I just started fly fishing about 6 years ago.  I’ve been a “bait” fisherman since I was a kid…almost 50 years.  I always liked fishing but fishing from a bank or from a boat was okay…but not special.  I bought a fly rod and a some flies in 1996 and packed them into the grand canyon on a hike I was doing to Phantom Ranch.  In the past, I had used night crawlers and lures to catch fish in Bright Angel Creek and theColorado River.  But this year I wanted to see what fly fishing was all about.  I bought a “package” rod/reel/line.  I stopped at the local flyfishing store and asked what I should use.  They recommended a “blue winged olive”…what the hell was that….turns out it is an awesome fly…I didn’t know it at the time.

I hiked to Phantom Ranch on the Kiabab Trail and was surprised to find many hikers asking me how the fishing was in the Canyon.  Frankly, I didn’t know what to say.  I had always fished with night crawlers and lures and didn’t really know what this new fly fishing  would do.  As the people that I passed were hiking out, I said, “Fishing is AWESOME in the Canyon”, “Didn’t you catch anything while you were down?”

Finally, I go to Phantom Ranch around lunch time.  I checked in and dropped my gear in the dorms.  It was about  late October and I hiked down to Bright Angel Creek.  I hiked up the trail towards the North Rim from Phantom Ranch.   About 20 minutes into my hike I noticed a nice pool.  I stopped and set up my rig…light weight pole and line with a 9′ leader and about a 4′ tippet.  I tied on a Blue Winged Olive and let ‘er fly.  No sooner than the fly hit the water than a “huge” rainbow hit the fly and not only was the trout hooked, but I was too.

Ever since then, I’ve been hooked on fly fishing.  I’ve read as much as I can and asked questions to  fly fisherman until I reached the point where they were getting annoyed.

Fly fishing is such a relaxing endeavor.  It relaxes the body and the soul.  It doesn’t really matter if you catch any fish.  Just the fact that you are on the water in a beatiful place is all that matters.  Imagine an early morning in September on the Missouri River in Montana.  The temperature is 50 degrees.  There is a “fog” on the water, I’m cold and the drift boat is just starting to move through the water.  I cast to the shore line and bam, I’ve got a great hit…20″ rainbow.  As I reel in this awesome fish I look around…mountains, colbalt blue sky, riffling water, meadows and I feel a slight breeze….I know that I’m out in the middle of “nature” and it’s such an awesome feeling.  I’d rather be fly fishing than almost anywhere.  The feeling I get when the water rushes by when I’m deciding on where to place my fly on a rushing river or when I hook into a huge rainbow cannot be duplicated.

Flyfishing is such a different sport…try it, you’ll be hooked.