Loved your story. I have fished with "Lee." And I have been "Lee."
I have used pencils, business cards, and sunglasses lenses for spoons.
Gary Meyers Kirkland
On Feb 28, 2004, at 8:57 PM, Andy Stouppe wrote:
I took 2 friends, Kevin and Lee, to Rocky Ford on Friday. When you are
"between engagements" you have a little freedom to pick your fishing days.
Apparently there are a lot of people "between engagements" as I counted 35
other "welfare queens" at the ford.
Lee is new to fly fishing. He got a cabelas rod for Christmas and was all
fired up to go. His brother in law has fished before.
Kevin was late in meeting up. He was stuck behind an accident investigation
on Highway 18. We finally got everyone's gear into one vehicle and then got
going a little late. Lee's wife had packed a cooler full of six sandwiches,
salad, potato salad, brownies, beer and a couple of Cokes. I thought that it
was very nice of her. Later I realized that it was to make up for Lee's
actions. Lee is the kind of guy who always forgets his socks, hits a crow on
the drive over, forgets to visit the ATM and still survives on the kindness
of friends and strangers.
Halfway there it is not Lee but Kevin who announces that he left his flybox
in his truck. We pull off in Ellensburg, get some flies at the Woolly Bugger
and continue on.
When we got to Rocky Ford, we planned to split up, Lee with me and Kevin on
his own. I should have checked Lee's gear out before. He had the backing and
fly line on the reel but no loop or butt section. We sacrificed an old
leader to create a butt section, tied on his leader and tippet and then went
forth.
Kevin went upstream and I took Lee below the small diversion dam in the
lower part of the stream. I figured that this stretch is narrow, you don't
have to cast very well or far, and the fish really have no where to run. Lee
had a half hour of casting instruction from Kevin the day before. Not much
of it stuck. I placed him just downstream of some fish and had him start
casting. The day was cloudy and cool. There was a BWO hatch and a midge
hatch occurring. I told him how to make the short cast, how to gently set
the hook, and how to play the fish.
After about 20 minutes, he gets a strike. He just watched and didn't try to
set the hook. I had to explain that is what a strike looks like and next
time he should set the hook. I changed the fly to a new pattern and had him
try again. After about 10 minutes, he gets the strike. Lee camps down on the
reel with his left hand, clamps onto the fly line and rod with his right
hand, leans back and tries to "cornfield" the fish over his shoulder into
the grass beyond. The 5X goes pop, the fish gets a kink in his neck, and Lee
falls on his ass.
I tell Lee that fly fishing is different than the drift fishing for salmon
that he has done. Let's try again. Lee proceeds to yank the fly away from
the next 2 striking fish. Lee says that he just can't help it. He can't help
but set the hook hard. I wish I had a valium to slow him down.
Now Lee is excited so he can't remember his casting lesson. He starts to
flail a little and each cast falls into a pile on the water. I try to slow
him down and get him casting sidearm so that he can see the loops. It
doesn't work. Finally I say, let me show you. I make a few casts and get a
strike. I hook the fish and give the rod to Lee so that he can fight the
fish. I tell Lee to let the fish run when it wants to. Lee clamps onto the
reel and starts winding him in just like with the Zebco. The 5X goes pop.
I am starting to run low on BWO patterns. I rig him up again. I cast to fish
in a different pool. I hook one and play him, showing Lee how it works. I
give Lee the net and tell him that I will lead the fish to him. The fish
comes over, Lee readies the net, then grabs the line to pull the fish into
the net. The fish shakes his head. The 5X goes pop.
Let's have lunch I say.
We meet Kevin back at the truck. Kevin has hooked 10 and landed 6. He is
happy. Lee digs out the cooler. He passes out the sandwiches, opens up the
salad and potato salad. A guide lunch like you read about in magazines.
Oops! Lee forgot the utensils. He tries to fold a lettuce leaf over a few
times to make a scoop for the potato salad. It doesn't work. The tomato
slice doesn't work either. I get out my roadside tool set and eat with the
wrench. For some reason Lee won't do it with the pliers. I call him a sissy.
I get myself 2 beers.
We go back to the same spot after lunch. Lee is now trying too hard to cast
and catch a fish. He starts throwing wind knots and tangles every third
cast. I cast for Lee again. The morning hatches have faded but we keep
trying. We shift between 3 pools trying to interest a fish. I finally get a
take and set the hook. I give the rod to Lee and he plays him very well. A
little too lightly because he doesn't want to loose the fish. I take the net
and get the fish for him. Lee wants a picture. I take the fly out, hand him
the net and get the camera ready.
Ok, now I set. Lift up the fish and I will take your picture. Lee lifts up
the fish. The fish squirms and Lee starts juggling the fish trying to get
him back under control. The fish is bobbled in the air like a loose
basketball for about 30 seconds. Lee gets the fish tight with 2 hands. It
squirts out like a pumpkin seed and flies in the middle of the creek. We
both watch it. It rolls on his back and begins heading downstream.
I say shit, jump into the creek and grab the fish. I am wearing hiking
boots. Low cut hiking boots. I bring the fish over toward the bank and hold
him in the current to revive him. After 5 minutes or so, the fish swims off.
Up on the bank I take off my boots, pour out the water and put them back on.
Time to head home Lee.
Back at the truck Lee tells me that he has had the time of his life. He wants to go again in April. I am not sure that I can take the stress.
Oh. The hot fly on Friday was being used by an elderly gentleman. Kevin lost
count how many fish the guy got. It was a globug.
Andy S. <winmail.dat>
