Learning & Guiding

I have had a couple of great trips in which clients were willing to learn and I was able to assist them. Besides knowing good spots (or stretches), parking, and trails, guiding also contain aspects of teaching and coaching clients. I really appreciate when clients are willing to work hard with me to achieve their goals and objectives. At the end of trips, if clients are happy with their achievements, I'm happy too. As a Teaching Guide, I take the responsibility seriously. Also, at the same time, I learn things from clients and situations. It could be clients' skills: what he can do, what kind of improvement she need, that sort. Or it could be one particular spot that calls for careful water-reading and different fly presentation (including mending) from normal situation. All of these bits of experience on the water help me attain more knowledge and more methods for next trips with different clients. Hey, majority of my clients are "Righty"!! I've been working/showing how to cast with my right arm and to handle fly-line with the left!! Now I'm pretty much an accomplished ambidextrous fly caster!!

So this client wanted to catch Yellowstone Cutthroat. We hiked hard and fast and got to one of my favorite stretches. He wasn't quite new to the sport. He could've done fairly if he had come here on his own with some supply of good flies. I was able to show him how to break down a big water into pieces, how to present our flies in certain angles and different angles, etc., etc. Result was that we had constant actions all afternoon and we moved (or covered) only & barely 50 yard from where we stepped in. This Cutty was the bonus for him as well as for me. I spotted a cruising riser just along the bank. He made an excellent cast to it and set the hook perfectly. I literally felt and saw as if I was doing myself!!

Another good 'un!!

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Then I had an angler from Japan. We had discussed a couple of options about where to fish then we finally decided to visit Nelson's Spring Creek (www.nelsonsspringcreek.com).
MIDGE WAS THE PLAYER OF THE DAY!!!

Location, creek, trout, hatch, everything was brandnew experience for him!! I assisted him with casting and presentation of flies. He adjusted one by one and as he progressed, he got bites!!

GOTACH!!

Showing clients how to handle/hoist trout (especially big one like this) is important......THANK YOU for a great shot, Mr. Kitagawa!!

 Congratulation!!

In the afternoon and evening, midges were still prevalent. My client had good and exciting actions with powerful Rainbows but also I wanted him to experience hefty Browns, both of which are typical of Nelson's!!

One more & last effort at dusk...........

YAY!!!!

Size 20 midge pattern with 6X tippet........

Good work, Mr. Kitagawa!! Hope to see you next time!!
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So the "FLYZ"......... Most of my patterns in my boxes work (generic & original). But also here are two brandnew designs that have graduated "test phases" into "rosters = my fly boxes".

Pupaerger 4 (Umbrella Pupaerger)

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Fall has just begun (with some warm days left?.....maybe)!!