I had the privilege of guiding some of the most immature clients that I have ever had the pleasure to be around. I mean these individuals knew how to play and carry on a conversation that most grown up only wish they still had left in their heads. From the fart game to which chipmunk was the best, I mean Alvin or the other dude. That’s right, I am talking about actual kids. I had a local mother ask me to take her boys age 5 and 7 off her hands for the afternoon and evening. We drove to the upper Sacramento River south of the town of Dunsmuir. We found a local road that wound down to the River and hiked across the Railroad Tracks. It was a scene right out of the movie “Stand By Me”. Me the oldest boy and the two youngsters having the time of their lives.
Upon arrival at the river I was expecting to teach the young men about Birds nests and terrestial Bees, both very effective flies that would be used on this section of the river. Instead, I could have explained to the boys about the “birds and Bees” because, to my surprise there was a topless sun bather on the thin strip of sand next to the river. This is one of those moments during a trip that nothing in my gear bag would help. Flustered and red-er then the bikini bottoms the young lady was wearing I hurried the boys to the rivers edge. I pulled out my 9′ rod and began to cast out the nymphs. I think if I can remember right my mind was flustered and confused, I was using a size 14 Red Tailed Wooly Worm with a size 16 Bead Head Pheasant Tail. I would cast up stream and allow the boys to retrieve the line. We would then cast back up stream and the boys would watch the strike indicator as it would bounce along the top of the water. Bounce, Bounce, Bounce. Then all of the sudden the youngest screamed, “IT’S GONE”. the older of the two boys had the pole and had managed to let the line out of his retrieving hand. It had fallen to the rocks below his feet. I then instructed him to pull up on he tip of the rod. But, as he pulled up the line just slid through the eyes. I then looked as to what the problem was because I had noticed that the line was not getting tight, when all of the sudden the line went taught. I looked down at his feet and he was standing on the line. That is one technique that had never crossed my mind. Wow, all of these years I had been setting the hook the old fashion way. Now the boy was teaching me a thing about fishing. Use all of your resources that you have at your disposal. We were able to land that fish and the smiles were as big on their faces as was the one on my face when we first arrived at the river. I found the youngest was not getting his turn at using the equipment. Having planned for just this kind of situation I brought out two spin casting rods. What adult much less child wouldn’t want to fish with a Pirates of The Caribbean rod. We continued to pull some Yellow #9 Panther Martins. We worked the river several more hours with some success until all three of us kids were tuckered out and wanting our kids meals from BK. Unfortunately for me I was not able to use the Birds Nests and Terrestrial Bees. But, thankfully I also did not have to talk to the about the Birds and Bees.