Fly Fishing, Another Way to Enjoy the River and Rember my Friend

Learning new things is something I genuinely enjoy, and typically, I enjoy learning things requiring developing a new skill. I also love moving water. Paddling whitewater rivers has been a part of my life since before I can remember.

Frequently, when paddling rivers, I see fly fisherman. This is not surprising. The cold water streams with good whitewater frequently harbor good fisheries. I have long toyed with the idea of picking up fly fishing as another way to enjoy the spectacularly wonderful rivers I am already on.

This obvious combination is something my father-in-law, an avid fisherman, frequently points out. "How can you not have a fly rod with you!?"

He is not the first. One of the best friends I have ever had, Kyle Johnson, also thought this. The summer of 2002, before I reported to Pensacola, Florida for Naval Officer Candidate School, I rowed a raft down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho. Kyle sat on the front of the raft and fly fished the entire way.

If you are not familiar with the Middle Fork, it is one of the best trout fishing rivers in the world. I just put the raft about 10 feet off the eddy lines in the deep holes. All Kyle had to do was drop the fly in front of the boat, and he got a hit every time.

A few months later, when graduating Naval Office Candidate School, Kyle was there. Kyle brought with him a graduation gift, a Thomas and Thomas fly rod. He did not tell me I had to learn to fly fish, but he wanted me to be able to.

Earlier this year, I got a message from Kyle's wife. Kyle had a massive heart attack, an died. The world lost a wonderful human being. Kyle was gone. When Shannon told me, I felt like I had swallowed and bolwing ball and nauseous at the same time.

I had learned to cast periodically since Kyle gave me this fly rod years ago, but had never fished with it. This summer, I started fishing with the rod Kyle gave me, and I also let my oldest son fish with it, because I know this is what Kyle would want.

Fly fishing, I am not very good at it, but now, it is another way to enjoy the rivers and beautiful places I frequent. It also is a way to rember my friend, who I miss. Thank you, Kyle.