Chicago Illinois fishing tackle shop for fishing bait, fishing tackle and fishing supplies at FISHTECH Fishing Tackle Store in Morton Grove Illinois

INTRODUCTION TO FLY FISHING by Paul F. Rojas This past year, my niece, Angela, got engaged. Our family met her fiancé, Mike, that spring. My daughter, Natalie, a good judge of character, noticed the same positive qualities her cousin saw. She agreed that Mike was The One. He was invited to family gatherings and all of us agreed that theirs was a match made in Heaven. It got even better. Later, we found out that Mike’s family loved the outdoors. Fishing was their passion, followed closely by rooting for the Chicago Bears. It didn’t take long for the two families to bond. As a prelim to most marriages, a bachelor party is called for and this one was no different. Happily, all we uncles were asked to attend. It was to be held in North Carolina, a good distance from Chicago, but this was a special occasion. We were going to rent a log cabin for the four-day party. To everyone’s delight, fly fishing and golf were on the agenda and the younger guys were going to toast the new bridegroom almost every night in the privacy of the cabin. The ladies’ party was going to be held in Las Vegas. We assured them that fishing and golfing were the plan. In all honesty, the last bachelor party I attended--maybe 30 years--ago didn’t involve either. Nor was long-distance travel by car. Still, this trip sounded unique and exciting. For most of us, fly fishing was something new. We planned our trip way in advance, checking prices for vans, rental of the log cabin, food and… uh… liquid refreshments. We were to leave at midnight so we could duck traffic driving through Chicago and Indiana. However, no matter how carefully we’d prepared--whenever two or more people are involved—there are always delays. Someone’s always late or forgets something. It’s wasn’t until nearly 4:00 a.m. that we were finally on the road. Driving to North Carolina took us through Indiana and Tennessee. Several of us were seeing the Smoky Mountains for the first time. Our log cabin was in a town called Maggie Valley, with a breath-taking view of the Smokies. The mist or smoke that came from the valley below covered the golf course that we’d soon be playing. All of us walked around looking at the log cabins in the area and the other side of the mountains. In every direction was a reason to click our cameras. Eventually, the vans were emptied, bedrooms were chosen, clothes were put away and the first toast to the bridegroom took place. Next morning, out we went. Since this was our first time fly fishing, we needed help.. Through the use of the internet we’d contacted the Lowe Guide Service, experts who, happily, showed us how to bring in some trout. Our guides were a father and son team. They took us to their store where we were outfitted with proper equipment. From there, we drove through the Appalachian mountains and through the Pisgah National Forest. Every winding road that hugged the mountains was no match for our guides. Along the way, they provided a brief history of fly fishing and favorite fishing holes were identified along the many streams. Our destination was the Davidson River located in front of the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education. The Blue Ridge Mountains was our backdrop. We were on the eastern edge of Western North Carolina Mountains. There are over a half-million acres in this forest. The Davidson River is also home to the State Fish Hatchery. We also learned that the area where we were going to fish is called a catch-and-release. We parked at the Center and started to get into our gear. The stream just below us had a rushing sound that I well remembered hearing on Saturday morning fishing programs on tv. I’d always dreamed of being in a river or stream and seeing some beautiful trout on the end of my line. On this day, only a few groups were fishing so our guide was able to choose a good locale to start our adventure. What makes fly fishing so unique is that the fish are visible in the stream. You can actually see them, seemingly, waiting to catch the perfect fly. Balance and walking in a stream loaded with boulders and slippery rocks were our first learning experiences. It took a long time for us to get the hang of casting with the specially designed poles and the small fly at the end of the line. Fortunately, throughout, our guides were patient and continued to give us pointers on how to cast, and then let the fly settle and wait—a vital part of any type of fishing. The excitement of that first strike remains with me today. I actually saw the trout devour the fly and I felt that jiggle that every fisherman waits for. I thought back on experiences with bass, walleye and sail fishing in the Pacific and felt I had to show this one trout who was boss. Sadly, that was not to happen. As you’d guess, that fish was one, among many who got away. That taught me a lot, and fast. But, our understanding guide gave me more pointers, so I waited patiently for the next strike. My soon-to-be nephew, was at my side when he caught a few beautiful trout. Later. Mike brought in the largest fish of the day, which we caught on camera. The current’s steady stream hitting the rocks, and the haze hanging over the trees with the sunlight breaking through made me realize how lucky we were to be together on such a beautiful day . I’ve, honestly, never seen anything as beautiful as a stream with mountains in the background. Having friends and family together made it all the better. Just as we were ready to call it a day and gave the signal to wrap it up in a few minutes, it happened. The fastest, strongest fish one could imagine was on the end of my line. I remembered every piece of advice given me and I was not going to let this one get away. I let the fish have the line and I eased on the extra line hanging over the rod and reel and slowly picked up the resistance. The fish was hooked just right and the it started to jump out of the water, rushing from one side of the bank to the other. All of the guys in our party actually stopped to watch, so I wasn’t about to let go. The fish jumped again and, this time, there was hang time. This fish was so strong it actually jumped from the left side of the stream and, with only one skip, landed on the right side of the bank. My rod tip was straight up and I knew it was only a matter of time before the net came in to play. We netted the trout and I was able to hold on to it for a picture or two. I never had a trout in my hands until that day. I didn’t know they were so hard to handle. I wasn’t going to let this one slip out of my hands until plenty of photos were taken. Our guides supplied us with a lunch and we found a picnic table on the Pisgah Center grounds. Stories of each other’s fishing triumphs were exchanged. Amusingly, it seemed that the fish we brought in and released were getting bigger with every anecdote. On the way back to our log cabin, we promised we will come back for another fishing trip. Later that evening in the cabin, we toasted the groom and his wedding party. Cigars were passed out and I made pitchers of my famous margaritas. We planned on waking up the next morning to a full day of golf at Maggie Valley Golf Club. I look back at our fly fishing, golf and celebration and realize there was nothing on this trip that couldn’t be shared with our families. Many packages for bachelor parties concentrating on outdoor activities for families are detailed on the internet. The typical bachelor party of yesteryear has changed. One can be creative in planning a send off for a special friend or family member. Our small trip was worth the time and money. I continue to show all the pictures I took during that four day adventure to friends and family. Well, maybe not all of them.

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Chicago Illinois best fishing tackle shop for fishing bait, fishing tackle, fishing rods, fishing reels, fishing lures and fishing supplies. FISHTECH Fishing Tackle Store and Sports Shop Catalog is located in Morthon Grove Illinois.