June 4-6, 2021
The delivering presentations to fly fishing clubs and shows part of my business was running strong going into 2020. My calendar was full. Hands down it was going to be my best year ever. Then the pandemic hit and my speaking schedule got completely wiped off the map.
The blow was devastating. I lost some dream international fishing trips too. But we all got crushed in some way and I’m not looking in the rearview. Instead its all about getting my life back to where it was. This weekend was a start with a trip to Memphis, TN to present a full day fly fishing seminar for the Mid-South Fly Fishers.
What was best about this weekend is that the Mid-South Fly Fishers gig was held at Vince and Marcia Marascuilo’s private lake and I was invited to fish. My work was Saturday and entailed a casting demo between 2 and 3 then in the evening I gave my PowerPoint presentation, “Improve Your Fishing Photography”. Every minute not working was for fishing.
To maximize fishing time, Vince and MSFF Vice President Josh Lack invited me to arrive Friday night for a Memphis dinner. We ate at Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken in Collierville then I headed with Vince and Marcia to their house. My comfy room overlooked the lake and I was on the water at 4:50 AM Saturday and fished till 1 PM. Let’s call it a full day of epic brim on a fly!
I fished my 5-weight Air 2 with a size 6 hard-body popper for the first couple hours hoping for a big largemouth bass. Once the sun got high and temps rose I went to a nifty little foam mouse pattern and went berserk on the bluegill. If you read this blog often you know how much I enjoy the scrappy fish. Remember last month in Wisconsin?
My seminar went fantastic. This is was the clubs annual picnic and fishing day at the lake. It was the first time they brought a speaker to the event and everyone enjoyed the twist. I taught Tricks for Casting in the Wind and the Double Haul. Then members all took time to catch a few fish on the lake as well. It felt so good to be back out teaching fly fishing.
I’m on my flight home now. I’ll be on my bike or perhaps a hike by 4 PM. Then Granny will be home from work and I’m certain that will lead to a couple Sierra Nevada’s on the back deck. Tomorrow night we head for the Henry’s Fork. Things are starting to feel normal again!
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