'guiding'

'guiding', it ain't easy.  period.
tough day, saw some good fish
while crawling around the banks
of the Letort in the later morn.

had one live action test case to
demonstrate what usually happens
when you encounter one of those rather
large, 'you get one cast' type of fish....

to which I got exactly one cast.
Big old 18"+er saw the leader
overhead, and bolted.....All in
front of the former el Presidente'
of the Angler's Club of NY.

He was a trooper on the Letort and
wish we'd done better on Mtn Creek
in the afternoon. I picked up a few, a
couple decent sized rainbow stockies,
some small wild browns and chubs,
he got into some smaller wild browns...


there's a mild regret of outfishing
the sport you're sporting, which is
why 'guiding' is in quotes...today's
role is to put 'em over fish, advise
if the vibe is there, but not hold
hands....take your buddy fishing
sort of deal, share some local
knowledge if you can, history,
stories like those you've heard
from guides while guided, but this
is your neck of the woods.  And,
yeah, so, it's cool to bring your rod,
unlike actual guiding...so, anyways.

Do wish he'd gotten onto more decent trouts,
weird to feel guilty-ish about having a bit
of success today...tough conditions all around,
weather and all has been goofy, cold rain thru
the week with flows up and now back down
quick, early clouds and getting' sunny in a snap...
curious to hear how the other's fared.
Plan B was a spot on the Breeches...grass is
always greener, ya know?

but, Like I said, weird to feel guilty-ish about
having success, but this guy's fished places
I'll only ever dream of, literally...I've dreamt
of places he's fished and has access to, and he
seems to be good people, know what I mean?

Former el Presidente' of the Angler's
Club of NY, I'm here to put you onto
some fish, sooooo, yeah, I'm, uhhh,
gonna demonstrate here, that there in
that tight pocket water you just walked
up by, there're at least two 6-8" wild
browns and a nicely colored
13" stocker rainbow.

and a chub, plus the other fleeting
shadows I kicked up as I waded thru.

maybe I just have knack for it.?
been doing it for awhile now I guess,
and these are my home waters...


I did get his card & some flies
that I'm gonna stash away, along
with an invite for lunch if I'm ever
"up in the city"....a visit to the
"Museum that serves Lunch."

Which would be amazing I'm sure..
can't imagine.

So, I guess I must've done
something right, eh?

good times,
good. times.