Marc & Lawson Fish Through Spring Break

Fly fishing is about more than just waving a stick in the air and then catching a fish. Yes there is more to it than just that. Some of the additional things this pastime brings us are; lifelong friendships, relaxation, time to think, time to enjoy the outdoors and those are just a few.  So when Marc contacted me about floating and teaching his son Lawson how to catch fish on the fly rod, I knew this was going to be a good day on the water. It was going to be a good day on the water because Marc wanted his son to begin to understand a pastime that brings anglers so much enjoyment.

It wasn't hard to tell that Lawson was comfortable in a boat. After a short discussion I learned he has been bass fishing on the lake, with Marc, for some time. The good thing for Lawson was he already understood fishing. So we worked on casting and presentation for a while. Lawson began to get the cast, then the presentation of the nymph came. Soon the fish began to eat his fly. Then we worked on the hook set. After a miss here and there Lawson finally had his first fish on the fly. It was a nice fat rainbow. We were quick to take the appropriate shots of that "first" and then it was released to be hooked again.


A couple years ago Marc spent a nice Fall day on the drifter. On that day the drift had to be almost perfect each time the fly hit the water. We worked on presentation and Marc was rewarded with some nice fish. He kept those skills and was ready from his first cast. 

He brought a couple fish to the net early in this float and then settled in with a focus on the drift, which was super-slow on low water.  With the presentation where it should be, we focused on structure. Marc laid out a nice cast and began the slow drift past some rocks. Marc set the hook and this fish went to the bottom. 

Marc was well into the fight when I caught a quick glimpse of the big brown. He still wasn't convinced the fish was as big as I was thinking, but it wasn't long before he saw the size...and began to get the shakes. The fish did the usual tricks and Marc was prepared for each. To keep pressure on the hook, he kept good bend in the rod. When the fish made a run to the rocks, he kept a steady pull and turned the head back toward the boat. It was a long fight and with each passing minute we discussed things like side pressure, knot strength, and hooks wearing holes in the upper lip. Hooks wearing holes in the upper lip are a major reason angler's lose fish in the last 10% of the the fight.  But Marc kept his head in the game and soon had the head coming up. We scooped it into the net and it was his fish. 

This fish was a healthy one. We took two quick shots and then it was over. The only things left were chances to recall the story and an angler with still shaky hands. That cast, presentation, the nymph, those knots and skills in the fight earned Marc a spot in the 20+ Club. Nice work Marc! Looking forward to seeing you and Lawson again in the Summer.

If you are a seasoned angler or have never picked up a fly rod and want to set up a day on the river e-mail or call/text 615-796-5143 to book a day on the water. For additional booking information see our Homepage and to see the latest fishing report click here.