Life is full of decisions just like fishing. There are so many variables that need to be considered in both. Do you stay in one spot or move? Will things be better over there or should I stay here? Should I change jobs/flies? There were a lot of variables in making the decision to change water and flies and the outcome of the decision was unknown. Looking back at the decision we made, I can definitively say that we made the right call!
Over the next few hours, we caught quite a few fish! Timothy caught a crappie, largemouth bass, and even some bluegill on a black streamer with a chartreuse head. I quit counting how many fish he caught and just focused on putting the boat in good positions and netting fish. I will readily admit that I made a mistake on this pond, however.
My buddy Ryan Walker of Ozarks Smallmouth Alliance once told me that a client should never hand a rod to a guide because only bad things can happen. I made the mistake of picking up a rod and making some casts while Timothy was also fishing. I was fishing a 1/80 ounce jig for crappie and bluegill when something bigger hit my fly. It ended up being the biggest bass that we caught in that pond and I felt like an absolute jerk. While I wrestled with my own self loathing, Timothy didn't bat an eye. He wasn't upset with me at all but I didn't do much more fishing after that. I learned my lesson though.
The trip ended around 11:30 and it wrapped up just like I had hoped for. Timothy was happy with the quality and quantity of fish that he had caught. We talked about the wildlife that we had seen, the fish that we caught, and maybe most importantly we started to become friends. I know that being a guide means that you need to be able to catch fish and help others replicate your actions. I also know that being a guide means building relationships. A client needs to trust your teachings and a guide has to earn that trust. When that trust is established and the fish start to end up in the net, smiles start to appear which plants the seed for friendship.
Timothy also had some very kind words to share about my guiding which gave me a sense of accomplishment as well. I have believed, for years, that I want to become a fly fishing guide. I have been guided by professionals and taken a lot of notes during my experiences. I have also taught a lot of students which has given me confidence in my teaching abilities. This trip was donated because I wanted to give someone a good fishing experience.
My ulterior motive was for me to find out if I enjoyed guiding and if so, what did I need to get better at. I can unequivocally state that I loved guiding Timothy and I indeed want to become a guide. I feel like this was a good way for me to dip my toe in the water of guiding because the fish were pretty easy to catch and my client was just an all around good dude to fish with. The journey of a million miles begins with one step and I feel like I took a step down a path that is going to be pretty exciting!
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