“You should’a been here yesterday!” Maybe I’m just a sub-par fly angler, but I hear this phrase constantly. Given the ever-changing weather in this beautiful state I completely understand varying river conditions from day to day. But this phrase brings my mind back to those yesterdays. The days where you met up with your best friends in town, headed to your local river, and for once found no one at your favorite spot. Water flow is on point, the sun was drawing an absolute perfect amount of “shady hidey holes” as my buddy would describe, and when you played eeny, meeny, miny, moe with your fly box, you actually won. These are the days that keep fly fishers like me braving the elements to keep coming back for more.

Summer was over in the blink of an eye. When I look back on these last few months I see a multitude of empty fly boxes, drawers stuffed with mostly demolished fly tying materials with hundreds of empty daiichi packs scattered throughout, bald car tires, neglected household chores, and a bank account that ain't even worth 50 bucks. But I look back on this summer and feel an incredible sense of accomplishment. I spent this summer as a full time fly fishing guide.