Okay, on with my story...let’s review. Eddie has arrived in North Carolina with an oversized tackle crate with all the implements necessary to fish as suggested by the four fly fishing books, endless articles and the internet (that would be “they say”) and all the things that Amazon’s algorithms helpfully suggest in the portion of the page customers who purchased this also purchased that section...talk about hooking a big fish. We have enough industrial/deet bug spray to go to the Amazon River and fish—-other than honey bees, we have yet to be attacked by any flying insects. It was just a suggestion....if a little is good a lot be more better. I knew that there had been specialized clothing purchased—-2 pairs of pants, 4 wicking long sleeved tees (which had to be altered by me-a seamstress I am not-remember sewing is clearly a hobby-I can sew, but not well), 2 long sleeved and 2 short sleeved Simms fishing shirts (the 12 Columbia brand that we have had for 5+ years were deemed dated technology), 4 pairs of assorted weighted socks, and 2 pairs of UnderArmor long compression pants-neon orange and black. This is for the man who wears gym shorts and a tee shirt most of the time. The only thing not new was a tan sun hat with a long back bill to prevent sun on your neckline. Apparently Eddie has applied the same logic to fish as he holds for golf...you must dress the part. Even if you don’t know what you doing, come dressed for success, that is half the battle...all part of the fantasy, for sure.
We all know Eddie is an avid reader (see part of hobbies-book collecting), movie watcher so he has a very vivid imagination. I think if we are all honest, we would admit to “dream sequencing”. We can visualize the way something should play out, in a perfect situation. I am quite sure that Eddie pictured himself as we have seen so many times in our travels, the fly fisherman standing in a swift water stream or river, landing the perfect cast with the well chosen fly and a foot plus long trout striking and the fisherman working his line back in. Unfortunately, the dream and the reality are rarely the same.
His first dose of reality was the fact that despite the we are surrounded by lakes, rivers, streams they are not always accessible as they are on private property. The internet can be good to tell you where those public access point are, but if you know “they know”, too...so much for the solitary fisherman in the water fantasy. After lots of discussion with the various fishermen/shops/locals, they all (along with Drew) suggested that a trip with a guide might be a good way to learn the local waters. Guides services here are like nail bar at home, there is a shop about every mile or so. Fishing licenses area available at WalMart...since everybody fishes here...with or without fancy equipment...cane pole and hot dog, anyone? Check, Trip to WalMart in Boone and two fishing licenses. Based on the weather (there was a major front with rain), we determined that Eddie would go for a half day with a guide on Thursday.
While at the Foscoe Fishing Store which had Orvis in its name—-so it must be good (30 minutes from our house), we learned that all fish caught with the guide, were catch and release—-so no trout on the grill in the trout basket that traveled with us from Houston. Obviously, there is some secret place to buy fresh, not farm raised, trout in NC—-it is not the grocery stores, and there are not seafood markets...that or the local restaurants buy it all because every restaurant has NC trout on the menu. Pop...that would be yet another couple of pins in that fantasy balloon bouquet.
At 9:00 Wednesday night a text from Collin came in. Collin was to be Eddie’s guide for Thursday morning. Collin suggested Eddie meet him at the shop at 8:00. Phew, the shop keeper had said 6:30 AM when we booked. We all know Eddie is more of a 10-2 kinda of guy. By 7:30 we were in the car with his gear...which he decide needed a proper carrying bag. While at Walmart obtaining the license, he picked up a handled canvas plastic coated laundry bag/bucket. $$$$ of top line fishing gear and he chooses a $10.37 canvas bucket...go figure...that is so Karen. Guess Amazon failed to make a suggestion on that one. Wish I had taken a picture....wicking tee, check, long sleeved fishing shirt, check, the carefully packed fishing utility vest (which he spent hours packing, nesting, arranging all the little stuff in) check, the long orange and black compression pants covered with his typical ratty gym shorts, check, a pair of white wicking socks, check, cell phone in a ziplock bag for pictures, check....with his functional Laundry (it says so right on the side) non traditional gear bag on his wrist, expensive rod and reel case in the other. After Shane Lowry won the Open over the weekend, Eddie decided that Lowry looked much thinner with a beard than his Wiki picture without-so, Eddie is growing a beard. Here again, fantasy and reality....
At 5 minutes till 8:00 we arrive in the Fishing Shop parking lot. Collin and his well used Toyota 4 Runner were waiting. Collin looks like he came from central casting...reasonably young (30+maybe), baseball cap, lots of hair, beard, tall, lean and good physical shape, shorts and tee shirt, sandals-9 months fishing guide, 3 months mountain ski bum...cause they have ski (more bunny) slopes dotted around these parts of Western NC. He opened the rear of the 4Runner—-it was tricked out to hold rods and had a bar for holding reels-lots of both...of course, there was a layer of dirt and mud that goes with the job. Eddie’s new toys where going to be placed there in the back...oh, the horror...Mud on his new toys. I so wish I could have been a fly on the water to see this whole fantasy in motion. Pop,pop
As we have only my car here, I had plans for the 4-5 hours that Eddie would be on the water. I figured that I needed to be close by 1:00 for a pick up at the shop 30 minutes from our rustic cabin. I was right, my phone chirped up around 1:00 indicating they inbound. So, I pick my fisherman up and asked “well?” Eddie sighed and said that Collin was very patient, probably not the best teacher as he did not talk a lot, and he caught four small trout-3 brown and one rainbow. No, there were no pictures taken...rats, popped my fantasy balloon. Sigh, patient...not the words one would have suspected he would have used if his dream sequence had become reality...pop,pop,pop...
On the ride back and the couple of hours that followed, I learned the real story of his fishing trip. Collin took him south of Foscoe (the Watauga is in the shop’s back door, but on private land) to the Toe River...off roading the last mile right to the edge of the river. Eddie slipped into his lightweight waders, put on his Frankenstein wading boots (seriously, you can’t bend you foot, so you have to lift the heavy boot and put it down—like Frankie), donned his hat and snazzy vest, took his $$$ rod out and threaded the line from the $$$ reel. The guide provided him with a pair of nymph flies. Collin grabbed a rod and reel, and changed his shoes to flip flops. Drew has always said less is more when stream fishing...guess Eddie did not have his hearing aides on that day. Yeah, Eddie caught four trout, fell down in the 6” deep stream -twice, thanks to the nifty boots, learned how to ball up the lead line into a snarl of knots, and pretty much pop every bit of fantasy wind left in his balloons. I actually felt kinda bad for him. He had such high expectations of himself. I had to remind him that the last time he fly fished it was an automatic take-up reel, like my dad’s/mine was/is...there is a whole skill set with the new manual reels that he has not mastered...you don’t get it from a book. I honestly think he was ready to abandoned his new hobby. Old dog, new tricks...frustration factor....perfectionist issues....hot mess....you name it. It has taken me a good 36 hours to help him realize that he might benefit from a lesson or two...and that he might get some water shoes at WalMart and leave the Franky boots and fancy waders at home. So, tomorrow will see us bank fishing with my old reel and non sophisticated fly rod...close by...or maybe even a cane pole and hot dog....need to get his dream machine going again. BTW, he has a lesson on Tuesday.
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