Friends from afar....well almost...Not that far

It was one of those days you hope for. After meeting up in Shady Valley, TN, John and Madie King and I were off. We crossed the Beaverdam and Cherokee National Forest enroute to one of the places dearest to me, Helton Creek.

John and Madie are like a lot of folks, they love to flyfish and are really good at it. They are young, they are professional types, John being a physician , and they live in Columbus, MS. And they don't mind driving a long way to find some good fishing. Just my kind of folks, and absolutely a pleasure to spend a day on the river with. I met them a few years ago via an eBay transaction. We started talking, and set up a trip.

Our day on the Helton was magical. It was one of those days where we got into a load of fish. First it was brookies. Lots of them. What started for them as just wanting to catch a brookie ended up being double digits of them, in the first place we stopped. In fact, I think we caught about 25 fish the first place we stopped to fish. We hit a couple of other spots, and with much the same result. The last hour of the evening was filled with rising fish and about a dozen or more for John, all on dry flies. What a way to end the day.

Besides being a good fly fisherman, John is quite the fly tyer as well. In the spring I received a "care package" with some great looking flies that John had tied. Great is an understatement, they were fantastic.

I believe one thing I have always loved about the sport is the people I have met and come to know through it. Some of the best folks walking this planet are fly fishermen. They are folks that you not only know as customers but also come to know and call them friends. And that's hard to beat! Not only do you meet some great people, but often trade ideas and perspectives about fishing, tying, and life.

I have the privilege of serving a group of the greatest people on earth.....you! Thanks for that, I could never repay all the benefit that I have received from knowing you all. Here's to more of the same in the future.