

This story isn't about how great of a trip this was or how great the fishing was, but from my heart, I wanted to remind you about what its like being new to something.  How frustrating it can be.  Teaching someone something you are greatly passionate about is very rewarding.  As I fished these great rivers, DaniGirl was never far from my thoughts.  Her frustrations were my frustrations.  I too had moments while on the water of not knowing what to do.  I thought I had all the right gear, all of the right flies, all of the "right" skill but nothing I did worked.  When I found myself in this predicament, I had to choke down the lesson that I teach everyday; FOCUS ON THE FUNDAMENTALS!  Never lose sight of the fundamentals.  If you ever find yourself in this predicament be sure to remind yourself to Enjoy the Journey!  It's not always about the fishing.
Special Thanks To:  Montana Troutfitters, Kelly Galloup & the Slide Inn, Blue Ribbon Flies, Trout Bum 2 & the "Lipstick & Lanyards" women of Utah!  We'll be seeing you again.

I awoke this fine morning with ratted out big hair, wearing all black pajamas and strangely had an electric guitar in my hands.  I sprung out of bed with catlike reflexes and instantaneously start on the guitar solo of Europe’s The Final Countdown.  

Why you ask?  In T minus 48 hours, I'll be on vacation..
Montana, I am coming home!  Let the countdown begin…

ASHEVILLE, N.C. The 3rd Annual WNC Fly Fishing Expo kicks off on Nov. 5 at the WNC
Agricultural Center. Western North Carolina is blessed with altitude, clean streams, wild trout
and consequently, an abundance of people who love to fly fish. The WNC Fly Fishing Expo is a
two-day fly fishing extravaganza providing anglers a forum to learn the very latest news and
innovations in their sport.

This event appeals to fly fishers of all levels,î said expo organizer Frank Smith. ìWhether you
are an advanced angler looking for the latest gear, or a beginner who is ready to get the waders
wet, there is something for everyone at this show. And we have brought in a new group of experts
who will host a variety of fly fishing related programs.

Over the years there has been no shortage of things to see and do at the WNC Fly Fishing Expo,
and this year will be no different. The lineup for the 3rd Annual event features even more exhibits
and speakers than previous years. For those who want to learn more about fly fishing, a
distinguished roster of experts will hold programs and presentations throughout the weekend
(visit www.wncflyfishingexpo.com for more information.) Presenters include outdoor and fly
fishing author Jim Casada; advocate Tim Landis, an instrumental figure in protecting wild fish on
the South Holston; fly fishing instructor Star Nolan; Capt. Paul Rose, a pro at sight-fishing for
carp; Bill Strickland, expert on the secrets of the Davison River; strike indicator developer Steven
Vorkapich; and Beau Beasley, who will introduce folks to trout fishing in Virginia. Pair these top
notch programs with fly tying and casting demonstrations from expert instructors, and attendees
have the opportunity to learn just about everything there is to know about fly fishing.

Nationally known manufacturers such as Abel, Orvis, Sage, Simms and Fishpond will showcase
the newest gear. Area fishing lodges and guide outfitters will give advice about where to fish;
organizations dedicated to protecting trout waters and habitat will discuss current issues and
initiatives; and more than a dozen fly shops from all over WNC will have every piece of gear
imaginable for sale.

The show opens on Saturday at 9 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m., then continues on Sunday from 9
a.m. until 4 p.m. Tickets are available at the door and are $10 for adults and free for children
under 16.

Saturday features a local beer tasting with Ashevilleís own Highland Brewing Company. The
tasting lasts from 2:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. and 12 Bones will be on site throughout the event,
cooking up barbeque for hungry expo attendees.

3rd Annual South Holston Fly Fishing and Arts Fest

For the third straight year the South Holston Fly Fishing and Arts Fest will again be providing the opportunity for anglers and artists alike to come together in celebrating the beautiful and timeless tradition of fly fishing. The Festival has changed locations and will be at Sugar Hollow Park in Bristol, VA, on Saturday, August 13, from 9 AM-6 PM. This event is intended for anyone who has an interest in fly fishing or the arts, whether it’s as a novice or someone who has been in the sport for decades. The Festival will have over 50 exhibitors (fly shops, artists, sales reps, guide services and lodges), as well as continuous presentations from the very best in the industry, with Kelly Galloup and Beau Beasley as headliners alongside local legends Tim Landis, Bruce Wankel, and Mike Adams. The South Holston Fly Fishing and Arts Fest has a focus on the artistic side of fly fishing, with dozens of artists showcasing their work ranging from fly tying to boat building, bamboo rod construction to photography, painting to wood carving. This is truly a unique experience for those who are looking for more than just a typical trade show. If you tie flies, bring your vise. There will be plenty of opportunities to tie with the very best the industry has to offer!

The Festival has drawn anglers and artists from all over the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, gaining a reputation as a unique opportunity for fly anglers of all ages and skill levels. An 80’ casting pond is available for demonstrations and casting practice, as well as a youth casting clinic. Several fly fishing-based non-profits will be exhibiting, too: Project Healing Waters (therapeutic organization working with wounded veterans), Casting for Recovery (raising awareness and healing women who have battled breast cancer), and Trout Unlimited (one of the nation’s most impactful conservation organizations). Eatz on Moore Street will be dishing out plates of tasty BBQ and vegetarian cuisine throughout the event, so bring your appetite. A huge pool of raffle prizes will be available, as well, providing a few lucky souls the opportunity to go home with a trunk-load of gear and art! 

Tickets are $10/person, with youth 16 and under and US military personnel gaining free admission. All proceeds go towards supporting River’s Way, a local non-profit organization serving youth with disabilities and local students through socially-focused adventure and team building initiatives. For more info please visit the Festivals’ website at www.southholstonflyfishingfest.com, or email Knox Campbell at knox@riversway.org. You can also visit us on Facebook. Hope to see you there!