Lady's First

So proud.

That first trout on a fly is a special one. I remember mine... late 90's... Oak Creek, AZ... the pool across from Don Hoel's - a day I'll not soon forget thanks to a stocker rainbow that couldn't resist an olive bugger.

I've also been fortunate to have lent a helping hand with numerous first catches. Whether it's a significant other, relative, friend, client, or even an in-law, coaching someone to their first fly-caught fish is typically a rewarding experience.

An angler's reaction to hooking up for the first time is often a telling one. When a child's eyes light up as a hooked rainbow leaps out of the water, or when an old man lets out a celebratory whoop after releasing a wild brown, you can bet that they'll be anglers for the rest of their days.

Over the weekend I talked my lady into getting out on the water for a few hours. She had fly fished a couple of times before, most recently last fall when I guided her to her first fish on a fly, a whitefish. Of course that didn't really count, and somehow she knew it, she didn't even want her picture taken with the lowly salmonid. And so on Friday with temperatures in the 50's we dusted off my WaterMaster and embarked on a short float in search of a Gallatin River trout.  A classic winter run produced several browns, including a memorable, photo-worthy first catch.